I stared at Ethan, "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something strange?"
“……”
Ethan wiped his mouth with a tissue and stared at me, “Are you serious?”
“Sure. Maybe you were hoping to ignore it, but I'm not. We need to resolve this immediately.”
“...What? Here?” Ethan asked, looking startled.
'What's wrong with him?'
I tilted my head in confusion, “Why? Is there a problem with that?”
“Are you saying you agree with this?”
Ethan glanced to one side of the dining room, where the maids were standing, ready to serve.
“Since when did you care about what other people think?” I asked, frowning.
“Isn't it natural to care?” Ethan replied, looking somewhat confused.
What could be so secretive that he wouldn't want to speak in front of the servants?
I had always assumed that the nobles here treated their servants as air or noise, especially in the Dumont House where the servants did not dare spread any rumors about the family.
“Okay, okay. Shall I go to your room after you finish breakfast?” , I suggested.
Ethan looked at me for a moment, then sighed softly, “I would appreciate that.”
“Great. See you in thirty minutes.”
I turned around and walked out.
While I was doing that, I heard Ethan's voice behind me.
“Aren't you going to have breakfast?”
“I never eat breakfast,” I answered, heading to my room.
***
It's really unexpected, Ethan thought as he watched Camille's determined steps away from the dining room.
Just yesterday, she was asking for a divorce, and now she's coming at it in a very confusing way.
However, this is not the place for that.
To be fair, Ethan did understand her point of view, at least a little.
If someone asked him if he didn't feel anything at that moment, he couldn't honestly deny it. But a little, very little.
At first, he was amazed by her stunning beauty, as she stared at him with wide eyes instead of her usual sharp tongue.
Then he could not take his eyes off her slightly trembling gaze, the rosy flush of her cheeks, and her red, moist lips.
If that knight had entered the barracks after one minute...
Thinking about it made his throat go dry. Despite his intense sweating, he remained in the training arena waving his sword for another half hour.
Even after his return, he could not forget the incident.
It had been years since he had shared his bed with his wife, or even kissed her.
It had been so long since he had looked at Camille with that look, that his body's reaction surprised him.
Of course, there was no real reason why that shouldn't be the case.
Ethan and Camille were married.
That he felt these feelings towards his wife was completely normal.
No doubt Victor will be very happy to hear that.
'But...'
Over the past few months, Camille has been publicly distancing herself from Ethan in this regard. She had never pushed him away so openly.
Her last words were even more surprising.
Honestly, he wasn't sure yet. His suspicions about Camille have not completely dissipated, and there may be an ulterior motive behind her actions today.
Whatever it is, I'll find out in thirty minutes.
Even though there was food in front of him, he had no appetite.
After drinking water repeatedly, Ethan finally got up.
I should have said ten minutes instead.
He clicked his tongue in frustration, feeling nervous.
***
“I'm coming.”
Entering the room, I saw Ethan sitting at his desk.
To my surprise, there was a bottle of wine and a glass in front of him.
According to the original story, Ethan was not fond of drinking.
It wasn't that he couldn't stand alcohol, it was that he didn't see the point in doing anything to change his mind.
What is this? Drinking wine, in the morning, no less?
Ethan got up without a word, and walked towards me.
One step, two steps, until he was right in front of me.
On instinct, I took a step back.
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't stop.
He continued to walk forward, pushing me back until I was against the wall.
"… What do you do?"
“You said we should continue where we left off.”
"What? What are you talking about...?"
Ethan approached. I tried to sneak aside, but his arms blocked my escape from both sides.
"Ethan? What is this-"
Ethan put his finger to my lips to silence me.
“Shut up. I'm checking something now.”
“Checking what?!” I protested silently with my eyes open, but Ethan ignored me.
As I twisted my body, he moved his knee between my legs, keeping me from moving away. Even though he wasn't touching me, his proximity made me feel dizzy.
'Oh my God!'
I pushed him on his chest with all my might, but to my shock, he didn't budge.
"…What do you do?"
"This is what I was supposed to ask you! We were supposed to talk, and now you're doing this?"
“Are you talking? I thought you wanted to continue what we started yesterday.”
"What? What are you talking about?"
"What?"
We stared at each other, both of us frowning.
“Did you misunderstand what I said earlier?”
“You said we should finish what we started because it was interrupted yesterday. Isn't that what you meant?”
My face felt hot, “Oh my God, no!”
I pushed him again, and this time he stepped back.
"Ridiculous. How can you misunderstand me like this? We were talking about our divorce! I meant for us to end this conversation!"
Ethan stared at me, his mouth twisted in disbelief, “Ridiculous? You were the one who said something misleading!”
“What? I clearly said we needed to talk from the beginning!”
“Then you should have explicitly stated that it was a matter of divorce! Using vague words like ‘finish what we started’ and ‘what we interrupted’ naturally leads to misunderstanding!”
“I never imagined you would take it this way! Really, how embarrassing!”
“……”
Ethan's expression remained stern, and he remained silent for a long moment before he finally spoke out, “So, you're saying you haven't had any thoughts like this at all?”
"…What?"
“Yesterday. Why didn’t we end our conversation then? Why did you suddenly become silent after you two were talking nonstop? Why did you look at me with those eyes?”
"What do you mean?"
Ethan approached and grabbed my wrist.
“Look into my eyes and tell me. Were you ignorant at that moment? If the knight had not come, would you have pushed me away like you just did?”
“……”
It was like before. I couldn't look away from Ethan's eyes and swallowed hard.
To say I don't have ideas is a lie. But if you asked me specifically what those feelings were, I couldn't tell for myself.
...It was just a passing mistake. Ethan and I are both healthy adults, and we're known to be very attractive.
Yes. This is the reality, and this is likely what Ethan meant by his question.
He has a strong sense of pride, and admitting that I was not affected in that situation must be difficult for him. I understand that.
So to give any deeper meaning to it would be ridiculous.
"Okay, I'll admit it. You're right. I had feelings at that moment. I was watching you practice, and I helped you scan your body," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
I continued, "You felt the same, didn't you? It's been a long time since we met, and we were alone. It was a fleeting moment, wasn't it?"
Ethan’s expression became strange, “No, I…”
“Even if she is your estranged wife and you haven't glanced at her for years, it's normal for you to find her attractive, if only for a moment. Don't worry, I understand that. I'm not stupid to give any undue importance to a passing whim.”
“……”
Ethan frowned heavily upon hearing my words.