CHAPTER 274: WHEN MY HUSBAND’S MIND FALLS SILENT

"I need to ask you something," Primrose said gently, her voice careful. "Last night ... when you left me with Sir Vesper and Lady Raven ... Bunnie was on my bed."

She didn’t explain the context any further, but those words alone were enough for Edmund to understand what kind of conversation his wife was trying to start.

"Did you ... hear our conversation?" she asked carefully, barely able to look him in the eye.

She kept turning her face away now and then, unable to hold Edmund’s gaze for too long.

Deep down, a part of her was already scolding herself. ’Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe it’s better if I never bring this up.’

Because once she said it out loud, once this door was open, then she would no longer be able to hide her past, or even the fact that she could read minds.

She lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her fingers as she waited for his answer.

Why was it taking so long for him to answer her question?

But more importantly, why can’t she suddenly hear anything from his mind?

Usually, Edmund’s mind was noisy. He was always constantly thinking about everything at once, like silly things, random thoughts, complicated plans. His mind was basically always moving.

But now? The only thing Primrose could hear was a complete, heavy silence.

For a split second, Primrose wondered if her mind-reading ability had just ... stopped working.

There were times when she wished Edmund would stop overthinking so she could finally have some peace, but now that she finally got it, all she felt was dread.

It didn’t bring her peace at all. Instead, her heart filled with anxiety.

As it turned out, she didn’t like it when she couldn’t hear her husband’s inner voice.

"I did hear it," Edmund said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts and easing her anxiety—no, hell no, that didn’t ease her anxiety at all! In fact, it made it worse.

He heard it?!

Primrose’s whole body stiffened. She didn’t even dare move a single finger or take a breath.

"W-what exactly did you hear?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.

Edmund opened his mouth, then closed it again. He did that a few times before finally saying, "I heard that ... you have a ... past life?"

He sounded unsure, as if he wasn’t fully convinced his wife had actually died and been reborn.

Primrose actually could’ve used that doubt to her advantage. She could’ve come up with a cover story and avoided telling him the full truth.

But ... the longer she built their relationship on lies, the more it would all hurt when the truth came crashing down.

Like it or not, she had to be honest with him.

"And in your past life ...," Edmund spoke again, "You died because Dr. Silas poisoned you. Is that true?"

His voice still held a hint of uncertainty, but he wasn’t brushing it off. He was treating it seriously, even if he didn’t fully understand it.

At that moment, Primrose realized she couldn’t run anymore.

She nodded. "That’s right. You heard correctly," she said softly. "I’ve lived this life twice. In my first life, I died because of Dr. Silas ... and this is my second chance. I—"

She bit down on her bottom lip, suddenly realizing how stiff it had become. Her lips didn’t even want to move anymore, so she wasn’t able to continue her sentences.

She stared at Edmund’s face over and over again, searching for any shift in expression, any clue that might tell her what he was thinking.

But his expression sometimes was too hard to understand, and without hearing his thoughts ... it felt like she couldn’t understand him at all.

He was always difficult to read because what he said out loud and what he thought inside rarely matched.

And right now, with his thoughts so silent ... Primrose had never felt so unsure of what was coming next.

Why couldn’t she hear his inner thoughts at such an important moment?

Was her ability really broken? Or worse, had she lost it completely? Would she never be able to hear her husband’s thoughts again?

That possibility alone terrified Primrose to the core. Her hands turned cold, and her face slowly grew paler by the second.

She had only been able to mend their relationship in this lifetime because she could read his mind. It had helped her understand his emotions, his fears, even the things he never said out loud.

That ability had been her only way to truly reach him.

If she couldn’t hear him anymore ... Wouldn’t that mean their relationship was suddenly walking a tightrope again?

What if she couldn’t understand him the way she used to?

What if Edmund said or did something, and she misread it and they ended up hurting each other over a simple misunderstanding?

What if—

"Primrose!" Edmund’s voice cut through her thoughts as he gently shook her shoulders. "You need to breathe!"

She gasped, sucking in a deep breath like someone who had just surfaced from underwater. Her chest heaved, and only then did she realize that she hadn’t been breathing at all because she was having a panic attack.

Her heart pounded so hard it echoed in her ears. Her vision blurred slightly at the edges, and her fingers were still trembling from the rush of fear.

"What’s wrong?" Edmund asked in a panic, his voice tight with worry.

Primrose finally managed to understand his meaning, not by hearing his thoughts, but by seeing the raw emotion written clearly across his face. The panic in his eyes. The way his hands held onto her like she might fall apart at any second.

"Was telling me all of this ... too much for you?" he asked gently, his voice softer now.

She shook her head slowly, even though her chest still felt tight, like it was about to collapse in on itself. "No, it’s not that," she whispered. "It’s just ..."

Edmund pulled her into his arms without hesitation, gently rubbing her back to calm her. "Shh ... it’s alright. That’s alright. You can tell me more later."