Interest Compounds on Revenge (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12

Terren wore a self-mocking expression.

He couldn’t shake off the confusion caused by Grace’s sudden change.

Thus, he had to confirm with Aiden whether Grace’s claim—that she’d acquired fluent foreign language skills and emergency medical abilities during childhood—was truly genuine.

Aiden denied it outright and added one more sentence.

[“Doesn’t everyone change? Grace is simply maturing from a naive girl into a refined lady.”]

‘It was just speculation.’

Terren instantly swept away the tangled remnants of his complicated assumptions.

‘The world holds countless people, and events occur that defy scientific explanation.’

His suspicion had stemmed from the fear that perhaps Grace’s soul had been replaced.

Yet he’d forgotten the most crucial point.

Even when viewing the same picture, people interpret it differently—personal perspectives naturally diverge in likes and dislikes.

Aiden was right. Humans change, and Grace was no exception.

The problem lay with himself for refusing to accept that truth.

‘How pathetic, Terren Courtois.’

Terren even began to wonder if he himself had been blinded by prejudice toward Grace.

Moreover, he’d burdened Aiden with unnecessary questions, only unsettling his mind further.

‘Change in humans is only natural.’

After sending Aiden ahead into the villa, Terren stayed behind alone. Aiden’s words still echoed in his ears.

[“Can’t you just cherish Grace as she truly is, Terren?”] [“I just…”] [“I know I’m utterly inadequate in your eyes. And I know you became engaged to Grace out of guilt toward me.”]

The moment he saw the anxiety in Aiden’s eyes, Terren realized his mistake.

[“If I die, you can do as you please then, Terren.”]

That meant Terren wouldn’t have to force himself to spend his life with Grace. Hearing those words, Terren finally understood the magnitude of his error.

[“Don’t say such things! Why would you die? Losing a leg doesn’t kill you. And…”]

His naturally blunt disposition made it hard to voice his true feelings. Still, for Aiden’s sake, he had to try.

[“I don’t dislike Grace.”] [“!?”] [“I mean it.”]

Only then did a faint smile bloom on Terren’s lips.

[“That’s a relief. Has Grace finally grown up a bit?”]

Aiden teased lightly before closing the conversation.

Terren resolved not to struggle anymore.

Though suspicion and conflicting emotions toward Grace had tangled his thoughts, he now decided to accept her exactly as she was, just as Aiden had advised.

‘Aiden, Grace is anything but inadequate.’

He regretted deeply not having said those words aloud. Just as the ever-changing world evolves, they could simply move forward together. Suddenly, words lingered unspoken on his tongue.

‘Yes, I don’t dislike Grace. In fact…’

Terren splashed cold water on his face, trying to wipe away his lingering thoughts.

When had he become someone who constantly doubted, analyzed, and sought definitive answers in everything?

‘Well, so what if I have?’

[This is the timeline separator]

The mealtime for the four of them was pleasant. Lea helped Aiden’s wife, Leina, prepare the food.

Her sister-in-law, Leina, was kind, spirited, and genuinely good-hearted. Above all, she loved Aiden sincerely.

“It’s just country fare—I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”

Leina glanced subtly at Terren as she spoke.

“It’s excellent, Leina.”

Though far simpler than the meals served at the ducal estate, the food held deep meaning since it was made from vegetables they’d grown themselves.

Grace was the first to eat the dish of cooked cabbage and peas steamed with lemon and anchovy sauce. Aiden immediately exclaimed in surprise.

“Grace, your tastes have changed! You actually finished all the cabbage!”

“Huh…? It’s delicious, older brother.”

Cabbage had always been a favorite vegetable—easy to digest and pleasantly textured. Apparently, though, Grace had disliked it before.

Lea wondered if she’d made a mistake, but realized it was impossible for her to perfectly mimic Grace’s every behavior anyway.

“People’s tastes keep changing until the day they die. Until I was fifteen, I couldn’t even bring myself to eat meat. Now I absolutely need meat at least twice a week.”

Everyone nodded in agreement at Leina’s words.

Terren agreed as well. Before heading off to war, he’d eaten beans without issue, but now he couldn’t even stand to look at them.

In the battlefield, the only available food had been thin bean soup and coarse bread.

“By the way, you two can share the guest room upstairs, right? Since you’re engaged.”

‘Sleep in the same bed as the Duke?’

Leina explained that the small villa had very few usable rooms, so Terren and Grace would have to share one.

Lea instantly understood.

Previously, even when Terren and Grace had visited the couple, they’d never stayed overnight.

But what should she say now?

‘My sleeping habits are a bit… troublesome.’

Grace worried about her tendency to toss and turn all over the bed. It would be perfect if Terren just offered to sleep on the living room sofa.

“It’s not a stable, is it? Let’s not worry about it, Leina.”

Terren readily agreed. Aiden, seemingly surprised by his answer, immediately called out loudly.

“Terren, you’ve become so much more easygoing!”

“What?”

Seeing Terren’s puzzled look, Aiden pointed at him with his chin.

“Weren’t you the ‘fussy demon lord’?”

“What are you talking about? Aren’t you exaggerating, Aiden?”

Aiden was genuinely startled by Terren’s appearance—it had been so long since he’d seen him. Terren’s complexion had never looked this bright since the war ended.

Terren’s face had always carried deep loneliness, melancholy, and the scars of battle.

Grace’s expression, too, had perpetually been shadowed by gloom.

His younger sister, starved of affection and attention, had often resorted to excessive behavior.

But the Grace he met today seemed like an entirely different person.

‘Whatever the reason, as long as they’ve both changed for the better, that’s what matters.’

Aiden felt relieved, thinking he no longer needed to worry about the two of them.

[This is the timeline separator]

After clearing the table and finishing her bath with Leina, Lea went up first to the guest room on the second floor.

Though slightly cramped for two people, it seemed manageable for just one night.

She opened the slanted window, and stars glittered in the black sky like scattered jewels.

‘How beautiful.’

Was this what peace felt like? For a brief moment, Lea lost herself in the night sky as if nothing troubled her.

Truthfully, she felt too ashamed to properly face Aiden and his wife. If they knew a stranger now inhabited their precious younger sister’s body, how horrified would they be?

‘Everything has a beginning and an end.’

Surely the day would come when things returned to normal. For now, that was the only way she could rationalize it. Just then, she heard footsteps climbing the wooden stairs.

As expected, it was Terren who entered through the door.

With his already tall frame and broad build, Terren filled the small room completely, leaving no empty space.

Being alone with him in such a confined area felt strangely unsettling.

Yet Terren looked different—dressed simply in a shirt and trousers instead of his ornate uniform, his hair slightly tousled.

Lea unconsciously voiced her impression aloud.

“You look good.”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard by the abrupt “You look good,” Terren looked slightly bewildered, leaving Lea flustered about how to recover.

“No, I meant… you look carefree, but why did it come out like that…”

“Were you talking about me?”

“Yes.”

“Grace looks healthy too—pleasant to see.”

“Is… that so?”

The awkward exchange seemed to settle somewhat.

Both of them stared simultaneously at the bed. Aside from the bed, there was only a small wooden chair—truly, the bed was the only place to sleep.

“Are you worried?”

Suddenly, Terren’s expression shifted. He took a step toward Grace and gave her a slightly mischievous look.

“N-no! Duke Courtois is a gentleman—why would I worry?”

‘I’m not worried. It’s just despicable of me to feel relieved by your misfortune.’

“Aren’t gentlemen still men?”

“Well… yes. Anyway, I trust Duke Courtois.”

‘It’s just a pity you can’t act on your desires even if you wanted to.’

Lea deliberately smiled brightly and lay down on the bed first.

“I can sleep on that chair.”

Lea glanced at the crude wooden chair Terren had indicated with a nod.

Was he really planning to sit upright in that chair all night? She couldn’t bear the thought of his conscience growing fur from such self-sacrifice.

“In the battlefield, I often dozed off standing up.”

“But this isn’t the battlefield.”

Tap tap. Lea patted the space beside her. Yet Terren’s eyes looked deeply conflicted.

Finally, Terren moved. He slowly walked over and sat on the edge of the bed beside Lea. Then he removed his shoes and lay down next to her.

Before they knew it, the two of them were lying side by side in the same bed, gazing up at the low ceiling together.

“Um, my sleeping habits are a bit rough.”

Lea realized she’d made a huge mistake.

Whether or not Terren retained his masculine functions, simply sharing a bed with him was a monumental event. Her heart raced wildly, and her body stiffened.

So she rambled on instinct, blurting out whatever came to mind—her terrible habits, possibly grinding her teeth, maybe even rolling off the bed and wandering around.

‘Why isn’t he answering?’

Lea glanced sideways with just her eyes.

‘What? Is he already asleep?’

Terren had indeed fallen asleep, rendering her efforts to ease the tension utterly pointless. Yet Lea couldn’t tear her gaze away from him.

Unconsciously, she turned fully onto her side to admire his sleeping face.

‘There’s no prince charming in a sleeping cabin like this.’

Thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, a straight nose, and a smooth jawline. Even his slightly messy black hair against his chiseled forehead was perfect.

Moreover, he slept so peacefully that she felt absolutely no worry as a woman.

Truly… that ‘one thing’ was a massive flaw in such an otherwise perfect man.

While admiring the sleeping Terren, Lea drifted off to sleep in that very position.

Terren gently opened his eyes at the soft sound of steady breathing. He was startled to find Grace’s face practically resting on his pillow—so close that if he turned his head slightly, their lips would collide.

‘Grace, does she even realize how provocative it is to breathe right into a man’s ear while sleeping?’

Of course not—if she knew, she wouldn’t sleep so innocently, breathing like a spring breeze across the fields.

She was a woman who didn’t even recognize her own allure.