Interest Compounds on Revenge - Chapter 43

Lea left the imperial palace hurriedly after earnestly pleading with the Empress. Even after boarding the carriage, her rapid breathing did not subside.

“My lady, are you alright?”

Pauline’s worried voice sounded distant. Lea gazed out the window, lost in thought.

‘What am I doing here?’

She had thought she had grown accustomed to Rubeck, but in an instant, it felt as unfamiliar as if she had just arrived.

‘This isn’t Galdensia.’

She wasn’t a Rubeck native. She had lived in Galdensia until she was twenty, and she had a proper home there.

A storm of homesickness swept over her.

Longing for her father crashed over her like a tidal wave. She didn’t want to stay in the unfamiliar Rubeck for even a moment.

Bang bang, Lea knocked on the ceiling to stop the carriage, causing Pauline to look at her with a startled expression.

“Give one to each of the coachmen.”

Lea took out two gold coins from her purse.

“Why so suddenly?”

“Tell them to go to Brassel, the capital of Galdensia. I need to check on the Hamilton General Store.”

“Now?”

Pauline asked with a puzzled look.

Shouldn’t they make plans and send word ahead to inspect the store in Galdensia? Moreover, making the Empress’s riding outfit was more urgent now.

“Pauline, how about we work and travel at the same time?”

“That sounds nice, but the Duke…”

“Do you trust me?”

Pauline was worried about Grace, who seemed unusually depressed today. Well, it was understandable after saying such things to the Empress.

“Of course, I’ll go anywhere with you, my lady. I’m a bit concerned about Chainer, but sometimes there are unavoidable situations, right?”

“Thank you for understanding, Pauline.”

Lea felt relieved. She had worried that Pauline might adamantly refuse and insist on returning to the ducal residence.

Pauline quickly got out of the carriage and gave one gold coin each to the two coachmen, informing them of their destination. Fortunately, the coachmen agreed readily.

After all, it would be troublesome for them to return to the ducal residence with an empty carriage as well.

‘I’d like to take the train, but Terran might intercept us again.’

Above all, she was wary of the fact that train destinations were recorded.

Lea felt a lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure how to express this emotion, but for now, she vaguely wanted to revisit old memories.

She wanted to see, even from afar, the house where she, her father, and the people of the Hamilton Company had lived. Soon, the carriage set off for Brassel, the capital of Galdensia.

“Pauline, don’t worry. We’ll just inspect the general store in Brassel and come back.”

“Yes, but it will still take a few days. If I had known, I would have packed some luggage.”

“We can find everything we need at the general store. We’ll buy what we need there. How about we stay at a hotel, sleep there, and order food to our room?”

“Eek! That sounds wonderful.”

Pauline was now fully on board with the idea.

In truth, while Lea was overcome with longing for her homeland, she also didn’t have the confidence to face Terran right away.

By now, he must be pouring out all the emotions he had been holding back to the Empress, no, to Vivian. Honestly, she had a strong desire not to go to the ducal residence where Terran and the Empress were.

‘I’m going to confirm who I am.’

* * *

Terran stood up from his seat and looked at the Empress with a bewildered expression. It was absurd enough that she was in his bedroom, but he couldn’t understand why she was suddenly getting angry.

“Vivian, what brings you to our home?”

“You think I wanted to come? I’m here because your fiancée, who’s far too good for an idiot like you, begged me to come.”

He had no idea what she was talking about. Why had Grace gone to the Empress and begged for what reason?

“Terran, was I your first love?”

“When I was about eight?”

“Huh! How can that be a first love? You’ve made a big mistake, and the Bizac lady has seriously misunderstood.”

“What?”

“And I’ve never liked you. You know that too. You know how much I adored His Majesty. So why are you writing nonsensical stories and making people tired?”

“I don’t have feelings for you either.”

Terran was starting to get angry too.

When he was barely ten years old, he had liked the Empress for a very brief time, but after that, he never saw her as more than a friend. What meaning could the feelings of a snot-nosed kid have?

But what the Empress said next hit Terran like a bullet to the heart. She said that Grace had come to her without notice and said outrageous things.

[Your Majesty, my fiancé is very ill.]

[Oh my! How should I comfort her… Lady Bizac.]

[Not comfort, but could Your Majesty go to the ducal residence? He still harbors feelings for Your Majesty. He’s struggling greatly, trapped in old emotions, calling out your name.]

[That can’t be…]

Grace looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment, which made the Empress feel sorry for her.

The Empress instinctively realized that there had been a misunderstanding between Terran and Grace, and that the situation was more serious than she had anticipated.

But on the other hand, she was curious. In such a case, an ordinary woman wouldn’t come to the woman her man loves and make such a pitiful request.

She wanted to know what Grace was thinking to come this far.

[Aren’t you upset, Lady Bizac? You love the Duke, don’t you? If it were me, I think I’d be too hurt and jealous to do this.]

[I…]

Grace showed such intense emotion that she couldn’t continue speaking for a while.

[I want Terran to be happy. Rather than being unhappy with me by his side when he doesn’t love me, I’d like him to confess his feelings to Your Majesty once and receive comfort. That way, he won’t have any regrets.]

After hearing the situation from the Empress, Terran rubbed his face dry.

Damn it, while he had been trying to explain himself as he took the medicine, it had turned into poison instead. The situation had worsened due to what he had fabricated to try and fix things.

“Let me tell you this: there’s no woman in your life who can love you as much as Grace Bizac. You fool, idiot, mutt!”

“Mutt, it’s been a long time since I heard that. When we were young, ‘mutt’ was your worst insult when you got angry.”

This was a side of the Empress that the world didn’t know at all.

She was known as a woman of grace and refinement, but when she was young, the Empress had been quite a tomboy with a strong competitive spirit. In some ways, she was very similar to Grace.

“Are you going to let go of a woman like that? A beauty with ability and a kind heart. Even if it’s not you, there are men who want her everywhere.”

He knew that all too well. He had realized it when she had flown to him like a dove when he was shot in the shepherd’s hut.

And from that moment, he had become anxious. Worried that she might one day fly away from his side.

“Let me warn you as the Empress. If you can’t capture Lady Bizac’s heart, the imperial family is considering looking for other marriage prospects.”

Terran’s face turned cold at the Empress’s words. He got up from the bed and strode towards the Empress.

“If you do that, this country will have a new emperor. Your Majesty!”

“Hah! Now you sound like Terran Courtois.”

He was a man who seemed perfect on the outside, but he was so clumsy in love that he kept making mistakes.

Still, his unwavering devotion to one woman was praiseworthy.

* * *

As the clock tower struck midnight, the ducal residence was turned upside down.

Lea and Pauline, who had gone to meet the Empress, had not returned. The problem was that the carriage that had taken the two women had also disappeared from Rebon.

Terran immediately put on his uniform.

“We received word from the Empress, but the young lady is not at the palace.”

James said in an excited tone.

After the Empress had left, Terran had sent a message to the palace. He thought Grace might have stayed at the palace. But unfortunately, it was confirmed that Grace had left the palace early.

“Prepare the horses. We’re going to search every corner of Rebon.”

He headed into the city, leading his guards. Of course, Luke was by his side, riding alongside him and keeping a close eye on the situation.

“It’s past midnight, so all the shops are closed.”

At Luke’s words, Terran turned his horse towards the Rebon train station. If she had left the city, there would be a record.

But there was no record of her taking a train.

“Notify Rapha’s organization. They know even the most remote places, don’t they?”

“Yes, but do you think the young lady would have gone somewhere dangerous?”

“Just notify them!”

Terran shouted angrily.

Is this what it feels like when the sky is falling? Just breathing felt like torture.

“Send people to every hotel in Rebon.”

“Understood.”

He rode like a madman through the deserted streets.

He kept calling Grace’s name, even though he knew full well she couldn’t hear him. Belated regret washed over him like a storm, and he felt utterly pathetic.

Moreover, he became acutely aware of his feelings for Grace. At first, he had liked her vaguely, then realized he couldn’t do without her, and now…

‘I feel like I’m dying.’

He didn’t want to go back to the hellish past.

If before he had tried to run away, endlessly suffering from the wounds of war, now he hated the reality without Grace.

‘Come back to me quickly.’

Terran called for her like a mantra.

The woman who had breathed life into him was now wielding the sword of death. But despair was not far away.

A guard ran up to Terran and reported.

“The ducal carriage has crossed the border.”

“Have you confirmed it?”

“We sent a telegram to the border, and the reply just came in.”

“Where did they go?”

“That hasn’t been confirmed.”

“Do you all have a death wish? They crossed the border and you didn’t check their destination?”

Terran shouted furiously.

“Since it was the ducal carriage, it seems the border guards let it pass without checking.”

“Damn it all!”

He cursed. Once they crossed the border, there were several countries they could go to. Galdensia, Bellis, Estro, Rapoli, and so on.

Terran gritted his teeth.

‘No, it doesn’t matter where they went. It’s not like there’s no way at all.’

“Ugh…!”

He clutched his chest with his hand. His heart was pounding violently, and now a pain that felt like it might burst came over him.

‘Crossing the border without any fear?’

Terran was consumed by a fury that even he could hardly contain.