CHAPTER 326: THE PREJUDICED EMPEROR

"I deserve to know because I’m not just your wife, I am the Queen of Noctvaris."

"Alright." Edmund released a heavy sigh, finally letting go of the last of his resistance. "But let’s take it slowly. If at any point it feels like too much, you can tell me to stop."

Primrose lightly patted her cheek, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, husband, I’m not that fragile."

After all, she had already seen him spill blood with her own eyes, and she herself had taken lives using her power. She was certain she could face even the darkest truths he might reveal.

"Sit here." Edmund guided her to the couch, holding her hand firmly before he began. "You already know that the Emperor of Vellmoria sent spies to ensure you weren’t doing anything that might harm the political ties between beasts and humans."

"But when he realized you were doing well here," Edmund’s voice hardened, "the Emperor grew displeased."

Primrose frowned. "Displeased? Why would he be upset that I’ve built good relations with you?"

Edmund clasped her hands tightly between his own, his eyes locking with hers. "Because the truth is ... I don’t think he sent those spies only to watch you. He was watching me as well." His jaw clenched. "The Emperor was hoping I would hurt you, so he could twist it into proof that beastkin are nothing more than savage creatures, unworthy of ever building trust with humans."

Primrose had doubted it too. She herself had once thought that the Lycan King would abuse her as soon as they were married. But instead of harming her, Edmund had never once raised his hand against her.

Her fears hadn’t come only from her distrust of beastkin, but also from the countless rumors she’d grown up hearing in the Vellmoria Empire.

Every month, there had been stories of beasts attacking or killing humans. But once she came to live in Noctvaris, she saw the truth with her own eyes: humans had harmed and even killed beastkin just as often.

It was then she finally understood: humans liked to paint the other side as the villains, but when their own kind committed crimes, they suddenly turned a blind eye.

She hadn’t even known the truth about Cecilia Moretz, the little bear-tribe girl who had been assaulted and murdered by Silas’s son and his friends.

She might have heard faint whispers of it, but she had never learned the details. If she, a noblewoman, had been kept in the dark, how much less would the common people know? They relied only on newspapers, which were often filled with lies and distortions.

Therefore, it was no wonder so many humans still believed beastkin were nothing but savage creatures, and why they so easily accepted the lie that the Lycan King had turned his wife into nothing more than a sex slave.

"Why didn’t you just get rid of those spies?" Primrose asked softly. "I’m sure you’ve already tracked every one of them down."

If this went on, the situation could easily slip out of control, and people might start assuming even worse things about Edmund.

"I don’t think that would be a wise move," Edmund explained. "If I chased them out, the Emperor would simply twist the truth and claim I drove away the soldiers he sent to ’protect’ you, just so I could abuse you without anyone watching."

Primrose gritted her teeth, the corners of her lips twitching, not in amusement, but in bitter irony. "Why is the Emperor so obsessed with you?"

Edmund’s eyes darkened, a shadow passing over his face. "Because to him, I’m not just a king," he said slowly. "I’m a threat. As long as I stand strong, the balance between humans and beastkin will never tip in his favor."

He leaned back slightly. "And a man like Zerath ... he can’t stand threats he can’t control."

He had a point.

Edmund was like a wild card that was impossible to predict.

Noctvaris had always been self-sufficient, providing for its people without leaning on outside kingdoms. Aside from maintaining the fragile balance between humans and beastkin, the Emperor had no real way to keep Edmund on a leash.

He must be endlessly frustrated that he couldn’t put a chain around Edmund’s neck.

"Maybe he’s simply prejudiced." Primrose clicked her tongue in irritation. "My father once told me the Emperor even mistreated his own concubines, but how could he dare to frame you as an abuser?"

Primrose truly couldn’t take it anymore.

She wanted the slander against her husband to end. The people of Vellmoria needed to know the truth that Edmund was the most devoted, gentle husband any woman could ever hope for!

"Maybe we should visit the Vellmoria Empire soon," Primrose suggested. "Perhaps after we finish our preparations for winter. My father mentioned in his last letter that the King of Azmeria might invite us to his birthday banquet."

It wasn’t confirmed yet, but if Lazarus, the Duke of Illvaris, believed it, then there was a strong chance the invitation would come.

"The King of Azmeria?" Edmund arched a brow. "Why would he want to invite us?"

It sounded strange to him, because he had never interacted with the King of Azmeria. Even when he wanted to marry Primrose, he hadn’t bothered to inform the king of his intentions.

Primrose was quiet for a moment before leaning forward. "In case you don’t know ... I used to be quite the social butterfly back home." She let out a small chuckle. "And the Queen of Azmeria happens to be one of my closest friends."

Her life now in Noctvaris was quieter, almost lonely at times. She rarely left the palace and had only a handful of companions. But in Azmeria, her homeland, not a single day passed without her mingling, laughing, and spending time with people outside her residence.

She hadn’t had many close friends, but her circle of acquaintances was so wide that if Edmund ever asked her to list their names, the ink might run dry before the list was finished.

That was why life in Noctvaris sometimes felt suffocating. And her husband, sweet as he was, was the complete opposite of her. He was an introvert to the bone, the kind of person who would vanish the instant he saw a crowd ... or sometimes even when he saw someone like her coming.