Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 32

Jade watched as the maidservant left and then barricaded the door before returning to the window.

While he dressed in his formal attire, Lobelia cautiously got out of bed and put on her dress.

“I’ll see you at dinner. I’ve prepared what you requested,” Jade said to Lobelia as she left the bedroom.

“Understood.” Lobelia nodded her head, grateful that she could rest until dinner.

*****

Without anyone waking her up, Lobelia woke up just in time for dinner. She called Hilda to help her prepare and went down to the dining hall. On the table, as usual, was a sumptuous feast consisting mostly of seafood. Besides the food, Lobelia saw the items she had requested.

They were inside a leather case, and she couldn’t see the contents, but she was certain it was what she had asked for.

“You’re here,” Jade, who was sitting at the head of the table, noticed.

“You really prepared it for me. Thank you,” Lobelia said as she sat down at the dining table.

Jade picked up the leather case and handed it to Lobelia, who accepted it without hesitation and opened it.

Inside was a fake identification card.

Lobelia had asked Jade to find a broker for her, and she had paid the cost herself. It was worth 20 million malihinis, but it was an identification card of great value.

“I like your intention to deceive Marlon,” Jade said.

The reason Lobelia had obtained a fake identification card was to deceive Marlon. She would continue pretending to be at the academy while using the fake identity to move around outside.

“But I can’t go with you if you use a fake identity. If I’m with you, your intentions will be ruined. Is that still okay?”

Jade has a very noticeable presence. No matter how Lobelia disguises herself, people will recognize her if he’s by her side.

“I know,” Lobelia nodded as she put the identification card back into the leather case and closed it.

“Of course, Joachim will be accompanying you, but he can’t use the name of the Duke of Ferrado either. It’s an unofficial escort,” Jade warned, and Lobelia nodded once again.

She knew that too, and she had expected it.

Having confirmed Lobelia’s determination, Jade explained in detail how to make use of the fake identification card.

After Jade finished explaining everything about the ID, he started his meal. Taking a sip of clam chowder, he spoke.

“So, you’re going west?”

“Yes, I’m planning to invest in a mine.”

Jade chuckled at Lobelia’s words.

“A mine, huh? I never even dreamed that your first venture would be in mining.”

Forty years ago, a gold vein was discovered in the West. The mining region in the west, which had continuously yielded gold for decades, was a dream place for many young entrepreneurs.

“Do you have confidence that you won’t fail? If you make a mistake, you might end up digging dirt and stones without gaining anything.”

Mining ventures came with as much risk as the promising prospects. Lobelia was well aware of that fact.

“I have confidence.”

Jade looked at her with an incredulous expression at her assurance.

“Even if you squandered all of Her Majesty’s assets and came back empty-handed, I couldn’t help you.”

He knew about her curing her own curse, subduing Countess Dora’s salon party, and retrieving the blue diamond that Eylan possessed to secure her position as the Queen’s representative.

But even Jade, who had witnessed all those events, found it difficult to believe she could successfully lead a mining venture.

The difficulty of succeeding in a mining venture was as great as it gets. Unless you had almost infinite capital or relied on divine luck, finding a gold vein was impossible.

One wrong move, and you could end up wandering aimlessly, reduced to poverty.

“There’s no better business than succeeding in mining,” Lobelia said nonchalantly as she sliced her sole steak.

The risks and burdens of a mining venture posed no threat to Lobelia.

She knew exactly where the gold was hidden through her knowledge of the original work. The mine was also one of the businesses Aina had touched upon.

In the original work, Aina discovered gold veins everywhere with extraordinary luck. All the veins she discovered had incredible reserves and purity, ushering in a second heyday for Epherentia.

Infinite capital and divine luck were not necessary. All Lobelia had to do was follow the places Aina had sold and dig there.

“And…” Lobelia took a sip of the sweet wine prepared for her and continued.

“The first place my father invested in was also a mine. From now on, I’ll be walking a different path from my father’s, but at least for the first step, I want to follow in his footsteps.” Lobelia’s pupils darkened.

‘My daughter, my most beloved daughter, Lobelia.’

A faint trace remained, like ice on the verge of melting, whenever she recalled her memories of James.

She had read the original work, but she didn’t remember how much James loved her or what he had prepared for her.

So even though she knew she was loved, she couldn’t fully grasp it. To her, James was an idealistic fantasy, a presence that was endlessly out of reach and impossible to possess, but one that she cherished dearly.

“Is your father the previous Count Evelentia?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Lobelia confirmed.

Jade nodded, pondering something deeply.

“Alright, if that’s your intention, I’ll support you. And even if we exhaust all of Her Majesty’s funds, I can cover up to a billion menihi.”

Lobelia faintly smiled, thinking Jade was joking.

“When are we leaving?”

“In a week. I’ll stay at the academy for now.”

“Alright. I’ll send Johann to the academy in a week.”

From then on, the two of them planned how to discreetly extract Lobelia from the academy and head to the west.

“We don’t have to worry about attendance with the Bridge Nile, so that’s one less thing to think about.”

It was fortunate that Jade had someone in the academy dormitory.

****

The next day, Lobelia left for the academy early in the morning.

And for a week, she played the role of a diligent student. Of course, she didn’t forget to accumulate knowledge by frequenting the library during her free time.

On the day Johann was supposed to visit, Lobelia woke up early and stood in front of the mirror.

In her hands were various disguise tools, including a wig.

“I have to do well… Maybe I should have just brought Hilda along.”

The owner of the fake identification Lobelia received was a woman named ‘Catherine Hayard,’ the daughter of a middle-class merchant.

Using this fake identity required more than just carrying around the identification card; Lobelia had to wear a wig and change her appearance.

It was to deceive people perfectly.

She had learned the art of disguise from Jade (how did he come to possess such knowledge?), but doing it alone made her nervous.

Lobelia carefully tucked her distinct silver hair into a net, then flipped the wig over and put it on.

Her fiery red hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Just changing the hair color made a significant difference in her appearance. But she didn’t stop there. She used contact lenses to change her eye color and applied freckles with makeup on her face.

After the disguise was complete, in front of the mirror stood a woman who was completely different from the cool and nervous Lobelia. She had lustrous blue eyes that sparkled against her curly, reddish-brown hair and a cheerful smattering of freckles.

“Catherine Hayard.”

Lobelia murmured her fake name aloud and pulled out clothes from the wardrobe that suited Catherine’s identity.

It was an active brown pleated skirt, a white blouse, and a cloak adorned with round crystals and decorative ribbons.

As she sneaked out of the dormitory, she saw Joachim waiting for her.

“Sir Joachim.”

Lobelia called out to him in a low voice. Johann turned around, and upon spotting her, his eyes widened in astonishment.

“Miss Lobelia, is that you?”

Seeing his uncertainty, it was clear that her disguise was well done.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I see.”

Joachim visibly relaxed upon hearing Lobelia’s voice properly.

“Get on the carriage. I wasn’t able to prepare it secretly.”

He apologized profusely. Lobelia assured him it was fine and not to worry, but within ten minutes, she regretted her words.

“My back… it hurts.”

The sway of the horse as she rode for the first time was no small matter.

Despite Joachim’s careful consideration when driving slowly, she could feel the tingling jolt that reached her lower back each time the horse’s hooves hit the ground.

“Are you alright? Usually, ladies don’t struggle this much.”

Once again, Lobelia realized that her body was weaker than most.

While Joachim was feeling helpless, they arrived at the train station.

He quickly helped Lobelia down from the horse and entrusted it to the station’s stable.

Lobelia exchanged her ticket at the counter. After showing her reservation slip, the staff handed her a first-class ticket.

Lobelia looked around with awe as they ascended to the station, accompanied by Joachim.

“Oh, the ceiling is magnificent, isn’t it?”

Joachim noticed where Lobelia was gazing and asked.

The station’s ceiling was a dome made of countless small triangular glass pieces. The first rays of dawn shattered against the glass dome, scattering particles of light.

“People sometimes call this ceiling the ‘locks of a lady’s hair’.”

Lobelia nodded silently in agreement. Even as she walked towards the platform, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the glass dome.

“It seems to have captured your heart.”

Joachim thought Lobelia was captivated by the beauty of the glass dome. But her admiration wasn’t solely based on its beauty.

“My father built this building…”

James was the one who built this iconic station, representing the capital.

Just like the mining business, the railway business was one of the main sources of income for the Evelentia family.

James, enchanted by the sight of the first train he ever saw, lobbied by presenting large quantities of gold from the mines to the royal family.

As a result, he gained the rights to build the first railway connecting the capital and the industrial zone, along with the Ermang station and the Biograd station.

Since these events took place before Lobelia was born, she didn’t know the specific thoughts and expressions James had when building the Ermang station.

But one thing was certain, James felt a deep attachment to this remarkable station.

And that attachment had been passed down to Lobelia as his descendant.

“Although the Mallon family currently owns the Ermang station, I’m confident we’ll reclaim it someday.”

Lobelia clenched her fist inside her cloak as she pondered.

“We’ve arrived.”

Lobelia snapped out of her reverie upon hearing Johann’s voice.

Before her eyes stood a massive, gleaming black train. After tipping the crew, Johann instructed them to stow their trunks in the baggage car, and they boarded the train.

“Please come aboard.”

Lobelia followed Johann onto the train.

It was the moment when Lobelia’s first expedition for her business ventures was about to begin.