Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 61

Lea stared at the veil in her hand, deep in thought.

‘Common sense-wise, this makes no sense. If the Emperor’s veil falls off, the chamberlain should rush over and pick it up. How can he just run away like that?’

She felt it was a breach of etiquette as a subject, but at the same time, a sense of foreboding washed over her. Was she supposed to ignore the fallen veil and act as if nothing had happened?

‘How can I ignore it when it’s lying right there on the ground?’

Lea shook her head, dismissing the thought. No matter how much she considered it, ignoring it went against basic decency. She held the veil carefully and waited for Teresa to return.

‘He said it would take at least an hour, right?’

Come to think of it, she was all alone in this vast equestrian arena. Still, since the first person to arrive would be the winner, she felt she should stay to witness it. Yet, she didn’t know why her heart was racing so fast.

‘I wonder who will win.’

Teresa seemed experienced and seasoned, but Vivian had great skill and spirit. Of course, both were equally competitive.

‘It’s interesting. They’re acting as if their lives depend on this horse race.’

Perhaps it was because they felt the honor of their nations was at stake. Lea sat in the front row of the stands and waited for them to return. However, only about twenty minutes had passed, so she had to stay alone a while longer. Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves echoed from the main gate. Lea sprang to her feet and looked toward the entrance.

‘Are they back already?’

Whoever it was, they were certainly a magnificent rider. Soon, a black horse came charging in through a cloud of dust.

‘It’s Emperor Teresa! Did our Empress lose?’

Though she felt a bit disappointed, a winner deserved to be congratulated. Lea walked briskly toward Teresa.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. You’re back already?”

Lea gave a bright smile, offering her congratulations on Teresa’s victory. However, Teresa’s face, which was partially covered by a black cloth over her nose and mouth, did not look pleased. Her eyes flashed like cold blades, and her dark eyebrows arched in irritation.

In the end, Lea’s eyes met Teresa’s exposed face. She gasped in shock and slowly backed away. In that instant, goosebumps bloomed like ice flowers along her spine and up to the back of her head.

‘Is this why he told me to pretend I didn’t see anything?’

She finally understood why the chamberlain had ignored the fallen veil and fled. It was because no one was supposed to be there when Teresa returned.

‘I shouldn’t have looked.’

She had rushed over with the intention of showing kindness, but… Teresa dismounted with a furious expression and strode toward Lea.

‘The scarring is severe.’

She had heard rumors that smallpox had left Teresa with deep scars, but she hadn’t imagined it would be this bad. Had her face been clear, she would have been called a beauty. Teresa snatched the veil roughly from Lea’s hand, immediately pulled it over her head, and fastened the strap. Only after she had put her hat on as well was Lea spared from looking at her enraged face.

“I am deeply sorry. I only meant to pick up the veil because it had fallen.”

“Did the chamberlain say nothing to you?”

Teresa spoke in an agitated tone, stepping closer to Lea.

“He told me… not to pick it up, but how could I do that? Especially when it’s Your Majesty’s veil.”

“Your pointless kindness has offended me.”

“Pardon?”

Lea could not hide her bewilderment. She doubted whether the Teresa who was now so terrifyingly angry was the same person she had seen before the race. It felt as if she were facing a completely different personality, and she was at a loss as to how to respond.

“If I have offended you, I offer my apologies.”

“I have no need for apologies!”

“Ugh!”

Fuming with rage, Teresa grabbed Lea by the throat with a powerful grip. Only then did Lea truly realize the danger. Emperor Teresa would not tolerate anything related to her face. Even if her veil was rolling on the ground, she considered it kindness for others to pretend they didn’t see and disappear from the spot.

“It… hurts.”

“It’s going to hurt more. Because I am going to cut out your tongue.”

“What? Why would you go… that far?”

“That way, you won’t be able to tell anyone about my face.”

Lea couldn’t believe her ears. Would she actually cut out a person’s tongue? As if mocking her thoughts, Teresa reached into her coat and pulled out a dagger. Lea, seized by terror, struggled to break free. However, Grace’s fragile body was no match for Teresa’s strength. Instead of her neck, Teresa forced Lea’s mouth open and tried to shove the blade inside.

“Mmph…!”

As Lea shook her head violently to avoid the knife, the blade grazed her lip, causing it to bleed. Still, Teresa would not let go. She looked like a monster whose reason had been paralyzed by madness.

“How dare you look directly at my face! You will spend the rest of your life realizing how great a sin that is!”

At her shout, Lea’s resistance reached its peak. Truly, she was about to have her tongue cut out by Teresa; her vision blurred with fear. Just then, the knife aimed at Lea’s tongue came to a dead stop.

“!?”

When Lea opened her eyes, which she had squeezed shut in terror, she saw Terran’s hand gripping the blade.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Terran gave a low, threatening growl to Teresa.

“Your woman saw my face. So, I must cut out her tongue. To make sure she doesn’t go around talking nonsense.”

“You’ve gone mad.”

The two stood in a tense standoff with the dagger between them. Soon, the blade began to tremble, and Terran snatched the weapon away in one motion. Dark red blood dripped from his hand where the blade had cut him.

“Terran!”

The moment Lea stepped forward to take his hand in shock, he threw the dagger far away.

“Are you okay?”

As Lea approached him tearfully, Terran stopped her with his other hand.

“Grace, get behind me.”

She hid behind his back as he instructed.

“Do not take out your anger on others just because your weakness was exposed. It looks pathetic.”

“Do you wish to die?”

“I will not die by your hand. Had you cut my fiancée’s tongue, you would have paid a very bitter price.”

“A price? Hahaha.”

Teresa laughed as if Terran’s threat was absurd. For a mere noble of Lubeck to threaten the Emperor of Galdensia, he must not value his life.

“What kind of bitter price were you planning to make me pay?”

“Do you want to know?”

Terran stepped closer to Teresa and looked down at her. He growled at her like a beast filled with venom.

“I could make you and Galdensia end up like Wales. How about a pit of hellfire that cannot be rebuilt even in a hundred years? Or perhaps, becoming a vassal state of Lubeck.”

“What a grand bluff.”

Teresa let out a short laugh. At that moment, a woman’s voice carried over the wind.

“It is no bluff. Had you harmed Lady Vizak, we would have punished Galdensia in the name of Lubeck’s honor.”

Vivian had dismounted and was approaching them. She glanced at Lea, whose mouth was smeared with blood, and went toward the quarreling Teresa and Terran.

“Lady Vizak is not your subject. You should know that harming another empire’s citizen provides a pretext for war. Furthermore, Grace is the sister of Baron Aiden Vizak. It is a matter Lubeck citizens would take very sensitively.”

Vivian did not back down at all in front of the powerful Teresa. Instead, she fiercely criticized Teresa, telling her not to blame others for her own mistakes.

“I won this match. Cool your head, and I shall see you at the banquet with a smile.”

Vivian turned away after having her say.

Lea returned to the Bellis Palace and watched as Terran received treatment. Doctor Wilson, who had accompanied them, gave a long lecture after treating Terran’s severe wounds. Fortunately, Lea was not seriously hurt.

“What would you have done if a tendon had been severed!”

“It wasn’t severed.”

Even while answering Doctor Wilson, his eyes remained fixed on Lea. Lea, overcome by emotion, finally burst into tears. Terran immediately tried to go to her.

“Duke! I must wrap one more layer of bandage!”

As Doctor Wilson blocked Terran’s path, Lea ran out of the room.

“Grace!”

Terran kept calling her name, but she didn’t look back. Lea walked forward blindly. Being in an unfamiliar palace, she didn’t know the way, but she needed to find a place to be alone. Soon, she saw a terrace with its door open at the end of the hallway. Lea leaned against the terrace railing and wiped her tears.

‘Terran got hurt because I was being meddlesome.’

She should have avoided the area whether the veil fell or not, just as the chamberlain had said. She felt upset because it seemed Terran always suffered because of her.

‘Does my very existence bring misfortune to Terran?’

Lea’s self-deprecation reached its peak. She began to wonder if her existence was even helpful to him. He was someone she was incredibly grateful for, yet she felt miserable because she hadn’t done anything for him. Tears poured down Lea’s face.

“Why are you crying?”

Just then, an unfamiliar voice reached her.

“!?”

Lea immediately turned toward the sound.

“Who are you?”

“It has been a long time, Lady Vizak.”

“Prince Salame?”

Salame looked very pleased that Lea remembered him. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and approached her.

“Such a beautiful face will be ruined.”

He wiped Lea’s tears with the handkerchief.

“I’ll do it.”

Lea tried to take the handkerchief from Salame, but she couldn’t. Salame was as tender as if he were comforting his own woman.

“Meeting again like this, it must be fate.”

It was not a situation where she could listen to such random talk. Looking at the consistently pushy Salame made Lea’s chest feel tight.

“Why were you crying here alone?”

He would be embarrassed if he heard the reason…

“Because of your mother, Prince.”

Her tone was somewhat resentful.

“Pardon?”

As expected, Salame wore a troubled expression before pulling Lea into an embrace.

“It must have been hard for you.”

He comforted her by patting her back.

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