Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 31

Revenge Comes with Interest 31 (31/200)

August 31, 2023

Glug—

Leah’s breath escaped as shimmering droplets. No matter how desperately she fought to surface, she was pulled deeper, as if trapped in a bottomless swamp.

‘I’m scared! I hate water!’

Another voice, not her own, echoed in Leah’s mind.

‘I don’t want to die!’

Leah recognized the voice she had heard before. It dawned on her that Grace’s soul, which had been dormant within her, was seizing control of her body in response to the water.

Until now, Grace hadn’t surfaced even once. But why now…?

‘Why is she showing up now, after all this time?’

[Sister has two souls in her body.]

Suddenly, Chaner’s words flashed through her mind. Sensing the imminent danger of death, Grace was struggling within her.

‘I… want to live!’

Leah felt a pang of regret. She had been so focused on the fact that it was her body that she had overlooked the terror Grace must be feeling.

‘I’m sorry, Grace.’

The present and the past, when she had carelessly used the borrowed body, flooded her mind, and a wave of guilt washed over her.

When she had grabbed the gun and fled the Duke’s mansion, determined to die alongside Allen, what if she had actually shot him? It would have been an irreversible act, so it was fortunate that she had stopped herself.

‘I shouldn’t have treated this borrowed body so lightly.’

Just then, a powerful force yanked her body from the water and began to compress her chest.

Cough, cough. Leah sputtered, expelling the water that had filled her lungs.

The rush of fresh air into her mouth, the muffled sound of Pauline’s sobs, and Terran’s ragged breathing were intensely felt.

Even though her breathing stabilized, Leah found herself unable to move her limbs properly.

She had to accept the reality: Leah Hamilton was healthy, but Grace was inherently frail.

Leah fought to maintain consciousness. However, all strength ebbed from her body, and she lacked even the energy to open her eyelids.

And just like that, she lost consciousness.

* * *

As Terran burst into the bedroom with Grace in his arms, Chaner, who had been idly making lace, jumped in surprise.

Chaner saw Grace, soaked and limp on the bed, and burst into tears.

“Waaah! Sister, don’t die!”

“Chaner, don’t just cry, fetch a towel!” Pauline shouted urgently at the weeping Chaner.

“Okay!”

Leah slowly drifted back to consciousness. She could hear the women’s frantic voices.

And although she couldn’t see him, she sensed Terran’s presence beside her. He was probably gazing down at her with a worried expression.

‘Terran, say something, anything. I want to hear your voice.’

She could feel him near, but his silence filled her with dread. Just then, as if he had heard her thoughts, Terran barked an order at a servant.

“Put more coal in the fireplace. Make the bedroom warmer.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Hearing Terran’s voice, Leah finally felt a spark of life return. Soon, warm air enveloped her, and she succumbed to a deep slumber.

“Bring Doctor Wilson!”

Leah longed to hear Terran’s voice a little longer. But this time, she plunged into a deep sleep and could no longer feel his presence.

* * *

She must have slept for a long time, because her body felt heavy and leaden.

When Pauline opened the window to air out the room, a rush of fresh air swept in from outside.

The gentle birdsong carried on the breeze naturally roused her.

The sunlight streaming through the window tickled Leah’s closed eyelids. Before she knew it, she opened her eyes, her blurry vision gradually clearing, and her mind sharpening.

“Paul…ine.”

But speaking was incredibly difficult.

‘Grace, this woman is as delicate as a glass doll.’

This incident reinforced the need to take better care of her body from now on.

“Miss, you’re awake?”

“Yes. Help me sit up.”

As Pauline helped Leah sit up, Chaner exclaimed.

“I’ll go tell Uncle that Sister woke up!”

“Don’t go! Chaner!” Leah blurted out without thinking. Chaner froze, startled, and stared at Leah.

“Later, Chaner.”

“Okay.”

Pauline immediately brought warm water and handed it to Leah. But she was unsure how to navigate this awkward situation.

“Why? The Duke is anxiously waiting for you to wake up.”

Pauline was puzzled.

“I’m too embarrassed.”

“Pfft!”

Pauline burst into laughter. Well, even she would find it hard to face Terran right away.

She had confidently requested a duel, only to faint before she could even put up a fight. It was mortifying.

“Ah! I feel like I’m dying of embarrassment. I wish there was a mouse hole I could crawl into. How ridiculous must Terran think I am?”

Leah placed the water cup on the bedside table and buried her face in her hands.

“Pauline, should I pretend to be sick and stay in bed for a month or so?”

She wanted to avoid facing Terran at all costs.

“It’s a complete disaster.”

“That’s not a good idea. Uncle looks very tired, and his face is drawn.”

“What?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea either. The Duke was so worried about you this time. He came to check on you almost every hour.”

The two were right, making it difficult to persist.

“Pauline, I feel like I’ve slept for ages?”

“Do you know it’s already been a week?”

Ha! Grace’s body takes a week to recover whenever she falls ill. That’s probably why Aiden was so concerned about her health when she went to Bern.

“Oh! I have good news. Chaner, bring that here.”

At Pauline’s words, Chaner went to the table and returned with a newspaper.

Leah unfolded the newspaper Chaner handed her with a bewildered expression.

“This is! An advertisement?”

It also occupied a considerable space.

“It will be published throughout the continent. The photos are really well done. Especially the lace shawl stands out so much.”

But there was a slight issue with the advertisement.

“Pauline, where’s my head?”

The photo, which only showed her from the neck down, looked rather strange.

As expected, Terran wouldn’t budge. But to remove only her face from the photo…

“Actually, the lace stands out more this way. And the response to the ad is very positive. Orders are already arriving at Grandpa Rapa’s general store.”

“Really?”

Leah turned the newspaper around and examined it closely. Come to think of it, Pauline was right.

If her face had been visible, people’s attention would have been drawn to her rather than the lace shawl Chaner had made.

Besides, even she, the model, wondered who the woman wearing the shawl was.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching the door.

Leah knew exactly who it was, so she tossed the newspaper aside and pulled the blanket over herself.

Pauline and Chaner, who had been beside her, retreated like the tide, leaving her alone in the room with the presence of two men.

‘Ah… damn it, how am I supposed to face Terran?’

Leah was so ashamed of her childish behavior that she just wanted to disappear.

Soon, the blanket was yanked away, and she saw Terran’s weary face.

“Terr…an.”

He gazed at Grace in silence and then pulled her into a tight embrace.

She had expected him to tease or scold her, but instead, he looked relieved.

“It’s enough that you’ve woken up.”

Surprised, Leah wrapped her arms around his back, which had been flailing in the air.

“I’m sorry. For always startling you.”

“It’s okay.”

She could feel the depth of his worry in the way he held her so tightly. Was that why he looked so gaunt?

She was truly speechless.

The image of Grace sinking into the water was seared into Terran’s mind.

He had raced to pull her out, but she hadn’t been breathing for what felt like an eternity, and he had felt his own breath catch in his throat.

Before Grace had started breathing again, he had repeated one thought over and over in that agonizing moment.

[If you go wrong, I’m done too.]

It wasn’t because he would be ashamed to face Aiden.

He hadn’t even realized it himself, but Grace had become the most precious person in his life.

He was certain that if Grace died, his world would crumble.

“Ahem!”

Just then, Doctor Wilson cleared his throat, and Terran and Leah broke apart.

“I’ll be outside while you conduct the examination.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Terran left the bedroom with an awkward expression. Leah, on the other hand, couldn’t tear her gaze from his retreating back, feeling a pang of guilt for his haggard appearance.

“Lady Vizak has been weak since birth, hasn’t she? Her lungs aren’t in good condition either. So, you must be careful of the cold wind from now on. And of course, overexertion is strictly forbidden.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, Doctor Wilson.”

‘Grace has been weak since she was young.’

That probably explained why she was so exhausted after going out.

Doctor Wilson launched into a lengthy lecture.

Take your medicine on time, avoid strenuous activities as much as possible, and get plenty of rest… Towards the end of his nagging, he said something unexpected.

“I heard you went to Bern recently?”

“Yes, I went to visit my brother Aiden.”

“Hmm, our medical community is also working hard to develop mechanical prosthetic legs.”

He spoke at length about Aiden’s legs.

“Is the Baroness doing well?”

‘The Baroness? Ah, Reina!’

“Of course, my sister-in-law is doing well too. They should be expecting a baby soon….”

At Leah’s words, Doctor Wilson’s expression darkened. He sighed as he packed his stethoscope and medical equipment.

“There will be no such joy for the Vizak Baron and his wife. Or perhaps a miracle will occur. He was so severely injured in the war that not only his leg was damaged, but also his male function… Oh! What am I saying…!”

Leah was taken aback and slowly replayed his words in her mind.

Aiden couldn’t perform his male function. He had seemed so cheerful despite such a devastating blow.

Terran, on the other hand, sometimes looked at him with a tender expression.

“Are you saying my brother can’t have children?”

“Lady Vizak, please pretend you didn’t hear that. I misspoke. I should never have said that.”

“What about Terran? I heard he was injured a lot during the war.”

Leah had a strong feeling that she had been misunderstanding something significant.

She also felt a deep sense of regret. Aiden and Reina were unusually close.

Noble couples usually have political marriages, existing as couples in name only, often indulging in extravagant lifestyles with their own mistresses.

But Aiden and Reina genuinely loved each other. For such a couple to be unable to have children…

“Don’t worry. I won’t repeat anything from our conversation, Doctor Wilson.”

“The Duke is perfectly healthy. There is nothing wrong with him, except for the severe mental aftereffects of the war.”

‘Terran has no problems?’

Then their last conversation had been about Aiden?

Leah stared at Doctor Wilson with a blank expression.