My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 162

Nicolas kept his gaze lowered in silence.

His expression was deeply troubled and conflicted. But it was only natural, considering his state of mind.

A few days before the trial, I had sent a letter to Nicolas saying, “I have something to tell you. I’d like to meet.”

He responded as if he had been waiting for it. Just as I’d expected—he had likely been biding his time, waiting for a chance to reverse the dire situation the House of Girard was in.

When we met, I said this:

That his mother hadn’t died in an accident. That it had only been made to look like one, under Marlon’s orders.

At first, Nicolas wouldn’t even listen. But when I explained in detail the background of how Marlon had taken him in and the circumstances of the incident, his expression changed.

“Do you have proof?”

Nicolas glared at me with blazing eyes as he asked.

“Surely you’re not asking me to believe something that outrageous without evidence.”

“I can’t show you physical proof right now. But I do have a witness—someone from the Girard intelligence division who was directly involved in that operation.”

“…Who is it?”

“Monsieur Gabriel Blanchard.”

At my words, Nicolas’s eyes widened. “Impossible. Blanchard died three years ago.”

“He only faked his death to escape the intelligence division. He’s still alive.”

Nicolas fell silent for a while, then asked again, “Then where is Blanchard now?”

“I don’t know.”

Nicolas raised his brows. “You don’t know?”

“He faked his own death to evade Duke Girard’s eyes. I don’t have a way to contact him.”

“Let me meet Blanchard in person. I won’t believe anything until I do.”

I nodded at Nicolas’s demand and said, “Fine. But on one condition.”

“What condition?”

“The letter I sent you before—did you show it to Duke Girard?”

Nicolas paused for a moment before answering.

“…Yes.”

“What about Young Duke Thierry?”

“I showed him as well.”

“And what did they say?”

“They both said… to watch and wait, for now.”

Just as I thought. At the time, it was probably a difficult move to make. And those two, being as suspicious as they were, likely thought it might’ve been a trap set by Ethan and me.

“You still have the letter, right?”

Nicolas nodded.

“Then return it to me. In exchange, I’ll arrange a meeting with Monsieur Blanchard.”

At my words, Nicolas frowned. “…You seem to be under a misapprehension. I’m not the one in a desperate position here. I never said I believed you. The only reason I agreed to meet Blanchard is to confirm the truth.”

“Is that really the case?” I tilted my head slightly as I asked.

“…What did you say?”

“Whether you believe me or not doesn’t matter to me. Because if I wanted to, I could just detain you right now. Surely you don’t think I came here alone?”

“……”

Nicolas flinched and looked around.

The dark alley was completely silent—but that was only because the knights I brought had been holding their breath. They were ready to act at my signal.

“We can easily search your quarters and retrieve the letter after taking you into custody. So if I only wanted the letter, there’d be no need to convince you. I don’t need you to testify at the trial either. We already have more than enough witnesses.”

Nicolas clenched his lowered fist.

“…Then why did you come to me with all this?”

“Because I felt sorry for you.”

Nicolas looked stunned. “What?”

“You didn’t even know your father killed your mother to silence her. And you’re still blindly loyal to him—even though all he ever did was use you.”

“That’s not true. Father said I was precious. He told me I must not get hurt—that’s why he said to wait and see about the letter.”

“He said that because he thought it would make you easier to control. Think about it. If Duke Girard truly valued you, would he have abandoned you and fled alone?”

“That’s not true!”

Nicolas shouted in a raised voice. Two knights rushed out from the alley behind. I raised a hand to stop them.

“That’s impossible. If it were true, my father wouldn’t have taken me in. If he really killed my mother… then wouldn’t it have been easier to kill me right then too? Am I wrong?”

“Duke Girard kept you close not just because you were his weakness. He saw you as a potential card he might use someday—to keep Thierry Girard in check.”

Nicolas’s expression turned to shock.

I continued, “Thierry is as cunning and ambitious as his father. Duke Girard must have always considered the possibility that his son might one day betray him. He likely planned to reveal your existence to Thierry if that ever happened—perhaps even threaten to deny him the inheritance if he didn’t comply.”

“……”

This wasn’t mere speculation. It had appeared from Marlon’s point of view in the original story.

After Thierry had been killed by Nicolas, and Nicolas died shortly afterward.

Even then, with both his blood sons dead, Marlon felt no regret. Cold and calculating, he simply considered who to name as his next heir.

“…No, that’s a lie. It can’t be.”

Nicolas shook his head in denial.

In truth, he probably knew. After years of watching Marlon Girard from up close, he must have understood what kind of man he was.

He just didn’t want to believe it. That the only family he had in this world never held even a speck of fatherly affection for him.

I said quietly, “Like I said, you don’t need to believe me right away. Hearing it directly from Blanchard later and judging for yourself will be enough.”

“……”

Nicolas bit his lip and lowered his head.

“It’s your choice. Will you accept my offer and return the letter, or will you be arrested and taken to prison by the knights?”

After a long moment of hesitation, Nicolas eventually accepted my offer.

That’s how we arrived at today.

As I told Nicolas, there were ways to handle this with force. The House of Girard had already been completely neutralized, so it was possible.

But I hadn’t wanted to resort to that, if I could help it.

In the original story, Nicolas was used by Marlon and met a tragic end. This time, I didn’t want that for him.

In the novel, Nicolas had even sacrificed himself for Elodie. He was someone with a kind heart. I wished, if possible, for him to find happiness this time.

‘Accepting the truth is painful… but only then can he move forward.’

Just then, Nicolas lifted his head. Glaring at me, he asked in a cracked voice, “…I kept my promise. So when are you going to let me meet Blanchard?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet him soon.”

“I said when, exactly?”

As Nicolas raised his voice, Jacques stepped in with a warning. “Calm down. Did you forget where you are right now?”

Not just Jacques—Ethan, and even Mael, all sent Nicolas intimidating stares. Being the formidable men they were, their presence alone was overwhelming.

Nicolas fell silent.

I walked over to Ethan and whispered quietly, “He talks big, but he won’t actually cause a scene, so you don’t have to worry too much. I’m counting on you.”

We had arranged for Nicolas to stay in one of the estate’s guest rooms. Of course, two knights were assigned to watch over him, but it was still far better than being locked in a prison cell.

“Got it. What about you? Heading out for something?”

I smiled brightly as I replied, “Yes. Did you forget? It’s Wednesday. Volunteer day.”

I had told Gabriel I’d wait for him in the confessional every Wednesday.

‘He didn’t show last week… I wonder what will happen today.’