My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 118

I left Jacques behind and departed from the Alide residence. Then I boarded the carriage with as neutral an expression as possible.

But my mind was in utter turmoil.

‘Is this really the right thing to do?’

If I was thinking about Ines’s safety, the best course was to send Jacques alone, as the kidnapper demanded.

However, doing that meant there would be no way to apprehend the perpetrator. On the other hand, if we deployed additional forces, there would be a chance to capture them—but no guarantee that Ines would be safely returned.

Besides, nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. They would have prepared extensively on their side, too. If they sensed anything amiss and fled, we could end up losing both targets.

‘…I can’t gamble with Ines’s life.’

It wasn’t just because I hated the idea of sacrificing a few lives for the greater good. Even without that, in this situation, such a choice was unthinkable.

If Jacques ever found out I had deliberately put his wife in danger, he would never forgive me. And if Ines never returned, that went without saying. Even if everything went well and she came back safe, it would be the same. Jacques would leave Dumont, and Ethan would lose his right-hand man.

‘Besides, Ines isn’t alone anymore…’

In the end, I had no other choice but to trust Jacques.

Whatever anyone said, he was the top agent of House Dumont. It was hard for him to stay composed with Ines involved, but for the same reason, he would do his best more than ever.

And while Jacques bought time, I had to account for every possibility and formulate countermeasures.

Until now, I had always maintained the upper hand thanks to my knowledge of the original story. But this time was different. It was a crisis I had to overcome with my own strength.

Still, I had to succeed. Not just for Jacques and Ines, but for the life that had yet to be born.

Inside the carriage, I immediately began formulating a plan.

***

Early the next morning.

Jacques arrived alone on horseback at a farm about thirty minutes outside the capital.

Surrounded by several buildings, the place was ringed with wide fields and pastures. Even though it was harvest season, the fields were empty, suggesting it had been abandoned for at least a year.

It was clear why the kidnapper had chosen this location. With such open visibility around, sneaking in or hiding would be difficult. In contrast, the perpetrators could easily conceal their forces within the farm buildings.

Jacques tied his horse in front of one of the buildings and moved deeper inside.

Soon, two masked men appeared from the stable.

“Turn around with your hands up.”

Jacques did as instructed. After one of them finished frisking him, he gestured with his chin.

“This way.”

Jacques followed quietly. Inside the stable, there were several more people. All wore identical fabric masks.

‘Nineteen in total.’

Jacques quickly counted. Of course, that was only what he could see. There might be more hidden.

Three held crossbows, five had swords. One held a dagger and was seated in one of two chairs placed in the middle of the stable.

Jacques instinctively sensed that this man was the leader.

“Sit.”

The man gestured toward the empty chair with his dagger. Jacques sat without a word.

“Jacques Alide. Just as rumored, you’ve got a nasty look.”

The man sneered. He spun the dagger on his fingertip with the skill of a circus performer.

“Did you bring me all the way out here just to insult my face?” Jacques asked in a flat tone.

The man chuckled. “Still keeping up that bravado? Have you forgotten your situation? Aren’t you worried about Ines?”

The moment the man said her name, Jacques felt like the blood in his body reversed course. He clenched his teeth and withstood the surge of rage.

“Ah, now that look suits you.”

The man leaned back leisurely in his chair and laughed.

Jacques forced himself to stay calm. He recalled what the Duchess had told him. Above all else, Ines’s safety came first. To ensure that, he couldn’t let his emotions take control.

“What is it you want?”

“No need to rush like that. Let’s confirm a few things first. You haven’t told anyone about this, have you?”

“Of course not. The fact that I came alone, as instructed, should be proof enough.”

“Hmm. One can’t be too sure. I saw you returning home with the Duchess of Dumont yesterday.”

“The Duchess just stopped by briefly to see Ines. I told her Ines was out and suggested we reschedule, then sent her back right away. If you were watching, you should’ve seen it.”

At Jacques’s words, the man tilted his head. “Didn’t she ask where Ines had gone? Didn’t she question what the letter said?”

“I covered it well enough. Don’t worry.”

“You sure? You don’t strike me as someone good at hiding his emotions. Are you saying she didn’t suspect a thing?”

If you were that worried, you should’ve done a better job yourself. Who was it that had the letter delivered right in front of the Duchess?

The words rose to Jacques’s throat, but he held them back and replied in a low voice.

“I can’t claim to know what the Duchess is really thinking. But one thing’s certain: she left right after, and I did exactly what the letter instructed.”

That much was undeniably true. Jacques hadn’t told anyone—not even Camille—about the contents of the note. She had simply figured it out on her own.

The thought gave him a strange sense of calm.

The Duchess would surely find a way. He didn’t have any solid proof, but something deep inside him believed it. Even Jacques found his own trust surprising.

‘No, I can’t say there’s no basis at all. The Duchess has already saved Ines once.’

That’s right. No matter who she was dealing with, Camille had always been one step ahead. There was no reason to think it would be any different this time.

And besides, she truly cared for Ines. She had shown again and again that Ines’s safety was her top priority.

As long as he followed the Duchess’s instructions, things would be alright. They had to be. Jacques held onto that belief as he suppressed the fear and anger within him.

The man stared at Jacques with narrowed eyes, then stopped twirling his dagger.

“Well, fine. I’ll believe you for now. If you’re lying, Ines will be the one to die.”

“Is Ines safe?”

“Of course. Not that I can show you proof right now… but what can you do? From your side, you have no choice but to trust me, don’t you?”

The man chuckled as he spoke. Jacques’s fingernails dug into his knee.

“How long do you plan to keep Ines captive? The Duchess will probably contact me again this morning. And once she learns Ines didn’t return last night, she’ll definitely grow suspicious. Ines doesn’t have any family—no parents, no siblings. There’s no excuse I can give for her absence.”

“Don’t worry too much. As long as you answer my questions honestly, I’ll let you see your wife. That much, I can promise.”

The man—Julien—spoke in a leisurely tone.

‘Well, I never said you’d see her alive.’

Marlon’s order had been to kill both Ines and Jacques. Whether Jacques talked or not, whether what he said was true or false, the outcome was already decided.

“What do you want to know?”

“Where is Mathieu Anglade right now?”

“……”

Jacques stared at the man with a hardened expression. As expected, Girard was the one behind this.

The problem was how to answer.

Mathieu was hiding in a safehouse beyond the Alveni border, but revealing that directly wasn’t an option. Still, he couldn’t feign total ignorance either. The answer needed to be something plausible.

“He’s in Dumont’s dungeon.”

“How much has Anglade confessed?”

“Nothing. He’s a tight-lipped man.”

“Still? Seems like you’re just as useless as your reputation suggests.”

It was a blatant provocation. Compared to the insult of mentioning Ines, it was nothing.

“Dumont isn’t like Girard. Inhumane torture is strictly forbidden,” Jacques replied with a blank expression.

“How noble of you.”

Julien sneered.

“How did you catch Anglade?”

“I got suspicious when Vincent suddenly wanted to spar with real blades. Turns out he had racked up a huge gambling debt not long ago. Rumor had it he’d been frequenting a shady private gambling den. I pressed him on it, and he confessed. So we turned it around and laid a trap. Anglade walked right into it.”

It was an answer he had prepared in advance. There shouldn’t be any holes in the logic. This way, he could convince them without mentioning the Duchess or her informant.

Then Julien suddenly let out a low chuckle and said coldly, “Spouting nonsense with a straight face. What did I say would happen if you lied to me?”