Ethan lightly tapped his long fingers on the desk.
“Is your name Mary?”
“Yes, yes, sir,” stammered Mary, and bowed deeply.
“Didn't Jack tell you what would happen if you talked about this incident?”
His voice was calm and even, but it would send shivers down anyone's spine.
“I swear I didn't really say anything...”
“Tell the truth, and I'll forgive you,” Ethan interrupted, “I promise. Confess now, and you won't be punished. But if you keep lying and I find out later...”
Tack-!
Hearing the sound of Ethan tapping his finger on the desk, Mary shuddered.
"Yes, yes. It was me. I'm sorry. I told her. I'm so sorry, sir...!" Mary burst into tears.
Ethan looked at her without any expression and then asked again, “Why did you lie?”
“I was afraid... I was afraid that I would be punished, sir...!”
“What exactly did you say to Camille?”
Mary cried as she wiped her tears, “The day I returned from delivering the letter, the lady asked me if something was wrong. She said I looked suspicious, like I was hiding something. So I told her...”
“Camille never seemed to be the type to notice such things.”
“This is not true. She may have looked different in front of you, but the lady is actually very smart. She was the first to notice Sophie stealing household items.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes upon hearing the strange name. "from?"
"Sophie is the maid who was arrested last year for selling stolen items from the palace. She was fired," Marie explained.
Ethan vaguely remembered Victor reporting the incident.
He didn't remember anyone mentioning Camille's involvement in her exposure.
“Despite her outward appearance, the lady pays great attention to household matters. She always checks where and when you go. She even knows the names of the new maids as soon as they arrive...”
“……”
This was all very strange.
None of it matched what Ethan knew about Camille.
He always thought her interests were limited to herself, jewelry, dresses, and parties.
Ethan remembered the image of Camille confidently declaring her innocence that day.
Her eyes, her expressions, her tone – everything seemed like she was a different person.
It was amazing how someone could look so different despite having the same face.
Camille was never someone who could make such a logical argument… she wasn't like that, was she?
People don't change overnight.
Ethan was a practical man who did not believe in anything that could not be explained logically.
There is only one possible answer left.
She must have been pretending to be weak the whole time.
A smart person may act stupidly, but the opposite is impossible.
It made sense, but his heart couldn't accept it.
Despite their distant relationship, Ethan lived under the same roof with Camille as her husband for five years.
Did you really cheat on him for so long? And if so, why?
While Ethan was lost in his thoughts, he noticed Mary watching him anxiously.
“You can go,” he said suddenly.
Mary's face lit up with relief, "Thank you, sir. Thank you!"
Mary quickly got up, bowed her head, and quickly left the room, as if she was afraid that Ethan would change his mind if she hesitated even for a moment.
“What do you think?” Ethan asked after Mary left.
“About what, sir?”
“About Camille. Do you believe her claims?”
“...I'm not sure.”
Honestly, from Jack's investigations, it didn't seem like Camille had any ulterior motives. She seemed to really like Liam Bernard, oblivious to everything else.
Looking at Camille's usual looks, it seems likely that she was lying to escape the situation.
The problem is that her explanations were surprisingly detailed and supported by evidence. Her demeanor was overconfident.
A person with a guilty conscience cannot act so carelessly.
Moreover, the strangeness was not limited to that only.
“Honestly, it seems like it goes beyond whether I believe her or not.”
"What do you mean?"
“She was completely different from the usual Duchess. It was as if she had a long-lost twin who had been replaced without anyone knowing.”
“Your joke is not in good taste,” Ethan replied, his tone devoid of humor.
Jack shrugged, "I'm not exactly kidding. If someone seriously suggested that, they might believe it."
“……”
Ethan couldn't help but sympathize with Jack's feelings.
Camille's transformation was quite shocking. Suddenly, Ethan rang the bell to summon the butler. After a while, Victor entered the office.
“You called me sir?”
“There was a maid who was arrested and fired last year for stealing things from the palace.”
“Yes sir, that is true”
Despite the unexpected question, Victor answered immediately without showing any confusion.
“Who discovered that the maid was stealing?”
“It was the Duchess, sir.”
"...Really? How?"
“She happened to see the maid taking the cutlery. I should have done that, but...” Victor fell silent, looking a little embarrassed.
Ethan was silent for a moment before speaking again, “Has Camille ever asked you about my schedule?”
“Yes, she checks on him every morning and evening. She has done so until today.”
“……”
The furrow in Ethan's forehead became deeper.
***
“I have done as you instructed, ma'am.”
"Really? Did things go as you said?"
“Yes, I was in shock,” Mary said, shaking her head in disbelief. Her expression suggested that she was not lying.
“Ethan will probably ask you if you told me about the intercepted message. Deny it at first. “Insist that you said nothing, and swear that it is the truth.”
“But, ma’am, it’s true.”
«I know. But Ethan won't believe it. He will think you told me, otherwise how would I know?
“So what should I do?”
“If you keep denying, Ethan will eventually say that he will forgive you if you tell the truth. He will add some threats to make it convincing. When that happens, admit that you told me. Say you were afraid of punishment.”
“But if I do that...”
“Ethan is a man of his word. Don't worry. Confessing in this way would be much safer than trying to lie.”
Furthermore, sticking to one lie from the beginning may seem less believable than admitting to it under pressure, making it seem as if Ethan's tactics worked.
Ethan will think he caught Mary's lie, so he won't have as much suspicion.
People who consider themselves smart often fall into such traps.
In the original story, Ethan similarly threatened Elodie when he caught her sneaking out of her room at night. He later discovered that she was embroidering a napkin for his birthday, which led to a touching moment.
“……”
Mary looked at me suspiciously.
I tilted my head slightly, “If you want to be fired now, do whatever you want.”
“No, I will do as you say, ma'am.”
“Tell him you tried to hide it, but you were arrested. If Ethan doubts, tell him that I'm actually sharp and sharp. Point to Sophie as proof.
Mary looked as if she wanted to ask, “Intelligent? Ma’am?” , but she managed to retreat.
Sophie was a maid at the palace before Ethan divorced Camille.
Camille catches her stealing, so she fires her, as stated by the head maid, Esther, in the original story.
This incident is repeated later in the story when a maid named Melanie is caught stealing.
Melanie begged for mercy, citing her brother's illness.
Esther wanted to fire her, but Elodie intervened, asking Ethan to ensure Melanie's brother gets medical treatment.
It was a touching episode that showed Elodie's gentle nature.
In fact, Sophie's capture by Camille is likely just a coincidence. The original description depicts Camille as someone completely oblivious to such matters.
There have been almost no stories involving Camille since she exited the scene in the lead as an extra.
But ever since I became Camille, I've had to use every piece of information available, no matter how simple.