Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress

Chapter 353: Indeed a Traitor [Bonus - ]

Chapter 353: Indeed a Traitor [Bonus Chapter][Heh. They are making a show because of what I said last time. But I can tell they still hadn’t gone all the way.] King Chester did not believe what he saw.

Arabella almost glared at Chester, but she noticed Marcus looking at her, so she hid her face in Ferdinand’s chest instead.

[So that’s the most beautiful woman in Eliora? She is indeed pretty, but she doesn’t have the innocent charm the late Queen Evelyn once had. I heard this Empress is still young, but her aura somehow oozed of someone much older than she looks. She doesn’t look innocent at all.]

’Are magicians able to tell?1’ Arabella tensed.

However, Marcus only thought she seemed older than her age but didn’t think she was weird or anything.

[The late Queen Evelyn is still revered as the most beautiful woman ever born in Zygos, even now. Queen Fatima nor her children were not able to change it. Even the younger generation among the Leonharts couldn’t.] Marcus thought and Arabella tilted her head.

Marcus seemed to have been acquainted with Evelyn when she was alive.

But if Marcus was in his early thirties now, how old was Evelyn when she died?

Chester and Fatima already had an eighteen-year-old daughter like Arabella.

Moreover, Chester had been comparing Evelyn to ladies he thought were prettier than her, but Evelyn was still revered as the most beautiful woman ever born in Zygos?

In her dream about her past life, Arabella does recall hearing Renee say that she was finally back to being the most beautiful after she occupied her body.

’Did Chester keep comparing her out of spite then?’

How stressful and depressing would it have been for her to have kept listening about only negative things regarding herself and her appearance by her own husband as he demeaned her but praised other women?

And it was something that was done quite often.

It was simply cruel.

No wonder Renee became obsessed. She probably thought Evelyn’s appearance was lacking for her husband to have not been able to see it.

Arabella’s thoughts were distracted when she heard Alwin.

{Your Majesty, may I leave my post? There’s someone I need to investigate among King Chester’s people.}

Alwin asked if he could have Riley accompany them for now, even though it wasn’t his turn yet.

{Ah, the magician with him. Sure. Report to me if you learn something important.} Ferdinand easily agreed.

[Something does feel off about him. Where have I felt this kind of presence before? Alwin must have felt it too, so he wanted to investigate. That magician seems quite capable too. He had a lot of mana, and his staff was quite different from what human magicians usually have. Alwin must be eager to know what this magician could do. After all, he hates losing.]

Ferdinand carried Arabella into their carriage and Alwin swapped with Riley when they were in a blind spot.

Riley disguised as the same knight so no one would suspect a thing.

The other royals and their entourage who were also supposed to leave the venue watched Arabella and Ferdinand’s carriage drive away.

Arabella and Ferdinand simply ignored them though.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Ferdinand inquired in case what happened last time occurred again.

Arabella’s range was weirdly getting smaller and smaller day by day, so Ferdinand was being careful not to go too far away. He was worried her range may have gotten reduced again.

"No, I’m fine. I just wanted to see your face," Arabella smiled at her husband.

[She’s smiling but it’s not reaching her eyes. She looks like she’s hurting instead. Is she trying to bear with it on her own? Or did something happen during the tea party?]

Ferdinand carried her to his lap and wrapped her in his arms just in case she was in pain but was keeping it.

Being near each other had proven to ease the pain caused by the marking’s side effects so being this close to each other would instantly make it go away.

’Was it that obvious on my face? I’m alright though. I just recalled Fermin because of seeing Marcus.’

"Arabella, if there is something you are worried about, you can tell me," Ferdinand cupped her face.

’I want to. But not right now. How can I tell you about Fermin when I’m not even sure if he would be born in this life too?’

Arabella closed her eyes and buried her face in Ferdinand’s chest, so he couldn’t see whatever expression she was making.

Soon. She hoped the day would come when she could tell Ferdinand about everything.

But who would have thought that instead of Ferdinand, someone else would learn about her secrets first?

It was a day before Chester and Fatima were supposed to return to Zygos.

King Chester kept picking up Fatima whenever she was in a meeting or tea party with Arabella and the other ladies.

Arabella learned from his thoughts that he was trying to have an encounter with Arabella.

And Marcus was always there to isolate them in case Chester gets the chance or to make that chance happen.

It was so Chester could try to seduce her.

Chester thought Arabella was still young and naïve so he thought since he was experienced, he could find a loophole to make her bend and get to bed her at least once.

Marcus thought otherwise. He knew Chester would not be able to convince Arabella no matter what he said but Marcus still obeyed whatever his king told him.

After his failure last time, Alwin ensured they didn’t cross paths again though since he didn’t want to be scolded by Ferdinand again.

Thus, Chester was not able to speak with Arabella again while she was only with her maids. There were always more people with them so Chester could not say offhanded comments.

Arabella didn’t get to speak much with Fatima either since the latter avoided her.

Fatima was reminded of Evelyn every time she saw Arabella. Thus, Fatima didn’t like her.

Arabella learned from Fatima’s thoughts that she was indeed a traitor.

Fatima had betrayed Evelyn right from the start. She did feel bad that Evelyn had to lose her life but Fatima believed it was a necessity so it couldn’t be helped.

Fatima thought that she merely did what she had to do so it wasn’t her fault, and that it was Evelyn’s for being so gullible.