Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 5

Revenge Has Interest 5. The Duke is Impotent (5/200)

August 5, 2023

Inside the carriage returning from the funeral, Leah sat across from Terrence. She constantly gazed at the streets of Lebon passing by outside the window.

It was exotic, but not significantly different from the capital of Galdenia. However, Leah felt Terrence’s intense gaze fixed upon her.

‘Why are you looking at me like you want to burn me alive?’ she thought, feeling intensely awkward and uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Terrence’s suspicion towards Grace deepened.

‘Grace even knows how to comfort others,’ he mused.

It was quite surprising, as Grace was typically more self-centered than anyone he knew. She usually only did what pleased her in her own little world.

‘It was strange from the moment she said she would attend Leah Hamilton’s funeral.’

Grace usually found it annoying to visit her brother in the provincial estate even once a month.

‘She wouldn’t even know Leah Hamilton,’ he reasoned.

He felt an urge to investigate. But Grace spoke first.

“Duke Courtois, do you have Miss Hamilton’s necklace?”

Leah swallowed hard, waiting for his answer. Allen had also looked for the necklace at the funeral, so it wasn’t a random question.

“I recognized it when I saw the necklace. The corpse is Leah Hamilton……”

Leah was relieved by his answer.

That meant Terrence had the necklace in his possession. The question was where it was. Still, it was fortunate that Terrence hadn’t given the necklace to Allen.

“But why didn’t you give the necklace to the bereaved family?”

“Because the necklace belongs to the Hamilton Merchant family. Isn’t it right to return it to its owner?”

“I… see.”

“There’s also something fishy about it.”

‘Something fishy?’ Leah wondered.

Leah wanted to ask Terrence for more details, but he kept his mouth shut and turned his gaze out the window.

Silence lingered between them again.

After a while, Terrence broke Leah’s reverie with an unexpected remark.

“It would be best not to get close to Allen McDowell.”

“Yes? Wh… why?” Leah stammered, startled. No one had ever acknowledged her father’s innocence, but Terrence’s remark seemed to suggest he suspected Allen instead.

“He seems to have been digging up information about Richard Hamilton for a long time. Empress Theresa tried to confiscate the merchant’s assets, but he ended up gaining control. Doesn’t that seem strange?”

‘Because that bastard is the culprit,’ Leah thought bitterly.

Leah could only move her lips, unable to bring herself to speak the truth.

Allen probably mentioned the employees of the merchant family and persuaded the emperor that he was the one who knew the situation best.

He would have also sought sympathy, saying that the McDowell family, including her, were also victims.

Looking back, she realized she had been naive, like someone trying to climb trees without realizing the dangers of the forest.

‘Leah, your head was full of flower gardens,’ she chided herself.

She was so pathetic that she couldn’t calm her resentment.

Before even addressing Allen’s betrayal, it was more difficult to forgive her foolish self for being deceived by him.

Leah sensed that Terrence was looking into the Hamilton Merchant’s affairs. If so, he would also know what happened to her father.

“Was the Hamilton Merchant executed by hanging?” Leah asked with difficulty. Her heart was pounding hard as she spoke.

“I heard he avoided the hanging. Some other merchants and close acquaintances usually intervened and advised the emperor to save his life, so he was imprisoned on Reef Island.”

“Reef Island?”

Reef Island, located in the middle of the sea, was a prison for traitors and impure ideologues.

Once imprisoned there, they could never return home for the rest of their lives. When they died, their bodies were thrown into the sea.

Still, if her father was alive, she could somehow meet him, so it was worth hoping for.

There was a famous anecdote that Count Montes had survived that island a long time ago.

‘Indeed, people are the scariest,’ Leah thought.

Leah’s lungs were filled with anger. She wanted to vent her resentment as much as she wanted, but she barely held back.

‘It’s enough if my father is alive,’ she told herself.

She would give her whole life to save him from Reef Island prison.

Leah hid her trembling hands in her skirt.

But Terrence kept his eyes on her, observing her changing expressions as he spoke.

* * *

Even after returning to the mansion, Leah could only think about the necklace.

How could she ask Terrence about it naturally? She had to find the necklace to get her hands on the Hamilton Merchant’s memorandum.

‘Should I tell the Duke the truth, that I am Leah Hamilton?’ she wondered.

She accidentally possessed Grace’s body, so what if she asked him to help her from now on? She couldn’t imagine what Terrence’s reaction would be.

‘He wouldn’t believe it. It’s still hard for me to accept,’ she reasoned.

He might think she was crazy and put her in a mental hospital.

Just then, Pauline returned to the room to attend to her.

“Pauline, where is Duke Courtois?”

“Are you gradually regaining your old self?” Pauline asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t cared about the Duke since you were seriously ill.”

It seemed that Terrence was everything to Grace. She felt sorry for her for no reason.

Leah put her hand on her chest and whispered inwardly.

‘Grace, you’ve done enough. You can stop now. Loving alone will ruin your soul.’

A dangerous love that has lost everything, like herself.

From now on, she wouldn’t be able to trust anyone, and it was impossible to fall in love again. The cells of love within her were buried in the ground with Leah Hamilton.

“He’s in his study. Dr. Wilson is here,” Pauline said.

Leah came to her senses at Pauline’s words.

“I’ll go alone.”

Leah ran out of the room as if fleeing, not wanting Pauline to see her heightened emotions.

After all, it was impossible to reveal her identity to Terrence. She was still in an unstable state and her mind was confused.

Before she knew it, she arrived in front of his study. But she could hear the voices of two men through the half-open door.

Leah waited behind the door for Terrence and Dr. Wilson to finish their conversation.

“Wilson, have the test results come out?”

When Terrence asked in an agitated tone, Wilson couldn’t answer for a while. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“I’m just sorry to have to say this.”

“It’s okay, tell me the truth.”

“The test results are in, and it is no longer possible for you to function as a man.”

“Damn it! God damn it!” Terrence cursed, furious.

“Are you sure? Is there no error?”

“You’ve tested it several times, haven’t you? The injury you sustained during the war is the cause. I don’t know what words of comfort to offer.”

“I don’t need any comfort for a eunuch! Wilson!” Terrence yelled at Wilson.

Meanwhile, Leah, who unintentionally overheard the conversation between the two, covered her mouth with her hand. She had heard such terrible words that she almost made a sound without realizing it.

‘The Duke can’t function as a man?’

At that moment, she heard something breaking inside. It seemed that the angry Terrence was shouting and throwing things.

Leah was terrified and ran to the opposite hallway and headed for the second floor stairs. Her head was blank all the way to her room.

‘So that’s why the Duke was cold to Grace?’

It was a difficult ordeal for him as a man.

Leah now knew the cause of the deep shadow on Terrence’s face.

She had heard from Pauline before that Terrence had suffered many major and minor injuries while participating in the war with Wales.

How difficult it must have been to fight in a fierce and brutal war for seven years. But he had even acquired a great disability, so she couldn’t even fathom the despair Terrence must have felt.

‘I misunderstood him as a heartless man….’ Leah regretted judging people hastily.

* * *

Terrence sat down on the sofa, panting. He roughly swept back his disheveled bangs.

“Wilson, keep the test results regarding Aiden a secret.”

“Of course. But it will be difficult to hide it from Baron Aiden for a long time, won’t it?”

“No, hide it forever if possible.”

Wilson shook his head at Terrence’s words. After all, the patient himself would know first…….

The Duke’s order was as futile as trying to cover the sky with the palm of his hand.

“It’s not your fault, Duke.”

“No, it’s my fault. It’s a tragedy that happened because of the injuries Aiden sustained in the battle he went out in my place.”

Terrence was in pain, holding his head in both hands.

Because the line of the Vizac barony was cut off because of him. How could he be okay with that?