Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 69: Order

Chapter 69: Order

"Calm down. If even you, lose control, we can’t gather evidence about their master before we arrest them. Even if we say we caught them in the act, the leader would still be free and about. They can just do this again and much worse the next time," Alwin pointed out and Raymond gritted his teeth in silence.

This was her first time seeing Raymond angry. No, furious. And he looked rather scary. He usually looked gentle and kind so it was surprising he can be so scary too.

"You too, Your Majesty. I will heal the child and his mother as soon as those collectors would leave."

"But it’s a child. He must have gotten hurt badly from that-" she gasped when the collector strangled the already bleeding boy.

The mother tried to stop the collector but he was stronger than her. The other collector tried to interfere but stopped when his fellow said something to him.

Desperate, the mother bit the collector’s hand and he finally let go of the child.

The mother quickly carried her child and handed him to a girl about twelve years old, closed the door, and blocked it with her body as she bowed to the collectors clearly begging them to spare her children and to punish her instead.

Arabella saw that the mother’s back was bleeding from the lashes given to her earlier. The front of her clothes also got a lot of blood from the boy.

’How could they be this cruel?! What if the boy dies?!’

"Alwin, these bastards deserve death. Can’t we just kill them all? No one would be left to report to their master if all of them die here," Arabella glared at Alwin.

[Her Majesty had lost it?] Rendell blinked twice.

[Bastards? Just kill them?] Raymond stared at her. [I would love to, but did Her Majesty really just say those words, or am I hearing things?]

[Look at her saying such words. No wonder she became such a scheming vixen when she grew older. Did she get triggered because of the child? Is it her motherly instinct? She had a child in the past too, after all.] Alwin gave her a scrutinizing look but she didn’t care anymore.

She was too furious to think about anything else. Seeing the child almost killed reminded her of how Fermin’s cold corpse had felt. She didn’t want to ever experience it again.

"Look, they are trying to make her open the door! They would get the children," she grimaced as the collectors whipped the mother again. Even her face was hit but she kept blocking the door.

[Did I read their lips right?!] Raymond balled his fists. [They just agreed to kill the boy and get the twelve-year-old girl in exchange for the unsettled tribute didn’t they?]

’What?!’

[I see so these men are truly related to the Marquess. They are the ones who procure the slaves. The tribute they were collecting was probably just a farce so they can make a reason to get people from the residents. They don’t even mind killing a child.]

’They would kill the boy?!!!’ Arabella could only focus on those words. She had lost her calm the instant the boy was beaten. ’NO! I cannot allow this to happen right in front of me. NEVER!’

"Rendell, this is an order. You will stop those two right now," Arabella ordered in a commanding tone she had only ever used in her past life.

[!!!] Rendell flinched.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will heed your order," he bowed his head with a hand on his chest.

"Alwin go and heal the boy and his mother. Raymond, you will stay with me."

"Yes, Your Ma-" Alwin stopped midway to bowing.

[Huh?! What the hell am I doing?! That was close. I’m used to following His Majesty’s orders instantly once he speaks this way. How could this girl . . . Since when did she have this much confidence? Is it because she is furious?]

Alwin cast a spell instead and all of a sudden they were surrounded by a barrier. Rendell could not go out.

[I-I almost just agreed to Her Majesty’s order. Such authority in her voice. No knight would be able to say no to such command. I’m used to obeying such orders from His Majesty so I almost just did as she said. Even Alwin almost obeyed.] Raymond had almost heeded her order if Alwin hadn’t interfered.

"You are disobeying a direct order? I see you have never accepted me as the Empress," Arabella glared at Alwin and Raymond and they both flinched.

[Since when did she have such a scary gaze?]

"If that boy dies, I will tell His Majesty you two just watched the people suffer and would not listen to a word I say at all. If he was here, I’m sure Ferdinand would have already agreed to what I asked. I wonder what punishment you’ll get for not doing anything," she smiled with so much venom and they paled.

[He will tear me to pieces!]

[I will be sent to Estrella permanently!]

""We will obey your orders!"" Raymond and Alwin both said at once.

[We have to appease her first.]

[I’ll just get evidence in another way. I can’t be sent back to Estrella again.]

But before they could go, two men on horseback arrived and stopped the collectors.

They spoke for a bit and something was listed on paper before all the collectors headed in the direction of the Count’s residence.

Once all the collectors were inside the Count’s residence, Arabella sighed in relief.

"Let’s go! This is our chance," she glanced at her three companions and they all flinched.

"""Yes, Your Majesty."""

[Why is she suddenly coming with us? Ugh. Whatever. I will obey for now.]

Alwin teleported them to the mother who had collapsed on the ground after the collectors left.

Arabella felt even more furious as she saw from up close how deep the wounds from the lashes were. The mother’s clothes were even torn where the whip had hit. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks and her breathing was ragged. She looked like she was barely conscious and might pass out any second.

"My son. . . Please help my son," the mother begged weakly. She had mistaken them as among the residents of the county.

"Yes, please be rest assured," Arabella held her hand. "Alwin."

He instantly obeyed this time and healed the mother’s wounds. Not a single mark was left of the lashings from the whip. Alwin even mended the mother’s clothes with magic.

"T-thank you. Please help my son t-" the mother gasped as her consciousness returned and realized they didn’t look familiar.

"Who are you . . . No, it doesn’t matter. Please save my son," the mother groveled at Arabella’s feet.

[The doctors are away at the moment. No one else would be able to heal my son!]

The mother was desperate. And Arabella fully understood such desperation. Her chest ached so much but she held back her tears.

"You don’t have to grovel. Just open the door so we could heal the poor child."

"Yes, yes. Thank you very much," the mother bowed several times before knocking and telling her daughter to unlock the door.

"Mother, he’s bleeding so much. What should we do?!" the twelve-year-old girl cried in fear of losing her younger brother.

Arabella glanced at the boy and he looked so pale. His head was wrapped in a white cloth, probably by his older sister. But it was already soaked in blood. His face was swollen and there were hand prints around his neck.

"How could they do this to a boy so young," Arabella gritted her teeth.

She wanted those men punished no matter what.

She held the boy’s hand and it was turning cold from losing too much blood.

No! She didn’t want to feel that again.

"Alwin," she ordered and he obeyed instantly. He healed the child until not even one mark was left. Even the blood on his clothes was gone.

"An angel?" the boy’s eyes fluttered and he blinked repeatedly upon seeing her.

She smiled at him.

"So pretty!" the boy gasped.

"Oh my, thank you. How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?"

The boy tilted his head and thought for a few seconds before saying, "No."

Arabella and the mother both sighed in relief that the boy was indeed fine now. Her heart felt warm as the mother embraced both her children and cried in relief.

"Thank you. Thank you very much. We owe you our lives. I will serve you for the rest of my life," the mother kept bowing to her again.

"You are welcome. But there’s no need to serve me. You have to take care of the children, after all," she smiled and the mother thanked her again.

"Mommy, why is the angel from the painting here?"

"Angel?" the mother tilted her head and glanced at Arabella.

"Oh my god! How could this be?!" the mother turned so pale. Even the girl did and joined her mother in kneeling.

[Am I dreaming?! Why is she here in our county?!]