Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 182

Extracurricular Story 2: Divorce, That Sad Word

2024.01.29.

Leah helped Chae-ner up after she collapsed and led her away to a quieter spot.

Truly, she never imagined such words would come from Luke’s mouth.

But Chae-ner’s reaction was even more surprising. Leah had expected her to burst into tears and despair, but as time passed, Chae-ner seemed to grow more indifferent.

“I think I’ll just focus on myself for a while,” Chae-ner said.

“Yes, you should be true to your desires, as Alicia said.”

It seemed she needed time to seriously consider how she wanted to live her life as a woman.

Still, Chae-ner looked very sad.

It would have been easier if Luke’s love had simply faded, but she still loved him very much.

Leah took Chae-ner to the chapel inside the mansion.

“I’ll show you something amazing.”

The moonlight pouring through the chapel’s skylight created a mysterious atmosphere.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?”

Leah sat Chae-ner in the pool of moonlight.

“I thought you needed some time alone, so I brought you here. I’ll leave you to think it over.”

“I wanted to run away anyway…”

Hearing Chae-ner’s gloomy voice, Leah looked at her with pity.

She knew that feeling all too well. The desire to hide if there was even a mouse hole. Everyone wants to take a break in a place where no one is around, at least once.

“I’ll go now, Chae-ner.”

“Yes, Sister.”

Tears welled up in Chae-ner’s eyes at Leah’s consideration, but she quickly composed herself, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

As Leah said, she had to think about and decide what to do on her own now.

Chae-ner traced back her memories to when she first met Luke.

A man who shone like sunlight reflected on the lake’s surface, standing next to Terrence, who exuded terrible loneliness.

This was her first impression of Luke. He seemed upright and noble, like someone from a completely different world than her. No, he actually was.

‘He doesn’t love me.’

It was a pain that clawed at her heart, but she couldn’t blame him because she knew his love for her had always been a struggle for him.

‘Should I let him go? Or should I somehow try to regain the lost love?’

Tears streamed from Chae-ner’s closed eyes again.

She had never imagined that Luke’s love would fade.

‘No, I have to accept everything that has happened to me.’

That change would include Luke. Chae-ner tried to think only from Luke’s perspective.

Loving him, she wanted to know what was the best way to truly care for Luke.

‘I shouldn’t force my love on him.’

Love is like a vase; once it’s broken, it’s hard to put back together. Maybe this was the end of her relationship with him.

As Alicia said, it was better to pull herself together than to struggle to hold onto his love.

‘But my heart hurts so much.’

Chae-ner hit her chest with her fist and cried.

No matter how much she imagined, she couldn’t picture Luke’s absence from her side. Then, suddenly, Rafa’s words came to mind.

On the night of the lunar eclipse, when she barely regained consciousness, he muttered to himself.

Did he hear something strange from the sorcerer? Did he perhaps see her future?

[Love is about sacrifice, Chae-ner.]

Now she understood what Rafa’s words meant. It meant she shouldn’t torment Luke any longer.

‘Yes, I’ve received so much love. That’s enough. Now it’s time for me to let him go comfortably.’

Even with this decision, a part of her wanted to cling to Luke and beg for his love.

To please not abandon her. If it had been the old her, she might have. But she knew too well that such love doesn’t end well.

Chae-ner got up and headed to the skylight where the moonlight was pouring down.

She stood there and looked up at the window. Soon, she closed her eyes tightly as the moonlight fell on her head as if to break it.

‘Chae-ner, you’re an adult. You have to take responsibility for your own life.’

No matter how much she thought about it, only one answer came to mind.

She shouldn’t force anything on Luke.

At that moment, she heard someone at the chapel door. Chae-ner quickly wiped away her tears.

She didn’t want to show anyone her crying face.

“Chae-ner.”

She knew it was Luke without even turning around.

“The Duchess told me. She said you were here.”

“Did she?”

Chae-ner replied in a very bright tone. But Luke couldn’t easily approach Chae-ner.

Realistically, it was only a few steps, but in her heart, it felt very far away.

Chae-ner realized as she looked at Luke, who couldn’t take a step towards her.

‘Let him go.’

“Luke.”

She called him first.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s get a divorce.”

“What?”

Luke’s surprised face was even more surprising. She thought he would be happy.

“Let’s get a divorce.”

Chae-ner refused any melodramatic scenes.

‘This decision is made because I love you, so feel free to enjoy your freedom and fly far away.’ She decided not to say such cliché words.

“Let’s live our own lives now.”

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

“I want to do what Luke wants. That’s all.”

Chae-ner came to the door where Luke was and answered with a bright smile.

She was cramping from smiling until the end, but she held back because she thought she would cry if she didn’t smile.

“Tell me when you’re ready for the divorce.”

Chae-ner left the chapel as it was. But Luke didn’t chase after her.

Meanwhile, Luke stared blankly at Chae-ner’s back as she spoke coldly and left him.

[You don’t love Chae-ner anymore?]

Terrence’s question brought him back to his senses.

[I think so……. It might be easier if I could say that.]

[That’s why you should always listen to what people have to say until the end.]

[I don’t know either.]

The thought of his life without Chae-ner tore at his heart.

If he had stopped loving Chae-ner, his heart wouldn’t hurt so much when he thought about breaking up. In the end, his true feelings for her remained the same.

He rushed out of his office to find her. Along the way, he met Leah and learned that she was in the chapel, so he ran there. Luke finally realized that his feelings hadn’t changed.

‘I think I hurt you a lot.’

He should have controlled his emotions like an adult, but he showed her his confused self, causing Chae-ner pain.

‘Divorce? Is that possible?’

The moment the word divorce came out of Chae-ner’s mouth, it hurt as if a bullet had been shot into his heart.

* * *

A few days later, the discord between Chae-ner and Luke was reported in all the newspapers.

There were all sorts of rumors, such as they were on the verge of divorce, they were separated, and they already had new lovers.

But it wasn’t all nonsense.

People noticed that the two, who used to be together whenever they had a chance, now seemed awkward even when they were close and didn’t even exchange glances, and everyone felt that something was wrong between them.

Letters and flowers of courtship poured in for Chae-ner.

These days, James started his day by carrying gifts, letters, and flowers for Chae-ner.

But Chae-ner was busy with the upcoming fashion show in a few days.

It was a show aimed at the next spring and summer, and it was her solo show without Sonia’s participation, so she was even more nervous.

Of course, she only piled up the letters, gifts, and flowers that James brought in one corner of the studio and didn’t even look at them.

In fact, she had been busy since she told Luke she wanted a divorce.

Although she boldly declared a divorce to Luke, she might have pretended to be busier, fearing that he would come to find her.

Of course, it had been quite a while since they had been sleeping in separate rooms.

‘Not today either.’

Chae-ner couldn’t get Luke out of her head even while working.

She felt like he would burst into the studio at any moment and throw the divorce papers at her.

She felt ridiculous for saying it so boldly and then being so eager to avoid it.

“The silk skirt should spread out long under the lace.”

“Sorry, Chae-ner.”

Pauline helped with the work, constantly watching Chae-ner.

“What happened to the underwear to wear under the red lace dress?”

Chae-ner said in a rather sharp tone.

“It’s all done, Teacher.”

The employee who made the underwear ran over with a flushed face. Soon, Chae-ner examined the underwear in detail.

“Please shorten the skirt length slightly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Chae-ner, I can’t work because I’m so aware of you!”

When Pauline grumbled, Chae-ner smiled and said.

“Sorry, Sister.”

“No, I understand. The show is just around the corner, so you’re nervous. But I wish you would be a little softer with the staff.”

“Ah! I will.”

Chae-ner felt pathetic.

How did she end up showing her personal feelings to the staff? She felt regret and bitterness at the same time.

* * *

Terrence, Leah, and James sat in the office with very serious faces.

On the table, there was a pile of letters in the same envelope.

“When did these letters start coming, James?”

“Actually, it was since last winter. At that time, they only came once in a while, so I thought they were prank letters and took care of them myself. But at some point, the interval became shorter, and now they come every day.”

“It seems like they were sent from Lebon, but we can’t figure out who sent them.”

Terrence looked at the letters seriously and put them on the table.

Who on earth was writing threatening letters to Chae-ner?

The threatener wrote the letters by cutting and pasting letters from newspapers or magazines, perhaps to hide their handwriting.