My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 56

Mael furrowed his brow. “That certainly sounds like the Duke… but isn’t he being a bit too cold? That’s exactly the part that the Duchess finds upsetting.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Victor quickly agreed.

“Still… it seems like that’s not entirely how he truly feels,” Jacques murmured as if thinking aloud.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, the other day, the Duke asked me a rather strange question. He wanted to know if I had been maintaining a regular intimate relationship with my wife.”

Both Victor and Mael blinked in surprise at the unexpected remark.

“…What?”

“I understand your reaction. I was just as taken aback. But from what I gathered, it seems the Duke recently attempted to spend time with the Duchess and failed.”

“Are you certain?” Mael asked, still doubtful.

“Yes. He also asked if I had ever startled my wife when making advances. Perhaps the Duchess reacted like, ‘Why are you suddenly doing something you never do?’”

“……”

Victor and Mael exchanged glances.

“That reminds me of something. About a month ago, the Duchess visited the training grounds where the knights were practicing. It seemed she was there to see the Duke. One of the knights who happened to witness the scene said that the two of them… well…” Mael hesitated as he spoke.

“…What happened?” Jacques prompted, impatient.

Mael lowered his voice to a whisper. “It seems the two of them were… embracing.”

Jacques and Victor’s eyes widened in unison.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Is it possible the knight exaggerated what he saw? After all, it would have made for an entertaining story among the knights.”

Jacques’ remark made Mael shake his head. “That knight isn’t the type to make things up. I pressed him because I sensed something odd, and he answered truthfully. I made him swear to keep it quiet, and he’s kept his word. That’s why no rumors have spread.”

“…When did this happen again? A month ago?” Jacques rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Yes, shortly after Marcel Bache was handed over to the police.”

“So the timing is a few weeks after the Duke asked me that strange question. Perhaps the Duchess initially rejected him but later changed her mind?”

“……”

A brief silence settled over the room as they exchanged ambiguous expressions.

“That’s strange. From what I’ve seen, there’s no sign of such intimacy between them… I’ve never heard of them spending nights together, either.”

“Well, it doesn’t necessarily have to happen at night…”

Victor narrowed his eyes at Jacques’ remark.

‘Could it have been that time? Or maybe…’

While Victor was lost in thought, Jacques spoke again. “Honestly, all this speculation between us doesn’t mean much. It’s nothing more than guesswork, and there’s always a chance the knight misinterpreted what he saw.”

“That’s true.”

“But one thing is clear. It doesn’t seem entirely impossible for their relationship to recover.”

The others nodded in agreement with Jacques. In fact, that might have been for the best.

‘It’s not like their relationship was ever great, so I suppose calling it a “recovery” isn’t exactly accurate…’

After all, romantic relationships can ignite at any time, under any circumstances. It might even be easier for a couple like the Duke and Duchess, who were distant from the start, to reconnect than for a couple trying to rekindle a lost passion.

“So, how do we bring them closer together?” Mael asked.

“Well, for starters, they need more opportunities to talk calmly. Despite living in the same house, they rarely see each other.”

Victor’s suggestion made Jacques think for a moment before speaking, “How about this?”

***

“That man from Oslant… my husband said he’d never heard of such a name,” Audrey told me.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Really? So Clements Kaunis wasn’t on the guest list?”

“No. But for the guests from Oslant, we only listed the name of the main representative. I think we assumed he was part of the same group.”

“But he wasn’t? Is there a chance he really was a business contact but Viscount Grandbert simply didn’t know him?”

“No, that’s not possible. The Viscount was quite clear that he didn’t know anyone like that.”

“…I see.”

Audrey lowered her head apologetically. “I’m sorry. We must not have managed things properly, letting someone whose identity wasn’t certain into the party…”

“Oh? No, it’s fine. Nothing happened with him, after all. I was just curious, that’s all. It’s probably just a simple mistake.”

“I hope so… Are you sure nothing happened?”

“Yes. He just assumed I was unmarried… You know how men are. Same old, predictable lines.”

I smiled lightly as I spoke, but Audrey still looked uneasy.

“Oh, by the way, I heard that you regularly do volunteer work at the church. Is that true?”

The sudden change of topic made Audrey blink in confusion. “Pardon? Oh, yes. I try to help whenever I have the time.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s something to be proud of.”

Audrey smiled shyly at my words.

“I was wondering… could I join you next time? If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Join me? For the volunteer work?”

Audrey sounded surprised, and I smiled warmly at her.

“Yes. I’ve been thinking I’d like to try doing something good with you. Of course, only if it wouldn’t be a bother.”

“No, not at all. That would be wonderful! It would create so much interest, and others would surely become more involved if the Duchess participated.”

Audrey seemed genuinely delighted.

In the original story, it was mentioned that Audrey had been volunteering for many years, helping orphans and the homeless.

That’s how she had met Elodie when she was living in the orphanage.

It was also why Audrey eventually became Elodie’s chaperone.

“Thank you so much, Your Grace. It will be such a great help to those in need.”

“You’re still calling me ‘Your Grace.’ Please, call me Camille.”

“Pardon? But…” Audrey hesitated, clearly flustered.

“What’s the harm? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I appreciate your kindness, but still, how could I…”

“As I’ve said before, I’ve never had a real friend I could open up to. Everyone’s always been either too afraid of me because I’m the Duchess of Dumont or overly subservient… or, on the other hand, people who tried to hurt me.”

I deliberately put on a sad expression as I spoke.

“So at least when we’re alone, please treat me like a friend. I’m asking as a favor.”

Audrey looked conflicted for a moment before nodding as if she’d made a decision.

“Alright… Camille.”

I smiled brightly as I said, “Thank you, Audrey. That makes me happy.”

‘She’ll probably just think I’m trying to get closer to her out of temporary curiosity.’

Now that I had laid the groundwork, she wouldn’t find it strange if I joined her briefly and then stopped.

Though, knowing Audrey’s character, I doubted she would ever suspect me. This was simply my cautious nature, wanting to be thorough.

The reason I wanted to join Audrey in her volunteer work was, of course, to establish a connection with Elodie.

With the original timeline fast approaching, I was becoming increasingly anxious because the divorce with Ethan was progressing slowly.

I was worried that by altering the storyline, I might somehow prevent Elodie from being adopted.

But with the appearance of Nicolas, I had found a solution.

‘If I adopt Elodie before I divorce Ethan, that should solve the problem.’

Though it would still deviate from the original timeline, at least this way I could ensure Elodie’s future. While I was concerned that Ethan wouldn’t be the one to choose Elodie on his own, I had to accept that things had already changed.

‘At this point, just pulling myself out won’t magically restore everything to the way it was.’