My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 74

As expected, Arthur was a romantic. He was weak for beautiful women, and even more so for beautiful women in difficult circumstances.

There was no need to explain my situation in detail. The premise of being a ‘beautiful duchess wanting to escape from a powerful husband’ was sufficient.

Adding ‘unjustly perceived by the public’ made it even more perfect.

“Thank you. From now on, let’s meet here on the last Wednesday of every month as per your original routine, Baron.”

“Understood.”

Arthur rose from his seat, then kissed the back of my hand. His velvet-like eyes sparkled as he spoke, “May you stay well until we meet again, Madam.”

With my veil still on, I smiled faintly.

***

Three weeks had passed since then.

‘So far, so good.’

Everything was going according to plan. I had resolved the issue with Nicolas, successfully entrusted Arthur with the task, and my plan to adopt Elodie was steadily progressing.

The only issue was that I hadn’t managed to get closer to Elodie.

I continued to volunteer at the orphanage once a week, so I naturally learned the names and faces of the children, becoming quite close with them.

Even the children who initially seemed wary of me were now more relaxed in my presence.

Elodie, however, remained an exception.

Truthfully, I wanted to love, cherish, and grow closer to her even more than the other children. But my body wouldn’t cooperate. Whenever I stood before Elodie, I simply couldn’t maintain my composure.

The best I could do was avoid looking directly at her, which made even having a conversation difficult. As a result, Elodie seemed uncomfortable around me too.

It was sad, but I had no one to blame but myself.

‘Still, maybe it’s for the best. After all, I’ll leave someday.’

If we formed an awkward bond, I might unintentionally hurt Elodie’s feelings. And I hated that thought. It would be a hundred times better for Elodie to dislike me.

‘Right. What’s important is not me, but that she becomes close with Ethan. My role is simply to be the bridge between them.’

With that in mind, I decided it was time for Ethan and Elodie to meet.

Suddenly suggesting that we adopt a child he’d never met might be too shocking for Ethan. It would be better for him to have a good impression of her in advance; that way, the discussion would go more smoothly.

In the original story, Ethan and Elodie first met near an old bookstore by the orphanage.

I confirmed that Ethan still visited the bookstore regularly, and Elodie went there whenever she had time to read.

All that remained was to arrange for them to meet at the same time.

Alright, let’s do this.

***

“…You want to go out together?”

“Yes. Victor mentioned that there’s a used bookstore you often visit. I’d like you to take me there.”

Ever since reading The History of the Erendel War, I had borrowed books from Ethan regularly—not only from his private library but also from the ducal library.

It wasn’t specifically for this purpose, but because of that, my request shouldn’t seem unnatural to Ethan.

I had even subtly brought up the bookstore in conversation with Victor beforehand.

‘Perfect, perfect. This is going smoothly too.’

I looked at Ethan with a bright smile. But his expression was oddly hesitant.

“Is that a no?”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just unexpected.”

“Why? It’s not the first time I’ve suggested going out together.”

During our early days of marriage, I had frequently suggested attending parties or the opera together.

“……”

Ethan didn’t reply.

‘What is it? Was there something in the past?’

I was a bit curious, but without knowing the reason, I decided not to press further.

‘It’s probably nothing. If it becomes an issue, I’ll just adapt as always.’

With that conclusion, I smiled at Ethan again.

“So, will you take me there? When are you available?”

***

Even after Camille left the study, Ethan continued to stare at the closed door.

‘…Go out together, huh.’

Those words had stirred a memory he had long forgotten.

“I’ll never ask you to go out with me again! Never!”

Camille had screamed that at him, tears streaming down her face, throwing things around the room. He still remembered the bewildered feeling that had come with the memory.

It had happened early in their marriage. At that time, Camille had always wanted Ethan to accompany her whenever she went out.

He wasn’t inclined to, and on top of that, he had no time because of his work. Each time he refused, Camille’s face would twist with displeasure.

“My brother always went with me whenever I asked.”

Camille had been, what, eighteen or nineteen at the time?

Frankly, Ethan had thought she was an immature woman—someone who couldn’t shed the mindset of being her brother’s beloved little sister, completely unaware of her duties as the lady of House Dumont.

One day, after her relentless insistence, Ethan agreed to take her to the opera.

Camille had looked thrilled, repeatedly reminding him not to forget.

But in the end, Ethan couldn’t keep the promise.

A sudden accident had occurred at one of Dumont’s mines, trapping dozens of workers. Ethan had gone directly to the site to oversee the rescue operations.

He returned to the duchy after staying up for three nights at the site, only because work required it; he had to leave again soon after.

That’s when Camille had stormed in, shouting.

“You promised! You said you’d go with me! Do you know how long I waited? I had been so excited; it was an opera I really wanted to see!”

Camille, seemingly unable to endure her frustration and disappointment, had thrown a tantrum, crying and screaming.

Ethan had been stunned. There were people trapped, lives at stake, and she was worried about a mere opera? If she wanted to see it so badly, couldn’t she have gone alone?

That had been their first major fight. Just before storming out of the room, Camille had said she’d never ask him to go out with her again.

Honestly, even now, Ethan didn’t think he had done anything wrong. But it still weighed on his mind in a strange way.

Had Camille forgotten all about it? Or was she pretending not to remember? Had she acted that way simply because she was young, or was there another reason—something he still didn’t know?

With a furrowed brow, Ethan tapped his desk.

Lately, the atmosphere between him and Camille had been unusually good.

“Attend the banquet together and show a close bond in front of others. Then, the Duchess will secretly be pleased.”

Jacques had suggested this, and perhaps the effort had paid off. During the recent banquet, Camille had even apologized and thanked him. Since then, they hadn’t argued at all.

Jacques, triumphant, had said, “See? I was right, wasn’t I?”

“But don’t let your guard down. The real challenge starts now. Remember, with women, it doesn’t matter if you do a hundred good things—missing one can make them feel unloved.”

“…Is that true? Isn’t that a bit unreasonable?”

“Even if it is, that’s just how it is. The key is to read the signals the Duchess sends you. Don’t just take her words at face value—read between the lines.”

If Jacques was right, perhaps there was an underlying message in Camille’s proposal today. Had he failed to read between the lines?

“Damn it.”

Ethan muttered a curse under his breath. Compared to this, TThe History of the Erendel War was a thousand times easier.

***

The day I had arranged with Ethan arrived.

I was fully prepared, just as I had planned.

A few days prior, I had sent a letter to Sister Miriam, the head of the orphanage.

[I’ll be visiting the bookstore that day, and I thought I might pick up a few books for the children while I’m there. I heard Elodie often visits that bookstore. Could you send her there by two o’clock? I’d like to surprise her, so please keep my visit a secret.]

All that remained was to accompany Ethan to the bookstore, find a suitable excuse to step away, and watch Ethan and Elodie’s first meeting unfold.

I couldn’t wait to witness the recreation of Ethan and Elodie’s encounter from the original story.