My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 11

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Victor entered the room, carrying a tray with a teacup. Instantly, a refreshing aroma filled the room.

Brewing and serving tea wasn’t typically a task for Victor, the butler of the duchy. However, there were times when Ethan longed for Victor’s expertly brewed tea, especially on days like today when he had a headache.

“You seemed particularly tired today, so I added a spoonful of honey.”

“Well done. Thank you.”

Indeed, the sweetness invigorated him slightly.

Victor bowed respectfully. As he turned to leave, Ethan impulsively called him back.

“Wait, Victor.”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“Have you noticed anything strange about Camille recently?”

“Recently… you say?”

“Yes, since her confinement. Whether you saw it yourself or heard it from other maids, if there was anything unusual, tell me.”

“May I speak frankly?”

“By all means.”

“Honestly, there are numerous oddities. If I may be so bold, she seems like an entirely different person.”

“Not such a broad statement. Has she shown any suspicious intentions or behaved in a completely inexplicable manner?”

Victor hesitated for a moment. “The other day, she thanked me.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes at this. “She thanked you? Personally?”

“Yes. And she smiled brightly while doing so.”

“That’s… strange.”

“Very strange.”

Everyone in the mansion knew Camille disliked Victor. Although she had her mood swings, the servants didn’t find her to be an overly difficult mistress. When something displeased her, she would get irritable, but she would calm down just as quickly with some gentle coaxing.

However, Camille was consistently spiteful and harsh towards Victor. Despite Ethan having reprimanded her openly a few times, Camille’s reaction was always the same.

“Are you telling me that you value a mere butler over your own wife?” she would retort, her face flushing with anger and trembling with indignation. Eventually, Ethan stopped bringing it up.

“What did she thank you for?”

“When I brought her a book at your order.”

Ethan had never given such an order. What he had said was, ‘Have a servant keep an eye on her in the library to ensure she isn’t up to anything suspicious.’

“Perhaps she was simply in a good mood that day?”

“I don’t think so… but…”

“But what?”

“She asked me to treat her more comfortably in the future. She mentioned that better communication was necessary for the household.”

“…Did she mention household affairs? Camille?”

“Yes. And that’s not all. She also said, ‘Given how I’ve behaved so far, I can’t expect you to change your mind about me overnight. I’ll try to make sure you can see me differently, Victor.'”

Ethan frowned deeply, staring at Victor. “Is that true?”

“She said those exact words, not a single detail missed.”

“…What’s her angle?” Ethan muttered, half to himself. Victor, having had his own suspicions, couldn’t help but ponder the same. Perhaps Camille was trying to gather more allies in her current situation. It seemed that even the maid, Marie, was somehow being controlled by the duchess.

‘But…’

For some reason, Victor couldn’t shake the feeling that the duchess’s words had a ring of truth to them. It’s easy to lie with words, but not so easy to deceive with one’s eyes.

When Camille had looked at him, there had been genuine kindness in her eyes. Her words about wanting to get along better had seemed sincere. It was this authenticity that had left Victor uncharacteristically flustered.

Of course, he couldn’t share this with Ethan. He would surely be met with disbelief. Just then, another knock echoed through the room.

“It’s me, Camille. May I come in?”

Both men turned towards the door simultaneously, then looked at each other.

Ethan cleared his throat. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Camille entered, wearing a much more modest and simple dress than usual. It was surprising that she even owned such attire.

“Am I interrupting?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Then I’ll take my leave,” Victor said, bowing as he brushed past Camille. She responded with a gentle smile.

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly at this.

Victor gave Ethan a look that seemed to say, ‘Did you see that?’ before closing the door behind him.

“…What’s going on?” Ethan asked.

“What do you mean, what’s going on? Today’s the day we agreed on,” Camille replied.

“Agreed?”

When he asked absentmindedly, Camille frowned. “The History of the Erendel War. We were supposed to discuss it today, remember? Two weeks ago.”

“Oh, that,” Ethan said, recalling the agreement. He had completely forgotten. Had it really been two weeks already? With all the recent headaches and his busy schedule, it had slipped his mind.

“So, did you finish reading it?” he asked, though he was skeptical.

“Yes.”

“…What?”

“I said, I read it all.” Camille maintained a composed expression.

“Surely you didn’t just skim through it and claim to have read it.”

“Of course not.”

“So, you really read all of it?”

“All twelve volumes, from beginning to end, without skipping a single word.”

“……”

Ethan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her closely. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not joking.”

“Then tell me about it. What was the book about?”

As if she had been waiting for this question, a confident smile appeared on Camille’s lips.

“The History of the Erendel War is a book documenting the twenty-year war between ancient Alec and Daershilant. The author, Rados, traveled throughout the entire region of Erendel, including the coastal areas of Hagea and beyond the Kiladim Mountains, to write this book. The first three volumes detail the daily lives and societies of the nations and peoples at the time, based on Rados’ firsthand observations during his travels. From the fourth to the seventh volumes, the book delves into the war itself. The battle descriptions are so vivid and thrilling that it’s clear the author was not only a scholar but also had a great artistic flair. I was particularly impressed by the account of the Battle of Helitos. While this battle is usually celebrated as King Ivandeus of Alec’s greatest triumph, Rados takes a different approach. Instead of merely praising Ivandeus, he meticulously points out the mistakes made by Daershilant that led to Alec’s victory. It was truly enlightening.”

“……”

Ethan stared at Camille, speechless. It felt as though he were hearing a phantom.

Camille tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

“No… nothing,” Ethan stammered, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. “Did you really read all of it?”

“I’ve told you several times, yes.”

“You, read all twelve volumes of The History of the Erendel War in just two weeks?” Ethan emphasized each word, unable to hide his skepticism.

Camille looked exasperated. “Yes.”

He found it impossible to believe. In the five years he had known Camille, he had never once seen her read a book. This was the first time she had asked to borrow one from the library, and he had never heard of her purchasing any books herself.

And now she claimed to have read The History of the Erendel War? In just two weeks?

No, he couldn’t be sure yet. She could have had someone summarize the content and memorize it.

Thinking back, he had instructed Victor to accompany her when she requested more books.

‘She must have had help from Victor.’

Feeling momentarily disturbed by his own doubt, Ethan steeled himself.

“Which country did Rados visit first?”

Ethan asked, expecting her to falter over a detailed question. But Camille responded without hesitation.

“The Kingdom of Muint. It bordered Daershilant to the south and traditionally worshipped the moon goddess, so it was ruled by queens.”

“……”

“Anything else you want to ask?” Camille asked, her expression brimming with confidence.