Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress

[There are so many kinds of flowers here. Should I get more flowers for the garden in Riva?] Ferdinand was getting ideas as they toured around.

Arabella did want Ferdinand to know about what she was up to when she was young since she had done a lot of stupid things. But Benjamin seemed to enjoy talking about it. And Ferdinand keenly listened to them as well.

"Ah, Ella was quite merciless when she was young. She made a lot of the servants walk on all fours here while she road on their backs," Benjamin said knowing Arabella was horrified just at the thought of those.

"She did?" Ferdinand was surprised.

"Yes, quite a lot," Benjamin chuckled.

"That was when I was just a toddler back then. I did not know what I doing," Arabella quickly defended herself.

"You didn’t have to say those," Arabella pinched Benjamin’s arm.

’Is he still hung up that I made him walk on all fours too and rode on his back while pulling at his hair?’

Arabella heard from their parents that Benjamin had long hair back then and it was Arabella’s favorite thing to pull ever since she was a baby until when she could run around.

After the day Arabella made him walk on all fours while pulling at his hair, Benjamin had his hair cut short and never grew it long.

She knew it must have been a terrible feeling. But did he really have to tell her husband about it?! It was so embarrassing.

"Oh, you must have looked adorable," Ferdinand smiled and it ended up in a light chuckle as he imagined it.

Thankfully, Ferdinand did not think she was a bully.

"Of course, I did. Humph," Arabella said and Benjamin smirked. She gave her brother a side-eye and clarified to Ferdinand, "And I already apologized to the maids and butlers that I treated that way."

Still, Benjamin kept talking about her childhood days with Ferdinand. She was grateful that they were finally getting along but she did not like their topic. Was this what they would keep talking about even if she was not here? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Arabella suddenly did not want to ever leave them alone since Benjamin might reveal more embarrassing things about her.

Thankfully though, Benjamin never mentioned Arabella’s dates here with Andrew when she was so infatuated with the latter. He did not say a word either about how much she cried as she begged him to help her change their parents’ minds about her engagement and marriage to Ferdinand.

Arabella paused when they were about to pass by a part of the garden that was filled with green shrubs that did not have blossoms.

This was where the pond once was. It was where she almost drowned when she was little.

[Does it still terrify her even now?] Benjamin thought.

"Shall we go there? There’s nothing to see on this part," Benjamin ushered them to go to another part of the garden.

"No. I’d like to take a closer look," Arabella said and her elder brother frowned.

"Are you sure?" Benjamin eyed her.

"Yes, I’d like them to examine it now while we are here," Arabella said and glanced at Ferdinand and Alwin.

"What’s wrong?" Ferdinand was alarmed.

"I almost died here when I was young," Arabella admitted. "Remember when I said, I almost drowned in a pond? It was here," Arabella pointed to the spot where the pond once was.

[This was where she almost drowned?!!]

Ferdinand looked back and forth between her and the spot where the pond once was. It was a lawn now.

[This was where that ’Entity’ appeared to her?!] Alwin was alarmed as well since Arabella had told Alwin the rest of the story.

Arabella used to avoid going to this part of the palace but after everything she experienced in her past life, she realized she was no longer scared of this spot now.

She was still scared of dark, murky, and deep waters though.

"I remember that night more clearly now."

"You do?! Then, what happened?!" Benjamin was wide-eyed.

"I saw a glowing flower from afar so I came here only to realize it was at the center of the pond. It was so beautiful and magical. I came here all on my own, all I was thinking about was, that I wanted that flower. But I stopped at the edge of the water since I was scared. But someone appeared and he was walking on top of the water like it was solid ground." Arabella retold.

"There was someone?!" Ferdinand frowned.

"There truly was someone. I wasn’t hallucinating," Arabella said and Ferdinand gritted his teeth.

"Someone tried to kill you?" Ferdinand concluded.

"Yes. He was beside the flower and lured me into the water so I could pluck the flower. When I tried to walk in his direction I was able to step on the water too. When I was right beside the flower, I realized it was so huge. Just about my size back then so of course, I could not pluck it. Yet the person still encouraged me to do so so I tried. The instant I did, I began sinking and it was the only thing I could hold onto. But it vanished into thin air as the man chuckled. He watched me sink and struggle. I thought I was going to die. But someone came and dragged me out of the water."

"Someone tried to drown you while someone came to save you? I didn’t see anyone else aside from you when I arrived here. And you were at the edge of the pond," Benjamin presented what he recalled. "You also said last time that there were other people there. But we repeatedly checked the vicinity for any tracks left but there was not a single one. We thought someone tried to drown you so we searched everywhere. But there was no sign. There should have been shoes or footprints on the grass but there were none."

[She said she could clearly recall it now. Does this mean magic was involved since the man not sinking into the water?] Benjamin was confused and alarmed at the same.

Arabella glanced at Alwin who was already examining the place with magic.