Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 27.2

“If you intend to serve Her Majesty,” Countess Dora began, her tone both cautionary and curious, “you will be on the same boat as me from now on.” She tapped her fan thoughtfully with her finger, her eyes piercing through Lobelia.

“I don’t know what your real purpose is,” Countess Dora continued, her voice tinged with a sudden somberness, “but first of all, I will follow Her Majesty and help you, but…” She left the words hanging, a veiled threat concealed within her words.

Countess Dora’s warning was not lost on Lobelia, who understood the underlying message. It was as though the Countess was advising her for the sake of the empress, but Lobelia saw through the façade. It was a warning, a stern reminder that any harm to Her Majesty would not be tolerated.

“So think carefully and act accordingly,” Countess Dora concluded, her fan now still, a sense of finality in her words.

Lobelia remained silent, her thoughts racing. Countess Dora’s words had struck a chord within her, and she realized that she couldn’t afford to make any missteps. She had been bold in her actions thus far, but the empress’s warning had given her pause.

Countess Dora observed Lobelia’s hesitation, her fan rustling softly as she pondered her next move. She had been tasked with controlling Lobelia, ensuring her loyalty to the empress. It was clear that Lobelia was a valuable card to be played, but she needed to be tamed, her wild nature brought under control.

As if sensing Countess Dora’s thoughts, Lobelia suddenly looked up, her expression shifting from uncertainty to a bright, confident smile.

“Great,” she said, her voice filled with determination.

Countess Dora was taken aback by the sudden change in Lobelia’s demeanor, but she couldn’t help but be impressed. Lobelia was a force to be reckoned with, and Countess Dora knew that she would need to tread carefully to keep her in check. The game had been set, and Lobelia had shown her hand. It was now up to Countess Dora to play her part and ensure that the empress’s plans unfolded without a hitch.

Lobelia’s laughter echoed in the air as she spoke with a confident and carefree demeanor. Countess Dora, taken aback by Lobelia’s unexpected response, realized she had underestimated her. Lobelia wasn’t cowed by the empress’s warning; in fact, she seemed to relish it.

“I’ll keep this in mind, Countess Dora,” Lobelia said, her smile unwavering.

Countess Dora couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Lobelia was unlike anyone she had encountered before. Despite her lowly origins as an illegitimate child, she exuded tenacity and determination that were both admirable and unnerving. Countess Dora found herself captivated by Lobelia’s unwavering spirit, even though she tried to maintain her composure.

As Lobelia bid her goodbye and left, Countess Dora was left with a nagging curiosity. What drove Lobelia to be so desperate in her actions? What was her true purpose for entering the social world? Countess Dora couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to Lobelia than met the eye.

–Bridgenail, who had been waiting in the teachers’ room, escorted Countess Dora outside the academy.

“Now that you’re a court representative, you won’t have to make excuses for staying out all night with me,” Jade remarked.

With her new status, Lobelia could freely come and go from the academy without any restrictions.

Lobelia wasted no time in requesting a sleepover and retrieving the funds from the empress’s safe. She secretly contacted Aylan and generously compensated him for the blue diamond.

“You’ve saved me from losing money,” Aylan said with a contented smile as he handed over the blue diamonds in a box to Lobelia.

“By the way, I heard you met someone named Louie at the academy, but he…” Eylan trailed off.

“Who are you talking about?” Lobelia asked, puzzled.

“Oh, never mind. Miss Lobelia seems unaware,” Aylan shook his head, dismissing it as nothing.

“Louie? Have I met someone by that name?” Lobelia wondered, but concluded that Aylan must have misunderstood something, and handed over the diamonds without much doubt.

“Perhaps I don’t remember. After all, Miss Lobelia has met numerous people at the academy,” Eylan remarked before letting Lobelia go.

**

The empress, shrouded in secrecy, received the dazzling diamond through a clandestine route, her heart swelling with elation. 

“I shall summon you in due time and bestow upon you the utmost respect,” she whispered, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. 

A letter penned by the empress was swiftly dispatched to the Duchess of Ferado, bearing an invitation for Lobelia to attend a grand salon party. As Lobelia clutched the pendant and golden key left behind by Julia, her heart raced with excitement. In the solitude of her room in the Duchy of Ferado, she read and re-read the empress’s correspondence.

“2.4 billion Meni,” Lobelia murmured, her mind whirling with possibilities. It was not a trifling sum, but it was also not an exorbitant amount to launch a business venture. It was merely the empress’s pocket change, generously bestowed. Yet, it was enough for Lobelia to proceed with her carefully laid plans. To deceive Marlon’s watchful eyes, she would require additional resources, but she was confident that the empress’s budget would suffice.

“For once, this is an opportunity of my own making,” Lobelia reflected, her determination steeled. She had often been at the mercy of chance, swept along by the currents of fate. Though she had weathered many storms, they were but mere ripples, inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. but this time would be different. Lobelia set down the golden key and the empress’s letter on her bed, her fingers tightening around Julia’s pendant.

The sharp edge of the pendant pierced her palm, sending a familiar pain coursing through her. Lobelia refused to forget, willing the pain to etch itself into her soul.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” she whispered, closing her eyes. The memory of her mother’s parched hand in hers, the sound of her voice, echoed in her ears. The pain mingled with a fierce ecstasy, igniting a fire within Lobelia. “I will reclaim it soon, Mom,” she vowed, her eyes snapping open.

Her pupils gleamed with icy resolve as Lobelia trembled with a mixture of coldness and exhilaration. She was ready to take control, to seize her destiny, and to rewrite the course of her life.