The Villain's Wife - Chapter 1: Shrewd Woman

In a world where fate is scripted and power determines survival, Arthur Nightingale was never meant to shine.When he awakens in the world of Saga of the Divine Swordsman, he isn’t the destined hero, the villain, or even a major side character—he’s an extra. A nobody. A mere background figure in the shadow of Lucifer Windward, the overpowered protagonist who will one day ascend beyond gods.But Arthur knows the truth.The world he now inhabits is doomed. The plot is destined for a catastrophic downfall, and the so-called “geniuses” will not be enough to stop the tide of destruction. Armed with knowledge of future events and his own will to defy fate, Arthur refuses to be just an extra.

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.

Ten years after her parents’ divorce, the grandmother who raised Chu Tingwu passed away, leaving her to be shuttled back and forth between relatives.At this moment, an entity claiming to be a “Cub Rearing System” suddenly appeared, wanting to bind itself to her and cultivate her into an outstanding graduate of its program.Just as Chu Tingwu was about to refuse, she saw her personal attributes on the system interface—[Name: Chu Tingwu][Species: Cat]Chu Tingwu: Something’s not right here…Due to a bug, the system had identified her as a kitten.Her stats were those of a cat, but her appearance remained human.How should an exemplary human-cat be raised? Sleeping, causing mischief, eating until she became as round as a pig?However, the reality turned out to be quite different: extreme sports, expert bird-catcher, master mouse-hunter, catching invasive fish barehanded with dynamic vision, using camouflage and tracking skills to film documentaries of rare birds, nearly making the social news as a suspected retired special police officer.For the first lesson in cultivation, the system said gravely:“A cub cannot live alone. We need to find you a cat mother… I’ve already detected a suitable candidate nearby. Go to the target location quickly, little one, and let the cat mother adopt you.”Chu Tingwu looked up as an advertisement fluttered into her hand:[Sunshine Pet Hospital: Limited-time half-price pet neutering, one month of free food with every pet adoption]Chu Tingwu: Who exactly is adopting whom here?

After the divorce, I amazed the world with my child.Forced into marriage, Ning Yichu always thought that Li Linyang hated her as his wife, until one night when he got drunk and cornered her with red eyes, “Ning Yichu? The one I damn well want is Ning Yichu!”Ning Yichu believed it to be true and sweetly managed their marriage, only to be met with a divorce agreement.Five years later, she returns gloriously with a new book “The Years My Ex-husband Couldn't”, alongside a pair of genius twins. She effortlessly navigates the jewelry world, becoming a top-notch jade carving artist, winning awards left and right. Countless socialites are willing to spend extravagantly for her work, causing a sensation online.What? The green tea is sick and dying, wanting her help? No way!What? The scumbag ex-husband is kneeling at the door begging for reconciliation? Let him go.But what's with this scumbag ex-husband? She finally found a tall, rich, and handsome man to be the stepdad for her kids, yet this bastard keeps causing trouble every day!“Wife, today you held Mo Boyou's hand once, met him seven times, spoke 327 words with him!”“Go away, we already divorced. Next, I'm not only going to hold his hand, meet, and speak with him, but also hug, kiss, and walk into the hall of marriage...”The scumbag ex-husband rages, veins popping.She thought he was going to hit her, but instead, he turned and stuffed a cute little girl into her arms, saying pitifully, “Wife, I was wrong. Our daughter cannot live without mommy. Please give me another chance!”The adorable little girl looks on pitifully, “Mommy, please love, please caress, please don't abandon me!”OMG! When did you steal one of my babies?