My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 166

What would Ethan say if I told him I might be pregnant?

Honestly, I didn’t think he would react negatively at all. He was the one who had brought it up in the first place—even back when our relationship hadn’t yet reached where it was now, he had asked if we shouldn’t try for a child.

And judging by the way Ethan treated me these days, I was certain he would be happy.

Even so, when it came time to actually say the words, it wasn’t easy. It felt like something instinctively nerve-racking, regardless of any logical reasoning.

Realizing that surprised me too. Maybe hormones were already at play.

“What’s wrong, Camille? Are you feeling that unwell?”

Ethan knelt in front of me and looked me in the eye as he asked. He looked even more worried than before.

Seeing that chased away some of the vague fear I’d felt.

‘Right. There’s no way Ethan would… No matter what anyone else might say, Ethan would never…’

Without a word, I took Ethan’s hand and placed it on my knee. He kept studying my expression, not understanding.

“Ethan, I…”

“Yes, Camille. I’m listening.”

“It’s not certain yet, but… I might be… pregnant.”

The moment I spoke, Ethan’s face went blank with shock. He froze for a moment, saying nothing—as if he hadn’t quite heard me.

“…Really?”

A moment later, he asked in a slightly cracked voice.

I silently nodded. “Like I said, it’s not confirmed. I still need to see a doctor, and a little more time has to pass, but, anyway…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Ethan had suddenly kissed me.

“E-Ethan?”

“Thank you. You did so well… No, wait. That’s not right. This is good. Yes. This is really, really good.”

Ethan spoke with barely contained excitement. Then he suddenly shot to his feet—and just as quickly shook his head.

“No, you said it’s not confirmed yet, didn’t you? Right. I need to stay calm. But just in case, be careful. I’ll call the doctor right away. No, I already did. He should be here soon. Yes.”

He rattled on at a rapid pace. I stared at him, dumbfounded, then let out a laugh.

“Ethan, what are you doing? Why are you so flustered? Oh, this is hilarious.”

As I giggled, Ethan frowned at me.

“What’s so funny? Of course I’m flustered. You might be carrying my child…”

“I said it’s not certain yet. You can save the dramatics until after the checkup.”

“…Right. That’s true.”

Ethan took a deep breath. It was so unlike his usual composed self that it was both funny and refreshing.

He knelt in front of me again and held my hands tightly. “Thank you, Camille. You’ve worked so hard.”

I let out another laugh. “Already? Before I’ve even given birth? Well, I have been through a lot in other ways… Besides, we don’t even know for sure yet. It might just be a false alarm.”

“Even if it is, I’m grateful you shared it with me.”

Ethan looked at me as he spoke. His gaze was so warm and full of love that it made my chest ache a little.

“…Wouldn’t you be disappointed, though?”

I had blurted it out earlier because I was surprised and excited, but maybe it would have been better to wait until I was more certain.

Ethan shook his head. “No. If you hadn’t told me, you would’ve kept worrying on your own. I don’t want you to be anxious behind my back. If I don’t know, I can’t comfort you. You did well, Camille. Thank you for telling me.”

“……”

Those words moved me deeply. My eyes welled up with tears.

Maybe he said that because I’d kept so many things from him until now.

I felt a pang of guilt, but also relief—because from now on, I wouldn’t have to hide anything from Ethan anymore.

Quietly, I wrapped my arms around Ethan’s head.

“…No, thank you, Ethan. For saying that.”

Without a word, Ethan hugged me back and gently stroked my back.

***

After examining me, the doctor said it was still too early to confirm with 100% certainty, but that the chances of pregnancy were very high. He advised that I remain on strict bed rest for the time being and take good care of my body.

Once word spread that I might be pregnant, the ducal household was thrown into chaos.

Starting with Marie, the maids under me made a huge fuss. Since the child was ours, they said it would surely be as lovely as an angel, and they rejoiced as if it were their own matter.

Victor warned the maids to be discreet, reminding them that nothing was confirmed yet and that it might shock Madam.

Even so, Victor himself couldn’t fully hide his excitement. Bowing his head repeatedly to Ethan and me, he congratulated us again and again.

Since I needed to stay in bed, I was practically forced to lie down constantly, and Ethan remained by my side the entire time.

“But… will you be okay?”

“What do you mean?” Ethan asked in response to my sudden question.

“The doctor said we should abstain for a while, remember?”

Ethan gave me a slightly incredulous look. “Do you think I’m some kind of beast? That I can’t restrain myself around my pregnant wife?”

“Well… think about how you’ve been over the past month. It’s not unreasonable to wonder.”

At my reply, Ethan shook his head. “Now I realize just how little you trust me. Stop worrying about nonsense and focus on resting. Try not to move around, and if anything at all feels off, call me or the doctor immediately. Got it?”

“Got it. Don’t worry.” I smiled as I answered.

“I’ll write to cancel our attendance at the banquet scheduled for next week. And it’d be best to take a break from your weekly volunteer work for now, too.”

“……”

At those words, I couldn’t help but flinch.

It was only then that I remembered Elodie.

We still hadn’t made a concrete decision about what to do regarding her adoption.

Given our recent lifestyle, I’d been thinking that I needed to settle things before I got pregnant. But I hadn’t expected it to happen this soon.

When I first brought up the adoption, Ethan had been quite flustered. It had been a while since then, but I hadn’t mentioned it again.

In the original story, Ethan had no children, so adopting Elodie made sense. But that was no longer the case.

“What’s wrong?”

Ethan asked with a puzzled expression.

“Is it because I told you to stop the volunteer work? I know how much you enjoy it, but this is a critical time. You need absolute rest. That’s what the doctor said.”

“…I know. That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

Ethan asked again, but I couldn’t find the right words to answer.

If I suddenly brought up adopting Elodie at a time like this—just as Ethan’s long-wished-for child might finally be coming—his reaction would be obvious.

That was the very reason I hadn’t brought it up again.

Back then, I had thought it was only natural for Ethan and Elodie to become father and daughter. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of disagreement. It was only after I mentioned adoption that I realized how differently Ethan saw things—and I understood why.

To Ethan, Elodie was just a child I cared about from the orphanage. Nothing more, nothing less. There had never been a chance for them to form the deep attachment they had in the original story.

But I couldn’t just ignore Elodie and leave her to an uncertain and impoverished future.

If I did, I’d carry the guilt of having stolen the life she was meant to have for the rest of my days.

Now that I loved Ethan, I didn’t want to force such an important matter on him, knowing he might not accept it. But at the same time, I couldn’t abandon Elodie.

Since possessing Camille, I had managed to overcome countless crises with sheer will and quick thinking. I even felt a bit proud and confident in myself.

But this time, I had no idea what to do.

As I sat silently, Ethan watched me and finally spoke.

“Is this about that girl… Elodie?”

I looked up in surprise, eyes wide.

“How did you—”

“So I was right.”

Ethan murmured quietly.

“You mentioned before that you wanted to adopt her into the duchy. I told you then that there was no need to decide right away, that you should take some time to think it over.”

“…Yes. I remember.”

He had said that, but to be honest, I hadn’t expected his feelings to change. So much had happened since, I was sure he’d forgotten all about it.

But maybe I was wrong.

Carefully watching his expression, I asked, “So… have you thought about it?”

Ethan was silent for a moment. Then he looked at me and said, “Let’s invite her to the duchy again sometime soon. I’d like to see her once more.”