Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 174

Revenge Bears Interest 174

174. When to Bury the Truth

2024.01.21.

Terran and Leia were excited as they headed toward the church cemetery.

For Leia, who needed to purchase the open space around Lebon Station, meeting the landowner was a significant opportunity.

“Why doesn’t he want to sell the land, even though he put it up for sale?”

“He probably wants to raise the price.”

“But you’ve already offered the highest price, haven’t you?”

Terran smiled wryly at Leia’s question. Indeed, people’s minds are hard to fathom.

Judging from his behavior, it didn’t seem to be just about the money… It seemed necessary to meet him in person and talk.

“Sarah seemed to know him.”

“Did she?”

“Yes, that’s why I think she said she wouldn’t come along.”

Leia tilted her head.

She wondered why Sarah, who usually stayed by her side, hadn’t come forward.

Before they knew it, the carriage arrived at the church cemetery.

It was a place Leia couldn’t simply pass by, so she naturally headed to ‘Leia Hamilton’s’ grave.

It wasn’t intentional; her legs moved instinctively. But Terran did the same.

“Sarah comes here from time to time to plant flowers and pull weeds.”

“I know.”

“Something I can’t even do.”

“It’s difficult for Grace to face this place.”

No matter how good-natured one is, how many people would comfortably visit the place where their physical body is buried? It’s not as easy as it sounds.

“Oh!”

Leia, who had been walking beside him, stopped, and Terran followed her gaze.

Soon, he saw a man standing in front of Leia’s grave.

Terran sensed it immediately—that he was Benjamin Krint. How did he know?

[Duke, if you go to the cemetery, Benjamin Krint will be there.]

[How does Sarah know that?]

[He is Richard Hamilton, the owner.]

[What?]

At first, he was incredibly surprised.

But after hearing the whole story from Sarah, he could understand how Richard had changed his name and identity.

When they were in Graymon, Sarah often exchanged letters with Richard.

But at some point, he drew a firm line, saying he would live a new life and not contact her.

After that, even when Sarah sent letters, he didn’t reply.

[But how did you meet again?]

[I went to check on Leia’s grave and met him again. Of course, I didn’t say anything.]

It wasn’t that she didn’t say anything, but that she couldn’t. Sarah was quick-witted and judged that it wasn’t a situation for her to intervene. But Terran agreed with Sarah’s assessment.

Grace Bizac being Leia Hamilton was a huge secret that only she could reveal.

Even her husband couldn’t do it for her.

“Who are you?”

Terran deliberately asked Richard loudly, even though he knew, and Richard turned around in surprise.

Soon, a heavy atmosphere filled the church cemetery.

The expressions of Richard, Terran, and Leia were all the same. Among them, Leia stared at Richard, frozen like an ice statue.

‘Father.’

“It’s my daughter’s grave, but what brings you here?”

Richard asked Terran instead.

He had come to see his daughter, so it wasn’t right for Terran to question him.

Then Terran explained the circumstances that led him to come to the cemetery.

That he had witnessed Leia’s accident, recovered her body, and even held her funeral.

“Duke Courtois, thank you.”

Richard thanked Terran politely after hearing his words. Terran introduced his wife to Richard.

“This is my wife, Grace Courtois.”

Terran gently embraced Leia, who was stiff with shock.

“H-Hello.”

Leia barely managed to greet him. She had wanted to run into her father’s arms, crying, but when she saw her father standing before her, her mind seemed blank.

Terran judged that Leia was unable to have a proper conversation with her father, so he started the conversation first.

“Mr. Hamilton, why did you change your name?”

“Do you know me?”

“I met you when I was young. And you were a prominent merchant leader of an era, weren’t you?”

“That’s all in the past.”

Terran instinctively felt that Richard didn’t want to talk about the past.

Then he had no choice but to have a practical conversation.

“Why aren’t you selling the open space at Lebon Station?”

Even though you announced in all the newspapers that you would put it up for sale, Terran thought.

Terran asked bluntly.

“I’m thinking of donating it. I changed my mind because I didn’t want it to be used commercially.”

Richard said that he had sold all the mansion and property he had received back from Galdenia and donated it to society.

But to Terran, it sounded like Richard wanted to erase all traces of himself from this land.

In Richard’s wrinkled face, he could see the deep sorrow of a father who had lost his child.

“I need that land.”

Leia, who had been silent all along, stepped forward. Her tone was slightly agitated, but she seemed much calmer.

“Why do you need that land?”

Richard asked Leia.

“I want to build a department store. The area near the station, with good population mobility, is perfect for a department store location.”

“I told you I don’t want it to be used for commercial facilities.”

“I’m the one who acquired the Hamilton General Store in Galdenia.”

“Yes?”

Richard stared blankly at Leia’s face for a while.

In fact, even after returning to Galdenia, he deliberately didn’t inquire about matters related to the merchant group.

No, he closed his ears even when someone tried to tell him the news.

But it was truly surprising that the noblewoman in front of him had acquired the Hamilton General Store.

“Even if there’s a war, you can’t close the general store, right? I heard that the general store is like a lifeline to the people, so you can’t raise prices recklessly or close down.”

“How did you know that?”

Those were the words he used to say to Leia.

He taught her that the general store was not just a store, but like the last bastion of the common people.

No matter what situation the country was in, people had to be able to obtain food, first aid, and daily necessities.

‘Those are the words you always told me, Father,’ Leia thought.

Leia wanted to shout. Although her appearance wasn’t Leia, the soul inside this body was your daughter.

“I heard that the general store is the foundation of the Hamilton Trading Company.”

“Who did you hear that from?”

Richard’s eyes trembled anxiously. It was strange that a stranger was saying the things he had told Leia as if she had heard them directly.

“That’s…!”

What should she answer? Would he believe her if she said, ‘Because I’m Leia Hamilton’?

It was only for a moment, but her mind spun like a rapidly running carriage wheel.

“Isn’t that something anyone can guess? There’s no other reason why the Hamilton Trading Company wouldn’t let go of the general store until the end.”

Terran interjected, speaking for Leia. Only then did Richard laugh helplessly.

“If your daughter were alive, wouldn’t she want to build a large general store on the land at Lebon Station?”

Leia took courage. She wanted to convince Richard to some extent before telling him that she was his daughter.

“If our Leia were alive? Maybe, she would have. But she’s not here. I can’t see her again.”

Richard replied in a despairing tone.

Leia barely held back her tears. Her chin trembled, and her heart pounded.

She was seized with the urge to comfort and reassure her pitiful father right away.

It pained her to watch him.

“Thank you both for protecting my daughter’s last moments. I’ll just give you the land.”

“I didn’t reveal my circumstances to get it for free.”

Terran refused outright.

“I know. But how can I pretend not to know when you’ve done something her father couldn’t do? And…”

In the end, Richard lowered his head and shed tears.

Leia’s heart ached at the sight of him sobbing, his shoulders shaking. She would have to tell him the truth.

Leia took courage and approached Richard. Just then, she heard someone approaching.

“Honey!”

“Daddy!”

A woman in her late thirties and a girl who looked about three years old approached Richard.

Richard hugged his wife and daughter and cried with them.

“Honey, we promised not to cry anymore.”

“Daddy, did you cwy [cry]?”

“No, Leia.”

Richard held the little girl in his arms. But he called his daughter ‘Leia.’

“This daddy has a family, so he won’t cry anymore.”

Leia only watched the scene of Richard sharing his sorrow with his new family.

In that moment, a great realization filled her heart.

“I’m sorry for showing you such an unsightly sight at our first meeting. We’ll be leaving for Lomerica tomorrow. Before we go, we’ll arrange for the ownership of the Lebon Station land to be transferred to the Duke.”

“Aren’t you going to rebuild the Hamilton Trading Company?”

Terran felt that what his family had built in Galdenia was going to waste.

He didn’t understand why he was trying to get rid of everything and leave when Empress Teresa had restored his rights.

“I’m going to live as Benjamin Krint from now on. I buried the past me and the Hamilton Trading Company together in my daughter’s grave over there.”

“That’s a pity.”

“Instead, I have a favor to ask. Please look after our Leia’s grave from time to time, just like you have been.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Leia replied with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

Terran was puzzled that Leia didn’t reveal her identity to Richard until the end.

If they parted like this, they might never see each other again, but he simply blessed Richard’s future.

“Please live happily with your new family. Your daughter will also want her father to not be sad anymore in heaven.”

“Thank you for your comfort, Duchess Courtois.”