Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 29.2

Jade nodded, unbuttoning his sleeve and gesturing for Lobelia to follow him. As he left the room, Lobelia settled back into her seat and attempted to clear her head. She couldn’t help but wonder about her earlier dream – was it a memory of her experiences subduing monsters? In the original story, Aina healed Jade five times in a specific sequence – seizures in the study, memories from subjugating monsters, seizures during a swordsmanship competition, a tryst in the Lily Palace garden, and a banquet at the imperial palace. Knowing that the banquet at the imperial palace was the final dream sequence in the original story, Lobelia realized that she needed to follow the original order while adding her touch of improvisation at the end.

As she pondered her next move, Lobelia retrieved a stick of sleeping incense from her bosom and placed it on the nightstand. Staring at the incense, she began to feel hazy, but she persisted in her efforts to clear her mind. Before long, Jade returned, looking more composed than before.

“Let’s begin,” he said in a detached, businesslike tone. Feeling reassured by Jade’s unfeeling demeanor, Lobelia pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down.

As with their previous session, Jade quickly fell asleep after drawing the shaman’s circle from hand to hand. Lobelia closed her eyes, attempting to connect with his consciousness, and eventually entered Jade’s dream. But what she saw there was so surprising that she couldn’t help but exclaim,

“What… isn’t that a memory from when you subjugated monsters?”

Lobelia found herself standing in the imperial palace, where the order of dream treatment had been changed from the original story. She couldn’t help but wonder why this was the case before fully immersing herself in the dream. Dreams are the product of the dreamer’s unconscious mind, influenced by their thoughts and emotions. The last conversation they had before falling asleep and with whom they had it also played a significant role in shaping their dreams. Lobelia realized that she wasn’t Aina, and thus couldn’t treat Jade in the same way she did, which resulted in a different outcome. However, she took comfort in the fact that she had a good understanding of the situation.

Since the dream’s setting was the imperial palace, Lobelia concluded that it must have been Aina’s fifth treatment, which took place during a banquet. Lobelia organized the information she knew about the fifth dream from the original story and entered the dream with a clear head. She found herself in a grand banquet hall, wearing a green dress, standing in a corner. Just like last time, she appeared to have melted into Jade’s dream as a supporting character. Lobelia scanned the environment, comparing it with the information she knew.

The banquet hall was lavish, with enormous chandeliers adorned with hundreds of crystals hanging from the ceiling. Ladies and gentlemen, dressed to the nines, had gathered around the venue, anticipating something. Lobelia knew that they were waiting for Jade Ferrado, whom the emperor had planned to celebrate for his victory. This was the last banquet he enjoyed before his curse fully manifested. She was confused as to why the dream that should have come out at the end came second. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t figure out what had triggered this particular dream.

Lobelia considered whether anything Jade had said before sleeping had reminded him of memories before the curse. She wanted to think about it some more, but Jade’s dream had no intention of giving her any more time. The doors to the banquet hall suddenly opened wide, and a loud voice of welcome was heard.

“His Majesty the Emperor, His Majesty the Empress, Her Highness the Prince, and the Duke of Ferrado are eating it!” Jade Ferrado was entering the banquet hall with the imperial family.

Lobelia blended in with the crowd, keeping a watchful eye on the Emperor’s family and Jade. The young Jade, discovered by Lobelia before the curse took hold, appeared carefree and joyful. His bangs fell over his forehead in a relaxed manner, and his eyes shone with a gentle red hue, while he wore a natural, easygoing smile. Lobelia was surprised to see this side of Jade, who looked much younger than the man she saw at the swordsmanship competition after he was cursed.

Caught off guard, Lobelia briefly forgot her task of searching for the curse’s scars as she stared at Jade in wonder. Suddenly, she felt his gaze on her and quickly averted her eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed her. Unlike the last time they were in the Duchy of Ferrado, this time there were many unfamiliar faces present, making it easier for Lobelia to remain concealed.

Returning to the banquet hall’s corner, Lobelia waited for the “key event” that would unveil the curse’s scars. As she hid behind the velvet curtains, she heard a familiar yet unknown voice beside her. Turning around in surprise, Lobelia saw that Jade Ferrado had approached her without her realizing it.

“It’s a face I haven’t seen before,” Jade remarked, peering at Lobelia curiously.