Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 345: Agatha (43) <2-in-1>

Confirmed as an outsider... And suspected to be the one who unnecessarily complicated the plot to an exaggerated degree, Jiang Li had almost killed the king.

Yup. Just a few minutes ago, Jiang Li, who had honed his ice magic alongside dark arts, suddenly conjured a sword made out of ice and pointed it to the monarch's neck.

Blood even trickled down for a few seconds when its sharp edge sunk a bit into the skin. The middle-aged guy was really caught off-guard by Jiang Li's unexpected show of aggression.

However, Francis IV seemed experienced in trekking between life and death so the man did not do anything unnecessary and simply threw out revelations to free himself.

"Sighs. If telling you I am a friend from the previous life is not enough, which proves that friendship is something cheap and easily breakable, then I guess, all I can do is tell you that in my most recent reading, the tower has appeared instead of the card usually corresponding to her. I came here because I have divined that my daughter is in danger"

"You said that every time you drew cards, it's me corresponding to that card!"

The angered young man stormed out of the room with the king dragged like a caught prey. The knights and the villainess could not even move as they watched the two exit the mansion with unnatural haste. All they could do was to widen their eyes in disbelief and horror.

It was a hundred meters away when the petrifying spell he used against the king and the rest wore out.

"Lead the way!" The youth told Francis IV. "Since you're extremely priding over that divination cards of yours, locate Margarette now!"

'What the hell...'

Francis IV was not in the best mood after what had just happened. After all, he was a ruler yet he was treated like that. But who asked the other to be more powerful. 'Is this awful guy a cheater? And even if he's worried about Margarette, didn't he know he had just manhandled Margarette's father? I won't let her date him anymore!'

Jiang Li didn't care about the protests though. Even if the other was indeed somebody he was acquainted with from other worlds and his father-in-law, he was still more concerned about eliminating somebody who could not only travel to worlds with him but mess up his missions. He was also not pleased with what took place earlier. 

'I should have just left this king and followed her without delay.'

In the end, the other man seemed to have thought of something and pointed Jiang Li a direction. Jiang Li did not miss the king's blue earring glowing a bit, although he didn't know what it did. But what was important was that he got a lead to Margarette's whereabouts.

Unfortunately, while on the way to the familiar abandoned observatory tower that the man had pointed, Francis IV actually managed to escape from the binding. The king freed himself from the rope and the spell which he did partially through the mysterious earring that suddenly lit up with a blinding light. The flash lasted for more than ten seconds and by the time Jiang Li had recovered his sense of sight, the king was no longer in the vicinity.

'The bastard escaped' The youth balled his fist in annoyance.

However, he didn't allow himself wallow in the feeling for so long. No longer intent on delaying looking for Margarette, he walked into the observatory and headed down to the basement.

It was unknown when the guy had pulled out a straw doll though. But when he was walking down the dark and damp corridor with some wall lamps guiding him through, he had somehow managed to write the name Dong Lan, Francis IV on the weaved straw using his blood.

Jiang Li had really started to dislike the man for stopping him and then escaping later.

And so with no pause in his steps, he made a simple stabbing motion against the delicate doll's stomach. A placid look was in his eyes, as if he was only doing something naturally and as if he never went angry in the first place.

"The tower can actually be an actual tower"

Francis IV murmured while staring into the direction of the observatory. His tone was quite weird, as he found it very embarrassing that after all the talk about the card's meaning, The Tower actually pointed to an actual place, not a situation. He reckoned if his adoptive mother heard about this epic failure, he would end up pummeled to death by her. 

"Maybe that girl is not really in danger. It's me." The king shook his head, glad that none of his entourage had followed so he would not have to be so careful of his image and speeches.

The man clutched his stomach that began to feel weird, like the insides were being twisted and seared with a hot iron. A wry expression emerged on his face as he endured it back to the mansion although no cry of pain escaped from his lips. Thankfully, he was used to it, as before his memory of previous life had returned, which was also before his ascension to the throne, he was a man frequently dancing with death in the battlefield and court. Assassinations, wars, and injuries were no foreign matters to him before, and even now after being enthroned.

If asked whether he was okay putting up with this pain though, of course, not. Who would?

Shaking his head, Francis IV walked a little more and not long after, he ran into his knights and consort. The group obviously went after him the moment they got freed from the youth's spell and regained mobility.

However, to his surprise, the group was involved in a battle.

"What do you think are you doing, Andre Grey!" shouted Dune, the bear-like knight who was currently shielding Agatha from the attacks.

There was only one man waving his weapon before the knight platoon, knocking people down at a speed that made the king's face grim.

He actually met the duke at such a time and situation? The king frowned.

But Andre had indeed come for the head of the royal consort.

The male lead received news of the villainess' sudden trip outside and he started to strike down when the king was separated from the bunch.

It had been a decision made out of impulse and anger.

It was stupid. Had he been in the right mind, he certainly would have first sent people to investigate where the 'assassin' truly was from. But the male lead did not do it, thinking with absolute confidence that it was that person. There would be no anybody else so hostile to the Duchess. He even told himself he had had enough of the royal consort's dark tricks. 

So he made this move, coming alone. The 'assassin' was still being tortured by his subordinates somewhere.

In a sense, this showcased Andre Grey's arrogance. The male lead was not only letting emotions reigned on him. He had blind confidence in his deduction and believed he would successfully pull off the retaliation and then get away from it.

To be honest, with the plot as his backing, he would have no problem executing the poor plan. 

Now a torn mask could be seen vaguely in the shadowy ground, which ruined Andre Grey's covertness and anonymity in this operation.

Yet the man only frowned. There was no other emotion in his face. He purposely did not answer the captain knight's question as he had no intention to let those around hear his voice.

"Apprehend the traitorous duke," Francis IV said in a loud enough voice after appearing next to Agatha. Giving the male lead a glance, the man endured the headache and added, "One of you, race to General Whyte and relay to him my order. Surround and capture the whole Grey Ducal House. None is to be allowed to exit without permission from me or the Chief Minister of Justice."

Hearing the order, Andre was still silent, with no intention of retreating. Meanwhile, the knight captain immediately commanded his men to surround the male lead. The formation had become complete since the king had come back and no knight was no longer needed to ensure the safety of the fragile royal consort.

A few seconds quickly passed and the counterattacks from the knights became fiercer that Andre had begun to feel the difficulty of his mission. It left him no leeway to bar the chosen knight from leaving. He had to focus on defending more than attacking. And this made him scowl.

Some more time passed and he began to question himself.

At this rate, would he really be able to kill the witch?

Only three out of the dozen elites had been wounded mortally and forced out of the battle.

If killing was not an option, would he be able to force the villainess to use witchcraft in the presence of the king then? To make sure she would be put in a public trial?

The duke was not aware, but actually, the question he should be inquiring himself was whether Agatha would continue to lie low now that Francis IV was back.

The answer was no, obviously.

The woman temporarily forgot about the fake messenger and her happiness in seeing the king back in one piece. Agatha yelled with malice that was masked with urgency, "My king, the duke didn't show panic when one of the knights sprinted out to fetch the General. It's making me suspect that there is a double in the ducal mansion acting as Duke Grey! I suggest that once we're back, we should put every member of the Duke Household in a trial as all of them could be involved in this treason!"

'Really a female villain.' While the king was nodding at Agatha's guess, Duke Grey's eyes flashed with murderous intent that the royal concubine saw and provocatively grinned at.

The male lead was initially not alarmed by the order given to the knight that left because he really had a double in the ducal manor acting as him. Even if a search was conducted, the general would see 'him' there. 

But now

"Just seize this one first and then invite the royal envoy from the Borley Kingdom. The whole ducal family is to be on a house arrest until then. With the royal envoy's communication device, we can contact the Pope of Penemue to confirm the truth about this assassination," the king said emotionlessly.

'His Majesty believed the witch just like that?'

'And there's an envoy related to the Church of Wisdom in the palace?'

Andre blanked out for a moment before suddenly fighting more ferociously than before. His face turned gloomy and his gaze towards the king and the royal consort became hostile.

But it was already too late. He realized he had been had by his complacency. 

People from the palace too were not idiots, he realized. It was he who was, especially when he let his mask fall without covering his face afterward.

Where the hell did he get the nerve to assume a simple scheme would not be seen through by them?

And even if he said he was simply taking revenge on his wife's behalf, would his stupidity and rashness be excused?

The duke tightened his grip of the sword. 

Yet, what he really regretted was not that he had come here impulsively... but that he could not stop the knight headed for General White on time, and that he had not brought enough people to take the king hostage.

'What to do?' the duke asked himself.

Andre Grey's cold eyes settled on Agatha.