Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress -
Chapter 37: Will You Be Mine
Chapter 37: Will You Be Mine
"You knew I would perform the ritual so you teleported here instead of the palace, didn’t you?" Ferdinand asked Alwin.
"Yes, milord. It would be best to perform it here where it was closest to the gods," Alwin explained and Arabella nervously watched the two.
’What are they going to do? Will they truly try to revive me? But why am I reborn in my second life instead? Is that how it works?’
"Milord, please allow me to perform the ritual of the elven race first. If I fail, then milord can perform the ritual of the dragon race," Alwin kneeled and Ferdinand stared at him.
"Arabella is my wife Alwin. I should be the one performing a revival ritual."
"But the risks, milord. If something happens to you, the young master will be very sad."
"You should reserve it for when you get a wife. You never know what happens. Moreover, it is my fault that this happened to Arabella. I should take responsibility. She is my wife after all. Fermin will understand me someday. And I will not fail. I will definitely bring my wife back no matter the cost," Ferdinand said with determined eyes.
’They are really trying to revive me. Is revival normal in Estrella?’ Arabella looked back and forth over the two.
"Then at least allow me to assist you, milord. No revival ritual has ever succeeded. But if we combine the two rituals, perhaps we can raise the possibility of success. No, we will succeed no matter what. I have never performed it on my own before, but I have assisted other elves."
Alwin did not give up until Ferdinand had no choice but to agree and they discussed how to perform the ritual.
Alwin totally ignored her even when she kept giving him the stop sign.
She thought reviving a person was normal in Estrella but from Alwin and Ferdinand’s conversations, she learned those who lost their mates had been performing the revival ritual for eons but no one has ever succeeded.
Alwin said the long-lived races who were mated to humans were often the ones to perform it since humans were fragile and short-lived.
Arabella could do nothing to stop the two as they drew all sorts of complicated magic circles with her corpse at the center of it.
When they were done, Ferdinand kneeled by her corpse and uttered something in a language she could not understand.
And all of a sudden a huge heart-shaped magic stone appeared in his hand and he settled it on her body.
"Milord! What are you doing?!! Your lifespan would be halved if you offer your heart! You might not even be able to use your dragon form or ever fly again," Alwin was wide-eyed in alarm.
’His heart?!’ Arabella stared at the heart-shaped magic stone. ’This is Ferdinand’s heart? How could he offer it?!’
"Alwin, my lifespan doesn’t matter. No matter how short or long my life ends up, I just want to be with my wife again. Soaring the skies doesn’t even interest me anymore if I cannot see my Arabella ever again. If we don’t have Fermin, you know I wouldn’t even care about living now that my wife is gone. I would have offered even my life just to see her again. But I have to live for Fermin’s sake as well. My wife might hate me even more if I leave Fermin all alone,"Ferdinand explained and Arabella was touched.
"I am not foing this only to fail. I will succeed because Arabella and I have to live with our son and watch him grow up."
"I see. For my milord to wish to continue living, Her Majesty is truly such a powerful person. The God of Dragons must be so surprised that you have stopped wishing for death," Alwin smiled a bittersweet smile.
’Wishing for death?!’ Arabella tilted her head.
She recalled Raymond saying Ferdinand was bored with his life and was looking for someone who could end it. She wondered if it was what Alwin was referring to.
"Milord, shall I lend you my eyes? You have just returned to your body so most of your abilities are still sealed. You should see Her Majesty before we begin the ritual," Alwin suddenly offered and Arabella was wide-eyed.
’What is he saying? They can even lend their eyes?!’
"You can see her?!!" Ferdinand instantly rose and grabbed Alwin by the shoulder.
"Yes, milord. I have been speaking with Her Majesty for a while and explaining about Estrella. I believe Her Majesty understands the situation now."
"Let me see her, this instant."
"As you wish, milord."
’WAIT! I’m not ready for this!’ Arabella frantically screamed trying to speak and stop Alwin but no voice came out.
Before she could stop it, Alwin uttered a spell and Ferdinand’s eyes changed color into Alwin’s sky-blue eyes.
"Arabella?!" Ferdinand uttered her name upon spotting her.
She froze.
’What should I do?! What should I do?’
Ferdinand’s eyes brightened and he ran to her. He embraced her but his arms passed through.
He bit his lips in disappointment until he seemed to have an idea of what to do.
"Alwin, take care of my body," Ferdinand ordered.
Before Alwin could reply, Ferdinand’s body became limp.
Alwin caught him before he fell to the ground and seated Ferdinand on a couch that appeared out of nowhere.
Arabella gasped when someone suddenly embraced her. It was Ferdinand. He was also in a translucent state.
’He left his body?!’
She refused to be shocked even though she was so surprised. His eyes were back to their original color.
"Arabella. . ." he uttered her name with so much emotion that she involuntarily shivered.
He could speak in his spirit form, unlike Arabella who had no voice.
Was it because he was still alive but she was already dead?
"Arabella," his arms tightened around her and she didn’t know what to do.
It felt like an eternity before Ferdinand finally loosened his arms around her. His eyes widened when he noticed the chains around her wrists.
"Alwin, why is my wife in chains?" Ferdinand’s eyes followed the chains from her wrist to her coffin.
"Pardon me, milord. I had to use a spell to bind Her Majesty’s soul to her body so she wouldn’t be able to leave yet. If her soul begins the journey to the afterlife, the revival ritual might not succeed."
"I see," Ferdinand gently rubbed Arabella’s wrists. "Please bear with these for a bit. Soon you will be back to your body."
’Don’t. You don’t have to do anything so dangerous,’ Arabella shook her head since she couldn’t speak.
"I’m sorry. I refuse to let go of you for the second time. I thought you would be happy with Icarus so I let go. But you hurt yourself instead. I won’t allow you to do that again. Even if you keep hating me, I’m sorry but I am going to be selfish. I will bring you back no matter what. And this time, will you be mine?"
Ferdinand cupped her face and gently caressed her cheeks with his thumb. She flinched when he leaned in to kiss her.
She glanced at Alwin who was now sitting on the couch beside Ferdinand’s body. It was so embarrassing to have Alwin watching them. But Ferdinand didn’t seem to feel the least bit bothered by it at all and still kissed her.
Arabella didn’t understand how she could feel it. But she did.
Ferdinand’s soft lips were just as how it felt when he kissed her in her room and before departing for the borders.
She was supposed to be just a soul but her heart raced wildly and she could feel his warmth as he wrapped her in his arms.
Her heart ached as she felt the strong longing in Ferdinand’s kiss.
His eyes were so intense when he pulled away and gazed at her.
"I terribly missed you. I missed you so much," he wrapped her tight in his embrace.
"I regret holding back all this time. I wish I had just shown you how much you meant to me," his shoulders trembled and Arabella realized he was crying again.
"Please don’t die on me again. This time, I will take good care of you and Fermin. So please allow me this selfishness. Please be mine, Arabella. . ."
Arabella’s hands moved on their own and she embraced Ferdinand.
’Huh?! Why? I’m not trying to hold him.’
Ah, right. She was just an observer. She was so immersed that she thought she was the one responding to what was happening.
But she was just watching everything playout from what she had seen and experienced before.
She only experienced what her former self did when these happened but she couldn’t help being so emotional and absorbed as she learned about everything.
"Will you be mine?" Ferdinand asked again with tears still flowing down his cheeks.
He caressed her cheek as he waited for her reply. His tear-stained eyes searching hers for the answer.
Arabella waited for how her former self would respond.
She nodded her head.
’I see. I agreed. I consented to this.’
"Thank you! Please be my wife again," Ferdinand’s eyes were shining and he kissed her happily.
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