“And tell him I'm more interested in the house than he thinks. Tell him that I always know when and where Ethan goes out, and that I know all the names of the maids in the palace.”
“…Is that why you asked me to give you the names and details of all the servants in the house?”
Now a look of realization appeared on Mary's face.
Of course, that was part of it, but it's not the main reason.
Since I had taken charge of Camille's body, I had to be fully aware of the affairs of the house.
I had already confirmed through Mary that Camille always followed Ethan's schedule.
From the point of view of an unfaithful wife, it makes sense.
She must know when her husband is away to meet her lover.
However, perception is key.
If the picture is well presented, what appears to be an attempt to arrange secret meetings may be seen as diligence in the performance of her duties as mistress of the house.
Sophie's incident was similar. It can be taken as evidence that Camille was secretly taking care of the household.
I didn't expect Ethan to be completely convinced by these explanations. But within the limits of what was possible, I had to make my story as believable as possible.
This is not a world where magic exists, so Ethan would never believe that another spirit took control of his wife's body.
In the end, Ethan will likely conclude that he doesn't really understand Camille. Any gaps will be filled by his imagination.
“The Duke seemed very surprised,” Mary said. “He was quiet, lost in thought.”
“That's good. You did well,” I replied.
Mary hesitated, then spoke cautiously, “Madam, does this mean that up until now you have been acting deliberately stupid – no, I mean mindless – no, I mean pretending to be… um, uninterested in everything?”
“Be careful with your words,...”
It made sense for her to ask me, given how different I was from the Camille she knew.
“That was enough until now. But not anymore.”
Mary still looked puzzled, but she didn't press any further.
“You will notice many changes in my behavior from now on. But do not show any surprise. Always act as if you knew my true nature from the beginning. Do you understand?”
“Yes ma'am”
This was all just preparation. The real mission was waiting for me.
I went to the office and spread out the paper I was writing on earlier. It was filled with information from the original story. It's time to put the pieces of the puzzle back together.
***
“So what are the results of Baron Bernard’s interrogation?” Ethan asked.
Mile Cantona, a knight of the Dumont family, responded, saying: "He continues to deny everything. He claims that he has no connection with Duke Gerard, and that the Duchess's accusations are just baseless fantasies."
“And receiving the notebook from Camille?”
“He insists he never asked for it. He says the Duchess brought it of her own free will.”
“……”
“That is not all. Baron Bernard demands his release, declaring that he has no right to detain him. He claims that he did not harm the Duchess in any way and therefore did not commit any crime.”
“This man’s audacity is amazing,” Ethan muttered in disgust.
"In fact, his claims are not entirely false. We cannot detain him indefinitely. Although we have silenced those present at the scene, we are not entirely sure that they have remained silent. The Duchess has been under house arrest since the Baron's disappearance, which may raise suspicions among those who know of their relationship."
“……”
Ethan frowned heavily, remaining silent.
This result was not entirely surprising. Jack ordered Liam Bernard to be investigated more closely than before.
But despite Liam's house being turned upside down, no evidence has been found linking him to Duke Gerard.
Direct communication with Duke Gerard was risky.
If their investigations were revealed, it would be difficult to justify their actions.
“At least if I had conclusive proof of Gerard's involvement...”
At this point, Liam's words are unchallenged – it's very possible that Camille's accusations are being fabricated to escape her predicament. However, dismissing her claims was never an option.
Gerard was capable of carrying out such plans and had the skill to leave no trace behind.
The Gerard family had long been one of the two most powerful families in the empire, along with the Dumont family.
The balance changed about thirty years ago when Ethan's father, Philip, supported the Third Prince's ascension to the throne.
With the support of the new emperor, Philip monopolized the distribution of major domestic and international goods, expanding his influence enormously.
As a result, Gerard suffered heavy losses.
Gerard's secret attacks on the Dumonts began around this period, ranging from ambushes of trade convoys to attempts on Philip's life.
However, no concrete evidence was found.
Ethan, deep in thought, suddenly said: “Bring me the Duchess.”
***
When I heard that Ethan had summoned me, I thought, “Finally, it's happened.”
It's been a week since I was placed under house arrest.
Even though I was locked in my room, I was busy.
In addition to “picking up the pieces of the puzzle,” I memorized the list of palace staff that Mary had given me, and identified the major events that had occurred during the past five years of our marriage.
Mary's habit of keeping a daily diary was incredibly useful.
During this time, Ethan didn't even call me once.
I expected him to call me early.
But the delay was a positive sign, as it indicated that he felt the matter should be handled with caution, which made my claims somewhat convincing.
When I entered the office, I saw not only Ethan, but also two men standing behind him.
'The one on the left should be Jack... and the other one should be Mr. Mayle.'
It was not difficult to distinguish their identities from their appearance. As I mentioned, I was a fan of reading the novel “I Became the Daughter of a Skeptical Duke.”
The man of calm and polite demeanor, with his elegant uniform, was undoubtedly Mr. Mile Cantona.
He was Ethan's right-hand man, and the leader of the duchy's knights.
The man with the most intimidating appearance and powerful build was definitely Jack Elderra.
Jack was also one of Ethan's trusted men, handling tasks that required discretion and often acting as a jockey.
They were both handsome in their own way.
As Ethan's chief followers, they represented light and shadow, justice and deviance.
In the original story, they were extremely loyal to Elodie, and supported her until the end.
Seeing these three together is truly impressive...the author must have been a genius to create such perfectly integrated characters.
While I was wondering inside, Ethan's voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Why are you just standing here? Sit down.”
“Oh yeah”
I calmed down and sat in front of him.
“You can probably guess why I'm calling you.”
“Hmm. Are you planning a new party at the palace?” I said jokingly.
“……”
Ethan’s expression stiffened, and I laughed, “It was a joke.”
“I advise you not to try to calm the situation with jokes.”
“I don't intend to do that. I just wanted to ease the tension, you seemed very serious.”
“Isn't it normal for us to take this matter seriously?”
“Do you still doubt me?”
“You know very well why I have to do this.”
“Ask me anything. I'm ready to answer.”
Ethan looked at Mile and Jack before looking at me.
“You said you knew from the beginning that Baron Bernard had ulterior motives. When and how did you know?”
I pretended to contemplate for a moment, “Well, almost from the beginning. And the reason… let’s just say it was intuition.”
“Intuition?”
“Yes. Insincere flattery and false kindness are usually quite obvious. Women are very sensitive to such things.”