Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 46

Revenge Has Interest 46

46. Like a Flower Blooming in the Divided Land (46/200)

2023.09.15.

Leah returned to the hotel immediately after the banquet.

Allen seemed eager to spend more time with her, but she didn’t even give him the chance to speak.

But why did she miss Terrence so much?

After spending a few days in Brussels, she felt achingly lonely. She still resented him, but separately from that, she missed him a lot.

“Miss, why did you accept the dress order?”

“Pauline, you have to set aside personal feelings when doing business. You can see for yourself, Miss Rivet is very beautiful, and her family is rich. There’s a very high chance she’ll be chosen as the Crown Princess.”

“Well, it would be beneficial for us if she were chosen.”

“Yes, but I’m not just planning to take orders for Miss Rivet’s dresses.”

“Yes?”

This was an area she knew better than anyone.

The young ladies of Brussels’ aristocracy would all participate in the selection. And who among them would become the Crown Princess depended on her efforts.

It might seem like unfounded confidence, but in any case, the selection was just a battle of wits.

The results would vary depending on who knew the Crown Prince’s tastes better and which young lady was more outstanding.

“Let’s go back tomorrow, Pauline.”

“Yes! I miss Chenel, you know?”

“Me too.”

‘And… Terrence too.’

She was grateful to him for not chasing her all the way to Galdenia. She had wondered if he would break into the hotel and drag her away.

Terrence would already know where she had gone.

‘If Terrence’s feelings are still tied to the Empress, he won’t hold me back. That’s what’s best for him.’

She reflected on the reasons why she had been struggling and realized something.

She also knew exactly why she was angry with Terrence and why she had run away to Galdenia.

‘Without realizing it, I was coveting Terrence. I loved him so much that I wanted to monopolize him.’

Leah admitted that her feelings for Terrence and the Empress were rooted in jealousy. So, if he left, she would let him go.

It would be very difficult and painful, but she had things to do.

She had clearly seen it with her own eyes today: those enemies who were living well without any guilt after ruining other people’s lives.

Leah shook her head roughly.

‘Prioritize your tasks. Leah Hamilton, your feelings come second. The first thing is to grow the business enough to subdue those bastards.’

“But, don’t you think it’s a bit strange, Miss?”

“What is?”

“I know the Duke’s personality a bit. You disappeared, but he’s not showing any reaction. He would have known where we went right away.”

“It must be consideration. Terrence is a gentleman.”

Or he was feeling guilty, so he was being cautious. He had revealed his feelings for another woman in front of his fiancée.

However, Pauline’s thoughts were different.

‘Gentlemen are all dead. The Duke is not the kind of person who would let the Miss go so easily.’

A strong sense of unease crept in.

“Could his illness have worsened?”

“What? You’re saying Terrence is sick?”

“It’s a bit strange. We didn’t see the Duke fully recover before we left.”

Listening to Pauline, she was right. She had been so caught up in her own emotions—giving him medicine and running to the Empress—that she didn’t know what happened to him afterward.

She had been too preoccupied with her own feelings to worry about him.

‘If he couldn’t chase me because he was sick?’

She would rather he be a gentleman. No matter how much she hated him, she didn’t want him to be sick.

“He’ll be okay. There are so many people at the Duke’s residence, and there’s Doctor Wilson, Luke, and James.”

“That’s right. Anyway, we’re leaving here tomorrow.”

“Yes, let’s leave early.”

“Yes.”

Leah’s concern for Terrence started then. She kept biting her nails and pacing around the bedroom.

‘He’s the man who stopped the train and blockaded the city so I couldn’t leave. Has his illness gotten worse? Or did talking to the Empress make even the slightest bit of emotion I had left disappear?’

She hoped he wasn’t sick and that his feelings had disappeared. Even if it hurt her heart, that would be better.

* * *

Allen took a carriage to the hotel late at night.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t let Grace go like this. When would he have another chance to be in this city with her without anyone’s interference?

He wanted to follow her tonight and do something, whether it was persuasion, courtship, or seduction. Because if she went back to Terrence, things would get complicated.

‘I should get another room. It would be nice to have a light conversation while drinking champagne.’

The atmosphere depends on how you create it.

He remembered the telegram that his secretary had brought him before. It was good news that the Duke and Grace were on bad terms.

So, he would be a fool to miss this golden opportunity.

‘If she had no feelings for me at all, she would have refused Rivet’s request. It seems like she’s subtly hinting at me.’

He wasn’t the kind of man who lacked awareness, so he would quickly find the answer by searching through the eyes and words of women.

Allen hummed with excitement. But his carriage could no longer go and stopped.

“What’s going on?”

He urged the coachman in a testy tone. Then the door opened wide, and men in black masks grabbed Allen by the collar.

“Get out!”

“Wh-Who are you?”

In an instant, Allen was sprawled on the street.

Soon, the men, who were all wrapped in black cloth from head to toe, dragged Allen into a secluded alley.

A scream and dull thuds that followed a little later sharply tore through the night air.

* * *

Meanwhile, Terrence, who had regained consciousness, sighed when he realized he was still lying in bed.

‘This damn body!’

As he woke up, the servants moved busily. They brought medicine and water and prepared the underwear for him to change into.

When everything was over, Terrence faced Luke alone.

“You’ve been lying down for a whole day, Duke.”

“I’m fine now.”

Terrence tried to get out of bed again, and Luke stopped him with words.

“I told the Chief of Police what you said. And what you’re worried about will never happen.”

“What do you mean what I’m worried about won’t happen? Explain it clearly.”

“Don’t you remember? You have a debt to repay to Allen McDowell. He bought off the employees at Chenel to steal information.”

“So?”

“I sent a telegram to the Rafa organization members in Brussels. I told them to beat him up just enough not to kill him.”

Luke told the whole story.

He learned that Grace had returned to the hotel immediately after the banquet, but Allen was following her alone at night. So, he said he had repaid the debt in his own way.

“Luke.”

Terrence’s face changed, and he called him.

“Yes, tell me.”

Luke was very scared. He had acted independently without Terrence giving any separate orders, so he could get very angry.

“You’re very commendable. Why didn’t you just kill him?”

Only then did Luke’s frozen face melt away.

“Bad deeds are punished by God.”

“So, what happened to that bastard?”

“What happened? He’s going to be in the hospital for a while. The Rafa organization members do their job very cleanly. I told them not to touch his organs and just break a few bones, and they did exactly that.”

“That’s amazing.”

They had no choice but to do a good job. The Rafa organization was grateful to the Hamilton Trading Company because they could earn money without doing illegal things anymore.

Not only had their lives become stable by supplying and selling goods to general stores all over Galdenia, but they were also not being pointed at as gypsies.

But Luke hesitated, as if he had more to say.

“Speak.”

“The Miss is coming back soon. I’ve also confirmed with the hotel.”

“Really?”

It was the most welcome sound he had heard. He felt better than any medicine, and he already felt refreshed.

From now on, he had to study how to give Grace trust, as Chenel had advised.

Then Luke hurriedly got up and brought a hand mirror to show Terrence’s face.

“What…”

Terrence saw a happy smile blooming on his haggard face in the mirror. It was like a wildflower blooming in drought-stricken land.

“When I was young, my father would buy gifts when he came home on leave from the army. Then our brothers liked it just like you do, Duke.”

Luke wanted to show Terrence how much he was changing. Of course, in a positive direction.

Terrence gave a self-deprecating laugh.

‘Grace was a gift.’

“I’m glad I had that experience before I died.”

* * *

Leah and Pauline came down to the hotel lobby early. They were planning to go to the desk, pay quickly, and return to Lubeck.

But there was a commotion at the desk, and it was very noisy.

A gentleman in a well-tailored suit and a lady in a dress made of high-quality fabric were arguing with the hotel staff, and both seemed to be well over middle age.

“Do you know who we are? We were the exclusive tailors for Emperor and Empress of Saint Petersburg.”

“Then, please pay the hotel bill, sir.”

“I’m saying I’ll do it with this?”

The woman held out a brooch to the hotel staff. But the hotel staff looked embarrassed.

It was against hotel rules not to accept items in kind and asked them to pay in cash.

“Do you see that trunk? It’s full of precious clothes and jewels from the Saint Petersburg Imperial Family. You don’t know the value of that brooch, but…!”

This time the man joined in. He pointed to the trunks piled up in the lobby and spoke passionately.

Leah carefully examined the two men and women. The elaborate embroidery in black silk thread on the red velour fabric was excellent.

The suit the man was wearing had a precise pattern as if it were tailored to his body. Above all, the brooch that the woman offered instead of the hotel fee was indeed an expensive item.

The Hamilton Trading Company also handled amber jewels from the East Continent, so she could estimate the value just by looking at the light reflection.

‘The Saint Petersburg Empire has fallen. The Emperor and Empress died at the hands of the Revolutionary Army.’

Leah’s eyes sparkled.

They clearly said with their own mouths that they were the exclusive tailors for the Emperor and Empress. Leah watched the situation and walked towards the desk.

“How much is the hotel fee?”

At her voice, not only the hotel staff but also the man and woman who were arguing looked surprised.

“It’s 50 gold.”

“I’ll pay for them instead.”

Leah was willing to pay the hotel fee for them.