Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 35: Alternate Body

Chapter 35: Alternate Body

"MOTHER?!!" Fermin rushed to Arabella’s coffin and held her corpse. "Why?! What happened? Why is my mother dead?!"

Tears flowed down Fermin’s eyes as he frantically asked why she was a corpse now.

Arabella instantly regretted slitting her throat. If she knew Fermin was still alive, she wouldn’t have done that and searched for him instead.

She would have asked - no, begged to be brought to Estrella just so she could see her son again and be with him.

Ferdinand embraced Fermin as he sobbed so much.

Arabella ran to their side. She embraced them both even when they could not see her.

Just seeing their sad mourning faces broke her heart. They wouldn’t be this sad if she was nothing to them.

Arabella was loved indeed. And she wished she could love them back and treasure them as they did to her.

AH! She still could, couldn’t she? She has her second life which she was currently living in.

Maybe, it wasn’t her punishment after all.

Perhaps, it was her chance for change.

Her chance for redemption.

Her chance to be with her son again and treat Ferdinand differently this time.

"Atone for your sins," Alwin’s words echoed in her head.

Yes, that’s right. It was also her chance to atone for her sins.

"Father, you also died in your human body?" Fermin glanced at his father’s corpse and Arabella flinched.

’Does Fermin know about all the craziness I had been doing?!!’

Arabella felt the greatest shame and embarrassment in her life.

What would her son feel if he knew his mother had been such an idiot?

That she killed her own husband due to her misunderstandings and even caused the death of so many people?

She acted so differently from what she had been teaching Fermin since he was little.

Would Fermin still accept her and still call her mother if he knew she was a hypocrite?

Arabella was horrified at the thought Fermin would hate her now.

She nervously waited for Ferdinand’s reply.

’Would he tell Fermin how he died?’

"Ah, yes. Don’t worry about it. Just as you did, the time has come for my soul to return here in Estrella to my original body," Ferdinand replied without discussing how he died.

Arabella sighed in relief. She didn’t want Fermin to know just how idiotic and crazy she had been.

"I have no more reason to stay in Valeria since you and your mother are no longer there."

Fermin sobbed even more at Ferdinand’s words.

Of course, it was still sad for Fermin to know that his father has died in his human body even if Ferdinand was alive and well beside him.

Ferdinand walked to his corpse and touched the forehead as he uttered something.

His corpse glowed and all the spells and seals on his body appeared before vanishing. His corpse turned to golden particles and was absorbed into his living body until not a trace was left.

After that, Ferdinand and Fermin kept kneeling and mourning beside Arabella’s corpse for a whole day without breaks.

Meanwhile, Alwin soundlessly uttered a spell and sat near Arabella’s soul.

"You must be wondering how the Crown Prince is alive," Alwin said and Arabella glanced at Ferdinand and Fermin in alarm. "They cannot hear me. I have cast a spell."

’I see. That scared me. I wouldn’t know what to do if these two knew I am actually here. I want to comfort them, especially Fermin, but I don’t know how to face Ferdinand after everything.’

"When the Crown Prince was three years old, milord began to secretly bring him to Estrella during nighttime to train His Highness in his dragon form. It was also necessary to ensure His Highness’ life," Alwin began.

He explained that Ferdinand brought Fermin to Estrella almost every other night since he was three years old.

Arabella didn’t know since Alwin always cast a sleeping spell on her so she wouldn’t wake up with Fermin gone beside her and panic.

’Eh?!!! So that’s why I don’t know a thing?! Ferdinand and Fermin had secret bonding times while I am asleep?’ Arabella was dumbfounded.

She thought Ferdinand didn’t see their son much. She even felt so bad for Fermin since she thought he was ignored by his father and yet he still looked up to Ferdinand so much.

"Since His Highness Fermin was born in Valeria, he could transform into a dragon even outside Estrella since he was not yet bound by the laws and regulations of the dragon abode."

According to Alwin, every dragon child born outside had to be brought to Estrella once they begin to be able to transform as a dragon in part or as a whole.

It was to prevent any accidents from happening and revealing the continued existence of the dragon race.

A child who still cannot control his powers would also be a threat to humanity and could also be hurt by humans.

"When the young master turned three, his dragon powers had a growth spurt and he was able to fully transform into his dragon form unconsciously and cannot return to his human form because of course, he doesn’t know yet. Thankfully, milord instantly sensed it."

Alwin said Fermin could have placed Arabella’s life in danger if he kept transforming unconsciously and does not know how to return since his dragon powers and mana was freely leaking from his body.

Thus, Ferdinand brought Fermin to Estrella for the first time.

With the dragon’s secret ritual, the God of Dragons provided an alternate body created with magic for Fermin’s soul to occupy and use to stay in Valeria. Meanwhile, his original body remained in dragon form in Estrella just as Ferdinand’s was.

’Isn’t that dangerous?! What if someone attacked Fermin’s body while it was empty? Wouldn’t he have nowhere to return to if something happens to his body in Valeria?’ Arabella frowned.

It was also rather confusing to know what she had been taking care of since Fermin turned three was not his real body but only a "copy" made from magic while the one she birthed to, was in Estrella since then.