CHAPTER 183: A HOUSE BUILT ON GREED

The reason the Marquess married Raven in the first place had nothing to do with love.

He only wanted to eliminate his rivals, gain more wealth, and secure the assets he needed to maintain his glamorous lifestyle.

He agreed to have children with her not because he wanted a family, but because he believed his sons could help expand his empire one day.

As for his daughter? He saw her as a tool, something to be traded for power, influence, or money.

In the end, the Marquess household wasn’t built on affection.

It was built on selfish ambition.

"Are you going to take the embezzlement case to court?" Primrose asked quietly. "If you do ... can you make sure the businesses under Lady Raven’s name won’t be taken away?"

Edmund gently reached for her hand and motioned for her to come closer.

Then he said something she didn’t expect. "What if ... we don’t take the case to court at all?"

Primrose frowned. "What do you mean? He stole public funds, shouldn’t he still be held accountable?"

"He’s already dead," Edmund replied calmly. "If I bring this to court now, the ones on trial will be his family, not him.

Even though Lady Raven has businesses under her own name, since they were built during her marriage to the Marquess, they won’t be exempt from investigation."

"I could stand as her guarantor," he added, "but even thenn... the people of Moonshadow may lose all trust in the Marquess’s family. They might even demand his title be revoked and passed on to someone else."

That’s why Edmund was considering a different approach, one where the focus wasn’t on the money, but on the truth people needed to hear.

Focusing on things that would earn public sympathy for Raven and her children.

With the combination of his abusive behavior toward his wife and the horrific things he had done to the children under his care, people would turn their disgust toward the Marquess ... and offer their compassion to Raven and the kids he left behind.

"Then ... what about the money he stole?" Primrose asked softly. "He had stolen so much. The kingdom must be suffering a massive loss."

"I can sell off a few of his properties," Edmund replied. "And the rest ..."

He pulled Primrose closer and rested his chin gently on her stomach.

"I can cover the losses myself."

Primrose’s eyes widened. She was stunned by what he had just said.

She knew her husband was wealthy, and that the distillery business he ran with Lazarus had grown rapidly.

But she never imagined he would be willing to pay such a large sum to clean up the mess the Marquess had made.

"Why would you do that?" Primrose lowered her gaze, meeting Edmund’s icy blue eyes.

Primrose, "That much money ... isn’t it a waste to spend it covering up for a man as rotten as him?"

Edmund leaned his head back slightly and answered softly, "It’s not for him. It’s the only way I can make sure Lady Raven and her children can live with dignity and have a decent life after what he did to them."

Before Primrose could say anything, Edmund continued gently, "Lady Raven is someone you care about deeply. That’s why I want to do whatever I can to keep her safe."

[I don’t want my wife to be sad if something bad ever happens to her friend,] Edmund thought. [Losing money doesn’t scare me half as much as seeing my wife in tears.]

Primrose didn’t respond with words. She didn’t protest, and she didn’t try to support or argue with his decision.

She simply leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, holding him close.

"I’m sorry," she murmured. "You came here just to accompany me to visit Lady Raven, but in the end, I dragged you into something complicated and made you spend so much money."

"Don’t ever apologize to me," Edmund said, a slight frown appearing on his face.

He gently pulled her away from the hug, only to lift her onto his lap so they were even closer.

"If it’s something that involves you, then it’s never a burden."

He cupped her cheek softly, brushing her hair behind her ear with his fingers. "Besides, this situation involves the kingdom too. Even if you hadn’t been part of it, I still would’ve taken care of it."

"If anything, I’m really glad you chose to tell me what was going on, rather than trying to deal with it on your own."

[Whether she realizes it or not, she’s letting me into her world little by little.]

[I never thought the day would come when my wife would actually trust me.]

He hadn’t even dared to dream she’d smile if he ever confessed his love.

For someone as powerful as the Lycan King ... his confidence in love was surprisingly fragile.

"I’m also glad I told you," Primrose whispered, her voice barely louder than a breath. "It turns out ... things feel so much easier when I talk to you."

Or maybe it felt easier because her husband had handled nearly everything.

She hadn’t done much to bring the Marquess down, and the poison Salem had carefully prepared hadn’t even been used.

Maybe she should carry it around, just in case something like this happened again.

"It’s my responsibility to help carry your burdens, my wife," Edmund said with warmth in his tone.

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it softly. "So never feel guilty for using me to get what you want. If there’s something you want and I can give it to you, I will."

Primrose shook her head gently. "I don’t see you as a tool or someone to be used," she said softly.

She held his hand in return and kissed the back of it.

"If I ask you for anything, it’s not because I want to take advantage of you ... It’s because I believe in you."

Maybe in the beginning, she had seen him as someone she could use.

But now ... after getting to know him more deeply, Primrose couldn’t help but see things differently.

"That’s why ..." she looked into his eyes, her voice soft but firm, "... please don’t think so little of yourself anymore."