"T-they are here?!" Odette was already on the brink of tears. Her eyes were beginning to water.
[Does this an my siblings are finally free from the Marquess?!]
"Yes."
"Would you like to see them?" Arabella smiled. Odette clearly treasured her siblings very much.
[Am I dreaming?]
Odette gulped nervously thinking it was too good to be true. She hesitated for a bit but she soon looked eager and said, "Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"We are still waiting for your older brothers to arrive. But your younger siblings are safe and sound here," Arabella walked to the balcony.
From there, she saw three young ladies and one boy in the garden below.
One of the ladies who seed to be just a year or two younger than Odette was busy reading books at the gazebo.
anwhile, the two youngest, who seed five and seven years old played around the garden as one of their elder sisters watched over them.
Arabella felt warmth in her chest as she watched the children play. But likewise, her heart ached.
She felt an incredible sense of longing as she recalled how she used to watch over Fermin play in this sa garden when he was young.
When Fermin was five, he would get tired of his studies and go disturb her in her office. She would bring him to the garden and play with him until he was satisfied.
Fermin would play and laugh without a care in the world just like how Odette’s youngest siblings were right now.
"Co here," Arabella called out to Odette before she wallowed in depressing thoughts.
"Heavens! They are truly here! Gwyneth, Frances, Clair, Matthew! They’re all here."
Odette was overwheld and tears stread down her cheeks as she gazed at her siblings in the garden.
[Thank goodness they are safe. I was so worried when I departed. I left them in my older brother’s care but he was busy with work so I still can’t help but worry about how they were doing. They seem to have lost even more weight but they seem unhard.]
"!!!"
Odette flinched when she realized she was still in Arabella’s presence.
"I’m so sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. I was just so happy and relieved that they were safe and sound."
But Odette’s tears kept flowing even as she tried to dry them.
"It’s alright. You can cry as much as you want," Arabella gathered Odette in her embrace.
Odette stiffened and was confused not knowing what to do.
But when Arabella gently rubbed her back and petted her hair, Odette trembled and sobbed her heart out.
It was probably the first ti Odette cried in so long since she cried so much as if she had no one to cry to for years.
Arabella fully understood from experience. It was why she cried so much when she t Aletha again for the first ti since she was reborn.
[This is the first ti soone embraced like this since my mother died.]
Odette cried even more as Arabella held her.
"Poor child. You have been through so much. You did well holding on. You can relax now and take it easy. We will keep you and your siblings safe."
[. . .]
[. . .]
Eunice and Aletha were shocked by Arabella’s actions but they didn’t say a word. Especially when Odette was sobbing so much that she was having difficulty breathing.
Arabella kept comforting Odette until the latter finally cald down.
And when she did. . .
[What have I done?! I cried to the Empress herself!]
Odette turned red in embarrassnt and sha once she was calm.
"I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Your Majesty," Odette was horrified upon seeing Arabella’s clothes drenched with her tears. She kneeled and said, "Please forgive . I didn’t know what ca over that I just cried like that."
Odette nervously awaited her punishnt.
’How cute. Fermin looked her age when I saw him in Estrella.’
"It’s alright," Arabella patted Odette’s head. "Shall we take our seats? We have sothing important to talk about."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
[Her Majesty is so kind and gentle. When she was embracing , it just felt like it was my mother comforting . It must be why I ended up crying so much.]
Arabella smiled at such a thought from Odette. It’s been a while since soone called her ’Mother.’ It was sothing she missed so much.
They had so tea before she explained to Odette what they needed from her.
Arabella told Odette that Ferdinand and his knights were already in Prudencia to apprehend and imprison Gulliver and his n and a trial will be held tomorrow to fast-track the recovery of the people who were made into slaves.
"So all I need to do is testify against Marquess Gulliver and break my engagent with him?" Odette asked for verification.
"Yes," Arabella smiled reassuringly. "Will you do it?"
"I gladly would, Your Majesty. I have a lot to say about the Marquess. Now that my siblings are safe, I won’t have to hold back. I have a list of his cris and abuses that I know about," Odette said with determined eyes.
[Who would have thought this day would truly co?! The gods must have heard our earnest prayers! Once Marquess Gulliver is punished, my siblings and our people can finally live freely.]
Odette had newfound confidence once she knew she and her siblings were under the Empress and Emperor’s protection. Her eyes beca brighter too.
"A list? Can you make a copy for ? It would be great to have sothing to compare with the investigators’ findings."
There may be sothing Odette knows that the investigators did not find out about.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Odette looked around. "Uhm, I actually morized it all. Should I write it down now?"
"Yes, of course. The sooner the better," Arabella glanced at Eunice and the latter retrieved a clean sheet of paper from her desk.
Arabella was amazed as Odette began writing down. She truly had everything committed to mory.
One sheet of paper was not enough so Odette wrote on several pieces of paper. She rembered all the atrocities and abuses Gulliver had done to her and her siblings and the people in the palace.
Odette even rembered when and where it happened.
’She also has an excellent mory. I got myself quite the assistant,’ Arabella nodded in approval.
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A/N:
Here’s a bonus Chapter since this book is featured today!
It’s all thanks to everyone’s support! Love you all!
Moreover, we have also already accomplished Tier 1 of Win-Win for privilege Chapters this January. Let’s aim for Tier 2 next. Hehe. Thanks much for your support!
. . .
I have a fever today so my mind was elsewhere. I was staring at my screen for hours before I finally completed this Chapter. Pardon if there are mistakes.
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