Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 10

Revenge Has Interest 11 (1/10)

11

August 11, 2023

Leah decided to wait for Terrence in front of the bookstore, figuring that moving around would only increase the chances of them missing each other.

However, even standing right in front of the bookstore, she felt the piercing gazes of passersby, especially directed at a woman standing alone in the evening.

Moreover, she probably looked even more conspicuous since she wasn’t holding anything.

Just then, a man who had been loitering near the adjacent building approached Leah.

“Miss, is there anything I can help you with?”

“Excuse me…? I’m fine.”

‘He thinks I’m a prostitute.’

Leah slowly moved to the side, trying to avoid the strange man. But the man followed her, persistently harassing her.

“Being alone at this hour, it’s pretty obvious what you’re up to, isn’t it?”

“That’s not what it is.”

She was almost on the verge of tears. If Pauline were by her side, he wouldn’t dare to treat her like this.

Leah tried to get away from him, but he grabbed her shoulder.

“Let go of me!”

Leah struggled and screamed. At that moment, a fist flew from out of nowhere and struck the man.

“Duke Courtois!”

Hair disheveled, tie loosened, and fist clenched tightly. More than anything, he looked absolutely furious.

Terrence, still not calmed down, moved towards the fallen man. But Leah immediately ran and embraced his waist.

“Stop it!”

Leah cried as she held him. Always confident and strong, Leah Hamilton had never shed tears, but after becoming Grace, there were many things that made her cry.

Of course, it wasn’t Grace’s fault. It was her own fault for being swept away by this storm of misfortune.

“Let’s go.”

A carriage was waiting on the road, as if Terrence had summoned it.

As Leah hurriedly tried to get into the carriage, Terrence picked her up and placed her on the seat as if he were carrying a delicate bouquet of flowers.

Leah quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, not wanting to be seen as a woman who cried at the slightest thing.

“Sorry I’m late.”

He apologized to Grace as soon as he got into the carriage.

“It’s okay.”

“That’s just how this era is; it’s not yet kind to women.”

Terrence handed Grace her handbag and book. At that moment, Leah noticed that his hand was red and swollen.

“Your hand…?”

Leah unconsciously grabbed his hand, and he quickly pulled it away.

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you angry because I didn’t wait at the cafe?”

There seemed to be no other reason. So, that must be why she sensed anger from him.

“That’s not it.”

Terrence turned his gaze out the window, avoiding Grace’s eyes as he answered.

‘Where did I go wrong?’

How could a person like him change so easily? Things that hadn’t worked even with so much effort were completely changed by one woman.

Even on sunny days, everything looked gray, and eating delicious food felt like chewing sand.

The beautiful Grace’s advances felt like tiresome nagging, and the peaceful era felt like a cowardly escape from war.

But now, even the unhealed wounds of war were no longer just painful.

‘Is it because of you?’

Terrence turned his gaze back to Grace.

The walk back from exchanging dictionaries and returning to the cafe couldn’t have been more exciting.

Thinking of the white dove waiting for him, he unconsciously quickened his pace. But the dove wasn’t there when he returned.

Instead, there was only a pack of wolves trying to hunt his dove. In the end, he could only stop after becoming a ferocious beast and half-killing them.

He anxiously set out to find Grace again. His guess that she might have gone to the bookstore was fortunately correct.

The moment he spotted Grace in the distance, his heart raced. But the vermin appeared again, irritating his nerves.

‘Am I changing because of you?’

A life that seemed like it would be endlessly tiresome took a sudden turn. So, while it was good, he was also very anxious. He didn’t know when the peace and comfort he was feeling now might be taken away again.

But why did he dislike Grace so much before? She was the same woman… Was it because she pestered him like a child, constantly seeking reassurance and demanding that he only look at her?

‘What about now?’

She was the same woman, but a completely different woman. The current Grace showed a tenacious vitality.

Sometimes she looked at the world with an unhappy face, but she seemed to have a clear goal in life.

Of course, he couldn’t define exactly what it was. So, does he… like that Grace?

‘Do I like her?’

He didn’t know yet. Was it just a simple curiosity about a changed person, or a deepening affection?

‘I can’t even gauge my own feelings.’

Terrence shook his head roughly. He couldn’t come to any conclusions yet, so he had no choice but to let things flow.

Still, one thing was certain.

‘I don’t like other men looking at you and touching you.’

Because sometimes there are feelings that are undeniable, like instincts.

* * *

Leah ruined several letters before finally completing one that she liked.

“I’ve finished the letter.”

She handed the letter to Terrence, and Luke and James, who were nearby, craned their necks to get a look.

“The penmanship is excellent.”

James didn’t hold back his praise.

“Indeed, I don’t know the foreign language, but it looks good at first glance.”

Luke looked at Grace with curious eyes. But Leah only watched Terrence’s reaction. She was worried that he might not like it. But a gentle smile spread across his face.

“James, stamp it with my seal and send it to Turkey.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

He was very pleased, and Leah’s heart swelled.

“Grace, good work.”

“I’m glad I could be of help.”

As Grace smiled brightly at Terrence’s praise, he, along with Luke and James, couldn’t take their eyes off her.

It wasn’t just because her smile was pretty, but because she shone with passion for the task given and completed it perfectly.

“I’ll be going now.”

Leah greeted everyone and left the office.

“Miss Grace, isn’t she too beautiful? Of course, she was before, but…”

Luke hesitated, unable to find the right words. James soon chimed in.

“That’s probably because we saw the inner beauty that Miss Grace possesses.”

‘Inner beauty.’

Terrence also agreed with James’ words.

Sometimes, when passing by the study, he couldn’t take his eyes off Grace as she concentrated on writing letters.

He was impressed by how she put so much effort into each letter, as if her life depended on it.

Just then, James handed Terrence a letter.

“This is a letter for Miss Grace; shall I deliver it?”

“A letter for Grace?”

Terrence’s face turned cold as he looked at the envelope.

‘Allen McDowell, why is he writing to her?’

Obviously, Grace must have caught his fancy. Or maybe he was trying to find the Hamilton Trading Company necklace.

“I’ll deliver it.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

“I’m going to Bern with Grace tomorrow. Prepare in advance.”

“This time, the guards…”

Terrence quickly nodded, fearing James’ long-winded nagging.

After everyone left, Terrence threw the letter from Allen into the drawer.

‘I’ll give it to her if I remember.’

* * *

Leah came to Bern with Terrence to meet Aiden. This time, the weather was good, so they drove along the original route without incident and arrived on time.

‘Oh, I’m nervous. Aiden Bizaak is Grace’s brother and lost his leg in the war.’

Before meeting Aiden, Leah repeated the information about him. She was very nervous, fearing she might make a mistake.

She had heard that Aiden was a baron, but she was surprised that he lived in a very small house.

She couldn’t ask if the Bizaak baronial family was poor, so she was worried, but Terrence gave her the answer.

“Aiden doesn’t like big mansions, so he’s staying at a villa.”

Terrence told her in time, so she was relieved for the time being.

Finally, Leah met Aiden. Grace’s brother, who appeared with crutches, was a very handsome man.

His face and body were scarred in places, and he was disabled, but he was a very decent man.

“Grace.”

Aiden greeted Leah with a warm hug.

“O… Brother.”

It was awkward and unfamiliar, so she didn’t know what to say first.

“Somehow, Grace seems more mature?”

Aiden also seemed to feel Grace’s change.

Grace, who had always been a reckless girl, had disappeared without a trace and become a woman who spoke and acted her age.

The three exchanged greetings for a long time.

“But when are you planning to have the wedding?”

Aiden brought up a question that had been on his mind. He expected Terrence to postpone it again, saying he needed more time.

“Wed… wedding? I’m not thinking about it yet.”

Grace, not Terrence, was startled and answered.

Aiden was bewildered by the changed situation.

Wasn’t she the one who had come to him before he even brought up the wedding, asking him to urge Terrence?

“Duke Courtois will feel the same way, right?”

Leah looked at Terrence and tried to elicit the same answer. She sensed that Terrence was reluctant to marry.

“It has to be done when the time comes. Next year, the year after, or even this year, if it’s early.”

Leah, as well as Aiden, seemed quite surprised by Terrence’s answer.

“Grace, Reina will be preparing dinner at the villa. Can you help her?”

Aiden seemed to want to talk to Terrence alone.

“Yes, I will.”

Aiden was surprised to see Grace readily answer.

Grace had never wanted to leave Terrence’s side and didn’t particularly like trivial things, but it was strange to see her agree so easily.

On the other hand, Leah saw it as an opportunity to escape the awkward situation and headed to the villa without looking back.

“She’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?”

When Terrence asked first, Aiden nodded.

There were a few things Terrence wanted to confirm when he met Aiden.

It was unlikely, but he couldn’t shake the suspicion that something unscientific had happened to Grace.

There were parts of Grace’s sudden change that were difficult to accept easily.

“Aiden, did Grace like reading when she was young? For example, about foreign languages…”

At his question, Aiden didn’t answer for a long time with a strange look on his face. Then he opened his mouth.