Transmigrated as Jane’s Ghostly Godmother - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Tumultuous Final Day—The Enigmatic Beatrice…

“Do you really want me to pay you back?” Jane shook her head. “Actually, I should have told you sooner: not a chance.”

“…What?” Eliza couldn’t believe her ears.

Jane could only conclude, based on Eliza’s words now and from a few days ago, that this sudden show of goodwill was purely opportunistic. Eliza had likely seen some advantage in Jane and hurried to change her tune, even going so far as to stab John Reed in the back.

Judging by Eliza’s hints, she must have heard somewhere that Jane would soon have access to money. Though she framed it as “repaying” Gateshead, Jane suspected Eliza simply wanted to claim that “debt” for herself.

Facing Eliza’s feigned repentance, Jane felt a flicker of emotion, but looking at that face, it was impossible not to recall the dark days at Gateshead. She hadn’t struggled there and worked this hard at Whirlwood just for a hollow apology.

Moreover, she remembered a conversation she’d had with Lin Zhao during one of their late-night talks.

“If one day, the Reeds tell you they feel guilty for how they treated you, what would you think?”

“I wouldn’t forgive them,” Jane had answered decisively, her face tightening at the mere hypothetical.

“Jane, relax. You can do whatever you feel is right,” Lin Zhao had said, patting her hand. “I just want to tell you: when facing people who have hurt you, be even more cautious with your choices than you are with others. After all, hurting you was their choice, too.”

Jane didn’t know if Lin Zhao had foreseen this, but that reminder allowed her to breathe. This wasn’t a simple matter of “forgiveness.” She would protect the peace she had fought so hard to gain.

She looked at Eliza, her expression devoid of warmth. “Thank you for the warning. As for your brother’s plan, I will judge for myself. But I do not accept your apology. It isn’t fair, and it isn’t enough.”

With that, she turned into a side path and left. Eliza did not follow.

After walking for a while, Jane sat beneath a tree to steady her heart. A few minutes later, her ghost lady appeared.

“I know what John Reed is doing.”

Jane blinked, the internal turmoil finally settling at those words. She reached out to Lin Zhao, who naturally took her hand and pulled her up. Eliza, Jane thought, your apology doesn’t bring me half as much joy as a ghost’s reassurance.

Lin Zhao, unaware of Jane’s inner monologue, shared the plan: “John was scouting nearby. He found several pits and covered them with branches and leaves.”

“Like the ones we found?” Jane asked. Lin Zhao nodded.

It was a predictable, crude tactic—perfectly suited to John’s limited intellect. “Should we go uncover them?” Jane sighed.

“No, you go back and warn Eleanor. I’ll handle the pits,” Lin Zhao said, patting Jane’s head. “You did well just now, Jane.”

Jane felt her face heat up. She had received more praise in six months with Lin Zhao than in ten years at Gateshead. Being validated felt like being cradled by a soft, warm cloud.

Back in the dorm, Eleanor beckoned her over. “Jane, look! I have a gift for you!”

She pressed a bundle of incredibly soft fabric into Jane’s hands—a shawl woven from the finest wool, light as a feather. Its edges were adorned with hand-knotted silk tassels that swayed with the slightest movement.

“This is too expensive! I have nothing to give you in return, Lina,” Jane said. Having grown up surrounded by the Reeds’ luxury, she knew its value. “I can’t take this.”

Eleanor hid her hands behind her back. “Expensive? Nonsense! I just thought it would suit you.”

Jane almost smiled bitterly. Since her first day at Whirlwood, the gap between her belongings and her peers’ was obvious. Only the school uniform had helped her blend in. While Eleanor treated her with genuine equality, Beatrice was the opposite—her disdain made Jane’s background feel like a permanent mark.

“Why give me this now?” Jane asked.

Eleanor explained, “While you were out, Miss Miller announced the dress code for tomorrow. Since we’re going into the woods, uniforms are impractical. We’re to wear our own clothes. After the event, we go straight to the hall for the ceremony—there won’t be time to change.”

Given their high ranking, they would surely be called to the stage. If Jane appeared in her meager private clothes, the gossip would be merciless. Jane felt a pang of gratitude and stopped resisting. “Thank you, Lina.”

She noticed Beatrice sitting on her bed reading. Beatrice didn’t snap at her as usual; she seemed strangely quiet. When she caught Jane looking, she simply glanced up, got off her bed, and left the room.

The final day arrived. Halfway through the “Woodland Exploration,” Eleanor burst out of the trees, her face flushed with panic. “Miss Miller! Beatrice is missing!”

The teachers gathered around. “We were together at first…” Eleanor panted, explaining that shortly after entering, Beatrice had insisted on splitting up to be more efficient.

Jane had tried to stop her, warning about the pits and reaching for the map. But Beatrice had merely looked at them strangely and said, “You two stay together. Lina only wants to look after you anyway,” before vanishing into the brush.

Jane suspected Beatrice wasn’t just in a hurry to leave the forest; she seemed to be avoiding Jane like a plague. Jane handed the map to Eleanor and whispered to Lin Zhao, “Do you think Betty is avoiding me? Is she still bothered by your presence?”

Lin Zhao remained noncommittal.

They had found their items quickly, but Beatrice was nowhere to be found. They called her name, but there was no response. Along the way, they even ran into John Reed.

“Oh, look at you in your stolen finery,” John sneered at Jane. “Looking for something? Want me to show you the way?”

Jane didn’t waste words. She felt a stone pressed into her hand by Lin Zhao. “Don’t get in the way,” Jane warned coldly. She threw the stone—not at him, but near him.

John shrieked and jumped back. His clumsy feet tangled, and he fell hard. As fate would have it, he landed right in one of his own camouflaged pits. His portly frame wedged into the hole like a cork in a bottle.

“Jane Eyre! You wicked thing!” he screamed, flailing.

Jane ignored him, pulling Eleanor away. “Eleanor, take the map and go get the teachers. Beatrice might be in trouble.”

“What about you?”

“I know this area. Go, the longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets!”

Once Eleanor disappeared, Jane turned to Lin Zhao. “Lin, any ideas?”

Lin Zhao thought back. “There is a very deep pit nearby.” She had been mentally comparing their location to the marks on the map. There weren’t many places where someone could truly be trapped, but why would Beatrice go there?

Lin Zhao’s sense of unease regarding Beatrice wouldn’t fade. She looked at Jane’s trusting eyes and pushed her doubts aside.

“Follow me closely, Jane.”