"Dear, this is Aletha. She is my personal maid back in Lobelius," Arabella introduced her maid.
Ferdinand, Rendell, and Aletha, all the three stared at her as she boldly addressed the Dark Emperor as she pleased for the second time.
Arabella could be this daring because she knew from her previous life that he would tolerate her behavior because she was his wife. He would keep her around for appearances sake.
"Greetings to His Majesty," Aletha respectfully curtsied.
Ferdinand glanced at Aletha. "I heard you have been with my wife since childhood. Keep serving her well."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my very best," Aletha bowed again and silently excused herself since she was already dismissed.
Arabella had no choice but to welcome her husband in her study.
"Your eyes are red and puffy. Have you been crying? Is there something going on?" Ferdinand caressed her cheek with his thumb.
Arabella flinched. Her husband's gentle touch felt so foreign. Since when did he care whether she cried or laughed? All he needed was for her to remain as his wife.
[Was my touch too rough? I already touched her as gently as I could.] Ferdinand retracted his hand.
"I was just so happy to see Aletha again," Arabella smiled politely.
"I see." Ferdinand clearly did not believe her but let it go.
"Did you have something to talk about with me?" She simply wanted to kick him out so she could read the letters from Lobelius.
[Does she not like talking to me? I had just entered. She spoke so long with her maid.] Ferdinand picked up what she implied.
'Yes, I do. I hate speaking with you. So please just leave,' Arabella turned in another direction and rolled her eyes when he was not looking.
"I heard your maid has arrived so I thought I would inform you. But she came to see you firsthand upon arrival," Ferdinand lied with a straight face.
"I see. Thank you for the thought," she faked a smile. In her twenty-two years as his wife, she spent ten of them faking a smile for him.
'Oh, since he is already here, should I ask him about that? He might get bored in the palace and suddenly declare war somewhere or go hunting for long.'
"Uhm . . ." she fiddled with her fingers and pretended to hesitate.
[Does she want to tell me something?]
"What is it? You may speak freely."
"C-can Aletha be allowed in the kitchen? She brought some ingredients with her so she could make my favorite meals."
[Ah, Lobelian cuisine. That might help. My wife is already skinny and yet she lost some weight since she travelled here. She barely had an appetite and even skipped meals. Her maid seems quite useful. But I shouldn't agree so easily.]
"The kitchen is the Head Chef's jurisdiction. It would cause a stir if a maid is suddenly allowed to do as she pleases there. But I'll think about it."
'This bastard! Is he making me beg?' she internally fumed. 'Humph. I won't lose. Let's see how long you will last.'
"Please . . . Dear. I really miss Lobelian Cuisine," Arabella crossed her fingers as if in prayer and tried to look as hopeful and adorable as possible the way she usually does to Icarus when she asks for a favor he didn't like. She tilted her head a bit at just the right angle, and said, "Won't you allow it?"
[. . .]
"A-alright. I will allow it. I will have the Head Chef informed that your maid will be the one preparing your meals while the ingredients she brought lasts."
'Oh my! This works too,' Arabella was delighted at another discovery. Another weapon she could use in the future.
"Thank you!" she beamed brightly at her husband.
[S-she's so beautiful! So adorable. I want to make her mine. Right now.]
Arabella found herself suddenly wrapped in Ferdinand's strong arms. She couldn't budge one bit due to how strong he was.
[Wait. What was she thanking me for? . . .]
There was a long pause as he processed what happened.
[I, I agreed on the spot?! W-wait. Why am I holding her? She's . . . so soft . . . and small. She smells good too. I want to hold her like this in bed. . . NO. What am I thinking about?! It's still daylight. I have to control myself.]
Ferdinand finally loosened his arms and Arabella took a deep breath. She almost suffocated. His body was too hard and yet, he flattened her face against his chest for several seconds. He seriously needed to learn to control his strength.
"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"
"Yes, but please be more gentle next time," it was an effort for her to fake a smile this time.
Still, she was busy wondering how Lobelian cuisine would taste on her pallet after so long so she easily forgave him.
It was rather a surprise he agreed so easily. Personal maids attend to their masters or mistresses. They are usually not allowed in the kitchen since their job is to wait on their lord or lady. It was a chef's job to do the cooking and prepare all the meals.
But since Ferdinand has agreed, Arabella could enjoy Aletha's cooking. She could forget about the details to lessen her worries.
[I'll have to ask the Head Chef to learn how to make the meals my wife likes so she could eat them whenever the ingredients are available.]
Arabella was wide-eyed and stared at Ferdinand when she heard this. Since when did he care what meals she eat?
In her previous life, Ferdinand just told the chefs to fatten her up or they'll die. There was no care about her preference at all.
The chef's also begged her to eat to preserve their life so Arabella had no choice but to get used to the food and eat whatever was served even if she hated it.
"Your Majesty, I've brought you some refreshments," she heard Irene's familiar voice as the latter knocked on the door.
Arabella glanced at her husband, wordlessly asking if it was alright to let the maid in and he nodded.