Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 179

Revenge Comes with Interest 179. Side Effects of Change (179/200)

179. Side Effects of Change

2024.01.26.

Leah rose from her seat and took Channer’s hand. Terrence and Luke were equally moved by this reunion.

“You’re not in pain anymore? I was so worried!”

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry for worrying you, Sister and Brother-in-law.”

“Brother-in-law?”

Terrence looked as if he had seen a ghost. Channer’s voice, tone, and posture had all changed drastically.

It was the same face, but a completely different person.

“Is that really Channer?” Leah asked, surprised. The Channer everyone knew was immature and spoke childishly.

But the Channer who appeared after the lunar eclipse was a normal adult woman.

“What do you think, Luke?” Terrence asked anxiously.

“The world is full of such things. I was told she would die if she didn’t survive the lunar eclipse, but Channer managed to overcome it. She regained the power she had lost as a child, but she lost something else in return.”

“Something else?” Terrence seemed to have a rough idea of what Luke meant. Meanwhile, Leah was simply crying with joy.

“I don’t care what kind of Channer you are. I’m just happy you’re healthy.”

“Sister, have I caused you trouble?”

“No, not at all.”

Leah hugged Channer, who eventually shed tears of emotion in Leah’s arms.

She had suffered from a high fever since the dawn of the lunar eclipse. Instinctively, she felt that she would die if she didn’t do something, and she was right.

As the high fever intensified, her soul wandered in a place that wasn’t quite reality. It was ambiguous whether it was a dream or reality, but she knew she stood at the crossroads of death and rebirth.

“People won’t believe it, will they?” Channer said. She used to be mocked behind her back for being dim-witted, and now she had suddenly become perfectly fine. She could imagine the reactions people would have.

“I don’t care whether they believe it or not. It’s enough that you’re Channer,” Leah said.

The person who believed in Channer more than anyone else was Leah.

Because she herself was living by borrowing someone else’s body. How many things are there in the world that cannot be explained logically?

“I was so afraid that I would never see you again.”

“Me too. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to return to your side, Sister.”

As Leah and Channer shed tears, a shower poured down outside the window.

It poured down coolly, as if to wash away their past hardships. Meanwhile, Terrence approached Luke.

“You must have been surprised.”

“I was very surprised.”

The events that Luke had experienced on the night of the lunar eclipse felt like a dream.

He said it was a ritual unique to the Gypsies [Romani people], chanting spells in strange languages, sprinkling water on Channer, and covering her with herbal smoke.

No, all that was fine.

He didn’t know how terrifying it was when Channer suddenly stopped breathing. It was an experience he didn’t want to go through again.

“I thought Channer was dead when the lunar eclipse reached its peak,” Luke said. He found it hard to express the grief he felt at the time.

It was like he had been to the gates of hell. What was even more surprising was that Channer’s fever subsided and she regained consciousness as soon as the lunar eclipse ended.

“It’s confusing because she became a completely different person.”

“I’m a little sad,” Terrence admitted, revealing his honest feelings. He would miss the innocent and cute old Channer, even if she called him ‘Uncle’.

“Me too. But isn’t this fate?”

Even though Luke spoke maturely, his face was full of regret.

“That’s right. It’s a great relief that she’s alive,” Terrence said, patting Luke on the shoulder. Then, he suddenly remembered what Channer had said.

“Wait, didn’t you say that another car company was established in Lebon?”

He didn’t want to interrupt the two women’s touching moment, but it was a very important event for Terrence, so he couldn’t help it.

“My uncle started the company. Yesterday, His Majesty bought the finest car. It’s a luxury car called ‘Royal Royce’ [likely a play on ‘Rolls Royce’]. I heard it can go up to 50 kilometers [approximately 31 miles per hour],” Channer said, still crying. Leah laughed in the middle of her tears because that was the one thing that hadn’t changed.

“Channer, or rather Luke, you should have told me in advance that a competitor had emerged. It’s going to make a big difference to our profits.”

“Brother-in-law, I’m telling you now.”

Leah burst into laughter at Terrence’s excited appearance.

‘People only understand when they experience it themselves.’

“Terrence’s company will win anyway, so what’s the worry?” Leah said, returning the words he had said to her.

“Monopoly is impossible in a free market, isn’t it?” Terrence’s face contorted at Leah’s words.

“Channer, let’s take a walk, just the two of us,” Leah said.

“Yes, Sister.”

Leah left the drawing room, leaving Terrence behind with a flushed face.

* * *

Everyone was happy to see Channer’s recovery, and they couldn’t help but be shocked.

Because she had come back completely different, even though she was the same person. But one thing was the same.

That Channer had come back alive without dying. That was the most important thing.

“Sister, I’m going to visit the estate for a few days,” Channer said, looking back and forth between Luke and Leah.

“You should go,” Leah said. Luke’s parents didn’t like Channer, so she hardly ever visited the estate.

But now, they would be happy to see the changed Channer.

“Channer, you haven’t lost your lace-making skills, have you?” Pauline asked with a face swollen from crying. She wondered if the lunar eclipse had taken away Channer’s abilities as well.

“Fortunately, my hand skills are still the same,” Channer said, wiggling her ten fingers and joking.

“Phew! That’s a relief,” Pauline said. She was passionate, saying that Channer’s lace should not disappear in order to beat May Queen Department Store.

But Leah and Pauline got to see a very interesting sight. Pauline quickly whispered to Leah, “Channer and Luke, why are they acting so distant?”

“I know, right? Anyone would think they were meeting for the first time today.”

It seemed that it wasn’t just the two of them who saw it that way.

“Luke, why are you so awkward with your own wife?” Sonya teased playfully, and Luke’s face turned red.

“I’m just not used to it yet.”

“Are you excited and your heart is pounding?” Pauline joined in and teased Luke.

“It’s like she’s my wife, but not really my wife,” Luke answered without looking at Channer, and the dinner table burst into laughter in an instant.

Of course, Channer couldn’t look at Luke properly either.

“Why are you acting so unlike yourself? Did you realize that Luke isn’t handsome anymore?” Pauline asked.

“Pauline!” Even though Leah tried to stop her, Pauline’s teasing showed no signs of stopping.

“It’s not like that,” Channer said, her face turning as red as a ripe apricot.

Even though they had been married for quite some time, they wouldn’t be able to live the same way as before since Channer had changed.

“I don’t think it would be bad to feel like you’re dating again, would it?” Sarah said. Channer and Luke seemed startled by Sarah’s words.

It seemed that she had accurately pinpointed the feelings of the two people. But there is always someone who doesn’t fit in with the atmosphere anywhere.

“Luke, contact Benjamin Krint right away tomorrow,” Terrence said. His mind was full of cars.

To be exact, he was angry that the Emperor owned a more luxurious car than he did.

“What should I say?”

“Tell him we’re going to import a more expensive, more luxurious, and better car than the Royal Royce.”

“Sister, Brother-in-law, I have a good idea for you,” Channer said with sparkling eyes.

“What is it?”

“How about displaying Brother-in-law’s new car in front of Fantasia? We can display them by price range and let people ride them.”

“That’s a good idea, Channer.”

“Your brilliance hasn’t changed after all,” Terrence said, liking the idea very much.

Because there would be no better plan to promote his car company to the whole world than that. Then Leah added a word.

“I have the right person to relieve Terrence’s resentment.”

“Who is it?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re alone.”

As Leah gave Terrence a subtle smile, people booed.

* * *

Channer and Luke finished their meal and walked along the hallway together.

In the past, Channer would have grabbed Luke’s hand or linked arms with him, but not anymore.

A strange and uncomfortable atmosphere flowed between the two people.

“Luke, have I caused you trouble because of my immaturity?”

“Huh? No… Of course, there were times like that, but not all the time.”

“I see.”

Luke felt that Channer, who had become a completely different person, was distant.

She was definitely the woman he loved, but on the day of the lunar eclipse, that woman disappeared.

“To be honest, it’s embarrassing. Because it’s a change that happened without warning.”

“I’m sorry for causing confusion…” Channer apologized to Luke.

She could see him putting his hands behind his back and keeping a proper distance from her. Seeing that, it wasn’t easy for Channer to get closer to him even if she wanted to.

“It’s not Channer’s fault. We both have to try,” Luke said. His words were positive, but he still didn’t come any closer to Channer.

‘The door to his heart is closed.’

Channer realized as she looked at Luke. That her existence to him was chaos.

“It’s hard to accept me readily, isn’t it?”

“It’s not that… That’s right, it is.”

“I used to imagine a lot. If I were as smart as Grace, I would be loved by many people.”

“Channer was lovely, enough,” Luke said. His answer felt foreign. It sounded like the real Channer was someone else.

Not only that. Luke’s wistful expression clearly showed how he felt.

“It will get better and better,” Channer said.

“I’ll try too.”

Channer mustered up the courage and reached out to Luke.

Then Luke stared at Channer’s hand for a while before taking it.