My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 127

Ever since the carriage had departed, Ines had been anxiously glancing at me. It was probably because I remained silent with a grim expression.

Eventually, Ines said, “…I’m sorry, Duchess. All this because of me…”

“What are you talking about? This isn’t something you should apologize for. If anyone should be blamed, it’s those thugs who kidnapped an innocent person in broad daylight.”

“Still, if I had just been a little more careful…”

“That’s not it. This wasn’t a matter of caution or carelessness. A group of that size moved with clear intent—no one could’ve stopped it. Even with bodyguards constantly by your side, look at what happened.”

“……”

Ines lowered her head, lightly biting her lip. Judging by her reaction, there was no point in asking what had happened to the bodyguards.

But the pressing issue right now wasn’t the bodyguards—or even Ines.

It was Mael.

‘I never expected Mael to make that decision…’

The rescue plan had gone surprisingly well, considering how quickly it was put together. But I hadn’t expected an unexpected variable to emerge like this.

I could understand why Mael thought he had to stay behind.

Even if we had no other choice at the moment, he must’ve felt a heavy sense of responsibility for dragging me into this operation personally.

Having succeeded in rescuing Ines, Mael now saw my safe escape as the top priority. It wasn’t strange at all if he thought his own safety didn’t matter. He was the captain of Dumont’s knights, after all.

And it wasn’t unreasonable to think he could escape on his own.

But even so, there was no guarantee—there was no 100% certainty. I couldn’t risk losing Mael. Not just for Mael himself, but for Ethan too.

The reason I came this far wasn’t just out of duty or affection. Even if I abandoned Ines, Jacques wouldn’t have followed me. And even if I somehow saved Jacques, he would’ve been irreparably damaged. That was obvious.

Jacques and Mael were both irreplaceable core members of Dumont. In the original story too, without them, Girard would never have been defeated.

So there was no other way. Acting without Ethan’s knowledge had been for his sake. After all, these events were happening because I had altered the story’s course. I didn’t want to ruin Ethan’s future because of me.

It wasn’t just a vague feeling of not wanting to interfere with the original plot like before. Ethan was no longer just a character in a novel to me. I had come to seriously consider a future with him—something I’d never even imagined at first.

And that was exactly why I couldn’t leave Mael behind.

I opened the window to the driver’s seat and said, “Jacques. Stop the carriage for a moment.”

“…I can’t.”

Right after we first departed, I had said several times that we couldn’t leave Mael behind, that we should turn back quickly.

But Jacques had ignored me every time.

“Don’t worry. I’m not saying we should go back now. Quite the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been some time since the kidnappers’ leader sent a message to Duke Girard. He’s an extremely clever and perceptive man—he wouldn’t respond with a half-baked move. He might have dispatched reinforcements with a representative or, in the worst case, come in person. If that happens, even Sir Mael could be in danger.”

“……”

Jacques remained silent. He still showed no intention of stopping the carriage.

“If we want to get Sir Mael out safely, we need to return to the mansion and request backup as soon as possible. Remember what the leader said? That even if Dumont’s knights show up, they’ll just run away beforehand. If we send them, they’ll flee immediately. And then Sir Mael can escape too.”

To this, Jacques responded without turning around, “I understand what you’re saying. Then why ask to stop the carriage? Shouldn’t we be hurrying even more?”

“If we’re going by carriage, there’s a limit to how fast we can go. That’s why I’m asking to stop. Untie one of the horses and let it go. I’ll ride ahead to the mansion. At full speed, I can cut the time by more than half.”

Jacques paused for a moment, then responded in a stunned voice, “That’s absurd… You mean to ride through the mountains at night? That’s far too dangerous for you, Duchess. If anyone goes, it should be me.”

“That’s not true. In fact, you or I would be more at risk.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve been riding horses since I was a child—for over ten years. I’m quite confident in my skills. All of my previous instructors said I was more capable than most men.”

Apparently, Camille was fairly well-known for her riding skills. No wonder her body seemed to remember it even more naturally than dancing.

“This mountain may be rugged, but the path is fairly well paved, and the slope isn’t too steep. With such a gentle road, I can make it down without issue. On the other hand, I’ve never driven a carriage before. I’m sure Ines is the same. So it means handling the carriage might actually be more dangerous.”

I explained step by step.

“…Are you saying not only you, but I’m also in danger? What do you mean by that?”

“The kidnappers’ group is probably guarding the base of the mountain trail. The message sent by hawk earlier said, ‘If a carriage comes down, let it pass.’ In other words, going on horseback means there’s no guarantee of safety. Given the circumstances, there’s a high chance they’ll try to stop you. Especially if they recognize your face.”

“Wouldn’t it be the same for you, Duchess?”

“That’s not the case. I’m the Duchess of Dumont. Several letters were sent to Duke Girard’s estate beforehand, so they should know I’m here—and they’ll also know very well not to lay a hand on me. At the base of the trail, I’ll slow down, shine a lantern on my face, and let them see that I’m the one on horseback. That should be enough to keep them from doing anything reckless.”

“……”

Jacques fell silent, lost in thought. Logically, he had to know I was right. But like Mael, he was probably reluctant to expose me to any further danger.

“Do as I say, Jacques. Stop the carriage.”

“…I can’t.”

“So you’re saying it’s fine if Sir Mael dies?”

“Protecting the Duchess is Sir Mael’s duty. And as a vassal of House Dumont, it’s mine too.”

At that, I frowned. “So you’re treating me like a burden now? Just because I’m a woman?”

“That’s not it. I just…”

“If you were going to act like this now, you shouldn’t have asked for my help in the first place. Isn’t that right?”

“……”

Jacques fell silent.

“You asked me to save Ines, and I agreed. If not for me, you wouldn’t have been able to rescue her safely. Can you deny that?”

“……”

“I am your master, just like Ethan is. And I upheld my duty as your lord. Now it’s your turn. If you refuse to follow my orders, I’ll take that as you no longer regard me as your master.”

“……”

Jacques gripped the reins tightly.

I tightened my core and gave my command in a clear voice, “Jacques Alide. Stop the carriage.”

With a faint groan, Jacques finally brought the carriage to a halt.

“…Duchess.”

Ines looked at me with anxious eyes. I took her hand and smiled brightly. “It’s alright. I’ll wait for you at the mansion.”

I stepped down from the carriage. Jacques wore a stiff expression but silently separated one of the horses from the team.

The horse was already saddled—something we had prepared in advance just in case. That was also why we’d used four horses for a relatively light carriage.

For the same reason, I had worn pants under my dress for ease of movement. I lifted my skirt and, with Jacques’s help, mounted the horse.

Jacques removed one of the carriage lanterns and fastened it to the saddle.

“…Are you really going to be alright?”

“Of course. Don’t worry. I won’t push the pace too hard until I’m down the mountain.”

“……”

Jacques stared at me silently, then lowered his head deeply.

“Please be safe, Duchess.”

“I will. You and Ines stay safe too. Hyah!”

I pulled the reins and set off. Thanks to the lantern, the road was dim but visible. The slope to the right looked a bit dangerous, but as long as I stayed on the path, there shouldn’t be a problem.

By carriage, it would take thirty minutes to reach the foot of the mountain, but on horseback, I could cut that to ten, depending on speed. I urged the horse forward, being as cautious as possible.

It was while I was making my way down the mountain path at full speed.

I had planned and checked everything thoroughly within the limited time—but something I had never imagined occurred.

A thunderclap exploded overhead, sharp enough to split my ears.

A blinding white flash followed, and cold rain began to pour.

My entire body froze instantly. My stomach churned as if I might throw up.

The horse whinnied in alarm.

‘I have to calm the horse.’

Even at that moment, I tried to pull on the reins. But my hands wouldn’t respond. Then another thunderous roar cracked the air—it was like a bomb exploding right beside my ears.

I instinctively let go of the reins and covered my head.

The horse bucked wildly beneath me, and I lost my balance and fell.

Strangely enough, the face that flashed through my mind in that instant was Ethan’s.