Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 322: Agatha (20)

It was their fifth day in the kingdom. Before Jiang Li felt like he was really more like a boy toy or a kept man than a husband, he snuck out and roamed around by himself.

More specifically, he went to a nobleman's house located only two hundred meters from his lady tycoon's mansion. Of course, as he was a mere commoner, he didn't go in invited. He helped himself with the touring and familiarizing of the place.

"Hmm... Agatha managed to enter the palace despite not being a noblewoman. It was all due to this Count Cornwell... So right now,  as he is her most loyal supporter, in turn, she made him the second strongest in her faction." With a solemn look far removed from his scammer image in Margarette's mind, he stared at the huge painting before him.

The place was inside the mansion of the same Count. Yup, in this kingdom, it was already a trend for aristocrats and titled nobles to build and live in a mansion, and each of them made sure their places were close to the royal palace. In that way, they could easily make an appearance before the king and interact more with the other aristocrats. Their lands were left to the care of their vassals and they would only have to go their fief once or twice a year.

Count Cornwell, as one of the most influential person under the beloved royal concubine of the king, was also one of those nobles. The security of his place was quite tight, with around ten knights secretly wandering about. At night, the number of patrolling guards would double. He knew as it was an intelligence gotten from the people hired. Even though it was still daytime, due to the strict patrol, Jiang Li only managed to sneak in using hypnosis.

It was around 2 pm. And nobody was in that room due to his manipulation. For several hours he had been scouring the places carefully and even took a glimpse of what was inside the Count's secret safe. Now, it was time for what he really came here for. 

Footsteps began echoing from outside and were constantly getting closer and louder. His eyes went to the ornate wooden door to his left.

Seven seconds later, it flung open, allowing entry to two people who then hurriedly locked the room from the inside.

'Spicy.' Jiang Li commented due to the look of relief in those two's faces. Were they that glad to be left alone in a room? 

While watching the two get close, he made himself comfortable in a chair near the fireplace which he deemed unlikely for the two newcomers to use. He shook his head and even almost clicked his tongue seeing that one of the people was a healthy middle-aged man while the cloaked figure was a woman.

'Why would they lock themselves up inside a room and even made sure the curtains are hanging down? They are both of high statuses and are married, but not to each other. Wow. Should I spread a rumor about this? I'm sure the city denizens will love me for the juicy gossip.'

'But first, what is the secret?' 

While he was wondering what dirty transactions these two people were trying to hide, the cloaked woman removed her hood, revealing a face that was very mature and beautiful. Her hair was a rare green that would not remind one of the grasses in a meadow, but pf chrome sphene, a precious emerald-colored gem that had more fire, or in another term, dispersion, than diamond. Her lips that were neither thick nor thin were like a blooming rose in color and her eyes were not like the stars in a bright night sky, but the calm river water reflecting those.

Jiang Li was sure that those mysterious eyes were what fascinated the king of Holon. People had always been drawn to the beautiful and unknown. 

For him though, nothing beats Margarette's. Hers were green too, but they seemed to only shine when looking at him... or at the accounts detailing the amount of money rolling into her pocket.

"Count" The royal concubine, Agatha, finally broke the silence reigning in the place. Jiang Li alternately glanced at the two, watching out for the next event.

There was no adulterous act that took place after. Well, it was pretty obvious that nothing of that sort would happen since one was a beauty of the century while the other was an old fatty. The woman too, was a powerful witch. There was very little chance of a scandalous relationship sprouting between the two. 

Steven Cornwell motioned the lady to sit on one of the long sofas before taking a seat himself. His tone was laced with worry as he said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I only received your letter this morning so my response is late. Are you telling the truth there? You have hidden that matter to me for so long. Why?"

The lady momentarily frowned, not liking being questioned like this the moment she sat down. However, her expression immediately eased and all that was left was a woman of composure who had stayed in power for almost more than a decade.

With a slight smile, she asked, "Won't you at least serve me tea before the serious discussion?"

The nobleman stilled for some time, realizing his mistake. He said his apology for the negligence. Then after fulfilling the request and personally brewing a cup for her, he once again asked, "So, our dearest Royal Concubine, why did you do that again?"

After a sip, she elegantly held the cup in front of her without placing it down on the table. A sigh escaped out of her lips, her eyes were on the surface of the porcelain cup.

"Count You keep asking why and not giving me opportunities to say my real dilemma now. It's making me a bit heartbroken. Do you think I did wrong? More than anyone else in the world, you are the one aware of my greatest challenge in becoming the Queen and the burdens weighing down my shoulders. I always have to think of the more than fifteen aristocratic houses that betted their lives in me."

The pudgy count gave her a complicated look. "Your Highness, you very well know that it's easy for these people to abandon you once you fell from glory. Yet even though you can also do the same, you are naively thinking they are like your children to worry about If that is the reason why, it's truly disappointing."

She stilled then laughingly said, "My mistake. I was just being dramatic. Of course, I'm still ultimately thinking of myself, Count Cornwell. Don't focus on unnecessary matters. In the palace, I've just learned to make my words always sound nice and noblest than anything else. But in reality..." she shook her head, "As the one who has known me for years don't you really know my real intention?"

Jiang Li was seated diagonally from them, and a corner of his mouth was raised from too much annoyance. What the hell were they saying? 'Hey, the windows and doors were closed shut so hurry up and stop the cryptic exchange!'

What intention? What did she do? 

He wouldn't be this impatient if not for discovering that it was not only Agatha who had dipped into witchcraft, but the Count too. The first time he swept his eyes upon the two, he noticed the same dark aura enveloping them. He suspected that this was actually what was bonding them together.

Jiang Li was not contented with comfortably sitting there and eavesdropping without getting found. He immediately wanted to know what they were talking about so he could be sure which part of the plot they were now. 

He was never a patient man, but thankfully after a minute a two of talking about random political issues, a clue was finally revealed.

It started when the Count threw another glance at the witch. "Five months ago, who is the one who took your place while you are not in the palace?"

"It's just a maid. You don't need to worry about her. She's dead."

Her reply was uttered in a relaxed way, as if she didn't order somebody to die. It garnered a nod from her conversation partner. "You did well."

'You did well, your ass.' In his mind, Jiang Li was so bored that he started ranting about life and criticizing the moral views of these two people.

When he felt like his chest became too stuffy from his self-talk, he even reached out to the table and almost picked up one of the cups if not for the villainess saying something that made him interested and stop in place. 

"So Count Cornwell. Did you do as I requested? When I was in Borley again two months ago, negotiating and telling those stupid royals how to arouse their accursed blood What happened? Why is that princess still not dead?"