Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 39
Terran was fully prepared to teach those arrogant young men a painful lesson for their crude talk about Grace.
Just as he was about to swing his fist at them, hurried footsteps echoed from behind.
“What’s going on here”
It was the Emperor of Lubeck.
“Your Majesty”
Terran quickly straightened his posture and bowed respectfully. The young nobles followed suit.
“Duke Courtois, you just left me after a pleasant chat. Why are you suddenly looking ready to start a fight”
The Emperor seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere and glanced between Terran and the young men. Luke stepped in and calmly explained what had happened.
“So, these young fools insulted Duke Courtois”
At the Emperor’s words, the young nobles lowered their heads like scolded children.
“Duke, I understand your anger, but beating up these immature brats would only cause unnecessary conflict among the nobility”
“I apologize, Your Majesty”
Terran remained respectful, but his fury had not disappeared. In fact, he almost wished the Emperor had arrived a little later.
“All of you. Apologize to the Duke. Now”
At the Emperor’s command, the young men rushed over and bowed their heads in apology.
They all gave excuses, saying it was a joke, that they had been foolish, and promised they wouldn’t do it again. Even so, Terran’s anger had not subsided.
Still, he couldn’t throw punches in front of the Emperor, so he forced himself to speak with restraint.
“If you ever see me again outside this palace, you’d better run”
The young nobles had thought their apologies would be enough. Terran’s continued fury left them pale and speechless.
“If even one of you shows up in front of me again, you won’t walk away unharmed”
His threat made them take several steps back in fear. The Emperor gently patted Terran’s shoulder and spoke.
“Boys will be boys. At that age, it’s not unusual for their mouths to run ahead of their brains. Try to be understanding. I’ll personally discipline them properly”
Discipline
Terran knew exactly what that meant coming from the Emperor, and it pleased him greatly. At last, his rage began to fade.
“You boys will read The Prince and The Wealth of Nations in full by tomorrow. After that, we will hold a debate together”
“What”
The young men looked stunned, their faces turning pale.
The Emperor was famously passionate about reading and discussion. Once he started studying, he would stay in the royal library for days.
“Why do you all look like you’ve swallowed something sour”
“No, Your Majesty. It’s truly an honor to study with you”
“When else would we ever get to debate with the Emperor”
“Please share your wisdom with us”
They forced awkward smiles and responded politely.
“I expect your best”
The Emperor winked at Terran before leading the group toward the library. Watching them walk away, they looked less like nobles and more like cattle being herded into a slaughterhouse.
“Feeling better now”
Luke asked with a chuckle.
“No”
“Really”
Terran still felt tightness in his chest. It wasn’t the young men who were bothering him. Only Grace had the power to twist him up like this.
“I really don’t understand women”
“You mean the young lady”
“Sometimes it feels like we’ve grown so close. But then the next moment, it’s like we’re strangers again”
Even today, something had clearly upset her. Her expression had been cold. When they arrived at the palace and parted ways, he kept watching her until she disappeared, but she never once looked back.
He had no idea what she truly felt toward him.
“She said she doesn’t hate me but…”
To Terran, Grace was like a butterfly. She would sit gently on a flower as if resting, but the moment he got close, she would fly far away.
“Want me to teach you a trick”
Luke grinned smugly. He wasn’t especially handsome, but his easygoing nature had always made him popular with women.
“How many women have you dated exactly”
“Let me think”
Luke started counting on his fingers, then gave up halfway through. Clearly, he had more than enough experience.
“Anyway, there’s one sure way to find out if someone likes you. It’s never failed me. Works every time. One hundred percent”
“Really”
Terran leaned in with interest.
“Want to try it, Your Grace”
If there was a way to truly know Grace’s feelings, there was no reason not to try.
Terran gave a slow nod. If this could help him win her heart for good, he would do whatever it took.
Lea felt as if she had just come back from war. After the tea party ended peacefully, many of the noblewomen approached Chenera to offer sincere praise.
Of course, Marchioness Valliere remained cold and distant until the very end. Still, with the Empress officially recognizing Chenera, the biggest hurdle had been cleared.
Lea stayed behind in the now-empty greenhouse, trying to calm the swirl of emotions inside her.
“Sis Did I do good”
Chenera leaned her face right up to Lea’s and smiled brightly.
“You did amazing, Chenera”
“Heehee”
“The Duke is probably waiting. We should get going, my lady”
Pauline’s voice sounded tired. She must have been drained from watching the intense battle of words and pride between noblewomen. It really had been a brutal floral war.
“We should go. There’s a lot to take care of back at the ducal estate”
They needed to issue a correction article right away and take promotional photos of the purple lace cape worn today for advertising.
Just as the three of them were about to leave the greenhouse, the head lady-in-waiting arrived.
“Lady Vizak, Her Majesty would like to see you”
“Me?”
“All three of you”
Surprised, they ended up following her all the way to the Empress’s palace. They passed through a long marble corridor and several exotic archways before finally arriving.
Inside, Persian carpets lay beneath ornate Rococo-style furniture and decorations. The Empress was seated on a luxurious velvet sofa.
“Welcome, Lady Vizak’s. And the nervous maid as well”
The Empress scanned the three of them, making a lighthearted comment toward Pauline, who looked like she had frozen solid.
“Thank you, Your Majesty”
Lea spoke for the group, and the three took seats across from the Empress. Up close, she seemed different from the woman at the tea party.
She wore a warm expression, but her true thoughts were impossible to read. There was something effortlessly dignified about her. She looked approachable but was clearly not someone you could cross.
“Personally, I support Grace. She has an exceptional eye for talent, forward-thinking ideas, and above all, a mind free from prejudice. That kind of perspective is rare and admirable”
The Empress had clearly seen the newspaper ad. Although Grace hadn’t put herself front and center, the Empress seemed to know she was behind the whole strategy.
“What is your dream, Grace”
“Pardon?”
For a moment, Lea was at a loss for words.
The Empress’s praise felt undeserved. She didn’t really have a dream. Only revenge, dressed up to look like one.
“I want to go into business. I’m especially interested in launching a line of products for women”
Terran had told her not to reveal who was really running the business. But the Empress probably already knew, and Lea knew there was no use pretending.
“That’s wonderful. This era is particularly harsh on women. We need a guardian just to go to the bank, and we can’t even inherit property properly. I fully support your vision”
“My vision?”
“Recognizing someone for their ability, regardless of status, and helping them shine. That’s what I mean”
“Your words are too kind”
The more the Empress praised her, the more uncomfortable Lea felt. Did she really have such noble intentions? No. She was just a woman consumed by vengeance, trying to destroy Allen.
“Actually, I called you here for a personal request”
The Empress now got to the heart of the matter.
In three months, there would be an equestrian performance competition in Bellis. The Empress would attend with her ladies-in-waiting. Many other royal families would compete as well, making it a prestigious event.
“Is it a regular riding competition?”
“Not quite. It’s a showcase of equestrian skills. The problem is the riding outfits. As you know, Grace, women sitting astride a horse with legs apart is still considered improper”
“But to perform horseback techniques safely, posture needs to be stable”
“Exactly. Fortunately, the competition doesn’t penalize women for riding that way. It’s part of the show. That’s why every royal household invests heavily in their riding outfits”
Large skirts made it hard to move, but wearing traditional male riding clothes would earn them almost no points for elegance.
“I want you to design it, Grace. Something practical that doesn’t sacrifice dignity”
“Me?”
“It would be such a shame to miss the competition over something like riding clothes. I want to show that women can perform equestrian arts just as well as men”
Lea was genuinely impressed by the Empress’s boldness.
Despite holding the highest rank a woman could have, she wasn’t content to rest on tradition. She sought change and challenged the rules.
Her will to break away from the chains of so-called feminine virtues imposed by society left a powerful impression on Lea.
That unshakable confidence, constantly striving to achieve more, deeply moved her.
“I’ll do it”
Lea accepted without thinking. Part of her didn’t want to back down in front of the Empress’s passion. She also began to understand why Terran had feelings for her.
If she were a man, she might have fallen for the Empress too. But that realization lit a strange heat in Lea’s chest.
“What an amazing woman”
If Terran’s first love had been underwhelming, maybe she would have felt at ease. But the Empress was someone who stirred pride and competition. Lea couldn’t help but want to become an even more brilliant woman than her.
“Your Majesty, I do have a condition”
“And what is it?”
“If you’re satisfied with the riding outfits we create, may we commercialize the design?”
“That’s acceptable”
“And one more thing. We’ll provide riding outfits for you and your ladies free of charge. But if you win the competition, we would like to advertise that you wore our design”
The Empress paused in thought. Her answer came soon after.
“If it benefits Lubeck’s economy, then of course. That is my duty as Empress”
“Thank you. I’ll put my heart into making them”
The Empress stood and reached out her hand to Lea.
At that moment, Lea fell for her all over again.
“Let’s shake on our successful partnership”
Lea firmly grasped the Empress’s hand, just like a man would.
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