My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 155

***

At the sound of the front door opening, Fernand Magimel, a senior agent of the Girard intelligence division, sprang to his feet.

With a dagger drawn and gripped in hand, he pressed his back tightly against the wall beside the door.

Soon, light footsteps approached.

“Fernand? Where are you?”

At the voice of a young woman, Fernand’s tense expression relaxed. He tucked the dagger back into his clothes and stepped outside.

“You weren’t followed, were you?” Fernand asked.

Sophie, placing the groceries she had brought on the table, responded calmly, “Who would follow me? No one even knows we’re involved. That’s what you said, isn’t it?”

“Still, you never know. You have to be careful.”

“Careful of what? If I start acting strange and nervous, it’ll only make people suspicious. It’s better to behave as usual.”

That was certainly a fair point.

“…Right, I suppose you’re right. I’m lucky you’re such a smart woman.”

Fernand sat in a chair at the table and rubbed his face. Sophie watched him for a moment before speaking.

“…If you’re that worried, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place. You could’ve just run far away like the others.”

Nearly two weeks had passed since Dumont’s raid on the Girard estate.

Just as Sophie said, most of the senior agents in the Girard intelligence division had scattered across the country.

From Fernand’s perspective, it was all still hard to believe.

Once Marlon began suspecting there was a mole in the organization, he shut down the entire division. When Dumont’s knights stormed the estate, Fernand thought, ‘These lunatics are out of their minds.’

But before dawn, shocking news spread. Allegedly, Marlon had kidnapped and imprisoned the Duchess of Dumont and then fled.

The Girard intelligence division had operated in the shadows, engaging in countless illegal acts. This had only been possible thanks to the name and authority of the Girard family.

But now that the head had fled, there was no longer any shield to protect them.

Remaining would only mean being dragged into it all and punished severely. It was clear as day.

Acting division chief Raymond Garel ordered the senior agents to destroy all classified documents and go into hiding.

But Fernand chose to stay in the capital instead of fleeing far.

The reason was none other than his lover, Sophie.

“At first, I was going to leave too. But you said you had no intention of leaving the capital.”

At Fernand’s words, Sophie shrugged. “Of course. This is my home.”

“So I had no choice but to stay.”

“I can manage fine without you, Fernand. I did before I met you.”

Fernand chuckled. “I know. That’s exactly why. If I leave, I know you’ll forget me in no time. How could I possibly stand that?”

They both knew their words weren’t sincere.

Sophie had been suffering from an incurable illness for two years. The only reason she was still alive was thanks to ongoing treatment.

Fernand had been paying for Sophie’s treatment and medication. The cost was far beyond what a commoner could afford, but Fernand could manage. He had another source of income beyond his intelligence division salary.

Fernand sobered and spoke, “Anyway, we just need to lay low until the imperial trial is over. After that, things should settle down.”

“Let’s hope so.”

“They will,” Fernand spoke firmly.

Word was that Thierry, Marlon’s eldest son, would be standing trial in place of his fugitive father.

Thierry was a capable man. For the kidnapping of the Duchess of Dumont, which couldn’t be denied, he could shift the blame entirely onto Marlon and plead ignorance about the rest. The records that could implicate previous Dukes had all been destroyed—so it was surely possible.

Fernand believed Thierry would handle it well. He had to—for both his and Sophie’s future.

Then it happened. Someone knocked on the front door.

Fernand’s expression hardened as he looked to Sophie.

“It’s probably Madame Gaye from next door. She sometimes brings me food since I live alone.”

Sophie spoke calmly and walked to the door. Fernand retreated into the room again, listening intently. Soon, he heard the door open.

“Sophie Lambert?”

It was a man’s unfamiliar voice.

“Yes, that’s me. Who are you? …Hey, wait! You can’t just barge in!”

Sophie’s panicked voice was followed by the sound of the door rattling. It wasn’t just one person. Fernand pulled a dagger from inside his coat and gripped it tightly.

“What do you think you’re doing? I’ll call the police!”

“Fernand Magimel.”

At the unexpected name, Fernand felt like his whole body had frozen. A cold sweat trickled down his spine.

“Wh-who’s that? I’ve never heard that name before. You’ve come to the wrong place!”

Sophie did her best to stand her ground, but the man continued speaking without regard.

“I know he’s inside. I don’t want to make a scene, so come out quietly.”

“I’m telling you, who are you even talking to?! I live alone—kyah!”

Sophie let out a sharp cry. Without realizing it, Fernand bolted outside.

“Don’t touch Sophie!”

Two men stood in the living room with Sophie. One, large and menacing, was gripping her wrist.

“Let her go, Jacques.”

The other man—clearly a noble—spoke.

The name Jacques and their appearances immediately brought certain figures to mind.

Mael Cantona, captain of the Dumont knights, and Jacques Alide, head of the intelligence division.

It had to be them. Though it was Fernand’s first time seeing them in person, he knew their identities well—being high-ranking members of the enemy household.

‘But how did they find this place?’

As Fernand had told Sophie, no one should’ve known about their relationship.

He had used every ounce of his espionage experience to conceal Sophie’s existence. He knew very well that if the Girard intelligence division found out, it would be disastrous.

Jacques released Sophie’s wrist. She looked at Fernand with a shaken expression.

“…Let Sophie go. She’s just a civilian with nothing to do with why you’re here,” Fernand said in a low voice.

“We know. Don’t worry—we have no intention of harming her,” Mael said calmly.

He continued, “We’re not here to capture you. You won’t be going to the Imperial Palace or the Dumont prison. As long as you’re willing to cooperate.”

“And that’s not all. We’ll also take care of the issue that’s been troubling you the most,” Jacques added.

“…What issue are you talking about?”

At Fernand’s question, Jacques glanced at Sophie beside him.

“We’ll not only cover your lover’s lifelong medical expenses, we’ll ensure she receives treatment from the best physicians—not just those street doctors she’s been seeing.”

“……”

Fernand instinctively widened his eyes at Jacques.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They knew not only about his relationship with Sophie but even her illness and everything behind it.

The words ‘the issue troubling you the most’ clearly referred to that.

He wanted to ask how they knew—but he didn’t dare. That would be no different from admitting everything himself.

Fernand asked with a trembling voice, “…What do you want from me?”

“That is…”

***

The trial day had finally arrived.

Today’s trial was presided over directly by Emperor Henry VII. Though the system differed from modern ones, the emperor essentially served as the chief judge.

Other attending high nobles served as a kind of jury, offering their opinions to aid the emperor’s final judgment.

Ethan acted as the plaintiff and prosecutor against House Girard, while Thierry Girard was both the defendant and his own counsel.

I sat behind Ethan. Seated next to me were Mael and Jacques.

“His Majesty the Emperor approaches!”

At the attendant’s announcement, everyone in the courtroom stood.

Soon, Henry VII entered.

The emperor took his seat at the central dais and scanned the room before making a subtle hand gesture. Everyone then took their seats.

At first glance, the emperor wore a neutral expression, but his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil. Clearly, he had not yet decided whose side to favor today.

Then, the emperor slowly opened his mouth.

“Let the proceedings begin.”