Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 58

Lobelia cautiously ventured towards the source of the voices, her heart pounding in her chest. Soon, she emerged from the dense undergrowth to find a group of knights patrolling the perimeter of a clearing. Although she couldn’t yet see the garrison itself, she knew she was nearing her destination.

However, a new dilemma arose: how to gain entry into the heavily guarded encampment. Her status as a refugee now posed a significant obstacle. She had effortlessly blended into the narrative in her previous dreams, her identity seamlessly accepted. But now, she was an outsider, an anomaly that would likely trigger suspicion and immediate dismissal.

“Pretend you’re lost and seek protection,” she thought to herself but quickly realized that such a ruse would only lead to her being escorted back to the nearest village. In the worst-case scenario, she could even be branded as a suspicious vagrant.

Lobelia berated herself for her impulsiveness and retreated into the tall grass, her mind racing with possible solutions. But her respite was short-lived. The knights, with their uncanny senses honed by years of training, had already detected her presence.

“Who’s there?” a stern voice demanded, accompanied by the rustling of bushes and the glint of steel.

Lobelia, her throat constricting with fear, slowly raised her eyes to meet the imposing figure standing before her. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the knight holding a sword at her throat.

“Lord Jeremynius?” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

The knight, none other than Joachim, furrowed his brow in confusion. “How do you know my name?” he demanded in a gruff tone.

Lobelia had always known Joachim as a gentle and somewhat timid soul, but his transformation into a hardened warrior was jarring. She realized that the knights on duty were not the same men she had encountered in her dreams.

With trembling hands, she raised her arms in surrender and slowly rose to her feet. Joachim’s sword, though intimidating, was less frightening than the prospect of being barred from seeing Jade.

“I am…” she began hesitantly, but her words were cut short by a familiar voice.

“That’s enough,” Jade commanded.

All eyes turned towards Jade as he emerged from the shadows, his armor glinting under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. Lobelia’s gaze fell upon the hilt of his sword, occasionally visible as the cloak swayed with his movements.

Just as Joachim had undergone a metamorphosis, so too had Jade. He exuded an aura of authority and unwavering determination, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

“She’s with me,” Jade declared, his voice firm and unwavering.

Lobelia’s heart leaped with a mix of relief and trepidation. She wondered if it was even possible to reason with this seemingly different Jade.

A wave of doubt washed over her. Perhaps she should retreat for now and wait for a more opportune moment to approach Jade. But before she could formulate a plan, Jade spoke again.

“I know her,” he affirmed, his gaze locking with hers.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips, revealing a hint of his usual warmth. Lobelia’s heart fluttered, and she couldn’t help but return his smile.

Jade extended his hand towards her, gently pulling her to her feet. “You’ve had a long journey, Lobelia,” he said softly.

A wave of relief washed over her as she felt the familiar touch of his hand. Despite his imposing presence and the formidable sword at his side, Jade’s touch was as comforting as ever.

“Welcome back,” he whispered, his words echoing in her heart.

Lobelia couldn’t help but feel a sense of unreality wash over her as the sound of her name echoed from Jade’s lips. Her gaze fell upon the pocket watch he held in his hand, and a realization dawned upon her.

“Ah!” she exclaimed inwardly.

Jade opened the watch, revealing its chaotic clock hands spinning backward. “I’ve made a habit of checking the time whenever I have a chance,” he explained.

Lobelia couldn’t help but admire his ingenuity. He had mentioned the method to distinguish between dreams and reality, but she had never imagined he would use it.

Jade gestured towards a chair inside the tent, and Lobelia took a seat. He pulled another chair close, facing her, and spoke. “So, I’m supposed to wait in this dream until I experience your trauma?”

“Yes,” Lobelia confirmed.

“And how will I know when the trauma occurs?” Jade inquired.

Lobelia paused for a moment. She knew every detail of his trauma from the original story, but she couldn’t reveal it here.

“Usually, the most pivotal event in these memories is the trauma itself. It’s a source of deep pain. And when the pivotal event unfolds, a mark will appear on your neck,” she explained, tracing her finger along his collarbone.

“The curse mark,” Jade repeated. “The one you always cover with blood.”

Lobelia nodded.

“I think I can sense when the trauma is near,” Jade said, mimicking her gesture and touching his neck. “Only one incident from last year’s expedition could qualify as a trauma. It was when I…”

His face contorted in anguish as he recalled the painful memory. “I once drew my sword on a knight following me, mistaking him for a beast.”

Jade let out a deep sigh. “No, it wasn’t that I mistook him for a beast. It was more like I had momentarily transformed into one myself.”

He lifted his hand from his neck and rubbed his face, his complexion paling slightly. “In that moment, I…”

His voice trailed off, leaving Lobelia in an awkward silence. She didn’t know how to respond to his evident distress.

“But you didn’t hurt anyone,” she offered tentatively. She felt helpless in the face of his torment.

“The possibility of causing harm is what haunts me,” Jade replied, lowering his gaze and meeting hers.

“Wait a minute,” he suddenly interjected. “How do you know I didn’t injure someone?”

Lobelia faltered for a moment. But her quick wit came to her rescue. Despite her inner turmoil, she maintained a composed demeanor.

“If you had attacked a knight of Ferado, the newspapers would have been abuzz with the news,” Lobelia reasoned. “But there’s no mention of such an incident anywhere.”

“You’re right,” Jade conceded, seemingly satisfied with her explanation. “It would have been quite the scandal.”

Thankfully, Jade accepted Lobelia’s excuse without further suspicion. He lowered his head in thought for a moment before asking her, “If I realize this is a dream, will I still fall victim to that trauma?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Lobelia admitted honestly this time. “I didn’t expect you to wake up from the dream so quickly.”

In the original story, Jade never regained consciousness within a dream.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Jade said.

“Yes, and try to follow the events of the past as closely as possible,” Lobelia advised.

“But things are already different because of you,” Jade countered, gazing intently at her.

“Me?” Lobelia shrugged, trying to downplay her role. She even pointed to the unidentified substance on Jade’s uniform, as if to emphasize her insignificance. “I’m just a refugee. What impact could I possibly have on the beast subjugation campaign?”

Jade’s expression hardened. “I’ve been wondering about that refugee outfit. What’s the deal with it?”

“It’s a disguise,” Lobelia explained. “It helps me blend in better with your dreams.”

“So, that’s why you were a maid in the first dream and a ball guest in the second,” Jade realized.

“I’m not really of much help this time, though,” Lobelia added with a sigh.

Jade nodded in agreement. He stared at her for a while longer before reaching up to ruffle his hair and saying, “At least change into some proper clothes. Seeing you like this is distracting.”

He shook his head slightly as if trying to clear his thoughts.

Later…

Joachim brought Lobelia some clothes from the knights’ supplies, and she changed as Jade instructed. Luckily, there was a female knight of similar build, so the clothes fit perfectly.

“When we were on the expedition, we kept a close eye on the north,” Jade explained, spreading a map across the table and beginning to outline their upcoming plans. He wanted to share the schedule with Lobelia.

“We encountered the beasts four times, and there were two battles. The second battle is when I lost my mind and drew my sword.”

“The second battle…”

“It happens exactly a week from today,” Jade clarified.

Lobelia stared at the marked location on the map, her mind racing. The difficulty of this dream wasn’t just the setting.

‘Time.’

She had to endure a whole week in the dream until the pivotal event occurred.

‘In that sense, it’s fortunate that Lord Jade became aware of the dream. It’ll make it easier to hold on,’ Lobelia thought to herself.

She tried to absorb all the information Jade was providing.

While she focused, Jade summoned a few senior knights into the tent.

“This woman will be accompanying us on the expedition,” he announced.

“What?” the knights exclaimed, their eyes wide with surprise, darting back and forth between their lord and Lobelia.

However, none of them dared to question Jade’s decision.

“Whoa, who was that chick?” the knights exchanged bewildered glances as the mysterious woman vanished into thin air.

If this were real life, they would have prepared a more elaborate explanation for the knights, but alas, this was a dream.

Jade, knowing that this fleeting connection would fade like a mirage in a week, decided to just roll with it.

Lobelia, on the other hand, found herself tagging along with the knights. Jade’s presence had made things much easier for her. She could move freely around him, without having to worry about what anyone thought.

However, life in the knighthood was far more demanding than Lobelia had anticipated.

‘While I may not feel pain, I can’t exactly ignore physical sensations like fatigue and hunger,’ she thought as she helped the knights clear the campsite.

The physics of this world also applied to her, as she nearly tripped over a protruding root. For instance, after a long trek to find the knights, her calves were stiff and her ankles ached.

An even bigger problem was the knights’ superior physical fitness compared to her own.

Lobelia was already exhausted from finding the knights, discussing plans with Jade, and helping with campsite setup, yet they were now preparing to hunt down monsters.

Lobelia watched in awe as the knights gathered their weapons, her gaze drawn to the treacherous forest path that lay ahead. But staring wouldn’t change anything. She had to do this.

For a week, Lobelia had considered the possibility of staying at the campsite while Jade went on reconnaissance missions alone. But Jade had vehemently opposed the idea, fearing that they might be separated again by some unknown variable.

‘I guess there’s no other way,’ she thought as she was about to join the infantrymen.

“Lobelia! Lobelia? Where are you?”

Jade came looking for her.

“There you are.”

Approaching Lobelia, Jade naturally extended his hand. Lobelia tilted her head in confusion.

“What’s up? Take my hand and let’s go.”

Jade patted the back of the massive black horse he had brought.

“But I don’t know how to ride a horse…”

“You’ll ride with me,” Jade replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Surely you didn’t expect me to walk?”