“Even if that were true, it wouldn’t be surprising, considering the kind of person Duke Dumont is,” Nadia spoke, her slender eyebrows arched.
“It's unfortunate. Anyone would have seen this happen...”
Despite her words, Nadia's expression was not at all sympathetic.
On the contrary, her green eyes shone with a terrifying brilliance.
With Camille's imprisonment extending for more than a month, Nadia's speculations are now becoming reality. Everyone expected that the news of the Duke and Duchess Dumont's divorce would soon be announced.
A rumor even spread that the Duke and Duchess of Dumont were on the guest list at today's party.
Even then, many were skeptical until the day came. When Ethan and Camille appeared together, clearly emotional, it shocked many. Nadia was undoubtedly one of them.
"This can't be happening. It should never happen... ever," Nadia whispered, biting her lower lip gently.
The dancing just finished. She focused her gaze on the Duke and Duchess as they walked out of the hall, arm in arm.
***
The day after the Duke and Duchess attended the ball together, Victor began his usual routine before sunrise.
He carefully inspected the condition of the property and the readiness of the servants, as part of his morning ritual. By the time he finished, dawn was breaking, casting a dim light through the windows.
“I hope everything went well yesterday.”
He had been anxious since the night before, worried about the Duke adhering to his advice. The Duchess's mention of divorce was no small matter.
However, Ethan seemed to lack a sense of urgency.
Honestly, Ethan was not a man capable of understanding a woman's tender feelings. If that were the case, things would not have reached this point.
“I should have been more clear so he would understand.”
It was a regret he could do nothing about now.
Victor sighed quietly.
At that moment, he saw Camille coming down the stairs, her hand resting lightly on the railing. When their gazes met, she greeted him with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Victor.”
Her usual smile reassured him.
'Maybe my fears were unfounded,' Victor thought, adjusting his assessment of Ethan as he bowed to Camille.
"Good morning, ma'am. Did you enjoy the party last night?"
Suddenly, Camille's clear face showed a hint of a frown.
“Oh, hmm...”
Victor's heart trembled at her hesitation, and he found himself adopting a more serious expression.
"Something wrong?"
“Huh? No, nothing...” Camille paused, looked at Victor and then stopped.
"…my lady?"
“……”
Camille looked down without answering. Her eyes, hidden under her long, thick eyelashes, had a faint sparkle.
Victor swallowed hard. For a moment, he thought he had mistaken the vision. But no, tears were filling the Duchess's eyes.
“Excuse me, Victor, I have to go.”
In a slightly hoarse voice, Camille apologized and left.
Victor could only stand there, staring blankly at her retreating form.
***
“Excuse me,” Victor said as he entered the office, placing a cup of tea on Ethan’s desk.
Although Ethan asked for tea, he did not specifically ask Victor to bring it himself. Although Ethan found it a bit strange, he chose not to object to it.
“Do you need anything else, sir?”
“No, thank you,” Ethan replied without looking up from his papers.
After a moment, Ethan noticed that Victor hadn't left.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“How was the party last night?”
“There's not much I can say. It was just a normal party, like any other party.”
“……”
Victor remained silent, his expression ambiguous.
“Why?”
“…Nothing,” Victor replied.
“It doesn't seem like nothing to me,” Ethan insisted.
"I just wanted to know if you guys had a good time. It's been a long time since you guys hung out," Victor said, his tone heavier than usual.
Ethan looked at him steadily before putting down his pen and clasping his hands together.
“I see what you mean. But don’t worry. I followed your advice to the letter. I complimented her dress and danced with her at the party.”
“…Really?” , Victor's eyes widened behind his monocle, clearly skeptical.
Ethan frowned.
"Yes, really. Do you think I'd lie about something like that? If you don't believe me, ask Camille."
“……”
Victor remained silent, his eyes shining with suspicion.
Is it possible that he actually spoke to Camille?
Ethan suddenly remembered that Victor and Camille's relationship was no longer what it was.
Perhaps Victor had confirmed Camille's feelings before coming to him.
“What did Camille say?” Ethan asked, trying to investigate further.
“Nothing specific,” Victor answered quickly, but Ethan didn’t miss the slight twitch in his gaze.
“Victor.”
“……”
“Victor, tell me what happened. This is an order.”
“Actually...”
Victor began to speak reluctantly.
As Ethan listened, his eyebrows rose in surprise.
"...Cried? Camille?"
“Yes. When I asked her if anything had happened at the party, she started crying.”
“That's impossible. You must be mistaken.”
“I'm not wrong. I'm sure,” Victor insisted firmly.
“……”
Ethan frowned heavily, and remained silent for a moment.
Victor watched him calmly, his gaze holding a hint of reproach.
"...Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything that would make Camille cry."
Even as he protested, Victor's skeptical expression did not change.
“Seriously. Like I said, I complimented her dress and didn’t say anything inappropriate,” Ethan added, clearly uncomfortable with explaining himself to Victor.
“Is there anything else you can think of? Maybe something unpleasant happened at the party…?” Victor asked, with a serious face.
“Not exactly. I walked away for a moment, and when I came back, there was a scoundrel harassing Camille...” Ethan answered.
“Annoying? In what way?” Victor asked, clearly concerned.
“I don't mean he put his hand on it. There were a lot of people around. As soon as I arrived, he immediately backed off.”
“What did the Duchess look like?”
“She seemed fine. At least nothing happened that made her cry at the mere mention of the party.”
“Then why...?”
“Oh my God, how would I know?”
Ethan thought, frowning in frustration.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to him, and he picked up a pile of open letters on the corner of his desk. He picked one up and handed it to Victor.
"What is this?" Victor asked, looking at the letter with a puzzled look.
The envelope had no sender's name on it, and the letter itself was unsigned.
As Victor read the letter, his face slowly frowned with anger. The letter accused Camille of having an affair with Baron Liam Bernard, detailing the dates and locations of their alleged secret meetings.
“This is ridiculous. The Duchess has been proven innocent, and now, sending such a ridiculous letter...” Victor said, looking rarely angry.
If the letter had been addressed to him, he would have stacked it immediately.
Ethan stared at Victor and asked, "You seem upset. How long have you cared so much about Camille?"
“What? What do you mean, sir? As her servant, I would naturally defend her honor,” Victor replied with slight astonishment.
"Well, I think differently. You were so eager to defend Camille and accuse me, yesterday and now, just because she shed a few tears," Ethan said, narrowing his eyes.
Victor looked away, a hint of guilt appearing on his face.
“This is not true”
“Are you sure?”
Under Ethan's scrutiny, Victor cleared his throat loudly.
“Anyway, sir, you should not be influenced by these fabricated letters. It is clear that someone is trying to set you up with the Duchess.”
Ethan replied, his face hard, “I already know who sent it.”