CHAPTER 260: THE QUEEN IS A PROFESSIONAL LIAR (I)

"Is this about your health, Your Majesty?" Silas asked politely. "As I mentioned before, there’s really nothing to worry about. You should be able to walk again in just a few days."

Primrose gave him a bright, almost innocent smile. Her voice was soft and playful as she leaned forward slightly.

"Oh no, it’s not about that," she said sweetly. "Now that there are no secrets between us, I was just wondering ... do you know of any method to make slaves more obedient?"

Silas looked at her with an expression that was hard to read. Was it relief, thinking she was just another cruel noble? Or was it excitement, pleased to finally find someone who shared his twisted interests?

"I must say, I didn’t expect to hear something like that from you, Your Majesty," Silas said with a soft laugh as he refilled his teacup. "As far as I know, the Duke of Illvaris has never been known to keep slaves."

[I’ve dug into the Duke’s background many times, hoping to find some dirt, but every trail always led to a dead end.]

[But now that I know his daughter isn’t as sweet as she seems... maybe he’s just good at hiding his sins.]

Aside from secretly doing business with Edmund, Primrose honestly didn’t believe her father had done anything bad enough to become scandal-worthy for a whole decade, let alone ten.

It wasn’t that she thought her father was perfect, but every time he even considered doing something questionable, Lazarus would always mutter, "My wife would smack me in the afterlife if I tried anything stupid and bad!"

He was still so head over heels for his late wife that he truly feared sinning, not because of damnation, but because he didn’t want to lose the chance to see her again in heaven.

So no, Primrose didn’t believe her father would risk eternal separation just to indulge in cruelty.

Still, if a harmless lie could make Silas trust her more, then she would gladly play the part.

’Sorry, Father. But I know Mom would understand you’re not a bad man.’

Primrose let out a soft laugh and said, "Oh, about that ... "My father is actually very particular about keeping things quiet. He does collect slaves, but no one knows about it because they’re never seen outside the manor."

"Really?" Silas asked, clearly intrigued.

Primrose offered a delicate smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes. The kind that made people wonder if she was as sweet as she looked. "You know, keeping up appearances is part of a noble’s job or a politician’s, really."

She continued with a calm, almost casual tone, "No one needs to know that we beat our slaves to a pulp behind closed doors."

The truth?

Forget about beating slaves or even the manor’s staff because Lazarus was regularly bullied by the butler and maids for sneaking sweets and fatty foods, even though his doctors begged him to eat healthier.

Sometimes the butler would follow him around just to make sure he wasn’t secretly eating junks.

It always ended in dramatic exchanges like, "How dare you starve me when I’m the one who pays you to buy food in this place?!"

To which the butler would calmly reply with a deadpan face, "Your Grace, if you die too soon, we’ll all be out of a job. So please live a little longer for the sake of our livelihoods."

Their relationship had always been so over-the-top that sometimes even Primrose forgot who was the master and who was the servant.

So to clarify, no, neither her father nor herself had ever beaten anyone behind closed doors.

And of course, Primrose also knew she had to clarify things to Callen and Solene as well because their thoughts were in complete chaos right now.

"Actually, Your Majesty," Silas said, "there’s a method that allows you to control slaves without needing to beat them. It still keeps them obedient."

Primrose tilted her head slightly, keeping a warm and curious smile on her face.

"That sounds interesting," she said gently. "Would you mind telling me more? I’ve been thinking about having a slave here in this kingdom, but ..." she let out a small sigh "...taming a beast isn’t exactly easy."

[She wants to do what?!] Callen was on the verge of a mental breakdown. [She wants to tame a beast slave?! Would His Majesty even allow that?! Wait—more importantly, is this really our queen?!]

On the other side, Solene’s mind was spinning. [The Duke of Illvaris beats his slaves behind closed doors?! Is that even true?! But ... but ... I once met someone who worked for the Duke, and she told me he was the kindest lord she had ever served.]

[Did she not realize her lord wasn’t as gentle as she believed? No, no—something’s off here.]

Eventually, both Callen and Solene landed on the same thought. [Why does this doctor sound like a professional slave beater?!]

As that unsettling realization settled in their hearts, they finally reached a conclusion that brought a little peace to their panic.

[Her Majesty must hate this doctor too!] Solene thought with growing confidence. [She’s trying to lure him into saying something illegal so she can throw him in jail!]

[If she’s doing all this just to catch a criminal, then I really feel sorry for her,] Callen thought, his heart aching. [Our sweet queen must be suffering so much just to speak such vile words.]

[Oh, what a poor soul ...]

Primrose, who could hear every single one of their thoughts, was honestly taken aback. No, honestly, she was impressed because they truly, deeply believed she was incapable of saying or doing anything cruel.

[Our sweet queen is so kind, lovable, and pure. I’m sure she would never do anything taboo!] Solene thought.

[And if she ever did, it must’ve been because of His Majesty’s influence!]

Alright, hold on, now that was going too far!

Her husband was also a sweet man! People just didn’t take the time to see it. He was practically as lovable as a puppy!