My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 67

‘…What is this woman even saying right now?’

Ethan frowned deeply as he stared at Camille.

‘Is she drunk, maybe?’

The thought crossed his mind, but she didn’t appear intoxicated. There were no bottles or glasses in the room, either.

Of course, Camille saying incomprehensible things wasn’t new. But this time, it felt like she had taken it too far.

“I don’t want to be your wife anymore, and I don’t want to stay in this house. I’ve felt this way for a long time, but I haven’t been able to leave because you’ve been holding me here.”

Those words, which Camille had said to him not long ago, were still vividly engraved in his mind.

Since that day, Ethan’s mood had rarely improved.

It wasn’t because he and Camille had fought—after all, that was practically their routine.

It was the sight of Camille clutching her head, screaming in the rain, clinging to him and trembling, and then even after regaining consciousness, stubbornly pretending to be strong, her lips still blue. Those images wouldn’t leave his mind.

‘Damn it. Why does she have to go that far…?’

He understood her position, of course. He had been neglectful toward his wife—there was no denying that.

She had said it countless times, and sure, he could see why she would wonder why he was acting like this now.

But they were still husband and wife, bound by marriage vows. Was it so wrong for a husband to worry about his wife? Did she really have to draw a line so firmly and push him away?

The more he thought about it, the more it infuriated him.

He had spent the last few days lost in thought, occasionally startling those around him by suddenly blurting out curses.

In fact, he had come here today intending to confront Camille, unable to hold it in any longer. But the moment he walked into the room and saw her, he forgot everything he had planned to say.

Camille stood in front of a full-length mirror, dressed in an evening gown. With her hair elegantly pinned up, her slender neck and bare back were exposed, her pale skin glowing with a faint golden hue under the dressing room lights.

Ethan found himself speechless, staring at her back.

Perhaps it was because she had been wearing only plain dresses at home lately. Suddenly seeing her like this felt almost shockingly unfamiliar.

Even after Camille turned to face him, he still felt the same.

The soft, understated makeup was surprisingly fitting. It made him wonder if she had always looked like this.

And just as he was regaining his composure, another bombshell dropped.

Camille looked at Ethan with a perfectly casual expression. There was no hint of mischief or malice in her eyes.

Still, he had to be cautious. He had been mistaken before and embarrassed himself.

“…Didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? And now you suddenly want a child?”

At Ethan’s words, Camille looked slightly sheepish.

“Well, yes… But that’s that, and this is this.”

‘How can ‘that’s that and this is this’ even make sense?’

Ethan frowned deeply as he thought.

“So, just seeing the orphanage children made you think that, but you don’t actually want a child?”

“What? No, I would like one if I could.”

Camille said, then added as if she had just remembered, “Preferably a daughter. And if possible, with honey-blonde hair and a love for books.”

“……”

The specific nature of her wish made Ethan’s frown deepen.

Camille looked excited, as if she were genuinely imagining a daughter.

Ethan racked his brain desperately.

‘Is she saying… she wants a daughter who takes after both of us?’

Blonde hair was Camille’s trait. And the love for books was, without a doubt, Ethan’s.

It felt a bit strange, but it wasn’t like there was any other way to interpret her words.

“By the way, what are your thoughts on a daughter inheriting the title?”

“…What?”

Why was she asking this now? He still couldn’t follow where this conversation was going.

“I mean, it does happen sometimes, right? Even if it’s rare.”

It wasn’t incorrect. But it was extremely uncommon, typically an option when noble families had no sons and didn’t want to adopt.

“…If there’s no other choice, I suppose.”

Ethan carefully watched Camille’s reaction.

“So, if there is another choice, you’d rather a son inherit?”

“Yes, of course.”

“But what if the son is hopelessly incompetent, and the daughter is intelligent, capable, and the perfect candidate to inherit?”

“……”

At Camille’s rapid-fire questions, Ethan frowned again.

He paused for a moment before replying, “In that case, the title should go to the daughter.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Camille smiled brightly, looking genuinely pleased for some reason.

‘…What is this all about? So, basically, even if we have a son in the future, she wants our eldest daughter to inherit the title?’

It wasn’t a common sentiment. But if the situation Camille described were to happen, then passing the title to the daughter would be the right choice.

Humming a tune, Camille reached for a jewelry box beside her. Holding up two different earrings, she turned to Ethan.

“Which one do you think looks better?” she asked with a cheerful smile, her eyes crinkling in genuine delight.

…What in the world is going on?

Ethan frowned deeply again, unable to shake the strange feeling.

***

“Could it be that the Duchess is trying to reconcile?”

At Jacques’ words, Ethan narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

“Reconcile?”

“Yes. Maybe she felt too embarrassed to outright take back her words about divorce, so she’s trying to say it in a roundabout way.”

“…I don’t know. She said, ‘That’s that, and this is this,’ when I asked about the divorce.”

Jacques raised his eyebrows in frustration. “That’s just her not wanting to admit it directly. Like I said, women often say things they don’t mean. They bring up other topics while avoiding what they really want to say. The key is understanding what they’re truly thinking.”

“……”

Ethan frowned, deep in thought.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t quite accept it.

“So you’re saying the talk about wanting a child was just an excuse, and what she really meant was that she doesn’t want a divorce anymore?”

“Exactly. Think about it: why else would she bring up having a child out of all possible topics? To have a child, you need to…”

“…Be intimate.”

“Right. And after having a child?”

“…Raise it.”

Ethan spoke with uncertainty.

“Exactly. And for that, the idea of you two divorcing makes no sense. So, the underlying message here is that she doesn’t want a divorce.”

“……”

Hearing it put that way, Ethan started to feel it might be true.

What influenced him most was Jacques’ confidence. No, even more than that, it was the oddly triumphant look on his face. It was almost convincing.

Ethan had consulted Jacques because there was no one else suitable to talk to. Victor would have likely offered an overly optimistic interpretation like, ‘It’s all good,’ and Mael was still too young and single to be of help.

Jacques, on the other hand, was newly married but had dated plenty of women before, and he had a personality even more level-headed than Ethan’s.

“But then why bring up the issue of a daughter inheriting the title?”

“She wanted to see how far you’d go to accommodate her wishes, Your Grace. After all, she had just clearly expressed her preference for a daughter. She was testing if her husband would prioritize her wishes over tradition.”

“……”

That made sense, yet it didn’t. It was a vague answer.