Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 247: How Many Children Do You Want? [Bonus - ]

Chapter 247: How Many Children Do You Want? [Bonus Chapter]

Arabella helped Dimo cut the stake on his plate since his hands were trembling from eating too little this morning and the previous day.

"T-thank you, Your Majesty. I-I can do it myself," Dimo said in a shaky voice and Arabella realized why when she glanced at her husband. He was oozing with a scary aura while looking at Dimo.

"My dear, you shouldn’t scare children like that," Arabella chastised.

"I wasn’t trying to scare him. This is how I usually am," Ferdinand denied. "And you don’t have to take care of him yourself. Let the servants do it."

’Oh, so that was it.’

"It’s alright. I will do it myself. Don’t you think I should begin practicing for the future?" Arabella teased.

"For the future?" Ferdinand repeated and his ears turned red when he realized she meant for when they have children too.

He couldn’t complain anymore and ate silently instead even as she pampered Dimo. She served Dimo’s meals herself and her husband didn’t say another word.

[Right. Humans usually take care of their young until they are old enough to take care of themselves. Even Raymond pampers his children like this too. I guess I have to learn about this too. I have to tell Raymond to give me books about this as well.]

Arabella smiled at the thought her husband had. It would be good if Ferdinand would read books about raising children since he seemed to lack knowledge of it despite raising Alwin himself.

’Just how did he raise Alwin then?’ Arabella had to wonder.

She pushed it to the back of her mind as she enjoyed pampering Dimo. It had been so long since she last did this and she missed it. Fermin enjoyed his meals more when she ate beside him and helped him with his meals.

Dimo enjoyed getting pampered as well since he missed his mother. From his thoughts, Arabella learned that his mother used to do this for him.

But ever since his mother died and no one had taken care of him like this anymore. Especially after his ability to use fire magic was revealed. Dimo often ate alone since then except when his father was not busy.

Once they were done with their meal Dimo told her about what he learned about magic. He even showed Arabella how he could make just a bit of fire from his fingertips and make it vanish. He could control it to this extent in a matter of days.

Arabella gave Dimo a lot of praise especially since even Alwin thought that Dimo was unexpectedly a fast learner.

Dimo was still ten but he could already do this. If only he had a teacher in his past life too, he would have been able to learn this more easily than sustaining injuries and burn marks from his own trial-and-error experiments.

Both Arabella and Ferdinand had work to do so they parted after lunch. Ferdinand had to continue working on the documents from the Imperial Palace since there was a lot he had to personally sign.

According to a letter from Raymond, Arabella’s assistants were doing well so just a bit of work from the palace had arrived for her.

Still, she went to her temporary study beside her room and wrote a letter to her parents regarding the resume of trade with Lahar.

Dimo was more at ease with her since he had met her before with his father, so she brought him along with her and he silently read a book about magic.

It was apparently the easiest and simplest one Alwin and Riley could find that even a child would be able to understand.

Once she was done with her work, Dimo was yawning. He was tired from reading. She let him have some snacks and told him about more stories she had once been telling Fermin.

Dimo fell asleep with his head on her lap and she gently stroked his hair.

Fermin used to fall asleep like this too. Fermin used to go and disturb her from working and she would pamper him like this at times until he falls asleep.

[What’s with that reminiscent look in her eyes? Is she missing children because of the young master? Does she unconsciously long to pamper children? She used to do this for His Highness.]

Arabella flinched when she heard Alwin’s thoughts. She looked around but no one was in the room. She glanced at the window and saw strands of Alwin’s hair being blown by the wind.

’Ah right, they take turns guarding me. It must be his turn.’

Ferdinand had assigned Alwin and Riley to alternately take turns in guarding her along with Rendell and the other knights while they were here in Medeus.

"Arabella," she heard Ferdinand’s voice from the door along with a light knock.

"You may come in," she said and her husband’s face instantly darkened when she saw Dimo using her lap as a pillow.

"That’s my spot," he said and Arabella couldn’t help chuckling.

[I should be the only one allowed to sleep in her lap like that. Why is this kid taking my place?]

"Later, tonight," Arabella said in a low voice, and Ferdinand’s ears visibly turned red.

Teasing him like this seems fun too. His reactions were cute.

"We can have Alwin teleport him to a bed in one of the guest rooms instead," Ferdinand still suggested.

"He can stay just like this. Look at him sleeping soundly. Sometimes, children need to be pampered like this. Dimo had been through a lot so this is the least I could do for him."

[She seems to really like children.]

"How many children do you want?" Ferdinand asked all of a sudden and Arabella choke on her own spit and ended up coughing. Thankfully Dimo did not wake up.

"Are you alright?" Ferdinand checked her and she chuckled yet again.

"What’s with you asking that all of a sudden?"

"If you like children that much, we can just make our own," Ferdinand said what had been on his mind since the last time he saw her so concerned and loving to children.

"Yes, of course. We will, someday. Just one is more than enough. But if we will be blessed with more, then why not, right?" Arabella smiled.

"Yes. I’d love every child I will have with you," Ferdinand’s face turned red.