Interest Compounds on Revenge - Chapter 57

A miraculous thing happened. Among the employees, there were as many as two people who could use a sewing machine.

The brothers Paul and Tom, whose parents run a leather workshop in the countryside, said they had brought in a sewing machine a few years ago and learned to use it in their spare time.

Now all that was left was for Terran to safely procure the sewing machines.

“You need to be careful not to mix up the patterns of the clothes.”

Lea was explaining to the employees what to be careful about when cutting the fabric. At that moment, Sonya and Adolf approached and shouted at the employees.

“Everyone, hands off. This is not a work you can handle carelessly.”

At Sonya’s words, the maids looked at Lea.

“We can’t entrust our work to others’ hands.”

Adolf spoke firmly to Lea. It seems they have finally made up their minds.

Their lives must be precious too. How unjust would it be to flee from a fallen country to a foreign land only to be hanged?

“Sonya, Adolf, thank you. But we still need assistants, so please instruct the maids.”

Lea respected their decision.

“Thank goodness, Miss.”

Pauline’s eyes welled up with tears, seeming relieved.

She must have been so anxious watching the people who should be working immediately just standing around.

Lea patted Pauline’s shoulder and headed towards the window.

It was already afternoon. She had been waiting for Terran to return any minute, but there was no sign of him coming back.

‘I trust Terran.’

Lea composed her anxious heart and called Paul and Tom to talk. She needed to hear a rough explanation of how to use a sewing machine from them.

“But why didn’t you continue the family business and come all the way to Revon?”

“Even in the countryside, people weren’t fond of sewing machines. It was okay because we were the only leather workshop.”

“The income wasn’t enough for four family members to work in a small workshop.”

Paul and Tom took turns answering Lea’s question. It was the same reason why the Hamilton Company couldn’t sell sewing machines.

“I’ll trust you two.”

When Lea sincerely asked Paul and Tom, their faces turned red.

Just then, the sound of Chainer’s footsteps running down the corridor was heard.

“Sister! The mister is here! And our elder brother is here too!”

“Really!”

Chainer must have been waiting for Luke on the swing in the garden, as she was the first to notice and came running.

Lea quickly ran to meet Terran. She hurried so much that she couldn’t even remember how she got to the first-floor lobby, and she was already heading towards the yard past the lobby.

“Please!”

Lea waited for him with her hands clasped, and soon Terran and Luke came galloping on horses.

Behind them, a cart loaded with objects covered by a curtain was being pulled.

‘He succeeded. Terran is definitely a problem solver.’

Lea’s heart was full. But as Terran got closer to her, something seemed a bit off.

As if he had been grazed by something, there were wounds here and there on his face, and there were clear bloodstains on his uniform.

‘Is he hurt?’

Her heart sank, and her heartbeat started to race.

“Terran!”

Lea called out to him with all her might. By now, Terran had dismounted and was striding towards her.

Lea ran without hesitation and jumped into his arms, and Terran embraced her, spinning her around.

“Thank you for coming back safely.”

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Late? Not at all. But are you hurt?”

Lea briefly separated from his embrace. She carefully touched the wounds on his face with her hand.

“There was a bit of a commotion.”

“A commotion?”

“It’s nothing. You don’t need to know.”

“We need to apply medicine to your wounds.”

Lea took Terran’s hand and headed towards the main building.

Meanwhile, Luke had the soldiers move the sewing machines inside. But Terran, who had been walking well hand in hand with Lea, suddenly stopped and looked at her seriously.

“What’s wrong?”

“How many grapes are these?”

Terran asked with the most serious expression in the world. Even as Lea burst into laughter, Terran continued to look at her seriously.

“It should be more than ten.”

“Of course.”

Only then did Terran smile with satisfaction and resume walking in step with Lea.

Meanwhile, Chainer ran to Luke.

“Elder brother, did the mister fight?”

“How do you know that?”

Chainer sometimes gave people the creeps like this. She could be childlike at times, but then speak like a prophet at others.

“The mister’s face is wounded and his clothes are covered in blood, aren’t they?”

“Uh…? Ah, right.”

Luke awkwardly laughed, having jumped to the wrong conclusion. It was a situation anyone could predict.

But the fight between Terran and Sarubi was truly remarkable.

Unlike Sarubi, who showed off his flashy swordsmanship, Terran didn’t move easily. Like a beast eyeing its prey, he crouched and struck when the moment was right.

In less than 10 minutes after the fight began, Sarubi’s sword flew into the air.

Instead, they saw the sight of Sarubi flapping like an overturned turtle under Terran’s military boot.

[It’s been 7 years, the time I’ve rolled in fields of corpses. I’ve seen countless times the sight of soldiers’ bodies being shattered to pieces by cannonballs falling right in front of me.]

Terran spoke with an expressionless face, but the sharp tip of his sword was aimed at Sarubi’s neck.

Luke felt the victor’s exhilaration just by watching, though Terran didn’t seem to enjoy it much. Only when the sewing machines were revealed did a smile finally bloom on his face.

“So, did the mister kill him?”

“No, the Duke doesn’t take innocent lives.”

“Ah, I see. But it’s not the mister’s blood smell.”

Luke got goosebumps again at Chainer’s words. Has she reached the point of distinguishing human blood smells now? No. She must have just guessed and got it right.

“The mister is so kind.”

“He’s merciful. It was supposed to be a bet to the death, but he spared him. He just beat him to within an inch of his life and ended it.”

“Eh! That’s boring. Shouldn’t you gouge out eyes or cut off tongues?”

“What?”

In such cases, women usually scream “Eek!” or cover their faces with their hands, looking horrified.

‘What on earth has that old man Rapha been showing this child?’

Luke cupped Chainer’s face with both hands and spoke very seriously.

“Chainer, you shouldn’t say such things carelessly from now on. You’re a lady. You should only use proper and nice words. Understand?”

“If you gives me a kiss, I promise.”

“A kiss? Where?”

“Anywhere is fine.”

Luke saw Chainer looking shy for the first time. But something was written in her eyes that made her look as pretty as an angel.

“Promise first. Say you won’t use bad words.”

“Okay. I promise.”

Chainer linked her pinky finger with Luke’s. Soon after, Luke kissed Chainer on the forehead.

For a moment, as if struck by lightning, his whole body tingled and Chainer looked different. Even the freckles sprinkled across her nose bridge were cute, and there wasn’t a single unattractive part about her.

‘Was Chainer always this pretty?’

As he was surprised and bewildered, Chainer ran towards the main building shouting.

“Pauline unnie! I kissed elder brother Luke! I might have a baby!”

Luke staggered.

‘Of course. It’s my fault for expecting too much from her.’

* * *

As soon as Terran returned, he took a bath and went to bed.

Of course, Lea applied medicine to the wounds on his face in the meantime and was about to leave the bed when she was grabbed by the back of her neck.

So Lea had to stay in Terran’s arms until he fell asleep.

She wished she could sing a lullaby to make him fall asleep even a second faster, as her attention was focused elsewhere.

Suddenly, seeing the wounds on his face, her heart ached.

‘Always because of me…’

She didn’t know what he had been through today, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

That’s why he fell asleep so quickly. She felt ashamed for having been impatient for him to fall asleep faster.

She gently caressed Terran’s face with her hand. His lips curved up nicely. Even in his sleep, he seemed to like her touch.

‘How cute.’

It was then that Lea felt a sense of complete happiness for the first time.

The complicated and difficult matters like the tragedy she had experienced or the revenge she had to carry out in the future disappeared from her mind for a moment.

It was as if her hollow heart was being filled with warmth solely through her connection with Terran.

If life could be as happy as this moment, it would be a life without regrets.

‘Thank you, I’m not lonely because of you.’

Lea’s eyes welled up with tears.

She stayed by Terran’s side until he was completely asleep.

When Terran’s breathing deepened, Lea quietly left the room. But the sound of whirring could be heard all the way to the corridor. It was the sound of sewing machines operating.

Lea ran to the workroom in one breath. Finally, when she entered, Paul and Tom were busy sewing.

“Miss, you’re here?”

“Yes. Where are Sonya and Adolf?”

“They took the parts that need hand sewing to their quarters.”

“Don’t mind me and keep working.”

Lea went to the sofa and watched the two of them work. Then Paul smiled and said to Lea,

“You can come and see. It won’t disturb us.”

He seemed to have noticed Lea’s face shining with curiosity.

“Is it really okay?”

Lea picked up a chair and sat next to Paul, watching him sew.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the amazing sight of the needle stitching through the fabric with a whirr as he pedaled with his foot.

‘Is this the power of science?’

While hand sewing is excellent, sewing machines had the advantage of reducing people’s labor time and giving them leisure.

“It’s so amazing. At this speed, it’ll be done in no time. And you’re so skilled at sewing too?”

“You’re too kind. Um, it won’t take long, Miss.”

Paul also smiled brightly, seeming to like Grace’s encouragement beside him.

Just then, the workroom door opened, and the sound of the sewing machine stopped abruptly. It was because they saw a person standing at the door.

‘This is really driving me crazy.’

Lea felt a pang of regret when she saw Terran.

“Terran, why aren’t you sleeping?”

As Lea looked flustered, he looked back and forth between her and Paul with an annoyed expression.