CHAPTER 177: A WIDOW IN ANOTHER LIFE

She had never imagined that her death would cause such a massive chain reaction, one that tore through the kingdom, shattered her husband, and even ruined the fragile peace between beasts and humans.

If only Edmund had never loved her, then maybe all those catastrophic things could’ve been avoided.

But sadly—no, beautifully and tragically—he loved her so deeply that he no longer cared about his kingdom, his people, or even his own life.

In the end, Silas hadn’t just taken her life, but he had unknowingly destroyed the Kingdom of Beasts.

It was something he never planned, but one that secretly pleased him.

"I’m sorry, but ... could you leave me alone for a moment, Lady Raven?" Primrose whispered, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Maybe you can have a talk with Sir Vesper."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Raven immediately rose from her seat and gave her a respectful bow. "I’ll be outside if you need me."

[I still feel awkward talking to Salem,] Raven thought as she walked toward the door. [But that honey badger looks even more colorful than I remember. Is he working as a clown now?]

Primrose let out the tiniest laugh through her nose when she caught Raven’s inner thought.

See? She wasn’t the only one who thought Salem wore too many colors.

But since she had grown used to it, it would actually feel strange now to see him wearing something less vibrant.

Alright, forget about Salem. It was better for Primrose to go back to thinking about her husband.

As soon as Raven left the room, Primrose leaned her body to the side and laid down on the couch.

Right now, she wished she’d brought the bunny doll with her.

If she had, maybe Edmund could still see her ... maybe he could still hear her voice, even when they were apart.

But she was the one who left it behind, stubbornly saying, "You’ll be right beside me anyway."

Oh, how wrong she had been. She should’ve listened to him more.

She should’ve known that even just a few hours apart could feel like a lifetime.

She turned to face the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts about Edmund.

What did he do after leaving Noctvaris?

What kind of secret made him so angry that he led the Marquess to take his own life?

She thought about it all for so long but ended up with no answers at all.

At the end of the day, the only way to get the truth ... was to ask Edmund directly.

• •

Primrose had waited for Edmund all day, but to her, it felt like she’d been waiting for days, even weeks.

When the sky had turned completely dark and the clock struck ten at night, Primrose finally heard the sound of a horse approaching the inn.

Without a second thought, she threw on her cloak and ran out of the room.

Edmund had just gotten off his horse and hadn’t even had the chance to greet her when Primrose rushed into his arms, hugging him so tightly that he froze for a moment and began to worry.

"What happened?" he asked softly, gently pulling her back just enough to see her face. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

[Why does my wife look so sad?] Edmund furrowed his brow, suddenly overcome with fear. [Wait ... did she cry because I left her for too long?!]

Before Edmund’s thoughts could spiral into something worse, Primrose opened her mouth. "Nothing happened," she whispered. Then she hugged him again, even tighter. "I just missed you. That’s all."

[It’s because I was gone too long! I don’t deserve my wife. I shouldn’t have come back at all—no ... if I didn’t come back, wouldn’t she be even more upset? But—]

His thoughts immediately stopped the moment Primrose tightened her arms around him, as if she wanted to melt into his body. "Lady Raven came here this afternoon," Primrose said softly.

"I know." Edmund took a deep breath before finally wrapping his arms around her, gently stroking the back of her head. "I crossed paths with her carriage when I left the inn."

Primrose didn’t say anything for a while. She just kept hugging him like he had just returned from the battlefield.

The poor soldiers nearby quietly turned their backs, pretending not to notice, though some of them clutched their chests dramatically like lovesick fools. Most of them were still single, after all.

[If only I could hug the version of him from that other timeline too,] Primrose thought, gritting her teeth softly. [He must have been so lonely.]

Edmund wasn’t the type to open up easily. He was quiet, reserved, someone who preferred his own company. Aside from a few trusted people in the kingdom, he didn’t really talk to anyone.

Primrose didn’t even know if he had any real friends because, from what she’d heard, even before becoming king, he spent most of his time with Dante—the horse—and the phoenix.

Because of that, Primrose was certain that Edmund had endured the pain and loneliness of losing his wife all on his own.

"Should we talk inside?" Edmund asked gently. "I don’t want you to catch a cold."

He tried to pull away, but Primrose didn’t want to let go. Not wanting to hurt her, he gave in and stayed still, letting her hold him as long as she needed.

"What’s wrong?" he asked again, more quietly this time. "Is it because I was gone too long?"

The longer she stayed silent, the more anxious he became.

"Is it wrong if I just want to hug you like this?" she finally whispered, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "Do I have to be sad first just to hold you?"

Edmund’s eyes widened in surprise. "No! Of course not!" He bent slightly so she wouldn’t have to tilt her head too high. "You can hug me as much as you want, but ... I just thought something was bothering you because you seemed sad."

"Maybe I was just a little lonely today," Primrose lowered her gaze, murmuring, "Yes, you left me for too long, husband."

Edmund was about to respond, but she gently placed her hand over his mouth. "But you don’t need to apologize," she whispered. "I know you came home late for an important reason. So, can you tell me everything that happened to you today?"