My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 13

“I got the confession. It was indeed instigated by Duke Girard. A mysterious man approached Baron Bernard about a week before he approached the duchess, mentioning the job for the first time,” Jacques reported, raising the eyebrow that wasn’t marred by a scar.

This was the first report Ethan had received since setting Jacques to track Liam. Ethan remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly. “What did this man look like?”

“Brown hair, brown eyes, with a mustache and beard. He appeared to be around thirty years old. A very ordinary appearance. When asked if he could recognize him again, he admitted he wasn’t confident. Facial hair alone can change someone’s appearance significantly.”

“How did he know it was Girard behind it?”

“Baron Bernard isn’t entirely foolish. He refused such a dangerous job without guarantees for his safety. So, the man showed him Girard’s crest. Girard must have figured that as long as no incriminating documents or items were handed over, it would be safe. Even if the job succeeded, he likely planned to eliminate Bernard.”

“And the man who tried to kill Bernard?”

“His name is Pierre, twenty-five years old, born and raised in that village. He confessed that a suspicious man in a cloak offered him a large sum to do the job. Considering he spends his days in a drunken stupor, pushing someone off a bridge would have seemed easy.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like he’s lying. It wasn’t a job that required a professional, and Girard’s side wouldn’t take unnecessary risks.”

“……”

“What will you do?”

“Let him go but keep him under surveillance.”

Girard likely wouldn’t bother silencing Pierre. If Girard knew Ethan was behind saving Liam Bernard, he wouldn’t risk leaving a trail.

“Make sure Bernard gets the escape plan we promised. He might still be useful later.”

“And Girard?”

“Bernard’s confession alone isn’t enough to confront Girard. Publicizing this would also reveal the ledger’s existence, and without concrete evidence, Girard won’t even blink. We’d likely lose more than we’d gain.”

Jacques furrowed his brows. “It’s frustrating, knowing they made a move and we can’t do anything.”

“Blocking his attempt without any loss on our side is a win. And we’ve secured a useful card for the future.”

“You’re remarkably composed.”

“I’m just being pragmatic.”

Given that the opponent was Girard, caution was necessary. Practicality outweighed emotional revenge.

When his father was assassinated, Mathis had suggested that Girard might have been involved. Although they had found no physical evidence, Mathis believed that without such backing, his uncle wouldn’t have dared kill his brother.

Despite his father’s death, the Emperor’s trust in Dumont remained unshaken, perhaps even strengthened out of guilt. Emperor Henry had declared his support for sixteen-year-old Ethan as the Duke of Dumont.

With the Emperor’s backing and Mathis’s guidance, Ethan had quickly matured and capably filled his father’s shoes.

‘They didn’t expect that. They thought Dumont would crumble after killing my father.’

Girard, seeing Ethan’s growing influence, had started moving again. Over the past decade, there had been several incidents suspected to be Girard’s doing, but this was the first time they had a direct confession from a subordinate.

So, it was crucial not to act hastily. They needed to gather enough cards to decisively defeat Girard. The information obtained this time would be the first of many such cards.

“By the way, everything turned out exactly as the duchess predicted,” Jacques remarked suddenly.

“If it’s Duke Girard, he will certainly try to deal with Baron Bernard to silence him without leaving any loose ends. So, release the baron and have someone follow him. We may need to prepare for the long haul. It will be difficult to trace Girard through the assassin. He is known for being incredibly thorough. However, it might be possible to get a confession from Baron Bernard depending on how we approach him.”

Ethan had a strange feeling that Camille’s prediction would come true. After “The History of the Erendel War,” Ethan had started to see her in a new light. There was no longer any doubt that the Camille he had known for the past five years was a façade.

If she could finish reading all twelve volumes of The History of the Erendel War in just two weeks, her level of knowledge far surpassed that of an average nobleman.

‘But, to do that…’

As if reading his thoughts, Jacques asked, “You once mentioned the possibility that the duchess might be Girard’s spy. Do you still think that?”

“Just because Camille turned Bernard in doesn’t mean she’s innocent. We must also consider the possibility that she might be a spy for Girard.”

This was what Ethan had said about a month ago during a meeting to decide whether to release Liam Bernard.

Camille knew information she shouldn’t have known and predicted outcomes she shouldn’t have been able to predict. Ethan wasn’t naïve enough to believe it was solely due to her intelligence and insight.

It was more convincing to believe that all this was part of a grand scheme that Ethan had yet to fully understand.

“That the duchess was trained by Girard from the start, and her marriage to you was solely to spy on Dumont and steal the ledger…”

Jacques slowly repeated Ethan’s words from that day.

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“To be honest, it’s hard to say. The duchess’s background is beyond suspicion, isn’t it?”

Camille’s family, House Chevillotte, was a respected, if not wealthy, noble house. Like Ethan, Camille had lost her parents at a young age and was raised by her much older brother.

Count Olivier Chevillotte adored his sister dearly. He was neither exceptionally smart nor particularly capable but was modest and unambitious. That was why Ethan had chosen Camille as his wife.

He believed that Olivier, with Dumont’s authority, wouldn’t overreach. The Chevillotte family wasn’t so inferior to Dumont that it would create problems.

Aside from that, perhaps there was a sense of kinship between them as fellow orphans.

“It’s hard to imagine that Count Chevillotte would use his beloved sister as a spy, don’t you think?”

“You never know. That could have been a façade too.”

“Do you really think so? The count doesn’t have the cunning for such a scheme, and you know that.”

“She might have been replaced at some point.”

“The count always took the duchess with him wherever he went. She’s been a regular presence in society since she was young. If she had been replaced, someone would have noticed.”

“But if Camille is a spy for Girard, it explains a lot. Her act of being a shallow and foolish woman during her entire marriage, knowing about the ledger and its location, everything.”

“So, Baron Bernard was just a disposable pawn?”

“Exactly. It would have been great if he had successfully stolen the ledger, but if he failed, cutting him off was no problem. Meanwhile, Camille could remain at Dumont, continuing her mission.”

Jacques stroked his chin, lost in thought.

In the last ten years, three spies had been discovered at Dumont. One of them was the daughter of the head chef, who had served the duchy since the previous generation.

Despite intense interrogation by the knights, she had committed suicide without revealing anything. The identity of her handler and the leverage they had over her, a mere cook’s daughter, remained shrouded in mystery.

Jacques knew this well. He understood that Ethan’s seemingly outlandish theory wasn’t entirely impossible. Girard was certainly capable of such schemes.