The Atrocious Duke'S Wife
Chapter 21: A Laughter

THIS WORK IS FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, EVENTS, PLACES, ARE JUST A DELUSION. PLEASE READERS BE WISE IN RESPONDING.

"Nephorine forces are attacking our western region?" asked a man who was nicknamed as the crown prince, the first prince, Prince Yari.

"Yes, our spies in the west are gone" replied the Erosphire king, King Hamilton of Erosphire.

"How come? Aren't we no problem with their Kingdom?" sahut the second prince, Prince Darren.

"I don't know either, but this can't be allowed, their army is over 800,000, we're outnumbered."

"800,000 people?!" Everything in the room was flabbergasted, but not for this blond girly man.

"But, our army is only 300,000 men, Your Majesty!" marquess Houbatten.

King Hamilton snorted violently. "What do you think, Duke Floniouse? As the hero who won the war last year, do you have a solution?"

Arlen glanced for a moment. "I think we better not act rashly first. We must know their weaknesses first in order to defeat 800,000 men. For now, we better think of the most appropriate solution," he explained.

"How is the solution? We only have 300,000 troops, while they are 800,000 troops, their forces are almost three times as many. Knowing their weaknesses is also of no use to us if the numbers," protested Prince Darren.

Hearing Prince Darren's statement, all the nobles in the room immediately muttered and whispered to each other.

"Of course it can" Arlen said. "Have you ever heard that an ant can beat an elephant?"

"What do you mean exactly, Duke Floniouse?" asked Prince Yari who looked calm earlier.

This blond man put on a stern look. "Before I answer, I want to ask everyone in this room. How do you think ants can beat an elephant that has a large body and hard skin?"

The entire human race in the room seemed to be back boisterous and discussing with each other.

But no one can find the answer.

"Just tell me what you want to say, Duke Floniouse," said Prince Darren with emphasis.

Arlen reviews a slanted smile. "What's wrong with you, Second Prince? Looks like you've surrendered before trying on the war this time," the man quipped in a furious manner hurled by Prince Darren.

"Then, what's the answer, Duke Floniouse?"

ask the King still calm and dignified.

"I think I know the answer, Your Majesty," Prince Yari said. "The ant will strike the inside of the elephant softly, like the inside of its long trunk, is that true, Duke Floniouse?"

"Yes, that's right, Your Majesty. Therefore, no matter how small our troops are, as long as we find their weak points, they can't dwell."

The atmosphere was again filled with whispers, until finally the voice of their leader ended the murmurs.

"Your opinion is quite reasonable, Duke Floniouse. But for now, as you said, we better not act rashly first. If the conditions are urgent, then we will take the next step."

The King's statement became the final decision to dissolve the meeting that day.

...🥀...

Days have changed by day, so it does not feel almost two months passed since Cassandra was in this place.

For now, at least the state of the brown unravelling woman was not as bad and semyrical as the days since the events that managed to shake her soul back then.

At this time, he was not too afraid to face a man. While lying down, he also told how the characteristics he experienced at that time after drinking the Wine given by Anastasia.

But he did not tell her that the Wine that made him like this was the Wine given by Anastasia, because she wanted to repay the serpent woman in her own way.

After all, he had no evidence to say that Anastasia was the mastermind behind this.

Because in this world there is no such thing as a surveillance camera or it can be called CCTV.

So, if he accuses Anastasia without any solid evidence, it is certain that anyone does not believe, because everyone is deceived by the cute and innocent appearance of the woman.

"What do you feel after drinking that wine?" ask the doctor Arlen called to check on Cassandra's condition.

While leaning her back on the head of the cot, Cassandra breathed her out softly.

"Just relax, tell me what you want to remember. If you force it, maybe your mentality will be shaken again" said the healer gently and Cassandra nodded slowly.

"After I drank the Wine, I began to feel my vision blurred, my face reddened exactly like someone who had just been drunk."

Arlen, who was standing while leaning against the wall, crossed his hands and focused on listening to every sentence that came from the woman's lips.

"Is that the only symptom you're experiencing?"

Cassandra seemed to remember. "I also felt my whole body go numb. I couldn't feel anything at that time, and I couldn't get my energy out either" Cassandra explained, bowing to make the healer seem to think.

"So, what's the cause of all this?" asked Arlen who had just listened to their conversation.

"It seems, this is the effect of the Kanna plant, sir," the healer said, leaving Arlen frowning confused.

"Kanna, what's that plant?"

"Kanna is a kind of plant that can make people feel calm and sleepy, sir. But, if used excessively, the plant can make users hallucinate until their bodies are numb" explained the healer.

"So likely, the person who put the plant is not an ordinary person, because the Kanna plant is not an easy plant to get," he continued to express his opinion.

"Not a regular person?" arlen.

Shortly after, the atmosphere became quiet. But quickly, Cassandra broke the silence.

"Then, can I have that hallucination again?" tanyanya while squeezing a blanket wrapped up from her feet to her waist.

There is anxiety and fear behind the dark brown iris that blends in with her pupils.

The physician put a smile on his face that began to wrinkle. "Just calm down, if you don't consume it anymore, you won't hallucinate anymore" he replied, trying to calm down.

The wavy dark brown woman looked to breathe out softly, then tried to smile. "Alright, thank you," he said smiling weakly.

The physician smiled again, then stood up and respectfully addressed Arlen.

"Then my servant resigned, sir. Madam will definitely be fine, try not to do anything that invites her trauma, or else Madam will be depressed again." The doctor's advice, then leave.

Now the two of them who were in the room, at first they were just silent, busy with their own thoughts.

But before long, Arlen began to step foot up to leave the room. Then, Cassandra swiftly called out to him until the man's steps came to a halt.

"Uhm.. Can you come here for a minute?" asked the woman who was sitting on the surface of the cot hesitated.

Arlen immediately stepped his feet closer towards the woman according to her request.

While waiting for the woman to speak, she was silent with her flat face.

"I-that's. I just want to. b-thank you for waking me up at that time," said the woman stammered.

"Originally, you know, I won't be satisfied with just gratitude" he interrupted, turning his face away.

"Then what do you want? I might be able to grant it."

"What do I want, hm?" The man started to lower his head towards Cassandra then whispered. "So, I need to think about it."

Cassandra felt a sense of heat radiating as the man exhaled his breath in her earlobe.

Strange, somehow he was not afraid or disturbed at all.

Slowly but surely, Cassandra distanced the body of the man who was too close.

"Then you think about it, you can look for me."

Cassandra again put on a calm face while picking up a book that was next to her.

"What book is that?" asked Arlen, he was still a little curious.

"Hey, stay away!" the sergeant but did not succeed in making Arlen not budging.

"What are you reading?" tanyanya back.

Cassandra snorted resignedly. "Only an ordinary romantic novel," he replied, then his netra was back to focus on every letter neatly written in the fairly obsolete book.

Somehow the two of them even became a group reading, because Arlen who participated in reading novels that are usually read by women.

Shortly thereafter, a look of disgust was imprinted on the handsome face of the blond unravelling man on account of the romantic words contained in the novel.

"What'sthis? Her male lead was so exaggerated, even using such disgusting cheap romantic words," her babble made Cassandra just turn her eyeballs off guard.

"It's not disgusting, it's romantic" the woman protested.

Before long, Cassandra gasped because her book was closed. The netting stares sharply at the perpetrator.

"Rather than you read a boring book like this, you better come with me" the man got up from his seat.

"Come with you? Where's where?" ask Cassandra to know.

"To a small village, there will be a festival there."

"Festival?!" Instantly the woman's eyeballs glowed. "I'm coming with you!"

"Prepare yourself, we'll leave in the evening" the man said and left.

After Arlen left, inexplicably Cassandra got excited again, quickly standing up to clean herself up while screaming for her loyal servant.

"Alise! Hurry up and help your beautiful master get dressed!"

...🥀...

"You done yet?"

Cassandra nodded, then Arlen stepped up and followed the man.

But, the voice from behind interrupted their intentions.

"Arlen, Cassandra, where are you going?" That cute and adorable voice pierced through Cassandra's hearing making her masters grunt softly.

"Priviillage Village," Arlen answered briefly.

"The village that held the tomato war festival?! Can I come with you?" asked Anastasia enthusiastically.

Cassandra tried to smile to cover up her frustration, but she wanted to have fun, but the snake woman actually bothered her.

The blond-blonde-blonde man who was next to him glanced at him for a moment.

As if he knew that his first wife was unhappy, he opened his voice.

"Me and Cassandra didn't go to the festival, we just wanted to see the healer there."

Cassandra immediately circulated her gaze to glance at the man, but she quickly turned her eyes back.

"Then, I'll go with you"

"As we go, can you stay here just to be on guard?" cut off Arlen before Anastasia finished her words.

Secretly, the woman clenched her palms behind her fluffy dress skirt.

"All right, then you go. I will stay here" he said with a sweet smile.

After that, the two of them raised a train that would take them to the village that they were aiming for.

Cassandra Pov's

"Why don't you take Anastasia?" my question was a little sniffy, well even though I was glad that the woman wasn't coming with us.

"Because someone was jealous, so I didn't invite him," he said casually as he folded his hands.

"I'm not jealous!" get me fast.

After all who is jealous of such an annoying guy?!

"Did I say it was you?"

Checkmate!

His words made me shut up and cursed myself out of shame.

Stupid Cassandra!

"Ekhem!" I also cleared my throat like an authoritative person to cover up the embarrassment that approached me.

I clenched my hand and I positioned myself in front of my lips and sat up straight trying to avoid his gaze.

Shortly after we traveled, we finally arrived.

There are many red and tomato colors scattered everywhere, even many people throw tomatoes from each other.

I felt something warm and big holding my palm, I immediately saw what it was.

"Come on." Invite the blond man who turned out to be the perpetrator who grasped my palm.

In my old world, I hated men who had so badly touched my body. Except for work.

However, different from now. I even feel comfortable. Is this the body of Cassandra la Devoline?

I don't know, I'll never know.

For now, I just want to follow where he's going to take me.

A few steps we walked, now there is a store that sells a lot of tomatoes.

We went straight to him, and Arlen bought him in small quantities.

Sultan mah is free.

He gave me half of what he bought, and I gladly received it.

A splash!

Not until one minute, now there is a tomato that was thrown until it broke into the back of his head.

He showed a surprised expression like a child who had just dropped his ice cream while holding his head, and I really couldn't help but laugh I saw his face.

"Haha!" I rubbed a glimmer of water flowing from my eyes because my stomach hurts from laughing.

"That's funny you think?" She asked while looking at me with her sulking face.

But before long, now I even show a surprised look because he threw a tomato in his grip right on my face.

I developed my cheeks pissed. "Here you!" I shouted to avenge his actions, but he ran away so we chased after him like cats and dogs.

When we were busy throwing tomatoes at each other, laughter adorned his handsome face which was usually decorated with cold and flat faces.

The corners of her lips were raised, the dimples of her cheeks were clearly imprinted, her eyebrows were frowning with her eyelids closed as she managed to throw a tomato right into my face for the second time.

I really like that heartfelt laugh.

^^I Become Wife of the Atrocious Duke^^^

^^17 November 2020^^^