My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 112

Marlon stared at Nicolas as if to tell him to continue.

“Actually, there’s an investigation I’ve been conducting for the past couple of months, and during the process…”

“An investigation? You?”

Marlon cut Nicolas off and asked. Nicolas flinched and hunched his shoulders.

“Yes. I happened to find out that the Marchioness of Leroy was searching for the whereabouts of Liam Bernard, so I tried to verify the background…”

“You’re not an official agent yet. If you came across such information, your duty was to report it to your superiors immediately. Or did someone instruct you to investigate it?”

At Marlon’s pressing, Nicolas’s face turned slightly pale.

“No. It was my own decision. I knew it was outside my jurisdiction, just as you said, but I thought it would be better to work alone if I wanted to conduct the investigation discreetly…”

Nicolas, sweating coldly, mumbled his excuse and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

Marlon stared silently at Nicolas, then opened his mouth again.

“And?”

“Pardon?”

“What were the results? And how does this relate to the Duchess of Dumont?”

At that, Nicolas’s expression brightened slightly.

“Ah, yes. Apparently, there was a fairly widespread rumor in high society that Liam Bernard was having a secret affair with the Duchess of Dumont. The Marchioness of Leroy had long harbored feelings for the Duke of Dumont, and she must have thought that if he learned of his wife’s infidelity, the two would naturally split. But things didn’t go as the Marchioness had hoped. So she began searching for the missing Bernard in order to obtain proof of the affair.”

Marlon listened quietly to Nicolas’s story.

The fact that he didn’t interrupt meant he was interested. Gaining confidence, Nicolas continued in an eager tone.

He said the Duchess of Dumont, who had been staying out of the public eye, appeared at a banquet again, and he took the opportunity to approach her.

Although he wasn’t able to extract any significant information about Bernard, he succeeded in seducing the Duchess of Dumont. And—

She told him to “wait just half a year.”

“She seemed rather cautious, probably afraid her husband might find out again. She must’ve had a rough time back when it was Bernard. Still, despite all that, she was practically begging me to wait for her… Well, she seemed to be just the kind of woman the rumors described. Here, this is the letter she gave me.”

Without a word, Marlon accepted the letter Nicolas handed over and unfolded it.

The letter contained exactly what Nicolas had described. Every sentence was full of anxiety, as if she were desperate not to lose a man she had managed to attract after so long.

After cautiously watching Marlon’s expression for a moment, Nicolas cleared his throat as if he’d made up his mind.

“Ahem, so, I know there’s still some time left before the six months are up, but… should I try contacting her? Maybe we can gather some information related to this case.”

“……”

Marlon said nothing, his eyes narrowing. Nicolas waited nervously, like a prisoner awaiting his sentence, desperately hoping Marlon would speak.

“Is there anyone else who knows about this?”

Marlon suddenly asked, as if tossing the words out.

“What? Oh, no. This is the first time I’ve reported it to you. I figured since the meeting was postponed for six months, it made sense to wait and report after observing how things unfolded…”

Nicolas explained, almost as if making an excuse.

It was obvious why. If he had reported it earlier with no concrete results, he would’ve just been scolded for acting on his own. But Marlon didn’t bother to point that out. His thoughts were elsewhere.

It had happened not long ago, when he met the Duke and Duchess of Dumont at the palace.

Back then, Ethan Dumont’s attitude toward his wife had clearly changed from before. Rumors had already been circulating quietly that the couple’s relationship had improved. It wasn’t just that they had started attending banquets together more often; people also said the atmosphere between them was distinctly different from before.

But if the letter Nicolas had shown him was to be believed, at the very least, the Duchess’s heart was still turned away from her husband.

‘Is it just a public show? Or could it be…’

No matter how he thought about it, it was hard to believe that Ethan Dumont would be obsessively attached to his wife of his own accord. It was equally unconvincing that such obsession would have been triggered simply by the fact that she almost had an affair with another man.

Initially, Marlon had targeted Camille Dumont through Liam Bernard simply because she had been one of the few vulnerabilities in House Dumont.

But what if that wasn’t the case? What if, without his knowing, the Duchess of Dumont had become not just a vulnerability but a weakness for Ethan Dumont?

Marlon’s gaze shifted back to Nicolas. Nicolas stiffened, as if nervous.

“For now, stay put.”

“What? But…”

“Do I need to say it twice?”

“……”

Nicolas closed his mouth, looking visibly dissatisfied.

Marlon knew well that Nicolas was desperate to win his favor. This reckless action must have stemmed from that very desire.

‘Well, even so, this time, I can’t say there were no results at all…’

Still, the situation called for caution. Especially with Nicolas involved.

Of course, there was virtually no chance that House Dumont would ever learn Nicolas was of Marlon’s blood. But even so…

After a moment of silence, Marlon spoke again.

“Until we’re sure how much Dumont knows or what they’re holding onto, we mustn’t make any hasty moves. This could be a trap that bastard laid.”

“A trap…?”

Nicolas looked as if the idea struck him as absurd.

“Yes. So don’t make a move. I can’t afford to lose you over something like this. Understand?”

At Marlon’s words, Nicolas first looked stunned, then gradually broke into a pleased expression.

“Ah, yes. Understood, Your Grace. I’ll do as you say.”

Exactly the reaction Marlon had expected. Throw out a cryptic comment, and he’d interpret it however he pleased and be delighted by it. Easy to handle, yes—but hard to understand. It was difficult to believe the same blood ran in their veins.

‘He must have taken after his mother.’

Perhaps it would have been better to dispose of him along with her back then. If Gabriel hadn’t stopped him, he might actually have done it.

“He is a child who carries your blood, Your Grace. I’m sure there is something exceptional in him. For the future of Girard, I believe it’s best to keep him alive and watch over him.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong. Given that his eldest son Thierry had always been unsatisfactory, Marlon had left Nicolas in Gabriel’s care as a kind of insurance.

Nicolas did have talent. If used correctly, he could be quite useful. This recent incident was proof of that…

Nicolas was now gazing at Marlon with eyes full of expectation. Marlon thought they resembled the dog his sister used to keep as a child. That dog had died after eating chocolate he had given it. He’d wanted to find out if it was true that chocolate was poisonous to dogs.

Suddenly, Marlon grew curious. If he handed Nicolas a vial of poison now and told him to drink it, would he obediently do so, just like that dog?

“You may go.”

Marlon spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.

***

That night, Ethan remained in his office working late into the night.

Having been confined to the estate for nearly two weeks due to his injury and spending time interrogating Mathieu, a significant workload had piled up.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

He assumed it would be Victor, as usual. But the one who peeked in was Camille.

“Are you busy?”

“Camille.”

Ethan instinctively rose from his seat.

“No, I was just about to take a break. What’s the matter?”

“……”

Camille didn’t answer right away and hesitated for a moment.

“Do you have something you want to talk about? It’s okay—go ahead.”

“Um… it’s just that…”

Camille still seemed hesitant to speak.

Her fingers fidgeted nervously while clasped together, and though the sight was endearing, it also filled him with a vague sense of unease.

He was so used to her always being forthright that it was impossible not to wonder what could be making her so hesitant.

After a long pause, Camille finally spoke.

“Are you busy tomorrow?”

“No, I plan to stay home. Why?”

Of course, there was a mountain of work, but Ethan didn’t bother to mention that.

“Then… would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?”