My Husband Caught Me Having an Affair - Chapter 95

“That? What do you mean?”

Ethan asked, looking puzzled. Mael had the same expression. Only Victor seemed to understand what was being implied. While Victor turned his head slightly and cleared his throat, Jacques spoke up.

“You said you were sparring. The Duchess was watching, wasn’t she?”

“She was. It was quite the match, too. My opponent was a rather skilled knight. It must have been a spectacle.”

Mael added, “Of course, you won, didn’t you?”

“Naturally. His Grace always wins.”

“…And what does that have to do with anything?” Ethan frowned and asked.

“In short, Your Grace likely appeared quite impressive to the Duchess at that moment. To you, it was just a routine practice session, but for her, it was an unusual sight. Something she doesn’t see every day.”

Victor chimed in from the side, “People are naturally drawn to what they lack. Just as men find women’s softness and gentleness attractive, women, in turn, are often drawn to a man’s strength and ruggedness.”

“That’s exactly what I meant.” Jacques nodded in agreement with Victor.

“I see. That does make sense.”

“Yes. Winning a duel, shirtless and drenched in sweat—it would have been impossible for the Duchess not to be at least a little stirred.”

“…Stirred? Wouldn’t being covered in sweat be unpleasant instead? It must have smelled, too.”

Ethan responded doubtfully, his tone unenthusiastic. Jacques shook his head as if Ethan had no idea what he was talking about.

“That’s not the case. No woman dislikes seeing a man sweat from exercise. Ah, of course, only if he’s handsome.”

Mael nodded in agreement. “You are certainly a strikingly handsome man, Your Grace.”

“……”

Ethan furrowed his brows and glanced between the two of them. He still didn’t seem convinced.

Victor quietly sighed to himself. It seemed Ethan was entirely unaware that women, like men, were visually stimulated and responsive to physical attraction.

‘Well, it’s not surprising. He went straight into an arranged marriage without ever having experienced romance…’

Moreover, his marriage had been anything but affectionate.

“As further proof, didn’t the Duchess wipe you down herself? Given your usual relationship, isn’t that rather unusual? According to what you said, she should have recoiled at the mere thought of it.”

“……”

Ethan fell silent. Now that he thought about it, they had a point.

Recalling the atmosphere at that moment, if the knight hadn’t interrupted, then…

Though imagining what could have happened was meaningless, at the very least, Camille hadn’t pushed him away or fled at that time.

Jacques spoke up again, “Why not recreate that situation once more? Of course, it won’t be as effective if repeated exactly the same way. The impact of the same stimulus naturally weakens over time.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Mael asked, prompting Jacques to rub his chin in thought.

“Ah, I have an idea. This time, why not have Sir Mael personally spar with you, Your Grace?”

“…Me?” Mael asked, looking surprised.

“Yes. Sir Mael is renowned as a master of swordsmanship, is he not? If you can hold your ground against someone like him, even the Duchess won’t be able to help but be impressed.”

“Wait, are you suggesting that Mael should intentionally lose to me?” Ethan asked.

Jacques shrugged, looking slightly uneasy. “Not exactly. But he also doesn’t have to go all out. The goal here is simply to let the Duchess see you at your best.”

“That’s not happening.”

Ethan shut the idea down immediately.

“But—”

“I said no. That’s final.”

A duel against Mael was something Ethan had long anticipated. He had no intention of tainting it with such a shallow purpose. And the idea of Mael deliberately holding back for the sake of showmanship was utterly absurd.

Mael, understanding Ethan’s feelings, remained silent.

“Then do you have a better idea?” Jacques asked, clearly dissatisfied.

“Isn’t that why I called you all here? I expect you to come up with suggestions.”

Ethan spoke with an expressionless face, his gaze seeming to say, ‘Of course, I won’t accept any foolish suggestions.’

At that moment, Mael spoke up. “Have you heard of a knight named Vincent Frenet?”

At those words, Ethan’s gaze shifted toward Mael. “The name sounds familiar. Wasn’t he part of the Capital Knights?”

“Yes. When I served in the Capital Knights, he was the captain of a neighboring division. He has since been promoted to the commander of the Third Division.”

“And what about him?”

“I was thinking of inviting him to be Your Grace’s sparring partner.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

Vincent Frenet was quite well-known in the capital. He was a few years older than Mael, but they had gained recognition around the same time and were rumored to be rivals of sorts.

“I still exchange letters with Sir Vincent. He takes great pride in his skills and has a strong competitive spirit. If I bring it up, he will most likely accept the challenge,” Mael said.

Ethan asked with a skeptical look, “You’re not planning to ask him to go easy on me, are you? Let me make it clear—I won’t tolerate that.”

“You don’t need to worry. Even if I asked, he would never agree to it. You’ll understand once you meet him.”

“Will this be alright? I’ve heard that Sir Vincent is as skilled as you, Mael…”

At Jacques’ words, Mael smiled slightly. “It will be fine. I expect that the Duke and Sir Vincent will have an excellent match. In fact, I believe you have a good chance of winning, Your Grace.”

“But…”

“Wasn’t the goal to impress the Duchess? Then it has to be someone with a name worthy of the challenge.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable point. However, the real issue was that if he lost, it would have been better not to have done it at all.

Unaware of Jacques’ concerns, Mael already seemed slightly excited, as if he were looking forward to the duel.

“…I can trust that he won’t hold back, correct?” Ethan asked once more for confirmation.

“Yes. I swear on my name.”

If Mael was vouching for him to this extent, then there was little reason to doubt it.

“Alright, proceed with the arrangements.”

“Understood.”

Although this had originally come up because of Camille, now that things were set in motion, Ethan could feel his competitive spirit igniting separately from that.

Swordsmanship was more than just a means of self-defense to Ethan. The strength gained through rigorous training and discipline was directly connected to his mental fortitude.

To protect everything he carried on his shoulders, Ethan had to remain strong, and he had to continuously prove that strength.

Moreover, this time, Camille would be watching.

So, losing was not an option. As always, but especially this time.

***

“Mael.”

“Sir Vincent. It has been a long time.”

Mael rose from his seat to greet Vincent, unconsciously narrowing his eyes slightly as he observed him.

It had been about a year since they had last met in person. However, Vincent’s appearance had changed somewhat from what Mael remembered.

There were dark circles under his eyes, and his cheeks appeared hollow, as if he had lost weight. Stubble was visible on his face, which was unusual for someone who had always kept himself immaculately groomed.

“It has been a while. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Vincent grinned as he extended his hand. Despite his different appearance, the feel of his handshake and the tone of his smile remained the same.

“How have you been lately?”

“Nothing much has changed. Life continues as usual.”

Vincent casually took a seat.

“Have you had any time off?”

“Not really. You know how it is—always busy.”

‘…Is it just that he’s been overworked lately?’

As knights, they were highly attuned to physical condition. If he were actually ill, it would be difficult for him to maintain his duties as usual.

“I read your letter. So, the Duke of Dumont wishes to spar with me?”

“Yes. Would that be alright with you?”

“It would be an honor. I have heard much about the Duke’s prowess in swordsmanship. I would be delighted to have a good match with him.”

“If you have any concerns, there’s no need to feel pressured to accept. There will always be another opportunity.”

Mael observed Vincent carefully as he spoke, but Vincent shook his head.

“Not at all. This is perfect timing. My body has been feeling stiff lately anyway.”