Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 96: First Bouquet of Roses

Chapter 96: First Bouquet of Roses

"Arabella . . ."

"Hmm," she heard someone call her name so she stirred.

"Arabella, wake up. Dinner’s ready," someone touched her cheek.

It was warm and gentle.

Was it Aletha?

"Let me sleep a bit more," Arabella replied lazily and turned to the other side. She wanted to rest a bit more.

"The food will get cold. Wake up. You have to eat dinner first," she felt a kiss on the back of her hand.

Wait, a kiss?!

It wasn’t Aletha!

Arabella’s eyes finally fluttered open when she realized it was Ferdinand’s voice.

"Are you finally awake? Let’s go have dinner," Ferdinand’s smiling face greeted her.

It was blurry at first since she had just woken up but her vision gradually cleared.

’How long was I asleep?’

She glanced at the window and it was already dark. The moon was already out too. She slept for hours.

Arabella flinched when she realized he was staring at her face too closely.

’Oh my! Why does he look so handsome tonight?’

Arabella noticed that Ferdinand’s hair was tied even more neatly today and the bangs left to frame his face like twin waterfalls cascading on each side of his face looked more silky and shiny than usual.

She sniffed when she got a whiff of a masculine fragrance.

’Did he use some perfume? He smells nice.’

Ferdinand was wearing white for some reason too and it suited him. Especially with the green vest that went well with his eyes.

[I wonder if she would like it.] Ferdinand thought and Arabella realized he had something prepared for her and here she was lazing in bed.

’How did he manage to prepare something when he was busy with the matters in Prudencia?’

Or did he have it prepared while she was sleeping just now?

Arabella sat up and almost made a face when Ferdinand thought she looks so beautiful even upon waking up and that the way she sat up was so graceful.

She suddenly worried about what she looked like as she was sleeping when he came to her room.

As per nobles’ culture, especially royalty, the maids were supposed to wake her up so her husband wouldn’t see her in an unseemly state.

But they had gotten used to Ferdinand sleeping in her room whenever he was around so they no longer make him stay in the waiting room and just allow him directly into her chambers.

"Thank you for waking me. I have to get changed though. Can you wait for me for a bit? I’ll head to the dining hall once I’m ready."

Ferdinand agreed and Arabella quickly took a shower with the help of Aletha and Eunice while Irene, Carla, and Renee prepared her dress and accessories.

Ferdinand was in a full suit, looking so dashing, so they knew they had to dress her up too to match him.

’What did Ferdinand prepare?’ Arabella was curious now. And she learned it from her maid’s thoughts when she got out of the bath.

Carla and Irene were both blushing thinking that Ferdinand and Arabella would be on a date. They knew Ferdinand had something prepared.

’It would be our first date ever,’ Arabella was suddenly nervous and excited at the same time.

Arabella didn’t want to be underdressed when they are finally having a date and it was Ferdinand who initiated and had prepared for it.

She thought she would have to be the one to initiate dates but Ferdinand was trying his best too.

It was probably something he learned from his lessons with Raymond again since the former Ferdinand never invited her on dates.

But the fact that Ferdinand made the effort to prepare a date for them was already so much, especially after everything he had to take care of recently in Prudencia.

Arabella’s maids did her makeup to ensure she looked even prettier than usual and chose a gorgeous dress that goes well with what Ferdinand was wearing.

Her maid didn’t make her wear a coat though to give Ferdinand the chance to offer her his.

Irene and Carla were already going wild just thinking about it. They were even more excited than Arabella was.

The two even almost chose a dress that would have shown too much of Arabella’s cleavage to tempt Ferdinand for a hot night after the date.

But thankfully, Aletha and Eunice didn’t approve of the dress. Renee didn’t like the dress too. Thus, the five chose another dress which Arabella also preferred since it didn’t show too much.

Knowing what Ferdinand’s mind was like, she knew he would be too distracted if she wore something too showy.

Arabella checked herself in front of her huge mirror and was satisfied with her appearance. Her maids did well.

Once she was ready, she got out of her room and Rendell was ready to escort her.

"This is not the way to the dining hall," Arabella pointed out when she noticed Rendell was leading her elsewhere.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. I forgot to inform you His Majesty had the dinner with you set outside," Rendell clarified.

"Oh, I see. That’s unusual. We usually eat in the dining hall," Arabella acted as if she didn’t know about the dinner date already.

Once they reached the exit to the garden, Ferdinand was there waiting for her.

"Flowers for you, my lady. I picked these roses myself," Ferdinand suddenly brought out a bouquet he was hiding behind his back.

’He’s even giving me flowers now? And he picked them himself!’

This was also a first both in this life and in the past.

Arabella was so touched that she just stared at the bouquet of roses he was giving her.

[She doesn’t like it?!] Ferdinand panicked when she didn’t extend her hand to accept it. Only then did she realize she had stared too long.

Arabella finally accepted the flowers. It was a bouquet with a mix of red and pink roses. They smell good too and looked fresh and pretty.

"Thank you! This is my first ever bouquet of roses from you. I will treasure them," Arabella beamed and Ferdinand’s ears turned red.

"I’m glad you like it," he looked overwhelmed by her reaction.