Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 328: Agatha (26) <2-in-1>

After a few minutes of idle talk and random flirting, the two were left alone and for a while, the atmosphere between them became solemn. It started when Marian asked about his meeting with the king and the other ministers.

In the Holon Kingdom, a court meeting regularly happened between the king and his wise subjects every three days. As a duke holding a military post and a vast fief, Andre Grey was of course more than qualified to attend that. He was also someone with a good, albeit stubborn, head on his shoulders.

Yet not everyone in the court was like him. Not all fitted to attend qualified through wits and merits. Some only managed to get there through lineage and glory of their ancestors. When the wise and the foolish mingled... could there be a good outcome? If yes, how long would it take to show up? When opinions clashed, even if a nice decision could be made, it would surely take days, if not weeks. After all, the majority would be stubborn or felt like they were the wisest. 

Although most of the kingdoms faced the same problem, Holon Kingdom was proven the worst in management because most of the kings were also short-sighted or half-hearted about the management.

For example, the current one, although more decent than his predecessors, was still not cut out from a different mold. He was frequently neglecting his duties for impromptu excursions and other fun activities. When in court, he let everyone there fight and debate to their heart content instead of immediately making judgments. Another reason was Agatha, who loved demanding his time to prove his affection.

Marian knew of this problem and she was quite distressed for her husband. She knew Andre was witty yet not that strong enough to create a huge change. Many a time, she couldn't help but compare the system of government here with her own kingdom, Borley. Both were monarchies, yet the effectiveness of the ruling classes of these two kingdoms was like the difference between heaven and earth. Who knew how many times she had shaken her head at this truth?

After comforting and coaxing her complaining husband, the talk between them finally shifted to the real issue Marian wanted to explore.

"The Royal Consort seems to be ill," the male lead commented after describing what he heard from the people in the palace. 

'It's almost the same as what my maids said... I didn't know how they got the information.'

She fell silent after. Half a minute later, he asked what she was thinking. 

With fear faintly flickering across her eyes, she looked up to the man entrapping her in his arms. " Would you despise me if I showed how bad I am actually inside, wishing she stays ill for a bit longer? No, forever?"

She could smell his masculine scent and he was driving her into addiction. So thinking that her statement would cause her to lose his favor was making her fearful. Yet what was the love of a man that could not even stand such a small test from her? The girl waited patiently for his reply. 

He laughed. He could see through her concern so he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, my wife. I won't. In my opinion, your wish is still so nave, testifying to your good nature. Had it been me, I would even wish for her death. She's a horrible woman anyways. Remember that she not only attempted to assassinate you once..."

The girl closed her eyes. "That's precisely the reason I wish for her to merely be ill for a long time. I don't want to be like her, wanting somebody's death without heavy justifications. But I also don't want her to make my life difficult anymore. I hope she just stays like that and allots more time in reflecting about life, not about taking others' lives."

The man let out a helpless sigh then complained to the heavens. "What should I do with you? You're practically a hopeless little saintess, my wife!"

His exclamation garnered sweet laughter from her. "Oh, milord. Your reactions too... I can't help falling in love when you're being like this."

At her reply, he gave her an equally helpless look which then turned into a doting one. The female lead was also giving him a passionate gaze.

If somebody like Jiang Li, who rarely had good opinions about the leads, heard and saw the exchange, a corner of his mouth would have twitched by now. And he would have knocked these two out or tossed them into an icy lake to make them reflect. Saintess? What kind of saintess would say something poisonous such as wishing for somebody to remain sick forever? How was she good-natured that way? Because she didn't immediately wish for someone's death, but for a lifetime of suffering?

Sometimes, villainesses and bad people were more likable since they were true to their nature and would not be as hypocritical as this pair of character leads.

Fake compliments or exaggerated praises were only okay for appearances, but when pointed to character, even though it was opposite of what it should have meant, it was a different matter altogether. Not even if it was done to appease or flatter a loved one. For example, it was okay to say one's wife was the fairest of all, but it was not okay to emphasize that she was the kindest of all if her personality was like Agatha's or Margarette's...

Anyways, back to the leads

Marian steered the talk to its serious tone, still asking about Agatha's affairs. It had taken her a long time to summon the courage to tell Andre of that woman's real identity. She only did after ensuring the man trusted her enough to not easily dismiss her words.

At this point, the duke was a yes-wife man so he ordered a portion of his men to focus on investigating the matter. To his surprise, his wife did not seem to be making baseless accusations. While he had yet to get a tangible proof that Agatha was a witch, some of her acquaintances, close or not, were showing signs that they were believers of fallen angels. It was making him believe she really was, or at least, related to at least one!

"One of my men managed to intercept a secret letter detailing a covert meeting this coming Saturday, 2 am at a remote part of the city. The location is a property of a wealthy horse breeder," in one breath, he told her. The man looked at her quietly and then added, "If the Royal Consort is indeed one of the coven members, then she or somebody closely associated with her will turn up in that place. I plan to go with my men to check."

The female lead widened her eyes at what she heard. Shortly after, on her face that initially turned blank from disbelief began to show great excitement. "My dear, that could be a chance! To prove that she is a witch! Even if she won't personally go, I'm sure one of the people there will have items that prove she is."

"I know." What she said was obvious after all.

Determination flared up in her eyes and she declared, "I want to go! Milord, please bring me with you!"

"... No," was his firm reply.

The death-seeking female lead immediately jumped in protest. "Why not!"

The next scene became, 'I only told you the secret to make you aware of the situation, but don't think of coming with us', 'But I am an involved party. I have the right to be in the operation!', 'No, I can't allow any part of you to be harmed!', 'Oh come on. Don't be like this, milord. Rest assured, I will take care of myself. I won't be a burden to anyone in your group so let me tag along!', 'Still, no!', '... You sleep outside for a whole month.'

In the end, the husband had to agree due to the power of plot, cough, persuasion of the female lead.

Time flew by. In just a few hours, it was already dinner time. In actuality, the conversation between the two leads had long finished. But for some reason, they didn't immediately come out of the second floor's balcony. None from those in the inner room dared to barge outside and see how those two were doing. After all, what if they were in the middle of baby-making and they were interrupted by them? They would then become sinners and received the wrath of the male lead!

Alright, so the situation remained like that and all the servants tacitly avoided the place.

None of them were aware that in actuality, the two leads did want to do some love-making since nobody was around. But due to some invisible person's whimsical actions, they had yet to undress before they ended up being frozen with only their noses not caged in ice. They temporarily turned into odd but beautiful ice sculptures in the balcony. The fierce rays of the afternoon sun barely managed to melt the mini-iceberg and it was only an hour later that the magic applied to them disappeared.

Andre Grey was so angry, but due to a period of being trapped in cold, he couldn't move and speak well for some time. The male lead even trembled badly at the slightest touch of the wind. He would have been all red from embarrassment if his dear wife was conscious. But thankfully, Marian was not, she fainted at the fifteen-minute mark. The ordeal showed Andre how fragile the female lead was.

Anyway, the man was very angry at the unknown perpetrator, but he didn't even see the shadow of the person so he had no clue who it was. The servants and knights too, to his great annoyance were all not nearby. For a long period of time, his heart was like a raging volcano in his chest, yet there was no way to vent. The helplessness made him vow to hunt the evil magician, even if he had to approach his uncle, the Pope of Gadreel, the god of war.

As for the guy he vowed to hunt?

The guy had stealth abilities that not even a villainess specializing in dark arts could detect. Who else in the kingdom could it be? Of course, it was Jiang Li.

The person was already outside, mingling with the normal city folks while praying to not run into his wife's loyal guards.

He was feeling regret that he couldn't throw the two leads in the pond in the beautiful garden below. If only the servants wouldn't be alerted he kept on saying to himself.

This guy spied on the leads in passing while escaping from Margarette who seemed bent on keeping him tied to her waist all the time. The unplanned trip to the ducal residence was fruitful. Yet because he got annoyed by the hypocrisy and flirting of the leads, especially since the face was originally Margarette's, he chose to give them trouble a little. 

Anyway, the plot should not retaliate on him since those two did not die, right? 

When he immediately got found by Margarette and had to deal with the anger, he felt that it was the plot's retaliation, if he was not thinking too highly of himself and one-sidedly assuming things...