Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 1009: A Brunch Date

Chapter 1009: Chapter 1009: A Brunch Date

Maintaining image for people like them was indeed important, but their health even more so.

Thankfully, Ferdinand worried about her health more.

"Then, should we eat somewhere different this time?" Ferdinand asked with a hint of nervousness.

[I’m not sure she would like it, but at least it’s different from usual.]

’Oh, he made some preparations while I was asleep?’

Arabella perked up. She could not help but expect something special.

"Of course! I’d love to. Where should we eat?"

Arabella would not reject an offer like this. Especially when he managed to do it while busy with work.

"Then..." Ferdinand glanced at her footwear and nodded in approval when he saw her wearing boots.

’Is it somewhere faraway?’

Arabella heard from her maids thoughts when choosing her footwear that Ferdinand asked them to choose comfortable and sturdy outdoor footwear for her, not the usual heeled shoes.

She assumed it was because they had a date to go see real bears today. But it seems Ferdinand planned more than bear sightseeing.

"You’ll see when we get there. Shall we go?" Ferdinand said and held her hand.

"Sure!" Arabella looked forward to the surprise.

She was already excited about this.

When they got out of her room, Alwin was there waiting for them.

"Ready?" Ferdinand asked one last time and when Arabella eagerly nodded, Alwin teleported them.

"Wow!!!"

Arabella gasped in awe at the scenery that greeted her eyes when they arrived.

They were beside a crystal clear pond in the middle of a forest.

The pond was surrounded by grasses and flowers for several meters before shrubs and trees followed.

There were birds perched nearby singing as they pleased and there were little squirrels eating seeds and playing about on the grasses as their arrival was not noticed.

When Arabella looked up, she noticed the transparent barrier around them spanning up to where their table was set up.

Even birds and other animals were not able to see and sense them with the barrier around them.

Thus, it was as if they were not there and could watch the natural scenery freely.

"How is it?" Ferdinand inquired.

"It’s so beautiful here!" Arabella praised.

Ferdinand sighed in relief and said, "I’m glad you like it."

"Thank you for bringing me here," Arabella said and kissed him on the cheek. "The squirrels playing around there are so cute!"

Ferdinand smiled at her reaction, the tips of his ears becoming reddish.

He pulled out a seat for her and said, "You should sit here then. You can watch them while eating."

"Thank you," Arabella said as she seated herself.

She could indeed see the squirrels clearly even while seated since hers was facing their direction.

Ferdinand seated himself as well and said, "Then, shall we eat?"

"Right, of course," Arabella finally recalled they came here to eat.

The squirrels distracted her too much.

The food on the table was mouthwatering and her stomach growled after seeing them.

"Haha. You should begin eating," Ferdinand chuckled.

Arabella obeyed and began eating. They did not eat snacks last night and only drank some water when they had breaks so she truly needed the energy.

While they were eating, various animals visited the pond to drink some water.

Some nobles had squirrel pets because they were cute so Arabella had seen them before. Thus, it was not her first time seeing them.

However, for deers, both young and old, today was the first time she saw them in person.

She had only ever seen deer antlers and cooked deer meat.

Today was the first time she saw male and female deers and even the young ones.

The young ones were even cuter in person than they were in books.

Now she felt bad for all the deer meat she had eaten in her past and present life.

Thankfully, she was done eating so she did not have to stop eating all the meat dishes that were served.

She did prefer fruits and vegetables but she still eats meat.

"I think I should stop eating anything with deer meat," Arabella thought out loud.

"Don’t. You need the nutrition. And besides, it tastes good," Ferdinand immediately told her off.

"But look at them, they’re so adorable and they’re a family! It means when I eat one, a deer loses a family member," Arabella pointed out.

[Hah! Says someone who didn’t mind her fellow humans losing their family.] Alwin silently scoffed at her.

It was a habit of his to think like this when she says something. She had already told him off but old habits die hard.

He had made himself invisible after he teleported them but she knew where he was through his thoughts. He was on a tree reading a book.

Arabella glared at him but he merely ignored her.

"It can’t be helped.

It’s a rule of nature that has existed since time immemorial.

It’s part of the ecosystem.

If creation does not consume another creation and later on be consumed as well, they would cease to exist as they’re taken out of the cycle of life in one way or another.

Even humans and the long-lived races become food for plants and the surroundings when they die.

It’s part of the cycle to balance things out.

What do you think will happen if all humans and long-lived races stop eating animals?

Animals will grow in number.

If their population equates to that of humans, then it’s humans who will die out from beast attacks or diseases from animals.

Even plants have lives and we eat them too.

What I mean is, you don’t have to feel bad since it’s a normal part of life," Ferdinand pointed out.

"R-right," was all Arabella could say from that long explanation.

She could not rebut it anymore since what he said was indeed true.

Something from what he said made her want to ask more though.

"Does this also work on primordials like you?" Arabella inquired.

"Yes. We are still part of the cycle and contributing to it in more ways than one, alive or dead.

When primordials die, our mana returns to this world gradually over time.

The Primordial Giants and Elves who lay asleep beneath the earth are still emitting mana to their surroundings.

The same is true with anyone who has ample mana.

Even as we speak, the plants in our surroundings are absorbing some of our mana right now," Ferdinand explained.

"They do?!" Arabella looked around and did not notice anything different.