Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 102

The Tyrant Who Enjoys Games (1)

After Terran fell asleep, Leia quietly opened her eyes. She sensed his underlying worries.

But she hadn’t realized he was suspicious. *I need to be more careful*, Leia thought. *There’s a right time for everything.*

*I wish I could hate you.*

Even after their arguments, Leia still longed to be with Terran. But she dreaded the thought of him asking her to abandon her ambitions.

*If you say that again, I really might hate you.*

Leia turned to face Terran. Tomorrow, they would have to argue to get their points across, to truly understand each other.

She needed to find a way to ‘beat’ Terran, to prove herself worthy of his complete love.

Leia snuggled into his arms, and even in his sleep, he instinctively embraced her.

*I won’t lose. I’m going to do my best to win you over.*

But for now, she simply wanted to fall asleep in Terran’s warm embrace.

Leia listened to his heartbeat and drifted off to sleep.

Terran felt a surge of happiness as Leia snuggled closer. He kissed her forehead and lips as she slept.

*I have no intention of letting you win. I have to protect you.*

He couldn’t bear the thought of exposing his precious fiancée to any danger, be it from people or circumstances.

To be brutally honest, he loathed the idea of her meeting Duke Vincent.

Knowing the Duke’s reputation with women, sending her alone to his residence felt like throwing a rabbit to the lions.

*Now I can finally sleep peacefully.*

He had reached a point where he couldn’t sleep without her presence.

He needed the comforting scent of her soap, the feel of her feather-soft golden hair tickling his face, and the sound of her gentle breathing to lull him to sleep.

He reaffirmed a fundamental truth.

*You can be addicted to people, not just drugs or alcohol.*

It was too embarrassing to admit aloud, so he kept the thought to himself.

Terran realized in the Basel Forest that he was addicted to Grace, not the poisonous fumes.

That’s what allowed him to withstand the toxic smoke.

*It would be nice if you were only sweet. Sometimes you’re like a strong medicine.*

A bitter medicine that he had to swallow, or he would succumb to illness.

Terran regretted that their temporary truce was nearing its end.

When the sun rose, they would both stubbornly refuse to yield. Then Terran’s gaze drifted to her fair chest.

*No! I mustn’t get excited. I’m not an animal.*

He shook his head and turned away.

* * *

At ten in the morning, Terran and Leia arrived at the Imperial Palace gate. But they weren’t alone; Chaner was accompanied by Luke and Louis.

“Why did you come?”

Luke scolded Louis.

“The Duke will only care about the young lady. Of course, I have to look after Chaner.”

“Who says you have to look after her?”

“At least, I figured it wouldn’t be Luke, who already has a fiancée.”

“What? You!”

If Theresa hadn’t arrived on time, Luke would have grabbed Louis by the collar.

“The competition must be fair.”

Theresa had arranged for a two-wheeled carriage.

Compared to Terran, who was only riding a horse, the horse pulling the carriage would expend much more energy.

So, riding in a two-wheeled carriage was considered fair.

“It doesn’t matter how many horses there are. I’m going to win anyway.”

Terran said, dismissing the number of horses as irrelevant. He had spent countless days and nights riding horses across battlefields and rough terrain.

“The two ladies should get in the carriage.”

Theresa said, looking at Leia and Chaner. Leia turned to Terran.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“!?”

Leia’s worried eyes and tone struck him deeply.

More than Theresa’s provocation, her simple words and concerned look made his fighting spirit waver.

He desperately wanted to kiss her passionately right then and there, competition be damned.

Chaner felt compelled to emulate Leia, so she shouted at Luke and Louis.

“I’m on the winning side!”

Chaner’s childish cry shattered the tender emotion that had welled up in Terran’s heart.

He snapped back to his senses, and his desire to defeat Theresa surged anew.

The chamberlain ascended the watchtower and waved the flag, and Theresa drove the carriage to the starting line.

Terran positioned himself alongside her.

“Duke, thanks to you, I still feel alive.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

This time, Terran refrained from responding with barbed words.

In fact, Theresa, as she prepared to leave the Imperial Palace, radiated vitality.

*There’s no tyrant who enjoys games like her.*

Theresa wasn’t a tyrant in the truest sense, but she was widely recognized as a strong leader due to her charisma and commanding presence.

“Start!”

The chamberlain shouted and waved the flag, and Theresa cracked the whip, sending the carriage surging into the lead.

The sounds of carriages and horseshoes echoed noisily through the quiet morning streets.

Theresa knew every alley in the capital, and she skillfully navigated a different route. They seemed to be running neck and neck, but she suddenly veered the horse’s head, throwing Terran’s party into confusion.

“Vivian is no match for her.”

Terran clicked his tongue in admiration of Theresa’s driving skills.

Even though she deliberately chose unfamiliar roads, he managed to stay right behind her. The other two were nowhere to be seen.

Leia and Chaner were struggling to maintain their balance, swaying back and forth in the carriage.

“Sister, we’ve become baggage.”

“Hold on tight to that rope; we’ll have to endure this until we arrive,” Leia said, pointing to the rope hanging from the ceiling.

Theresa’s carriage driving skills were far beyond what one would expect from a woman.

She was a formidable opponent, even if she were competing against a man, even Terran.

*She’s cool.*

Even as a woman, Leia found her incredibly charming. If Theresa were a man, she would be inundated with love letters.

“Wow! Mister is so cool too!”

Chaner occasionally peeked out the window to check on Terran.

“But where did the two go? Did they go home crying?”

Leia laughed at Chaner’s cute, inquisitive expression.

Theresa and Terran remained neck and neck, whether they were traversing flatlands or forest paths outside the capital.

Eventually, Luke and Louis’s horses appeared from behind, much to Chaner’s delight.

“Chaner, do you still like Luke?”

Leia wondered if Chaner’s affections had shifted.

“I like him, but I hate him more.”

“What about Louis?”

“Louis is…”

Chaner was uncharacteristically sparing of words. Judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to dislike Louis either.

“He has to marry the princess.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Leia was startled. Chaner often made people uneasy by saying incomprehensible things with such seriousness.

“Louis will be a high-ranking person.”

Ultimately, she meant that he was not her equal.

*Well, the Marchioness Valier’s personality is not ordinary.*

If the Marchioness discovered that Louis harbored feelings for Chaner, she would be furious.

Then Chaner stared directly at Leia. For a fleeting moment, her eyes sparkled with determination.

“Sister! Wherever you go later, take me with you, okay?”

“Where am I going? Well, I might go on a trip. I promise I won’t forget Chaner, and I’ll definitely take you with me.”

“Pinky swear!”

Chaner smiled brightly and held out her little finger.

“You have to say ‘promise’.”

“This means a promising hand!”

“Ah, I see. It was an abbreviation.”

The two hooked their little fingers and made their promise.

Thus, the carriage traveled for several hours and arrived at the border between Galdesia and Landes.

By a narrow margin, the carriage was in the lead, with Terran and his party trailing behind.

“There are many soldiers.”

“They are border guards. They are conducting identity checks.”

“I see.”

Just then, Theresa opened the inside window and called out to Leia.

“Young lady, I think we need to use a little trick to win!”

“Use a trick? How?”

At Leia’s question, Theresa pointed to the young soldiers.

Leia immediately understood the trick Theresa was suggesting.

Leia hurriedly fixed her hair and lightly bit her lip to enhance its color.

“Chaner, wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Leia got out of the carriage and walked towards the soldiers. Of course, Terran watched the entire scene unfold from behind.

The soldiers became visibly agitated when Leia emerged from the carriage. They rarely had the opportunity to see women, let alone a beautiful lady, so they were understandably surprised.

“Captain! Come out!”

They were so excited that they urgently summoned their superior.

Soon, a man in a slightly different military uniform appeared from inside the outpost.

He also smiled upon seeing Leia.

“I will conduct a simple identity check.”

“My name is Grace Bizac of Lubeck. I am on my way to Duke Vincent’s residence on business.”

Leia handed the prepared pass to the captain.

“How long are you planning to stay at Duke Vincent’s residence?”

“Well, I anticipate it will be about a day or two.”

Even as he asked various questions, the captain’s eyes darted around, admiring Leia’s beauty.

“Yes, you may pass.”

The captain returned the pass to Leia and smiled slightly. But Leia looked at him with a flushed face.

Deliberately glancing back at Terran, the captain quietly led Leia closer to the outpost.

“Is there anything wrong?”

“Actually, the men in the carriage behind us have been chasing us all along… I’m sorry, but could you please detain those people here for a while?”

*Terran, I’m sorry. I have no choice if I want to beat you.*

Her conscience pricked her, but it seemed impossible to defeat Terran otherwise.

At Leia’s words, the captain nodded, understanding her implication.

They appeared to be men chasing after a beautiful woman.

“Don’t worry and have a pleasant trip.”

The captain even opened the carriage door and offered Leia his hand to help her inside.

Soon, the carriage passed safely through the border, leaving Terran’s party stranded.

“Mister! Nah nah na boo boo!”

Chaner stuck her face out of the window and stuck her tongue out at Terran.