My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 44

And this matter with Marcel Bache? It was simply to help Jacques from a humanitarian standpoint, as a fan of the original story.

“Do you really expect me to believe that? Even with all the secrets you still keep from me?”

“I told you, there’s a reason for everything I can’t tell you.”

I shrugged, adding, “But if you can’t believe me, that’s your loss.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“It’s your loss if you don’t believe me. When the truth comes out, you’ll want to apologize for doubting me.”

I planted my hands on my hips, striking a confident pose. Ethan stared at me, incredulous.

“Anyway, we’ll talk about this again when Sir Mael returns. He’ll be back today, no matter how long it takes.”

“……”

“What, are you worried I’ll run away? Don’t worry, I won’t. If it makes you feel better, you can post a guard outside my door.”

Ethan shook his head, exasperated. “Good God, you never stop talking, do you?”

“I only keep talking because you refuse to say anything.”

“Fine. If you’re so sure, I’ll wait and see.”

“Quite confident, aren’t you? Does ‘wait and see’ remind you of anything?” I asked, referencing the bet we made over The History of Erendel War.

Ethan’s mouth twitched slightly. He glared at me for a long moment before abruptly turning and leaving the room.

“It’s your loss,” I muttered, folding my arms.

***

Mael and Jacques returned to the Dumont Mansion after the sun had fully set that day.

“So you finally decided to show up.”

Ethan’s voice was icy as he watched the two men enter his study.

“I’m sorry, sir. I judged that it was a matter best handled with action before reporting.” Mael bowed his head in apology.

Ethan clasped his hands together on his knee. “Well then, let’s hear this report of yours.”

Mael took a moment to steady his breathing before he began.

“This afternoon, the Duchess came to the knight headquarters to see me. She told me…”

***

“…So, this means that Marcel Bache really was the murderer behind those serial killings?” Ethan asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Mael retrieved a book from his coat and placed it on the desk. “Read it for yourself.”

Ethan opened the book. As he flipped through the pages, his expression grew increasingly grim.

“Is there any proof that this was written by Bache?”

“There are entries mentioning his time in the capital’s knight order. The details, the names of the soldiers, everything fits. It’s undoubtedly his writing.”

“……”

Ethan fell silent, his gaze complicated.

Mael could fully understand Ethan’s turmoil. Even he hadn’t believed the Duchess’s claims until he discovered the diary.

“To be certain, I verified that Bache was indeed the room’s occupant. And a few hours later, he returned to the room himself,” Mael added.

Ethan looked up. “So you waited until he came back?”

“I couldn’t risk him discovering the break-in and fleeing. We couldn’t afford to let him escape,” Mael explained.

“…Did he confess to the murders?”

“No. He didn’t get the chance. Jacques knocked him out the moment he walked in,” Mael replied.

Ethan’s gaze shifted to Jacques.

Jacques, expressionless, stated, “I thought it best to ensure he couldn’t run.”

“If that were the only reason, you didn’t have to hit him in the face,” Mael muttered.

“Did I? I didn’t realize. My mind was focused on subduing him quickly,” Jacques responded, sounding indifferent.

“If I hadn’t intervened, you’d have beaten him to death,” Mael noted.

“He’s a murderer. If I’d shown mercy and got stabbed, that would have been worse,” Jacques retorted.

Their back-and-forth almost resembled a comedic exchange.

“What are you two doing?” Ethan asked, incredulous.

“Apologies,” Mael said, straightening up. Jacques gave a reluctant nod.

“So, what did you do with Bache?”

“We just finished locking him up in the dungeon. I thought it best to report to you before contacting the police.”

“……”

Ethan drummed his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.

“What should we do? Do you want to interrogate him before we hand him over to the police?” Mael asked.

“Is he even in a state to be interrogated?” Ethan asked sarcastically.

Jacques shrugged. “A splash of cold water should bring him around.”

“That’s not necessary. We’ll hand him and the diary over to the police in the morning. They’ll handle the rest.”

“What should we say about how we caught him?” Mael asked.

Ethan paused briefly before answering, “You and Bache have an old connection, so you stopped by to see how he was doing. That should suffice.”

Ethan knew that Mael felt guilty about Marcel Bache’s dishonorable discharge, believing it to be unjust. It was the very reason Mael had left the capital’s knight order.

“Say you found the door open, went inside, and discovered the diary. As for the bruises and injuries…” Ethan glanced at Jacques before continuing, “Just be honest. Say Jacques lost his temper upon discovering his wife’s name in the diary.”

“……”

Jacques frowned slightly but remained silent.

“They probably won’t probe too deeply. Everyone in the capital knows you lead the Dumont knight order.”

“Shouldn’t we mention the Duchess’s role? She did, after all, pinpoint the murderer,” Mael suggested.

“Let’s wait and see. We can amend the report if necessary later.”

“Understood. I’ll follow your instructions,” Mael said, bowing his head.

“…Wait a moment.”

Mael and Jacques turned back from the doorway at Ethan’s call.

“What’s troubling you?” Mael asked.

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd? That Camille could identify Bache as the killer based purely on memory? And then, upon searching his home, we found the evidence almost as if it was waiting for us,” Ethan mused.

“……”

Mael exchanged a glance with Jacques before responding, “There are certainly some peculiarities, but the evidence is overwhelming, as you saw yourself.”

“Yes, it is. Yet still…”

Marcel Bache’s diary was damning evidence. The volume and detailed content made fabrication unlikely.

More importantly, Camille had no reason to frame Bache.

Could she be protecting the real murderer? Or could Camille herself be the true perpetrator?

No, that was too far-fetched.

No, that’s absurd.

Ethan shook his head. Such wild speculation was baseless. The police had been unable to find any clues about the murderer for half a year. If there was another culprit, why go to the trouble of framing someone else?

Still, there was a lingering sense of unease about Camille’s story being entirely true.

“Perhaps she has reasons she can’t fully disclose,” Jacques suggested suddenly, catching Ethan’s attention.

“What reasons?”

“She might have another reason for being so sure Bache is the murderer. Maybe she witnessed the crime herself… or she learned about it from that unknown informant again.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the informant. “Do you really think so?”

Jacque shrugged. “I have no evidence. It’s just a possibility.”

“……”

The silence was broken by Mael. “I understand your doubts, but I think you’re overthinking it. This seems to be a case of the Duchess acting out of pure righteousness.”

“And why do you think that?” Ethan asked.

Mael recalled Camille’s words earlier:

“If something horrible happened to Ines or another woman because you did nothing, you would feel responsible and deeply regret it. So would I.”

Camille’s perspective aligned with Mael’s own values, indicating a shared sense of empathy and justice. Someone without such values wouldn’t even conceive such thoughts.

“…She must have been regretting it all along, thinking that if she had recognized and reported the murderer immediately, she might have prevented the murders that followed Valerie Jeuness,” Mael said in a calm voice.

“She probably felt compelled to act this time, even if it meant risking embarrassment if she was wrong. She believed it was worth it to save Jacques’s wife,” he continued.

“……”