Revelation

Arabella's body felt weirdly hot instead of going cold.

She was supposed to have died but she could suddenly see so clearly even though she could not move.

She was sure she died.

Or was supposed to?

But why does it feel hot?

She could still smell the nasty odor of burning bodies and houses from the carnage down below.

Her ears could still hear the shrieking and desperate screaming.

And weirdly, her sight cleared after going blurry for a second.

". . ."

Someone was calling her.

". . . Bella. . ."

"Arabella. . ."

Ah, it was King Icarus.

He came into her field of vision.

His clothes were bloody, singed, and dirty from the battlefield. It had tears here and there from where shallow wounds peeked.

"Arabella, please stay with me!

Don't die!" Icarus said with so much emotion.

He looked like he might cry.

No. He was crying. His tears were dropping to her face.

'Was Icarus always this emotional?'

Icarus was the man she seduced to ruin her husband. After all, he was Ferdinand's nemesis.

She wanted Ferdinand to feel so bad once he learned about it so she chose Icarus.

What would be more insulting than having your woman be won over by the man you hated most?

At first, she offered a deal with Icarus.

He could have her body and intel about Ferdinand and the security details of Valeria as long as he helped her ruin her husband.

Icarus was wary and did not trust her at first.

He thought Ferdinand had gone too low and even used his wife to eliminate him.

However, when Arabella revealed Ferdinand was the one who had her son poisoned, Icarus finally understood she truly hated her husband.

Icarus agreed to the deal and took her body.

And Arabella realized Icarus was also one of the men who liked her beauty. Or so she thought.

In order to make Icarus agree to her plans more easily, she pretended to have fallen in love with him and agreed to be his Empress after they got rid of Ferdinand.

But Arabella killed herself instead. She never planned to stay in the first place.

She thought Icarus would just get furious that she betrayed him.

So why was he crying as he held her bloodstained body?

"How could you do this to me?

You promised we would be together after all this.

Why would you leave me all alone?

What would I use this empire for?

What did I work hard for?"

'Huh?!

What is he talking about?

Isn't he happy he could have Ferdinand's former territory?'

Arabella was puzzled. This was not the reaction she was expecting.

"I loved you all this time. . .

All I wanted was to be with you.

And yet, you have to marry Ferdinand only for your life to be ruined?

I just wanted to help you get your revenge so you could finally see the world clearly again and live with me happily.

But why would you break your word and leave me all alone after everything?"

Icarus' body trembled as he sobbed and there was so much emotion in his eyes.

". . ."

Arabella was speechless after hearing such words from Icarus whom she mistakenly thought to have just desired her body and the fall of his nemesis.

Who would have thought he loved her?

She thought they were just using each other.

Arabella heard footsteps approaching but she could not move to see who it was.

The footsteps came closer and closer, until finally, she could see who it was.

She felt cold shivers down her spine when she saw Renee with a sword in her hand.

'Why is Renee here?!

Didn't she run away to another kingdom with the money I gave her as her reward for her years of working for me?'

Yet, Renee was there with them in the magic tower looking like she was ready to kill someone.

Arabella wanted to warn Icarus since Renee's eyes looked so dangerous. It was as if this person was different from the Renee she knew.

Unlike her coldhearted husband, Icarus was a kind man and would be a good emperor. Arabella just took advantage of him and led him astray.

Yet, her body could no longer move nor could she blink her eyes or make a sound.

Thankfully, Icarus seemed to have already noticed there was someone else there.

He gently laid Arabella's body on the ground.

But before he could completely do so, a sword went out of his chest and blood spilled from his mouth.

Arabella realized a spell was used on Icarus to immobilize him.

His body fell on hers and she felt his warm blood spill onto her clothes.

A burst of loud malicious laughter echoed in the magic tower.

Renee was laughing like a crazed lunatic.

"Move him and heal the Empress' body.

After all, that body would be mine from now on," Renee said and laughed once again.

Arabella heard a man reply but she could not clearly hear his voice.

He was wearing a cloak and a mask so she could not see his face either.

"Who would have thought she would kill herself?

If we were a second late, all of this could have gone down the drain," Renee complained and peered at her.

"Oh my! She still looks so gorgeous even when drenched in blood."

Arabella would have shivered if her body could move.

Renee's eyes were filled with an obsessive and crazed look.

The maid smiled as she gazed at her and said, "Look at this, you are so pretty even in your death.

You simply haven't aged since I first saw you.

I'm so envious.

But then again, I will be inhabiting your body soon.

I would finally be back to being the prettiest."

Renee chuckled evilly.

"I will be Empress Arabella and you will be my husband.

We will rule the widest empire ever," she said to the man with her.

'WHAT?! What is she talking about? Has she gone crazy? This is nuts!'

Arabella felt chills run down her back.

Renee did not sound like she was joking at all.

She couldn't understand why Renee who used to be so obedient to her would suddenly say things like this.

"This brainless Empress.

She simply believed everything I said.

She even believed the Emperor killed his own son.

She was so easy to fool.

She had nothing but a pretty face.

But then again, with a face like this, you can have everything you want.

Look at these two idiots losing their lives because of her," Renee laughed once again and kicked Ferdinand's and Icarus' corpses beside hers.

'What?!!!' She had been lying to me?!!!' Arabella felt her blood turn cold.

Renee's laughter echoed in the magic tower as one last tear fell from Arabella's eyes.

* * *

Arabella woke up with a start. She was sweating profusely and her heart was beating wildly.

She was surprised when she found herself in Ferdinand's arms.

She almost mistook him for the corpse she just saw but this was the warm and young Ferdinand. She freed herself from his embrace and sat up.

'What the hell was that?!'

Her skin had goosebumps on them.

She could still hear Renee's maniacal laughter echoing in her mind.

She was horrified as she wondered whether it was just a nightmare or a memory.

"What's wrong?" Ferdinand asked. He was previously sleeping beside her with his arms around her waist but was probably awakened by her movement.

Arabella was supposed to be just pretending to be asleep while waiting for Ferdinand so he wouldn't touch her. But she must have truly fallen asleep while waiting for him.

[Did she have a nightmare? Why does she look so pale? Is she already missing her home? Should I have something retrieved for her from Lobelius so she wouldn't be so homesick?]

Arabella perked up when Ferdinand thought about that.

Due to her nightmare, she doesn't feel so assured with Renee anymore.

She needed someone she can trust. She thought about the maids she had in Lobelius and the one she could trust the most was Aletha.

Aletha had been with her since she was little so she was like a second mother or an elder sister to her.

"I. . . I miss Lobelius. Can I go home?" she acted all naive and innocent.

Ferdinand frowned.

[Does she really miss her home or she just wants to get away from me? I can't have her running away again. Lahar is just beside Lobelius. If she meets up with her former lover again, I might just tear him to shreds this time. I heard his parents wed him quickly to someone else when they learned he tried to elope with my fiancée. They wed him to someone else as if trying to say he wouldn't get in the way of my marriage with Arabella so I wouldn't have to take action. But what if he still misses her and secretly tries to meet with her? My wife still longs for him. I couldn't possibly let them meet.]

"No. We just got married. We should still be on our honeymoon. If you go home just a few days after our wedding, they will think I threw you away after just a few nights. I also have to attend events with you after our honeymoon and you need to learn your duties as an Empress," Ferdinand explained something different from what he had in mind.

'Is this really Ferdinand? He is the Ferdinand I was married to for twenty-two years, right?'

This was the longest explanation she ever got from Ferdinand counting from her previous life. He rarely speaks long unless he had to give a speech at official events but even his speeches were short.

[Why is she looking at me like this? Did I say something weird? I thought those were the most valid reasons I could say. I wasn't lying about those either.]

'This Ferdinand is weird. He is so different from the one that I know. Or is it because I could hear his thoughts?'

"Then, can I get one of my former maids sent here? I want someone I am used to and can talk with about Lobelius and all the things I used to do there," Arabella acted all pitiful and as cute as she could.

She didn't learn to seduce in her former life for nothing. She was able to get Icarus to her side, after all. She just hoped it works on Ferdinand as well.