Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 147

Revenge Has Interest 147. The Princess’s Identity (147/200)

The Princess’s Identity

2023.12.25.

Allen’s confusion deepened. He felt chills down his spine throughout his conversation with Grace.

He had only thought of her as a lovely woman before, but now her very existence felt ominous.

‘By the way, where did the princess disappear to?’

She came to the selection ball, so she must have a goal to achieve.

Just then, the lively music in the ballroom abruptly stopped, and someone shouted.

“Your Majesty! Thugs dragged Louise Valeriana away! I followed them and saw the thugs beating Louise to a pulp!”

The source of the chaos was Chenel. A bit dim-witted, but incredibly skilled at lace-making.

Come to think of it, why haven’t my secretary and the goons returned yet? Allen quickly scanned his surroundings.

‘Theron and his group are nowhere to be seen either.’

It seemed they had gone to save Louise. Just then, Empress Theresa ordered.

“The Royal Guard shall arrest all impure individuals who disrupt the selection ball!”

Theresa’s command caused great commotion, and the grand selection ball quickly turned into a mess.

At that moment, Louise’s parents were seen approaching Grace.

“Young lady, who on earth would do this to our Louise…?”

The woman, presumably the mother, fainted, turning the ballroom into utter chaos.

It seemed the selection was a failure today.

‘Damn it! I need to get out of here quickly.’

Allen hurriedly headed for his carriage.

He only intended to slightly deal with Louise, who was sticking close to Salome, but things had escalated.

If his secretary was caught by Theron, it was wise to back out now.

The moment his secretary was caught by the Royal Guard, it was only a matter of time before his name came out.

‘Why did she have to be the princess?’

Salome showed hostility as soon as she saw his face.

He realized in that instant that he had no chance of becoming the prince consort. Salome was also the one who uncovered Tuazo’s corruption, so she couldn’t possibly have good feelings towards him.

“Damn it!”

Allen was just about to get into his carriage when someone rushed towards him.

“Mr. McDowell, why are you leaving already?”

It was a reporter from the ‘Brassel Daily.’ The same one who wrote the article about Chenel being a gypsy.

“Reporter, it seems today’s selection is a lost cause.”

“For the most promising candidate to leave like this.”

Allen’s mind sparked at the reporter’s words. If he couldn’t become the prince consort, he could make sure no one else did either.

“I just happened to find out something very scandalous about the princess.”

“Scandalous, you say?”

The reporter’s eyes gleamed. He felt like he had caught the scent of a scoop.

“I can’t just go around talking about the imperial family’s affairs. I’m not so unconscionable as to disregard social ethics and morality.”

As Allen tried to get back into the carriage, the reporter clung to him.

“Mr. President, could you perhaps give me a ride to my lodgings?”

“Very well.”

Allen reluctantly let the reporter into his carriage.

Sarah watched as Allen left the ballroom early in his carriage with the reporter.

In fact, she had been watching Allen since the ball began.

Wearing a mask and a fancy dress, Allen didn’t recognize her at all.

But Sarah recognized Allen instantly. She would have recognized him even if he had worn a mask.

‘It’s strange. Why didn’t he look for the princess?’

Allen’s reason for attending the ball must have been solely to be selected as the prince consort. Yet, he didn’t do anything.

The Allen she knew would never give up so easily. Moreover, given Allen’s current circumstances, being selected as the prince consort would be crucial, yet he was spouting strange things to a reporter.

‘I have a bad feeling about this. I need to tell Lady Rhea.’

Sarah quickly went to Rhea.

* * *

When Salome returned to the ballroom, supporting the injured Louise, people were shocked.

Both looked like drowned rats and were a mess, as if they had been in a big fight.

The thugs were arrested by the Royal Guard and taken to the police station.

“Oh! Louise!”

Marchioness Valier, who had fainted and awakened, and her husband were aghast when they saw Louise. She shouted to her servants.

“Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the hospital.”

How badly had she been assaulted for her face to be covered in blood?

The servants snatched Louise away from Salome.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Louise until the last moment when she was taken to the hospital in the carriage.

Thus, the ball ended in a mess.

No, Theresa ended the party early because it could no longer continue.

It was a grand event hosted by the Emperor after a long time.

Thanks to showing the changed Emperor, people showered her with blessings, but the ending was truly a disaster.

Rhea slowly approached Theresa, who was standing with a stiff face.

She must have wanted to have a good time for once, but such an unfortunate event occurred, so Rhea could imagine how Theresa must be feeling.

“Your Majesty, I don’t know what words of comfort to offer.”

“It seems I need an explanation rather than comfort.”

Theresa gestured towards Theron and Luke, who were involved in the incident. In that moment, Salome thought it was the right time.

As Theron and Luke walked towards Theresa, Salome blocked their path.

“Duke, I think I should talk to my mother first. Please wait a moment.”

“As you wish, Sir Roberto.”

Theron had never seen Salome look so sad since he had known him.

He always acted frivolous and unserious, like a playboy, but he seemed to have gained a great realization from today’s events.

Salome left the ballroom with Theresa.

“Shouldn’t we go to the hospital?”

Rhea asked Theron. Even at a glance, Louise’s condition looked very bad.

If Chenel hadn’t told them… She didn’t even want to imagine.

“Louise will be fine.”

Theron comforted Rhea. The problem was how to deal with Allen from now on.

His secretary had also been taken to the police station, so the whole story would soon be revealed. Just then, Sarah rushed towards Rhea.

“Lady, Duke.”

Sarah called out to the two in an agitated tone.

“Allen left in a carriage with a reporter from Brassel Daily.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes, Lady.”

“Ha! The newspapers will be in an uproar tomorrow.”

Theron burst out in frustration.

He thought they had the upper hand by catching Allen’s secretary, but it seemed they were about to take a hard hit.

“Why will the newspapers be in an uproar?”

Rhea and everyone else asked Theron for the reason.

Theron realized he could no longer keep it a secret. After all, everyone needed to know the truth to catch Allen.

“That’s because the princess of Galdenia is Sir Salome Roberto.”

“What?”

Everyone shouted in unison, shocked.

Salome Roberto, the handsome man from Galdenia famous for his womanizing, was a princess?

Theresa had never given Salome any title. Because of that, people called Salome, who was a member of the imperial family, Sir Roberto out of courtesy.

At the time, they only thought it was because he was out of favor with the Emperor. No one had ever expected him to be a princess.

“I can understand a little why Her Majesty held the masquerade ball.”

Rhea felt like she finally understood Theresa’s feelings.

She must have hoped that a man would appear who would choose Salome without prejudice.

But she wondered if it wasn’t too much to ask.

She also wondered if she had set up the situation to allow Salome to bring the person he liked first.

“There are no eternal secrets in the world.”

Rhea nodded at Sarah’s words.

‘Allen’s secrets will soon be revealed too.’

* * *

Salome explained to Theresa about what had happened today.

He also didn’t leave out that Allen McDowell had threatened him and hired thugs to terrorize Louise.

Thus, Theresa and Salome had their first serious conversation.

“Salome Roberto, Princess, stop the charade now.”

Tears welled up in Theresa’s eyes as she looked at Salome. When she suffered from smallpox and was tormented by hideous scars, her young daughter was greatly shocked.

[I will not live as a woman.]

Salome, who resembled Theresa so much, didn’t want to show her mother how she was growing up as a woman.

“Did you think this mother would be jealous of you?”

“Not jealous, but I wanted to share even a little of my mother’s pain.”

Even though they were mother and daughter, she was concerned about the sense of loss Theresa would feel seeing a daughter who looked exactly like her past self.

So she cut her hair like a man and wore a uniform. She wanted to understand Theresa’s feelings by giving up being a woman.

“There is no mother in the world who envies her daughter.”

“I know. But there can be a daughter who loves her mother so much that she wants to share even her pain.”

Salome burst into tears, and Theresa hugged her.

“Don’t suffer anymore. I’m fine now. Although it’s makeup, I’ve been freed from my long suffering. Salome, Princess, live as your true self from now on.”

“Mother, do you mean it?”

“Do I mean that I want you to live as a woman?”

“No, have you truly escaped from the pain that tormented Mother?”

“If I hadn’t escaped, I wouldn’t be wearing this dress. The moment I decided to take off the veil, I vowed to no longer suffer and hate myself. So you should be free too.”

Theresa shed tears of regret.

She should have actively stopped her young daughter when she cut her long hair and acted like a man, saying she would participate in her mother’s pain.

But at the time, she was too overwhelmed to bear even the misfortune that had befallen her, so she couldn’t deeply understand Salome’s heart.

Then things grew out of control, and another tragedy occurred in the imperial family.

“Living as a man wasn’t all bad. Rather, I was free. But now…”

“You like that man?”

“Yes, so much that I want to be purely a woman in front of him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you had, I wouldn’t have held such a grand ball.”

Theresa was filled with regret. If she had talked to Salome seriously, today’s commotion would not have happened.

But Salome wanted to confirm Louise’s true feelings.

So she finally learned his heart, but the situation had turned for the worst.