Revenge Costs Interest

Chapter 2

The man’s words were brief. He immediately left the room.

Leah  felt dizzy. Nevertheless, she jumped up from her seat and dashed towards the dressing table. And the reality she faced was shocking in itself.

 

“Is that me?” The woman with a dismayed face in the mirror was the Grace she had seen in her dream.

 

She was a beauty with shining blonde hair, a petite figure, and outstanding features.

Leah  groped her memory for how she used to look.

She was taller than Grace and had chocolate-colored hair.

Of course, she possessed a stronger and more determined demeanor than the fragility exuded by Grace.

 

“Ha! It wasn’t a dream after all.”

 

Leah collapsed in her seat without energy. Pauline rushed to her like a moth to a flame.

“You need to rest a bit more. Lie down on the bed.”

Pauline supported Lea and laid her on the bed. However, she got up again and looked at Pauline with a vacant expression.

There were so many questions to ask. Her mind was a mess, uncertain of where to start or how to open her mouth.

 

“Paul… ine, help me.”

 

“Yes? Help you? I am the lady’s maid.”

 

It was strange for Grace to ask for help from someone who depended on her for livelihood. Pauline found Grace’s unusual request perplexing.

“I… can’t remember well. I felt sick and then passed out. My mind is all jumbled up.”

“Of course. You struggled a lot with a high fever.”

 

“My name is Grace…?”

 

“Grace Visac, the daughter of Marquis.”

“And this is a Marquis’ estate…?”

She was curious about which Marquis family it was.

Pauline answered Grace’s questions with a hesitant tone, providing general information about Grace.

Grace was from the Rubek Empire and had an older brother. She was twenty years old, and her brother was twenty-five.

Grace and Marquis Taran  Couture were betrothed and were close relatives, having fought together on the battlefield.

She then mentioned the most important thing: Grace and Marquis Taran  Couture were engaged.

 

“Oh… I see. Thanks to Pauline, I’m starting to remember little by little. But what day is it today?”.

 

 

“Today is April 28th.”

Leah   was shocked to the core. She had married Allen on April 21st.

So, has it already been a week? Leah needed to confirm the most important fact by now.

“Pauline, could you bring me the newspaper?”

“The newspaper? But you don’t usually read newspapers. You don’t even read books normally.”

Pauline almost burst out laughing.

For Grace, the first thing she looked for when waking up was a mirror.

The beginning of the day was spent pondering how to do makeup, what clothes to wear, and what kind of perfume to wear to impress Taran.

“Well… Is that so? But wouldn’t there be a daily paper for the nobility?”

 

“You mainly read newspapers, my lord. You’re probably still reading it in your study.”

 

Leah jumped out of bed and ran towards the door. Pauline followed her, startled.

With disheveled hair and in her nightclothes, Leah seemed to be going somewhere.

“Pauline, where’s the study?”

 

“Huh? Oh, it’s on the left side of the first floor hallway, next to the library.”

 

Leah rushed down the stairs and searched for the place Pauline had pointed out.

Meanwhile, seeing Grace, the household staff were startled as if they had seen a ghost. She had complained of feeling unwell, but now she seemed so strange.

Grace had always appeared as innocent as a freshly bloomed flower, but now she looked so disheveled.

Without caring about the servants’ gazes, Leah quickly dashed to the study door and paused for a moment before knocking.

She needed to catch her breath and wait for a response before entering. No matter how urgent it was, she wanted to observe basic etiquette.

Knock, knock. She knocked on the door and waited for a response from inside.

 

“Come in.”

 

With the sound, she swiftly pushed open the door. Inside, there were Count Courtois and two others who seemed to be his secretary and butler.

The three men looked at Leah with surprise.

 

“Grace, what’s the matter?”

 

Taran was so surprised by the woman in front of him that he doubted if she was Grace Visac.

The reason the woman who would never step in front of him without perfect attire was because she appeared in a disheveled state.

“Count Kurtoir, I apologize, but I need to read the newspaper. Um, I mean, I need a week’s worth of newspapers.”

The butler doubted his ears. ‘Count Kurtoir’ indeed.

Grace had never called herself a countess even once.

 

Unlike Taran , who was speechless with surprise, the secretary and butler coughed uncomfortably, showing signs of discomfort.

 

Because Grace was dressed in a sloppy manner, with her shoulders and chest clearly visible, not even properly dressed in undergarments.

What’s more, she was barefoot. It was a demeanor more akin to a wild woman than a dignified noblewoman.

 

“James, fetch the newspaper.”

 

Taran ordered the butler in a dry tone.

At first, he seemed surprised, but perhaps he interpreted Grace’s actions differently.

The butler, James, fetched the newspaper.

 

“Thank you, James.”

 

“Yes?”

 

James was surprised as if he had heard the unthinkable. Did Grace know how to say thank you?

Leah held the newspaper with trembling hands and unfolded it by date.

Even though this place was the Empire of Rubeck, it would cover events in the neighboring country of Galdensia in its articles.

That was the same for any newspaper in any country. However, when she tried to read the article, she felt scared.

It felt like the thing she feared was about to become reality.

She fell off a cliff and died, and her father’s business was in ruins, the worst-case scenario… But there was still a glimmer of hope.

“It’s okay! Allen is here.”

 

Leah  steadied her breath and unfolded the newspaper.

The incident at Hamilton Manor seemed significant enough to dominate the front page.

With bated breath, Lea quickly scanned through the text.

 

“The head of Galensia, Richard Hamilton, is scheduled to be sentenced for smuggling dried poppy flowers. However, in order to ensure the economic influence of Hamilton Manor and the jobs of its employees, Emperor Taran has entrusted the management of Hamilton Manor to Allen Maxwell. Meanwhile, Kevin Maxwell has filed a lawsuit against Richard Hamilton for fraudulent marriage.”

 

“Oh my goodness! How could this happen?”

 

Leah  trembled in disbelief, her body stiffened like a cedar tree.

She tried to remain calm, but the following newspaper article was too brutal for her to read with her eyes wide open.

“The sole heir of Hamilton Manor, Lea Hamilton, was reported missing after fleeing alone on her wedding day, believed to have disappeared in the forests near the border of Rubeck. While her body hasn’t been found yet, it’s presumed she’s dead. Furthermore, it was stated that her fiancé, Allen Maxwell, tried to persuade Lea Hamilton to confess but was vehemently rejected. He then testified that Hamilton Manor’s owner enjoyed smoking dried poppy flowers.”

Illustrations depicting the trial situation were published alongside the article, showing Allen testifying and presenting a pipe as evidence.

 

“Why would Allen…?”

 

Leah slumped down, thinking about Allen. They had been close since childhood and naturally progressed into lovers. That’s why they ended up getting married. But what if it was all a meticulously planned scheme?

“So, the carriage was…!”

It was only then that Lea started piecing together the shattered puzzle.

At times like this, her quick-thinking brain and judgment to confront reality felt cruel. But since it didn’t take long to reach a conclusion, she finally did.

 

“Allen Maxwell was nothing but a despicable bastard.”

 

Behind his handsome appearance, gentle smile, and noble demeanor, lurked such a dreadful scheme.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Leah attempted to scream but covered her mouth with her hand.

Unable to endure it any longer, Leah got up from her seat and dashed out of the room.

“Lady!”

Ignoring Pauline’s call, Leah  passed through the first-floor lobby and went outside the mansion.

She didn’t care whether the pouring rain soaked her body or whether there were stones stuck in her bare feet.

No, she felt nothing at all. She felt as if she were about to die due to the dreadful reality that had befallen her.

 

“Ahh!”

 

Leah screamed madly from somewhere deep in the garden.

“What have I done?”

She cried out roughly.

Because of her love, she had brought her beloved father to ruin. And not only that, Leia Hamilton was dead.

 

“It’s because of me, Leah Hamilton, the one who destroyed the Hamilton dynasty that had been preserved for generations, it’s all because of you!”

 

Leah  couldn’t forgive herself. In an instant, she recalled her father’s tender face as he watched her on her wedding day.

 

 

“Are you happy?”

“Yes, father. It’s rare for a woman to marry a man she loves in this era.”

“That’s true.”

Richard wiped away the tears in his eyes and let Leah  go from his embrace.

“Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Your father’s happiness lies in your happiness. I don’t regret anything, and I don’t care what others say.”

Touched by her father’s love, Leah  fell to the ground and wailed.

 

With a black umbrella, Taran and his secretary Luke headed towards the garden.

It was to find Grace, who had rushed out into the garden. It had only been a day since she recovered from her illness, what could be the matter now?

In the vast garden, Taran  headed towards the grove of beech trees. He had a hunch that Grace would be there.

 

“There she is.”

 

Luke spotted Grace first. She was half lying on the ground, crying.

“Grace, what on earth are you doing again?”

Taran  approached her quietly, scolding her. This would only lead to another flu stealing, you know.

Grace, who had been sobbing sorrowfully, stood up defiantly and turned to face the two men with a determined expression.

Taran  draped his cloak over Grace and handed her an umbrella.

 

“Lady, could you stop throwing a tantrum? What do you think will happen if you catch a serious illness from attracting the Duke’s attention?” Luke remarked. Love doesn’t come by throwing fits, you know.

 

Leah recalled a vague memory, unsure if it was a dream or a vision.

Grace clung to Taran , wailing, but the man remained indifferent throughout. Suddenly, Leah felt a surge of anger.

“It’s not a tantrum, it’s effort,” Leah said, glaring at the two men. “I’m trying my best to win the love of someone. If I do nothing, the other person won’t know my feelings.”

 

“But human emotions are…” Luke began.

 

“That’s right, human emotions are like that. It’s the desperation to try even in vain for someone who doesn’t deserve love that brings about this situation,” Leah spat out bitterly, exchanging cold looks with both men, especially locking eyes with Taran .

{That damn desperate effort paid off. It’s all because of that cursed love.}

As Leah muttered to herself in a foreign language, Terrence’s expression changed.

 

“Grace, when did you learn Randesian?”

 

As far as he knew, Grace didn’t know any foreign language other than the common tongue. She disliked reading newspapers, let alone books.

Leah looked at Terrence with a cold face and replied.

“Don’t ever be so sure that you know everything about a person. That’s arrogance.”

Leah shrugged off Terrence’s cloak and headed into the rain, facing it head-on.

 

“Don’t ever be so sure that you know everything about a person. That’s arrogance.”

 

Leah shrugged off Terrence’s cloak and headed into the rain, facing it head-on.