Chapter 369: Holding Hands
[There should be news soon.]
Renee wanted to leave again just in case the mysterious man was indeed a trap.
However, the time for Arabella and Ferdinand to depart came but there was still no news if the departure of Zygos delegates was canceled.
[What’s going on?
Did they not continue the tea party?
Then, what happened with the pastries?
Was it distributed to the maids or discarded?]
Renee began to worry that she could have killed other people instead of just Fatima.
Renee was still in a better mind compared to her condition in the past life when she was borderline crazy or was already one.
In her plans, Fatima was the only one who was supposed to get poisoned.
She sprayed all the pastries with poison, but her plan was feasible since the host of the tea party always takes the first bite of the food served.
It was to show the food was safe and not laced with poison or anything.
Fatima was a guest in Medeus, but she was the host since she was the one who invited Lucille’s mother to a tea party.
The kitchen staff and maids had already taste-tested the food before so it was already determined safe for Fatima to take a bite.
Renee was in shadow form when she sprayed poison, so she was able to pull it off right after the taste-testing of Fatima’s maids.
[I should go out and gather some information about recent events while Her Majesty is out.
I must know if it worked or not.]
Renee was eager to know. She could simply wait for Arabella’s return instead, but she was being hasty again.
’She’d better not do anything this time,’ Arabella sighed at hearing Renee’s thoughts.
{Alwin, Renee is planning to go out and gather news while we are out.
Can you be the one to watch her instead to make sure she doesn’t make contact with anyone suspicious?
You can sense if that entity contacts her again, right?}
She decided to inform Alwin.
Riley can guard her with Rendell in his place since Ferdinand would be with her anyway.
{Yes, I will ask permission from His Majesty, then.}
The one Alwin assigned to watch over Renee could not remember anything that happened during the time Renee was speaking with her mysterious helper.
Alwin then asked permission to be the one to follow Renee in secret.
Ferdinand agreed since he was also wondering why ’that’ entity was getting involved.
He thought it would be dangerous if Renee becomes that entity’s puppet since she was still Arabella’s maid. And he was apparently known to be such a troublemaker for the sake of having fun.
Arabella and Ferdinand then went to see off Chester and Fatima.
They were the last ones to arrive.
The other royals were already there.
Of course, Ferdinand also had their arrival timed.
They had to be the last to arrive to show that they were not in the least bit feeling too obligated to come here the way the others were.
Everyone’s attention was on their carriage since Arabella and Ferdinand arrived together.
They noted how Ferdinand suddenly seemed so gentlemanly as he escorted Arabella out of the carriage.
And instead of offering his arm for Arabella to hold onto while they walk, he offered his hand.
His face was as expressionless as ever once he was in his emperor mode.
However, his actions towards Arabella were noticeably different despite the lack of expression on his face.
’Haven’t they seen this several times already?’
Arabella wanted to laugh at how closely everyone was observing them.
They had been seeing this every time they arrived at events together or during the times Ferdinand went to pick her up after tea parties.
The only thing different now was, they were holding hands.
Perhaps it was why everyone was gawking more than usual.
Now, Arabella understood why Ferdinand linked their hands several times this morning while they were in bed.
He also kept playing with her hands while they were in the carriage.
He kept interlocking their fingers and then undoing them as if he was trying to find the perfect angle or was practicing.
Her hands were much smaller than his.
But when they let their fingers interlock, it was as if their hands fit perfectly.
Ferdinand had been holding her hand once they take walks in the garden, but they never interlocked their fingers while they were in front of other royals like this.
’Why is he looking at me instead of walking?’
Arabella tilted her head slightly when her husband eyed her.
[Does she not like it?
I’ve been wanting to hold her hand like this in front of everyone for a while.
And now seems to be the perfect chance to do it for the first time.]
Ferdinand was worried she didn’t like it since she didn’t like public displays of affection.
Arabella smiled at her husband.
She didn’t mind this much.
It was rather nice to hold hands like this and show everyone that he was hers and vice versa.
Maybe, the others who still think they were merely making a front would finally understand that they were indeed lovers now.
[Oh, you don’t mind.
Then, can I also do this too?]
Ferdinand kissed the back of her hand.
And it wasn’t the polite kiss that gentlemen usually do as a greeting or form of respect.
This one lingered for several seconds.
It was a form of affection.
And he had no plan to stop it until she stops him.
Arabella felt heat rise to her face.
She glanced at the other nobles around and they quickly averted their gaze when she looked their way.
The others were already blushing too and pretended they didn’t see it because they were busy with something.
"F-Ferdinand!" Arabella chided in a whisper.
"Oh, I can’t?" he pretended to be innocent of what he had just done.
For a second, there was a playful glint in his eyes.
’He’s growing slyer by the day,’ Arabella pouted.
[This look on your face is adorable too.
It makes me want to kiss you in front of everyone]
Ferdinand thought, still with an expressionless face.
It was a wonder how he does it.
"That’s a no. There are a lot of people here," Arabella muttered.
"That’s exactly why," Ferdinand’s eyes glinted.
.
.
.
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