I Became the Villainess, But My Beast Husbands Can Hear My Mind?!-Chapter 88: Side Mission: Find a Worthy Commander (1)
For the rest of the day, Luan was incredibly clingy. He didn’t leave Roxanna’s side even for a single second. Now she finally understood that if she used the Guardian Blessing on her husbands, they would become clingy beyond all reason.
She honestly didn’t mind, but when she needed to do other things in front of people, she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed.
Just like now, she was discussing her plan to hold a tournament and exams with Commander Marlow. Since she didn’t know much about that field, she wanted to ask Commander Marlow to help her create some questions.
But how could she stay focused when Luan kept hugging her from behind and asking for affection every single minute?
"Roxanna, I’m thirsty. Let’s go get some water from the well," he said.
Roxanna let out a soft sigh. "Luan, you can go to the well by yourself."
"Why? Maybe you’re thirsty too, so I wanted to invite you to go together," Luan argued.
Roxanna sighed again and shook her head lightly. Commander Marlow’s eye twitched a little, probably annoyed because they kept acting lovey-dovey right in front of a widower.
"Luan," she said gently, "how about you turn into a cat? I can hold you on my lap while I talk with Commander Marlow. After that, we can go to the well to get some water."
Luan paused for a moment, then nodded without hesitation. "Alright."
In just a few seconds, he turned into a black cat. He wriggled out of his clothes and jumped onto her lap, circling a few times before curling up comfortably.
Roxanna bit her lower lip, screaming inside her head, [He’s so cute! My Luan is too cute! He really acts like a cat!]
Her other husbands, who had been watching from a distance, couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. That cat had been getting all of Roxanna’s attention since last night. But since they knew Luan wasn’t in great condition, they decided to let it go.
"So, Commander Marlow, back to what we were discussing earlier," Roxanna said while gently stroking Luan’s head.
She continued, "Instead of choosing a new commander solely based on strength, I also want to test their knowledge through an exam, and maybe a short interview."
Commander Marlow frowned. He honestly didn’t really understand the words she was using.
Exam? Interview? Whatever those were, they sounded like a complete nightmare.
"That sounds complicated. Wouldn’t it be better to choose a commander based only on strength? Isn’t that the most important thing?" he asked. "Besides, I don’t think I really understand what you mean, Leader."
Roxanna then patiently explained the meaning of exams and interviews to Commander Marlow.
"An exam is just a written test," she said gently. "It’s used to see how much someone knows. For example, we can ask questions about tactics, teamwork, survival, and how to lead soldiers. If they answer well, it means they understand their duty."
Commander Marlow blinked slowly, still trying to process it. "Written? What’s that?"
Roxanna froze when she heard his question. She finally remembered that the beastkins didn’t know the alphabet yet, and they couldn’t read.
She cleared her throat and said, "I think we’ll just hold a tournament and an interview instead." She continued, "The interview is simple. It just means talking face-to-face. We ask them questions to learn about their personality, what kind of leader they are, how they make decisions, and how they treat others."
"So," she went on softly, "the strong ones can still join, but I don’t just want someone powerful. I want someone wise. Someone who can protect the tribe not only with strength, but also with their heart and mind."
Commander Marlow finally nodded, beginning to understand, although he still looked a little overwhelmed.
"That... sounds like a lot," he muttered. "But I can see why you want it, Leader. A commander should be more than just strong."
[Ding! Ding!]
[Side Mission Activated: Appoint a Commander who possesses true strength of body, mind, and heart.]
[Reward: Emergency Command Seal (One-Time Use) — Effect: Your order cannot be refused.]
Even without the system giving her such a mission, Roxanna would have still chosen a leader with those qualities. But now that the system had made it official, she really couldn’t afford to choose carelessly.
Roxanna turned back to Marlow. "Since we’ll be hunting the Demon Fenrir soon, I think it would be better if we choose the commander quickly. How about tomorrow? Is that too soon?"
At first, her husbands had planned to hunt the Demon Fenrir on their own. But after Luan got hurt because of it, Roxanna thought it would be better if the warriors joined the hunt as well.
"No, no, not at all, Leader!" Marlow said with a big smile. "The sooner I can get rid of this title, the better!"
It seemed Commander Marlow truly no longer wanted to be a commander. He probably just wanted to lie down all day and have fun while healing the pain in his heart.
"Then we can talk about the type of tournament and interviews we’ll hold tomorrow," Roxanna said. "But first, I need to give my husband something to drink."
Roxanna laughed softly as Luan continued acting just like a real cat. He couldn’t even stop purring whenever she stroked his head.
"Yes! Yes! Take your husband away!" Commander Marlow said. "But if he’s going to join the tournament tomorrow, then he must not listen to our discussion later!"
Roxanna nodded. "Yes, it’s better if only the two of us talk about it."
[I really hope my husbands won’t be upset if I talk alone with another man, someone other than them.]
It might sound silly, but she truly meant it. In the past, even when she caught her ex-husband following sexy girls online, he would still get angry and accuse her of being paranoid and not trusting him.
But if Roxanna grew close to another man—even if it was just a co-worker—her ex-husband would go on a rampage and accuse her of cheating behind his back.
In the end... he was the one who had been cheating on her all along. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
What a nightmare.
