Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 26: Divorce

Chapter 26: Divorce

After making Valeria fall once and seeing Ferdinand die right in front of her, Arabella didn’t feel happy. She didn’t gain a sense of satisfaction or anything. After everything, all she wanted was to die and rest in peace with hopes of seeing her son again.

That was all it was.

Does she have to go that route again after already completing it before?

Her revenge was done. No matter her lingering hate or fury, this is a new life. Ferdinand has not yet committed atrocities against her.

Wouldn’t she be an idiot and a hypocrite to wait for everything to happen just so she could exact her revenge again?

No. It would be idiocy. She would never allow her child to die at his hands again.

No matter how much she missed her son and longed to see him, she doesn’t want to give birth to him again if he would only suffer in this world. He was already in the next life. Maybe, he is already in a better place. She doesn’t have to make him experience pain and death again, right?

Arabella’s chest hurt as her heart felt like it crumpled in pain.

Yes, it would be best to part with Ferdinand before they cross the path of no return.

The past month, she couldn’t help but keep acting and thinking as if Ferdinand have already sinned against her when he haven’t done anything in this life yet. She cannot be with him anymore if she was to live this life differently.

She glanced at Alwin. Maybe, he truly was her only hope of leaving this place.

If he disliked her so much to the point of showing such hostility and risking getting punished by Ferdinand because of it, he must have his reasons.

But . . .

"There is no such thing, Your Majesty. I would never dare choose a woman for milord. His Majesty can choose whoever he wishes to marry," Alwin replied and she felt like she wilted.

Arabella bit her lip. There goes her hope of getting a divorce by using Alwin. It got crushed before it even began.

"However, does Your Majesty mean you are still thinking about your former lover? I heard he was already married to someone else. Why would Your Ladyship still wish to go back to Lobelius? Do you dislike Valeria? Has milord ever mistreated you? Were the servants or the palace not to your liking? I believe Valeria and my lord are superior in every way. Or do you hate His Majesty because he ended up causing your breakup with your lover?" Alwin asked straightforwardly.

Ah, there was still hope. Maybe, she can have them cooperate with her to get a divorce. They are loyal to Ferdinand so they wouldn’t like a woman who still has feelings for someone else and refuses to move on.

"Alwin!" Raymond grimaced. He was wide-eyed from Alwin’s questions when Arabella herself just listened to it calmly.

[This bastard! Is he trying to make things worse? If he makes an irreparable rift between Her Majesty and His Majesty’s relationship, there’s no telling what his punishment would be. He is so insensitive. This is exactly why I have been telling him to get married already.] Raymond massaged his temples as he eyed Alwin with an exhausted look.

’Irreparable rift? It was already done. Ferdinand-’

Arabella stopped the train of her thoughts. Here she goes again still so focused on the past even when she had already told herself to stop it and try looking at things differently.

She truly had to leave this place soon.

"Please forgive his rudeness, Your Majesty. Alwin is usually a calm and respectful person," Raymond seemed prepared to make a long explanation but Arabella gestured for him to stop.

"It’s alright," she smiled at Raymond for him to calm down but he flinched instead.

[Is she furious now? She would inform His Majesty about this, wouldn’t she? Alwin better prepares himself for his punishment.]

Raymond misunderstood her again. He thought she got offended by Alwin’s questioning.

If Arabella was just her eighteen-year-old self with no recollections of the past, she would have been offended by Alwin a lot. She would probably be crying by now just at the memory of her heartbreak with Andrew.

Moving on was not so easy for her since Andrew was her first love. Still, in her previous life, Ferdinand filled the hole in her heart left by Andrew.

But right now, only a month had passed since her wedding to Ferdinand so she was supposed to still have lingering feelings for Andrew even if, hypothetically speaking, she was already falling for her husband just as she did in her previous life.

Alwin was asking for too much from a naive pampered princess who just suffered her first heartbreak and betrayal from her first love.

"You haven’t fallen in love yet, have you?" Arabella said since only someone who had never tried it could be so cold and merciless.

Her marriage with Ferdinand didn’t necessitate her loving him, so Alwin shouldn’t be so demanding as to imply she should love or like the Emperor by now enough for her to choose Valeria over Lobelius. It was also normal for her to dislike Ferdinand for causing her relationship with Andrew to fall apart.

"Pfft. . . Haha . . ."

’Huh?’ Arabella tilted her head when Raymond covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing but still laughed anyway.

[All this guy knows is magic and serving His Majesty.]

’Oh, he didn’t have the time to get a lover?’ Arabella wondered. She recalled Alwin just stayed in the magic tower all the time when Ferdinand doesn’t need him.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty. It’s just, you were so on point that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. Alwin has no experience with love so he does not understand the heart’s painful longing for a cherished one," Raymond smiled.

Alwin turned red in embarrassment and glared at Raymond.

"I see. On the other hand, you must love your wife a lot don’t you?" Arabella slowly nodded her head.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Very much so," Raymond smiled and nodded in response to her question. Just the mention of his wife brightened his eyes.

Arabella couldn’t help but feel envious. Even in her previous life, Raymond treasured his wife the most.

Raymond’s wife, Clarisse, was the most powerful lady in Valeria because she was cherished by him. His wife also loved him and supported his work. She attended socialization events with him all the time so she had connections everywhere. She knew all the important houses in Valeria.

Clarisse was at the top of Arabella’s list of people she had to get on her side. Gathering allies would be easier if Clarisse would be with her.

But that is if she would have to stay in this place.

Arabella was honestly too tired to play with Ferdinand in this life again. She was back to her young and energetic body but her mind was still so exhausted because of her memories of her past life.

Perhaps, she was reborn so she could live in guilt and regret for involving everyone in this place in her revenge. This life is her punishment for all the sins she had committed.

Maybe she could atone a bit by being a good Empress to the people while she’s here. But she cannot stay here for long or her memories will tempt her to torment Ferdinand again.

She might revert to her old self and do all kinds of plots again. She was a danger to the people here. She might be powerless now but she knew just what her wiles could do if she was willing to use them again.

But it was high time she accepted this as a new life and live anew. She didn’t want to achieve great feats or do anything special. All she wanted was just a normal peaceful life even if she, herself was questioning if she deserved it after all the things she had done.

If she could leave Valeria, she would live quietly alone in a secluded place and die in silence without ruining someone else’s life.

But if she was to ever marry again, maybe, it would be to Icarus if he loves her in this life as well.

The past three days, after thinking a lot about her nightmare last time, or rather, a last piece of memory as she was dying, she realized Icarus did love her.

His smiles at her were genuine. His reassuring words were not empty. And the touch and kisses he gave her were filled with love and passion.

Icarus was right. She had been too absorbed in her sadness and hate to see the world clearly. And yet, Icarus still loved a bitter woman like her and helped her achieve her revenge.

It was why he gave in to all her requests even when he disliked some of them. It was why he was furious when he learned that before she was able to reach him, she had slept with other men just to get more allies on her side.

After that, Icarus promised to give her all the support she needed so she didn’t have to maintain her ties with those men. She mistakenly thought it was just a sense of possessiveness and pride just like her husband. But Icarus’ feelings were genuine.

And yet, she so selfishly used him not knowing he had serious feelings for her. She even betrayed him in the end as she slit her own throat despite her promise to him.

Someone loved and accepted her no matter what she had become, and yet, she wasted it.

She owed Icarus a ’Thank you’ and an apology.

If given the chance, she would atone for her sin. She could be his lover if he falls for her in this life too.

And this time, if fate wills them to meet, perhaps, Arabella should devote herself to Icarus. She would fulfill the promise she broke in her previous life. To be his wife.

And so she had to get away from Ferdinand with her chastity still intact. Icarus had been so kind to her, so this time, if she was going to be with him, she doesn’t want to have been with other men.

But before that, she had to clarify things with Alwin and try to have him help her get a divorce.