Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 101

Revenge Comes with Interest 101

101. Without You in My Life

November 9, 2023

Leah wanted to punch Terrence, who was smiling.

She never knew Terrence could be so infuriating. She would have preferred him angry.

This smile completely disregarded her.

“Grace, you have a bad habit. You challenge me to duels when you’re not capable, and now you want a competition?”

‘He really knows how to sweet-talk.’

She was just glad he realized it now.

“I need to go to Duke Vianchen’s residence in Landes. Terrence won’t allow it, so either follow me or arrive earlier than I do, as you wish.”

“Sis, I wanna go wif you.”

Chenelle quickly hugged Leah’s shoulder tightly, afraid of being left behind.

“What business do you have at Duke Vianchen’s residence?”

“What’s it to you?”

Leah was already annoyed, so she shrugged and ignored Terrence. His expression turned cold.

“Do you even know how to ride a horse?”

“Well… not really. I can take a carriage.”

“No coachman rides better than I do.”

That was undeniable. She had never seen anyone ride better than Terrence.

“Grace, please think before you speak. Last time, you challenged me to a duel, and didn’t you end up looking like a drowned rat?”

“A rat?”

‘I’m a great swimmer, for goodness’ sake!’

Leah felt her pride wounded by Terrence’s mockery.

Someday, she would show him how she could swim like a mermaid in front of him.

Leah was frustrated because she had no way to explain.

“I will side with the young lady.”

A new presence intervened in their fight—the cause of this conflict, and someone who further incited it.

“Your Majesty!”

Clap, clap. Theresa appeared, clapping her hands, emerging from the shadows. It seemed she had been watching Leah and Terrence’s fight from somewhere.

“Indeed, watching a fight is the most fun.”

“I don’t think Your Majesty is in a position to say that.”

Terrence glared sharply at Theresa.

He couldn’t possibly look kindly upon someone who tried to play with his woman’s life. Showing this much courtesy required great patience.

“The Duke is too dismissive of his fiancée, isn’t he?”

“Please don’t speak carelessly.”

“Why can’t you trust your fiancée? Have you not considered the possibility that she might succeed in her promise to me?”

“It’s not disregard, but concern.”

“Same difference.”

How could he equate disregard with concern? The Emperor was definitely twisted.

“Let me tell you one thing: if Your Majesty harms Grace, I don’t know what choice I might make.”

“Ha! Scary! Are you threatening war?”

“If necessary, I am willing to turn Brasel into a sea of fire.”

At Terrence’s words, Theresa burst into laughter, just as he had done earlier.

Terrence was quite displeased with her laughter.

“When you think about it, men are quite fragile. They get scared before even trying and then bluster.”

“It’s not bluster.”

“Then, why not accept your fiancée’s proposal? What’s the problem?”

“Because it’s obvious I’ll win. Why should I engage in a pointless war of attrition?”

Terrence didn’t flinch in the slightest. Theresa walked towards Terrence, her heels clicking with each step.

“I’ll make sure it’s not a pointless war of attrition. Isn’t it worth a try if you compete against me?”

“!?”

“I will take those two ladies to Duke Vianchen’s residence, so try your best to follow behind me.”

Leah couldn’t believe her ears. Was Theresa offering to be the driver of her carriage?

Of course, she had heard rumors of her riding skills.

“Very well. I will definitely win, Your Majesty.”

The corner of Terrence’s mouth quirked up. This was no longer a fight between Leah and Terrence.

“Tomorrow at ten in the morning, meet me at the main gate of the Imperial Palace.”

Theresa said her piece and disappeared.

* * *

The enjoyable banquet ended on a sour note.

Leah didn’t say a word to Terrence even after returning to the mansion. Instead, the women gathered for a grand drinking party.

“I honestly understand the Duke’s feelings.”

Only Sonia sided with Terrence.

“Still, telling her to give up all her businesses is wrong.”

Pauline stepped in, and the two women started bickering again. Leah and Chenelle had nothing to say but to watch. They were already exhausted from using up all their energy at the palace.

“Sis, you can’t leave me behind.”

“I’m taking you with me. Don’t worry.”

At Chenelle’s words, Pauline and Sonia’s argument stopped abruptly.

Even more amusing, the two women had the same expression. They seemed worried that Leah might ask them to come along.

“I’d like to join, but I have to go back to Lubeck to check on the dress shop. And I have to get permission from Adolf.”

“Me too. I need to post a job ad and conduct interviews. It’s definitely not because I don’t want to be separated from Tom.”

“Tch! Yes, it is! I saw Pauline unnie [term of endearment for older sister in Korean] and Tom oppa [term of endearment for older brother in Korean] secretly kissing!”

As soon as Chenelle opened her mouth, Pauline quickly approached and put a candy in her mouth.

“I wasn’t planning on letting you two come along even if you wanted to. You have a lot of work to do back in Lubeck. Since Chenelle and I will be away, make sure you handle the work well.”

“Understood.”

“Chenelle, can I sleep in your room tonight?”

“Ung! Really? Yay!”

Chenelle stomped her feet in delight.

“Let’s wash up and go to bed. We have to go to the Imperial Palace by ten tomorrow morning. And pack our bags.”

“I’ll pack your bags for you.”

Pauline and Sonia said the same thing at the same time, feeling apologetic.

“Thank you. Sonia, I need to meet Duke Vianchen’s mistress, who is said to be the most famous courtesan in Landes.”

“Ha! That’s a challenge that ignites my competitive spirit. I’ll lend you my secret dress.”

“Secret dress?”

“I have a dress that I made little by little when I was in the Saint-Ebur Imperial Family. I’ll gladly lend it to you, Young Lady. I always carry it with me wherever I go.”

“Sonia, what about me?”

“Of course, there’s one for our Chenelle too.”

Leah gave them a bright smile.

It was a moment of realizing how much happiness and joy it was to work hard and grow a business with people she liked.

Terrence easily told her to quit everything, but it was more important than her life to her.

She was working hard now to get revenge on Allen, but after she finished her revenge, she was willing to share the business with them without any regrets.

‘Instead of just worrying, can’t you trust me?’

Resentment towards Terrence swirled in Leah’s heart.

It was sad that they were going there while fighting with the person she loved.

* * *

Terrence finished his bath and waited for her to come until after midnight.

His patience was running thin, and he stormed out of the room. Even if they fought, shouldn’t she not leave him alone?

“James, where is Grace?”

“I apologize. It seemed the ladies were having a conversation among themselves in the evening. Weren’t you with them?”

“Never mind. I’ll find her myself.”

He wouldn’t be asking if he was with her.

In fact, there was nowhere Grace could hide in this house. She would be with either Pauline or Chenelle.

Sonia was excluded because she was married.

Just as he was turning down the hallway to go to Pauline’s room, he saw Tom looking around and going inside.

‘It’s not Pauline. Then it must be Chenelle.’

Terrence moved towards Chenelle’s room.

He had come, but it wasn’t easy to suddenly enter a woman’s room.

But spending the night without Grace was even more terrible.

Knock, knock. Terrence knocked quietly on the door.

Of course, no one opened the door or answered from inside. He knocked several times, but there was no response.

Wondering if he should, he twisted the doorknob, but it didn’t move at all.

‘Dare she lock the door?’

She must have known he would come looking for her and deliberately locked the door.

Terrence felt a surge of anger and was overwhelmed with rage. Terrence went to find James.

‘I need to ask for the key.’

But James showed difficulty and refused.

“It’s something a gentleman should never do.”

“From this moment on, I’m not being a gentleman!”

Terrence reached out to James, but he adamantly refused.

“I’ll have a maid open the door, so give it to me.”

Only after making all sorts of threats did James hand over the key. Moreover, he followed closely behind Terrence.

As promised with James, Terrence had a maid open the door.

Soon the door opened, and the maid went inside to check the situation and came out.

“They are both asleep.”

“Good.”

Terrence strode in and looked at Leah, who was sleeping soundly.

‘Unbelievable, I’m going crazy like this, and she’s sleeping?’

Seeing her sleeping so calmly made him angry. He picked up Leah without making as much noise as possible so that Chenelle wouldn’t wake up and came out.

“Put a pillow next to Chenelle.”

Terrence gave instructions to the maid and headed to his bedroom with Leah.

Only after laying Leah down next to him did he regain his peace of mind.

He didn’t lie down right away and stared silently at his sleeping fiancée, talking to himself.

“What’s left for me if I take you away from myself?”

He didn’t know why that little woman had nothing to fear. She acted as if she had ten lives, which always made him anxious.

“Can’t I be your number one?”

The moment he heard those ridiculous words from Theresa, he was overwhelmed with the urge to rip off her black veil and strangle her.

“Why are you struggling so much when I’m here?”

He wondered what goal she was trying to achieve by risking her life for her business.

Terrence thought he knew her very well.

“You’re hiding a very big secret from me.”