My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 145

I had previously considered approaching Toma’s son to draw out Gabriel.

But at the time, I had assumed that even if I tried, Gabriel would be too cautious to reveal himself. If someone suddenly approached Eric, Gabriel would likely suspect it to be a Girard trap and become even more guarded.

‘But now the situation has changed. With Marlon on the run and the Girard house under imperial investigation, rumors must have spread across the entire country by now.’

The information Gabriel held would be crucial in proving Girard’s past crimes.

‘But the likelihood of Gabriel voluntarily coming forward to testify is low.’

No matter how much those crimes had been committed under Marlon’s orders, the actual perpetrators were the Girard intelligence agents. If Gabriel were to testify, he would also be held accountable.

‘So most likely, he’ll try to observe the situation for now. If he feels there’s no need to step in, he won’t take the risk.’

However, if it’s Toma himself who appears before Eric, then Gabriel won’t be able to stay hidden.

Gabriel harbored guilt not only for failing to save Toma’s wife, but also for leaving without telling him his son was alive.

That’s why, in the original story, he had begged Ethan not to punish Toma and had sought Toma out himself.

With Gabriel’s help, I could resolve several pressing issues at once.

I returned to my room and took out a card hidden deep in a drawer.

It was the card I had received from Arthur, embossed with a large gold “L.”

“There’s a small pub on No. 7 Medicine Street. Show this card to the bartender, and they’ll connect you to me.”

Originally, I was scheduled to meet Arthur once a month on the last Wednesday at Yena Church. But today was still several weeks away from the next meeting.

‘All right, then…’

***

A few days later, I left the ducal residence, saying I was going to visit my family.

“Daniel. Could we stop by Medicine Street on the way? I want to buy a gift for my brother.” I opened the window toward the driver’s seat and spoke.

“Yes, madam. Understood.”

The carriage soon arrived at Medicine Street. I asked to stop in front of a luxury watch shop.

“It might take a while, so wait patiently.”

“Yes, madam.”

Today, four knights were escorting my carriage—double the usual number. Likely a direct order from Ethan, following my recent disappearance.

Two of them followed me into the shop, while the other two stayed at the entrance to stand guard.

“Welcome, Duchess. We’ve been expecting you.” The shop manager bowed deeply.

“Thank you. I’d like to take my time choosing a gift for my brother.”

“Of course. I’ll assist you until you find something to your liking. Right this way.”

I followed the manager to the VIP room at the back of the shop. The guards remained outside the door.

Once I was seated, the manager immediately brought out the watches.

They were all extravagant luxury pieces adorned with gold, silver, and jewels.

“Please take your time and choose.”

The manager seemed quite confident in his selection. I glanced over the watches without a word, then pulled out a pouch and handed it to him.

The manager tilted his head slightly and opened the pouch—his eyes widened instantly.

A natural reaction. The gold coins inside were enough to buy ten of the shop’s most expensive watches.

“M-madam… may I ask how many you intend to purchase today?”

“One watch is enough. The rest is for a separate request.”

“Pardon? A request…?”

The manager looked puzzled. I gestured for him to lean closer.

He followed the instruction, and I began whispering into his ear.

At first, he seemed unsure, but by the end, his expression had changed—he understood.

He looked at me with a knowing gaze and said, “Understood. Leave it to me.”

“Thank you.”

Moments later, a maid summoned by the manager entered the VIP room. The manager leaned close and whispered something in her ear. She widened her eyes in surprise and looked at him.

The manager cleared his throat and said, “Just do as you’re told.”

“Y-yes, sir…”

The maid still looked uncertain.

While the manager stepped out briefly, I changed clothes with the maid and switched to a brown wig I had brought with me.

I left the maid dressed in my clothes inside the VIP room and slipped out. The guards stationed outside didn’t seem to realize it was me who had just exited.

‘Good. So far, so good.’

It was the same trick I’d used to escape from Marlon before.

Send for the brown-haired maid. I want to switch clothes and step out briefly. It’s to avoid being noticed by the guards.

That was what I had whispered into the manager’s ear earlier.

He probably assumed I was sneaking out to meet a lover behind my husband’s back. In noble society, such affairs were all too common. It was even likely that this VIP room had been used for such rendezvous before.

I exited the shop through the back door and hurried toward the pub Arthur had mentioned.

Though it was still early afternoon, the pub was already bustling. As I stepped inside, all eyes turned toward me. One man even let out a low whistle.

I walked over to the bar where the bartender stood. Just then, two unfamiliar men approached.

“Hey there, miss. Running an errand for your father?”

“Haven’t seen you around. Where are you from?”

Ignoring their sleazy remarks, I took a seat.

“Hey now, aren’t you being a bit cold?”

“Yeah, really. We’re not bad guys, you know.”

Then, a low voice came from behind me.

“Beat it.”

“What? Who the hell are y—”

One of the men turned around, scowling, but froze mid-sentence.

Standing there was none other than Toma.

“I said beat it. Didn’t you hear me?”

Toma’s voice and expression were calm, but his eyes were chillingly cold—enough to make a child burst into tears. As expected from someone with a résumé that included elite enforcer, Girard intelligence agent, and torture technician.

“You should’ve just said you had company. W-we’ll be going now.”

The men laughed awkwardly and backed away.

Toma took the seat beside me.

“Doesn’t seem like the kind of place a lady should be alone.”

“I’m not alone. I’m here to meet you,” I answered nonchalantly.

“What would you have done if I had been late?”

“First, I knew you wouldn’t be. But even if you were, I had a plan.”

“And what plan is that?”

Instead of answering, I raised a hand to the bartender.

“Can we order?”

The bartender approached. “What would you like?”

I placed the card on the counter and slid it toward him. He glanced at it, expressionless, then tucked it into his pocket.

“Please wait a moment.”

“That your backup plan?” Toma asked once the bartender had left.

“Yes. That card marks me as a very important guest.”

Toma didn’t ask any further questions.

Soon, a man arrived and said, “This way, please.”

We followed him. Climbing a staircase at the back of the pub, we emerged into a space that looked entirely different—bright and refined like a noble’s home.

Inside the room we were led to, a woman who appeared to be in her forties greeted us. With her hair pinned up and glasses on, she had a smart and composed demeanor.

She bowed politely. “Welcome, Duchess of Dumont. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Cecil.”

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madame.” I smiled and returned her greeting.

“Please, just call me Cecil. What brings you here today?”