Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 161

Retribution Bears Interest Episode 161. You’ll See in Time (161/200)

January 8, 2024

Terun faced the opposite situation. He had visited Lebon Music University for the third time, but Heidel Hunt refused to meet him.

As if in retaliation, he made Terun wait all day, only to cancel the appointment due to being busy.

“See, he should have met you sooner.”

Luke grumbled beside Terun.

“Who is the chairman of Lebon Music University?”

“Marquis Vallier.”

“Oh ho! So that’s how it is.”

Terun’s eyes gleamed sharply.

He had come out of courtesy, feeling sorry for not recognizing and turning away Heidel Hunt, but how dare he stand up Courtois, the Duke?

He returned to the Duke’s residence and wrote a letter to Marquis Vallier.

“Heidel Hunt will come running and bow his head before me.”

Luke knew Terun’s intentions all too well.

‘That wicked mind!’

Who was the one at fault in the first place? Luke shook his head.

Terun never tolerated being in a disadvantageous or weak position in any situation.

Or rather, he had never been in such a position, so he didn’t know what he had done wrong.

In any case, as Terun said, Professor Heidel Hunt faced Terun in less than half a day.

“I had heard rumors, but Duke Courtois is truly…”

“Truly what?”

“Arrogant.”

“That’s my charm.”

“Charm? How can you be so clueless about the situation? Isn’t that why your fiancée left you?”

“What did you say?”

Luke and James struggled to suppress their laughter at Terun’s outburst.

It was a refreshing feeling after a long time. Like a decade-old indigestion being relieved.

Luke carefully examined Professor Hunt. His white hair and curled white mustache on both sides made him look very stubborn.

“Are you done talking, Professor?”

“Just know that if you continue to be high-handed with me, you’ll get less information about your fiancée.”

Terun was about to jump up from the sofa but sat back down.

Now was not the time to argue with the old professor. Besides, Luke was holding him back.

“It was a mistake that I didn’t meet you. I was out of my mind.”

“So?”

“I’m… sorry.”

Only after hearing the word ‘sorry’ from Terun’s mouth did the deep wrinkles on Professor Hunt’s forehead smooth out.

“I lost my precious daughter in the sinking of the Titami. She dreamed of being a doctor… She couldn’t fulfill her dream in Lubeck, so she finally achieved it in faraway Lomerica.”

His voice was filled with deep sorrow.

Even though he had lost his daughter, it was clear that he was trying not to break, thanks to his unyielding personality.

“Your fiancée was apparently unwell on the cruise ship. My daughter took care of her for three days. Your fiancée sent me a promissory note and a thank-you letter.”

“A promissory note and a thank-you letter?”

“I was easily able to find out who this Grace Vizak was. She was a famous person in Lebon.”

Professor Hunt handed the promissory note and letter to Luke, and Terun almost snatched them away.

‘It’s Grace’s handwriting.’

Not only that, but the postmark on the stamp was from Graymon. So she was definitely in Graymon now.

“Take the promissory note back.”

Terun handed the promissory note back to Luke.

He knew why Leah had given the promissory note to Professor Hunt.

“It’s too much money. If it were Elizabeth, she would never have accepted it. She would have considered it just doing what a doctor should do. That’s why I visited the Duke’s residence several times to return this promissory note.”

The atmosphere became somber at Professor Hunt’s words. It was already hard enough to bear the loss of his own daughter.

“Thank you for taking care of my fiancée.”

Only then did Terun show courtesy and express his gratitude to Professor Hunt.

At the same time, he was worried about how Leah was and what was wrong with her.

No matter how much he looked at the letter, there was no mention of the illness itself. He thought it must have been severe seasickness. She was so weak.

“If you can’t accept the promissory note, consider it a donation for a scholarship.”

“Yes? If that’s your intention, I will accept it. However, please deliver it directly to the school.”

“I will.”

With this, the conflict with Professor Heidel Hunt was settled.

After Professor Hunt left, Terun began to research Graymon.

“What is the population of Graymon?”

“Approximately five million people.”

“Then, is it a kingdom? Or a duchy?”

“I believe it is a kingdom.”

“Really? I’ll send a personal letter, so make sure it’s delivered well.”

Luke was curious about Terun’s intentions.

Even if he went to Graymon, he wouldn’t be able to meet Grace right away. Although the population was small, he knew it was quite a large island nation.

If Leah was in a rural area of Graymon, not the city center, it might take quite a while to find her.

As if knowing Luke’s concerns, Terun smirked and said,

“I’ll make it so she can’t stand staying indoors.”

“Yes? What are you planning to do?”

“You’ll see in time.”

Terun’s face lit up.

The hopeless wreck who had fallen off a cliff and had no hope had disappeared without a trace, and he looked excited, as if he had discovered the joy of life.

* * *

Sarah brought Karen a very interesting object.

“Here, get in, miss.”

“Sarah, what is this?”

Leah wasn’t asking because she didn’t know. There had been chairs of this type before.

But the wheeled chair in front of her was not a roughly made wooden object.

“It’s called a wheelchair, imported from the New World [the Americas].”

“Wheelchair?”

“Yes, it’s made of sturdy steel and mainly used by patients with mobility issues. It was very expensive.”

“It looks like it.”

In terms of carriages, it was like one for the imperial family.

Sarah explained in detail why she bought the wheelchair.

She said she felt sorry that Leah was only lying in bed, and she wanted to take her for walks and go to the nearby market together in the wheelchair.

“I was feeling so depressed just lying down anyway.”

“How can you just lie down until childbirth? If the mother is sad, it might have a bad effect on the babies in the womb.”

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Leah burst into tears.

After becoming pregnant, her heart became as fragile as a single sheet of glass, and she often cried at the slightest thing.

She was often saddened by trivial matters.

More than anything, she missed people. The people who would be waiting for her at the Duke’s residence.

Even though Sarah took good care of her, there was an emptiness that couldn’t be filled.

She knew too well whose place that emptiness was, and her heart ached. She resented and blamed Terun, but she missed and longed for him just as much.

“You can move on your own by turning these wheels. But I’ll push you from behind.”

Sarah put Leah in the wheelchair and moved her around inside the house.

“It’s so comfortable. It’s stable because there’s a footrest too.”

“Miss, the weather is so nice today. Shall we go for a walk?”

“Yes.”

“Put on your hat first. The sunlight is quite strong.”

Sarah quickly took Leah outside, as if she had read her sad heart.

Feeling the bright sunlight and wind would make her feel better. Leah liked the wheelchair quite a bit.

“Sarah, what if I forget how to walk like this?”

“I don’t think someone who came back from the dead should be saying that?”

“I guess you’re right. But I’m really comfortable.”

Even though she was bothered by the gazes of passersby, she was glad she could see the outside world like this.

‘Everyone is looking at me with pity.’

Because a young lady was riding in a wheelchair, they had a pitiful expression, wondering, ‘Why did she become disabled at that age?’

“Miss, do you know what? I was lonely too.”

“I know.”

“How?”

“I know it’s a funny thing to say, but we were close enough to love one man. That intimacy includes a communion that cannot be expressed in words.”

There were times when she could feel Sarah’s emotions without having to express them.

How different were her circumstances from hers? Rather, it was more difficult to care for a sick person.

“Looking back now, I did love Allen, but on the other hand, I wonder if I was assimilated into your intimacy.”

“I think I know what that psychology is. It’s hard to say it’s just a matter of having the same taste.”

The desire to share everything with a close friend.

Living life together, looking in the same direction, and experiencing many things together would make them resemble each other.

“But Duke Terun is not my type. He’s too cold.”

Leah laughed out loud for the first time in a while at Sarah’s words. Indeed, there were not many women who could handle Terun.

He was only kind to her, but he was cold, closed off, and clueless.

Moreover, he was dogmatic, arrogant, and had to have a strong competitive spirit. At the same time, he was a man with a purity that revealed all his inner feelings like a child when he collapsed.

Still, she couldn’t easily forgive him for colluding with Vivian and giving her medicine without asking for her consent.

Then Sarah stopped walking, seeing something. Soon Leah’s gaze also stopped at the advertising flag hanging on the gas lamp.

“There’s going to be a fireworks display soon.”

“That sounds fun.”

“They say the fireworks display will last for three days.”

“That must cost a lot of money.”

Anyway, it was certain that there would be something fun to see soon.

* * *

Terun toured Winds, the royal capital of Graymon, with Luke.

The atmosphere was quite different from Lubeck, and the weather was hot and humid, as befitting an island nation.

It only had summer and winter, and even winter was about the same as autumn weather in Lubeck.

“It’s peaceful and quiet here.”

To put it nicely, that’s how it was, and to put it bluntly, it was nothing more than a backwater. Still, among the people passing by, there were often women wearing Chener lace [a type of delicate, handmade lace].

Each time, Luke cleared his throat towards Terun. He meant to take a look.

But Terun’s eyes widened as he looked for Leah, wondering if she might be among the women he saw.

“The sun is very strong here. That’s why all the women are wearing big hats.”

“Should I buy you a hat too?”

“I’m just saying. Look over there. The woman in the wheelchair and the person pushing her are also wearing hats. It’s harder to find someone who isn’t wearing one.”