I was a virtuous wife

Chapter 13: Midnight stroll

When Kierra reached the Vonton mansion, the entire house was silent. She was greeted only by Sara and Nancy and there were hardly any servants to be seen. 

Her parents hadn't returned yet from the banquet, Sierra and Jonathan were resting in their rooms and the servants were given a day off by Sierra to enjoy the festival. Only a few training maids were in the mansion and even they went to sleep since it was late at night. 

Somehow Kierra couldn't shake off her uneasiness. She asked Nancy if Jonathan was in his room and found that he came back a while ago. He had told the servants not to disturb him since he was tired and wanted to rest. 

Kierra chided herself not to overthink and retired to her room to change her clothes. After changing her clothes, she sat down in her chair and took out a book to read. But she couldn't concentrate and kept feeling disturbed. 

["This can't go on. I'll just visit Jonathan's room and see if he's sleeping well."]

Kierra summoned Sara who brought a robe to wear over her nightgown. Sara was confused as to why her master looked anxious but decided to not ask questions. 

Sara knew that the mood between them was not good. She thought they were in a  marital strife like all married couples and would get over it after a few days.

Kierra felt mixed emotions with every step she took towards Jonathan's room. She felt pathetic for having to doubt her husband. But if she didn't do this then she would be restless the entire night. 

She stood in front of his room and gripped his bedroom handle. She was still unsure if she wanted to do this. 

"Your grace ?"

"Hmm ?"

"Are you not going to go in ?", Sara asked out of concern. 

At that moment, Kierra made up her mind. 

"No, I am."

Kierra gently opened the door so as to not wake him up. She slowly stepped inside the room like a meek cat. The room was dark and there were no light except for the the measly flames burning in the fireplace. 

She tiptoed to his bed and saw his motionless form sleeping comfortably covered in blankets. Kierra felt relieved and let out a small sigh. She felt embarrassed for acting like this out of needless suspicion. 

She thought that even if he was having an affair, he wouldn't be bold enough to do it in her parent's house. Both of them weren't foolish enough to risk getting caught by Kierra or anyone from the Vonton house. 

Kierra's heart finally calmed down. Then she realized that the fire in the fireplace was slowly dying out. She put some more wood to revive the dwindling flame. The night was chilly and she didn't want her husband to get cold.

 When she rekindled the fire, warm light spread across the room. Kierra glanced back to Jonathan's bed and something caught her eye. She realized that there were no pillows to be seen. 

She inched closer and noticed that his body wasn't moving. Her anxiety crept back in. His chest should at least rise up due to his breathing but the form on the bed laid still like a statue. Her instincts were telling her to affirm her suspicions once and for all.

Kierra walked up to the bed and grabbed the sheets. She braced her heart and pulled it off with one big swoop. It was like she expected, what laid there wasn't Jonathan but a couple of pillows arranged to imitate a sleeping body. 

Kierra's hand that held the sheets trembled. She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. A smart woman like her had an idea of what was happening. She flung the sheets away in cold anger and turned towards Sara.

Kierra's tolerance snapped. Acting civilized was the last thing she wanted to do now.

"Sara, grab a lantern and follow me.", she said slowly in an icy voice.

"W-Where are we going, your grace ?", she asked cautiously. 

Sara winced at the sight of Kierra's face. She was wearing a fierce expression and the air inside the room became even colder. 

"To catch a filthy rat."

Kierra and Sara immediately headed outside to the rose garden. Kierra stomped her way towards the back of the garden with a determined look on her face. Her hair was unruly. The edge of her nightgown became stained with soil. Her bedroom slippers were wet and tattered. 

The night was bright with a full moon high in the sky. The back of Kierra who was marching with a murderous aura made Sara's skin crawl with fear. Sara couldn't say a word and just followed her master with a lantern in hand.

They reached a small cottage at the back of the rose garden. It was a small and cozy cottage that looked like it came out of a fairytale. 

It was built because Sierra wanted a place to relax whenever she visited the garden. It was Sierra's private property and she was the only one with the key. If they wanted to have an affair then it would be the perfect place since no one would come to the garden especially at night. 

Kierra paused for a minute as she approached the house. Her mind was still telling her to stop acting so recklessly. She was supposed to be a graceful noble lady. But the thin line that shouldn't be crossed was crossed.

["Since it has come to this, I shall confirm it with my own eyes."]

She went and tried to open the door but it was locked from the inside. She then noticed faint candle light from the inside through a window. She also heard vague noises of a woman talking. She went to the back of the cottage and tried to open the back door. Luckily for her, the back door wasn't locked. 

She whispered to Sara to put out the lantern and follow behind her closely. Sara nodded nervously and walked behind her. Kierra stepped inside the cottage and made her way to the first floor where the bedroom was. 

End of chapter 13.

Thank you for reading this chapter and hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far.

What do you think will happen next ? If your partner was having an affair and if you were in a similar situation like Kierra, what would you do ? Has anyone been cheated on ? If yes, then what did you do ?

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