Chapter 346: The Marchioness’s New Groom (II)
"Oh, I love being around women, Your Majesty." Salem smiled and gave a careless shrug. "Just not in a sexual way."
Primrose frowned. "What do you mean by that?" When she spotted a wooden bench in the garden, she tugged him over and made him sit down.
Salem sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I don’t need to explain my sexual preference to you." But when he noticed the confusion still written all over her face, he let out another long breath. "Fine. Think of it this way ... I enjoy being with women, being friends with you, but if you ever asked me to sleep with you, I’d refuse immediately."
Primrose quickly pressed her finger to his lips. "Shh ... don’t use me as your example. My husband would probably behead you if he heard that joke."
She was certain that Edmund must have heard it. That was why she silently prayed her husband wouldn’t take the honey-badger’s words too seriously.
"Then let’s use your husband as an example," Salem said smoothly. "If he asked me to sleep with him, I’d say yes."
Primrose stared at him in disbelief. That sounded even worse!
"Alright, alright, stop with—whatever this nonsense is." She shook her head, exasperated. "Just tell me, are you really going to marry Lady Raven? But if you do, doesn’t that mean you’ll have to live in Moonshadow as her husband? What about our deal? Aren’t you still working with me?"
[Oh ... interesting,] Salem thought. [She’s more worried about our contract deal than the fact that Raven and I are planning a fake marriage.]
"Because what’s wrong with that?" Primrose replied directly, reminding him that she could hear his thoughts. "Plenty of nobles go through political marriages to secure their power or expand their business. You’re not the first one to fake a marriage for profit, Sir Vesper."
Besides, there were benefits to Raven getting remarried. At least then, she wouldn’t be constantly subjected to judgmental stares just for being a widow.
People could be so cruel to widows. They always acted like every young, beautiful widow was just trying to seduce their old, ugly husbands.
"Well ... you’re not wrong about that, Your Majesty." Salem smiled slyly. "To answer your question, there’s a chance we’ll go through an engagement first and then maybe marry ... next year? It would look bad if Raven remarried too quickly. At the very least, I want people to know I’m her future husband."
"So, don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ll stay by your side for as long as I can." His tone turned casual, almost playful. "After all, the payment His Majesty gives me isn’t bad, and the palace is a rather comfortable place to live."
Primrose could only shake her head, half in disbelief, half in exasperation. This honey-badger always knew how to twist every situation to his benefit. But it was fine because she still had plenty of reasons to keep him around.
Even though she had killed Dr. Silas, Salem’s skill in crafting deadly poisons was far too valuable to waste. On top of that, he was still working on an antidote that could neutralize almost any poison in humans.
It would be a waste to let him go so soon.
"Sir Vesper, didn’t you once ask for an assistant?" Primrose finally said. "We never got around to talking about it because I was busy, but now ... I have someone in mind who I think would make a good assistant and student for you."
Salem’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing across his face. She didn’t even need her to say the name because he already knew. "It’s Hazelle, isn’t it? You want me to pass down my knowledge to her, so you’ll still have a poison expert even after I’m gone?"
Primrose didn’t deny it. Instead, she gave him a small smile. "Yes, it’s Hazelle. She’s been Dr. Silas’s assistant for years, so I know she already has a solid foundation in preparing medicine. More than that, she’s brilliant and could grow into someone even greater if only someone would give her a chance."
She had promised Hazelle that she would speak to Lazarus about officially making her part of their family. But Primrose planned to bring it up directly when she met her father in person, so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.
Still, that status would serve only as protection for Hazelle, not as a guarantee for her entire future. That was why Primrose wanted her to learn from Salem. If Hazelle could train under him, she might gain real confidence in her own skills, and one day become more than just a helper. She could grow into a true expert, whether as a poison master or even as a remarkable doctor.
"I don’t take assistants carelessly, nor do I pass down my knowledge to just anyone." Salem fell silent for a while, as if weighing the kind of answer he should give Primrose. At last, he spoke again. "But maybe I can let Hazelle help me for a few days and see whether she has potential or not."
Primrose’s eyes lit up with relief. "That’s all I ask," she said softly. "Give her a chance, and I’m sure she’ll prove herself."
For a moment, silence settled between them. The night breeze rustled the fading flowers in the garden, carrying with it the faint scent of earth and leaves. Salem sat back, his sharp gaze fixed on her, as though he were measuring something unseen.
Then, without warning, he spoke. "I heard that your pregnancy is a bit ... complicated. Are you feeling alright?"
Primrose’s lips parted in surprise. She hadn’t expected such a direct question from him. For a moment, she only stared at him before saying, "I’m waiting for a beast doctor to examine me this morning, but ... I’m actually kind of afraid something bad will happen."
"Don’t jinx it," Salem said. "The more you dwell on something, the more likely it is to go wrong. Just try to hold on to the positive thoughts until you hear a clear answer from the doctor."
Primrose let out a soft laugh. "But isn’t it impossible to stay positive all the time?"