I turned halfway around and pointed at Liam, “This Baron Bernard approached me from the beginning with the intention of stealing this notebook. I pretended to fall for his trick, and handed him a fake notebook from the library’s safe. My plan was to trick him and find out who was behind it.”
“What...!” Liam's mouth was open.
For him, this must have been a bolt from the heavens.
He never imagined that Camille would set a trap for him.
'Well, technically, he's right, but he doesn't know it.'
Ethan remained silent for a while, his eyes reflecting a whirlwind of emotions.
“So did you know who was behind this?” He finally asked.
“Yes. It was Duke Marlon Gerard.”
At the mention of Gerard's name, Ethan's facial expression hardened.
The Gerard family had always been one of the two most powerful families in the empire, along with the Dumont family.
Both families were unparalleled in history, status and wealth.
Duke Marlon Gerard was Ethan's greatest rival and final villain in the original story.
"It's impossible! I won't-" Liam shouted, his face pale.
I smiled and repeated what I said earlier, “But I know, right?”
“……”
Both men were looking at me as if they were seeing a ghost.
It wasn't surprising. Everything she revealed was confidential information that only an insider would know.
The notebook contained records of the foibles and scandals committed by influential figures, which the Dumont family had collected over generations.
This was one of the reasons why the Dumont family had maintained supreme power in the empire for over a century.
In the original story, Camille intentionally did not hand over the fake notebook.
She thought it was the real one, so she naively gave it to Liam.
Ethan questioned Liam but failed to discover who was behind it.
It doesn't become clear until much later, when the original novel's heroine, Elodie, finds out, revealing the truth about Duke Gerard's involvement.
Additionally, the fact that the real notebook was in the VIP safe at the Imperial Bank was revealed when Ethan confirmed Elodie as his heiress.
Well, the problem is, if Ethan asked me how I knew all this, I wouldn't have an answer.
I needed to get through this before the bomb I dropped lost its effect.
I put my hand on my chest and took a step forward.
“Do you believe me now? I did not betray you. I pretended to be tempted by Baron Bernard, but I did nothing shameful as your wife.”
I have maintained an expression of the utmost honesty, mixed with a touch of injustice and virtue.
If this were a play, I would definitely be in the spotlight alone.
“……”
Ethan was at a loss for words.
Perhaps he knew from his own sources that what I was saying was true.
In the original story, Camille never had a physical relationship with Liam. They didn't even kiss.
Perhaps because she was raised in a sensitive way and had never experienced true rebellion, she could not force herself to cross that line.
As for Liam, he had no reason to force himself on Camille.
His goal was always to get the notebook.
Fortunately for me, if they had slept together, I would have had no way out.
I've shown all my cards.
Using what I knew from the original story, I was able to come up with a desperate way out of the predicament.
I watched Ethan anxiously.
He remained silent, his face expressionless.
I tried to appear calm, but inside I was burning with anxiety.
After a long silence, Ethan suddenly turned to the knights who were accompanying him.
“Arrest him and take him away.”
In the end, he was the one who pointed it out to Liam, not me.
'I did this!'
A wave of exciting relief washed over me.
In the original story, Camille and Liam were tightly bound and dragged to the duchy.
The fact that Ethan had ordered Liam's arrest only meant that my quick thinking had worked.
I felt my legs getting weaker as the tension eased, but I couldn't afford to collapse here.
I have to keep my cool in front of Ethan.
If I showed any weakness, he would start doubting me immediately.
The situation was dangerous, like walking on thin ice.
Liam, even while being restrained by the knights, couldn't take his eyes off me. He looked very confused.
Well, from his perspective, it must feel like he's in a twisty thriller...
And I, in his eyes, would be the villain who had so skillfully deceived him.
Ethan watched until Liam was pulled out of the room, then returned his gaze to me.
"Don't think for a moment that I believe everything you said. I'm just postponing my conclusions for now," he said quietly, his words sharp and terrifying, "I will reveal every detail of the truth no matter how long it takes, so remember that."
“…Yes, I understand,” I answered, trying hard to keep my voice steady.
Ethan stared at me for a moment longer before turning and walking away.
***
During the return trip in the same carriage, Ethan did not utter a single word to me.
He sat frowning, staring out the window.
It was clear that countless thoughts were racing through his mind.
But he's actually incredibly handsome.
I have never considered myself a person who is easily captivated by appearance. However, his handsomeness was so unreal that I found myself staring at him in amazement several times.
His face, deep in thought, looked like something that had just come out of a magazine.
But it wasn't just his beauty.
Now that the intense pressure from my previous interrogation had been removed from him, he was radiating an aura of calm and nobility, similar to purity and sophistication.
His profile looked almost sad, most likely due to the lonely and intense path he walked.
I don't understand.
How could someone cheat on a husband like that with someone like Liam...
To be honest, Liam was on a completely different level compared to Ethan in every way.
The carriage soon arrived at Dumont Palace.
I knew about it from the novel, but when I saw it myself, the palace was truly amazing.
The park was so spacious that driving from the front gate to the main building took a long time.
As expected from one of the most prominent noble houses in the empire.
“Welcome, sir,” the servants greeted Ethan as he got off the carriage. They stood in two neat rows, forming a magnificent scene.
“Until the whole truth is revealed, you are forbidden from leaving the palace. You will remain in your room and meditate,” Ethan said coldly as we entered the palace.
Who does he think he is?
...It was a thought that crossed my mind, but I answered calmly: “I understand.”
Honestly, I needed time to organize my thoughts too.
After all, I had just moved into this body.
He will definitely ask me in detail later.
I have to cover up any gaps in my story...
“Victor, take the Duchess to her room,” Ethan ordered.
“Yes, sir,” the man standing next to him answered as he bowed.
He was a man in his forties, wearing a monocle and unique white hair on one side.
Oh, this must be Victor.
It's more impressive than I could have imagined.
Victor was the butler of the Dumont family.
With his distinctive appearance, sweet voice, and kind heart, he was a beloved character in the original story.
But in the end, he too was fascinated by Elodie's beauty...
“Please follow me, ma’am,” Victor said.
I nodded and followed him, trying to remain calm.
***
"Ma'am! Are you okay?"
As soon as I entered the room, the maid rushed over.
“Did the master find out? What do we do...!”
The maid, with her brown hair and freckled face, had eyes full of tears, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
This must be Mary.
She was the one who was intercepted by Ethan's detective while on the mission, leading to Camille's letter to Liam being confiscated.
Although she seemed worried about me, it was clear that her concern was not sincere. Her eyes were devoid of any real emotion, as if I were watching a novice actor perform poorly.