My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 7

‘Despite the rumors, they haven’t resorted to torture… yet.’

But that was only for now. There was no guarantee it would stay that way forever.

‘Damn it. This is all because of that woman.’

He had thought she was utterly infatuated with him.

Yet the moment her husband arrived, she had transformed as if she were a different person entirely.

‘How did she find out?’

Ever since being imprisoned, he had replayed the events countless times in his mind. But he still couldn’t fathom how Camille had discovered the connection between him and Duke Girard.

‘Sure, things were going too smoothly, and maybe I got a bit careless… But I never did anything to slip Girard’s name. I’m sure of that.’

They never exchanged anything incriminating like letters, and he had barely touched alcohol around Camille to avoid slipping up.

The only possibility was that she had somehow witnessed him meeting with his contact…

‘No, that can’t be. Even if I missed something, Girard’s side was composed of professionals. If someone had been spying, they would have noticed.’

Unless Camille was some kind of expert tail, skilled enough to deceive even the best.

‘No way, that’s impossible… or is it?’

By now, he wouldn’t be surprised if Camille turned out to be a secret royal agent. He felt like he was being haunted by a ghost.

Even now, he feared Camille might conjure some magical evidence out of nowhere.

At that moment, the clanging of the cell door startled him.

He turned around to see Sir Mael, his usual interrogator, entering the cell.

His thoughts racing, Liam tried to appear unfazed and held his head high. “You’re here again, I see. I’ve told you, no matter how much you press, it’s pointless.”

Mael ignored Liam’s words and looked at the guard. “Release him,” he said.

“What? Did you just say to release him?” the guard asked, incredulous. Mael nodded.

Liam was just as bewildered. He blinked in disbelief as the guard unlocked his handcuffs.

“Baron Liam Bernard, you are now free.”

“Free…?”

“Yes. However, regardless of the details, it’s undeniable that you had an inappropriate affair with the Duchess. You are being released on the condition that you never set foot in the capital again. Those are the Duke’s orders.”

Mael’s tone was unnervingly calm and composed.

“You have three days. By sunset on the third day, you must have left the capital. If you fail to comply, be prepared to never see the light of day again.”

“……”

“Goodbye.”

With that, Mael turned and left the cell.

Liam stood there, stunned, for a long time, unable to process what had just happened.

***

I watched from my room’s window as Liam Bernard stumbled out of the annex.

Ethan had followed my advice and released him.

“He works faster than I expected,” I murmured.

Marie, who had been pouring tea, looked up. “What did you say, Madam?”

“Nothing.”

“If Duke Girard wants to ensure Bernard doesn’t spill anything, he’ll likely have him dealt with. So, release him and have someone tail him,” I had suggested.

In the original story, Duke Girard eventually killed Liam to silence him.

Even though the sequence of events had shifted with my presence, the outcome of Liam failing to steal the ledger and getting captured and then released by Duke Dumont remained unchanged.

There was no reason Girard wouldn’t attempt to assassinate Liam now.

‘In fact, I’m counting on it. For my sake.’

I brought the fragrant tea cup to my lips.

The problem was that Girard wouldn’t move quickly.

‘In the original, he waited nearly a month before making his move, avoiding Ethan’s suspicion.’

Ethan had told me I’d remain under house arrest until he was completely convinced of my innocence.

Which meant I was stuck in the mansion for at least another month.

‘This is starting to get boring.’

Initially, I’d been occupied with survival plans and various tasks, but now those were mostly done. While I didn’t mind staying home, back in my previous life, I often spent weekends lounging in bed.

‘But even that gets old after a while. And there are no smartphones, web novels, or Netflix here.’

The activities available in a noblewoman’s room were limited. Embroidery or piano, perhaps, though the piano was downstairs.

‘I now understand why noble ladies are always at teas and balls. There’s nothing else to do.’

In this situation, only one thing came to mind to pass the time.

“Marie, could you bring me some books?”

“Books? What kind of books, Madam?” Marie asked, her eyes wide.

“Any kind. Being stuck in this room is dull.”

Besides passing the time, I had another reason. I had very limited knowledge about this world. Reading would be the best way to gather information and understand the world better.

Thankfully, whether it was a perk of transmigration or something else, I could naturally understand the language and text of this world. Reading wouldn’t be a problem.

“You want to read, Madam…?” Marie looked more shocked than when I had pointed out her betrayal.

“Is that so surprising?”

“Yes! You used to have fits just looking at letters!”

‘Was it that bad?’

Despite being a high-ranking noblewoman, Camille must have had basic education.

Well, back in my previous life, I knew people who didn’t read a single book a year.

“I thought I might get used to it. Ethan likes reading, after all.”

Indeed, reading was Ethan’s favorite pastime.

It was established in the story that Ethan’s library contained several times the usual number of books found in a noble’s collection.

Elodie, too, was a bookworm from a young age. Their shared love of books was what led Ethan to adopt her in the first place.

“Hmm… Yes, but all the books are in the Duke’s library…”

“Can’t we get some from outside?”

“I’m also under house arrest like you, Madam. Even if we ask someone else, sneaking books in could get us into trouble.”

She had a point.

I sighed lightly. “Well, I guess there’s no helping it.”

“See? Books would just be boring anyway. If you’re lonely, I’ll keep you company anytime…”

“I’ll ask Ethan directly.”

“Yes, that would be… I beg your pardon?” Marie froze with her mouth open.

***

Ethan sat at his desk, staring at me. “What did you just say?”

“I asked if I could borrow some books from the library.”

“……”

Suspicion was evident in Ethan’s eyes. I shrugged and added, “Don’t worry. I’m not planning to smuggle anything out. If I were, I wouldn’t have asked for permission.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. My attempt at a joke seemed to have fallen flat.

“It’s just that being stuck in my room all day is boring. I’ll be careful not to damage or dirty the books,” I assured him.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t really care about that. I just didn’t know you were interested in reading.”

“I wasn’t. I thought I might start now,” I replied.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything you’d like to read,” he said, his skepticism clear.

“Well, I can at least try, can’t I?”

Ethan thought for a moment, then stood up. “Fine. Let’s go together.”

“That’s not really necessary.”

“I’m not going because I want to,” Ethan replied curtly.

‘Oh, sure,’ I thought, making a face behind his back where he couldn’t see.