While we were going down to the first floor, Victor was standing with the other servants waiting. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Jack.
Camille said: “I asked him to accompany me, to help me during the trip.”
“Ah, I see,” Victor replied, bowing his head slightly although his expression remained puzzled.
Jacques followed Camille to the carriage.
He thought that her loyal maid would accompany them, but she held back, showing no intention of joining them.
“Have a safe journey, madam,” called the servants as the carriage door closed.
“Aren’t you bringing the maid with you?”
Camille answered, "It's my family's home. There are still maids who served me before my marriage. Besides, if I had brought Marie with me, we wouldn't have been able to talk in private."
“But will the driver hear us anyway?”
Camille gave Jack a long, appraising look, “Are you testing me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Dumont vans are soundproof. Once the windows are closed, it is impossible for the driver to hear anything inside. You should know that.”
“……”
This comment stung. Jack realized that he might still be underestimating this woman who was no longer the Camille he knew.
“I'm aware,” he said, “but I didn't realize you were aware of it, too.”
“So, you were testing me.”
“Not a test, but a confirmation. But if you feel that way, I apologize.”
Camille tilted her head slightly, a smile playing on her lips.
“You still see me as the foolish duchess I was.”
“...that's not true”
“Is it so?”
“Absolutely. Anyone who has watched you over the past two months will agree.”
“So, you're not denying that I was a fool before.”
Camille's eyes crinkled sarcastically, "Don't make that annoying face. I agree with you."
“Why? You said you acted that way to make people think less of you, but honestly, that doesn't quite explain it.”
“You don't believe me?”
“It's hard”
"I wasn't always like this. At the beginning of my marriage, I was immature. I hated my husband and resented him for not caring about me, so I was constantly attacking those around me."
Jack nodded to himself. That's the Camille he knew. But two months ago, she completely changed after Bernard's incident. How did that happen?
"I tried to fill the void with luxury and attending social events, but in the end, I felt even empty. One day, I realized the truth. Nothing will change if I continue like this. My husband will continue to ignore me, and I will live a lonely, meaningless life until I die."
“……”
“And so, when Baron Bernard contacted me a while ago, knowing that Duke Gerard supported him, I thought it was an opportunity. For the first time, I had the opportunity to be useful to Ethan as the Duchess of Dumont. I thought that if I succeeded this time, Ethan would look at me differently.”
Camille paused briefly, then added in a small voice, “But I was wrong.”
“Not necessarily...”
"Of course, lately, he seems to be looking at me a little differently. But that only happened recently, and it wasn't like that at first."
Camille continued calmly, "Ethan didn't believe me, even though I told him everything I could honestly. At first, he treated me like an unfaithful wife, and then later, he seemed to suspect that I was Gerard's spy, too. He kept me under house arrest for about two months."
“The Duke had no choice. If you looked at things from his perspective, Duchess...”
"I'm tired of thinking about his point of view. For the past five years, I've constantly tried to see things from his point of view. He must be busy with work. He's a reserved person by nature, so it's hard for him to change. After all, our marriage wasn't based on love, so it's understandable..." Camille murmured softly.
“……”
Jacques watched Camille closely with sharp eyes.
Is she honest? Or...?
To his estimation, she didn't seem to be acting.
But he wasn't sure. Since she has deceived many people for five years, this acting will be her specialty.
If Camille's words were not true, the important question was what her intention was in telling Jack these things.
“It was the same this time. At first, I thought his suspicion of me was understandable, given my behavior so far. So, I made a great effort for two months to dispel his doubts. But then, I started to feel disappointed. What should I do? Why should I be treated like a criminal for something I did in good faith? Will his heart really change? It hasn’t changed in five years.”
Camille looked at Jack with a bitter look, and continued: “You heard, right? That I told him I wanted a divorce.”
“Yes I heard”
“This is my honest feeling now. I no longer want to understand him or hope for him. I want us both to be free. Not just me, but him too.”
“……”
Camille, with her head lowered and her dark expression, looked truly pitiful.
Jack opened his mouth cautiously.
“I understand your feelings, Duchess. I understand how hurt you are. But I think you misunderstand when you say that the Duke has not changed at all.”
"Get it wrong? Impossible," Camille scoffed.
“No, that's true. Didn't you admit it yourself? It seems that the Duke's view of you has changed. The Duke no longer doubts you as much as before. You can see that by the lifting of your house arrest...”
“If that's true, why does Ethan still have someone follow me every time I go out?”
“……”
Jack couldn't help but pause at Camille's direct remark.
“Even today, if I hadn’t taken the initiative, you would have secretly followed me, wouldn’t you? Don’t even think about denying it now. You should have denied it sooner if you were going to.”
“Well, it's a long distance, and I thought it would be nice to have some company.”
Indeed, by remaining silent at that moment, Jack had practically confirmed the question now.
I was surprised. I didn't expect you to pressure me about this.
It was as if she was waiting for him to make a mistake.
“I can explain,” Jack said quickly. “Please listen.”
“I don't want to hear that. I don't need that.”
“Duchess”
"Let me guess. Ethan suspects I have a source of information, doesn't he? He's lifted my house arrest, so he thinks it's not weird for me to be in contact with this source. The surveillance is because of that, not because he suspects me. Is that what you're trying to say?"
“……”
Cold sweat ran down his spine. Jack has never been so speechless in his life, thanks to Camille.
"I've already told Ethan. I have a reason not to reveal the source of the information. If it's revealed, it's not just me in danger. But Ethan ignored me, and kept asking you to follow me and investigate me. And yet you say he's changed? He no longer doubts me? How do you say that?"
“……”
Camille opened the window toward the driver's seat.
“Stop here a moment,” she said.
“Yes ma'am”
The carriage stopped in the middle of the street.
Camille looked at Jack coldly.
“Get out”
“……”
“I have nothing more to tell you, so get out.”
“...Duchess”
“Duchess, Duchess. You call me that easily. If you really considered me a duchess, you wouldn’t belittle me like that.”
“That's not true. It's a misunderstanding. I—”
“How can you say this is a misunderstanding when you don't even follow my order to get out of the carriage now?”
“……”
Jack opened the door and got out of the car.
“I thought maybe, just maybe, you would understand me, Jack, but it was a waste of time.”
“……”