Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 83

Terran had to wait another two hours this morning, on top of all of last night, just to meet Vivian.

His anger had risen to his very scalp, but he managed to endure it by talking with Emperor Karl about various matters. Karl spoke of how he had recently become a teacher to young noble scions, instructing them in academics. Then, the Emperor spoke as if he had almost forgotten a major piece of news.

“Ah, I almost forgot! Vivian is with child!”

“Pardon? My congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“Do you know who was the very first person to tell Vivian she was pregnant?”

“Was it, perhaps, Chenera?”

“Oh? How did you know that?”

How else would I know? We live together.

Terran was smiling, but he suppressed his urgency so much that his lips nearly twitched. After that, Karl asked if Chenera possessed some mysterious power. Terran cut the conversation short, saying she was lucky to get even a few things right out of ten. If he had encouraged the topic, the talk would have gone on forever.

Finally, Vivian appeared with her maids, having finished her preparations.

“I offer my greetings to the Empress. I have heard you are with child. My sincerest congratulations.”

Terran found the stalling Vivian irritating, but he remained perfectly polite.

“Thank you. But Duke, how is your body? You did not seem in your right mind back then. You could not even remember your fiancée. Tsk, tsk.”

I suppose you are happy to have something to tease me with for the rest of my life, Vivian.

He felt there was no need for her to emphasize the scene where he had acted like a mad wild dog, unable to recognize his own woman.

“Lady Vizak has become very healthy, thanks to the fact that I called for the finest doctors to treat her.”

“I am overwhelmed by Your Highness’s grace. However, I will take Grace now to protect her myself.”

“I hope for that as well. But… something happened.”

“What kind of thing?”

Vivian approached Terran with a smile and whispered softly in his ear. She lowered her voice as much as possible so it would never reach Karl’s ears.

“Your fiancée bolted this morning.”

“What?”

“She left only a letter saying she could not stand missing you another moment and ran away. You stupid mutt who did not even recognize the woman he loves!”

Unlike the horrified Terran, Vivian smiled elegantly and turned away from him. Emperor Karl then launched into a long lecture directed at Terran.

“Duke Courtois is an important asset to the Lubeck Empire, so do not refuse my suggestions in the future. This is not a matter that concerns only the Duke’s safety, so do not be needlessly stubborn.”

“Your Majesty,”

Terran called to the Emperor quietly, but Karl did not seem to hear and continued his speech.

“If something happens to the Duke, how much would the morale of our Imperial soldiers drop?”

“Your Majesty!”

“Ah! You startled me!”

Karl shouted, looking genuinely shocked.

“My apologies. I must return for today. Urgent business has arisen, and I must go. I shall visit you again soon.”

“Very… well then.”

Terran finished his greetings in a hurry and left the main palace.

Damn it! We crossed paths. That cursed Vivian, she should have told me sooner.

He decided to save his revenge for later; finding Grace and Chenera was the urgent task at hand. If they had left the palace this morning, they should have arrived at the ducal mansion by now. Terran’s heart grew anxious again. It was even more painful because they were so close, yet he could not see her immediately.

Terran walked quickly toward the main gate. Within the palace grounds, no one is allowed to ride a horse or a carriage except for the Imperial couple. As he walked, he ran into a group of young men.

“About Lady Grace Vizak, she is truly beautiful when you see her up close, is she not?”

“Hey! Do not even dream of it. Do you even know who her fiancé is?”

“They are engaged, not married.”

“That means there is still a chance. For all of us.”

“But is that slow-witted Young Lady really a gypsy?”

“That is right. Her face was quite pretty, though.”

Terran stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to look at the men who were passing by, chatting amongst themselves, and shouted.

“Stop right there.”

At his voice, the men stopped and turned around. Several of them recognized Terran, and their faces turned pale.

“When, where, and how did you meet her?”

“Pardon? What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about my fiancée.”

Louis quickly recognized the Duke and understood his words.

“Well, that is…”

As Louis Valliere began to answer, Terran suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

“Shall I use words you can understand? Or shall I use my fists?”

The temples of Terran’s head throbbed as he gripped the collar.

Allen handed Sarah a bank note.

“With this money, you can live comfortably wherever you go.”

Sarah accepted it without refusing. After all, she was merely a discarded pawn whose usefulness to Allen had run out. However, that did not mean her love for him had changed. She wished she could have felt disgusted and shuddered with a sense of betrayal instead.

“I will stay for a few days. I need to pack my things.”

“Do as you wish.”

A filthy love for a despicable man. If she could not end it, she had no choice but to go to hell with him.

“Is that woman your new mistress?”

“Yes. She is a noble, no less.”

Allen spoke proudly, as if to remind Sarah of her lowly status.

Why was I so foolish? To believe a man who rolled around with me even after promising to marry the Young Lady.

“Sarah, I am saying this out of caution, but it would be best if you do not do anything foolish elsewhere.”

“Anything foolish? For example, the fact that you plotted with the Police Commissioner of Touazo and the captain of a cargo ship to frame Richard Hamilton? Or is there more? You are the one who commissioned someone to kill Lady Leah.”

“Shut up! Do not speak of it like that. No one in the world would believe your words anyway.”

Allen hated Sarah’s habit of bringing up his shameful secrets whenever she could. It made him so sick of her that even any remaining affection vanished.

“Why do you think the world will believe everything you say? Anyway, I will not breathe a word of your dark schemes.”

“What?”

“I mean, do not do anything foolish like trying to kill me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I am not a fool. I will not just take it without a plan.”

Sarah made a final struggle. She had a habit she picked up while living in the orphanage. Whether it was food or clothing, she saved whatever came into her hands. For instance, the letters that went between Allen, Touazo, and the ship captain. He thought they did not exist, but she had picked them all up and saved them.

That was not all. In a final attempt to win Allen’s favor, she had visited the villa owned by Leah Hamilton. It was a villa they had gone to every summer as children, but it was now an abandoned house.

You would be shocked if you knew what I found there.

Leah and she used to play with clay at the villa. It was an extension of playing house, where they would secretly steal cookie cutters from the kitchen and press them into the clay, pretending to bake cookies. Stars, hearts, houses, butterflies, and even people; there were many shapes.

A long time had passed, yet the hardened clay still remained. Among them, there was one very interesting shape.

[Dad, give me your necklace. I want to press it into the clay here. I am going to make a key-shaped cookie.]

Leah had pestered Richard for the necklace around his neck, and he had laughed heartily as he gave it to her.

The clay imprint of Richard Hamilton’s necklace was still there. It is truly a miracle.

She had brought that back to the capital and made a necklace. Now, all she had to do was find the place in this house where the journal would be.

I will find that journal and use it to destroy you.

Sarah brooded over her rage toward Allen.

Leah and Chenera returned safely to the ducal mansion thanks to Louis borrowing a carriage. Leah was so surprised to see James, who was always so composed, looking tearful upon their return. Pauline, Marie, and Sonya also burst into tears, having worried so much. However, Terran was not at the mansion.

[The Duke went to the Imperial Palace last night. Did you not meet him?]

James felt even more frustrated for them. It seemed that when hearts are urgent, paths can cross like this.

After everything had settled, Leah went for a walk alone in the spruce forest. The weather was still chilly, so she had to wear a thick shawl.

[My Lady, shall I come with you?]

Pauline offered to go along, but Leah refused, wanting to be alone today for some reason.

[Just go comfort the crying Chenera. I never imagined Luke would have gone down to his estate.]

Leah looked curiously at the ground, which had become damp as the snow melted. Had winter passed already? It felt like only yesterday when she first cried in the garden of the mansion while being hit by the rain. Time had changed so many things.

Even this spruce forest was no longer unfamiliar. Leah looked with wonder at the sprouts poking through the frozen ground. Just then, his voice carried through the cold air.

“Grace!”

It was Terran’s voice. Had his memory returned? Leah turned reflexively to find him. And finally, she saw Terran standing in the distance.

“Terran.”

Leah ran toward him. Terran also ran toward her. She did not care if the wind blew away her shawl and messed up her hair, or if her shoes were ruined as they sank into the mud.

As she ran to him, tears welled up so much that she could not see well, but her feet knew better where Terran was. Even though her heart felt like it would burst, it was not hard at all. Everything became alright just by seeing Terran again and hearing him call her name.

The two ran toward each other without stopping. Soon, Leah leaped into Terran’s arms. She thought she would have so much to say when she met him, but only tears came out.

“I am sorry. I… to you!”

Terran lamented, burying his face in her hair.

“Do not forgive the madman who did not recognize you when you came to save me.”

“No, I am just thankful you came back.”

At Leah’s words, Terran showered her face with kisses. To have done such a thing to such a precious and dear person, he must have been out of his mind. Terran was desperate to feel her scent, her touch, and her voice, as if to be forgiven for his sins. Now, instead of an apology, he tried to say what he truly wanted to tell her.

“I love you. I love you so much that I cannot last a single day without you.”

“I love you too, Terran.”

Hot tears seeped endlessly between their overlapping lips.

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