Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 2: My Lord Saves the Citizens - Chapter 37

Within the luxurious master chamber of the Grand Palace, King Henry lay in his lavish bed, warm and cozy, and sound asleep, a stark contrast to many of his subjects living out on the streets and fighting against the hunger and the cold as famine and disease rage across the vast land. Here in the chamber, a magic circle appeared, and a form of a girl materialized. Adorned in an exquisite white gown, she made her way to the bed, and then she climbed on it. She plopped herself down, and resting her chin in her hands, she watched the man snoring. She said, in her singsong voice, "Oh, wakey, wakey, King Pig."

Henry continued to snore, and the girl, growing impatient due to being ignored, summoned her magic and blasted ice-cold water onto his face.

Henry came awake, startled, his eyes wide and his breath short and panting as water dripped about him. He darted his gaze around the room, his heart racing. When he caught sight of the girl, he froze and then... he screamed.

No! No! No! Not again. She was here to haunt him again, the winch whom he had ordered killed four years ago.

The girl rolled her eyes heavenward as if to say, oh dear, here we go again, and sighed. "Ugh! I swear you're such a coward. The slightest thing scared you shitless and your scream is worse than a toddler in their terrible twos." She snapped her finger and thumb, and Henry's screech was muted silent. "Ah..." She smiled. "That's better."

Henry continued to shriek, his pants wet from fear, while the girl watched, fascinated, wondering how long the lout was going to keep this up, squealing without a sound. When he managed to stop moments later, his rotund face was bright red, and he was scurrying farther back, away from her.

The girl said, "Are you done?"

Henry mutedly nodded, squirming in his spot.

The girl said, "Good. So anyway, I'm here to pay you a visit because it looks like you're at it again. I admit, you're damn good at ordering people about and doing this and that and destroying Aldric's home and such." She sighed. "But thanks to that, my power grows." She chuckled and winked. "The more you desire to destroy my husband and his land and people, the more I grow." Seeing that Henry was opening his mouth as if he was speaking, she asked, "What? Do you want to say something?"

She snapped her finger and thumb again, releasing the spell.

The moment he could, Henry pointed a finger and said, "You were killed four years ago. I made sure you were killed. Aldric buried and mourned you. We all know you're dead. You are just a ghost here to haunt me. Leave now before Morgan comes and casts you to the netherworld."

The girl raised a brow and then pretended to be astonished. "Oh my, I'm dead. Oh, dear." She looked about herself. "No wonder I'm always wearing white. Perhaps it's a ghost thing, do you think? To be parading about in white?"

"Go! Leave now, ghost!" Henry fluttered his hand in the air, shooing her away. "Leave me be."

The girl sighed in exasperation again. "You are such an annoying pig." She rose to her knees and then knee-walked toward him. There, she raised her hand and slapped him hard on the cheek, twisting his face to the side.

"That's for hurting my husband and his people behind his back." She slapped him again, twisting his face to the other side. "That's for hurting my husband and his people behind his back." She slapped him yet again and again for the same two reasons until Henry's face was bruised red and swollen. Then she leaned down and said softly, "By the way, what makes you think I'm Aldric's first wife? The name is Quinn, Pig. That's Lady Quinn to you, and Aldric and I will come to get you and make you pay for all that you've done to us. That's a promise." And another slap rendered him unconscious.

Oh, dear, it looked like she overdid it again. Glancing around, she said, "I guess my time is up."

Indeed, your time is up, miss foresight, Vicky's voice came. I can't believe you're not even awake yet and you'll already going about recking havoc. Please remember you're just a skill.

The girl smiled. "Yes, I'm a skill, but still part of Lady Quinn, nonetheless. She's me and I'm her."

Yes. Yes. Now hurry up and heal him and let's return before Lord Norsewood wakes up and sees his lady wife glowing with ancient magic and freaking the hell out.

"Oh my, but your speech is so very modern and colloquial, Vicky. I didn't know." She snickered.

This is how I speak normally. I was created using Earth's speeches, after all. Do you even know how hard it is to speak like a robot when I'm summoned?

"I suspect my lady would like you even more if you speak as you are to her. The citizens, too. I think most of the boys idolized you. So cute in a schoolgirl uniform and high stockings."

Vicky snorted. Stop that and let's get back. I mean it. It's nearly dawn, and Lord Norsewood will be awake soon.

"All right, all right." She leaned toward Henry and said, "Heal."

Within moments, Henry's face was back to normal—stout, fleshy, and ugly with skin that rarely met water, let alone soap, hair and beard oily and dirt-stained, and teeth discolored and rotten.

Despite that she wanted the dastard to suffer for the next several days with all the bruises, swelling, and pain, she really couldn't leave any traces of her visitation behind. That weasel Morgan might figure something was amiss that she, or something powerful, was tormenting Henry. But well, it couldn't be helped that she wanted him to shake in fear the moment he laid his eyes on Lady Quinn for the first time, which would be soon, she suspected, when news that Blackfield Dungeon had been conquered by Lord Norsewood and his bride broke out.

And how did she know of this, one might ask? Well, she was a skill of foresight, thus knowledge of future events was her forte. Now, all she had to do was wait until Lady Quinn's mana reached the infinity level, and voila, she'd be wakened. Or rather, Lady Quinn would be fully awakened. She was a part of Lady Quinn, after all. It was just that this part of her was currently dormant, still asleep so to speak.

"Let's return," she said and summoned a magic circle. As the signs, symbols, and scripts turned, a portal opened, showing the luxurious sitting room of the penthouse on the other side.

She stepped through, and once the circle closed, she turned on her heel and headed into the master bedroom. There, she eyed the bed where Lady Quinn lay asleep, unaware of her inner self performing something that was powerful and out of this world—traveling through space.

Next to Lady Quinn was her husband Aldric, and she smiled, noting how Aldric embraced his wife protectively in their sleep.

She moved onto the bed and then lay back, her form merging with Lady Quinn's sleeping ones, thus returning to her deep slumber, waiting for that day until she was fully awakened.

On the other side of the country, King Henry woke up to the bright morning light, and he darted his eyes around, searching for the girl. But, of course, she was nowhere in sight, and he drew in a sigh of relief.

Aye, she was merely a ghost in his dream, nothing more, he thought. She was not real.

Dream? Ha! Nightmare more like.

But why was she, Aldric's dead wife, haunting him?

He frowned, his muddled brain searching, recounting the nightmare. Her name? What was it again? Lady Quinn? But he had been very certain it was Lady Caroline.

Aye, that wench would never be able to hurt him because she was simply a ghost. She had died four years ago, as he had ordered. Thus, her appearance was nothing more than a nightmare, and he had absolutely nothing to fear. With that thought easing his mind, Henry barked out orders for the servants outside his chamber, waiting on him hand and foot.