Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 109

Revenge Bears Interest 109

109. The Trash is Incinerated

November 17, 2023

Terran arrived at the general store later than planned, making him anxious.

“Grace!”

He called her name as he opened the door and entered, but the only person inside the general store was a clerk serving a few customers.

“Where did everyone go?”

“The old man went to the market to look for Miss Grace.”

“The market?”

It was already dark, and he was going to the market? Terran hurriedly got into the carriage.

“Let’s go to the market.”

At his command, the carriage sped towards the market. By now, all the merchants would have withdrawn.

Something was wrong.

The fact that Grandpa Rapa had rushed to the market meant that Grace hadn’t just been delayed.

Sure enough, while heading to the market, he found Rapa walking towards him at a hurried pace.

Terran stopped the carriage and picked up Rapa.

“Where’s Grace?”

“It seems like something happened to the young lady. We need to report it to the police station quickly…”

Terran’s gaze went to the object in Rapa’s hand.

A broken water bottle and crushed aloe, as if they had been thrown violently on the ground.

“The market people said the young lady left with some women.”

“Women? What kind of women?”

“They were definitely women, but I don’t think they were friends.”

Because no friend would throw another friend’s belongings on the ground like that.

Terran went straight to the police station without delay. When Duke Courtois appeared, the guard who was guarding the door was startled.

It wasn’t long before the police chief appeared.

“Duke, what brings you here?”

“Halt all train operations after this hour and control access to and from the city of Lebon. However, keep the port open so that ships can move.”

“Understood.”

The police chief didn’t ask why. He had to follow the Duke’s orders.

Because Terran was the general manager of the Gardencia Capital Defense Forces.

“Arrest all suspicious people! Especially women from Landes.”

“Yes.”

Terran headed to the Duke’s residence.

Because Rapa said that their paths might have crossed, so they should check the Duke’s residence first.

However, the concern soon turned into dread.

“The young lady hasn’t come back yet.”

Pauline, Chenel, and all the other employees had returned home, but only Grace hadn’t.

In that moment, Terran was certain that something was seriously wrong.

Just then, a servant ran to Terran with a stone tied to a piece of paper. His hands trembled as he unfolded the crumpled paper.

*If you want the girl to be safe, bring Oliver and three million gold to the train station.*

“Alicia’s gang.”

Terran knew it right away. She was the only one who would look for Oliver and demand money.

But what to do? The train station was blocked, and it was impossible to leave Lebon by carriage.

Then they would be in a hurry to leave Lebon by boat. Just in time, Luke and Louis also returned to the mansion after finishing their work.

“Louis, go to the train station and see if there are any suspicious people.”

“Yes, Duke.”

Terran threw the crumpled paper to Louis and ordered Luke to go to the port.

As he expected, there would be no one at the train station by now.

They must have realized the blockade late and moved. Still, he sent Louis just in case.

“We need to drive the rats to the port.”

Terran headed to the port because he needed to find the people who sent the threatening letter first to find out where Grace was.

* * *

Alicia and her gang looked flustered at the news that the train was not running.

They had abandoned the men who had been shot in order to leave Lebon quickly.

{Damn it! Why isn’t the train running?}

As she got upset, another woman said in an urgent tone.

{Big sister, there are no carriages leaving Lebon either. A curfew has been issued.}

{What’s that?}

{It means we can’t leave Lebon.}

In that moment, Alicia sensed that if they stayed at the train station, they would be caught without a doubt.

Closing off the entire city was not something that was easily done unless there was an epidemic or a war.

{It looks like the ships are moving. People who came to the train station are going to the port to take passenger ships.}

{Really? Let’s go too.}

Alicia and her “sisters” headed to the port. Carriages were moving within Lebon, so they could get to the port without difficulty.

‘Who the hell is that woman? How did she know and chase us all the way here? And she had a gun.’

Alicia was angry that Grace had been taken away. But that woman must not be an ordinary person either.

It was illegal for a woman to possess a gun. That was the same in every country on the continent.

‘How stupid, is there anything that can’t be done because it’s illegal?’

This kind of thinking itself was foolish.

Even with the law, the world was full of all kinds of crimes. It was her fault for not preparing for variables.

Fortunately, it seemed that Duke Courtois didn’t know yet. But through the carriage window, she could see officers conducting random inspections.

This carriage would soon be inspected too.

{Girls, put on your gloves and take out your fans.}

Alicia told her sisters urgently. They quickly did as she told them.

Finally, the carriage stopped and the carriage door opened. A uniformed officer scrutinized Alicia and the three women intently.

“Where are you from?”

“We’re from Lubeck.”

The officer didn’t seem to doubt Alicia much because of her fluent common language [the standard language spoken across multiple regions].

In addition, the other three women were clearly noble ladies, fluttering fans with luxurious gloves and elaborate embroidery.

Alicia even asked the officer nonchalantly.

“Is there a war or something? The trains aren’t running and there are random inspections.”

“It’s Duke Courtois’s order.”

“Ah, I’m very close to Duke Terran Courtois.”

“I see.”

“I often meet his fiancée for tea parties.”

The officer glanced over the identification card roughly and passed them through because of Alicia’s chatter.

As the carriage moved, Alicia took a breath she had been holding. She was glad she had made fake identification cards.

She almost got caught and dragged to the police station.

‘The Duke’s power is amazing, enough to paralyze a city. But did he notice? No, if he did, why didn’t he block the port? Did he not think of it?’

Alicia was relieved. She was upset that she was leaving without any gains, but she had vented her anger on Grace, so she had to be satisfied with that.

{What are we going to do about not taking Oliver, big sister?}

{I know roughly how to make cosmetics. We’ll have to make and use them in a hurry. If we can find a patron more powerful than Grand Duke Vincent, we’ll have to bring Oliver back.}

Of course, it had to be someone with wealth and power that even Duke Courtois couldn’t touch.

The urgent thing was to return to Landes safely.

‘I should carry a gun too.’

She was only resentful that she hadn’t expected to be backstabbed like this.

The carriage passed the random inspection safely and headed to the port.

However, the carriage began to get stuck because people who couldn’t take the train were flocking to the port to take passenger ships.

{We’re almost there.}

{Sister, there are officers everywhere.}

{It’s okay, the more this happens, the more calmly we act like nothing’s wrong.}

As Alicia gave a sharp word, the youngest, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

{But why couldn’t you do anything to that woman with the gun?}

As the youngest asked boldly, the atmosphere in the carriage turned cold.

Alicia fanned herself and looked at her as if she was pathetic.

{What happens if a woman like me who makes a living with her body gets shot? A courtesan who deals with nobles or royalty has to take care of herself. Don’t you know that there shouldn’t even be a small scar on her body?}

Only then did the youngest nod and agree with Alicia’s words.

{I could have ousted the Grand Duchess and become queen this time. If it wasn’t for that moronic girl [referring to Grace].}

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. She would have understood if Vincent had fallen for Grace.

Who would have thought that he would be so obsessed with a woman who was lacking in every way and rave, ‘The dove that brought me luck, God’s revelation.’ She almost died of frustration.

Finally, the carriage arrived at the port. Alicia and her sisters got out of the carriage.

She wanted to get on the passenger ship as soon as possible, but she hadn’t even taken a few steps when she saw a familiar face.

It was Duke Courtois in a black uniform. He was approaching Alicia with a terrifying momentum like a black panther.

‘Could it be that he only opened the port on purpose? To drive us this way?’

Only then did Alicia realize the situation she was in.

“Luke!”

Terran’s voice, low yet weighty, was filled with intense anger.

“Yes!”

“Arrest all four of them.”

“Duke, what about the young lady’s whereabouts first…?”

“Louis sent someone. He knows where she is.”

As soon as his words fell, the officers surrounded Alicia and the three women.

They shouted and resisted noisily. Among them, only Alicia laughed in vain, as if she had grasped the situation.

“Laughing?”

Terran’s hand, wearing a leather glove, grabbed Alicia’s chin roughly.

“Can you laugh even when you’re on the gallows?”

“That’s funny, no matter how great you are, you can’t execute an innocent person!”

Alicia shouted, shaking off his hand.

To execute someone for a bit of assault was ridiculous.

“I’d like to make you laugh, but in the city of Lebon, my word is the law. You and all that trash should be locked in a cage and pray quietly. Pray that you die less painfully.”

Terran looked down at the women as if they were disgusting.

Alicia’s heart sank as she saw Terran’s eyes, which had been taken over by madness and looked like an animal’s.

“We just hit her a few times.”

At Alicia’s words, Terran closed his eyes tightly and suppressed his anger.

“Who kidnapped someone else’s child? I have a lot to say too!”

“Shut up!”

As Terran shouted scarily, Alicia shut her mouth tightly in a straight line.

“Do you need a convincing crime? I can make as many as you want.”

“Wh…what are you talking about?”

“I’m saying the answer is already decided. The trash is incinerated.”