Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress

Chapter 363: Since When

Chapter 363: Since When"Your Majesty, no one came to attack.

I got wounded on my own," Alwin began but cannot tell Ferdinand the lame lie he told Rendell.

"Then how did you get injured?"

Ferdinand’s brows drew a line.

[Is he ashamed to admit it because this was the first time he ever got injured in a fight?]

Ferdinand was insistent on attacking so Arabella and Alwin had no choice but to tell him part of the truth.

"Uhm, Ferdinand.

I’m so sorry.

It was my fault.

It wasn’t a fight.

I accidentally dropped a teacup earlier and it broke.

I was about to pick up a shard that go unnoticed in the corner, but Alwin quickly grabbed it instead, fearing that I would get hurt.

He got hurt instead since he accidentally gripped it tightly."

Arabella did the explanation since Alwin couldn’t.

"Is that true?" Ferdinand asked Alwin and he merely nodded.

[This is too much blood from a mere shard.

Why are they both lying to me?]

Ferdinand closed his eyes and inhaled.

[Hmm. It’s masked by the strong scent of blood from the carpet, but why does my wife reek of Alwin’s blood?

Alwin’s scent is on her too.

Ah, and the hairpin as well.]

Ferdinand walked to Arabella and held both of her hands. He inhaled them.

’I’m caught.’

"Smells like Alwin and his blood," Ferdinand eyed her, and she froze.

He glanced at the hairpin too.

[It reeks. This is Alwin’s blood indeed.]

"I’m so sorry!

I’m so sorry.

It was me.

But I didn’t mean to hurt Alwin."

Arabella raised both her hands in surrender. Her husband thought of killing the culprit and yet it was her.

Somehow, Arabella didn’t want Ferdinand to know she could be violent too since his perception of her was too angelic.

But now, it’s all gone down the drain.

She’s someone who hurt someone she said was like a son to her too.

What a hypocrite.

This was the end of her good image to her husband.

Ferdinand must be so disappointed in her.

[Arabella hurt Alwin with the hairpin I gave her?

What reason would she have to do so?

Was he disrespectful to her again?

But how did it end up with her injuring Alwin?]

"Arabella, I don’t mind whoever it is you try to harm.

I know you must have your reasons.

But Alwin is on our side.

If he displeased or offended you, I could give him punishments for you.

You don’t have to do anything yourself."

Ferdinand said it gently but it rang in her ears.

’What?!

I sound like a villain in his words!

Do I always go hurting people?’

She feared his good image of her breaking. But this sounded like she had been harming people all the time.

"Ferdinand, it’s not like that!

I didn’t do it out of spite or anything like that.

I didn’t know it was Alwin," Arabella wanted to cry.

She was the villain even though it was Alwin who pretended as Marcus first.

She wouldn’t have dared hurt him if she knew he was Alwin.

"Yes, of course.

Alwin must have done something.

Calm down first."

Ferdinand cupped her face and she turned away since she somewhat just got scolded and blamed by him.

How could he just conclude she would hurt Alwin who had saved her many times just because he said something disrespectful or offensive?

She had been enduring Alwin’s internal complaints for months without trying to really do anything to him since she knew Alwin was a good person.

He was simply biased against her because of his memories of his previous life.

She understood that since she was biased because of her memories of her previous life too.

Without her ability to read minds, she would have remained the same about most things.

Arabella knew it was childish to be offended by a few words from her husband.

But for him to think she would do something just because she was displeased was irritating.

He always acted like he fully believed she was a good and kind person, but he easily thought she did something to Alwin just because she got displeased or offended.

Alwin saved her several times already. She wouldn’t have done that if she knew he was Alwin.

Well, Alwin did stay by his side for more than six thousand years.

So, of course, Ferdinand trusted him more.

Arabella could not compete with that.

And she still did hurt Alwin no matter the excuse she makes.

"I’m sorry.

My words must have not sounded right.

I’m not blaming you.

I know Alwin can be quite annoying at times.

I was just worried you could have gotten hurt instead," Ferdinand explained.

"You still believed I would just hurt someone because I’m displeased though," Arabella pointed out what she got annoyed at.

"Eh? No, that’s not it.

I know you are usually too kind and merciful so he must have done something quite grave for you to get angry to the point you could injure him.

I was thinking of questioning him later and giving him his punishment.

And what I meant earlier was that I don’t mind you plotting to harm people, but don’t do things yourself.

We have a lot of hands who can do it for you."

Ferdinand’s words just now were kind of twisted too.

Does that mean he didn’t mind her being a villainess?

Ah, right. He didn’t in their past life.

’Oh, so that was it.

My mind is in the clouds because of what I just went through earlier.

I thought I was about to die. And yet, I was merely being tested by Alwin.

I was left too confused; I had to see proof before I believe it was truly Alwin.

And now, I’m misunderstanding Ferdinand since I’m still too worked up from earlier.’

Arabella sighed deeply and stopped pouting.

She didn’t dodge when Ferdinand kissed her forehead.

She saw Alwin roll his eyes.

{Your Majesty, what are you doing?

Don’t get distracted.

Save that for later.

I’m going to get punished at this rate.

Don’t forget I know your secrets.} Alwin complained.

Arabella place her hand behind her back and rubbed her summoning ring.

{Don’t forget we will both be affected if you tell him my secrets. It’s your secret as well.}

{You sure are showing your true colors now.}

{Same to you.}

[They are glaring at each other.

I can feel the tension.

They must have had a fight indeed.

Did Alwin speak so rudely that she got too furious?

I thought he already learned his lesson last time.]

"Alwin, what is it that you did this time?

I thought I already told you not to disrespect my wife.

How many times do I need to punish you before you understand?" Ferdinand scolded Alwin too.

’Yes. It wasn’t just my fault.’

Arabella smiled and Alwin was about to give her another glare but stopped since Ferdinand’s attention was on him.

"It’s not like that, Your Majesty," Alwin denied.

To stop passing the blame on each other, Ferdinand then asked them to tell him everything from the start.

They then told Ferdinand what happened except for the ones they agreed to hide.

Since Alwin already reported about it before, Ferdinand already knew about Renee being Evania, so he wasn’t that surprised that she began to act.

"Y-you can hear our thoughts?!

Then, even right now?"

Ferdinand’s attention was more focused on this fact.

"Yes," Arabella smiled, and her husband’s face turned red.

"Since when?"

"It began on our wedding night," she admitted.

[Then all this time, she had been able to hear all my thoughts about her as well?]

Ferdinand glanced at her, and he covered his red face with both hands when he realized she heard that thought too.