Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 36

Revenge Comes with Interest 36. His First Love (36/200)

His First Love

2023.09.05.

Leah gave the dress she designed to Chenel, and she knitted lace day and night.

Usually, you wouldn’t notice, but when Chenel held a needle and thread, her eyes shone, and she was frighteningly serious.

But today, she had something in her mouth and kept chattering her teeth.

“Chenel, what’s in your mouth?”

Pauline found it strange that a sweet smell was coming from Chenel’s mouth.

“It’s candy.”

“Spit it out. I’ll give you something else.”

Pauline snatched the lollipop Chenel was holding and wiped her mouth with a wet towel. It was obviously a cheap lollipop sold in bulk at the market.

“Where did you get this candy? Eating this will rot your teeth quickly.”

“Nancy gave it to me.”

“Nancy did?”

Why is Nancy’s name suddenly coming up here?

Nancy was a maid working in the main building, so she wouldn’t come to Grace’s detached house often.

“Nancy gives me candy when I tell her interesting stories.”

“What?”

Pauline felt goosebumps all over her body. Is this the truth of life? Bad premonitions always come true. After meeting Nancy at the dessert shop, it kept lingering in her mind.

It wasn’t just the suspicion that she went to an expensive dessert shop. As far as she knew, Nancy’s family situation was particularly bad among the employees.

‘Why did she approach Chenel?’

Pauline asked Chenel what Nancy had asked her and what answers she had given. Soon, an incredible story poured out of Chenel’s mouth.

“Nancy said it was a secret.”

“Chenel! Who do you like more, me or Nancy?”

“Of course, I like Pauline more.”

“Then, from now on, even if other sisters give you candy or snacks, never tell them your stories.”

Chenel teared up, startled by Pauline’s agitated voice.

Only then did Pauline realize that she had scolded her too harshly and comforted Chenel. However, it was necessary to drive a wedge into Chenel.

“Chenel, if you tell any stories, we might not be able to live here together.”

“Huh? I won’t! Never!”

Chenel shook her head violently and cried. Pauline patted Chenel’s back.

‘I need to give Luke a heads up.’

She didn’t know who had instigated Nancy, but since Chenel’s lace was selling well, it must be a rival company trying to keep her in check.

‘They’re so fearless. How dare they bribe an employee of the Courtois Duchy.’

Pauline sighed and shook her head.

* * *

Leah came to the chapel alone. She held the necklace in her hand and fell into thought. More precisely, she came to pray.

She wanted to gain strength by looking at her father’s necklace rather than praying to God.

‘Father, please give me the strength to overcome the difficulties.’

Leah pondered the situation she was in. If she made a mistake, she could be severely punished for deceiving the imperial family.

What people of high status valued most was their face and honor.

It seemed like a less practical way of thinking to her, but for them, pride in their noble status was an important justification for distinguishing themselves from ordinary people.

“Grace!”

Terrence’s voice echoed through the chapel.

Leah quickly put the necklace in the box. She didn’t want to be misunderstood.

“Terrence.”

“I was looking for you. Were you here?”

“Yes, I was just thinking…”

Soon, Terrence’s gaze stopped at the box on Leah’s lap.

“Oh, I was trying to borrow the energy of the Hamilton merchant. I can’t let the general store fail.”

“Did you get some energy?”

“Yes, a lot.”

Leah quietly got up and put the box back where it was.

Terrence was surprised that Grace was more worried and depressed than he had expected.

Come to think of it, even before, when she was occasionally invited to the palace, she would sit quietly in a corner and leave.

Despite her great position as his fiancée, she didn’t have much to say, so she was particularly difficult with the Empress.

But she believed that she would do well because she was not the Grace of the past.

“Vivian is a smart woman. She is wise and open to new systems and cultures.”

“Who is Vivian?”

“Oh, the Empress.”

“It seems like you were close to the Empress?”

Leah was quite surprised. Calling the Empress by her name so casually, and knowing her personality so well.

She recalled the memories of the imperial banquet.

‘The Empress was especially young.’

She looked to be at most twenty-five or six years old. On the other hand, the Emperor looked to be in his early thirties. Come to think of it, Terrence danced with the Empress at the banquet and had a long conversation.

“She was an old friend.”

‘Ah! Girlfriend.’

A woman’s intuition never fails. When talking about the Empress, Terrence was confident as if he knew her very well.

“She seemed like a very dignified person to me.”

“Really? She was very tomboyish, but she also had independent and progressive sides. And she was pretty.”

A gentle smile appeared on his face.

‘And she was pretty?’

On the other hand, Leah suddenly felt breathless.

‘You told me to only have you in my heart, but Terrence has had so many people in his heart.’

She thought he had no interest in women at all, but Terrence’s face when he thought of the Empress looked affectionate and wistful.

Besides, praising another woman in front of his fiancée was not a pleasant thing.

Perhaps there was another reason why the Empress invited her.

“I should go now.”

‘Why am I annoyed?’

Leah got up and left the chapel, turning away from Terrence. She didn’t care at all that he was quickly chasing after her.

Soon, Terrence’s hand grabbed Leah’s arm.

“Let’s go together.”

Terrence smiled brightly at Grace. Leah’s face hardened at his expression.

‘He has no tact.’

“I want to stay with Terrence a little longer, but I have to go see Chenel. It’s a shame, but only until here today.”

Leah deliberately smiled brightly and gently removed his hand from her arm.

“Ah! I was tactless. Grace has an important job ahead of her.”

‘That’s right, you are a very insensitive man.’

Leah hurried back to the detached house. But as she thought about it on the way, it seemed that there was another reason why Terrence was going to the palace with her.

‘Does he want to show off his existence to the Empress? Since they were close before, is he trying to exert influence?’

If that’s the case, she can just let it go without making an issue of it, but if not?

Leah shook her head violently. She couldn’t forget the expression Terrence had when he was talking about the Empress a little while ago. He was groaning like a wounded beast, and he had a woman he liked.

“Madam! Where have you been?”

James awakened Leah, who was lost in thought.

“James, are you going to the detached house?”

“Yes, I am. I’m going to bring you the newspaper.”

James had a pile of past newspapers in his hand. Leah suddenly became curious and decided to ask. She felt like James would give her an answer.

“I want to ask you something, James.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“Um, don’t tell Terrence.”

“Of course.”

James readily answered.

* * *

‘I’m speechless.’

Leah couldn’t calm down even after returning to the detached house.

[Miss Vivian was the Duke’s first love.]

[First… love?]

She thought he was a soldier who was indifferent to women and only loyal to the country, but he had his first love.

Around that time, Leah wanted to confirm one thing.

[Then, there must have been talk of marriage between the two of you?]

[That’s right, but it’s a very old story, so it doesn’t mean much.]

It doesn’t mean much, but it still seems like a lot. James can’t see it. Terrence’s eyes were filled with melancholy when he thought of the Empress.

[Miss Vivian was, how should I say it, a very independent woman. She was knowledgeable and lovely.]

It was surprising that James was praising someone so much.

[Come to think of it, Miss Grace and she had similar personalities.]

Then James added that it was not the old Grace, but after she was sick, her personality completely changed.

So, did Terrence feel attracted to me because he saw the Empress’s similarities in me?

‘First love.’

They say men never forget their first love. And I’ve heard that it becomes the standard for their ideal type.

‘The Empress is very curious about me too.’

Leah also asked James about why Terrence and the Empress didn’t end up together.

But he was reluctant to talk about that part. He acted like it was some top secret.

‘I’m going crazy with curiosity.’

Leah covered her head with her hands. Could it be that they had an unfulfilled love or a ‘love opposed by enemy families’?

Leah’s head felt like it was shaking. Even she was embarrassed by this nonsensical sense of betrayal.

Why was she so sure that a perfect man like Terrence wouldn’t have a woman he liked?

‘Did he break up with the Empress because of his responsibility for Aiden? To take responsibility for Grace?’

If that’s the case, she could guess how much Terrence hated Grace.

* * *

Based on the story he heard from Pauline, Luke began to investigate Nancy.

He assigned someone to follow her to see who she met when she left the Duke’s residence.

But the person she met was her uncle, and after talking with him for a while, she received money and parted ways.

The tail followed Nancy’s uncle, and he went straight to the post office after parting with Nancy.

There were several more such meetings, and he mostly wrote letters at the post office and sent telegrams when he was in a hurry.

Luke was surprised to learn the identity of the recipient. He went straight to Terrence.

“Your Grace, I have found out about the whole story of the incident.”

Luke handed Terrence the records of the letters Nancy’s uncle sent from the post office.

“As expected, Allen McDowell was behind it.”

Terrence’s face turned as cold as ice. He had suspected it to some extent.

“He has completely lost his mind. How dare he consider me a competitor?”

“Are you going to let it go?”

“What should I do? Should I crush his handsome face? Or should I ruin McDowell’s company?”

“He is a person who should not be left alone. He is a tenacious and persistent person like a steel wire.”

Luke was also greatly indignant.

“Let’s watch for now. It’s more important to cheer on my Grace to see how she overcomes this difficulty.”

“Yes? But…”

“We can deal with it later.”