Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 130: I Heard Her Call My Name

Chapter 130: I Heard Her Call My Name

[Is this one of the reasons why His Majesty was so in love with her?] Alwin wondered.

Arabella felt someone hold her hand. It was Ferdinand. And for some reason, his eyes were shining.

[Ah, it was indeed. It’s a pity that she would change so much as years pass by.] Alwin rolled his eyes at what he was witnessing.

’Humans change faster than the wind, Alwin,’ she wanted to say. For long-lived beings like him, the change must be too rapid.

Arabella flinched when Ferdinand kissed the back of her hand in front of everyone.

’What is he doing?!’ she wanted to scold him but didn’t dare since there are other people watching them. It might cause all sorts of rumors again if she scolded him for a simple matter like this.

The children and the young ladies were blushing while Bernardo and the warriors repeatedly blinked their eyes not believing what they saw. It was so unexpected for them because of Ferdinand’s reputation. Even Nadia was gawking.

"I’m proud to have chosen you as my Empress," Ferdinand said out of nowhere.

’W-what is wrong with Ferdinand?!!’ Arabella turned red in embarrassment. This is the first time in two lifetimes that she ever heard these words.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied as dignified and as collected as she could despite the heat on her face.

[Chose? Didn’t His Majesty just fall head over heels right from the start? Just look at him acting so uncharacteristically. Ever since he first laid eyes on her, he had been so out of character.]

Arabella learned from Alwin’s internal monologues that at the time when she was sixteen and encountered monsters; when Ferdinand heard her scream, he instantly headed in her direction even though they were not supposed to show themselves to anyone.

If Alwin wasn’t quick to use magic to change their appearance, Ferdinand would have rescued her as is without a care about the consequences of his identity getting revealed.

[When Raymond scolded him about it later, His Majesty even uncharacteristically lied and said: ’I heard her call my name and she was asking for my help.’ It was such an obvious lie.]

’What a lame excuse. Couldn’t he have said a more believable reason?’ Arabella couldn’t help but agree.

But then again, he was Ferdinand Valeria. Why would he have to lie to cover up? He just does as he pleases so he was not used to making up reasons.

It was truly farfetched and not possible though since Arabella had not even met Ferdinand then. Sure, she had read about him but no one ever dared to utter his name nor would she at the time.

Merely saying his name was said to bring bad luck or misfortune so no one dared to do so. Especially since he was such a powerful person who could eliminate anyone who dares to carelessly say his name.

[So the rumors in the Imperial Palace were true? It was His Majesty who fancies Her Majesty. But Her Majesty’s cheeks turned slightly reddish earlier too.]

Nadia wondered if Arabella also liked Ferdinand now or if she was just acting since they were in front of everyone.

Apparently, Nadia had also heard of the rumor that Arabella had eloped with her former lover because she did not want to marry Ferdinand.

’What else does everyone in the palace know?’

Arabella wondered if they were even truly managing to hide that they haven’t consummated yet if even Nadia who had just arrived in the palace days ago already knew about these.

She glanced at the children and the young ladies and they now had dreamy looks on their faces.

She’s glad they now had a softer and more positive view of Ferdinand but she’d rather not have them falsely believe that marrying into royalty was as easy as tales portrayed.

Arabella had experienced being an Empress for two decades and it wasn’t in the least bit easy. There was a ton of work to do and a lot of things to maintain.

Meanwhile, Nadia who was the daughter of the Chief of Safiro was not at all fooled that love between leading families could be easy.

After all, Nadia carried the responsibility of being Safiro’s eldest princess which was why she was always thinking of her people.

"Alwin, are we not going to the residential area yet?" Arabella asked to revert the attention of everyone on where it should be focused.

Alwin glanced at Ferdinand and when he nodded, Alwin teleported them to the entrance of the residential area.

The tribesmen were alarmed when Alwin suddenly arrived with them.

"Greetings to His Majesty, the Emperor. Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress," the knights instantly bowed.

With Ferdinand’s imposing presence, the tribesmen had no choice but to bow and greet as well.

"Nadia?!"

Someone from the tribesmen called out upon spotting Nadia. He resembled Miguel and Manuel so Arabella figured it must be Dante.

Nadia glanced at Arabella first and when she smiled in approval, Nadia ran to Dante and embraced him.

"Is it really you?!"

Dante checked Nadia from head to foot and pinched her cheeks.

"How could you have gained so much weight in just two weeks?" Dante was suspicious after everything they had been through.

"The Count’s men forced me to eat even when I was already full," Nadia recalled how she was made to eat more than she could just so she wouldn’t look malnourished once she reached Riva.

"It’s not just Nadia," Miguel and Manuel joined them and patted Dante on the back.

"Elder brother!" Aida and Myra also ran to embrace Dante whom they haven’t seen ever since they were sneaked out of Safiro.

"Aida? Myra?" Dante blinked repeatedly as he stared at his younger sisters. "You’ve both grown so much."

Aida and Myra were both malnourished when they were in Safiro so they were so much smaller than they currently were.

"You’ve done well holding the fort all this time," Bernardo also joined them and patted Dante’s head.

"What do you mean?"

"Safiro is safe now thanks to Nadia. She passed as Her Imperial Majesty’s assistant," Bernardo then explained why all of them were together.

Dante paled when he realized that Ferdinand and Arabella were truly the Emperor and Empress. He instantly groveled to ask for forgiveness for not believing Ferdinand was Emperor Valeria earlier and not letting them get near the people.