My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 76

Without realizing it, I was staring blankly at him, and Ethan gave me a puzzled look.

“What?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”

I hurriedly lowered my head and pretended to look at the book again.

‘…What was that just now?’

For a moment, I thought he was someone else, not Ethan. His expression was so unlike him.

For some reason, my heart was pounding. Not knowing why, I struggled to calm the strange feeling. It was then.

“…Duchess?”

At the soft, cotton-candy-like voice, I flinched and turned to look beside me.

There stood Elodie, awkwardly looking up at me, holding the picture book she’d been reading earlier.

“Oh, Elodie.”

As always, tension made my body stiffen.

‘Right, Elodie was here! How could I forget about her, even for a moment, getting so engrossed in a book?’

Ethan’s gaze shifted toward Elodie.

“Who’s this?”

“Oh, um, well, that is…”

While I fumbled in embarrassment, Elodie bowed her head to Ethan.

“Hello, I’m Elodie. The Duchess often comes to volunteer at our orphanage.”

Her introduction was clear and precise.

In contrast, Ethan’s response was only two words.

“I see.”

‘…I see? That’s it?’

I looked at Ethan in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that was all he could say in front of a living doll, an angel without wings.

“What do you mean, ‘I see’? When someone greets you, you should return the greeting and introduce yourself. Don’t you know even the most basic manners that a child knows?”

After snapping at Ethan like that, I turned to Elodie. “I’m sorry, Elodie. As you can see, he can be a bit rude, but he’s not a bad person at heart. Please understand.”

“Rude…,” Ethan muttered with a frown.

Elodie waved her hands as if startled. “Oh, no, Duchess. I’m just grateful that someone so high up would even acknowledge someone like me.”

‘Wow, is that vocabulary really coming from a ten-year-old? She’s so smart! So cute! Her words are mature, but her voice is still a child’s, which makes it even cuter!’

For a brief moment, I was filled with admiration and awe.

‘Wait, this isn’t the time for that.’

I straightened my expression and raised my eyebrows.

“What do you mean by that? That’s not true. Regardless of status, there are certain manners people should maintain between each other.”

Saying that, I turned to Ethan. “Isn’t that right, Ethan? I’m correct, aren’t I?”

“What? Oh, um… Yes, I suppose,” Ethan muttered reluctantly.

“This is Ethan. He’s my husband.”

“Ah, so you’re Duke Dumont. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Elodie placed her small hands together politely and bowed again.

‘Cute!’

I clenched my fists, cheering internally.

“What do you think, Ethan? Isn’t Elodie smart? Isn’t she bright? So articulate, and she’s only ten years old. Can you believe it?” I leaned closer to Ethan’s ear and whispered.

“……”

Ethan frowned slightly, staring at me.

Elodie, who had been watching us cautiously, spoke again, “Um, Duchess.”

“Oh, yes? What is it?”

“Actually… Mother Superior sent me here on an errand, but she said I’d know what it was when I arrived. Did you perhaps ask for me…?

After asking cautiously, Elodie quickly added, “Oh, I’m sorry if you didn’t.”

‘Cute!’

I was once again overwhelmed with delight and covered my mouth with my hand, coughing lightly.

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Actually, Ethan here wanted to give you and your friends at the orphanage a few books as a gift.”

“…What?”

Ethan looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I jabbed him hard in the side with my elbow.

“Huh? Really?” Elodie asked, her eyes wide with surprise, then quickly waved her hands, looking flustered. “Oh, no, thank you, but… I couldn’t possibly accept.”

“It’s alright. He really wanted to do it.”

“But…”

“It’s really fine. Elodie, have you ever given someone a gift before? Oh, that’s right. You gave me that bouquet of sunflowers once.”

At my words, Elodie blinked blankly. “Oh… Right. You remember that.”

“Of course. It made me so happy.”

“Really?” Elodie asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Of course. Now, imagine if I had refused back then, saying, ‘This makes me uncomfortable, I can’t accept it.’ How would you have felt? Wouldn’t you have thought, ‘Since she didn’t take the bouquet, I guess I can keep it’? Would that have made you happy?”

“Oh…”

Elodie looked as if she had realized something.

I smiled warmly. “That’s right. A gift isn’t just for the recipient’s joy. The giver also feels happy imagining how the recipient will feel. That’s what makes gifts so wonderful.”

“I understand.”

Elodie nodded repeatedly. She was so adorable I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home.

“Alright then. Go ahead and pick any books you’d like. The Duke is buying them for you.”

“Oh… Yes, thank you very much, Duke.”

Elodie bowed to Ethan.

“……”

Ethan had a complicated expression, his brow furrowed.

“What kind of book do you like? Oh, how about that one? I saw you reading it earlier.”

I pointed to the picture book Elodie still held in her hands.

“Oh, this one?”

Elodie adjusted her grip on the book, looking a little embarrassed.

“Actually, I thought the younger kids at the orphanage might like it. You read it so well last time, Duchess… I thought I could read it to them when you’re not there.”

‘Cute! Kind! So thoughtful!’

I bit the inside of my cheek hard to keep my expression in check.

“I see. That’s perfect then. Go ahead and pick a few more books as well.”

“Yes, I will. Thank you.”

Elodie bowed once more to Ethan and me, then ran off toward the shelves.

‘Ah, she’s so cute… I’m getting lightheaded…’

Leaning against Ethan, I lightly pounded on his chest.

“……”

Ethan looked at me with an indescribable expression.

***

“Isn’t she just the cutest? Those chubby cheeks, those sparkling eyes, her soft, wavy hair… She’s so small, yet she walks and runs so well, and she speaks so eloquently too. Honestly, it’s unbelievable. If the word ‘miracle’ exists, it must be for her.”

Even in the carriage on our way back to the duchy, I couldn’t stop praising Elodie.

“……”

Ethan looked at me with an expression that had moved beyond boredom to something like astonishment.

“Are you even listening? Why aren’t you saying anything? Didn’t you think she was adorable too? There’s no way you didn’t, right?”

“……”

Ethan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked, “Is it because of her?”

“Huh? Because of what?”

“The reason you suddenly said you wanted a child.”

“Oh… well, yes.”

“…A girl with honey-blonde hair who likes books?”

“That’s right. You remembered exactly?”

Honestly, I was surprised.

“……”

Ethan fell silent again, looking quite displeased. Given the timing, I couldn’t help but be cautious.

‘What’s wrong? Could it be that he really didn’t like Elodie?’

That couldn’t be true. If someone had normal eyesight, reasoning, and sensitivity, disliking Elodie was physically impossible. Especially for Ethan.

After all, he was destined to love Elodie more than anyone else in the world and to share the deepest bond with her.

“…Why did you lie like that?” Ethan suddenly asked. “About the books. You said it was my gift, not yours.”

“Oh, that… I wanted Elodie to have a good impression of you since it was a rare opportunity to meet. She seemed a bit scared of you because you were so cold to her.”

Since I’d failed to recreate the first encounter between Ethan and Elodie as it happened in the original story, I at least wanted to do that much.

“Why bother?”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? It’s better if you get along.”

“She’s just a child with no relation to me.”

“……”

Hearing that, my heart sank for a moment.