My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 2

I turned halfway and pointed at Liam. “This Baron Bernard approached me from the start with the intention of stealing this ledger. I pretended to fall for his tricks and handed over a fake from the library’s safe. My plan was to deceive him and find out who was behind it.”

“What…!” Liam’s mouth hung open.

To him, this must have been a bolt from the blue. He had never imagined that Camille might have set a trap for him.

‘Well, technically, he’s right, but he doesn’t know that.’

Ethan remained silent for a while, his eyes reflecting a whirlwind of emotions.

“So, did you find out who’s behind this?” he finally asked.

“Yes. It was Duke Marlon Girard.”

At the mention of Girard’s name, Ethan’s expression hardened.

The House of Girard had long been one of the two most powerful families in the empire, alongside the House of Dumont. Both families were unmatched in history, prestige, and wealth.

Duke Marlon Girard was Ethan’s greatest rival and the final villain in the original story.

“That’s impossible! I never—” Liam shouted, his face pale.

I smirked and repeated what I had said earlier, “But I do know, don’t I?”

“……”

Both men stared at me as if they were seeing a ghost.

It wasn’t surprising. Everything I had revealed was secret knowledge that only an insider would know.

The ledger contained records of the weaknesses and scandals of influential figures that the Dumont family had collected over generations.

This was one of the reasons the Dumont family had maintained their top-tier power in the empire for over a century.

In the original story, Camille hadn’t intentionally handed over the fake ledger. She thought it was the real one and naively gave it to Liam.

Ethan interrogated Liam but failed to uncover who was behind it.

It wasn’t until much later, when the original female protagonist Elodie discovered it, that the truth about Duke Girard’s involvement came to light.

Additionally, the fact that the real ledger was in the Imperial Bank’s VIP vault was revealed when Ethan confirmed Elodie as his heir.

‘Well, the problem is if Ethan asks how I know all this, I won’t have an answer.’

I needed to get through this situation before the bomb I had thrown lost its effect.

Placing my hand on my chest, I took a step forward. “Do you believe me now? I didn’t betray you. I pretended to fall for Baron Bernard’s temptation, but I never did anything shameful as your wife.”

I maintained an expression of utmost sincerity, mixing a touch of injustice and virtuousness.

If this were a play, I would undoubtedly be under a solo spotlight.

“……”

Ethan was at a loss for words.

He probably knew from his own sources that what I was saying was true.

In the original story, Camille had never had a physical relationship with Liam. They hadn’t even kissed.

Perhaps because she had been raised so delicately and never experienced true rebellion, she couldn’t bring herself to cross that line.

Liam, on the other hand, had no reason to force himself on Camille. His goal was always to get the ledger.

‘Lucky for me. If they had actually slept together, I would have had no way out.’

I had shown all my cards.

Using what I knew from the original story, I had pieced together a desperate way out.

I watched Ethan anxiously.

He remained silent, his face expressionless.

I tried to appear calm, but inside, I was burning with anxiety.

After a long silence, Ethan suddenly turned to the knights who had accompanied him.

“Arrest him and take him away.”

In the end, it was Liam he gestured toward, not me.

‘I did it!’

A wave of thrilling relief washed over me.

In the original story, both Camille and Liam were tightly bound and dragged to the duchy. The fact that Ethan had only ordered Liam to be arrested meant my quick thinking had worked.

My legs felt weak with the release of tension, but I couldn’t afford to collapse here.

‘I need to maintain my composure in front of Ethan. If I show any weakness, he’ll immediately start doubting me.’

The situation was precarious, like walking on thin ice.

Liam, even while being restrained by the knights, couldn’t take his eyes off me. He looked utterly bewildered.

‘Well, from his perspective, it must feel like he’s in some twisted thriller…’

And I, in his eyes, would be the wicked villainess who had expertly deceived him.

Ethan watched until Liam was dragged out of the room, then turned his gaze back to me.

“Don’t think for a moment that I believe everything you said. I’m merely postponing my conclusion for now,” he said quietly, his words razor-sharp and chilling. “I will uncover every last detail of the truth, no matter how long it takes, so keep that in mind.”

“…Yes. I understand,” I replied, striving to keep my voice steady.

Ethan stared at me for a moment longer before turning around and walking away.

***

During the ride back in the same carriage, Ethan didn’t utter a single word to me.

He sat with his brows furrowed, staring out the window. It was clear that countless thoughts were racing through his mind.

‘But he really is incredibly handsome.’

I had never considered myself someone who gets easily captivated by looks. Yet, his handsome was so unreal that I found myself staring in awe multiple times.

His profile, deep in thought, looked like something straight out of a magazine.

But it wasn’t just his good looks. Now that the intense pressure from his earlier interrogation had lifted, he exuded a serene and noble aura that felt almost pure and refined.

His side profile seemed almost sorrowful, likely due to the lonely and intense path he had walked.

‘I don’t get it. How could someone cheat on a husband like this with someone like Liam…’

To be honest, Liam was on a different level compared to Ethan in every possible way.

The carriage soon arrived at Dumont Mansion.

I knew about it from the novel, but seeing it in person, the mansion was truly magnificent.

The garden was so vast that it took quite a while to drive from the front gate to the main building.

‘As expected of one of the empire’s leading noble houses.’

“Welcome home, Master,” the servants greeted Ethan as he stepped out of the carriage. They stood in two neat rows, creating an impressive sight.

“Until the truth is fully revealed, you are forbidden from leaving the mansion. You will remain in your room and reflect,” Ethan said coldly as we entered the mansion.

‘Who does he think he is?’

…was a thought that crossed my mind, but I answered calmly, “I understand.”

Honestly, I needed time to sort out my thoughts as well. After all, I had just been transported into this body.

‘He’s bound to question me in detail later. I need to cover any gaps in my story…’

“Victor, escort the Duchess to her room,” Ethan ordered.

“Yes, Master,” replied the man standing next to him with a bow.

He was a man in his forties, with a monocle and uniquely white hair on one side.

‘Oh, this must be Victor. He’s even more impressive than I imagined.’

Victor was the head butler of the Dumont family. With his distinguished appearance, deep voice, and kind-hearted personality, he was a popular character in the original story.

‘Though in the end, he too was charmed by Elodie’s loveliness…’

“Please follow me, Madam,” Victor said.

I nodded and followed him, trying to keep my composure.

***

“Madam! Are you alright?”

As soon as I entered the room, a maid rushed over in a hurry.

“Did the Master find out? What should we do…!”

The maid, with her brown hair and a face full of freckles, already had teary eyes, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

‘This must be Marie.’

She was the one who had been intercepted by Ethan’s investigator while running an errand, leading to the confiscation of Camille’s letter to Liam.

Though she seemed to be worried about me, it was obvious that her concern was not genuine. Her eyes lacked any real emotion, as if I were watching a novice actor delivering a poor performance.