Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 32

Lea had fully recovered after a month. Terran often came by to check on her, and every time he did, her heart would skip a beat.

“I really misunderstood him.”

It was both silly and frightening that she had misjudged a healthy and energetic man in his twenties, even if just for a moment.

Suddenly, the memory of the two of them sleeping in each other’s arms, naked in the cabin, came rushing back. Her face turned red before she could stop it.

To be honest, she had taken advantage of the tragic assumption that something was wrong with him as a man.

Just like how she had casually shared a bed with him at Aiden’s villa.

She had even confidently worn a revealing outfit to challenge him to a swimming match, thinking nothing of it.

She wanted to gather all those memories and throw them into a fire. That was why she had been avoiding Terran for a while. She was too embarrassed to face him.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to know the full story.

Maybe he had sensed that things were awkward since the swimming match. He was the one who suggested a small tea party to ease the tension.

Today, they decided to enjoy the last of autumn together in the garden.

When they arrived at the vintage pergola in the center of the pond, the servants had already set the table with tea and desserts.

“Winter will be here soon, won’t it?”

As Lea pulled her thick shawl tighter, Terran took off his cloak and gently placed it over her shoulders.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“But I need to be fine too, just watching you.”

“Thank you.”

His cloak carried a deep woody scent. It matched him perfectly.

It was strange how people’s hearts could change. In the past, she had pitied Terran but never felt the need to be cautious around him.

But ever since she found out he was completely normal, she had become more careful around him.

Still, she was relieved. That kind of tragedy would have been far too cruel for him.

“People should never overestimate their abilities.”

Terran took a sip of tea and smiled playfully.

He was clearly referring to the swimming match. Lea kept drinking her tea, glancing around as if looking for an escape.

“Is there a hole I can crawl into?”

She had hoped to get through it quietly, but that was clearly not going to happen.

“I wasn’t lying. I really do know how to swim. It’s just that I wasn’t feeling well that day.”

“I didn’t think you were lying. I could tell by the way you jumped into the water.”

“What?”

“You weren’t afraid. That’s not how someone who can’t swim would act.”

Lea felt truly relieved. She nearly cried when she realized he believed her.

She had been so embarrassed, thinking she had made herself look like a loudmouth who couldn’t back up her words.

“I don’t like giving up or saying I can’t do something.”

At her words, Terran quietly looked at her.

That was the very reason he had come to like Grace in the first place.

Seeing her try so hard and push through her limits made her incredibly endearing.

She didn’t know it, but the way she always reflected on herself and tried to grow gave him a deep sense of strength and inspiration.

“Well then, I think it’s time we settle the score.”

“Pfft!”

Lea accidentally spat out her tea at his sudden words.

Luckily, Terran handed her a handkerchief right away, saving her from an embarrassing situation.

She had hoped to just let the whole thing pass, but that seemed impossible now.

“Settle the score?” she asked, pretending not to understand.

“Didn’t the one who challenged the duel set the conditions?”

“Oh, that.”

“You’re not trying to get out of it, are you?”

“Me? Of course not.”

“If I could get out of it, I would,” she thought.

This was bad. She knew she couldn’t act carelessly around Terran anymore.

Would he finally become a beast and try to devour her?

She wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Tomorrow night. Come to my bedroom.”

“Pfft!”

Lea was so shocked, she ended up spitting out her tea again.

“Why are you so surprised? You had no trouble sleeping in a small bed with me at Aiden’s villa.”

That was because she had thought he was impotent.

If she had known he was a man overflowing with desire, would she have been that fearless? Honestly, it might have been better if she had stayed in the dark.

“Alright. I’ll go to your bedroom tomorrow night. A promise is a promise.”

Lea’s words came out bold, even if her heart felt far from it.

“Grace, can I ask you one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you really want to marry me?”

“What?”

Terran’s serious tone and expression left Lea momentarily speechless.

He had always been someone who made decisions on his own. She also knew that once he set his mind on something, it was nearly impossible to escape.

But why was he suddenly asking for her opinion?

In truth, Lea wanted to ask herself the same thing. Did she really want to marry Terran?

“I was going to… but now, I’m scared.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Lea knew exactly why she was afraid of him. She had once thought of marrying him out of guilt, using his supposed misfortune as a reason.

If it had been a political marriage, she would have had no reason to refuse. Terran would have been a strong ally. But now, everything felt more complicated.

“What if I fall in love with you?”

She had sworn to never love anyone. But somehow, she found herself falling for Terran more and more. No matter how strong her will was, her heart kept betraying her.

“I don’t know.”

Terran’s eyes flickered with unease.

Why was Grace hesitating to marry him? She was the one who had always wanted it. Had that, too, changed?

“Is that a rejection?”

“It’s not that. I just don’t know if I deserve to be your wife. If I’m only doing this out of guilt over my brother, then I’d rather say no.”

“No.”

His answer was firm, as if drawing a line.

To be honest, when he had first gotten engaged to Grace, he had done it out of guilt toward Aiden, feeling it was his responsibility.

But now, he wanted her regardless of Aiden.

Even so, Grace felt like a dove that might fly away the moment he opened the cage.

“I’ve said it before. I want to be the only man in your heart. And I want you to love me.”

“I’m not in a position to talk about love or marriage so lightly.”

Lea was torn.

Grace would have wanted to marry Terran. And since Lea wasn’t in her own body, she couldn’t just ignore Grace’s long-held wish.

If she didn’t marry him, who knew when Grace’s soul, sleeping inside her, might rise to the surface again.

“I’ll marry you.”

At Lea’s answer, the tension in Terran’s face finally melted.

“But I have one condition.”

“Tell me.”

“The business…”

“I’ll help you.”

“What?”

“I like seeing Grace dream and work toward something. But don’t make yourself too visible in public.”

So that’s why he erased her face from the photo.

Terran was strongly opposed to using Grace’s face for making money.

It wasn’t because of noble pride or public image. He simply didn’t want everyone knowing she existed.

Just imagining newspapers across the continent printing Grace’s face made him feel uneasy. So, he had boldly removed her face from the picture.

“I’ll try. But there may be times when I have no choice but to appear in front of people.”

“Then I’ll do it in your place.”

Lea’s heart swelled with emotion. She had expected him to use the newspaper ad as an excuse to tell her to shut the business down. But instead, he wanted to support her.

“Thank you, Terran.”

“I’d rather hear something other than thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, really now.”

Terran pressed his hand to his forehead and shook his head.

He had been hoping to hear “I love you.” But she really had no clue at all.

A small, self-mocking smile formed on his lips. It seemed moving forward with Grace in a romantic way would not be easy.

“It’s alright. Starting tomorrow night, our relationship will become official.”

Lea forced a smile and swallowed nervously.

“Tomorrow night, am I just a rabbit about to be eaten by that black panther?”

She was scared, but at the same time, her heart fluttered with anticipation. This strange mix of emotions made her uncomfortable, but her body was honest. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.

It was true. Emotional love alone was not enough for a human being.

No matter how much she tried to push Terran away, her heart kept running toward him. It scared her how much she was drawn to him.

“Grace, I have something to give you.”

Terran reached into his coat and pulled out two small square objects.

They were about the size of a compact mirror, made of solid gold, with beautiful embossed patterns on the surface. They looked like tiny mirrors or small notebooks.

“A mirror?”

“Open it.”

Lea opened the item he handed her with a curious expression.

“Oh, it’s a photo album.”

Inside, on one side, there were photos of her with Terran, and individual portraits of him. In Terran’s copy, there was the same photo of them together, but also a portrait of Grace tucked behind the glass.

It was small enough to carry in his pocket at all times. She hadn’t noticed before, but engraved on the cover were the initials “T and G.”

“Terran and Grace.”

Lea felt touched by the unexpected gift. It warmed her heart.

Rivette had been showing up at Allen’s company for several days in a row.

“Brother, I really need that lace shawl they sell at Hamilton’s General Store.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop talking nonsense?”

Allen looked at his sister with frustration. She had no idea what was really going on. The Hamilton store in Galdensia had already been transferred to Terran’s name and was operating normally under the same sign.

“That cursed Hamilton store. I get irritated just hearing the name.”

He felt like he would never be satisfied until he bought the store back and shut it down completely. It was bothering him too much to ignore.

But these days, just passing by the area made his blood boil.

Women from the capital were lining up in front of the store early in the morning.

After looking into it, he found out that the Hamilton flagship store in Lübeck had released a product called the “Chainer Lace Shawl” which had become incredibly popular.

Because of that, women in Galdensia were lining up just to place advance orders.

“I need that shawl for the crown princess selection banquet.”

“I’ll find you the best boutique. Stop acting like a spoiled child.”

“No boutique can make lace like that. I want to use that lace to make a dress.”

“Alright, but for now, go home.”

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Terran had taken advantage of him, now even Rivette was talking about Hamilton’s store.

Allen nearly forced her out of the office. Just then, his secretary came in.

“Buy off one of the servants working for the Courtois family.”

“What is this about, sir?”

“Find out where the lace that Hamilton’s General Store is selling is being made.”

“Understood.”

What frustrated him even more was the rumor that not only the noblewomen of Galdensia, but even members of the royal family were showing interest in the lace.

As soon as he discovered who the supplier was, he would offer them more money and steal them away. He could not stand to see Hamilton’s store succeed.

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