Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress -
Chapter 38: Finally Awake
Chapter 38: Finally Awake
’It’s warm. . . Is he still holding me?’
Arabella slowly opened her eyes but her lids felt so heavy. They closed again.
Her hand felt warm. Someone was holding it and caressing it gently.
"She had been crying in her sleep. Are you sure you two didn’t say anything inappropriate to her?"
Ferdinand’s voice.
’What is he talking about? Who else is here aside from Alwin?’
"We have recounted our conversation with the Empress exactly as it was, Your Majesty."
’Huh? Raymond’s voice?’
Arabella tried to open her eyes again. She saw the ceiling of her room.
’Am I back to the present?!’ Arabella gasped and suddenly sat up.
’Why are all of them here?’ she blinked when she looked around and saw Aletha, Alwin, Raymond, and Rendell in her room.
And beside her, the one holding her hand was her husband. She was back indeed.
"Ferdinand!" Arabella embraced him without thinking. His body felt warm. She was simply so relieved to see the human Ferdinand alive and well.
[!!!]
Her husband was speechless. But his red ears gave away how he was feeling.
[She called His Majesty on a first-name basis?!!!]
Everyone was shocked and she could feel their eyes boring holes into the back of her head.
’Oops. I didn’t mean to call him by his name.’
Ferdinand said he would allow her but that was probably when it was just the two of them.
[This wench! She’s clinging to milord upon waking up?! She just said when we were talking that she still longs for her former lover! She was probably dreaming about that prince too.]
’Huh?! Is this Alwin’s?!’ Arabella couldn’t help but glance at Alwin and he flinched when she did.
Right, only Alwin would dare to think she was a wench even when Ferdinand was right by her side.
She would have been insulted by it before, but not anymore after everything she just learned about her previous life.
[Why is she looking at me?! Is she going to make up stories now and make it seem like I did much worse than I originally did?]
’WAIT. I can hear Alwin’s thought’s now?!’ Arabella blinked repeatedly and kept staring at Alwin. He was still so beautiful and youthful. His ears were not pointed here though since he was disguising himself as a normal human.
’Renee should see Alwin’s face even once so she wouldn’t obsess over my appearance anymore. I also wouldn’t be her target to possess.’
Arabella stared at Alwin, taking in his beautiful appearance that rivaled, or even more so, exceeded hers.
’Should I set it up for them to meet? I can probably call Alwin to have tea with me. Then I’ll call Renee to serve tea. Once she gets even one glance at Alwin’s face, she would surely fall in love with him. It will save me all the trouble of having to be Renee’s target. If it’s Alwin, Renee would never be able to weaken him. He is so powerful after all!’
Arabella just had a really bright idea.
’WAIT! Why the hell am I scheming things right after waking up? Ugh! Old habits do die hard.’
She internally face-palmed for passing her troubles to Alwin. It was a very tempting idea though. Especially since Renee’s obsessive eyes were scary.
[Why does she keep on staring at Alwin? Did Alwin really do much more than be rude? Did he threaten my wife or hurt her?!]
Ferdinand glared at his mage and the latter flinched.
[She’s trying to set me up isn’t she?!]
Alwin looked back and forth between Arabella and Ferdinand.
[You are doomed, Alwin. I have been trying to stop you from being rude. I can’t help you now or else, His Majesty would punish me too.]
Raymond slightly shook his head and just gave Alwin a side glance. He pretended to have not noticed anything.
[Stop giving me that look of pity!] Alwin glared at Raymond.
Meanwhile, Arabella was elated at something else.
’I can really hear Alwin!’ Arabella wanted to celebrate. Hearing Alwin’s thoughts would surely be a great help in the future.
"You are finally awake. Are you alright? Do you feel pain anywhere? Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?" Ferdinand rained her with questions as he dried the tears on her cheeks.
Only then did she realize she was crying in her sleep earlier.
"I’m fine. I just had a dream about the past that’s all," Arabella smiled and Ferdinand stared at her.
[She’s lying. She really hides her emotions from me. How could she be fine? Why would she cry so much in her sleep if it was nothing? WAIT. The past?! Was she dreaming about her lover? Is that why she kept crying in her sleep? She was dreaming about her lover and was missing him?]
’Huh? Why is it all about Andrew again?’
Ah, right. For everyone, it had just been a few months since she broke up with Andrew.
"We have been waiting for you to wake up for three days now. Are you sure you are not in pain anywhere?" Ferdinand asked again.
"Three days?!!" Arabella gasped.
"Yes."
Arabella blinked. She didn’t know she slept that long.
Was it because she had a long dream about the past?
After all, it was as if she experienced everything again even though it was supposed to be just a memory.
She unconsciously touched her lips when she recalled Ferdinand was kissing and holding her tightly earlier when she suddenly woke up.
It felt so real. She could still recall the feeling.
[She’s blushing?! Did she dream about her intimate times with her lover?!] Ferdinand was wide-eyed and held her hand.
’Why is he going to such conclusions? Wait, why is he here? Isn’t he supposed to be heading for the borders? Did he return?’
"Uhm, Your Majesty, weren’t you supposed to be heading to the borders?" she decided to ask.
"I teleported back with Alwin when I heard you fainted and didn’t regain consciousness yet."
"I’m so sorry! I disturbed your schedule. I am fine now. You can continue heading for the borders."
[She’s making me leave?! Does she hate seeing me that much? Ah, right. She even mentioned divorce when she spoke with Alwin and Raymond. We just got married and yet she already wants to leave.]
’They told him about that?!’ Arabella instantly regretted running her mouth. She shouldn’t have gone and spoken with Alwin and Raymond about divorce. Rendell was there too.
Ferdinand didn’t have a change in expression but his aura turned so gloomy.
[Right. It’s my fault for proposing to her even after hearing she had a lover.
[I thought I was just trying to pursue her. But I didn’t think about my actions more deeply.
[She was right that her parents must have had no choice but to accept my proposal in fear of Valeria becoming hostile to them.
[And yet, I was all over myself feeling happy they agreed so quickly.
[I was so selfish to just bring her here and marry her without thinking about her feelings at all. She must truly hate me now for separating her from her beloved.]
’Oh, Ferdinand thinks about all these? He’s truly more thoughtful than he looks.’
When she thought about it, Ferdinand did make a mistake in sending his marriage proposal before even meeting her once in person so she would get to know him.
Any Kingdom that receives a marriage proposal from the Emperor of Valeria, would, of course, accept it instantly.
No one would dare to say no and risk insulting and hurting the pride of the mighty Emperor.
If it wasn’t a political marriage he wanted, if he wanted to be lovers, he should have met with her first. He could have courted her a little bit and tried dating before proposing marriage.
After all, most of those who desire her hand send gifts and letters of adoration first. Only after a while do they send a marriage proposal when they look like they had a chance.
Sending a marriage proposal before he introduced himself made it seem like he was asking for a political marriage or just wanted her because of her famed beauty.
It also made it seem like he was not giving her a choice since he did not send her any letters before that. It was as if he was demanding her to be his bride, or else.
His sudden marriage proposal caused so many misunderstandings.
"I will go once I resolve matters here," Ferdinand said and Arabella was dragged back to the present.
"Call the Imperial Physician," he ordered and Alwin vanished.
Alwin was also Ferdinand’s loyal errand boy since he returns so quickly.
When Alwin came back, he was with the doctor.
The doctor checked Arabella and found nothing wrong. He just recommended she eat a light meal and take a walk outside for some fresh air.
"Her Majesty is not yet with child. Your Majesty, perhaps we need more time so the Empress could relax. Her body must have been exhausted so please let Her Majesty rest in the meantime."
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