Chapter 10
As expected, the reaction was exactly what she had anticipated. However, Terran was a little different. He nodded calmly, as if he agreed with Grace’s explanation.
“It’s not completely accurate. I learned it when I was very young.”
“Wow!”
Pauline set the teapot down and clapped her hands.
If Grace kept improving every time she fell ill, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“I’ll need a dictionary too. There are still many words I don’t understand.”
She had understood most of it. It was only two or three words that were unfamiliar.
“I’m sending five camels as a gift.”
Terran tapped his forehead with his fingers, looking troubled.
“Wouldn’t it be a serious insult to refuse a gift from the Sultan?” James asked with concern.
“Exactly. In their culture, that’s a very generous gift. If we reject it, they might cut ties with us completely.”
There was no benefit in turning against Turki. No one could predict when or where another war might break out. Even during the war with Wales, they had relied heavily on Turki’s help.
“Can camels even survive in Lubeck?”
Pauline tilted her head and asked with curiosity.
If they died, people would criticize them for mistreating the animals. But with Lubeck’s cold winters, even Terran wasn’t sure if it was possible to keep camels there.
“I might have an idea.”
Lea spoke up hesitantly after glancing around, and all eyes turned to her at once.
“We could write a polite reply.”
“That’s it?”
Pauline looked disappointed at the ordinary suggestion. Terran and James seemed to feel the same way.
“A polite reply is just the basics,” Terran said, sipping his tea as if there was nothing more to expect.
“What if we ask for camel hair instead of actual camels?”
Interest, which had started to fade, quickly returned to Lea.
“Camel hair? What would we even do with that?” Terran asked, looking doubtful.
“We can just accept it and throw it away later, right?” James agreed, thinking it was a clever idea.
Even so, Terran remained curious about Grace’s intentions. What was she really thinking? He looked forward to seeing how much more she would surprise them.
“Fabric made from camel hair is called camel hair cloth. It’s made by collecting the soft undercoat from camels during their spring shedding season, then blending it with wool to create fabric. It’s considered a luxury material.”
“Rebon has plenty of textile factories, so it would be easy to use the hair there.”
“That’s a smart idea, Grace. And you too, Pauline,” Terran said, praising both of them. Lea found the situation quite surprising.
In Galdensia, servants were not allowed to speak when nobles were talking. But the Duke’s estate felt different from the usual noble households. It had a more open and respectful atmosphere.
“If we make coats or cloaks from that fabric, we could sell them at high prices.”
Once again, Terran was amazed by Grace. He even started to question if the person in front of him was the same Grace he had always known.
But if not Grace, then who? Denying it now would only be foolish.
“Let’s go with Grace’s idea.”
Terran supported her decision. In fact, he even encouraged her to write the reply to the Sultan herself if she felt confident enough.
“Lord Courtois, may I go to town with Pauline tomorrow? I’d like to check the bookstore for a Turki dictionary.”
“Go ahead, but…”
“Yes?”
“Not with Pauline. Go with me.”
Everyone was surprised by Terran’s response. Pauline and James especially reacted with wide eyes. It was hard to believe this was the same Terran who used to show no interest in anything.
The girl who had once chased after Terran was gone. Now, it was Terran who seemed to be approaching Grace with genuine interest.
Pauline watched the two of them with a warm smile.
If both of them were changing, and it brought them closer, then that was a good thing.
The next day, Lea went into town with Terran and visited the bookstore.
This might be for the best. She needed to build a better relationship with the Duke anyway.
Fortunately, they found a Turki dictionary quickly, and their reason for coming to town was easily resolved. Feeling relaxed, they stopped by a nearby cafe for some coffee.
The cafe had a blue awning, white arched windows, and simple wooden tables and chairs, creating a cozy and foreign atmosphere.
Although a warm cup of coffee sat in front of her, Lea didn’t touch it. She was completely focused on the dictionary.
Terran rested his arm on the table and watched her with quiet interest.
Sunlight from the window touched her blonde hair, making it glow softly. Stray strands fell gently along her smooth jawline, and her lips were lightly tinted pink. Her slender fingers turned the pages carefully. The whole scene looked like a painting.
Her eyes peeked through long eyelashes, shining more clearly than usual. Every time she breathed like a small bird, her chest moved gently. There was something strangely captivating about the moment.
Then Lea looked up and met Terran’s gaze.
“Lord Courtois, what should I do?”
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her face was warm with emotion.
“Is something wrong?”
“The dictionary isn’t a new edition. I think I brought the wrong one. I’m pretty sure there was a new copy at the bookstore.”
“Then we should exchange it.”
“I’ll go and do it quickly.”
“Just stay here. I’ll go instead.”
Terran picked up the dictionary and left the café. Lea only picked up her cold coffee after watching him disappear through the window.
What a careless mistake.
She had made unnecessary trouble for Terran. Just then, the café door opened and a few customers walked in.
Lea glanced toward the door, wondering if Terran had returned already. But it wasn’t him.
It takes at least ten minutes just to get there.
While waiting, she decided to think about the letter. Since it was going to the Sultan of Turki, she would have to use formal language and show proper respect. She needed to choose her words carefully.
But things rarely went the way one hoped.
“Hello.”
A stranger approached and spoke to her. It was two of the men who had just entered the café. Without asking, they sat across from her.
“Who are you?”
“You looked so lovely. I just wanted to say hello.”
“We’re not suspicious. We’re students at the Imperial University.”
The moment they saw Lea, they had been captivated. Even after many visits to the city, it had been a long time since they had seen someone this beautiful.
“I’m sorry, but I’m waiting for someone.”
Lea replied firmly.
She had no desire to sit and chat with strange men. And now she truly understood how beautiful Grace must be. As Lea Hamilton, she had never experienced anything like this before. Not that she ever thought of herself as unattractive or lacked confidence.
Being beautiful can be exhausting too.
Even Allen, when he had looked at her at the funeral, was no different from these men. But unlike his usual sweet flattery, he had shown something that felt real.
And I fell for it like a fool, thinking it was genuine.
Just thinking about Allen made frustration rise in her chest.
She had always thought of herself as smart. But she had been blinded by her own feelings and failed to see the truth.
One-sided love clouded the mind and dulled judgment. Lea realized this truth far too late.
“Let’s just talk until your friend gets back.”
“I promise we’ll make it fun.”
The men kept insisting. Lea stood up from her seat.
“Then I’ll be going.”
The smart thing to do was walk away completely. Even the smallest bit of interest could encourage people like them.
Lea walked out of the café and headed to the bookstore to find Terran. While walking, she kept reminding herself of one thing.
I will never fall in love again. Love has no place in my life.
She picked up her pace. But soon her path was blocked. The men from the café had followed her and now stood in front of her.
“If you’re really university students, then act like gentlemen.”
“We really just wanted to talk a little.”
“I fell in love at first sight. What else could I do?”
Lea gave a short laugh at their words.
What nonsense.
Their pathetic talk of love made her sick. She almost cursed out loud.
She pretended to move to the right, then quickly turned left and ran forward without looking back.
Not for a second did she want to listen to more talk about love from men like them.
She had run so fast that she lost them, but now she was in a street she didn’t recognize. To make things worse, she had left her handbag at the café in her rush.
She had no money on her. Not even a coin. She felt overwhelmed and helpless.
The sun would set soon and walking alone at night could be dangerous.
I should go to the bookstore.
Lea forced herself to stay calm and retraced her steps. Luckily, she reached the bookstore without much trouble.
But no matter how hard she looked, Terran wasn’t there. He had probably already exchanged the book and returned to the café.
Should I go back to the café?
But what if she ran into those men again? Her mind filled with worry and confusion.
Terran had already exchanged the book and returned to the café quickly. But when he got there, Grace was gone.
Looking at the coffee cup, he could tell it had barely been touched. Then he overheard something unusual.
“What a shame. Who would’ve thought a woman like that lives in Rebon?”
“Right? And we let her get away just like that.”
“If we were going to regret it this much, we should’ve just held on to her. I didn’t think she’d run off like a squirrel.”
“I know. We should’ve at least gotten her name. But after she rejected us, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”
“Should we check her bag? Maybe there’s something useful inside.”
Just as one of the men reached for the handbag, it disappeared from the table. Their eyes followed it up to a man dressed in all black.
“Did you just try to steal this?”
“No, not at all. A young lady left it behind, and we were just trying to return it.”
They quickly waved their hands, trying to deny it. But Terran’s face twisted with growing anger.
“You dared to lay a hand on my woman?”
“Your woman? Oh… we’re sorry.”
The men finally understood who he was and hurried to apologize.
“You don’t need to be sorry. Getting hit first should be enough.”
Terran replied coldly, loosening his tie with force.
