Chapter 13
Terran looked at Grace sleeping beside him and felt completely overwhelmed. To be honest, he had only pretended to fall asleep. He wanted her to feel safe enough to rest without worry.
But he could feel everything. Her gaze lingering on his face, the gentle touch of her golden hair brushing his skin, the soft breath from her lips, her quiet and steady breathing.
Her violet eyes. Her soft pink lips. The way her hair tickled his face. Every little movement stirred something inside him.
Especially the way she breathed, like a child lost in peaceful sleep, made his chest flutter uncontrollably.
I deserve a medal for my self-control.
He had managed to hide the wildness under his calm expression.
If he kept his eyes open any longer, he was afraid he would lose control and devour her completely.
When was the last time he had felt real desire for a woman?
Not since he was a teenager, secretly flipping through adult magazines that Aiden and the older boys tried to keep out of reach.
But even that had been different. It had been shallow curiosity, nothing more than instinct.
Now, with Grace sleeping so closely beside him, he felt a burning sensation in his chest that had nothing to do with mere lust.
He imagined for a moment what life would feel like if Grace disappeared from it. That thought alone made it feel like something had been ripped out of him.
He shook his head and looked at her again.
Do I really want you this much?
At some point, it had become impossible to picture the Duke’s estate without her. Just the idea of her absence left an empty space that made it hard to breathe.
He slowly reached out and brushed her lips with the tip of his finger.
When did my heart become so full of you?
It was time to admit the truth to himself.
He didn’t want to stay hidden in the shadows anymore, wounded and guarded, pushing people away out of fear.
He hadn’t realized it until now, but somewhere along the way, he had already started to heal.
It was you. You were the one who pulled me out of the dark.
Terran stood up and looked down at her sleeping face.
He used to think the darkness was where he belonged. But now, just the idea of returning to it made him feel sick.
He remembered the first time she smiled at him, walking across the field with that innocent look, saying she had found a horse. That smile. That warmth. He had already been saved.
I want you, Grace.
He didn’t know if it was love yet. But he knew for certain that she filled him so completely it was almost overwhelming. In the past, he had never feared death. But now, the thought of the space beside him being empty frightened him more than anything.
Terran lay back down beside her.
Her steady breathing gave him peace, and his heart finally began to calm.
He took a deep breath with her, matching her rhythm.
Then, quietly, he placed an arm around her.
In case she rolls off the bed.
Terran gently closed his eyes.
He did not want to waste this moment of peace. It had been far too long since he felt anything close to it.
And for the first time in many years, he fell into a deep, restful sleep.
For a little while, that peace seemed like it would last.
“No… please. Don’t kill him!”
Lea found herself back in the church, on her wedding day.
The aisle was empty, but the ground was stained red with blood. Her father’s blood.
“Father!”
Once you’re gone, the Hamilton business is mine.
Allen’s hands were around her neck, squeezing tightly.
His once-beautiful face twisted with greed, his voice cold. His eyes full of betrayal.
“Please… don’t kill me.”
She had loved him so much. She would have given up everything for him. And yet, he had shot her father and now wanted to kill her too, right there in her white dress.
“I don’t want to die…”
She had been used, deceived by false love, and left with nothing.
In her blurred vision, Allen appeared again, his face consumed by hunger for power.
“You’re a monster…”
She could not die the way he wanted her to. Not like this.
With every last bit of strength, she grabbed his wrists and tried to fight back.
“I won’t forgive you!”
She pushed him away with all her might. Allen disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
But the pain didn’t fade.
Then, somewhere in the distance, she heard a voice.
“Grace, wake up!”
Terran woke up just before dawn.
He opened his eyes and saw Grace strangling herself in her sleep, caught in a nightmare.
She was crying out, lost in terror. Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her neck.
“Open your eyes, Grace!”
He sat her up and wrapped his arms around her. Grace looked at him with tears in her eyes.
She didn’t seem fully awake, but her fear was real.
Terran gently tapped her cheek with the back of his hand.
Finally, her glassy eyes began to focus again.
“Lord Courtois…”
Her voice was faint and weak.
“I’m here.”
Knowing someone was beside her, Lea let herself relax. She burst into tears and hugged him tightly.
“I was so scared.”
“It’s alright now. It was just a dream.”
Terran gently caressed Grace’s back as he comforted her again and again.
Lea was deeply grateful to him.
That cursed Allen had chased her even into her dreams, trying to kill her again. The terror was overwhelming. But it was a secret she could never share.
Still, in this moment, Terran’s warm embrace was something she needed more than anything. She had nowhere else to turn.
Allen had taken down the Hamilton Trading name and replaced it with a new one: McDowell Trading Company.
He had not completely erased Richard Hamilton’s legacy yet. But soon, everything would be under the McDowell name. People would eventually forget the Hamilton family ever existed.
“Sir, the sale documents are ready.”
Allen’s secretary brought in a thick stack of papers. That meant there was a lot to sign.
“Are you planning to sell every Hamilton general store in the country?”
The secretary asked with a hint of concern.
“I am. Those little shops don’t make real money anymore. Times have changed. If you want to earn big, you need to invest in ships, weapons, and railroads.”
“But the general stores…”
The secretary hesitated. He wanted to object but stopped as soon as he saw Allen’s cold expression.
The Hamilton general stores had been the foundation of the company.
Even during wartime, the shops across Galdensia brought in steady income. People from nearby countries came to buy food and essentials there.
Why sell off something that earned money without effort?
“Anything from Lubeck yet?”
Allen asked the same question he had been asking for days.
“Nothing yet, sir.”
“I see. You can go.”
After the secretary left, Allen stood and walked over to the window.
He had sent a letter to Grace Vizak, the woman he met in Lubeck. He had asked if they could meet again.
She would be perfect as his partner for the autumn court ball.
He had considered other noblewomen in Galdensia, but after everything that happened with Lea, it was too soon to show up with another local woman at a royal event.
Of course, that might have just been an excuse.
Grace Vizak. Daughter of a war hero. Her family might not be rich, but they’re old and respected. A noblewoman with a name that carries weight.
She was also beautiful and intelligent. He had only seen her once, at Lea’s funeral, but he could not get her out of his mind.
I heard her engagement with Duke Terran Courtois is nearly broken. Maybe I should go to Lubeck myself.
There were rumors that Terran disliked women altogether.
If that were true, then Allen believed he was the only man who could truly have her.
He was not the type to give up easily. If he wanted something, he would get it—no matter what it took.
Several days had passed since returning from Bern. Terran had been busy with work, and Lea had settled back into her usual routine.
“Miss Grace, the Duke would like to see you in the garden.”
Lea was in the middle of clipping an article about Allen from the newspaper when she got the message. She quickly stood and made her way outside.
Since returning, she had not had a moment alone with Terran. Now that he had asked to see her, her heart was beating faster than she expected.
Don’t be silly. You cannot afford feelings like that.
She forced herself to calm down as she stepped into the garden.
Under the white canopy, she saw Terran reading the paper.
“Miss, I’ll wait elsewhere,” said Pauline.
“Thank you, Pauline.”
As Lea walked forward, memories of the night she had the nightmare came rushing back.
It was the one thing she never wanted Terran to see—her broken and vulnerable. But he had seen everything and held her without saying a word.
The comfort he gave her that night still lingered in her heart.
“Lord Courtois,” she greeted quietly.
“You came.”
“You were reading the paper?”
“Grace, just call me by name like you used to.”
“Oh… alright. I will.”
“I’ve finished the paper. You can take it later.”
“Thank you.”
When Lea smiled softly, Terran returned her smile.
“So… why did you want to see me?”
Terran hesitated. He did not really have a reason. He just wanted to see her.
Now that he had accepted what he felt, it was easier to breathe. But saying it out loud still felt awkward.
“Well, I don’t think I properly thanked you for writing that letter to the Sultan of Turki.”
Now you bring that up? she thought.
“It was nothing. Actually, I should be thanking you instead.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know exactly what nightmare I had that night, but… you were there. You helped me.”
Terran’s expression grew quiet. He looked like he did not want to accept her gratitude.
Did my comfort mean even half as much to you as yours did to me?
And then, something inside him clicked.
He had known Grace for years. So why had it taken him this long to see it?
She was his healing.
For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
It felt as if she had entered both his heart and his eyes, and he could not move.
He realized he had been thinking of her constantly. Even while working, his thoughts would wander to her.
He checked the time each day, wondering when he would see her again.
When old wounds ached or bad memories dragged him down, he thought of Grace. And like magic, those dark feelings vanished.
Being near her made the world feel warmer.
I want to make you mine.
It was not a grand moment. But in that quiet afternoon light, surrounded by garden silence, Terran finally knew.
