Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 15

Retribution Bears Interest 15. Uncomfortable Feelings (15/200)

Uncomfortable Feelings

August 15, 2023

A palpable awkwardness hung between Terrence and Leah. Fortunately, Terrence didn’t press her for the reason.

“Th-Thank you.”

Leah felt almost deflated by Terrence’s easy acceptance.

‘Perhaps he’s been waiting for this,’ she thought. It seemed she had inconsiderately taken over the Duke’s residence as if it were her own home.

“I’ll be going now.”

As Leah stood and headed for the door, Terrence called after her.

“Grace, if you see Luke in the hallway, could you tell him I’m looking for him? I forgot to take care of something.”

She had hoped he might try to stop her one last time, but his tone was more businesslike than usual.

Even after all their conversations about breaking off the engagement and parting ways, he seemed completely unaffected.

“Yes? I-I will.”

She fled from the room. Terrence’s easy agreement was somewhat disappointing… no, even wanting that kind of reaction was contradictory and greedy.

‘It’s better this way.’

She was glad she could leave with a clear conscience. Leah soon saw Luke talking to James.

“Luke, the Duke is looking for you.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Luke hurried toward the office.

Leah wanted to say goodbye to the butler, James. However, she didn’t want to interrupt his pleasant conversation with Luke.

“James, thank you for everything.”

“Miss Grace, why do you say that so suddenly?”

“I just felt I had to say it once.”

“Is that so?”

James laughed heartily, bowed politely to Leah, and then disappeared.

Only then did Leah feel like things were slowly falling into place.

‘I can always come back with Father to retrieve the necklace later.’

When you think about it, the Courtois Duke’s residence was the one place Allen’s grasp couldn’t reach. If she stayed in such a safe place any longer, she would drift aimlessly, like a ship without a destination.

Leah returned to her room, stood by the window, and gazed at the scenery outside all day long. A mix of emotions and worries stirred within her.

Her thoughts didn’t cease until the evening glow had painted the sky red, gradually fading into darkness.

“Miss, are you worried about something? You even skipped dinner.”

Pauline, unable to watch any longer, brought food to her room.

Leah knew she couldn’t put it off any longer, so she took Pauline’s hand and led her to the sofa.

“Pauline, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Yes? What do you mean? Where are you going?”

Pauline’s reaction was exactly as she had expected.

“Pauline, you know the Duke doesn’t love me.”

“That was a long time ago. I think he’s changed now….”

On the contrary, Terrence seemed to like Grace more and more each day.

“Where are you going, leaving me behind?”

“Pauline, you need to stay here.”

“No, I don’t want to. Take me with you. I’ve been with you since I was a child. I came all the way here from the Baron’s residence, trusting only you.”

Pauline’s resistance was strong. Leah could only feel sorry for her. If there were a way for them to go together, she would gladly extend her hand, but she couldn’t drag Pauline into hell as well.

“Pauline, listen to me carefully.”

“!?”

“I will never be able to return here.”

‘I have to go to hell hand in hand with Allen.’

She couldn’t bring herself to say those words. Leah was covered in sweat as she coaxed and soothed the crying and fussing Pauline.

Since she didn’t tell her the real reason, they ended up repeating the same questions and answers.

After much difficulty, Leah managed to persuade Pauline. Or perhaps Pauline was just tired and seemed to have given up on following her.

* * *

Leah left the Duke’s residence early in the morning. But there was a carriage waiting in front of the main gate.

‘What is this?’

Just then, the coachman got down and greeted Leah.

“The Duke instructed me to escort you safely to the train station, Miss.”

“Is… that so?”

For a moment, she felt choked up. If she had known, she would have at least thanked him properly before leaving.

She felt sorry for only conveying her intentions as if she were declaring war. Leah turned around, took one last look at the Duke’s residence, and then got into the carriage.

‘I hope everyone will be happy.’

She tried not to cry, but tears burst out.

Finally, the carriage started moving. Only then did Leah vow not to cry anymore, roughly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

‘Don’t cry, it hasn’t even started yet.’

Meanwhile, Terrence stood by the window, watching Grace leave in the carriage. Then he immediately turned and headed to her room.

He could hear Pauline’s sobs from inside. When Terrence entered, Pauline was startled and stood up.

“Duke, can’t you bring the Miss back?”

“What?”

“I have a bad feeling. She said strange things, like someone going to die.”

“Strange things, you say?”

“She said she would never return. And she didn’t pack any luggage. It’s like she’s going to die.”

Even as Terrence listened to Pauline’s words, his gaze remained fixed on the few notebooks neatly arranged on the dressing table.

He wondered why she was so diligently organizing newspaper articles. He needed to know what was shaking her enough to leave the Duke’s residence.

He walked over to the dressing table and picked up the notebooks. She had even numbered them.

‘Ha! Meticulous.’

He chuckled and opened the first volume.

The first page of the notebook contained articles about ‘Allen McDowell’.

Terrence turned to Pauline and said,

“Pauline, people don’t die that easily.”

“Yes?”

Pauline felt embarrassed for being so dramatic at Terrence’s leisurely tone. Was the Duke really so unconcerned, as Grace had said?

“I think I need some tea.”

“Yes, I’ll get it.”

After Pauline left, Terrence began to read the notebooks in earnest.

Most of them were articles about Allen McDowell and the Hamilton Trading Company. There was also news of Leah Hamilton’s death. There were traces of ink smudged where tears had fallen.

‘Allen McDowell, Leah Hamilton, and Grace.’

The first two were understandable, but there shouldn’t be any connection with Grace….

Just then, Pauline returned with the tea. She poured steaming black tea in front of Terrence.

“Pauline, when did Grace start collecting these newspapers?”

“It was right after she woke up from her first bout of the flu.”

The change began when she suddenly rushed into the office and asked for a week’s worth of newspapers.

“Do you think Grace liked this man?”

Terrence showed her an illustration of Allen from a newspaper article and asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Pauline tilted her head and pondered.

At first, she thought it was a new hobby, but it seemed that Grace’s eyes flashed with murderous intent whenever she was scrapbooking newspaper articles.

“But Duke, Miss Grace isn’t very good at hiding her feelings, is she?”

That was true. But that was before Grace’s change began.

Terrence took a sip of the black tea and continued reading the notebooks. But his emotions became increasingly tangled, and a huge wave of anger pressed down on his chest. He was bewildered because he had never felt this emotion before.

The notebooks were filled with ‘Allen McDowell’. Why was Grace so obsessed with this man? She had only seen him once.

‘Did she fall for him?’

Well, Allen McDowell’s behavior was suspicious, but he was quite handsome. Enough for a woman to fall in love.

That might be why she underlined the train time to Galdenia.

‘Did she read the letter?’

Terrence got up from his seat and headed to his office.

He wondered if Grace had read the letter that had come to him and left.

He quickly opened the drawer, and the letter was still sealed. The problem was that something else was missing.

‘Reckless. To leave to meet a man she only saw once.’

No, Allen would welcome Grace with open arms if she came to him.

Terrence squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t know what the whirlwind of emotions raging in his chest was, but it was very uncomfortable, infuriating, and filled with a sense of betrayal.

Even if he shifted his thoughts to something else, the emotions rising in his chest didn’t subside.

* * *

As soon as Leah arrived at the train station, she bought a ticket to Galdenia. Her gaze was fixed on the large clock on the train station wall.

There were only about 20 minutes left before the train arrived. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were sweating. But the station employees were moving busily.

“The train is expected to be delayed from its scheduled arrival time.”

The station employees shouted to the people. Most people didn’t think much of it. It was common for train times to be delayed slightly.

Leah also waited leisurely for the train to arrive. But even after noon and into the afternoon, the 11 o’clock train showed no signs of arriving, and eventually, people became agitated.

“Train service will be unavailable for several days.”

At the station employee’s sudden announcement, people complained and left the station.

“We have to take a stagecoach.”

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to take the mail coach.”

People grumbled and packed their luggage.

Leah was just as flustered. If she couldn’t go to Galdenia by train, she would have to take a carriage like the others. But another problem arose.

“We can’t leave Revon City?”

“They say the Metropolitan Police Agency is controlling the entire Revon to catch smugglers.”

“Then, we’ll have to take the mail coach.”

Leah hurried after the people. But the mail coach was already full, and the last coach had already left the city.

Just then, the bell tower rang, announcing five o’clock in the evening.

“What should I do?”

Leah stood on the street, staring blankly at the clock. She was truly stuck.

The train wouldn’t be running for several days, and the entire city of Revon was under lockdown. She didn’t even bring money for a hotel.

‘Should I go back to the Duke’s residence?’

The problem was that she wasn’t shameless enough to do that.

After telling Terrence to break off the engagement and that she was leaving, how could she go back? Absolutely not. Leah felt hopeless.