The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?!-Chapter 159: The Queen’s Hidden Fear

She clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly, her fingers trembling.

She wanted to say something about his thoughts, to confront his despair, but since she had only heard them through his mind, and hadn’t yet told him about her ability, she held back.

Maybe later.

When the time was right.

When she was finally ready to tell him everything.

"Alright, don’t be sad anymore," Primrose said softly. She gently caressed his cheek and placed another kiss on his lips. "I still have plenty of time before I go. So let’s spend every moment we have together ... while we still can."

Edmund gave a small nod, trying his best to stop thinking about the dark thoughts about his wife, including the day she might leave him forever.

"So, tell me," Primrose said as she slipped off his lap and sat beside him. "What did you and the Marquess talk about? Did he offer to send more women to your room?"

"No!" Edmund nearly shouted at her words. "I rejected his offer, just like you heard earlier." He turned his gaze away for a moment and murmured, "I would never touch another woman, except my wife."

Most people might think those words were just sweet lies. Even Primrose might not have believed them if they came from another man.

But Edmund was different. He never lied when he said something.

And Primrose knew that for certain because she could read his mind like an open book.

"Just like you asked, I told the Marquess I was involved in shady business, and that I wanted him to be one of the people I trust to help me run it," Edmund explained.

He sighed. "To win him over, I told him I’d pretend not to notice what he’s doing here. I even gave him some ’advice’ on how to hide it better, so he won’t get caught stealing public money."

Primrose stared at him, speechless. She hadn’t expected Edmund to go that far.

If the King of Beasts himself gave such advice, a corrupt noble like the Marquess would feel even bolder, like nothing could stop him.

In this kingdom, there was an institution completely independent from political parties, or even the king himself, called The Public Ethics.

It was created to fight corruption among nobles who handled public funds. Even the king could be prosecuted if he was found to be using public money for personal gain.

Although Edmund and Lazarus had started businesses under false names, their ventures weren’t considered illegal because they were built using their own money, and they paid taxes properly.

So even if the Marquess tried to report Edmund’s business to that institution, they wouldn’t act on it.

In fact, they already knew about it from the beginning.

"Did he admit to stealing public funds?" Primrose asked.

Edmund shook his head. "Not directly. He said he just ’borrowed a little’ as business capital. He claimed he’d pay it back double once he made a profit."

Which was absolute nonsense.

In her first life, Primrose had learned that most of the Marquess’ businesses had already gone bankrupt.

The only one that still survived was the one in the medical field, and even that one was registered under Raven’s name, not his.

It seemed that after having children, Raven had stopped using her dark magic to harm others.

Because of that, the Marquess couldn’t rely on her to get rid of his business rivals anymore.

Maybe that was why he started treating her so badly.

The moment she stopped being useful to him, he stopped seeing her as a person.

To him, she was nothing more than a discarded plaything, something to control, not cherish.

What a vile man.

"What do you plan to do next?" Primrose asked softly.

Edmund thought for a moment before replying, "I’m planning to tell Sir Dorne about this and ask the Public Ethics to begin a discreet investigation. But ..."

He turned to her slowly, his voice dropping, "Is there anything you want me to do first? Before I report it?"

Primrose blinked, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected him to consider her thoughts first.

"Well ..." she hesitated, unsure whether to say it, "... I’d like a bit more time before you do that."

She had once told Edmund he could take whatever action was needed to expose the Marquess’ corruption.

But once the Public Ethics got involved, everything would become formal and strict, and that meant it would be much harder to protect Raven.

Primrose wanted to give Raven the chance to claim whatever was rightfully hers to secure her future and protect her children before the whole case exploded.

Among the Marquess’ many businesses, surely there were some that hadn’t been touched by stolen money.

Maybe the ones under Raven’s name were clean, since her husband had never truly valued her.

Still, there was a risk he’d twist the truth and drag her into court alongside him.

It would be better if Primrose could warn Raven and help her claim those businesses before it was too late.

"How long do you need?" Edmund asked.

Primrose bit her lip, touched by how easily he accepted her request. "Just one week ... Is that alright?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Edmund nodded. "Alright," he said. "One week. I’ll give you that. And if you need my help with anything, just ask."

Primrose gripped his hand so tightly she was afraid she might break his fingers. "Thank you," she whispered. "I really appreciate it."

Edmund gently ran his other hand through her hair and whispered, "You’re my wife. You don’t have to thank me for anything."

[If my wife wants something, I should give it to her,] he thought. [Even if she asked for my life, I’d be willing to give it.]

Primrose sighed inwardly. She would never ask for his life. Why would he even think that?

[Should I ask her now what she talked about with the Marchioness?] Edmund wondered silently. [Or ... should I wait until she’s ready to tell me herself?]

Primrose froze in place as she heard his thoughts.

Right.

She had promised Edmund that she’d tell him everything after they left the Marquess’ manor.

But even now, she still hesitated.

Should she really tell him everything? About the poison? About how truly rotten the Marquess was? About Raven’s true identity?

Honestly, a part of her felt it might be better if Edmund knew everything she knew.

That way, he could help her if things went wrong.

But another part of her was scared.

Would he still love her once he realized she wasn’t the innocent wife he thought she was?

What kind of sweet, gentle wife asked a poison master to craft something strong enough to kill a beast?

Primrose had played the role of a sweet, gentle wife for so long that now, she was scared to take off the mask, even in front of Edmund.

She hadn’t expected their relationship to turn out like this.

In the beginning, she only planned to use him to take advantage of everything he could offer her.

But now ... she didn’t see him as pocket money or a tool anymore.

She saw him as a person. Someone she cared about. Someone whose feelings mattered to her.

And that made it even scarier.

What if he looked at her differently after this?

What if he was disappointed to find out his wife wasn’t nearly as kind and pure as he believed?

Still, she knew better than anyone that honesty and communication were the foundation of their bond.

If they wanted to avoid repeating the pain of their first life, she had to be brave.

"Primrose?" Edmund called her gently when she remained silent for too long. "Do you ... need something?"

Primrose opened her mouth, then shut it again.

No ... she still wasn’t ready to tell him.

She just needed a little more time. Maybe a few more hours. Maybe after she gathered the courage.

So instead, she smiled, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"Can we buy some dresses before we go back to the inn?" she asked sweetly. "You did tear one of mine, after all ... so maybe you can buy me a new one to make up for it."

If, one day, her husband ended up disappointed in her, if he couldn’t accept the things she’d done, then at least ... she wanted to make a few more memories like this.

Maybe they could walk around the city like a real couple on a date, just enjoying each other’s company, before diving into anything too serious.

Edmund blinked, surprised by the sudden change in topic, but even more shocked when he realized he had, in fact, ruined one of her dresses.

"I’m so sorry, wife!" he said quickly, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn’t mean to rip your dress!"

He looked like a puppy who had accidentally chewed something he wasn’t supposed to.

"I—I’ll buy you a dozen dresses. No—buy as many as you want! I’ll carry every bag myself, I swear."

Primrose giggled at his panic, shaking her head with a fond smile. "I’m just teasing, husband. It’s just one dress, maybe two ... if I see something pretty."