CHAPTER 319: THE EMPEROR’S SECRETS

The older nobles of the Vellmoria Empire, including Lazarus, remembered well how the Emperor had secured his throne. He had slaughtered his five brothers with his own hands and disguised the massacre as the work of a rebel group.

The truth never reached the common people, but within the inner circle of nobles, it was a whispered story no one ever dared to speak aloud.

And because of his strong influence over the empire’s economy, Lazarus had often been summoned to the imperial palace. Over the years, he had watched the princes closely, observing their characters one by one.

Zerath Vi Vellmoria, the current Emperor, had once been the sixth prince, a position that should have made the throne nearly impossible to reach, especially since all of his siblings were men.

Yet even as a child, Zerath’s ambition had been fierce. He was obsessed with outshining his brothers in every way, as if every contest, every sword match, was a step closer to the crown.

Even so, no one would have ever imagined that he would one day raise his sword against his own brothers once the former king drew his last breath.

There had been no witnesses to that massacre. But Lazarus, who had seen Prince Zerath fight countless times in the royal tournaments, remembered his sword style well, and the wounds left on his brothers’ bodies ... they were the same as the ones Zerath dealt on the battlefield.

There may have been no official witnesses, no evidence that could drag the Emperor into court, but some people knew the truth.

For this reason, Lazarus never allowed Primrose to meet the Emperor of Vellmoria alone. Not only was he ruthless behind closed doors, but he was also known for taking concubines from noble houses.

Primrose let out a soft sigh. Thank the Moon Goddess that Edmund had claimed her as his mate, otherwise, she might have ended up as nothing more than another concubine in the Emperor’s collection.

It was kind of ironic, though, because Primrose used to believe that marrying Edmund was the worst kind of misfortune.

If that thought ever dared to cross her mind again, she’d gladly bang her head against the nearest wall.

"Your Majesty." A knock at the door followed by Solene’s voice made Primrose snap the diary shut in an instant. "Are you alright in there? Should I bring you a snack or tea if you plan to stay longer?"

Primrose blinked. She hadn’t even been inside Edmund’s office that long, so why was Solene already fussing?

[Did Her Majesty faint or collapse inside? She’s been walking so much today ... what if her legs gave out?]

Oh, it seemed Solene still wasn’t entirely convinced that she had fully recovered.

"I’m fine," Primrose called back. "I’ll be out in a minute."

She lowered her head, suddenly feeling a strong urge to steal one of her husband’s diaries. But she had promised herself she would only take a little peek, so she couldn’t take it too far.

Still ... she couldn’t help but wonder what else Edmund had written in that cursed notebook.

Her eyes narrowed at the one she’d shoved aside earlier.

Before she knew it, she had opened it again, holding her breath as her eyes traced the words.

[I can’t get enough of my wife. She is really beautiful, really sweet—]

Oh, this one actually sounded kind of sweet. Maybe not everything he wrote here was terrible.

[—and really hot. Whenever she flirts with me, I want nothing more than to make her wet the bed and cry out my name loudly.]

[I want to take her in front of the window, shove my cock into her from behind while playing with her breasts, then bathe with her so I can fuck her again, and maybe we can even play in my office—]

BAM!

She slammed the notebook shut so hard the desk rattled. Her face flamed crimson, hotter than fire. But for some reason, her honeypot throbbed at the very thought of those filthy words.

Primrose covered her face with both hands, groaning softly. This was her punishment for peeking into someone’s private diary.

Yes, she knew Edmund was a pervert, but she had never realized he was this much of one!

The more she thought about it, the hotter she grew. Instead of being angry that her husband thought of her in such shameless ways, she actually ... wanted to try it with him.

Damn it! What the hell was wrong with her?!

She fanned her burning cheeks with her hand, swearing never to open another one of his diaries again. Quickly, she tidied the mess she’d made and pulled open the drawer to take her wedding ring.

But when she opened it, her eyes caught on a big light-green box tied neatly with a red ribbon. A card slipped beneath the bow read: For My Wife.

She froze for a moment before realizing that Edmund had deliberately sent her here to get her wedding ring because he wanted to surprise her with a gift.

It wasn’t even her birthday, and yet her husband had already given her more gifts than she could count.

She lifted the card first, flipping it over to find another note written in his hand.

"As winter approaches, I hope this gift keeps you warm."

When Primrose opened the box, she found a thick white fur scarf that felt luxuriously soft to the touch. The quality was magnificent, even finer than any winter scarf she had ever owned before.

Primrose draped it around her neck and the moment it touched her skin, she felt herself melt.

It was so warm and comfortable. The scarf was so thick it covered half her face, protecting even her cheeks from the winter air.

Her lips curved into a helpless smile. Why was her husband always so sweet like this?

He was always disarming her, always showering her with love in ways that outshone even his darkest desires.

Forget about his wicked thoughts, his sweetness would always win!