Chapter 96: “Hijacking”

Chapter 96: “Hijacking”

Bayam, the City of Generosity, inside the Intis Consulate.

Elaine sat before the dressing table, looking at her beautiful yet slightly haggard self in the mirror. She remained dazed for several minutes.

The time since she had escaped the Black Death had been full of both expectation and torment. She feared that one careless moment would lead to pirates or adventurers discovering her, causing her to be captured by Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy and taken back, completely losing her freedom and never again being able to return to her homeland and her original life.

Only after relying on the remaining connections of her family, hiding inside her homeland’s consulate, and obtaining a ticket to leave the sea did she relax somewhat.

But that was still not enough to make her heart steady and at ease. She believed that everything would only truly be over once she had set foot on the Northern Continent.

Thinking of this, Elaine could not help lifting her right hand to touch the skin of her cheek, which was not especially fair but healthy enough. She discovered that it had become much finer than during her time as a maritime merchant, giving her the illusion of time reversing and returning her to her maiden years.

In truth, after entering the Intis Consulate, she had another option besides fleeing the sea: cooperating with the Church of Storms, the Loen military, and some spies within the consulate, using herself as bait to capture Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy.

But she thought about it for a very long time and ultimately gave up on the plan. She even asked an old friend of an elder in her family, who served as the military attaché of the consulate, not to reveal to anyone that she was hiding there.

No matter what, she never truly caused me real harm. In many ways, she would even compromise with me and satisfy me… except every night, every night… And that was, that was only on the surface… Amid her memories, Elaine’s cheeks suddenly flushed red.

Those intoxicating nights, the burning heat of entangled limbs, that unimaginable pleasure—they swept through her mind. For a brief moment, she found it difficult to calm down.

Elaine slowly inhaled, then exhaled at length.

She shook her head and let her yearning for freedom, her nostalgia for her homeland, and her longing for her relatives once again occupy her heart.

She looked at herself in the mirror again and wound her hanging red hair up in coil after coil.

Then she painted her brows darker and straighter, strengthening the shadows to make her face appear more contoured and its lines deeper.

After such makeup, Elaine became slightly more androgynous, carrying a sharp heroic air.

She removed her clothes, wrapped cloth strips around her chest to flatten it, then put on a white shirt, black waistcoat, men’s trousers, and a double-breasted long formal coat.

Finally, she picked up a silk top hat, placed it on her head, and hid all of her coiled red hair.

At that moment, the person in the mirror looked more like a handsome young man than a woman, especially with those emerald eyes, which seemed exceptionally suited to this kind of attire, carrying a charming depth.

Elaine waited patiently for a while, until someone knocked on the door.

She picked up her luggage, opened the door, and followed the old friend of her family elder all the way to a side gate in the consulate garden.

A carriage had already stopped there. It would take her to the harbor, where she would board a passenger liner bound for Loen’s Pritz Harbor, from which she would detour back to Intis.

Elaine possessed extraordinary anti-tracking skills. She carefully examined her surroundings, including the carriage driver.

A local native. Thin but wiry. Does not like wearing a hat. Compared to when I saw him before, his facial features have not changed much. His expression is a little nervous, which is normal… After finishing her confirmation, Elaine thanked the old friend of her family elder…