Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 78: I’m Here

Chapter 78: I’m Here

"Ferdinand?!"

"You’re finally awake! You were crying and screaming in your sleep. Are you alright?"

"I, I had a scary nightmare," she shivered and braced herself as she recalled what it felt like holding Fermin’s cold corpse in her dream. It was so terrible seeing her son get beaten up even if she knew it was just a dream.

[She’s shaking!]

"It was just a dream. You don’t have to be scared anymore. I’m here. I will protect you. Whatever it was that terrified you, it won’t happen for real," Ferdinand wrapped her in his arms and gently petted her hair.

Arabella couldn’t help but cry more now that someone was comforting her.

She had been all alone for so long that it felt so strange yet not unwelcome to be held and comforted by him as she cried.

Ferdinand’s body felt warm. It was so different from the cold corpse of Fermin she was holding in her nightmare.

Somehow, feeling the warmth of someone alive helped her calm down. Her body gradually stopped trembling.

’Right. Fermin is not even born yet. It was just a nightmare. Fermin would not die in this life. I won’t allow it no matter what. I won’t let him be harmed like in the past.’

Ferdinand continued embracing her and petting her hair.

Arabella allowed herself to be spoiled just this once. She didn’t know it felt so good to be comforted like this.

She had almost forgotten this was how it felt to be held gently in someone’s embrace while she was terrified and emotional.

Her mother and Aletha were probably the last ones who did this for her when she was younger.

Was it always this gentle and comforting that she wanted to cry her heart out even more?

Had Ferdinand ever held her like this in her previous life?

No, he didn’t. She never cried in front of him like this before.

She acted all sweet to Icarus to seduce him but she didn’t cry like this in front of him either. Because by the time she was with him, she was already numb and didn’t care about anything else but achieving her goals.

And she didn’t let Ferdinand see her this emotional either.

So strange.

For two decades, she was married to Ferdinand in her previous life but it was in their next life that she got to be comforted by him like this.

Should she have shown him her emotions before?

She had hidden her tears in the past not wanting him to think she was weak and unfit to be Empress. But should she have just let him see her cry instead and let him comfort her?

Would she have been held this tenderly?

She realized she didn’t open up to Ferdinand either.

After all, as nobles, they often had to hide their emotion so it became the norm for her.

She was trained to smile and laugh even when she was insulted. To always act to be calm and unemotional even when she’s boiling with rage inside. To hide her tears and cry only where no one could see.

As the first princess of Lobelius, she was the face of their kingdom in social events. No matter what she heard from people when they went to Medeus or other kingdoms, she smiled and laughed through everything. Both through the good and the bad.

As the princess, her words could lead to war with another territory so she had to hold it in and only speak when it was Lobelius itself or her parents that were being insulted.

She didn’t go out much when she became the Empress of Valeria but she carried her mother’s strict discipline from when she was a princess.

But now, somehow, she’s beginning not to care about all those and just do as she pleases.

Was it because she doesn’t have feelings for Ferdinand this time that she was able to just cry so much in front of him without shame?

Or was it because she had her consciousness from the past?

[She sobbed so much. Just what kind of nightmare did she have? Was it because of the things she witnessed in Prudencia? It must be. Lobelius is a prosperous and peaceful place. She must not have witnessed anything of such sort in their kingdom. And yet, I let her see it here in Valeria! I’m so pathetic.]

Arabella looked up and saw Ferdinand having an angry and frustrated expression.

’He looks scary.’

Ferdinand’s face was dark and his eyes were screaming with danger. He looked as if he was ready to mince someone to pieces.

He flinched when he realized she was looking at him.

His expression softened and was replaced with what seemed like worry.

"I’m so sorry you had to see such a disturbing sight here in Valeria. I will do my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again," Ferdinand cupped her cheek with one hand and dried her tears with his thumb.

"It wasn’t your fault."

"No. It was mine. This is my Empire. I should have taken care of things with more attention to detail."

[Even if I will only stay in the human realm temporarily, I should have taken more care of things. I conquered Prudencia so I should have paid more attention to them before any of this happened.]

Ferdinand blamed himself for everything she witnessed at Prudencia.

’Wait. First of all, why is he here?!’

"Uhm. . . Ferdinand, what are you doing here?’

He flinched.

[She’s not going to kick me out, is she?! I didn’t sleep beside her as I had promised the previous night. I just sat on a chair beside her bed.]

"Y-you said you missed me . . ."

"Huh?"

’I just wrote that to lighten up his mood. I didn’t mean for him to come see me. We just saw each other night.’

[Why is she looking at me like that. . . Ah, she didn’t mean it.]

’Were my thoughts that obvious on my face?!’

[Right, of course. What was I getting myself worked up for? She was just being considerate when she said she missed me. Or was it sarcasm? Did it actually mean she was angry with me?]

Arabella wondered why he was going to such conclusions. Her reason for saying she missed him was much shallower.

[After today’s events, she must think I’m a useless Emperor now.] Ferdinand’s eyes cast down and he looked elsewhere.

’He’s getting depressed?’

"Y-yes. Of course. I missed you," she lied to make him feel better.

"It’s alright. You don’t have to force yourself. I came to sign some documents and listen to the results of Alwin and Raymond’s most recent updates regarding the issues in Prudencia. And since I’m here, I also wanted to see you," Ferdinand added to his former response.

[I have issued an edict and also authorized Raymond to use the Imperial Seal as needed. I also summoned more of my people from Estrella so the investigations were progressing smoothly. Distributing some of my people in every department was useful. It helps fast-track these things. I didn’t want to drag this out any longer since she might just further conclude I’m not working as I should. I want to solve the problems in Prudencia in a few days so I can face her properly.]

’He got a lot more of his people from Estrella here in the Empire?!’

She wondered who among the people she had met in her past life and the knights she had seen with him recently were from Estrella too.

"I see. I hope they get the pieces of evidence needed to convict Marquess Gulliver," she grimaced as she recalled the Marquess’ deeds.

[She must be truly irked with the Marquess to make such a face. I have never seen this expression on her before.]

"Alwin and Raymond just reported to me earlier. They are done convincing a lot of nobles to witness against Gulliver. They have gathered a lot of evidence too. I will head to Prudencia in the morning to punish Gulliver myself. What would you like me to do to him?"

"So soon? The investigators sure work fast."

’Were all of them able to teleport as Alwin does?’

It was just midnight so just about ten to twelve hours had passed since they began working on it.

But since Ferdinand had summoned people like Alwin who could just teleport here and there, it was no wonder they worked so fast.

With an Imperial Edict from Ferdinand, the nobles who had been holding back their anger would be emboldened. Especially once they learn Gulliver had them in the palm of his hands.

"Yes, I assigned a lot of people to work on it since I wanted these problems to be resolved quickly. Especially since they even dared to procure slaves from the people and sell them to the Crux Kingdom."

[No one has ever dared to sell Valeria’s people as slaves. Prudencia might be a newly conquered territory but they are also my subjects now. I won’t just watch them get sold off as slaves. It must have terrified my wife too. Lobelius also doesn’t welcome slavery.]

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