My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 83

The mansion was truly enormous. No matter how much she craned her neck, Elodie couldn’t see the top. If she tilted her head back any farther, she felt she might fall over.

Elodie stared up at the mansion for a long time before suddenly flinching and turning to look at the man.

The man spoke calmly, without a hint of amusement at her reaction.

“I seem to have delayed introducing myself. I am Victor, the head butler of the Dumont Ducal household.”

“Oh, yes. My name is Elodie.”

Elodie quickly clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

“Welcome to the Dumont estate, Miss Elodie.”

At his words, Elodie waved her hands in surprise. “Oh, please, don’t call me ‘Miss.’ I’m not someone worthy of being addressed like that.”

“That’s not true. As a guest of the Duchess, it’s only right for me to treat you with the utmost respect. In fact, the Duchess has specifically instructed me to ensure that no effort is spared in welcoming you.”

“Is… is that so?”

It was an odd mixture of feeling flattered and slightly thrilled.

“Yes. Please, follow me. The Duchess is waiting.”

At the entrance to the mansion, numerous maids and servants stood lined up on either side, bowing their heads. Walking between them made Elodie feel as though she had suddenly become an incredibly important person, leaving her unsure of how to act.

Elodie timidly stepped into the grand entrance hall.

It took quite some time to reach the Duchess’s room. They climbed high stairs and walked down a long corridor.

Finally, they stopped in front of a door that looked luxurious just from its appearance.

Victor knocked on the door. “Madam, Miss Elodie has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

At the sound of the Duchess’s voice, Elodie became nervous again. She swallowed hard without realizing it.

When she entered the room, she saw the Duchess reclining on a chair. It was a velvet chair adorned with gold on its headrest and armrests.

Having only ever seen the Duchess at the orphanage, seeing her in such a grand and luxurious room drove home how significant her status was. It also underscored just how far removed the Duchess was from Elodie’s own world.

Moreover, the Duchess looked even more beautiful than usual. It was probably because Elodie had only ever seen her in practical hairstyles and simple clothes. Her loose hair and light red dress suited her perfectly.

“You must have had a long journey, Elodie,” the Duchess said with a gentle smile.

“Oh, no. It was so comfortable, thanks to the carriage you sent for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Originally, he was supposed to meet you as well, but he suddenly had an unexpected engagement this morning. He said he would return by lunchtime, so I hope you understand.”

The sudden apology startled Elodie, and she raised her voice in surprise.

“Yes? Oh, no, please don’t say that. Just being invited like this is such an honor for me.”

Because of her abrupt loudness, her voice came out slightly shrill.

‘How embarrassing!’

Elodie shut her eyes tightly for a moment before cautiously opening them to gauge the Duchess’s reaction.

The Duchess’s face was hard to read. She appeared expressionless at first glance, but there was a slight furrow between her brows. For some reason, it seemed like the corners of her mouth were twitching.

‘Is she holding back a laugh…?’

If she was, it was mortifying, but at the same time, Elodie felt grateful for the Duchess’s thoughtfulness.

The Duchess suddenly spoke, “Thank you for saying so, Elodie. Are you hungry by any chance?”

“Oh, I’m fine for now. I ate breakfast before leaving.”

“Is that so? Then how about we change your clothes first?”

At the mention of clothes, Elodie instinctively looked down at her outfit. It was a pink dress with a wide collar.

‘Does she think my clothes are too old and shabby…?’

Though it was her favorite outfit, the realization dampened her spirits a little.

The Duchess’s expression changed. She quickly spoke, “Oh, it’s not that the dress you’re wearing isn’t pretty. Just like the clothes you usually wear, this one is absolutely adorable. When you first walked in, I thought you were a pink fairy from a pink kingdom.”

“…Pardon?” Elodie asked blankly.

“Uh, well… I mean…”

The Duchess blinked in apparent embarrassment and cleared her throat softly.

“The truth is, I had a few outfits prepared for you today. I was thinking you might like to try them on.”

“Yes? Really? But being invited alone is already so much—if I also take the clothes… that would feel too much.”

“No need to feel that way. I’ve told you before, haven’t I? Gifts aren’t just for the person receiving them; they’re for the person giving them too.”

“Oh…”

That’s right. The Duchess had once explained this with a simple example, saying that if she hadn’t accepted the bouquet Elodie had given her, how disappointed would she have been? To avoid making the Duchess sad, Elodie shouldn’t refuse the gift.

“All right. Then I’ll gratefully try them on.”

At Elodie’s words, the Duchess’s eyes sparkled.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Yes, I am…”

“Wonderful. Then let’s head to the dressing room. Marie, call Lola and get everything ready,” the Duchess said to the maid standing nearby.

“Yes, madam.”

The maid named Marie quickly left the room. Feeling inexplicably nervous, Elodie hunched her shoulders slightly.

***

“How… how do I look?” Elodie asked cautiously after changing into the new outfit.

As expected, the light yellow dress with puffed sleeves and frills suited Elodie perfectly, as if it had been made just for her.

I almost gave a thumbs-up without thinking but managed to hold back. Instead, I beamed widely.

“Oh my, it looks wonderful on you.”

“…Really?”

Elodie glanced at herself in the mirror, then stole a glance at me. Her shy expression was so adorable that it made my head spin.

I didn’t want to send her back to the orphanage.

To be precise, I wanted to keep her in the sunniest room at the mansion, fill it with cute furniture and dolls, and feed her healthy, delicious meals three times a day forever.

Suppressing that urge, I maintained a graceful smile and said, “Of course. It’s absolutely lovely.”

“Thank you. But is it really okay for me to wear such a fine dress…?”

“Of course. This dress was prepared especially for you. It must be thrilled to have someone as adorable as you wearing it. I bet it wishes it could go back to the store and brag to the other dresses,” I said with a serious expression.

“Really…?” Elodie asked hesitantly.

“Absolutely. Right, Marie, Lola?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. That’s absolutely right, madam,” the two maids chimed in quickly, catching on.

“We’ve never seen anyone wear these dresses as beautifully as Miss Elodie. Well, except for you, madam.”

“Thank you…”

Elodie lowered her gaze shyly.

I gave her a motherly smile and said, “Now, shall we try the next outfit?”

“Yes? There’s more?” Elodie asked back as if surprised.

“Of course. We’ve just begun.”

“Just begun? But this is already the seventh…”

“Only seven so far. Noble ladies often try on ten or twenty outfits just to choose one for an evening ball.”

Elodie silently fiddled with the hem of her dress. I furrowed my brow slightly.

“Do you not like them?”

“Yes? No, not at all. They’re all so beautiful and wonderful.”

“Aren’t they?”

I smiled brightly and glanced at Lola. She approached Elodie.

“Come with me, Miss Elodie.”

“Yes…”

Elodie hesitantly followed Lola behind the curtain.

‘I wonder how adorable she’ll look in the next dress?’

The thought brought a contented smile to my face.

The outfits, carefully selected from the catalog Josephine brought, had been ordered specifically for her. It had been enjoyable then, but seeing Elodie model them live was unparalleled. These were some of the happiest moments I had experienced since embodying Camille.

Then my eyes caught the wall clock. It was already past 10:30.

I felt a jolt of realization.

‘When did it get so late?’

Since Ethan was expected back around lunchtime, we had about an hour left.

‘I had planned to change her into a pretty dress and have tea in the garden… But I’ll need to revise the plan.’

What mattered most was achieving the original purpose of inviting Elodie today.