Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 54

Terran sat down next to Grace, completely drained. Without meaning to, he spoke aloud the desire he had kept hidden in his heart.

“I want to kiss you.”

At his words, Lea froze and looked at him in surprise.

She hadn’t planned to create this situation. She had heard that a wet woman could arouse a man’s desire, but she never thought Terran would actually react.

What a surprise. It worked better than expected.

Maybe it was time to get a little payback.

Lea looked at his face and wiped him down with a towel, deliberately flicking some water. But Terran caught her off guard again with something unexpected.

“I only worked that hard because I wanted you to be moved enough to sign the grape. I never had any feelings for Mary.”

She had thought he was completely clueless.

“No matter if it’s the Empress or any other woman standing in front of me, the only one I want is you.”

The sorrowful look on his face made her heart flutter.

“Do you think any man would care about another woman when the one he loves is locked in prison and he’s losing his mind?”

Lea shook her head quickly, trying hard not to give in.

“But knowing you’re angry with me actually makes me a little happy. Sometimes it felt like I was the only one who was obsessed.”

“No. I get jealous too.”

Her eyes sparkled as she answered. It bothered her whenever his attention drifted, even for a second, to another woman.

“What kind of woman wouldn’t have feelings for the man she likes?”

Lea pouted and wrapped the towel around her hair again.

“What happened to the guy who told me to only look at him from prison and never smile at another man? You smiled plenty at Mary.”

The more she talked, the angrier she got. Finally, Lea lifted her leg and placed her calf on his lap.

Terran clearly looked shocked.

“What? You were fine massaging Mary’s calf. Do it for me too.”

“Uh… Of course I should. But if you act like this, Grace, I…”

He stared blankly at the smooth, pale calf on his lap and her delicate bare foot. Maybe it was a wicked thought, but he wanted to feel what her skin was like.

“What? You don’t want to? Then forget it.”

As Lea tried to pull her leg away, Terran quickly stopped her.

You were so eager with Mary’s calf. Why are you hesitating with me?

She could still see the way he touched Mary.

Terran held Grace’s calf with both hands.

Damn it. It really feels like dough.

Just like he had imagined. The sensation traveled from his fingers throughout his whole body. His arousal grew stronger.

The real problem was that his hands wanted to move further. Past her calf, up to her thigh, maybe even beyond.

But Terran held back. Instead, he kissed Grace’s calf, then the top of her foot, then each of her toes.

Lea gasped and quickly pulled her leg away. In a moment of anger, she had crossed the line.

She moved away from him and sat at a distance.

“That’s enough.”

It started as a playful attempt to tease him, but now she herself was caught up in the moment. On the other hand, Terran looked clearly disappointed.

“Seriously? Isn’t that a bit much?”

Terran finally dropped his calm tone.

“Too much? What is?”

“Whether it’s a kiss or a grape signature, you have to give me something.”

“What do you want, Terran?”

“Both.”

“Pick one.”

“Then a kiss.”

His large hand grabbed Grace’s ankle and pulled her toward him.

“Oh my gosh”

Terran pushed Grace down onto the bed and kissed her roughly. From the moment he entered the room, she had stirred him, only to run away like nothing happened.

He poured hot breath into her slightly parted lips, soft as petals.

Lea was surprised at first, but her body responded before her mind could. Her hands tangled in his black hair, holding on tight.

Terran wanted to be the first to leave a mark on her soft white skin, like stepping into fresh snow. As he touched her face, his hands drifted down, making her giggle.

But his touch was not just playful. It was intense. And soon, Lea forgot about the grape signature and everything else. All she wanted was to stay in this feeling for as long as she could.

Terran, no longer able to control himself, held her between his knees and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“I’m going to have you. All night.”

“Ter… ran…”

She didn’t know why she couldn’t push him away. Part of her even hoped he wouldn’t stop. It was a confusing emotion.

She couldn’t take her eyes off his firm chest as each button came undone. Lea swallowed hard.

Once that shirt came off, she knew his broad shoulders would be revealed. And with that powerful body, he might throw her into a storm of pleasure.

Terran stared at Grace like a starving beast. His eyes were wild with desire.

As he reached for the last button, Lea shut her eyes tightly.

Just then, the door burst open. Loud footsteps came in, and the bed bounced.

“What are you two doing?”

Chenera jumped onto the bed, a lollipop in her mouth.

“Oh, I know. You’re making a baby”

“What?”

Terran and Lea both flinched in shock.

In that instant, Lea felt her lost sense return from the farthest reaches of space. Her mind snapped awake, sharp and clear.

Terran muttered something in a low, irritated voice and stormed out of the bedroom.

Just then, Pauline came rushing in and gave Chenera a hard smack on the back.

“Hey! Seriously, you little—”

She had intentionally avoided going in because Terran and Grace were in the room together, but giving Chenera one of the new candies from the kitchen had been a mistake.

“I wanted to show Grace unnie! This candy is really good!”

Chenera had then sprinted toward Grace’s bedroom so quickly her feet barely touched the ground.

Pauline stared at Chenera’s retreating figure, stunned, before snapping back to her senses and running after her.

“You little troublemaker!”

“It’s not like that! He didn’t fill all the grape marks yet! It’s no fun if she says yes too quickly!”

Lea couldn’t help but nod slightly at Chenera’s words. This time, she hadn’t been the one seducing him.

That was close. I almost gave in to Terran completely.

His kiss had been as sweet as the sugar stuck to Chenera’s lips. It had left her dazed. But more than anything, it was his body that stirred her instincts.

Lea covered her mouth with her hand.

Was I the one who wanted it more?

Whoever said women are better at controlling themselves clearly didn’t know what they were talking about. She had just learned that firsthand.

The next morning, Terran got up and reached for the glass of water on the table. He drank it all in one go. As he lowered the glass, something caught his eye, and he was startled.

All ten grapes had been signed.

Did a sly little fairy come by during the night?

He couldn’t help but feel a bit pathetic for having just fallen asleep like that. Still, waking up to ten signed grapes was a pleasant way to start the day.

After breakfast, Luke and James arrived with official documents for approval.

“James, how’s the household staff management coming along?”

“Nancy has been dismissed. We’re closely monitoring the rest of the staff as well.”

“Allen probably didn’t bribe just one person.”

That part always bothered Terran. There were simply too many employees in the duke’s estate, making full oversight difficult.

James and the head maid were doing their best, but if someone truly intended to cause harm, it wasn’t easy to prevent.

“Also, we’ll need to assign a new maid to Miss Grace. Pauline has been appointed head of the workshop.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to discuss that with Grace.”

“The income from the general store is impressive. I honestly doubted lace would sell well.”

Luke shook his head in disbelief as he reviewed the financial ledgers. While the shop itself belonged to Terran, the actual management was entirely handled by Grace.

“Miss Grace seems to have a real talent for business.”

James added his agreement. Otherwise, how could she have spotted and hired Sonya and Adolf at a glance?

“At this rate, she might even start an overseas trade business.”

Terran smiled as he signed the documents.

“When is the royal equestrian tournament again?”

“In one week.”

Luke reported that the hotel for the duke’s attendants had already been booked.

Technically, Terran and Grace were guests of the Imperial House of Bellis, so they were to stay at the palace with the Empress. The rest of the group would stay at the hotel.

Good. That means Chenera won’t be barging in again.

That experience had been absolutely horrifying.

There were four days left until the Royal Equestrian Tournament in Bellis.

They were scheduled to depart the next day, but Lea couldn’t sleep.

She was very satisfied with how the riding outfit had turned out, but the thought of showcasing it in front of so many people made her too excited to settle down.

Maybe I should go check it one more time.

Lea threw on a robe over her chemise and headed to the fifth-floor music room.

The fifth floor of the estate housed the educational wing, including the music room, dance hall, art studio, and study. Lea had stored the riding outfit in the music room, which also had a piano. She was the only one with the key.

She finally arrived in front of the music room.

I’ve looked at it more than a hundred times, but I still get nervous.

Even though she was the one who had designed it, she felt butterflies in her stomach like it was a brand-new masterpiece.

In just three days, the whole world will see it.

The thought alone gave her chills of anticipation. Lea pulled out the key and placed it in the lock.

But before she could even turn it, the door creaked open on its own.

What? Why is the door open?

A chill ran down her spine. Something felt terribly wrong.

Lea flung the door wide open and saw a sharp blade slicing through fabric with a harsh, tearing sound.

“Who’s there?”

She shouted.

The woman who had been ripping the clothes with a knife panicked and ran toward the window.

Lea quickly chased after her and grabbed her by the waist.

“Let go of me!”

The woman shouted, swinging her knife wildly at Lea.

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