Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 230: Family Reunion

Chapter 230: Family Reunion

Arabella got busy overseeing the maids and butlers unpacking while Ferdinand got busy with the knights.

She also rechecked that all the gifts for the royals from other kingdoms arrived in Medeus safe and sound. Thankfully, everything was alright so they could begin sending out the gifts later.

Arabella also checked how Alfredo and the chefs were doing since she had invited her parents for lunch.

The preparations were going well since the chefs were motivated to impress her parents so they would not think Arabella was eating unpleasant food in Valeria. They prepared both Valerian and Lobelian cuisine to show off what they can do and let her parents know that they were willing to change and adapt to their Empress’ taste.

By lunchtime, Arabella’s parents were right on time. And they arrived with her older brother Benjamin. He indeed traveled to Medeus with them.

Ferdinand was the first to greet them since he was already outside with the knights.

As she was walking to the front door, she heard her family thank Ferdinand again for sending Alwin to Lobelius to heal Benjamin. They brought a lot of gifts with them too.

"Sister!" Benjamin beamed upon seeing her exit the door and he ran to embrace her.

Rendell was alarmed and didn’t know what to do but surmised he shouldn’t block him since he was Arabella’s brother. He earned a glare from Ferdinand though for not stopping Benjamin.

[Do they have to embrace each other?] Ferdinand didn’t like seeing them look so close especially since he just got told off this morning not to be too touchy with her in front of other people but here she was fine with embracing another man in front of everyone.

’He’s my brother,’ Arabella wanted to say but didn’t comment instead. She recalled Ferdinand didn’t have any siblings nor family for that matter so he probably didn’t understand.

"Elder Brother," Arabella embraced her brother tightly despite the looks she could feel from Ferdinand.

For her, it had been more than two decades since the last time she had seen Benjamin. Her older brother had always been kind to her since they were young.

"Ella! I missed you so much," Benjamin held her firmly.

When was the last time someone called her Ella? It was a name only her family called her. It sounded so familiar and foreign at the same after not hearing it for so long. But it seems no matter how much time had passed, this name was still so precious to her.

In the previous life, Arabella thought Benjamin easily agreed without contradicting her parents to send her off to Valeria since he didn’t help her at all to prevent the marriage. He simply said there was nothing he could do so she thought he didn’t care about her as much as she thought. Since then, she didn’t talk much with her brother. She never met him again once she was in Valeria. The same is true with her entire family. They became estranged.

Thus, this was the first time she reunited with them after two decades.

She had forgotten what it was like to be in her brother’s arms. Who would have thought it was this warm and comforting?

She realized she missed her brother much more than he thought. She was closest with him among their other siblings after all.

And now that she had the recollection of it, she knew now it was her older brother who had found her and brought her to safety when she almost drowned in the pond when she as a child.

[She seems really close to her older brother. I see now why she sobbed so much that day when her maid just arrived and she learned he was gravely injured and almost died.] Ferdinand misunderstood what happened that time.

Arabella felt someone stroke her hair gently and shivered at this familiar touch she had forgotten she had missed so much.

Now she recalled how much this touch meant to her. She had been longing for this gentle caress at the darkest points of her life. But it never came.

Who would have thought she would get the chance to feel this again?

"Mother?" Arabella glanced behind her and it was indeed her mother.

[She still called me Mother... How I missed my little girl calling me Mother. It wasn’t long ago when she was just a child following me everywhere. Now, she had to be a grown-up and be a married woman because I sent her away.] Her mother gulped and she looked like she might cry.

"Ella," her mother said with so much emotion in her voice and eyes. Her voice made something in Arabella’s chest feel warm and hurt at the same time.

[My daughter, my adorable daughter. I wanted to keep you by my side for as long as I could. But the dangers chasing you simply kept increasing as you grew.]

’Dangers that had been chasing me?’ Arabella wondered what those were about. She was leaving her life peacefully in Lobelius before she had to break up with Andrew.

[Beauty had always been both a blessing and a curse. I simply wished you wouldn’t have to go through what I had been through. Even if you must hate me, as long as you are safe.] Her mother thought and retracted the hand she had stretched out to caress her cheek. She thought she had no right to caress Arabella now after breaking her heart and sending her off to Valeria.

Arabella gulped and embraced her mother too. She embraced her tightly and her mother gently rubbed her back and stroked her hair. Her father embraced them too and gently patted her head.

It made Arabella feel all sorts of emotions. It had been so long since she was in her mother and father’s arms.

Arabella realized she had actually been longing for this sense of comfort when she thought she was all alone in her past life.

[Ella, I’m so sorry, I am not capable enough to protect you. I have failed as a father. But I pray you’ll be safe and sound wherever you go with a powerful husband to shield you from all the dangers that had been chasing you. I hope he’s indeed capable enough to protect you even if those evils come after you again.] Her father thought.