Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 99: In Estrella

Chapter 99: In Estrella

"Ferdinand! The lights!" Arabella held onto him tight. She shut her eyes tight and buried her face in his chest so she wouldn’t see their surroundings.

They were too close to the edge right now.

Just two steps and it’s the water.

He even went where there was no railing. They were facing the wide expanse of water right now.

When she was little, one night, Arabella almost drowned in a pond in their garden when she escaped to pick flowers that she heard only bloomed at night.

Since then, she was scared of bodies of water when it was dark. Even a pond still scares her when it’s dark.

It became a trauma she carried for so long even to the next life.

Living until she was forty in her previous life didn’t help at all since she still had memories of it.

[She’s gripping my clothes so tightly. She’s that scared?]

"It’s alright. I’m here with you. There’s nothing to fear," Ferdinand wrapped her in his arms. "Try to look around you. It’s already bright everywhere."

Arabella opened her eyes slightly and peeked a bit but it was still dark.

"You are tricking me. The magic lamps are still turned off. And get away from the edge already. Let’s go back to the table."

"The lamps are not turned on but there’s something else emitting light?" Ferdinand tried again.

[How will I show her if she’s too afraid to look? She’s scared of the dark after all. Or is it the water? Does she not know how to swim?]

She flinched when he kissed her head and petted her hair when he realized what it was about.

It was so embarrassing to be acting like a child. She wanted to get out of his arms and walk back to her seat. But she was scared of making a misstep and falling into the water when it was so dark.

Just recalling how it felt not being able to breathe and falling deeper and deeper into the water without being able to see anything made her shiver.

Who was it again that saved her back then?

"Here look at this," she was surprised when Ferdinand touched her cheek gently.

"What’s that?" she asked without looking.

"It’s a firefly. Open your eyes," Ferdinand coaxed her again.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell that something was indeed emitting light now.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a firefly in Ferdinand’s palm.

"Wow, it’s really a firefly!"

When was the last time she saw one? When she was a child?

It seemed to shine even brighter since it was dark.

"There are more of them. Look at the lake."

Her curiosity got the best of her so she finally looked at the lake.

"!!!"

Arabella was speechless as she saw so many fireflies for the first time in her life.

It was a mysterious and breathtaking sight.

The lake’s surface was filled with reflections of thousands of fireflies flying about.

"Amazing... It’s so beautiful. To think I would be able to witness such a magical scene!"

Arabella was too engrossed that she forgot all about her fear and left Ferdinand’s lap as she gazed in wonder at the fireflies lighting up the dark night.

She looked around and the fireflies were flying about everywhere around the gazebo and the lake.

"How come there are so many fireflies?" she asked after a while of watching them fly about as if they were dancing.

"They live in the trees nearby."

’This is what he wanted me to see? How sweet of him. This is so unexpected from Ferdinand.’

Which was probably why it made her so happy.

To think Ferdinand was trying to be sweet and accommodating to her like this even if it wasn’t in his personality... She felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

Maybe, in this life, they truly could be a better couple than they ever were in their past life.

[I’m relieved she’s delighted. I wasn’t sure if she would like it but it seems she likes it a lot.]

She learned from his thoughts that this was the main reason why he brought her here.

Ferdinand overheard from one of his knights that his wife loved watching fireflies and the other knights agreed, so he decided to show her fireflies too, hoping to help her relax after the stressful trial.

"Thank you for tonight," Arabella kissed him on the cheek for showing her something so mesmerizing and for being thoughtful of her.

"!!!"

He was speechless. She could tell Ferdinand’s ears were red even in the dim light.

[She would kiss me like this if bring her to beautiful places?! I’m glad I recalled that this place existed near my palace here in Estrella. What should I show her next?]

’Estrella?! This is Estrella?!! He brought me to his true homeland?’

Arabella’s heart raced wildly as she looked around, desperate to see more and get to know more about the place where he came from.

But it was nighttime so she couldn’t see what else was there aside from the fireflies, the gazebo, the lake, and the tall trees that were also shining with a lot of fireflies.

One thing was for sure though, this place would also be breathtaking in the morning.

’I’d love to come here in the morning too.’

Was it selfish of her to wish he would bring her here again someday?

Still, she’s already over the moon that he brought her to Estrella for the first time. This was such a memorable first date.

She gave him a kiss on his other cheek too as thanks for bringing her here to Estrella.

"Will you take me here again someday? I’m really loving this place. It’s my first time seeing these many fireflies."

"Yes, of course! Whenever you want."

Ferdinand had one of those rare smiles on his face. She could see his eyes softening too. It’s so rare to see his eyes brighten up this much. And he looks so much more attractive when he’s smiling like this.

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A/N:

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