Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 183

Extran Episode 3: You Need to Understand Properly

2024.01.30.

Luke meticulously read every threatening letter sent to Chenelle, missing none.

Initially, the content was mild enough to question its validity as a threat, but the intensity gradually escalated. Some were so extreme they were unspeakable.

‘I’ll carve out your heart?’

That wasn’t all. Numerous lines were crossed, with threats of tearing her limbs apart or cutting her to shreds.

Luke’s temples throbbed, and his face paled.

He was shocked just hearing about it from Terrence, but seeing the letters threatening Chenelle’s life firsthand made his vision blur.

‘Ha! What has her husband been doing until now?’

Luke was consumed by self-reproach. He was unaware someone was targeting her life, while he was idly worrying about how Chenelle had changed.

‘How pathetic.’

He squeezed his eyes shut and imagined Chenelle being murdered by a heinous person.

“Kugh!”

A pain, like someone crushing his chest with a heavy foot, washed over him.

“Let’s go.”

Terrence, along with Leah and James, left the office, leaving Luke trembling.

He felt Luke needed some time alone.

“Is it okay to leave him alone like that?”

Leah looked back, her tone worried.

“In my experience, men need to feel the burn to understand.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“I mean, men don’t always understand things emotionally.”

“Huh?”

“They need to experience it to truly understand.”

“Ah!”

“I didn’t realize it even when I left you to go on inspection with His Majesty. Then, when I got a telegram that you were very sick, my vision went black, and my mind cleared up. Men are usually like that.”

“So, no matter how much they worry with vague emotions, they only understand when they really experience it? Like when I left for Greymon.”

“Hoo!”

Terrence’s face flushed, and he quickly exited the room. He shuddered just thinking about that time.

‘Luke will understand properly this time.’

Meanwhile, Luke remained in shock.

He was beyond angry; he wanted to catch the culprit and inflict a miserable death upon them. The veins on his clenched fist bulged as if they would burst.

‘How dare you target my wife?’

Unbearable rage turned into a consuming fire.

The words from the threatening letters on the table seemed to fly around him as if alive.

It was as if they were sharpened like throwing stars [small, bladed weapons] and piercing his body.

‘I’ll find you, no matter what. I won’t let it go.’

However, he suddenly felt disgusted with himself for being in such a contradictory situation.

As Terrence said, he had witnessed countless similar situations indirectly.

He should have learned from Terrence and Leah’s difficult love, but because it wasn’t his own problem, it didn’t truly register.

To only realize Chenelle’s preciousness and his love for her after facing this ugly reality…

‘You bastard, do you only learn when you’re bleeding?’

Luke carefully gathered the letters, took them to his bedroom, and placed them in a drawer.

Chenelle shouldn’t see such trash. Luke roughly loosened his tie and threw off his coat.

‘I can’t let her out of my sight for even a moment.’

Luke headed to Chenelle’s bedroom, or rather, the room he had been sharing with her until recently.

He burst into the room.

“Oh my!”

Chenelle, who was undressing, was startled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Did I come at a bad time? I came to sleep.”

“Yes? Why suddenly?”

“I suddenly came to my senses.”

When Chenelle tilted her head, Luke threw off his clothes and got into bed.

“I mean, I have no more worries.”

“How can you be so simple?”

‘Who was it that was so serious that the word divorce came out of my mouth? Who was it that was so reluctant to see my changed self?’

Was he a person with fleeting worries? The days were hell for me because of him, but he’s getting better as he pleases.

‘How annoying.’

“Chenelle, come here quickly.”

Luke spread the blanket wide and patted his chest.

“You have to bury your face in my chest and sleep like before.”

“What are you talking about?”

Chenelle couldn’t deny it because it was her sleeping habit. Still, she couldn’t help but feel resentful.

“You go to sleep first. Because of the fashion show…”

“Suit yourself.”

“Huh?”

‘Is he teasing me?’

No matter how much she loved Luke enough to give him her liver and gall [a Korean idiom expressing deep affection], she couldn’t bear it this time.

Is it so fun to play with people? He didn’t even look at me because I had changed, but now he’s trying to restore the relationship as he pleases. Luke, was that all you were?

Chenelle shouted, trembling with clenched fists.

The more she thought about the hardships she had gone through, the angrier she became.

But she heard a soft snoring sound.

She had been stomping her feet and doing useless things in front of a sleeping man. Chenelle writhed, tearing at her hair.

‘He said his love had faded. But why?’

There was no clearer reason to define her relationship with Luke than that. She wondered why he was making her so confused and what his true intentions were.

No, she was resentful and angry.

Chenelle sat on the sofa and took out the documents.

Meanwhile, Luke, who was pretending to sleep, wanted to get up and hug Chenelle right away.

Chenelle had always loved him in that spot, but his heart had wandered as if possessed, and then shamelessly returned.

It wasn’t even a long-lasting change of heart.

No, there was no change of heart in the first place.

Chenelle changed without giving him time to prepare his mind to accept the change, and he was struggling because he was unfamiliar with her.

But to think that it was a threatening letter to harm Chenelle’s life that awakened him from being trapped in a dense fog and losing his way.

He came to his senses after seeing the gruesome content of the letter. He was engulfed in the anxiety that he might lose the most precious thing to him.

‘I’m sorry, for being an immature and childish husband who isn’t resilient. But I will protect you until the end.’

* * *

Leah couldn’t forget Luke’s words that she had overheard with Chenelle.

If Luke’s love for Chenelle had really faded, then it would truly become an irreversible situation.

“Terrence, you know.”

When Leah snuggled into his arms, he kissed her forehead as if he had been waiting for it.

“Does Luke no longer love Chenelle?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I heard it, by chance.”

[Does that mean he doesn’t love Chenelle anymore?]

[I think so.]

She was curious about the conversation between Terrence and Luke in the office. She wanted to know if Luke’s heart had actually left.

“Ah! That…”

Terrence laughed awkwardly, but Leah swallowed hard.

“Grace, you didn’t hear everything that was said afterwards.”

“What was said afterwards?”

Indeed, she was too surprised and hurried to avoid the situation with Chenelle. Terrence told Leah Luke’s true feelings.

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

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

[I don’t know either.]

“Looking back, you are the only one who has remained steadfast despite the changes in the other person.”

Terrence stroked Leah’s lips with his thumb and gave her an affectionate look.

Even when he lost his memory in the Basel Forest, Leah loved him and waited for him consistently. On the other hand, he was busy wandering.

“As long as the trust in each other doesn’t waver, that’s all that matters.”

“That’s right. Through that process, love deepens, right?”

“Hmm, in my experience, true love doesn’t seem to be obtained for free.”

In other words, there’s no end to it even if we stay up all night. But Leah was uncomfortable.

Chenelle believes that Luke has changed his mind. How much has she been heartbroken…

“Terrence, Chenelle thinks Luke doesn’t love her anymore. I’ll go and clear up the misunderstanding quickly.”

When Leah jumped out of bed, Terrence grabbed her wrist.

“Grace, even if there is a misunderstanding, it’s something they have to overcome together. We shouldn’t interfere.”

“But…”

“If they can’t overcome that much hardship, there’s no reason to live as a couple, is there?”

“Hoo! Terrence, you’re so relaxed because it’s not our problem, right?”

“Oh! It’s so much fun.”

‘You’re so mischievous, really.’

Only then did Leah see the playfulness all over Terrence’s face.

It’s like the composure of someone who has already crossed a rugged mountain. His cute yet immature behavior is just like his son, Killian.

* * *

The fashion show was held in front of the Fantasia Department Store.

In the past, fashion shows were only for the upper class, but Chenelle and Leah believed that everyone should be able to enjoy them after the department store was built.

Chenelle accepted Alicia’s advice for today.

‘The old Chenelle is gone.’

As Alicia said, she changed everything: her hair, makeup, clothes, speech, actions, and gait.

Of course, it didn’t go well from the beginning. She put in a lot of effort to correct her habits, and the process was not easy.

Until now, Chenelle styled her hair and clothes like a girl, but now she changed her hair, makeup, and clothes to suit her age.

Perhaps because of Alicia’s help, Chenelle, who changed her makeup and hairstyle, looked surprisingly sophisticated.

In particular, her rose-colored hair added to the splendor, so she looked like a fully bloomed rose without wearing flashy accessories.

“Oh my gosh!”

Leah, Sarah, Pauline, and Sonia, who saw Chenelle first, couldn’t hide their surprise.

They almost didn’t recognize her. In particular, the deeply cut neckline and the red lace dress that flowed along her curved body maximized her beauty.

“It doesn’t look like Chenelle.”

The most surprised person was Pauline.

Everyone was shocked by Chenelle’s changed appearance, but Leah was different.

‘Her eyes are full of energy.’

Only then did she deeply accept Chenelle’s change.

Even it took this much time for me, how much more would it have taken for Luke? In a way, it would have been stranger to accept it readily without any hesitation.

“Are you ready? Chenelle.”

At Leah’s question, Chenelle smiled brightly.