My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 82

Nicolas silently took the letter. Even after delivering the letter, the boy didn’t leave right away, looking up at Nicolas with eyes full of expectation.

“……”

Nicolas pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and handed it to the boy. The boy quickly took the lollipop, but it seemed he still had no intention of leaving.

“…That’s all there is. That’s the last candy. There’s no more.”

“The Duchess told me to bring back a reply.”

“……”

Nicolas unfolded the letter.

[I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our appointment. Recently, my husband’s suspicions have grown, and he has started monitoring even my attendance at balls again. The only activity he allows me is my weekly volunteer work, and I’m sure he has someone keeping an eye on me during that too.

I don’t want either of us to be in danger. This isn’t just a precaution. My husband is the type of man who wouldn’t hesitate to do anything to you.

Please understand that rejecting you is not my true intention. No one has ever desired me so passionately before.

While I can’t respond to your feelings right now, if you are willing, I would like to ask you to wait for just six months. It’s not a short time, but we need to be cautious. No matter how suspicious my husband is now, he is sure to let his guard down after that time.

I hope your feelings for me won’t change by then. —C.]

Nicolas read the letter quietly once more.

The fact that she told the boy to bring back a reply likely meant she didn’t want him coming to see her again after today.

‘…Six months.’

Nicolas furrowed his brow slightly.

To avoid her husband’s watchful eyes, it was indeed a long time. However, Camille likely wouldn’t have suggested such a time frame without a solid reason.

Her reactions at the masquerade ball and the content of this letter both pointed to one thing: Camille had already nearly opened her heart to Nicolas.

And yet, there had to be a compelling reason for her to remain so cautious.

Ethan Dumont was the man Nicolas’s father had considered his greatest rival and had kept in check for over a decade. As Camille had said, falling into Ethan’s hands—even as a remote possibility—was unacceptable.

This action had not been authorized by his father, which made it all the more critical to proceed carefully.

Nicolas looked at the boy and finally spoke, “Tell the Duchess I understand.”

***

“Did he? All right. Thank you.”

I smiled and patted Simon’s head.

“Oh, and remember, don’t tell anyone about the letter or the gentleman. Got it? If you keep your promise, I’ll give you something much better than that candy next time.”

“Yes, Duchess. I understand.”

Simon nodded clumsily in agreement.

‘Good. It went just as planned.’

Rather than suddenly changing my attitude and pushing him away, I decided it was far less suspicious to adopt the stance of, ‘I want to meet you, but my husband won’t let me.’

By subtly reminding Nicolas of the danger Ethan posed and proposing a six-month grace period, I felt I had set things up sufficiently.

‘I’d prefer to have said a year, but he wouldn’t have accepted it.’

If Arthur managed to find Gabriel within six months, that would be ideal. If not, I could reassess the situation and devise a new plan.

This way, I could keep my promise to Ethan while putting the issue with Nicolas to rest—at least for now.

Now it was time to move forward with my plans to improve the bond between Ethan and Elodie before formally adopting her.

Once the day’s activities were done, I approached Miriam.

“Mother Superior, may I have a moment?”

“Oh, yes, Duchess. Please, go ahead.”

Miriam looked at me with a kind smile. The suspicion and wariness she had shown on the day we first met were now entirely gone.

“I’d like to invite Elodie to the Ducal Estate. Would that be all right?”

“What? Elodie… to the Dumont estate?”

Miriam widened her eyes in surprise.

“Yes. As you know, Elodie loves books. My husband is also an avid reader, and the Ducal Estate has a sizable library. I’d like to show it to her.”

“……”

Miriam looked hesitant, clearly conflicted.

It was understandable. From her perspective, managing dozens of children, singling one out for special treatment might feel unfair.

She couldn’t outright refuse because I was, after all, the Duchess of Dumont. I had made significant donations to the church and consistently volunteered each week despite my noble status.

I cleared my throat softly and leaned in closer to Miriam.

“Nothing is confirmed yet, but… I’m considering adopting Elodie into the Dumont family.”

“…Pardon?”

Miriam’s reaction was even more shocked than when I had asked to invite Elodie.

“As I said, nothing has been decided. I haven’t even discussed it with my husband yet. So, please keep this to yourself for now.”

“Oh, yes, of course, Duchess…”

Miriam’s expression suggested she had countless questions she wanted to ask. She was probably curious why someone as young as me wanted to adopt a child, and why I had chosen Elodie, who wasn’t of noble bloodline.

But the sensitivity of the subject seemed to stop her from voicing these thoughts.

“So, may I?”

“Of course, Duchess. Given your noble intentions and plans, how could I say no? I’ll make sure Elodie is ready for your chosen day.”

“Really? Thank you, Mother Superior,” I said with a bright smile. “Then let’s make it this Saturday. I’ll send a carriage to pick her up.”

“Oh, yes. Understood, Duchess.”

Though Miriam still looked slightly uneasy, she smiled and nodded in agreement.

***

Elodie sat nervously inside the carriage.

‘Why did the Duchess suddenly invite me?’

Though she wasn’t entirely unhappy about it, her worries outweighed her excitement.

Unlike the Duchess, who exuded elegance and refinement in every gesture, Elodie had never properly learned noble etiquette. She could only imitate what she’d read in books.

Surely, there would be meals at the Ducal Estate. She wasn’t confident she could handle the tableware correctly.

Although the Mother Superior had given her a crash course in dining etiquette, Elodie still felt unsure.

“Be careful not to offend the Duke or Duchess. Answer their questions sincerely, admit if you don’t know something, and always behave with dignity. Understood?”

“Yes, Mother Superior.”

Even as Elodie climbed into the carriage, the Mother Superior had watched her with worried eyes.

Elodie glanced down at herself. She wore the cleanest and nicest outfit she had, but it surely wouldn’t meet the Duchess’s standards.

‘I hope she doesn’t think I’m dirty or unkempt…’

Elodie let out a deep sigh.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Dumont Ducal Estate. Elodie’s mouth fell open as she stepped out. The gates alone were far larger than the orphanage.

Even after passing through the gates, the carriage continued for a while longer. The estate was so vast, it was impossible to imagine its full size.

‘It’s like a palace from a book… If this is a Duke’s estate, how enormous must the Imperial Palace be?’

Elodie peered out the carriage window, lost in thought.

Eventually, the carriage stopped. Unsure of what to do, Elodie hesitated until the door opened from the outside.

“Welcome.”

A man with a monocle and hair graying on one side bowed slightly. He wore a black suit.

Though she was the only one in the carriage, Elodie couldn’t help but look around, unable to believe that a distinguished adult would treat a child like her so courteously.

The man extended a hand toward Elodie, waiting.

‘What do I do?’

Startled, Elodie hesitated. The man spoke again in a deep voice.

“Please take my hand. I’ll help you down from the carriage.”

“……”

Elodie took the man’s hand. He carefully and slowly helped her out of the carriage.

“Th-thank you.”

Elodie bowed her head to the man, then turned and caught sight of the mansion, her eyes widening in awe.