Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 30: Depravity

Chapter 30: Depravity

’Why am I here again?!’

Arabella shivered in trepidation when she found herself in the magic tower.

She was standing by the window and could see the capital in flames. She could hear the shrieks and screams of their people once again.

’What’s happening? I was just speaking with Alwin and Raymond. Why am I here?!’

She thought she was back in her past life but she realized her hands were transparent. She was not in her body.

’Ah, I passed out didn’t I?’

It was the only explanation as to why she was back here again. She surmised she was having a nightmare out of guilt after learning Ferdinand was Sir Elmir.

Why did she learn about something so important only now?

Why didn’t she learn about it in her previous life?

Right, she didn’t get the chance to have a long chat with Alwin and Raymond when she just got married to Ferdinand.

She only got the chance to speak with Alwin and Raymond after she gave birth and her son had begun running around.

If she was able to speak with them earlier, maybe, they would have gotten the chance to tell her about her first encounter with Ferdinand.

However, they didn’t need to convince her about Ferdinand’s feelings in the past since she fell for him anyway and already thought he was in love with her.

"This body is truly so youthful! I feel so light as if I’m back to my teenage years!"

Arabella flinched when she heard her voice. She turned around and saw herself in opposite direction still with her bloodied clothes.

However, she was not lying on the ground and the slit on her throat was gone even though the trail of blood that came from the wound was still on her skin and clothes.

"My goodness! Her skin is still so supple and beautiful even at forty. There’s barely any sign of aging at all. This body is truly wonderful. Beautiful, youthful, and healthy. I love it!"

Arabella gawked as she watched herself smile with so much delight in her eyes while saying things uncharacteristic of her.

No. It wasn’t her.

’But how is this even possible?! What kind of sorcery would allow a person to possess another’s body?’

Arabella gulped when she realized this must be a continuation of the memory which appeared like a nightmare last time.

She was looking at her body but the person inside it was no longer her.

It was Renee.

The obsession with beauty and the depraved look in her eyes was Renee’s.

It was confirmed when Arabella spotted Renee’s body now lying on the ground. It looked lifeless and pale after it was abandoned. It was nothing but an empty shell now.

’Huh?! Why is a dagger stabbed in her heart?’

She flinched when she realized there was a dagger in Renee’s chest so her clothes were also bloodied.

’Who would stab her?’

Arabella looked around and only one other person was there. The cloaked and masked man.

’But wasn’t he Renee’s comrade or did she get betrayed too?’

It was a dog-eat-dog world after all. Your ally could turn against you before you know it.

"Shall we go, Marcus? We still have an empire to rule," Renee smiled at her accomplice.

’They are still together? Then who stabbed her?

Arabella shivered when Renee smiled so brightly in her body as if she was so happy even though her clothes were still soaked in blood and she was surrounded by dead bodies including her own.

It was blood from three people. Ferdinand, Arabella, and Icarus. Their blood has turned her clothes into a dark hue.

But Renee didn’t seem the least bit concerned. She was just happy to be in Arabella’s body.

It didn’t make any sense to Arabella. She couldn’t understand why someone would be this obsessed with beauty to go to such lengths just to be beautiful.

No matter what, the body was still Arabella’s. It was her looks and appearance even if Renee had her body now.

Would Renee be happy and content occupying another person’s body and being called by a different name for the rest of her life?

Arabella flinched as Renee just turned her back and walked to the exit without even a single glance at her own body.

’She would just leave her own body like this?!’

She was horrified that Renee would not even bury her own body nor give it proper rites.

Why would someone ever even want to exchange their own body for another?

It was madness.

Arabella couldn’t fathom what reason could there be for a person to be this obsessed.

Or was Renee already insane?

"You are not going anywhere," someone suddenly appeared and blocked the exit.

’ALWIN?! Isn’t he dead?’

Arabella rubbed her eyes and blinked repeatedly to ensure she wasn’t seeing things. But he was truly there.

She was speechless as she took in the sight of a magnificent and beautiful-looking Alwin standing before them.

His elegance was not at all lessened despite the bloody scene around them.

The mage had always been effortlessly good-looking and elegant and had a mysterious air about him. He was the most beautiful person Arabella had ever seen.

If she was being honest, he was probably even more beautiful than her. However, he looked cold, mean, and unapproachable just like his master.

Other people do not know what Alwin looked like though since only a few had seen his face. He was always wearing a cloak even in the palace.

And this time, he looked so much more beautiful than ever. He looked so ethereal. So out of this world. Like he was some kind of celestial being.

His pale blond hair had grown so long and flowed down to his hips. It only made him look even more exquisite and pretty.

However, he had such a powerful and menacing aura. And he was glaring at Renee (who was in Arabella’s body.)

’Wait! Why does he have pointed ears?’

Arabella tilted her head as she stared at Alwin’s ears. She was sure they weren’t pointed before. This makes him look like he was an elf.

’Is he actually an elf? Or he just changed his appearance to resemble elves?’

After seeing Alwin be able to transform so easily, she had to consider that he might just be copying elves’ appearance.

After all, the elven race was said to have gone extinct a long time ago. How could Alwin be one?

Yet, Alwin’s current appearance resembled elves so much as per the illustrations in books Arabella had read before.

Pointed ears. Exquisite beauty. And powerful in magic.

Alwin was also so tall, except Ferdinand was even taller so it wasn’t so obvious since he was only ever seen beside his lord if not in the magic tower.

Renee was also mesmerized, but Alwin’s clear hostility made her put her guard up.

"Who are you?!" Renee took a step away from Alwin. She had never seen his face before. If she had, she would have been obsessed with him instead of Arabella.

"I am Alwin, the Emperor’s mage."

"Y-you are alive?!" Renee gawked.

"I have never died in the first place," Alwin replied and attacked Renee and Marcus with a binding spell.

However, Marcus vanished. He teleported elsewhere without taking Renee with him.

"Seems like your comrade abandoned you," Alwin taunted Renee who had turned pale.

"M-Marcus?! Marcus?!"

Renee frantically looked around but no reply came. Her comrade was gone. He escaped on his own when Alwin, the all-powerful mage suddenly joined to the fray.

’Poor girl,’ Arabella shook her head.

Allies could leave once it’s no longer convenient for them or your usefulness was over.

Arabella had experienced it firsthand.

"How dare you occupy the Empress’ body?! Get out of her body at once before I destroy you completely!"

A ball of what seemed like blue fire formed and floated from Alwin’s right hand.

"Are you really going to hurt this body?" Renee grinned with confidence as if being in Arabella’s body made her untouchable.

"The Empress is already dead. I felt her death. Why should I hold back when what remains here is nothing but a shell occupied by some random rat?" Alwin pointed a finger and her hair got singed.

"You bastard! This is still the Empress’ body!" Renee quickly put out the fire.

"An Empress who set Riva in flames? An Empress who sided with the enemies of Valeria? An Empress who caused His Majesty’s death?! Why should I care about her?!! I can rip that body to shreds, feed it to beasts, and feel not even the slightest bit of remorse," Alwin hissed with so much fury in his eyes that even Renee was taken aback. "Talk now while I am still willing to listen."

"F-fine. I, I’ll talk." Renee finally realized that Alwin was serious.

Alwin gestured for the former to begin.

"The ritual is already complete. It cannot be undone since my body is already dead," Renee glanced at her dead body and tried to take several steps back away from Alwin but the mage used a spell to make her immobile.

"I’m not a patient person. Explain in detail," the fire in Alwin’s right hand grew stronger as he further threatened Renee.