Revenge Costs Interest [EN]: Chapter 61

Revenge Has Interest 61. (61/200)

61.

2023.09.30.

Leah stared at the veil in her hand, deeply troubled.

‘It doesn’t make sense. If the Emperor’s veil falls, the Chief Secretary should rush to pick it up. Why did they just run away?’

She felt it wasn’t proper etiquette as a subject, but on the other hand, it felt ominous. Should she just ignore it and pretend it never happened when the Emperor’s veil fell?

‘How can I ignore it when it’s on the ground?’

Leah shook her head. No matter how much she thought about it, ignoring it felt wrong.

Gently holding the veil, she waited for Theresa to return.

‘She said it would take at least an hour, right?’

She realized she was all alone in this vast riding arena. Still, the first one back would be the winner, so she had to watch.

But why was her heart pounding so much?

‘Who will win?’

Theresa seemed experienced and seasoned, but Vivian had skill and spirit. Of course, both of them had a strong competitive spirit.

‘It’s funny. They’re acting like their lives depend on this horse riding.’

Maybe it was because they thought the nation’s honor was at stake.

Leah sat in the front row of the stands, waiting for them to return. But only about twenty minutes had passed, so she had to wait a bit longer.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves from the main gate, and Leah jumped up and looked towards the gate.

‘Are they back already?’

Whoever it was, they must be incredibly skilled. Soon, a black horse galloped in, kicking up a cloud of dust.

‘It’s Empress Theresa! Did our Empress lose?’

She was a little disappointed, but the winner deserved to be congratulated.

Leah walked towards Theresa with quick steps.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. You’re back already?”

Leah smiled brightly, congratulating Theresa on her victory.

However, Theresa’s face, covered with a black cloth over her nose and mouth, didn’t look very good.

Theresa’s eyes flashed like sharp blades, and her thick eyebrows were raised unpleasantly.

In the end, Leah saw Theresa’s face. She was startled and slowly stepped back.

Instantly, chills spread like ice flowers from her spine to the back of her head.

‘Is that why they told me to pretend I didn’t see?’

Only then did she understand why the Chief Secretary had ignored the fallen veil and left. It was because no one should be there when Theresa returned.

‘I shouldn’t have looked.’

She had rushed over, thinking she was being kind, but…

Theresa dismounted with an angry expression and strode towards Leah.

‘The scars are severe.’

She had heard rumors that Theresa had severe scars from smallpox, but she didn’t realize it was this bad. If she hadn’t had the scars, she would have been considered a beauty.

Theresa snatched the veil roughly from Leah, immediately put it on her head, and fastened the strap. Only after putting on her hat as well could Leah avoid seeing her angry face.

“I apologize. I was just trying to pick up the veil because it had fallen.”

“Didn’t the Chief Secretary say anything?”

Theresa spoke in an agitated tone, approaching Leah.

“He said… not to pick it up, but how could I do that? It’s Your Majesty’s veil.”

“Your unnecessary kindness has displeased me.”

“Pardon?”

Leah couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

She doubted whether the Theresa who was angrily scolding her was the same person she had seen before the competition. She seemed like a completely different person, and she didn’t know how to deal with her.

“If I have displeased you, I apologize.”

“I don’t need your apologies!”

“Ugh!”

Theresa grabbed Leah’s neck tightly, flying into a rage.

Only then did Leah realize. Empress Theresa would not tolerate anything related to her face.

Even if the veil was lying on the ground, it would have been kinder to pretend not to notice and disappear from the scene.

“It… hurts.”

“It will hurt more. Because I am going to cut out your tongue.”

“Pardon? Why would you go that far…?”

“So you can’t tell anyone about my face.”

Leah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Would she really cut someone’s tongue out?

As if mocking her thoughts, Theresa’s other hand reached into her bosom and pulled out a dagger.

Leah was seized with terror and struggled to get away from her. But Grace’s frail body couldn’t withstand Theresa’s grip.

Theresa didn’t grab Leah’s neck but instead tried to pry open her mouth and shove the knife in.

“Ugh…!”

She desperately shook her head to avoid the knife, and the blade grazed her lips, drawing blood.

Even so, Theresa didn’t let go of Leah. Instead, she seemed like a monster consumed by madness, her reason paralyzed.

“How dare you! Look directly at my face? Live the rest of your life realizing how great a sin that is!”

Her scream pushed Leah’s resistance to its peak. She was truly about to have her tongue cut out by Theresa, and she was overwhelmed with fear.

Just then, the knife aimed at Leah’s tongue stopped abruptly.

“!?”

When Leah opened her eyes, which she had tightly closed in fear, she saw Terrence’s hand gripping the blade.

“What are you doing?”

Terrence rebuked Theresa in a low voice.

“Your woman saw my face. So I have to cut out her tongue. So she can’t go around spreading nonsense.”

“You’re insane.”

The two faced each other tensely, with the dagger between them. Soon, the knife trembled, and Terrence snatched the sword away in one swift motion, and dark red blood dripped from his hand, which had been cut by the blade.

“Terrence!”

As Leah, startled, reached out to grab his hand, Terrence threw the sword far away in an instant.

“Are you okay?”

Terrence stopped Leah, who was approaching him tearfully, with his other hand.

“Grace, get behind me.”

She hid behind Terrence as he said.

“Don’t take your anger out on others just because your flaws have been exposed. It makes you look pathetic.”

“Do you want to die?”

“I won’t die by Your Majesty’s hand. If you had cut out my fiancée’s tongue, you would have paid a very steep price.”

“A price? Hahaha.”

Theresa laughed as if Terrence’s threat was ridiculous. A mere nobleman from Lubeck threatening the Emperor of Galtenia? He should know the value of his life.

“What kind of price were you going to make me pay?”

“Do you want to know?”

Terrence approached Theresa and looked down at her. He growled at her like a beast with poison rising to the top of its head.

“I could make you and Galtenia like Wales. How about a hellish inferno that can’t be rebuilt even in 100 years? Or becoming a vassal state of Lubeck.”

“You’re bluffing.”

Theresa burst into a hollow laugh. At that moment, a woman’s voice was carried on the wind.

“It’s not a bluff. If you had hurt Miss Vizak, Lubeck would have punished Galtenia in the name of honor.”

Vivian, who had arrived unnoticed, dismounted and approached the two.

She glanced at Leah, whose mouth was covered in blood, and went to Theresa and Terrence, who were arguing.

“Miss Vizak is not a citizen of Your Majesty. You should know that harming a citizen of another empire can cause a war. Moreover, Grace is the younger sister of Baron Aiden Vizak. It’s something that the people of Lubeck would take very sensitively.”

Vivian was never intimidated, even in front of Theresa, who exuded a strong aura.

Rather, she fiercely drove Theresa into a corner and criticized her. She didn’t forget to tell her not to blame others for her mistakes.

“I won this match. Cool down, and let’s meet with a smile at the banquet.”

Vivian said only what she had to say and turned away.

* * *

Leah returned to Bellis Palace and watched Terrence receive treatment. Dr. Wilson, who had accompanied them, treated Terrence’s severe wound and then gave him a long lecture. Fortunately, Leah was not seriously injured.

“What if a tendon had been severed!”

“It wasn’t severed.”

Even as he answered Dr. Wilson, his eyes were fixed on Leah.

Leah was overwhelmed with emotion and finally burst into tears. Then Terrence immediately tried to approach her.

“Duke! We need to wrap another layer of bandage!”

When Dr. Wilson blocked Terrence, Leah ran out of the room.

“Grace!”

Even though Terrence kept calling, she didn’t look back.

Leah walked straight ahead without thinking.

She didn’t know the way in the unfamiliar palace, but she needed to find a place to be alone as soon as possible. Soon, she saw a terrace with an open door at the end of the hallway.

Leah leaned against the terrace railing and wiped away her tears.

‘Terrence was hurt because I was nosy.’

As the Chief Secretary said, she should have left the scene, whether the veil fell to the ground or not. She was always upset that Terrence seemed to be harmed because of her.

‘Is my existence bringing bad luck to Terrence?’

Leah’s self-deprecation reached its peak. She began to wonder if her existence was helping Terrence at all.

He was an incredibly grateful person to her, but she was upset that she hadn’t done anything for him.

Tears streamed endlessly from Leah’s eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

A strange voice was heard at that moment.

“!?”

Leah immediately turned to find the source of the voice.

“Who are you?”

“It’s been a while, Miss Vizak.”

“Prince Salame?”

Salame was very pleased that Leah remembered him.

Salame took out a handkerchief from his pocket and approached Leah.

“Your pretty face will be ruined.”

He wiped away Leah’s tears with the handkerchief.

“I’ll do it… myself.”

Leah tried to take the handkerchief from Salame, but it didn’t work. Salame was as gentle as if he were comforting his own woman.

“To meet you here again, we must be destined.”

This was not the time to listen to such nonsense. Leah felt suffocated looking at Salame, who was consistently headstrong.

“Why were you crying alone in a place like this?”

It would be difficult if he heard the reason…

“Because of the Prince’s mother.”

Her tone was somewhat resentful.

“Pardon?”

As expected, Salame looked embarrassed and hugged Leah.

“It must have been hard for you.”

He patted Leah on the back, comforting her.