Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 45

Revenge Has Interest 45. A Tragic Imagination (45/200)

September 14, 2023

Leah surveyed the Hamilton general store, which was managed by Raphael’s grandfather’s brothers. Fortunately, they were business-savvy and running it efficiently without any losses.

“We can’t keep enough of Chenel’s lace products in stock. Despite the high price, reservation orders keep coming in steadily.”

“Are you monitoring the situation at general stores in other areas as well?”

“Of course, Miss.”

“Good products will be released soon. Create a separate advertisement for those and insert them into the daily newspaper. And make sure to take good care of the newspaper delivery boys’ wages.”

“Understood, Miss.”

Leah didn’t find a dress she liked at the general store, so she went to a boutique she used to frequent.

‘The Hamilton women always had their dresses made at this boutique…’ She was lost in old memories for a moment.

“The boutique is locked?”

“Looks like they’re not open.”

Seeing the ‘For Sale’ sign posted on the store, it seemed they were no longer in business.

Instead, Leah bought dresses for herself and Pauline from a store that sold ready-made clothes. They weren’t as luxurious as custom-made dresses, but they were decent enough to wear.

She needed to change her clothes, at the very least, to attend the dinner Allen had invited her to tonight.

“Miss, I don’t like that man for some reason.”

It was disgusting to see him shamelessly flirting with Grace, even with the government by her side. Also, she could clearly sense his desire for Grace.

“It’s not just a feeling; he’s a bad guy.”

“Yes? Are you still going then? The Duke will throw a fit if he finds out.”

“He runs the largest company in Galdenia. He’ll have a lot of information that will be helpful to us.”

The two quickly finished dressing and headed to the hotel lobby.

Allen said he would send a carriage on time, but she declined.

‘Why would I ride that bastard’s carriage?’

She wasn’t particularly keen on today’s invitation, but she accepted because she felt it would be very rewarding. And she wanted to see them properly, just once.

‘My enemies, the trio. I’ll watch your ugly faces closely. And I’ll never forget until I bring you down.’

Finally, the carriage arrived at Allen’s mansion.

It used to be the house where she and her father lived, but now it belonged to someone else. Leah’s heart was pounding, and she had to stop and rest while walking.

She barely managed to hold back the tears that suddenly welled up. She couldn’t show Pauline a strange side of herself.

“Viscount Vizak, you’ve arrived.”

Allen greeted her, dressed in a neat evening suit.

* * *

Terran wanted to go to Galdenia as soon as his high fever subsided. But reality kept him from even taking a step outside the bedroom.

James and Luke glared at him and nagged him endlessly.

“Well, even if you don’t go to Galdenia, Duke, we’ve brought you news so you can grasp the current situation of the young lady at a glance.”

Luke handed Terran a piece of paper.

He already knew that she was staying at the Brasel Hotel with Pauline.

As expected, he was pleased that she was inspecting the general stores. But the problem was the appointment she had at night.

“She received a dinner invitation from Allen McDowell?”

“Yes.”

Terran felt a chill.

[But, if you go to the party, you’ll meet another man…]

Chenel’s words were spot on.

“Luke, bring Chenel here.”

“Yes…? Understood.”

Even after Luke left, Terran stared intently at the paper detailing Grace’s movements.

But what he couldn’t understand was why Grace was attending Allen’s dinner. Grace wouldn’t be unaware of how impure that guy was.

He was curious about her intentions. No, even if he didn’t know her true feelings, what was certain was that he felt like complete garbage right now.

Just then, Chenel came to see Terran. She held Luke’s hand tightly and was as happy as a child.

Of course, Luke didn’t look very pleased.

“Chenel, why did Grace go to another man’s house?”

“Why? I don’t know.”

Chenel tilted her head and answered sullenly.

“You acted like you knew everything last time?”

“That’s because it came to my head at that time.”

Ha! It was difficult to know which beat to match. Of course, what was he expecting from Chenel?

He was so frustrated that he felt it was his mistake to try to borrow even a cat’s paw [to seek help from anyone, even someone unreliable].

Luke also gave Terran a look as if he was pathetic.

“Okay, go out.”

“Yes!”

Chenel hopped towards the door. Then she stopped and turned around again.

“Why again?”

He shouldn’t believe anything Chenel said anymore. He had lost his mind for a moment earlier and made a mistake.

Chenel made a serious expression and glared at Terran.

“Sister hates that man very, very much.”

It was welcome news to hear.

“But that man is very handsome. And he wants to have Sister. He wants to marry her.”

“That’s ridiculous…!”

He already knew too well, so he was filled with annoyance. The only reason Allen invited Grace was for that.

Moreover, that guy was in a state where his arrogance, that he could have anything he wanted, was at its peak.

“Sister wants to shoot the man with a gun! So… I mean, Grace is in danger.”

Chenel’s words turned Terran’s body as cold as ice.

He tried to laugh off Chenel’s words as a joke, but it was true that Grace had a gun.

He knew she had secretly stolen it from his desk, but he pretended not to know. He thought it wouldn’t be bad for her to carry it around for self-defense.

‘Dangerous?’

Only that word lingered in Terran’s head, and he began to imagine the worst-case scenario.

‘Did that bastard try to touch Grace carelessly, and she took out the gun?’

So it sounded like a prophecy that a tragic accident would happen where someone would get shot during a physical fight.

Terran jumped up from his seat with a pale face. All sorts of anxieties and worries had exhausted his patience. But Luke strongly stopped him.

“Duke, it’s still too much for you.”

“Get out of my way! Before I kill you!”

He grabbed Luke by the collar and threw him away roughly. Then Chenel ran over crying and beat Terran wildly.

“Why are you hitting my brother! You’re bad!”

Terran roughly swept his hair back and left the bedroom.

He couldn’t stand it because he felt like his ears would go deaf from Chenel’s crying. He was in a panic because of Grace, and he felt like he would have a seizure at Chenel’s words.

“Duke, I’m sorry.”

Luke ran over immediately and apologized.

‘The Duke is out of his mind. It would be better to go pick up Grace together.’

“I’m going to Galdenia. Prepare.”

“Understood.”

“Luke, go to the Metropolitan Police Agency before that.”

“The Metropolitan Police Agency?”

“Go and tell the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Agency exactly what I say.”

“Please tell me.”

But Terran couldn’t even speak properly because Chenel was crying like she had been struck by lightning inside the bedroom.

He regretted showing Chenel such a harsh side of himself for no reason.

“No, soothe her first. Hug her or kiss her, please make her stop crying.”

Luke ran into the bedroom. Soon, the sound of Luke coaxing and comforting Chenel like a child could be heard from outside.

After about five minutes, it finally subsided. However, Terran’s cough worsened, and he had a fever again.

‘I have to go find Grace.’

As soon as he took a step, his vision spun, and the floor soared upwards. With a thud, Terran collapsed in the hallway and lost consciousness.

“Gra…ce.”

Only she covered his consciousness.

* * *

Leah felt nauseous looking at the trio all at once.

Chief Tuazo of the Metropolitan Police Agency, who stormed the wedding and fired a gun, the captain of the cargo ship who blamed her father for having poppy flowers in the cargo ship, and Allen McDowell, the culprit of all this.

She forced herself to smile and endured the urge to vomit.

“Richard Hamilton, the Emperor has been too generous to let such a traitor live.”

Tuazo said while chewing on meat. Leah barely managed to resist the urge to burn his crooked mustache.

“Didn’t the Emperor cherish Richard Hamilton especially? Even if he was a traitor, it must have been difficult to kill him.”

“By the way, I didn’t know that the person who bought the Hamilton general store was such a delicate lady.”

Tuazo smiled lecherously at Grace.

“I’m not delicate.”

“Yes? I have committed a discourtesy, hahaha.”

Leah listened intently to the conversation of the three. Where they were investing and trying to make money. They didn’t talk about it in detail, but one thing was certain: they were aiming for a quick fortune through reckless investments.

In particular, large-scale projects such as buying cheap textiles from the East Continent to build factories, or investing in the railway business in foreign countries that were behind in industrialization.

“Since the Young Lady is also very interested in business, how about we meet often in the future to share information?”

Allen plausibly said to Grace.

“I’m just going to make and sell lace in a small way. I’m too scared to do big business like men.”

“Well, it’s too much for women to do. Business requires boldness and the ability to quickly grasp the flow of the situation.”

Tuazo only said hateful things.

‘You youngsters don’t know. How well money betrays.’

Just then, Allen’s younger sister, Rivette, hurriedly attended the dinner. She rushed over at the news that a merchant selling Chenel lace had arrived.

“Viscount Vizak, I have a favor to ask. I have to participate in the Crown Prince Selection Ball in a few days, and I want to have a dress made with Chenel lace. Would you accept my request?”

Leah stared at Rivette, whom she knew well. She was as snobbish as her brother, so she often came to her and extorted money from her even when she was dating Allen. But she wants to become the Crown Princess?

“I don’t care how much it costs.”

Rivette earnestly asked Grace. Well, her fate changes if she is selected as the Crown Princess.

Above all, Rivette was very beautiful. But she wasn’t Crown Princess material.

“I am honored, to think that the person who will become the Crown Princess of Galdenia in the future would commission a dress from our store; I will gladly accept it.”

Leah felt like Rivette’s life needed a dramatic twist.