My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 70

Ethan was walking down the corridor leading to the lounge.

Countess Sophia Lenucci had told him that Camille would be in the room at the far end. Sophia had offered to guide him there, but he had refused.

“Duke Dumont.”

Hearing the voice behind him, Ethan paused.

He turned to see Nadia standing there, clutching the hem of her dress and slightly out of breath, as if she had run after him.

“Marchioness Leroy. Do you need something from me?”

“……”

Nadia tightened her grip on her dress, looking up at Ethan with a mixture of longing and sadness. However, Ethan’s gaze toward her was cold beyond measure.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait, please!”

Ethan began to turn away but glanced back at Nadia.

“A-about the last time…” Nadia stammered, unable to find her words easily. “I spoke out of line then. I mean… about the Duchess. I think I misunderstood. I apologize.”

“……”

Ethan stared at Nadia in silence before abruptly turning away.

“Your Grace!”

Nadia raised her voice in distress, but Ethan paid her no mind. She bit her lip, watching his back grow more distant.

Suddenly, Ethan stopped in his tracks. He turned and began walking back toward Nadia with determined steps.

“…Your Grace?” Nadia’s voice was a mix of hope and anxiety.

Unlike his earlier, emotionless demeanor, Ethan’s eyes now glinted threateningly. “Don’t tell me you’ve bothered Camille again today.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

“I clearly warned you before. Do not trouble my wife again.”

Ethan’s cold voice made Nadia widen her eyes. “N-no! Nothing happened today! I only happened to see her by chance earlier, and we just exchanged greetings.”

“Are you sure?”

“That’s really all it was. You can ask the Duchess yourself,” Nadia pleaded with an earnest expression.

Ethan narrowed his eyes at her. Even if Nadia was foolish, she didn’t seem like the type to tell a lie that would be caught so easily.

‘Was I overthinking it?’

It had been a sudden suspicion that arose due to Camille’s unexpected ill health.

If the same thing had happened today as it did back then, Camille might have used her fatigue as an excuse to hide away in the lounge, wiping away tears where no one could see.

In any case, he would know once he saw Camille. This time, Ethan left Nadia behind and walked away.

Nadia clenched her fists so tightly that her long nails dug into her palms. She felt as if she could burst into tears from frustration.

She had swallowed her pride and even said things she didn’t mean to reconcile, but this was the reaction she got.

‘If only I could find Baron Bernard…’

For months, she had searched high and low, but Liam’s whereabouts were still unknown.

If she could find proof of the affair, Ethan would surely change his mind. Yes, with proof, Ethan wouldn’t keep clinging to that woman…

At that moment, she saw Ethan knock on a door at the end of the corridor and then enter.

‘…Huh?’

Nadia furrowed her brow without realizing it.

Earlier, when she had been searching for Ethan around this area, she had seen a man leave that very room—a handsome man with dyed blonde hair.

‘Was I mistaken? No, that was definitely the room.’

Come to think of it, Camille had mentioned she was going to rest in the lounge. If Ethan was looking for his wife, and Camille was in that room…

The tears in Nadia’s eyes vanished. She started walking toward the room Ethan had entered.

***

Just as I was about to leave the lounge and return to the banquet hall, someone knocked on the door.

‘Sophia?’

I doubted Nicolas would come back at this point.

“Yes, who is it?”

The door opened, and there stood Ethan.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

‘What? Is this a dream? Why is Ethan here?’

Ethan closed the door and stepped inside.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you still unwell?”

I was too stunned to respond, simply staring up at Ethan. A faint trace of concern crossed his eyes.

“Are you still not feeling well?”

“Huh?… No, I’m fine now. But why are you here?”

“I told you. I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I came to check on you.”

“Who told you that? Don’t tell me Countess Lenucci sent someone to the mansion?”

“Of course not. I heard it here.”

“Then why did you come here? You didn’t mention you were coming.”

“…I just thought of it on a whim and decided to come. Was I not supposed to?”

Ethan’s tone held a hint of dissatisfaction.

“No, it’s not that you weren’t supposed to…”

Only then did I notice his attire.

It had been a while since I’d seen him in evening wear. Though it wasn’t much different from his usual suit—clean and simple—it looked stunning on him.

They say a well-fitted white T-shirt and jeans suit a person best. In that sense, Ethan looked breathtaking in his perfectly tailored formal attire.

‘Is that a lavender boutonniere on his left lapel?’

It felt unfamiliar seeing Ethan wearing a floral decoration. Not that it didn’t suit him—it certainly did.

Apparently, he had also been looking at my dress.

“That’s not the dress you tried on yesterday.”

“Huh? Oh, right. I mentioned I was deciding between two dresses.”

Today, I was wearing a cream-colored dress with a black velvet band.

“I see… It looked good on you,” Ethan muttered softly.

For some reason, I felt my face flush. Why, though? It wasn’t even that grand of a compliment.

“Are you saying this dress doesn’t look good on me?” I asked bluntly, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“No. This one suits you well too. But…”

“But what?”

Ethan didn’t say anything further.

Frowning at him, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘Wait, did he match his boutonniere to my dress on purpose?’

Yesterday’s dress had been purple—the same shade as the lavender Ethan wore now.

‘No way. That can’t be right.’

There was no way Ethan would do something like that. If he hadn’t brought up the dress just now, I would’ve assumed he didn’t even remember what I’d worn.

‘No, it’s impossible. It can’t be.’

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought.

‘Wait, more importantly… Did Ethan see Nicolas leaving this room?’

The thought struck me belatedly.

Enough time had passed since Nicolas left, so it was unlikely they had run into each other.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, but… Still, being alone in a room with a strange man didn’t look great.

Given the situation I had walked into when I first possessed Camille and her fate in the original story, I wanted to avoid any further suspicion.

‘If I’d known Ethan was coming, I would’ve been more careful… But seriously, why is he here? He could’ve at least told me in advance.’

At that moment, Ethan suddenly looked back at the door, which was closed.

“What? Did you hear something?”

“……”

Ethan narrowed his eyes but said nothing. After a moment, he turned back to face me.

I tilted my head in confusion. “Ethan?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. More importantly, why weren’t you feeling well earlier?”

“Oh, it was nothing serious. I just felt tired since it’s been a while since I’ve been around so many people.”

“Is that really all?”

“Yes? Yes, of course.”

Ethan looked at me quietly, as if trying to gauge whether I was telling the truth.

“Shall we go back out? I’ve rested enough.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

At my words, Ethan held out his hand. I took it and stood up.

***

“What? Did you hear something?”

Hearing the voice from inside the room, Nadia flinched and stepped back.

She took a few steps backward before turning and leaving the area.

‘Did they know I was listening? No, they didn’t see my face…’

Nadia pressed a hand to her pounding chest, quickening her pace.

It seemed her suspicions had been correct. Camille had been in that room. And until not long ago, that man had been there with her.

‘If only Ethan had arrived a little earlier…’

It was a shame, but still, it was fine. What mattered was that Camille had already turned her attention to a new man, and she knew about it.

This time, Nadia wouldn’t let things slide like she had with Liam.

Upon returning to the banquet hall, Nadia began looking around for that man.