Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 438: Fooled and Abandoned

Chapter 438: Fooled and Abandoned

Years passed and Ferdinand was finally good at writing and reading human language. However, he decided to continue living with Ara to observe the human way of life.

Thus, Arabella had to continue watching the two flirt with each other. Ferdinand looked innocent and clueless though even as he flirted with Ara.

Meanwhile, Ara interpreted Ferdinand’s decision as his way of saying that he also did not want to part with her just as she does.

Arabella noticed that the river nymph’s feelings grew deeper and deeper as the years passed. It rather irked her too when the nymph began acting like she was Ferdinand’s wife because they were living together.

But how else should it be interpreted? They were a man and a woman living together. If it was in the society Arabella was in now, the two would indeed be considered lovers and would be advised to get married as soon as possible since it was considered unsightly for a man and a woman to live together if they were not husband and wife or family.

Ara kept dropping subtle and not-so-subtle hints to Ferdinand about her feelings for him as a man. However, Ferdinand didn’t seem to notice any of it.

One day Ferdinand kept yawning consecutively. He said it was time for him to hibernate soon so he should go back home.

"What?! Can’t you hibernate here?" Ara asked in tears at the sudden news. It meant they would be parting soon.

"I can’t. My hibernation lasts for years so I have to be in my abode. If I stay here while I am asleep, your river and this entire forest would freeze. And the longer I sleep, the worst the cold will get. All the humans and animals you had been keeping alive will all freeze to death," Ferdinand explained, unaffected by Ara’s tears.

"Then, can’t you stay a bit longer?" Ara asked, still crying. She had turned pale, and her body was slightly trembling.

Ferdinand looked puzzled about what was happening. He truly did not understand Ara’s hints about her feelings and what she wanted them to be. He didn’t even understand why Ara was stopping him to leave.

"Alright, I’ll stay some more until the time for my hibernation is nigh," he agreed, and Ara finally smiled in relief.

The nymph was so happy that she embraced Ferdinand and he froze on the spot. He clearly never got a hug before, so he frowned deeply as Ara held him.

When Ara looked up, she was taken aback by Ferdinand’s expression and instantly apologized. She was hurt by his expression and left to cry in secret, but Ferdinand did not understand and did not go after her.

’Oh my, Ferdinand was this cold after flirting with her for years?’ Even Arabella was feeling hurt at what she was looking at. If she was Ara, she would also be hurt like this since Ferdinand had been acting like they were something. Now Arabella understood, even more, why it was important that the status of a relationship had to be made crystal clear between the parties involved.

Due to Ferdinand’s actions, Ara had thought the entire time that he had the same feelings for her as she did for him. Ferdinand unknowingly led the poor nymph on.

And the worst part was Ferdinand remained clueless about it all.

Ara only realized in his reaction to getting a hug from her that Ferdinand did not have the same feelings at all.

During his extended stay, Ara tried talking with Ferdinand about his views on mating and having children. And Ferdinand strongly denied wanting to have children or get a mate.

Ara felt like it was his rejection of her. Thus, even though Ferdinand stayed with her, her smiles were no longer as bright as it once was. However, she still enjoyed his company despite that, so she still liked that he was staying with her a bit longer as she requested.

It was the kind of torture that unrequited love gives. It became painful for even Arabella to watch.

She should have been happy that the nymph was not able to seduce Ferdinand, but she was feeling bad instead.

After a year, Ferdinand said his goodbyes once again.

Ara cried much worse this time and asked him if he could delay his hibernation a bit. But Ferdinand said he couldn’t. And he was firm this time.

Ara began sobbing and ran away to hide and not show it to Ferdinand, but he could hear it anyway due to his strong senses.

A dryad who had overheard their conversation showed herself and told Ferdinand to visit Ara once he woke up from his hibernation. The dryad said it would at least help Ara feel better as long as he keeps his word.

Ferdinand then did as the dryad advised. It indeed cheered up Ara since it meant her feelings may still have hope.

"I will wait for you then. Please don’t forget to come see me. Because I will keep waiting no matter how long you sleep," Ara promised.

"Yes. I will come and visit you for sure," Ferdinand also promised. "Thank you for everything you have taught me."

With that Ferdinand left for his abode and hibernated. Just as he said, the snow on his island became worse as he was hibernating.

Ara could see the mountain peaks of the Northern Islands he resided in, and it was always cloudy and the mountains were covered with snow all year round.

Ara kept waiting for years and often stared into the distance, in the direction of the Northern Islands, thinking about Ferdinand and the years they spent together.

However, years kept passing by and Ara’s appearance already changed into that of a mature woman, but Ferdinand never returned.

Ara grew older and her river slowly began to dry up as she grew weary of waiting for a Ferdinand that never came back. But glancing at the mountains in the Northern Islands, she could tell that Ferdinand was still asleep.

A very long time seemed to have passed since another mountain had formed and covered Ara’s view of the mountain peaks of Ferdinand’s abode.

She grew much older too. Ara began crying every single day as she realized that Ferdinand must have had no plan to visit her at all. That he probably only said it so she would let him leave without crying.

Ara’s river caused floods as her emotions raged. She felt betrayed and abandoned by Ferdinand whom she loved so much for years.

This time, Ara clearly felt bitter. When her tears stopped flowing, her river began to have less and less water compared with before. And one day, it became poisonous.

Arabella watched in silence as Ara became bitter due to loneliness. Yet, even so, the river nymph kept waiting despite the advice on her to get over Ferdinand and mate with someone else.

More time passed and the river completely dried up as Ara died one day, thinking that Ferdinand had fooled and abandoned her.