Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress

"I see. Alright, then. No need to be angry, right?" Arabella approached him.

His back turned towards her like this did not bode too well.

"What do you mean, no need to be angry?" Ferdinand frowned at her.

[She kicks me at night and then accuses me right when she wakes up after I held back so she can keep sleeping in peace.]

’Oh, I did something last night that made him angry?’

Arabella looked at his broad back. Her husband exuded with annoyance and frustration. Thus, even if she could not see his face, she had a clear hint of how he was feeling. After all, he was filling the room with it.

"Right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse. But why was I naked? And what did you mean by I kicked you?"

Arabella decided to inquire directly.

[Of course. She doesn’t even remember it.]

Ferdinand brooded even more.

’Oops. I guess I have to suit him first,’ Arabella embraced him from the back.

Ferdinand stiffened and gradually relaxed.

"Please tell me. I do not know since I was sleeping so soundly," Arabella said in a gentle voice as she let her head settle on his back.

Ferdinand shivered.

"This strategy to make me talk is so unfair," Ferdinand commented.

"What do you mean?" Arabella did not understand. But when she felt his body temperature rise and his ears turn red, she finally did.

It was like she was sweet-talking him while using her body. It was an unintentional honeytrap.

"Oh, I’m sorry. It was not intentional. And the sheets are wrapped around me," Arabella clarified, tugging at the sheets to emphasize her point.

She did not want Ferdinand to think that she would just use her body to distract him and stop him from getting angry without knowing why or apologizing about it if it was her fault.

Arabella was about to unclasp her arms around him but he held her hands in place. He actually liked the hug even when he was getting distracted and tempted.

"I can still feel everything. Those sheets are so thin," Ferdinand complained despite being the one keeping her in place this time.

"Right. Why were the sheets changed? And now they are discarded on the floor," Arabella was still puzzled about it.

Ferdinand sighed deeply before finally explaining what happened.

***

Ferdinand

(Last Night...)

Ferdinand was so annoyed when he visited Count Morbal’s territory. It was not doing well and yet, the count even had plans to get the supplies to be sent mostly for his family.

If Arabella had not heard his thoughts, another territory would have suffered and they would have only known about it after it had happened.

It made Ferdinand’s blood boil. They would not run out of supplies even if they had to take care of several territories at once. But if the rulers in each territory keep misbehaving and falsifying their reports, then things would go from bad to worse.

’I must announce a new edict. Just because I have not yet executed that former marquess who caused the situation in Prudencia doesn’t mean I am trying to play mercifully because I’m married now. Do they think I cannot hear them talk nonsense behind my back?’ Ferdinand frowned.

He had only spared the marquess in the meantime since they were using the latter to track and find the Prudencians that had been stowed away even on other continents.

Adolfo’s network could have been used for that much better but Ferdinand could not stomach seeing a person involved in Arabella getting poisoned roam around and keep living. Thus, he was executed immediately.

The marquess would get his turn once his use was done.

Ferdinand was not at all trying to play merciful because of Arabella.

In fact, he was very much embarrassed and mortified that Arabella had to witness horrible and disgusting things because of that marquess. He would have executed him on the spot if the situation in Prudencia was not dire. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

But so many people had gone missing from Prudencia and they had to recover them safe and sound as soon as possible so Ferdinand had to allow the marquess to remain alive so he could be useful and take even a bit of responsibility after all the madness he had done.

Humans are too selfish and greedy sometimes and Ferdinand was once again reminded why he chose not to mingle with humans as much as possible in his long lifespan.

He had always tried to avoid interacting with humans once he awakens from his slumber. And yet, in the past, humans had daringly awakened him repeatedly until he had no choice but to run amok to ward them off.

Ferdinand had met all kinds of humans in the past but most of the ones he had met were selfish and greedy just like the marquess.

That was one of the reasons he hated the thought of being sent here to the human realm and playing as the ruler of Valeria; especially since he saw how the numbers of his kind were surprisingly almost wiped out to the point as if it was the time of creation.

It was a boring task that he loathed but had no choice to do.

The gods needed them to do their role and the Dragon God had summoned them and promised they would not get bored this time because he was giving them a human body that would test their limits.

And yet, Ferdinand was still bored. It was indeed a nice experience living as a human at first. But Ferdinand still easily got bored of the routine tasks and simply wanted to return to his slumber.

But then one day he encountered Arabella and everything changed.

It was hard to explain but on that day, he felt like he would regret it for the rest of his life if he let her go.

There was this weird feeling deep inside, an inkling, telling him as if he already did in the past and regretted it greatly.

It was weird since Ferdinand did not have that many regrets. No, he did not regret things. He simply let things happen, or not allow it to happen, and watched how things unfold.

After he reached a certain age, he stopped regretting things and simply watched how the world changed. His life became a boring monochrome after a while.