My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 29

“…What did you just say?” Nadia asked the butler, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“The Duke of Dumont has arrived.”

“At this hour, the Duke of Dumont… here?”

“Yes. I’ve shown him to the drawing room for now, but if I’ve made a mistake…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. That can’t be the case,” Nadia interrupted, hastily rising from the sofa. “Tell him I’ll be there immediately. No, tell him I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Yes, Madam.” The butler bowed and quickly exited.

Nadia sat down at her vanity and called out sharply, “Fetch Mila immediately! Hurry!”

“Yes, Madam.”

‘Is this a dream or reality?’ she wondered, her face reflected in the mirror glowing with a rosy flush. She debated whether to tone down the flush with makeup or leave it, uncertain of Ethan’s preference despite all her years of yearning for him. Her nerves were taut with anticipation. Ethan visiting a woman’s house at this late hour could only be significant.

Mila, her maid, arrived swiftly and quickly retouched Nadia’s makeup and hair. Although she wanted to change her outfit, there wasn’t time. Ethan’s punctuality was well known, and having told the butler five minutes, she couldn’t afford to be even ten seconds late.

Nadia grabbed her skirt and hurried to the drawing room. As she entered, she saw Ethan standing with his back to her. Even his back was impeccably perfect.

“Duke Dumont.”

Ethan turned, and the icy gaze he directed at her sent a shiver down her spine.

She was out of breath from rushing, but rather than hiding her heaving chest, she subtly pushed it forward, making it more noticeable.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting… and for not being here when you arrived. I’ll have some tea brought immediately.”

“No need. This won’t take long. I just need to confirm a few facts and then I’ll leave,” Ethan said, his voice colder than usual.

‘Could it be because of the letter I sent this morning?’

In her excitement and surprise at Ethan’s visit, Nadia hadn’t considered why he might have come. When she sent the letters to Ethan, she had taken great care to ensure they were anonymous. However, given who Ethan was, it was possible he had found out.

“Please, go ahead,” she said.

“What did you say to my wife at the ball last night?” Ethan’s unexpected question left Nadia momentarily speechless.

“…Pardon?”

“I asked, what did you talk about with my wife last night?” Ethan’s sharp gaze bore into her, as if his eyes could cut through her.

“Why aren’t you answering? Can’t you remember?”

“…Oh, yes. I remember now.”

“So?”

Her mind raced with countless questions. Why was Ethan asking this? What should she say? She had no idea.

“…I don’t think we talked about anything special.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. We exchanged pleasantries, talked about the current state of the social circles… that’s all.” Nadia’s voice wavered slightly.

The humiliation she endured from Camille still made her blood boil, but she decided it wouldn’t benefit her to share this with Ethan.

“That’s strange.”

“Excuse me? What’s strange…?”

“What you said doesn’t match what I heard from my wife.”

“……”

Nadia’s eyes widened.

“My wife said you insulted her. That you subjected her to an intolerable humiliation as the Duchess of Dumont.”

“That’s absurd! It was I who was humiliated by the Duchess!” Nadia blurted out, raising her voice involuntarily.

“Is that true?”

“Y-yes. The Duchess mocked me, even mentioning my late husband. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Countess Mardere and Lady Laforette. They were both there.”

“Countess Mardere and Lady Laforette, hmm…” Ethan drawled, his tone icy. “Do you really think they would be impartial witnesses? I’ve heard that they’re practically your ladies-in-waiting, following you around and flattering you constantly.”

“That’s… that’s an unfair accusation. While it’s true we’re close, that’s a gross misrepresentation. Did you hear that from the Duchess as well?”

“No. My subordinates gathered this information. They confirmed it with at least a dozen people well-versed in the social scene.”

“……”

Nadia’s face hardened at Ethan’s words.

“That’s not all. I’ve learned that over the past five years, you three have consistently mocked and harassed Camille, always in a way that allowed you to deny it later.”

Nadia’s mouth went dry. She swallowed hard. “…That’s not true, Your Grace. It’s a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? Are you saying the information my subordinates gathered is wrong?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed further. “Are you implying that the people I personally selected and have trusted with work for over a decade are incompetent? That I lack the ability to judge people’s capabilities?”

“…Your Grace.”

“Not only have you been tormenting my wife all this time, but now you question my competence as well.” Ethan let out a low, mocking laugh. “It seems you think very little of Dumont.”

“Your Grace, no, that’s not it. I didn’t mean…”

Ethan looked down at Nadia with eyes as cold as ice, as if she were nothing more than an insect. Fear and hurt welled up inside her, and tears sprang to her eyes.

“…You’re being too harsh, Your Grace. You know my feelings. You know I’ve only ever admired you all these years. How can you say such things to me?” As she spoke, her sorrow deepened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

But Ethan’s expression remained unchanged. “Are you truly asking because you don’t know?”

“Your Grace…”

“Listen carefully. This is your first and last warning. If I hear that you’ve insulted or mocked my wife again, I won’t be so kind next time.”

“……”

Ethan turned away as if the matter was concluded.

Nadia, staring blankly at his retreating back, suddenly bit her lip hard.

“She doesn’t deserve your love!” she spat out.

Ethan’s steps halted.

“Do you really not know? Do you have any idea what she’s done behind your back? The entire social circle is buzzing with the rumors. And yet you still consider her your wife? The woman who betrayed you and committed adultery?”

Ethan slowly turned back to face Nadia.

Surprisingly, his expression was utterly calm, save for a hint of a smirk at the corner of his lips.

“I thought you had been looking down on me this whole time, but now I see. You’re just a fool.”

“…What did you say?”

“If the rumors were true, do you think I’d still have my wife by my side?”

Nadia was struck speechless.

It was true. As far as she knew, Ethan was not the type to overlook or forgive a wife’s infidelity. That’s why she had sent another letter exposing Camille’s supposed affair, believing Ethan would never tolerate it.

‘No, but…’

She had seen it with her own eyes. The way Camille looked at Baron Bernard was unmistakably the look of a woman in love.

“So, stop spreading these baseless rumors. Otherwise, our next meeting will be in court.” Ethan delivered his final, icy statement and left the drawing room.

Nadia stood there for a long time, her face contorted with rage and frustration.

***

“So, what’s the latest on the Marchioness Leroy?”

“It seems she’s not spreading any new rumors. In fact, she appears to be quite cautious about speaking of the Duchess. It seems your ‘warning’ had its intended effect,” Jacques emphasized the word ‘warning,’ but Ethan showed no reaction.

That night, Ethan had personally visited the Leroy estate to confront her about Camille. Considering Ethan’s usual temperament and his relationship with the Duchess, it was an unexpected move.