Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 36

Lea gave Chenera the dress design she had drawn herself, and Chenera worked day and night on the lace.

Usually, Chenera was sweet and cheerful, but whenever she picked up a needle and thread, her entire expression changed. Her eyes shone with intensity, and she became so focused it was almost frightening.

But today was different. She was chewing on something, and the sound of her teeth clicking kept repeating.

“Chenera, what are you chewing?”

Pauline noticed a strong sugary smell coming from her and looked concerned.

“It’s candy.”

“Spit it out. I’ll give you something better.”

Pauline gently took the lollipop from Chenera’s mouth and wiped her lips with a damp cloth. The candy was cheap and clearly the kind sold in bulk at outdoor markets.

“Where did you get this candy? Stuff like this will rot your teeth.”

“Nancy gave it to me.”

“Nancy?”

Why was Nancy’s name coming up now?

Nancy worked as a maid in the main building, so she usually wouldn’t come to the annex where Grace Vizak lived.

“She gives me candy when I tell her fun stories.”

“What?”

Pauline felt a chill run through her body. Life had taught her this much: bad feelings often turn out to be right. Ever since they saw Nancy at the dessert café, something about her behavior had felt suspicious.

It wasn’t just that she had been at an expensive café. Pauline knew that among the staff, Nancy’s financial situation was especially difficult.

Why would she suddenly get close to Chenera?

Pauline gently asked Chenera what Nancy had talked about and what she had said in response. What came out of Chenera’s mouth was more shocking than she expected.

“Nancy told me to keep it a secret.”

“Chenera, do you like me more or Nancy more?”

“I like Pauline more, of course.”

“Then from now on, no matter who gives you candy or snacks, don’t tell them anything about us. Do you understand?”

Pauline’s voice rose, and Chenera looked frightened, her eyes starting to tear up.

Pauline realized she had scared her and quickly softened her tone, patting her gently and speaking more calmly. But it was important for Chenera to understand clearly.

“Chenera, if you talk carelessly, we might not be able to live here anymore.”

“I won’t. I promise. Never again.”

Chenera shook her head with urgency, now crying. Pauline quietly patted her back to calm her down.

I need to let Luke know.

She didn’t know who was behind Nancy’s behavior, but it was clear someone was trying to interfere. Chenera’s lace was selling too well. This had to be the work of a competitor.

How bold. To try to bribe a servant of House Courtois.

Pauline sighed and shook her head in frustration.

Lea had come to the chapel alone. She held her father’s necklace in her hands and sank deep into thought. She had come to pray, but more than anything, she wanted strength.

Instead of speaking to a distant god, she drew comfort from the necklace that had belonged to her father.

Father, please give me the strength to get through this.

She thought carefully about the situation she was in. If things went wrong, she could be accused of deceiving the royal family. That was a serious crime with severe punishment.

Among nobles, nothing mattered more than reputation and honor.

To her, it had always seemed like an impractical way to live. But to them, their noble status was everything. That pride was what separated them from commoners.

“Grace.”

Terran’s voice echoed through the quiet chapel.

Startled, Lea quickly placed the necklace back in its box. She didn’t want him to misunderstand.

“Terran.”

“I was looking for you. So, this is where you were.”

“Yes. I just needed a moment to think.”

Terran’s eyes shifted to the small box resting on her knees.

“I was trying to borrow a little strength from the Hamilton family’s legacy. I can’t let the general store fail.”

“Did it help? Do you feel stronger?”

“Yes. A lot.”

Lea stood and returned the box to its original place.

Terran had expected Grace to be worried, but not this much. He hadn’t realized how deeply this was affecting her.

He remembered how she used to behave at royal events. She would sit quietly in a corner, speaking to no one. Even as his fiancée, she was always reserved, especially around the Empress.

But this was not the same Grace as before. He believed she would handle everything just fine.

“Vivian is a smart woman. She’s wise and open to new systems and new ideas.”

“Vivian? Who is that?”

“Oh, the Empress.”

“You must know her well.”

Lea was surprised. The way he spoke her name so casually, and the fact that he knew her personality so well, made it clear.

She thought back to the royal banquet.

The Empress had looked very young. Probably no older than twenty-five or twenty-six. The Emperor seemed to be in his early thirties. And now that she remembered, Terran had danced with the Empress that night and spoken to her for a long time.

“We were old friends.”

Ah. A former lover.

A woman’s intuition is rarely wrong. When Terran spoke about the Empress, he did it with the confidence of someone who had once been very close to her.

“I thought so too. Her Majesty has a very dignified presence.”

“Did she? She used to be quite a troublemaker. But she was also independent, forward-thinking, and beautiful.”

A soft smile appeared on Terran’s face.

Beautiful?

Lea suddenly felt her breath catch.

So much for telling me to only hold him in my heart. Seems like Terran had room for quite a few women in his.

She had always believed he was uninterested in women, that he was cold and loyal only to his duties. But the look on his face when he talked about the Empress was tender and full of memories.

And hearing her fiancé praise another woman’s beauty right in front of her didn’t exactly feel great.

Maybe the Empress had invited her for a different reason entirely.

“I should get going now.”

Why am I so irritated?

Lea stood up and walked away from the chapel without looking at Terran. Even though he quickly followed behind her, she didn’t slow down.

Soon, Terran caught her arm gently.

“Let’s go together.”

He smiled at her brightly, but Lea’s face stiffened.

Completely clueless.

“I would love to spend more time with you, but I need to go see Chenera. Maybe next time.”

Lea smiled sweetly on purpose as she gently removed his hand from her arm.

“Oh. I must have been insensitive. You have something important coming up.”

Yes, you really are that dense.

Lea quickly returned to the annex. But on the way back, her thoughts kept circling. There had to be another reason Terran insisted on accompanying her to the palace.

Does he want to remind the Empress of his presence? They used to be close, maybe he wants to rekindle something?

If that was all, she might let it go. But what if it wasn’t?

Lea shook her head. She couldn’t forget the expression on Terran’s face when he spoke about the Empress. Like a wounded animal reliving old pain, so he did have someone he once cared for deeply.

“Young Lady, where have you been?”

James’s voice brought Lea out of her thoughts.

“James, are you headed to the annex?”

“Yes. I was just bringing the latest newspapers.”

He held a thick stack of papers in his hands. Something suddenly piqued Lea’s curiosity. If anyone would tell her the truth, it would be James.

“James, I have a question.”

“Of course. Ask me anything.”

“Please don’t mention this to Terran.”

“Absolutely not.”

James agreed without hesitation.

Unbelievable.

Even after returning to the annex, Lea couldn’t let it go.

Vivian was the Duke’s first love.

His first love?

She had assumed he wasn’t interested in women at all. Just a soldier loyal to the nation. But he had someone he had once loved.

At the very least, Lea needed to confirm something.

So, they must have talked about marriage back then?

They did. But it was a long time ago and doesn’t mean much now.

Doesn’t mean much? It clearly still does. James hadn’t seen the look in Terran’s eyes when he remembered her. That soft, wistful gaze.

Vivian was, as James described, a deeply independent woman. Smart and kind. He even called her lovely, which was surprising coming from someone like James.

Come to think of it, Miss Grace reminded me of her in many ways.

James had added that he meant the Grace after her illness, not the quiet and passive girl from before.

So that was it. Terran saw something in her that reminded him of the Empress. That was the reason behind his feelings.

His first love.

People say a man never forgets his first love. Some say she becomes the standard by which he judges everyone after.

The Empress must be curious about me too.

Lea asked James why Terran and the Empress had never ended up together.

But he became unusually quiet at that. He clearly didn’t want to speak about it, as if it were some high-level secret.

Now I’m dying to know.

Lea grabbed her head with both hands. Was it some tragic love story? Did their families forbid it? A romance blocked by fate?

It felt like a small earthquake had gone off in her mind. She couldn’t believe how betrayed she felt, and even that surprised her.

Why had she ever assumed that someone like Terran had never loved anyone?

Could it be he left the Empress because of Aiden? To take responsibility for Grace?

If that were true, then it made sense. And if it made sense, it also meant he must have hated Grace at first.

Meanwhile, Luke began investigating Nancy based on what Pauline had told him.

He had someone follow her whenever she left the estate to see who she met.

What he discovered was that she often met with her uncle. They would talk for a while, then the man would hand her money before leaving.

The tail followed Nancy’s uncle. Every time they parted, he would head straight for the post office.

This happened more than once. He would either write letters or send urgent telegrams.

Luke discovered who the recipient was and was immediately alarmed. He went straight to Terran.

“Your Grace, I’ve uncovered the truth behind the situation.”

Luke handed Terran the records from the post office, documenting the letters Nancy’s uncle had sent.

“As expected. It was Allen McDowell.”

Terran’s face turned cold as stone. He had suspected this much.

He really has lost all fear. Does he really think he can compete with me?

“What do you plan to do?”

“What should I do? Crush that smug face of his? Or destroy McDowell’s company completely?”

“We can’t let him go unpunished. He’s ruthless and relentless.”

Luke’s anger showed just as much.

“For now, let’s watch. What matters more is how my Grace overcomes this challenge.”

“Excuse me? But…”

“After that, I’ll deal with him.”

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