Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress

Chapter 374: Chasing the Truth [Bonus - ]

Chapter 374: Chasing the Truth [Bonus Chapter]"No matter how pretty Evelyn was, she had always been ugly to Chester because of what her family had done to him.

He could never accept Evelyn as his wife, and he kept longing for the love they made him lose.

Seeing Evelyn constantly reminded him of it and of the fact that his siblings’ lives were in the hands of the Leonharts," Alwin continued.

With the Leonharts able to eliminate the first prince and create their own story of his death, Chester knew their threat was not empty.

They could simply eliminate him and manipulate his younger siblings next. Or kill one of his siblings to teach him a lesson if he didn’t obey.

Chester was not a vile person before.

He changed and became what he was after what the Leonharts made him experience.

This was why Chester made Evelyn who was the only Leonhart he could harm, as the outlet of his frustration and despair and tormented her.

When he was violent the first time and Evelyn did not tell anyone, he was emboldened to do it again.

When she remained silent the second time, he did it again and again.

He let it out on someone who was weaker than he was because he cannot get back at those who were much stronger than him.

And when Fatima offered a chance for vengeance against those people, Chester grabbed it even if it meant simply changing the side that controlled him.

"But Chester wouldn’t have gone as far as killing his own wife. Fatima made him believe that Evelyn was cheating on him and giving away his gifts to a mere butler."

Alwin said that Chester did not really mind the cheating since he does it himself.

However, what insulted Chester was when the pieces of jewelry he had gifted to Evelyn kept going missing.

Those were from his parents and were important heirlooms that he could only gift to Evelyn who was the current queen.

And it should have been passed down to their children once they had some.

Giving it to a mere butler made Chester think it was Evelyn’s way of saying nothing he gave was of value since even his throne was something her family gave him.

That if the Leonharts wanted, Evelyn could have had the entire treasury to herself, and Chester would not have a say about it.

"Fatima also manipulated him.

She made false evidence in Evelyn’s room and bribed her maids.

Then, she indirectly hinted at Chester that Evelyn had gotten rid of their supposed child, twice.

She claimed that it was why there was no news of pregnancy months after their first night."

"What?! Fatima even made a lie like that?" Arabella was horrified.

She knew from Renee’s thoughts that Evelyn only got pregnant once. And it was Chester’s child.

"Yes. This was what triggered Chester the most and made him hate Evelyn as well.

He thought Evelyn had already killed his child twice.

That she was indeed no different from the rest of her family.

Thus, when Evelyn got pregnant and said it was his, Chester could not believe it since he was already convinced that Evelyn did not want to carry his child.

And he was convinced that she was sleeping with other men," Alwin explained.

Arabella’s sighed deeply.

Her head was beginning to ache from all this.

"Is this going to get even worse?" she inquired with an exhausted expression.

Alwin sighed deeply as well and took a sip of his tea.

That was enough of an answer.

"Yes. I told you earlier that it was the Leonharts who made Chester part with your mother, right?"

"Yes."

’There’s more? Just how complicated can this get?’

"That was only part of the truth.

The Ravenhills had a part in it too.

But Chester did not know.

It was a spy from the Ravenhills who had infiltrated the Leonharts who suggested that method to Evelyn’s father."

The Ravenhills apparently succeeded in planting a spy through marriage.

One of the nobles that were secretly under them was able to marry someone from the Leonharts and got close with the Duke, Evelyn’s father.

"That person made the suggestion as instructed by the Ravenhills.

It was because the Ravenhills also needed Chester to give up thinking about marrying someone from another kingdom since they wanted to send Fatima as his wife instead."

"What?! So, you are saying, the scheming and fighting between these two families was the root cause of everything?"

"Yes," Alwin took another sip of his tea.

’And I simply got wrapped up in it?!’

Arabella closed her eyes and massaged her temples.

Evelyn and Chester were victims of the fight for dominance of the Leonhart and Ravenhills families.

And the war between those two families cost so many repercussions that Arabella also fell prey to it when Renee decided to get revenge.

Chester thought he was the victim of the Leonharts and took revenge.

Evelyn was his victim and she decided to take revenge on him as well.

As part of Renee’s plans, Arabella was used.

And Arabella also tried to get revenge with what she thought was the truth.

It was a cycle of never-ending hatred and vengeance with the truth just buried in the ground.

"Wait. How did you know about all these?" Arabella knitted her brows.

"Due to the complications everything had brought, I was able to get permission from the ruler of Estrella to use mind-reading magic that was usually forbidden.

I was able to access the memories of Evania and other people I needed to investigate to arrive at the whole truth."

"Mind-reading magic?" Arabella blinked twice.

"Yes. I believe His Majesty already told you.

All magic that controls the mind or gets access to it was usually forbidden.

But if it was deemed necessary to be used, we can ask for permission to use it.

Don’t worry because I can’t right now," Alwin made a face due to her reaction.

"Oh, I see. Haha," Arabella laughed awkwardly.

She decided to revert their topic back to what it was.

"Then, from whom were you able to get the most information about all this?"

"Through Marcus," Alwin replied, and Arabella tilted her head.

Marcus looked like he was just in his twenties.

"He was older than he looks. He was using magic to remain young-looking," Alwin answered before she even asked.

Alwin said Marcus used it on Chester as well which was why he doesn’t look old either.

"Oh, I see. You did catch him after he escaped the Magic Tower that time?"

As far as she could recall, Marcus teleported quickly when Alwin appeared.

"Of course. Catching him was a piece of cake without all my limiters," Alwin said with a proud ’Hmph’.

"Yes, of course."

Arabella agreed easily since Alwin was a prodigy after all.

There was no need to provoke him.

"So, you read his mind?

Can you tell me more?"

Alwin narrowed his eyes at her for a few seconds before continuing.

"I accessed his memories and Marcus was once a magician of the Leonharts.

He fell in love with Evelyn.

However, he already knew she was engaged, and he had no chance of marrying her.

Thus, he did not chase her.

However, when the news was reported that she suddenly died in a fire accident, Marcus thought it was suspicious."

Alwin said that Marcus decided to investigate Evelyn’s death and discovered that the fire was not an accident.

However, Marcus did not know who plotted it and why.

After some more digging, he found Fatima suspicious.

But by that time, Chester was already married to Fatima and the power had shifted to the Ravenhills.

Chester was much more in control though since he had ensured the Ravenhills would not be able to control him as much as the Leonharts did.

Still mourning Evelyn’s death and regretting that he was not able to protect her though he could have, Marcus left the Leonharts.

To further investigate, he pretended to side with Chester who was more powerful by then.

It took Marcus a long time before discovering the truth.

And he had to use dark magic and all sorts of lost art in order to arrive at it.

But even if he killed Chester and Fatima, Evelyn was already dead.

"While Marcus was still thinking about what to do, in one event in Valeria when the Zygos delegates were invited, he encountered Renee who was suspiciously tailing Chester," Alwin revealed.

"Chester went to Valeria before?" Arabella frowned.

"Yes, he was invited as a guest.

You were busy with His Highness then.

And His Majesty did not want Chester to get even a glimpse of you so we ensured you two did not cross paths.

And that you did not hear about him since you would feel obligated to greet a guest from a kingdom as far as Zygos."

"Ah," Arabella slowly nodded her head.

This was one of the reasons she was not in the know about many things.

She did not even have a clue Chester visited Valeria before.

Thankfully, they were informing her about things now.

"Marcus caught her since she might be an assassin.

When he threatened to kill her, she revealed that she was once Evelyn.

It was then that the two exchanged information.

They reached an agreement and began to plot things to get back at Chester and Fatima as painfully as they could."