Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 76

As soon as Terran arrived at the Brassel Forest, he split his army in half to attack.

[Luke! My squad and I will attack the bandits’ base.]

[Duke, do you know where their base is?]

[North.]

[Pardon?]

It seemed he hadn’t just let Chenera’s words go in one ear and out the other after all.

[Clean up the small fry and come north.]

[Understood.]

Luke lay in ambush in the forest to prepare for the upcoming surprise attack.

Meanwhile, Terran led his unit toward a shortcut, though the terrain was somewhat rugged. Even so, skirmishes broke out frequently as they moved north, resulting in a steady stream of wounded and dead. However, as this was already expected, no major damage occurred. Terran had never expected the bandits to attack in a conventional manner in the first place.

[Look over there! Those are the huts!]

The village of huts was situated at the peak of the northern mountain, a location that could not be easily found without great determination. As the army appeared, the enemy fought back.

Bang! Bang! Bang! As the sounds of gunfire exchanged, the birds perched on the branches flew about busily.

[Kill them all! Leave none alive!]

Terran shouted to his men. In any war or barracks, the influential leaders of the organization tended to gather in one place. To win the fight, this area had to be crushed first. Soon, countless bullets flew through the air.

Terran’s marksmanship was bordering on the divine. Not a single shot missed; he hit the enemies exactly where he aimed every time.

‘Once this place is suppressed, it is over.’

The combat instinct he had briefly forgotten began to surge up to his heart, and he stood in the middle of the battlefield just like in the old days. Whether the battle had begun in the forest where Luke was as well, the loud gunfire and screams echoed all the way north. Since Terran had traveled through numerous battlefields with Luke, he believed that Luke would not suffer defeat.

[How many are left?]

[We have killed almost all of them. However, the huts and the forest are intricately connected.]

Furthermore, both sides were out of ammunition. They would have to descend the forest again to receive supplies. Terran drew his sword.

[Are there any women, children, or elderly?]

[There are none.]

It was truly a den of dark thieves. Inside the huts, goods plundered over time were lined up. Just then, bandits wielding swords lunged from various spots, and Terran subdued them one by one. Blood splattered everywhere, and screams were rampant.

However, Terran made one very big mistake. He overlooked the fact that his opponents were not soldiers. Soon, they began to grow intoxicated by the gray smoke covering the huts and the forest.

[Ugh!]

The enemies took advantage of this moment and poured out to attack the soldiers.

[They are the Imperial dogs! Slit all their throats!]

As his allies became dazed, the enemies attacked in earnest. Terran covered his nose and mouth while desperately swinging his sword. Even as his soldiers fell one by one right before his eyes, he held onto the thread of consciousness until the end.

‘A week is too long.’

Grace would be very worried by now; a desire to finish this as quickly as possible and return to her side surged within him.

[Agh…!]

Terran roared terrifyingly as he attacked them. His mind grew increasingly hazy, and he killed the enemies as mercilessly as a murderous demon.

Just then, Luke and the rest of the units joined and quickly suppressed the remnants.

[Luke, are you alright?]

[I injured my leg.]

Terran hoisted Luke onto his shoulders and walked toward a tall tree. He tied Luke tightly with a rope and hung him from the tree.

[Rest here. I will take care of everyone else.]

[Duke, your nose and mouth…]

Luke also lost consciousness then, and Terran fought a desperate battle with the enemies once more. That was the last thing Terran remembered. He hadn’t lost consciousness, but his cognitive abilities had dropped so significantly that he swung his sword at anyone, not knowing who they were.

He fought like a beast trapped in a strange space, unsure if it was reality or a dream, infinitely repeating the battle. Even in the midst of that, Grace called out to him without forgetting.

‘Terran, you must return to me.’

In order not to forget her, and to return as quickly as possible, he tightly gripped the fading thread of his consciousness. Her shining golden hair, her sweet smile, her lips as soft as feathers—and above all, her bluish-purple eyes flickered before him like a landmark for survival.

‘Let us return. Grace is waiting for me.’

Thinking it would be over after taking down just one more, he fell into a trance on the battlefield. He endured by repeatedly chanting her name like a spell.

James and Doctor Wilson wore serious expressions as they watched the sleeping Terran.

“Has the Duke lost his memory because he inhaled the poisonous smoke for several days?”

“Yes. Since I have administered the antidote injection, his memory will gradually return.”

“Will it not return all at once?”

“Phew! It would have been better if the Duke had lost consciousness earlier, but it seems he instinctively felt he might die. Because he desperately refused to let go of his consciousness, the poisoning became even more severe.”

Still, Doctor Wilson gave more hopeful news. He said there were no external injuries and that Terran would return to normal if he received the antidote injections steadily for a few days.

“Grace…”

Just then, Terran sought Grace as if talking in his sleep.

“Even though you do not even remember the Young Lady.”

“It is instinct. Sometimes, one retains all memories while in an unconscious state.”

James sighed deeply at Doctor Wilson’s words. He couldn’t describe how shocked he had been after hearing the story from Luke, who had returned to the mansion. It was too devastating to even put into words, so he tried his best not to speak of it.

‘To think the Duke tried to kill the Young Lady… how will he handle it when he finds out later?’

Once Terran regained all his memories and learned what he had done to her, it was certain he would fall into self-loathing and suffer again, just like before. Just as James and Doctor Wilson were about to leave the bedroom, Luke arrived, leaning on crutches.

“How is the Duke?”

“He will regain his memory after receiving antidote injections for a few days,” James answered on behalf of Doctor Wilson. However, Doctor Wilson found it strange that the Young Lady was nowhere to be seen in the mansion. According to James, he had heard that she went to the Brassel Forest to find Terran, but there had been no word since.

“Luke, where is the Young Lady?” Doctor Wilson asked abruptly, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

“Do not try to find out. For the time being, I cannot say a single word.”

“!?”

As Doctor Wilson’s face filled with surprise, James tapped his shoulder and spoke.

“You will naturally find out once the Duke recovers.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Doctor Wilson looked back and forth between James and Luke. At a time like this, Luke felt very awkward.

That night, it was surprising enough that Grace and Chenera had come to rescue them, but then Terran had caused that uproar. That wasn’t all. Soldiers wearing red robes had come to the huts. Among them, the person at the front was riding a white horse and wearing a gold mask. After surveying the situation, the person shook their head and approached Luke.

[I shall protect the Vizak sisters for the time being.]

It was a woman’s voice. It was so familiar that Luke recognized her identity at once.

[It is a secret that I have taken the two of them. This applies to Duke Courtois as well.]

[That is…! What if the Duke finds out later?]

[I said it is a secret.]

The woman spoke softly, yet her tone was extremely firm. She approached Luke, leaned down, and whispered something in his ear. Immediately, Luke’s eyes widened. However, Rapa and Sarubi, not knowing who they were, threatened to kill them.

[Rapa! Do not block their path.]

[Eh? They are taking the Young Lady and our Chenera, so how can we just let them?]

[You may block them if you wish to die.]

Rapa hesitated at the woman’s chilling words. Thus, the red soldiers took Grace and Chenera away, and there had been no news until now. He learned later that despite the Imperial Palace offering to send reinforcements, Terran had flatly refused, leaving the Emperor and Empress anxious.

“The Young Lady and Chenera are both doing well, so do not worry.”

Luke settled the matter clearly for James and Doctor Wilson. Even if they asked more, there was nothing else he could say. If he spoke out, it might lead to the tragedy she had mentioned.

Leah stayed in the Imperial Palace with Chenera. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she was stabbed by Terran’s sword or why she was here. When she regained consciousness, her wound had already been treated.

Vivian visited every day to check on Leah and Chenera. Chenera was busy exploring every corner of the palace as if she had already forgotten about finding Luke. Vivian shared news that Terran was receiving good treatment at the ducal mansion and that his lost memories would gradually recover.

“I brought you here because I thought it would be better for you to be away from that brat—I mean, the Duke—for a while.”

“Thank you for your concern, Empress.”

“Fortunately, the sword only grazed your side slightly.”

Leah believed that even that must have been Terran’s will. Even if he didn’t remember her at the time, their bodies would know each other.

“That stubborn man! I went through the trouble of sending reinforcements, and he sent them back. I suppose he won’t be satisfied unless he does everything with his own hands.”

“Could it be because of his pride?”

“Even though he almost died in vain because of that pride?”

“Since many soldiers were sacrificed in the long war, Terran likely wanted to resolve it himself.”

“I know. That is why it makes me even angrier. Because he tries to shoulder everything alone.”

Vivian said she had no choice but to step in because losing Terran would be a great loss to the Lubeck Empire. Although Leah’s mind was entirely focused on the ducal mansion, she decided to follow Vivian’s advice to stay at the palace and receive treatment until her body recovered.

Thanks to Vivian’s consideration, Leah received treatment from the palace’s dedicated doctors, and her wound healed quickly. After Vivian left, Leah was left alone. Chenera, who had gone out to see the palace, showed no sign of returning. Suddenly, clear tears welled up in her eyes.

‘I miss him.’

Her whole heart desperately sought Terran. Once she acknowledged that she loved him, she had no intention of hiding it or holding back anymore. Before, she had thought she simply liked him because he was her savior. But this time, she realized it clearly.

It was okay even if he didn’t recognize her. She loved him enough that his being alive was sufficient—enough to be grateful for.

‘Terran, if you had died, I would not have been able to endure it.’

Until now, she thought she was holding on through her desire for revenge against Allen and her fervor for it. But that wasn’t it at all. Intangible emotions alone could not pull her out of despair. It was because Terran was there; his steadfast heart had protected her weak self until now.

‘Get well soon and come to me quickly.’

When she met him again, she could now say it proudly. That she loved him.

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