My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 43

Ethan entered the Ducal Estate while still in his carriage. For the past few days, he had been leaving at dawn and returning well past midnight due to a particularly busy schedule. Today was the first time in a while he had come home with the sun still up.

As he gazed idly out the window, Ethan noticed a knight walking out of the mansion. The knight was carefully cradling something in both hands and walking briskly.

‘What could that be?’

The headquarters of the knight order were a good ten-minute walk from the main building, even for a man. Unless summoned by Ethan, it was unusual for a knight to be seen in this area.

“Welcome back, sir,” Victor greeted Ethan.

“I just saw a knight coming out of the mansion.”

“Ah, yes. You saw him. He was sent on an errand by Sir Mael.”

Under normal circumstances, Ethan would have simply acknowledged this with a nod. However, today, it piqued his curiosity in an unusual way.

“What kind of errand?”

When Ethan pressed for details, Victor hesitated, a hint of discomfort crossing his face.

“Well…”

The accumulated fatigue from the past few days, combined with the oppressive heat, quickly frayed Ethan’s patience.

“I asked what the errand was.”

“Actually… it appears he was fetching a drink for Madam.”

Ethan frowned at this explanation. “Why would a knight be doing that? And why would Mael send him?”

“It seems Madam is currently at the knight headquarters. She went out earlier to take a short walk in the garden…”

“…Camille is at the knight headquarters?” Ethan had not known her to do such a thing in the past five years.

Given Camille’s recent behavior, it was clear she had some ulterior motive. Especially after the incident where she followed an unknown man, his suspicions had only deepened. The knight order was central to the duchy’s military power, and Camille’s presence there was not something to take lightly.

“Send someone to the knight headquarters and tell them I need to see Sir Mael.”

“Understood.”

Ethan changed out of his sweat-soaked clothes and headed straight to his office. He had intended to bathe and rest, but the sudden change in plans had sharpened his already tense nerves.

A short while later, Victor returned to the office, not Mael.

“Apologies, sir, but Sir Mael is currently unavailable.”

“What? Wasn’t he at the knight headquarters just a moment ago?”

“It seems he left right after the knight fetching the drink returned. But he didn’t say where he was going…” Victor replied, sounding uncertain.

According to the regulations, anyone on duty had to disclose their whereabouts when leaving their post. This was not just a rule, but something Mael, by his nature, adhered to. If he hadn’t disclosed his destination, there had to be a compelling reason.

“And Camille? Did she go with him?”

“No, sir. Madam returned just now. She should be in her room,” Victor answered.

Ethan furrowed his brow, pondering the situation in silence. This was getting more complicated by the minute.

“Summon Jacques. If he isn’t in his office, have one of his men come,” Ethan instructed firmly.

“Yes, sir,” Victor said, bowing and leaving the study.

A short while later, one of Jacques’ subordinates arrived with a report that was even more perplexing.

“Sir Jacques left suddenly with Sir Mael. I don’t know where they went, but Sir Mael said he would explain on the way,” the subordinate explained.

“……”

Ethan’s mind raced. ‘What in the world is going on?’

This was Mael, after all. For him to mobilize Jacques without reporting to Ethan indicated that whatever the issue was, it was both significant and urgent.

Ethan couldn’t fathom what might warrant such drastic measures. The only thing he knew for sure was who had initiated this situation.

Ethan sprang up from his seat.

***

The door burst open without a knock, startling me. I turned around to see who it was. “Ethan? What on earth—”

Ethan strode in without a word. Unlike usual, he was dressed casually. Despite the summer heat, I’d never seen him in just a shirt without a tie or vest. The slight dampness of sweat made the contours of his muscular body clearly visible.

“What did you say to Mael?” Ethan demanded, his expression unusually stern.

‘He found out sooner than I expected.’

I had anticipated that Ethan would learn I visited Mael, but I didn’t think it would be this quick.

“I’m asking you a question. Can’t you hear me?” His tone was more aggressive than usual, likely due to the heat.

I, too, missed the comforts of modern life. Walking for nearly thirty minutes under the scorching sun had intensified my longing for air conditioning. This world didn’t even allow the comfort of wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Even now, I was wearing three layers, including underwear. It was absurd.

‘I’m the one suffering more in this heat, and he’s the one getting irritated?’

Feeling a surge of irritation, I responded coldly. “Ask Sir Mael later.”

“…What?”

“Whatever I say, you won’t believe me anyway. Let’s not waste each other’s time.”

If I repeated to Ethan what I told Mael, his reaction would be predictable. He’d likely dismiss me as delusional without even hearing me out. Mael had just headed to Marcel Bache’s house, so the truth would soon be revealed. There was no need to ruin my mood by being treated like a fool by Ethan.

“How little do you think of me?” Ethan growled.

“What do you mean? I’m just trying to avoid wasting time.”

“Mael has never acted independently without reporting to me. What did you say to sway him?” Ethan’s voice was full of frustration.

“‘Sway’? Are you implying I said something inappropriate to Sir Mael?” I frowned at his insinuation.

“Then tell me. If there’s nothing to hide, there’s no reason not to.”

“He’ll be back soon. You can hear it from him. Can’t you wait a little while?” I retorted.

“……”

Ethan’s expression grew even more furious. He took a step closer, the scent of his usual woody cologne mixed with a stronger, more personal scent of sweat, hit me.

Instinctively, I stepped back, making his eyebrows twitch in response.

He stepped closer again, and I moved back once more. This back-and-forth repeated itself.

“…What on earth are you doing?” Ethan asked.

“I should be asking you that! Why do you keep getting closer?” 

“I’m your husband. Is there a problem with me getting close to my wife?”

“It’s because of… the sweat.”

“……”

Ethan halted, furrowing his brow slightly as he stepped back.

‘Did he misunderstand and think I was talking about him? I meant that I would smell…’

Though Ethan’s scent was stronger than usual, it wasn’t unpleasant. The real problem was that I didn’t find it unpleasant. Even after more than two months in Camille’s body, I still wasn’t used to Ethan’s overly handsome face and fit body.

“So, are you going to hold out without telling me anything?” Ethan pressed.

“There’s nothing to hold out about. Just wait a moment. Once Sir Mael reports back, if you still don’t understand, then I’ll explain. How’s that?”

“…Damn it,” Ethan muttered under his breath, running a hand through his disheveled hair. I swallowed hard. My attention had been on him, so even such a simple gesture seemed oddly provocative.

“What are you hiding?” Ethan asked, glaring at me.

“I’m not hiding anything. Then and now, I’ve only done what I thought was best for Dumont.”

This was undeniably true. The issue with the ledger was just me trying to survive. Yet, thanks to it, Ethan had uncovered Liam’s backers, something that wasn’t revealed in the original story.