Chapter 14
In my twenty-five years of life, this was the first time I had ever experienced something like this.
A moment when someone became permanently imprinted on my soul.
Is this what it feels like when a parent meets their child for the first time, or when a newborn opens its eyes and recognizes their parents?
In the wide garden, the only thing visible was Grace.
Terran looked around repeatedly, closing and opening his eyes as if to test reality.
I can’t even deny it anymore.
He had been unsure, but once the realization struck, there was no going back. It was undeniable and absolute.
The overwhelming emotion that shook his soul drained the color from his face.
“Terran, are you feeling alright?”
Lea, noticing how pale he had suddenly become, asked in surprise.
They had been chatting casually just moments ago, but then he looked at her as if seeing straight through her. His expression changed completely.
“Sit here.”
Lea quickly supported Terran and helped him into a chair. His eyes stopped on her hand that was still holding onto his arm.
Terran took hold of her hand, the one that was gently supporting him.
While Lea looked surprised, Terran stared at her with an urgent, almost desperate expression.
Why does it feel like you’re going to disappear?
With that sudden realization, a rush of emotion swept over him.
“Grace, can you always support me like this?”
His question came out of nowhere, and Lea blinked in confusion. Then she smiled brightly and answered.
“Of course.”
She had been overthinking everything. He had simply asked for help.
“You’re… very kind.”
Finally, a satisfied smile appeared on Terran’s face. Just then, light raindrops began to fall.
“Let’s go inside.”
“Alright.”
Lea picked up the newspaper from the table and tucked it under her arm. Her time with Terran had been brief, but it left her feeling good. Still, a wave of guilt followed close behind.
I don’t know if I deserve to be this comfortable.
That guilt soon became her reality.
After parting with Terran, Lea returned to her room and unfolded the newspaper like she always did.
What in the world… how could this happen?
Her hands trembled as she read the article.
The Hamilton Merchant Guild had been renamed the McDowell Trading Company. Even if the name and owner had changed, selling off all the general stores that formed the foundation of the guild was unbelievable.
That bastard, Allen McDowell.
Lea’s entire body shook with rage.
The general stores scattered across Galdensia were the most precious thing to her father.
The Hamilton family had started by trading wool, earned their fortune as street vendors, and eventually built up the general stores.
Those stores had become the base that allowed the Hamilton Guild to grow.
I can never forgive this.
It was like cutting the roots of a flourishing tree.
Lea held her head in her hands. Her father used to say the same thing every time he visited the stores.
Lea, even if the market crashes or the guild collapses, we must protect the Hamilton General Stores.
But wouldn’t it make more sense to protect the more profitable parts?
No, the general stores are the root of the Hamilton Guild. Even if we fall during a storm, if the roots are strong, we can recover.
She knew just how much those stores meant to her father. That was why it hurt so much. This must be what it feels like when your heart is being torn apart.
What am I doing here? I should be in Galdensia, biting Allen’s leg off if I have to.
The more she thought about it, the more ashamed and angry, she felt. While her enemy was tearing down everything her father had built, his daughter was living comfortably in another country.
I have to stop this no matter what.
Her vision blurred.
She should have returned to Galdensia the moment she regained her senses.
She had kept delaying, using revenge as an excuse, saying she had to find her father’s necklace first. And this was the result.
You should have just shot Allen in the heart. This is no time to be pretending to be the Baroness of Vizak.
Lea hit her chest with her fists and sobbed.
She covered her mouth with her hand to keep her cries from escaping.
Then she jumped up and ran to the window. When she opened it, wind and rain came crashing in.
Let’s die together, Allen McDowell.
No matter how much she thought about it, this was the only answer. She had heard from Pauline that Terran kept a rifle in his study drawer.
How hard could revenge be?
If I just kill Allen, it all ends.
Death is the most complete revenge. No matter how big Allen’s ambitions were, they meant nothing in the face of death.
At that moment, Pauline burst into the room shouting.
“Miss! What’s going on?”
She rushed to close the window, then ran out again to get a dry towel.
But Lea stood frozen, half out of her mind, unable to move.
I should have killed him that day.
One bullet would have been enough to end Allen, the man who put on the perfect act at her father’s funeral. Why hadn’t she thought of it back then?
“Why were you standing in the rain like that?”
At some point, Pauline had arrived and was now gently drying Grace with a towel.
“You’re completely soaked. What if you catch a cold and end up sick like last time?”
To Lea, Pauline’s concerned words felt like distant noise floating in the air.
Lea opened the newspaper to check the train schedule to Galdensia. The roads were too rough for a carriage, and it would take too long. Taking the train was the only choice.
She didn’t bother packing a suitcase. She simply placed some money for travel and the rifle into her handbag.
I’m sorry, Terran.
Around four in the morning, while everyone was asleep, she entered his study and took out the rifle.
Normally the drawer would have been locked, but for some reason, it had been left open that day. Honestly, she had never even touched a gun before, let alone fired one.
Allen, you’re coming to hell with me.
After finishing her preparations, she put the bag with the rifle back in the wardrobe.
Even if she was going to leave, she didn’t want to disappear without saying goodbye to the people in the duke’s household. Running away without a word felt wrong.
Even if she was hiding in Grace’s body, she had survived until now because of these people.
But when it came to Terran, she didn’t know where or how to begin.
“Pauline, where is the Duke?”
She asked as Pauline entered the room carrying some folded clothes.
“He’s with Secretary Luke. They should be finishing up soon.”
“I see.”
Then Pauline quickly stepped closer and gently pressed her hand to Grace’s forehead.
“Thank goodness. You don’t have a fever.”
Lea felt a sudden wave of emotion at Pauline’s worried face. She would have to say goodbye to her soon too.
“I’m going to see the Duke for a moment.”
Lea left the room quickly, afraid she would start crying if she stayed any longer.
As she walked down the hallway toward the study, she thought about all the people who had helped her. One by one, their faces came to mind. Even Aiden and Reina back in Bern.
To be honest, there had been a moment in Bern when she had hesitated. She had wondered if she could just give up revenge and live as Grace, the Lady of Vizak.
I’m sorry, Father.
Her father was still imprisoned on Leaf Island.
Lea Hamilton, how could you ever forget your father?
She felt ashamed of herself.
When she reached the door to Terran’s study, she stood there for a long time, unsure.
Even knocking felt too difficult. She kept raising her hand, then lowering it again. Just as she decided to stop hesitating, the door opened from the inside.
“My Lady. Are you here to see the Duke?”
“Yes, Luke.”
“I’ve finished my report. Please, go in.”
Luke respectfully opened the door. Terran was inside, and the moment Lea saw him, her heart began to race.
“Terran.”
“You came.”
Terran welcomed her with a calm smile.
“I have something to tell you.”
As soon as she spoke, Terran stood up and walked to the sofa. Lea sat down across from him.
Her legs were shaking. Her fingers trembled. Even her tongue felt stiff, and she struggled to speak.
Terran, on the other hand, was quietly pleased that Grace had come to see him first.
Does the Duke know the rifle is missing?
Lea’s mind was filled with anxiety, but judging by his relaxed expression, it seemed he hadn’t noticed anything.
“Um… I…”
Now that she had to say it, the words wouldn’t come out. How was she supposed to explain this?
“You don’t have to be afraid. Just say what’s on your mind.”
Terran’s voice was soft, unusually gentle compared to his usual tone.
“Terran, I… I want to break off the engagement.”
“What?”
Silence filled the room. Both of them needed a moment to process what had just been said.
“Are you serious?”
His expression didn’t change. He seemed surprisingly calm.
“You don’t love me, Terran. I remember… when I used to beg you to marry me, you always told me to stop whining. You were tired of it.”
She spoke as if those memories were her own, even though they were visions she had seen before entering Grace’s body.
“I don’t want to force you into an engagement you don’t want.”
“Why did you suddenly decide this?”
Terran’s eyes sharpened slightly, as if trying to read her thoughts.
“I want to marry someone I love. Someone who loves me too. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
Marriage and love were no longer dreams for her. They were things she had given up on. They were luxuries. And the biggest mistakes she had made.
Still, she owed Terran a reason. That was the least she could do to show respect.
“What will you do after breaking the engagement? Go searching for true love?”
His voice remained steady. Maybe this was what he had wanted all along. One thing was certain. Terran never loved Grace.
“I’m going to leave.”
“Leave? You mean the duke’s estate?”
“Yes. I plan to leave tomorrow.”
Lea watched him closely, waiting for a reaction.
At least he wasn’t trying to stop her. That alone brought some relief. After all, he still carried a deep sense of guilt toward Aiden.
“I’ll explain everything to my brother, so please don’t worry.”
Even as she said it, her voice trembled and her eyes burned. She had finally grown close to everyone here.
Terran stayed silent for a while. It seemed he was still struggling to decide. Aiden was probably weighing heavily on his mind.
Then, Terran finally spoke.
“You’re leaving tomorrow?”
“Yes. I’m taking the train.”
“Alright.”
“What?”
“If you want to leave, then you can.”
Terran replied with a calm expression, as if he had expected this.
