Transmigrated as Jane’s Ghostly Godmother - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Cold War 3.0 — Melancholy Bomb Detonation Progress: 15%…

Jane completely forgot that just moments ago, she had contemplated dragging the person upstairs.

She twisted the doorknob and scurried back to the bedside in two or three steps, keeping her head low and staring at the tips of her shoes, striving to avoid the other’s gaze.

The door closed. Someone approached, and a pair of sturdy shoes stopped exactly where she was staring.

“Mr. Eyre has already departed. We board the ship in half an hour. Have you finished packing?” The familiar, cool voice rang in her ears.

The adults had other plans for announcing her identity; to maintain secrecy, she was officially traveling under “Mr. Lintner’s” care for this trip. The return journey followed the same protocol, requiring them to board in separate groups.

Jane gave a simple “Mhm” in response, still refusing to look up.

The air fell silent for a second.

When she spoke again, Lin Zhao’s tone rose slightly with a hint of confusion: “Why won’t you look at me?”

Jane remembered the moment on the street when the hood had tilted, and the tips of her ears began to burn again.

She lowered her head even further, agonizing over what to say—then the shoes in her vision moved, obscured by a large shadow. Lin Zhao had crouched down. She reached up to remove the hood and mask, revealing dark eyes beneath messy strands of hair that met Jane’s evasive gaze.

“Well, since you won’t look at me,” Lin Zhao’s tone suddenly shifted into a theatrical cadence, “perhaps I should be the one to offer greetings? My noble Miss Eyre, I wonder if your day has been a pleasant one?”

She placed her hand over her heart with mock solemnity and gave an impeccable nod of the head, instantly transforming back into the young information broker, “Mr. Lintner.”

Jane blinked, finding a moment to breathe within this sudden roleplay.

“Sir, I am not particularly inclined to answer your greeting,” she raised her head slightly, feigning aloofness. “I still have a vivid memory of your impolite invitation when we first met.” Having said that, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at the other’s reaction from the corner of her eye.

Lin Zhao’s tone immediately became urgent: “A thousand apologies, Miss Eyre! I truly did not know where I had offended you. Might you enlighten me so that I may have the chance to correct this mistake?” Though her words sounded anxious, the smile in her eyes was undisguised.

Looking into those eyes, Jane couldn’t help but curve the corners of her mouth, only to flatten them quickly a second later as she caught herself.

“Hm… that is a gentlemanly posture, at least. Then, next time you invite me to dance, please remember to use your voice, sir. Do not merely extend your hand.”

“I shall remember it.” Lin Zhao stood up smoothly and bowed deeply, her head almost touching Jane’s extended arm. “Then, I wonder if Miss Eyre would be willing to give me a chance at redemption? Will you accompany me on board, my lady?”

“Where are we going, sir?” Jane played along.

“Home. Or anywhere in the world you wish to go, Jane.”

The last word was uttered with singular gravity.

Jane was instantly yanked from the banter back to reality, rendered speechless by this promise that didn’t belong to “Mr. Lintner.”

“…You really shouldn’t say things like that anymore,” she murmured under her breath.

Lin Zhao didn’t seem to catch the self-muttering and instinctively followed up: “What was that, Jane?” She wore that look of concern again, the one that sought to understand everything.

Jane placed her hand on the palm that hadn’t been withdrawn yet and pulled back, dragging Lin Zhao down to sit beside her.

Taken by surprise by the sudden attack, Lin Zhao’s eyes widened slightly, looking at her with astonishment.

“Nothing. I’ve been packed for ages.”

Jane gave her a triumphant smile, but a sense of sorrow flickered in her heart.

…Stop saying such things. As if you will always stay by my side, as if you won’t leave even after I achieve so-called happiness.

Unexpectedly, the hand she was holding twitched. Seeing the other person’s expression turn suddenly solemn, Jane realized too late what she had done.

…She had accidentally spoken her inner thoughts aloud.

The atmosphere returned to the dead silence that had greeted her at the door.

Miss Eyre, who had been happy that morning for having mastered the art of hidden disguises, now wished she could go back a few seconds and suppress those words deep in her heart—or go back ten minutes and stop herself from shouting out the window.

“…Jane, when… when did you start feeling this way?” Lin Zhao’s expression was unreadable.

Jane clamped her mouth shut. For the first time, she truly did not want to pour her heart out to Lin.

She didn’t even know why Lin’s tone had become so serious. After all, she hadn’t really thought deeply about it; it was just a habitual moment of melancholy.

She hadn’t understood this gloom since four years ago. During this time, this nameless, inexplicable emotion surfaced frequently—so often that she occasionally wondered if this was just a part of psychological growth, like the physical changes one experiences at this age.

If asked about what she wanted to do or her thoughts on life, she could give a long, unhesitating, and very certain answer.

But regarding Lin Zhao, regarding the ghost, regarding this companionship that still felt miraculous to this day, she truly had nothing to say and no way to think deeply on it.

How could she discuss an emotion for which she hadn’t yet found a clear definition?

“Is it because of this that you…” The ghost lady tried to break the silence, but her voice stopped abruptly as if she had thought of something else.

Intuition told Jane that whatever Lin Zhao was thinking right now was definitely wrong. She forced a sound out, attempting to communicate: “There is no ‘because.’ I wasn’t thinking much, really. Lin, I was just reflecting.”

Those eyes narrowed slightly: “…I see.”

Jane was certain she saw disappointment in the depths of those eyes.

But the emotion vanished in a flash. Lin Zhao stood up, briskly readjusting her mask and hood. “It’s about time. Let’s get ready; we should head to the docks.”

Her body moved faster than her brain. Jane picked up her trunk without hesitation and followed her obediently.

Looking out from the carriage at the window where she had stood, Jane realized she had forgotten to ask what Lin Zhao and Miss Constance had discussed, nor had she clarified what Lin Zhao was thinking.

If this dialogue had taken place at a negotiation table, she would have likely ended up with a disastrous result.

So, should she be grateful that she had once again missed the best opportunity to press Lin Zhao on her thoughts?

Soon, Jane would learn that the answer to that question was a resounding “no.”

On the ship back, they talked about the morning meeting, and Lin Zhao even praised her for doing an excellent job. But as soon as they returned to Funchal, the other woman claimed she had business to attend to and truly vanished as if into thin air.

And so, fifteen-year-old Jane, in the fifth year of her encounter with the ghost, ushered in her third cold war with her companion without warning.

“Mr. Lintner!”

Having specifically asked her father, Jane learned that “Mr. Lintner” was coming over for a meeting today. She hurriedly finished her fleet inspection schedule. Disregarding etiquette and decorum, she leaped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped and strode into the house, calling out Lin Zhao’s name.

“The famous information broker—”

“LINTNER!!”

Only her echoes filled the vast foyer.

It did, however, call Mrs. Alvis out from the dining room. The efficient manor manager stepped forward quickly to take Jane’s hat and shawl, saying in a comforting tone, “Miss, Mr. Lintner left just a few minutes ago.”

Jane recalled the carriage that had passed her on the road. At the time, she had been suspicious and had the driver stop to ask. The head peeking out of the window had clearly been Mr. Terry of the Mason Trading Company. But on second thought, wasn’t Mr. Terry one of the frequent visitors who came to the Vine Manor to discuss business with Mr. Lintner?

“…” Jane squeezed her hands tight, taking several deep breaths to steady her heart.

This was the tenth failed attempt to catch her this month.

She had thought of many ways, but since she started participating in the family business, her schedule was packed to the brim, leaving her very little free time. The lessons originally handled by Mr. Lintner had been joined by her father, turning into a weekly evaluation meeting of her work performance.

This kind of meeting with a third party present made it impossible to discuss private matters. Jane could only stare at the other with a very forced smile to express her dissatisfaction.

However, even though she believed her micro-expression observation skills had been honed by various meetings, this progress was completely useless against Lin Zhao. After all, with that mummy-style outfit, she couldn’t see any of Lin Zhao’s expressions at all.

Led by Mrs. Alvis to sit in the parlor, Jane sipped her hot tea, reviewing everything that had happened recently. Footsteps came from the stairs; her father came down from the study and walked over with a smile upon seeing her.

“Jane, how are things at the fleet?”

Upon seeing her father, Jane immediately sat up straight, her mind quickly switching to business mode.

“…Everything is in order. Mr. Watson is managing it well.” She set down her teacup and, after a detailed report, posed a question. “However, Father, I’ve noticed that the number of merchant ships docking at Funchal port recently is much higher than usual, and many are new faces.”

“I checked the port records. Most of these ships come from Holland and Northern Germany. Their destination seems to… point toward the East. Has something changed in the market?”

John Eyre sat on the sofa opposite Jane, a smile of pride on his face. “Oh? You noticed that? Good, very good. Most people only see the port being busier than in previous years, but they don’t think about the reason behind it. Your observation is keen, Jane.”

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice:

“An invisible storm is brewing in the East. The ancient beast that has controlled the Eastern routes for nearly two centuries—the East India Company—is seeing its foundations loosen. Corruption, inefficiency, and excessive arrogance have left the beast showing signs of exhaustion. Many wolves with keen senses have begun to circle it, trying to tear a piece of meat from its bones. Those new ships you saw are the first speculators to smell blood.”

Jane’s heart hammered. The East India Company… tea, silk, spices… these words flashed through her mind, forming a picture full of temptation and risk.

She immediately understood the massive opportunity hidden behind this undercurrent.

“And our Mr. Lintner,” John Eyre added casually, clearly having heard her shouting upon entering, “has been busy this past month setting the table for us in this potential feast.”

Hearing her father’s meaningful words, Jane felt a blush of embarrassment at having her thoughts exposed. She didn’t reply immediately, staring at her teacup, allowing her mind to wander for a brief moment.

So, Lin Zhao wasn’t hiding from her, but was busy with business?

If that were the case, the personal emotions she had assumed and the “cold war” she had been agonizing over might be completely insignificant in the face of this game involving vast interests.

But why didn’t Lin Zhao tell her? Or did Lin feel she wasn’t capable of sharing this kind of pressure?

Even though it was just her own conjecture, being underestimated was a feeling she disliked.

She needed to get involved.

“Father, is there anything I can do?” Jane looked back into her father’s eyes, which were old yet still sharp.

“This chessboard is too large, Jane.” John Eyre set down his teacup, looking at her gently. “So large that I dare not place a piece lightly. But if you want to sit at the table, you must prove to the players that you are qualified to hold a piece.”

“You are still young; you needn’t force yourself to this extent yet.”

Jane shook her head, hearing the room for maneuver in her father’s words, and answered with absolute determination.

“I want to try, Father.”