I, Who Was Betrayed By The People I Loved Most - Chapter 2

The tea party had ended. Lost in heavy thoughts, I slowly wandered down the garden path. The soft glow of the evening sky painted the world in warm colors, offering a small measure of comfort to my muddled mind.

Yet, as the calm of the afternoon lingered, my gaze lifted—and stopped at a window tucked in the far corner of the garden.

There they stood: Oswald and Camille, side by side.

Was that the guest room window? Or perhaps Oswald’s study?
They weren’t doing anything—simply standing there quietly.
And yet, something in that scene stirred an uneasy flutter deep within my chest.

I couldn’t hear everything from where I stood, but a few fragments of their conversation drifted on the breeze.

“I love you.”
“You’re the only one who’s special to me.”

It was Oswald’s voice.
And the moment I recognized it, my heart tightened painfully.

—No. No, that’s not right. I must’ve misheard. It was the wind—just a trick of the wind. I must be imagining things. I’m not thinking straight.

My beloved husband… and Camille, the girl I’ve raised as my own daughter… No. No, that’s impossible. There’s no way. What on earth am I thinking? Something must be wrong with me. Seriously wrong.

I exhaled deeply, trying to calm myself, and forced a smile to my lips.
But the smile that came was nothing more than a bitter mockery of itself.

—I’m just being paranoid. That moment was just a coincidence. I’m being ridiculous for doubting them.

And yet, Oswald’s voice kept echoing in my head, again and again.
The ache in my chest refused to fade.
My feet had stopped moving entirely, as if anchored by the weight of my fears.

The next day, and the day after that, the shadow hanging over my heart remained.
Should I confront my husband? Or wait until I had some kind of proof?
No answer came. At last, I decided to speak with the one person I trusted more than anyone else.

“Marie… may I speak with you for a moment?”

Marie, her expression as calm and gentle as ever, nodded silently and listened closely as I recounted what I’d seen by the window.
After a brief silence, she spoke quietly.

“It might not have been a mistake, milady.”

Her words fell into my chest with a dull thud—like icy water pouring down my back.

—No… No, that can’t be true.

I felt the muscles in my face tighten. My lips moved before I could stop them.

“…It was just a misunderstanding. I must’ve imagined it. Tell me I’m wrong. Please… just say I’m wrong.”

But Marie, her gaze lowered, continued gently.

“The words you heard… I think I may have heard them too.”

For a moment, it felt like my heart stopped.
A sickening sensation swept over me—like all the bl00d in my body had turned and rushed backward.

“…No. That can’t be. It’s not possible. Tell me it’s not true, Marie. Please.”

“…I want to believe that too, milady.”

Her voice was soft, but she never said I was wrong.

I wanted to believe in Oswald.
I wanted to believe in Camille—my sweet Camille, who would never do something so cruel.

I wanted to trust them.
I didn’t want to doubt anyone. I didn’t want this.

—If only I hadn’t read that letter.
If only I didn’t know anything.
Then I could’ve stayed happy… blissfully ignorant.