My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 106

Mathieu currently had a rival who divided the power within Girard’s intelligence unit.

His name was Raymond Garel. He had joined the intelligence unit earlier than Mathieu and had worked as Luc’s close aide for a long time.

Although Mathieu was behind in experience, he honestly believed he had the upper hand in terms of ability and drive. However, since Luc had placed great trust in Raymond, everyone assumed Raymond would be the next successor.

However, when Luc withdrew from active duty due to illness, Mathieu launched an aggressive campaign to claim the position of head of the intelligence unit.

Unlike Luc, Duke Marlon Girard was someone who valued only ability. No matter how close Raymond had been to Luc or how long he had served, it did not matter. In the end, Marlon was the final decision-maker, and as long as Mathieu could win his favor, that was all that mattered.

As planned, Mathieu had recently been gaining momentum. The number of followers supporting him within the intelligence unit had grown significantly.

Even Raymond had begun to openly check Mathieu’s actions. From his perspective, it must have seemed like an upstart much younger than him was trying to push him out.

‘…But even so…’

No matter how much Raymond saw Mathieu as a threat, it was still hard to believe that he would conspire with Dumont just to eliminate him.

Of course, if this plan had succeeded, Mathieu’s rise to head of the intelligence unit would have been nearly certain. From Raymond’s perspective, stopping him at all costs would have been necessary.

But the risks were too great. If Marlon discovered the betrayal, not only Raymond but his entire family would meet a grim fate.

“You look doubtful.”

At Camille’s words, Mathieu subtly tightened his lips. His facial expression should have been flawless. As an intelligence agent, concealing his emotions was a fundamental skill.

‘Who is this woman in the first place? Is she really the Duchess of Dumont?’

The widely known rumors described the Duchess of Dumont as a woman of outstanding beauty, but thoughtless and exceedingly willful. However, the woman before him seemed far removed from those rumors.

There had to be a calculated reason why she had been sent here instead of Ethan Dumont himself or the head of Dumont’s intelligence unit.

But for now, he had no clue what that reason could be.

If it was simply to lower Mathieu’s guard, then she should have played the role of a more careless, frivolous woman as the rumors suggested. But it was obvious she had no such intentions.

Camille remained composed, her expression calm, with a light smile gracing her lips.

Originally, Mathieu had intended to maintain complete silence as he had done so far. Since the other party sought to extract information from him, he thought it best not to speak at all.

But now, the situation was not so simple.

‘Maybe I should probe a little.’

Of course, he was well aware that speaking was exactly what the other side wanted.

But Mathieu was a seasoned veteran in the field of espionage. Regardless of who this woman really was, he had no intention of losing in a battle of words and mind games.

“What do you mean by that?”

Mathieu asked bluntly, and Camille responded with a cheerful smile.

“You’ve finally spoken. A wise choice.”

“Just answer me. How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“It’s obvious. Right now, you’re wondering if there’s a traitor within Duke Girard’s camp. Otherwise, how else would we know your real name and origins? You probably believe that the reason your plan failed is because that traitor leaked information to us.”

“……”

“Judging by your expression, I must be right.”

Again with this trick. Mathieu clenched his teeth behind closed lips. From the moment he sat in this chair, his expression had remained unchanged. He knew she was trying to rattle him, but knowing didn’t stop it from being irritating.

“Oh my, are you going silent again?”

Camille tilted her head.

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea. You won’t be able to protect your master by keeping your mouth shut. Quite the opposite, actually. The only one who benefits from your silence is the very traitor who betrayed you.”

“……”

Mathieu stared at Camille for a long moment before finally speaking in a cracked voice.

“Who is it?”

“As I said earlier, it’s just as you suspected. The one who had the most to gain from your failure and downfall. Raymond Garel.”

“……”

For a moment, it felt like flames were rising from his stomach.

Mathieu struggled to suppress his turbulent emotions. He had to remain calm. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that this was all fabricated to make him talk. If they could extract information from him while also bringing down Raymond, it would be the perfect outcome for Dumont.

“Evidence?”

“What evidence?”

“Proof that Garel betrayed me.”

“Like a handwritten letter, perhaps? There’s no way such a thing exists. Garel isn’t a fool. Do you think he’d leave behind something so incriminating?”

Camille spoke as if it were absurd.

“Besides, is there even a need for proof? Who else but Garel would have both the means and the motive to set you up like this? The very fact that you are sitting here now is the strongest proof of all.”

“If there’s no solid evidence, I can’t believe it,” replied Mathieu with a blank expression.

Camille sighed. “Stubborn, aren’t you? Fine. Let’s assume, just as you insist, that Garel isn’t the traitor. Would that change anything?”

“…What do you mean?”

“It’s quite simple. Even if the traitor isn’t Garel, your fate remains unchanged.”

“……”

As Mathieu fell silent, Camille smiled.

“You’ve realized it now, haven’t you? Even if, by some miracle, you escape from here and return to Girard’s estate, you’ll never reclaim your former status. Duke Girard is paranoid to an extreme degree—he won’t believe for a second that you escaped on your own. He’ll interrogate you mercilessly until you give him the answers he wants. Unlike us, he has no qualms about torture, so I doubt you’ll last very long.”

“……”

“Of course, that’s just a hypothetical scenario. And we have no intention of releasing you. We won’t torture or kill you like Girard would, but… we can imprison you for years, even decades, until you decide to talk.”

Mathieu stared at Camille with a hardened expression. Camille simply shrugged and continued.

“But if you choose to become a martyr for Girard… well, I won’t stop you. However, I’ll at least let you know about another option. If you answer our questions honestly, we’ll guarantee your safety. We’ll provide you with an escape route, money, and even a new identity. Girard won’t be able to find you—no matter how hard he tries.”

“Impossible. You’re underestimating Girard.”

At Mathieu’s words, Camille let out a soft chuckle.

“Not at all. If anything, you’re underestimating Dumont. You haven’t forgotten about Baron Liam Bernard, have you? It’s been nearly six months, yet Girard’s intelligence unit still hasn’t located him—nor even confirmed if he’s alive or dead.”

“……”

For the first time, Mathieu was left speechless of his own accord.

“Of course, as long as Duke Girard remains in power, you’ll never be free from the fear of being caught. But if you stay imprisoned here in Dumont’s dungeons, at least you’ll stay alive… If you’re satisfied with this life, then you’re welcome to choose it. If it were me, I wouldn’t even hesitate to decide.”

“……”

“Well, considering the gravity of the situation, it would be unreasonable to demand an immediate answer. I’ll give you a day to think it over. We’ll meet again here tomorrow.”

With that, Camille rose from her seat. Mathieu watched her retreating figure, his lips pressed tightly together.

Then, as if suddenly recalling something, Camille turned back to face him.

“Ah, one more thing that might help you make your decision. Earlier, I said, ‘As long as Duke Girard remains in power.’ That won’t be for much longer. Ethan and I fully intend to bring about Marlon Girard’s downfall—and soon.”

Her expression remained calm, but her eyes shone with an unsettling coldness.

“If you cooperate, that day will come even sooner. But, well… it won’t make much difference to us either way. The question is whether it matters to you.”

“……”

“Well then, I’ll be off. Think it over carefully.”

With a gentle smile, Camille left the room.

As the door closed, Mathieu let out a quiet, suppressed groan, alone in the dimly lit room.