Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 31

Bubbles rose from Lea’s mouth as she sank deeper into the water. No matter how hard she tried to swim up, it felt like she was being dragged into a dark swamp, slipping further and further down.

I’m scared. I hate the water.

Suddenly, a voice that was not her own echoed in her mind.

I don’t want to die.

The moment she heard it, Lea understood.

It was Grace’s soul, hidden within her, finally rising up and taking control the moment, her body touched water.

Until now, she had never shown herself.

Why now?

She remembered something Chenera once said.

You have two souls in your body, sister.

In the face of death, Grace was desperately fighting for survival from within.

I want to live.

Lea was filled with regret. She had thought the body was hers alone and had ignored how Grace might feel.

I’m sorry, Grace.

Memories of both her past and present came flooding in, and guilt followed close behind.

Back when she ran out of the duke’s estate with a gun, ready to die with Allen—if she had really pulled that trigger, there would have been no turning back. She was glad she hadn’t.

I shouldn’t have used a borrowed body so carelessly.

Then she felt a strong force pulling her up from the water, followed by pressure against her chest.

Coughing violently, Lea finally managed to spit out the water trapped in her throat.

Fresh air filled her lungs. She could hear Pauline crying nearby. She could feel Terran’s breath as he stayed close to her.

Though her breathing had calmed, she couldn’t move her arms or legs.

It was time to accept the truth. Lea Hamilton had always been healthy, but Grace’s body had been weak from the beginning.

Lea tried hard to stay conscious. But her strength drained quickly, and she could no longer lift her eyelids.

Everything faded, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Terran burst into the bedroom, carrying Grace in his arms. Chenera, who had been calmly stitching lace, jumped up in shock.

When she saw Grace soaking wet and limp on the bed, Chenera began crying uncontrollably.

“No, sister! Don’t die!”

“Chenera, stop crying and bring a towel!” Pauline shouted urgently.

“Okay!”

Lea slowly began to regain consciousness. She heard the women’s panicked voices in the background.

Even though she couldn’t open her eyes, she could feel Terran beside her. He was probably staring down at her with a pained expression.

Terran, please say something. I want to hear your voice.

She could sense he was there, but the silence scared her. Then, as if he had heard her thoughts, Terran finally spoke to one of the attendants.

“Add more coal to the fireplace. Keep this room warm.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

When Lea heard Terran’s voice, she finally felt alive again.

Warm air slowly surrounded her body, and she drifted into a deeper sleep.

“Get Doctor Wilson right now.”

She wanted to hear more of his voice, but the pull of sleep was too strong. She could no longer feel him as she slipped away.

She had no idea how long she slept. Her entire body felt heavy and stiff.

Pauline had opened the window to air out the room. Cool, fresh air drifted in, and the soft chirping of birds on the wind gently brought her out of sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window, brushing against her closed eyelids. Slowly, Lea opened her eyes. Her blurred vision gradually cleared, and her mind began to focus.

“Pauline…”

Even speaking felt incredibly difficult.

Grace, you fragile little thing.

This experience had taught her that she needed to take care of this body more seriously from now on.

“Miss, are you awake?”

“Yes. Can you help me sit up?”

As Pauline helped her sit, Chenera suddenly called out.

“I’m going to tell him! I’m going to tell the duke you woke up!”

“Stop! Chenera!”

Lea shouted without thinking. Chenera froze like a statue and stared at her, eyes wide.

“Later, Chenera. Please.”

“Okay…”

Pauline quickly brought warm water and held it out to Lea. But Lea had no idea how to handle the embarrassment she was feeling.

“What’s wrong? The duke has been waiting for you to wake up.”

Pauline looked confused.

“I’m mortified, that’s what’s wrong.”

Pauline laughed out loud.

Honestly, even Lea understood. It would be hard for anyone to face Terran right now.

She had proudly challenged him to a duel, and yet she fainted before the race was even halfway through. It was beyond embarrassing.

“I want to disappear. I’m dying of embarrassment. I wish I could crawl into a hole. What must Terran be thinking of me?”

Lea set her water cup on the nightstand and covered her face with both hands.

“Pauline, maybe I should just pretend I’m sick and stay in bed for a whole month.”

More than anything, she wanted to avoid seeing Terran’s face again.

This was complete humiliation.

“That’s not a good idea. The duke looks really tired. His face is worn out,” said Chenera quietly.

“What?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea either,” Pauline added. “Do you know how worried he was? He came by to check on you almost every hour.”

They were right. Lea couldn’t keep hiding from him after hearing that.

“Pauline, how long was I asleep?”

“It’s been a whole week.”

A full week. Grace’s body really did take time to recover from even the smallest stress. No wonder Aiden had always worried about her health back in Bern.

“Oh, right. We have some good news. Chenera, go get it.”

At Pauline’s request, Chenera walked over to the table and returned with a newspaper.

Lea opened it slowly, still not fully awake.

“This is… the advertisement?”

It took up a large portion of the page.

“They say it’s been published across the entire continent. The photo came out beautifully. The lace shawl really stands out.”

But there was one thing that felt odd.

“Pauline, where’s my head?”

Her head was cropped out of the photo. The image started from her neck, which made it look a little strange.

Of course. Terran would never allow her face to be published. But to go as far as removing only her face from the photo…

“Actually, it makes the lace more noticeable. And people love the ad. Orders are already pouring into Grandpa Rapa’s shop.”

“Really?”

Lea tilted the newspaper and looked more closely. Pauline had a point.

If her face had been shown, people’s attention would have gone there instead of to the lace. Without the distraction of a person’s expression, the shawl became the clear focus.

In fact, even she found herself wondering who the model in the photo was.

Just then, footsteps could be heard outside the room.

Lea immediately knew who it was. She panicked, tossed the newspaper away, and pulled the blanket over her head.

Pauline and Chenera quickly stepped out of the room. Lea was left with the sound of two men entering.

How am I supposed to face Terran?

She felt ridiculous for acting like this but couldn’t help it. She just wanted to disappear.

The blanket was suddenly pulled back, and Terran’s pale, tired face appeared in front of her.

“Terran…”

He didn’t say a word. He looked at Grace for a moment, then pulled her into his arms.

She had expected him to tease her or mock her embarrassment, but instead, he looked relieved.

“You’re awake. That’s all that matters.”

Lea was surprised, but her hands reached out on their own and wrapped around his back.

“I’m sorry. I keep making you worry.”

“It’s okay.”

The way he held her made everything clear. The tension in his body, the strength in his grip, the way he clung to her — all of it showed how much he had suffered while she was unconscious.

She had no words left. Nothing she could say would be enough.

Terran couldn’t forget the moment Grace sank beneath the water.

He had pulled her out quickly, but she didn’t breathe right away. For that terrifying stretch of time, it felt like his own breath had stopped too.

In that moment, only one thought repeated in his mind.

If something happens to you, I’m finished too.

It wasn’t about guilt or obligation to Aiden. He had only then realized that Grace had become the most important person in his life.

If she died, his world would fall apart.

“Ahem.”

Doctor Wilson cleared his throat as he entered the room. Terran and Lea quickly pulled apart.

“I’ll step outside. Go ahead with the examination.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

With a somewhat embarrassed look, Terran left the room. Lea couldn’t stop staring at his back as he walked away. He looked so thin, so tired.

“Lady Vizak, you’ve had a weak constitution since birth. Your lungs are not strong. You must be careful around cold air. And of course, you must not overwork yourself.”

“Yes, I understand, Doctor Wilson. I’ll be careful.”

So Grace had always been frail, even as a child. That would explain why she always seemed so exhausted after going out.

Doctor Wilson began listing out more instructions. Take medicine on time, avoid intense physical activity, and get plenty of rest.

Near the end of his advice, he brought up something unexpected.

“You recently visited Bern, correct?”

“Yes, I went to see my brother Aiden.”

“Yes. In our field, we’ve been trying to develop mechanical prosthetics. I hear your brother is making good use of one.”

He spoke about Aiden’s injury in some detail.

“And how is the baroness doing?”

The baroness? Oh, Reina.

“She’s doing well. I really hope the two of them have a baby soon.”

At her words, Doctor Wilson’s expression darkened. He gathered his tools and sighed.

“I don’t believe that will be possible for Baron and Baroness Vizak. Unless a miracle happens. His injuries from the war were severe. It wasn’t just his leg… his other functions were also affected. Oh no… I should not have said that.”

Lea blinked, stunned. She replayed his words in her mind, slowly.

Aiden could no longer function as a man? That cheerful, kind brother of hers?

Suddenly, it all made sense. Terran sometimes looked at Aiden with such quiet sympathy.

“Are you saying my brother can’t have children?”

“Lady Vizak, please pretend you didn’t hear that. It was a mistake. I should never have said anything.”

“What about Terran? I’ve heard he was also badly wounded in the war.”

Something about her understanding of everything felt wrong now. She felt pain in her chest.

Aiden and Reina were truly in love. They were one of the few noble couples who cared deeply for each other.

Most aristocrats married for status. They lived separate lives, each with lovers on the side. But not Aiden and Reina.

To think such a loving couple might not be able to have a child… it broke her heart.

“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything to anyone. This conversation stays between us.”

“The duke is in excellent health. He has no physical damage at all. The only lingering effect is emotional trauma caused by the war.”

Terran is healthy?

Then that conversation we had before… was it about Aiden, not Terran?

Lea stared blankly at Doctor Wilson, her thoughts spinning in silence.

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