Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 26

“Open the box.”

At Allen’s command, his men struggled to unwrap the heavy crate. As the lid came off, a sealed letter was placed neatly on top.

The moment they opened the rest of the box and saw what was inside, they gasped in shock.

“What is this?”

The box was soaked in blood, and the smell was overpowering.

“It’s a wild boar.”

Someone had hunted the animal and sent it as a gift, packed with care.

“Sir, here’s a letter.”

Allen accepted the envelope with a trembling hand.

He noticed the Courtois family seal stamped into the wax. Something about it filled him with dread. Still, he broke the seal and read the message.

To Mr. Allen McDowell,

This wild boar was hunted by me personally. I suggest you roast it. It should be delicious.

However, I do not wish to hunt people. Let’s avoid turning this into a tragedy.

P.S. The Hamilton Trading Company will be well managed under the House of Courtois. There is no need for concern.

“You son of a…”

Allen shouted and crumpled the letter in his fist.

Everything had gone completely wrong.

He was furious. How was it that Terran always blocked his path?

Every move Allen had planned had gone exactly as expected, yet Terran was the one person he could never outmaneuver.

Now it was clear. Terran from Lubeck had become his greatest enemy.

The gypsies had ruined everything. Terran was not going to let this go quietly. But Allen was not afraid.

So Terran plans to run the Hamilton stores? For a noble house, that would bring only small profits. Could it be that he was close to Lea’s father?

As far as Allen knew, there had never been any connection between them.

A little general store doesn’t matter to me. What could he possibly do with it?

Allen’s lips curled in frustration.

Fine. Let’s see who wins. I’ve been through enough to know how to survive. I will not lose.

The rage burning in him felt cold rather than hot. It chilled him to the bone. Yet in some twisted way, having Terran as a rival made his blood rush with excitement.

You have no idea how thrilling it is to crush someone and stand above them.

If that’s how it would be, then he would treat this as a true competition.

A real opponent only made victory more satisfying. But to win, he needed power.

Suddenly, an idea came to him.

Soon, the crown prince of Galdensia would announce a royal bride selection. Someone from the McDowell family had to be chosen.

That was the only way to receive a duke’s title. And he had a sister who was just as beautiful as any noblewoman in the capital.

If Rivette becomes the crown princess, I will be equal in rank to Terran.

And his family would rise in power throughout Galdensia.

For now, he would put off taking Grace. Instead, he would focus all his energy on making his sister the next crown princess. That would turn him from a viscount into a duke.

Just wait. The next time we meet, I will be Duke McDowell.

He looked down at the crumpled letter in his hand and clenched his teeth.

Rapa, recently released from custody, arrived at the Duke’s estate with Chenera. Of course, not all of his men had been cleared.

Maddox and those directly involved in Grace’s kidnapping were sentenced to one year in prison. At least they were spared execution.

“Wow, Sister, you live in a palace!”

Chenera looked around the estate with wide eyes.

But Rapa still heard Terran’s warning echoing in his mind.

If you ever do something foolish again, I will take your granddaughter as a hostage.

What? Chenera?

Grace may like her, but I do not. If you ever make another mistake, her life will not be safe.

That warning still haunted him.

And now the Hamilton Trading Company, which he had worked hard to buy, had been handed over to Terran.

It was not stolen. Terran paid exactly what Rapa had originally paid Allen.

If you smuggle, deal in drugs, or commit violence again, you and your granddaughter will die.

I understand.

You said with your own mouth that you would become my dog. Now keep your word.

Do not worry.

Maybe this was for the best. It was a chance to leave the criminal world behind for good. Terran had not been entirely cruel.

Even though he called Chenera a hostage, he had allowed her to stay close to Grace.

What does he want from me this time?

Rapa was worried, but he trusted Grace enough to come.

Soon, a servant arrived and led them to the drawing room.

“Grandpa, this place is amazing!”

Chenera smiled brightly, unaware that she might have to say goodbye to him.

When they entered the room, Grace stood up from her seat and smiled.

“Sister!”

“Chenera, you’re here.”

The two greeted each other like long-lost sisters, laughing and hugging warmly.

Rapa, however, could not bring himself to lift his head. He was too ashamed to face Grace.

Even more than that, he was anxious about Terran, who was sitting calmly on a large sofa reading a newspaper.

“I offer my respects to you, Miss Grace, and to the Duke.”

Rapa bowed deeply to Terran, who did not even look at him.

“Please have a seat, Grandfather.”

“Th-thank you, Miss.”

Rapa hesitated for a moment before sitting down. Just then, Pauline entered the room carrying a tray of tea and snacks.

“Pauline!” Chenera shouted.

Chenera, you’re finally here.

At that moment, Terran folded his newspaper and placed it on the table, then looked at Grace.

“I’ll leave you two to talk comfortably.”

“You can stay if you want,” Grace said, trying to keep him.

But Terran glanced at Rapa, who looked pale and stiff with worry, and gave a faint smile.

“You’ll feel more at ease if I’m not here.”

“Then I’ll speak with him separately,” Grace offered gently.

“Alright.”

Terran left the room, and only after he did did Rapa’s shoulders ease a little.

Pauline came in and set down a tray of tea and snacks to help Rapa relax.

“I’ll forget what happened with the kidnapping,” Grace said calmly.

“I am truly sorry, miss.”

“Chenera will stay here with Pauline and me. We’ll also let her visit home once a week.”

At that, Chenera, who had been eating cookies, suddenly cheered.

“Really? I get to live with my sisters?”

“Yes.”

“Yay!”

“Chenera, would you like to explore the estate with me?” Pauline asked.

“Yes, Sister!”

Pauline led Chenera out of the drawing room.

If Grace and Rapa were going to talk seriously about business, it would be better for Chenera to step out for a while.

“Take a look at this,” Grace said, pushing a stack of letters across the table toward Rapa.

Rapa blinked at the pile, unsure what to say.

“These are from noblewomen in Lubeck. They’re asking to order more of Chenera’s lacework.”

“What? Is that really true?”

“Even the Empress herself sent a letter. She wants to own lace made by Chenera.”

Rapa’s face turned red with shock. He had always thought of his granddaughter’s handiwork as a simple hobby, not a skill that could earn real money. And to think, the Empress herself had requested it.

“Grandfather, shall we talk seriously about business now?”

Grace’s smile faded. With a determined look, she slid several documents across the table toward Rapa.

Before dinner, Grace urgently went looking for James.

“James, please deliver this letter to my brother Aiden.”

“You wrote him a letter, miss?”

“Yes. Why? Is that strange?”

“You’ve never done that before.”

Grace smiled. She understood now that the old Grace had never written to her brother.

“He’s my only brother. I should check in from time to time.”

She wasn’t embarrassed. Just because it hadn’t happened before didn’t mean it shouldn’t happen now.

“Of course. I’ll deliver it right away.”

In the letter, she had written about Chenera as well. If she was going to go into business, Aiden had a right to know. He might oppose the idea of a noblewoman becoming a merchant, and she also had questions only he could answer.

“Where is Terran? It’s almost time for dinner.”

“He should be in the study.”

“I’ll go to him.”

Grace knocked on the study door, but there was no answer.

Maybe he wasn’t there, or maybe he was too focused on work to hear her. She cautiously opened the door.

“It’s so dark. Why didn’t he turn on the lights?”

She stepped inside and turned on the lamp.

Terran was slumped over his mahogany desk.

“Terran, are you tired?”

It looked like he had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Grace walked closer. But when she saw sweat running down his face and his twisted expression, she froze in place.

“Ugh… don’t fall back…”

He was having a nightmare.

“I didn’t kill them… it wasn’t me!”

Just like at the cottage, Terran’s tortured past was breaking through. His pain had returned, tearing him apart from the inside.

“Please… save me…”

Grace had always seen him as strong. She thought he had already overcome the scars of war. She had never realized he was still suffering so deeply.

This wasn’t something that could heal easily.

She had been foolish to think otherwise. That was the difference between someone who had lived through war and someone who hadn’t.

“Grace… don’t go…”

She couldn’t leave him in that nightmare. She rushed to him and shook his shoulder.

“Wake up, Terran!”

“Ugh…”

“I’m right here!”

She pulled him up and cupped his face in both hands.

“Open your eyes! Look at me!”

At her voice, his eyelids fluttered like butterfly wings. His dark eyes, full of pain, focused on her.

“Grace?”

“Yes, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Only then did Terran seem to escape from his torment. He let out a breath of relief and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Grace held him close, gently rubbing his shoulders and stroking his hair.

“I thought you were dead.”

He had been lost in a battlefield of dreams, and the thought of her being taken and killed had crushed him.

“It was just a dream. I’m alive. I’m here with you.”

Her heart ached.

Every time Terran broke like this and revealed his wounded soul, she found herself overwhelmed by the desire to love him.

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