My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 55

“There are so many delicious-looking desserts. Some of these would be hard to find in Oslant. Do you have any particular favorites, Miss?” Nicolas asked.

“You seem to be mistaken. I’ve been married for quite some time.”

“…Is that so? I apologize again. I truly didn’t realize. Madam, you’re so young and beautiful that—”

I cut him off before he could finish the predictable comment. “It’s fine now that you know. Anyway, could you leave me alone? For personal reasons, I’d prefer not to be seen alone with a young man like you.”

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. I had no improper intentions in approaching you.”

“I don’t care about your intentions. The fact is, I attract attention. Look, see how many eyes are on us right now.”

Nicolas turned around quietly. Sure enough, several people, who had been watching us, quickly pretended to look elsewhere when they met his gaze.

“…I see. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble, so I’ll take my leave for today.”

The words “for today” made it clear he had no intention of giving up.

After bowing slightly, Nicolas left. I watched from the corner of my eye as he exited the banquet hall and let out a quiet sigh. That had been the right move for now. But what about the future?

In truth, the answer was clear. All I had to do was continue pretending to be the Duchess of Dumont that Nicolas would find acceptable, playing along with him.

Sooner or later, Marlon would catch wind of the situation and likely recall Nicolas, telling him to stop meddling.

As long as I confirmed that Nicolas hadn’t revealed his identity to anyone on the Dumont side, Marlon wouldn’t take any dangerous actions.

‘But the real issue comes after that.’

The storyline had already diverged significantly from the original. That meant relying on the original plot to predict future events would become increasingly meaningless.

It was time to reexamine everything, including my original plans.

“Madam, are you alright? You seemed a bit troubled…”

Before I knew it, Audrey had approached me.

I looked at her and smiled warmly. “Yes, I’m fine. That man said he was from Oslant, so it seemed he didn’t know who I was.”

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry I didn’t notice earlier…”

“Oh, don’t apologize, Audrey. It’s fine.”

I smiled as I continued, “He said his name was Clements Kaunis. Do you know him?”

Audrey thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. This is the first I’ve heard of him. I imagine he’s someone my husband met for business. I heard we recently opened up trade with Oslant.”

“Ah, I see.”

Just as it was in the original.

Even if it was a false identity that would only be used for a day, they were always thorough with preparation. That was the rule among the Girard agents, ensuring that no loose ends were left behind.

‘So that means they didn’t just manipulate the guest list. They likely meddled with the real contacts of Viscount Grandbert’s trade deals… Did Nicolas manage that on his own?’

If so, it raised the possibility that Nicolas hadn’t acted alone.

‘If Marlon had ordered this, it changes everything.’

Though I still thought it unlikely, it was worth confirming.

“Would you mind asking Viscount Grandbert later if he knows that man? He had brown hair and a mustache and looked to be in his mid-twenties.” I put on a slightly troubled expression as I spoke.

“Oh, sure. I’ll ask.”

I said with a smile, “Thank you, Audrey.”

***

That night, back at the Dumont estate, I found myself sitting at my desk for the first time in a while, a lamp glowing beside me.

In the early chapters of the original, Marlon Girard’s name barely came up.

That was because, for several years after the Dumont ledger incident with Liam, Marlon didn’t make any significant moves.

He intended to keep a low profile, not wanting to be exposed as the mastermind, and found some satisfaction in having damaged the Dumont family’s reputation through Ethan and Camille’s divorce.

But now that I had altered the storyline, everything had changed.

Ethan had uncovered Marlon’s involvement in the ledger affair, and Camille had neither been caught cheating nor cast out.

‘Back then, I was just doing everything I could to survive… Who would have thought it would cause such a butterfly effect?’

Of course, my primary objective hadn’t changed. My safety and peace were still my top priorities.

‘But I don’t want Elodie and Ethan to suffer because of it…’

If I had no other choice, that would be one thing, but I didn’t want to save myself by sacrificing others.

Even if I managed to survive that way, guilt would prevent me from ever truly being happy.

‘I need to make sure Elodie and Ethan reach their happy ending, just like in the original. I have to hit all the essential milestones along the way.’

With that in mind, there were two immediate tasks at hand.

One was dealing with Nicolas.

The other was ensuring that Elodie could be adopted into the Dumont family safely.

‘For that to happen…’

***

Meanwhile, at the Dumont estate, in Victor’s room.

Victor gestured for Mael to take a seat. “I apologize for the humble accommodations, Sir Mael. I couldn’t think of another place for a private conversation.”

Mael shook his head with a faint smile. “No need to apologize. It’s well-kept, just like its owner. A room reflects its master’s character, after all.”

“Thank you for saying so. Here, have a drink. It’s been a while since I brewed tea myself, so I can’t vouch for the taste.”

“With your skill, there’s no doubt it will be excellent.”

Mael took a sip. “Perfect, as expected. The aroma and flavor are flawless.”

“Thank you.”

Victor and Mael exchanged smiles.

‘…What are these two grown men doing?’

Jacques watched them with a perplexed expression. He couldn’t quite get used to the warm atmosphere they exuded.

“Victor. So, what’s the reason you called us here?” Jacques asked.

“Ah, right. Since I know you’re both busy, I’ll try to keep this brief. I wanted to discuss whether there’s a way to reconcile the Duke and the Duchess.”

At Victor’s words, Mael nodded. “I see. I’ve been thinking along similar lines recently.”

“Have you?”

“Yes. Though she has hidden her true self for a long time, the current Duchess is an indispensable part of Dumont. If we let her leave now, the Duke will surely regret it.”

“That’s right. Even among the staff, there’s talk of how much the Madam has changed. She doesn’t get angry or throw things like she used to. The atmosphere in the mansion has improved significantly.”

Victor’s face brightened as he continued, “It’s reassuring to know you’re on board, Sir Mael. Since the two of you are the Duke’s closest advisors, if you both speak to him, he won’t be able to ignore it.”

Jacques asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

“Well, first and foremost, we need to resolve the misunderstandings between them. From what I can tell, the Madam has completely closed her heart to the Duke because of past events. That’s the biggest issue right now.”

Jacques shrugged as he spoke, “Well, it’s not surprising. The Duke has certainly neglected the Duchess.”

Victor sighed. “Which is why it’s so hard to defend the Duke in front of her. Everything she says is true.”

“It sounds like it all depends on the Duke. If he can show her he’s changed, maybe the Duchess will reconsider.”

“I agree with you, Sir Mael. But as you both know, the Duke is incredibly stubborn…” Victor trailed off with a troubled expression.

“But he continues to refuse the divorce, right? That means, at least on some level, he still wants to keep her.”

“It’s complicated.”

Jacques’ response made Mael look at him.

“The Duke’s stance is this: until the unresolved suspicions around Baron Bernard are cleared, he can’t let the Duchess go. He also suspects there may be hidden motives behind her sudden demand for divorce.”