Chapter 342: The Life She Doesn’t Know Yet
Beside Primrose, Edmund straightened his back. His sharp gaze locked onto Leofric. "Is ... is that a golden dragon’s scale?" His voice was tight, as if even speaking the words made it harder to breathe.
"Yes." Leofric’s lips curved into a calm smile, his tone far too casual for the weight of what he had just revealed. "Yes, it is. I realized the only way to hide from heaven is to wear the disguise of a heavenly beast. As long as you carry this scale, heaven will see you as the golden dragon. When the golden dragon faces its heavenly trial, it will also stand in your place."
Primrose’s mouth fell open slightly, her mind spinning. She could hardly take it in. Dragons ... they were supposed to be nothing more than myths. She knew the world was filled with beasts, some terrifying, some magnificent, but no one had ever truly seen a dragon, and yet, here was proof, shining in Leofric’s hand.
Even Edmund, the King of Beast, looked just as stunned as she was.
"Where ... where did you get this?" Edmund asked, still in disbelief. "Did you fight a heavenly beast to steal its scale?"
Leofric only waved his hand lightly, as if brushing away the weight of Edmund’s suspicion. "Oh, don’t worry. He’s an old friend of mine." Then, almost too casually, he added, "I stole it."
"You stole it?" Edmund repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. "What do you mean? The dragon didn’t notice you taking its scale?"
How was that even possible? Primrose had once heard that the scales on a dragon’s body were as hard as diamond, and it was nearly impossible to tear away. The idea of stealing one without the dragon noticing sounded absurd.
"Oh, please, stop asking questions like that." Leofric handed the scale to Primrose. "The way I obtained this scale doesn’t matter. Besides, the dragon won’t suffer any loss from it."
"But ... there’s one important thing I need to explain," Leofric said, his tone turning completely serious this time. "This scale can only hide you from heaven as long as your ability does not surpass the dragon’s power. If one day you surpass it, then the scale will no longer be able to protect you."
His gaze hardened, and for once there was no trace of a smile in his eyes. "When that day comes, the heavenly trial will be absolute."
Primrose’s breath caught as she stared down at the shimmering scale in her hands. Its golden surface reflected the light, beautiful and terrifying all at once. She curled her fingers around it tightly, almost as if holding on to a fragile lifeline.
"It’s impossible," she whispered. "There’s no way I could ever surpass the power of a dragon."
Only a fool would believe that a mere human like her could ever surpass the power of a dragon. Even heaven itself would laugh if such words were spoken aloud.
"Oh, Your Majesty," Leofric said softly. "The future is like a path hidden in mist. You can never truly know where it will lead."
Primrose’s chest tightened. For some reason, his words left her uneasy, as if a shadow had passed over her heart. She couldn’t even rely on Raven for answers because Raven had already admitted she couldn’t see Primrose’s future clearly.
But still, it was ridiculous to think she could ever surpass a dragon’s power. She couldn’t even hope to surpass her own husband’s strength, let alone that of a heavenly beast.
"It doesn’t matter," Edmund murmured as he slipped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. His grip was firm, as though he wanted to anchor her to him. "No matter what path lies ahead, I’ll be there. You’ll never have to face it alone."
Primrose let out a shaky breath, leaning into his warmth. His words didn’t erase her fears completely, but they wrapped around her heart like a shield, reminding her that as long as he was beside her, she had nothing to fear.
After a while, she finally managed to calm her heart. Then she said, "Sir Leofric, there’s something I actually want to ask you." She hesitated a little before continuing, "Earlier, I accidentally heard Lorelle thinking that I don’t look human. What does that mean?"
"Oh?" Leofric tilted his head, his gaze locking onto her as though he was peeling away every layer of her being. "Lorelle is gifted at seeing other people’s magic and hidden abilities, even things ordinary eyes can never catch. But ... she has been sick for a very long time. Perhaps her senses aren’t as sharp as they once were."
He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "It’s possible she was mistaken. But ...." Slowly, his gaze dropped lower, settling on Primrose’s stomach. "Have you had your period this month?"
Primrose stiffened, her eyes widening at the sudden question. Heat rushed to her cheeks, both from shock and embarrassment.
Beside her, Edmund’s expression darkened instantly. "Leofric," he warned. "That’s not a question you should be asking my wife."
Leofric didn’t flinch at the threat. Instead, his gaze remained calm and strangely serious. "It matters," he said firmly. "If Lorelle wasn’t mistaken ... then what she saw might not have been you, but rather something else inside you."
Primrose’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her mind raced, replaying the last few weeks, the way her body had felt different, the strange warmth in her chest whenever she touched Edmund.
Could it be ...?
"You know ...." Leofric said, his eyes never leaving hers, "Edmund’s offspring has a high chance of being half-beast or maybe full beast. That doesn’t sound like a normal human, does it?"
Primrose and Edmund both froze in place. For a moment, it felt as though even the air between them had stopped moving. Neither of them breathed as their eyes met.
Edmund was the first to break the silence. "Are you saying ... what Lorelle saw might have been ... our child?" He swallowed hard, his hand tightening around Primrose’s. "Are you saying my wife is pregnant?"
Leofric answered calmly, "There’s a possibility, yes. But it would be best to let a doctor examine her to be sure." His gaze lingered on them, almost amused by their stunned expressions. "Still ... I’m quite confident the answer will be yes. So, congratulations."