My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 31

As we descended to the first floor, Victor stood with the other servants, waiting. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Jacques.

“I asked him to come along,” Camille said. “To keep me company during the trip.”

“Ah, I see,” Victor replied, bowing his head slightly though his expression remained puzzled.

Jacques followed Camille into the carriage. He assumed her dedicated maid would accompany them, but she stepped back, showing no intention of joining.

“Have a safe trip, Madam,” the servants called as the carriage door closed.

“Aren’t you bringing the maid with you?” Jacques asked.

“It’s just my family home,” Camille replied. “There are still maids there who served me before I got married. Besides, if I brought Marie along, we wouldn’t be able to talk privately.”

“But won’t the coachman hear us anyway?”

Camille gave Jacques a long, appraising look. “Are you testing me?”

“Sorry?”

“Dumont carriages are soundproof. Once the windows are closed, it’s impossible for the coachman to hear anything inside. You should know that.”

“……”

The remark stung. Jacques realized he might still be underestimating this woman who was no longer the Camille he once knew.

“I am aware,” he said. “I just didn’t realize you knew as well.”

“So, you were testing me.”

“Not testing—confirming. But if it felt that way, I apologize.”

Camille tilted her head slightly, a smile playing on her lips. “You still see me as the foolish duchess I used to be.”

“…That’s not true.”

“Is it?”

“Absolutely. Anyone who has observed you these past two months would agree.”

“So, you’re not denying that I was foolish before.”

Camille’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “Don’t make that uncomfortable face. I agree with you.”

“Why? You said you acted that way to make people underestimate you, but honestly, that doesn’t fully explain it.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“It’s hard to.”

“I wasn’t always like that. When I first got married, I was immature. I hated and resented my husband for not giving me any attention, so I often lashed out at those around me.”

Jacques nodded internally. That was the Camille he had known. But then, two months ago, she had changed completely after the incident with Bernard. How was that possible?

“I tried to fill the void with luxury and frequenting social gatherings, but eventually, even that felt empty. One day, it hit me. Nothing would change if I continued living like this. My husband would continue to ignore me, and I’d lead a lonely, meaningless life until I died.”

“……”

“And so, when Baron Bernard approached me a while back, knowing that Duke Girard was behind him, I thought it was an opportunity. For the first time, I had a chance to be useful to Ethen as the Duchess of Dumont. I believed that if I succeeded this time, Ethan would see me differently.”

Camille paused briefly, then added in a small voice, “But I was mistaken.”

“Not necessarily…”

“Of course, lately, he seems to look at me a bit differently. But that’s only recently, and it wasn’t like that at the beginning.”

Camille continued quietly, “Ethan didn’t believe me. Even though I told him everything I could honestly. At first, he treated me like an unfaithful wife, and then later, he seemed to suspect I was Girard’s spy too. He kept me under house arrest for nearly two months.”

“The Duke had no choice. If you consider things from his perspective, Duchess…”

“I’m tired of considering his perspective,” Camille muttered softly. “For the past five years, I’ve constantly tried to see things from his point of view. He must be busy with work. He’s naturally a reserved person, so it’s hard for him to change. After all, our marriage wasn’t based on love, so it’s understandable…”

“……”

Jacques observed Camille closely with keen eyes.

‘Is she sincere? Or…’

From his assessment, it didn’t seem like she was acting. But he couldn’t be sure. Given how she had deceived many for five years, such acting would be her specialty.

If Camille’s words were not genuine, the important question was what her intention was in telling Jacques these things.

“It was the same this time. At first, I thought it was understandable that he doubted me. Given how I’ve behaved until now. So, I worked hard for two months to clear his suspicions. But then, I started to feel disillusioned. What am I doing? Why am I being treated like a criminal for something I did with good intentions? Will his heart really change? It hasn’t changed in the past five years.”

Camille looked at Jacques with a bitter expression and continued, “You heard, didn’t you? That I told him I wanted a divorce.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“That’s my honest feeling right now. I no longer want to understand or hope for him. I want us both to be free. Not just me, but him too.”

“……”

Camille, with her head lowered and a dark expression, looked genuinely pitiful.

Jacques carefully opened his mouth. “I understand your feelings, Duchess. I understand how hurt you must be. But I think you misunderstand when you say the Duke hasn’t changed at all.”

“Misunderstand? That can’t be.” Camille scoffed.

“No, it’s true. Didn’t you just acknowledge it yourself? That the Duke’s view of you seems to have changed. The Duke no longer suspects you as much as he did before. You can see that from the fact that he lifted your house arrest…”

“If that’s true, then why does Ethan still have someone follow me every time I go out?”

“……”

Jacques couldn’t help but fall silent at Camille’s pointed remark.

“Even today, if I hadn’t taken the initiative, you would have secretly followed me, right? Don’t even think about denying it now. You should have denied it earlier if you were going to.”

“Well, it’s a long way, and I thought it would be nice to have some company.”

Indeed, by remaining silent then, Jacques had practically confirmed the question just now.

‘…I’ve been caught off guard. I didn’t expect her to press me on this.’

It was as if she had been waiting for him to slip up.

Jacques hurriedly spoke, “I can explain. Please listen.”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need to.”

“Duchess.”

“Let me guess. Ethan suspects I have a source of information, right? He lifted my house arrest, so he thinks it’s not strange if I make contact with that source. The surveillance is because of that, not because he doubts me. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“……”

Cold sweat trickled down his spine. Jacques had never been at such a loss for words in his life until now, thanks to Camille.

“I already told Ethan. I have a reason why I can’t disclose the source of information. If it gets out, it’s not just me who will be in danger. But Ethan ignored me, kept having you follow and investigate me. And yet you say he’s changed? That he no longer doubts me? How can you say that?”

“……”

Camille opened the window toward the coachman’s seat. “Stop here for a moment,” she said.

“Yes, Madam.”

The carriage came to a halt in the middle of the street. Camille looked at Jacques coldly.

“Get out.”

“……”

“I have nothing more to say to you, so get out.”

“…Duchess.”

“Duchess, Duchess. You call me that so easily. If you truly saw me as the Duchess, you wouldn’t have treated me so lightly.”

“That’s not true. It’s a misunderstanding. I—”

“How can you say it’s a misunderstanding when you won’t even follow my order to get out of the carriage right now?”

“……”

Jacques opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

“I thought maybe, just maybe, you would understand me, Jacques, but it was a waste of time.”

“……”