Please Support My Revenge - Chapter 60

At first, she thought it was just his sleep talking, but the groaning grew louder. Lobelia threw off her blanket and exited the makeshift bed, lighting the lantern on the table.

Under the orange glow of the flickering candlelight, she saw Jade’s face twisted in pain, beads of cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

‘Now that I think about it, I didn’t light the sleeping incense tonight!’

She thought it wouldn’t be necessary in a dream. Even if she had known, she wouldn’t have been able to make the sleeping incense. Last night, he was fine, but the encounter with the monster affected Jade’s mental state.

“Your Grace!”

Lobelia hurried to his side and shook him gently. Jade let out a long groan and opened his eyes.

“Haah, haaah.”

He sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. His eyes, still clouded with confusion, scanned the room.

“Why am I here…? Have I returned to the past? I was in the capital, Merdanion…”

“No, Your Grace. This is your dream.”

Lobelia cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. As he focused on her, Jade slowly began to calm down.

“I…”

He lifted a hand to caress Lobelia’s, finding solace in the touch. His expression gradually relaxed.

Once he was fully calm, Lobelia let go, and Jade bowed his head.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like this. It’s been a long time since…”

I should tell him there’s nothing to apologize for, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Yes. This is how it feels.”

Jade murmured, almost to himself.

“I had a dream.”

He opened and closed his hand repeatedly.

“A dream of becoming a monster.”

He looked at his hands several times as if to reassure himself that he was still human.

Robelia didn’t know what to do and just watched him.

It was the first time she had faced someone else’s pain so vividly.

She knew Jade suffered every time the curse was mentioned or remembered. But what he usually showed was a controlled agony, mere fragments of his suffering.

This was different. Even though it was a dream, Lobelia had also faced the monster and could partially grasp how terrifying it must be to dream of becoming one.

And now, she was witnessing Jade’s torment up close.

‘I have to say something.’

She knew she couldn’t just sit there in silence.

But she didn’t know what to say, or how to say it.

‘Is this the moment… when I need to comfort him?’

After pondering for a long time, the word ‘comfort’ came to mind. But Lobelia still felt lost. She had never comforted anyone before. She and Julia had always shared each other’s pain, but that was something more instinctual than comforting. It was an understanding born of their blood bond, a connection that allowed them to know each other’s hearts.

To comfort someone who wasn’t bound by blood… Could she manage such a complex and difficult task?

Lobelia lowered her head. ‘But I can’t just stand here. Because… because…’

Because she had been comforted by Jade. She remembered him leading her to the sunny spot in the garden of the Lily Palace. He hadn’t asked for anything, hadn’t demanded anything; he had simply watched as she enjoyed the sunlight. She had found great comfort in that moment.

Maybe she could similarly comfort Jade.

Lobelia reached out and gently touched Jade’s fingertips. He looked up, puzzled.

“It’s okay,” Lobelia said.

There was no sunlight here now. Darkness surrounded them. But Lobelia tried to imagine that sunlight was shining down, that they were enveloped in something warm and comforting rather than the dark.

“It’s okay,” she said again, hoping her words would reach his heart, hoping they would comfort him.

“I’ll make it better.”

Jade squinted as if looking at something unbearably bright. He lifted Robelia’s hand to his forehead and, as if in prayer, clasped her small hand between his own.

Her hand felt the cool sweat and the burning heat of his forehead, but it wasn’t unpleasant. She only felt sympathy for the depth of his suffering.

“…Thank you,” he whispered, his eyes still closed.

Lobelia felt a sense of relief, realizing that her clumsy attempt at comfort had worked.

****

They encountered the monsters twice more over the next five days. With the overwhelming number of monsters, Jade avoided unnecessary battles. Lobelia stayed in the safe zones with Joachim, silently observing the creatures.

The monsters roamed, rolling their bright yellow eyes, digging into the ground, or rubbing against trees. The areas they passed through were left in ruins. Moreover, the black smoke they emitted withered plants and contaminated the soil. If left unchecked, these monsters would devastate the empire.

On the seventh day, they encountered the monsters for the fourth time.

‘Today is the day the key event happens.’

Lobelia clenched her hands tightly in anticipation. Three monsters appeared. The knights, sensing an imminent clash, gripped their weapons tightly. Lobelia prepared herself mentally to leap into action at any moment.

Jade had warned her that his curse had manifested when one of the monsters suddenly leaped to the rear, forcing him to draw his sword. Lobelia focused on the monster to her right, the one that would trigger Jade’s curse.

As the other two monsters were struck down by the knights’ swords, emitting ear-piercing screams, the one she was watching made its move. It spread its wings wide, leaped, and swiftly advanced toward Jade at the rear.

“Hold your formation!”

“Your Grace!”

The knights moved in unison, swinging their swords to intercept the monster. But it was faster, lunging at Jade with its massive front paw.

“…!”

Jade raised his sword and sliced the monster in two. Lobelia inhaled sharply, her eyes wide.

‘Now!’

She shoved Joachim aside and sprinted forward. Jade stood frozen, covered in the monster’s blood, his sword still in hand. Black smoke rose endlessly from the blood that coated him.

Jade’s eyes trembled, his breathing quickened, and faint traces of the curse began to appear on his neck.

‘The curse manifests even if he’s aware it’s a dream…’

Lobelia gritted her teeth and moved as quickly as possible to reach him before the curse fully took hold.

‘I have to finish this quickly.’

If Jade lost control of the curse, it would be much harder to handle. To dispel the curse, Lobelia needed to get close enough to pour her blood on his neck. If the curse made him resist her touch, she wouldn’t be able to do it.

Her physical strength was no match for Jade’s.

Despite her efforts, Lobelia was too late. The week of scouting and staying on alert had drained her stamina. No matter how hard she tried to move swiftly, her body wouldn’t comply.

“…Kuh.”

Jade groaned, tightening his grip on his sword. Black smoke also rose from the blood-soaked blade.

As Lobelia reached him, Jade’s eyes had already darkened to a deep, blood-red hue. He raised his sword.

“Everyone… stay away from me,” Jade commanded, squeezing out the last of his sanity. The knights, aware of his seizures, backed away in fear.

But Lobelia kept moving forward, despite the threat of his sharp blade. ‘It’s okay. I won’t get hurt,’ she told herself, swallowing hard as the sword pointed at her.

“Your Grace!” she shouted. But his darkened eyes showed no sign of returning to normal.

Jade swung his sword widely. Even though she knew she wouldn’t be harmed, Lobelia instinctively stepped back.

She wasn’t scared, she knew she wasn’t… yet the difference between knowing something in your mind and feeling it in your body was stark.

‘No, I have to keep going.’

Gritting her teeth, Lobelia ignored the outstretched sword and kept walking. As the blade came dangerously close to her neck, something hard and warm enveloped her.

It took her a moment to realize she was in Jade’s arms.

“Your Grace…?” Lobelia called out in confusion. She couldn’t quite grasp what had happened. But amidst the confusion, she understood one thing clearly: Jade was holding her. She could feel it.

Had she ever been held like this before? Julia had hugged her occasionally, but she was so weak that it never felt like a real embrace. It always felt like she was the one supporting Julia.

But this was different.

Strong arms wrapped tightly around her, a complete sense of being held. The solid grip, the sense of being fully connected to the ground. And the warmth.

She could feel Jade’s rapidly beating heart and the heat radiating from his body.

“Lobelia,” Jade murmured her name, his closed eyelids trembling. He was using all his strength to suppress the curse.

Being aware of the dream had helped him somewhat.

“Lobelia, save me,” Jade whispered.

Lobelia felt a surge of determination. She knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and gently reached up to touch the back of Jade’s neck.

With a swift motion, she pricked her finger and let a drop of her blood fall onto his neck. The curse mark reacted, shimmering before slowly fading away.

Jade’s body relaxed, and his grip on her loosened. He looked at her with eyes that were no longer dark but clear and grateful.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice filled with relief.

Lobelia smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. She had done it. She had saved him.