Chapter 328: What the Royal Advisor Knows
After they reached an agreement never to hide any secrets regarding politics that concerned the kingdom, they finally decided to go to bed.
The bed in Edmund’s chamber was almost twice as large as the one in the Queen’s chamber. But despite all that space, most of it was never used because Primrose always ended up snuggling as close to her husband as possible.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him like a little octopus, clinging to him as if she never wanted to let go, and sometimes, when she shifted in her sleep, she would simply climb right on top of him instead.
Edmund could only smile helplessly whenever she did that. At first, he had worried that she might feel uncomfortable sleeping so close, but over time, he realized it was the opposite. Primrose seemed to sleep more peacefully in his arms.
Because of that habit of hers, whenever they couldn’t sleep together, even if it was just for one night, both of them would find it hard to fall asleep.
Without Primrose’s warmth beside him, Edmund would lie awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, feeling as though something vital was missing from his arms. Even the thickest blanket couldn’t replace the way his wife wrapped around him like she belonged there.
Primrose, on the other hand, would toss and turn endlessly without Edmund by her side. She would hug the pillows, trying to trick herself into believing it was his chest, but it never worked.
In the end, both of them would always realize the same truth: sleep only came easily when they were together.
Unfortunately, every time Primrose woke up in the morning, she often found her husband no longer sleeping beside her, like this morning, for example.
When she opened her eyes, Edmund was already gone from the chamber, and the only thing he left behind was a little note placed on the nightstand beside the bed.
"I will see you when we are about to visit Leofric’s sister. I love you."
— Your husband
Primrose let out a soft sigh, but couldn’t help chuckling a little because he chose to write "Your Husband" instead of his own name.
It seemed he really disliked it when Primrose called him by name directly because it always made him feel as though she was upset with him.
"What a silly, cute puppy," she whispered with a smile.
After stretching her arms lazily, she pushed herself out of bed. Today was going to be busy, and she couldn’t afford to waste her time lying around in bed.
Right after breakfast, she had a class with Sevrin. He looked a little pale, maybe still shaken from failing to protect himself and the Queen, but as always, he carried himself with quiet composure.
This time, they weren’t studying in the library. The place was still a mess, and the poor librarian, who had taken the day off yesterday, hadn’t stopped grumbling about it. Instead, they borrowed Edmund’s office, since Primrose’s wasn’t ready yet and her husband wouldn’t be using his own office that day.
Aside from Edmund, Primrose also decided to tell Sevrin the truth about what had happened to them. After all, he was the most loyal and handled many affairs in the palace, so something like this had to be reported to him.
To her surprise, Sevrin didn’t look shocked at all.
The only thing he did was let out a heavy sigh and say, "He pulled the same trick on a newcomer a few years ago."
Sevrin explained that back then, Leofric had seen that the newcomer held great potential to become an outstanding soldier, but unfortunately, the man was timid, so he did something no one expected.
He staged a kidnapping and threw the man straight into the den of a demon beast.
Primrose gasped softly, her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened as she stared at Sevrin. "Did he ... survive?"
Sevrin stayed silent for so long that Primrose grew restless. Just as she was about to press him again, he suddenly let out a low chuckle, almost as if he had been teasing her on purpose.
"He’s fine," Sevrin finally said. "Just as Sir Leofric guessed, that man turned out to be an exceptional soldier. In fact, he became the strongest soldier Leofric has ever trained."
Primrose’s eyes widened in surprise. "Who is he?"
Sevrin shook his head. "He isn’t in the palace right now. Just like Sir Leofric, His Majesty often sends him on difficult missions outside the palace. You’ll meet him yourself once he returns, Your Majesty."
He then placed several winter reports in front of her, records from past years, so that she wouldn’t feel lost when handling the upcoming winter supplies’ report
"I know Sir Leofric’s actions make you question him too much," Sevrin continued calmly. "Maybe you even suspect that one day he might betray you. But, Your Majesty, out of everyone in this palace, I would bet my life that Sir Leofric would be the last person to ever betray you or His Majesty."
Primrose frowned, not expecting Sevrin to speak so earnestly in defense of Leofric. "Why do you believe that?" she asked.
"Most people only know him as His Majesty’s old friend," Sevrin said with a sigh, "but the truth is ... Sir Leofric once saved His Majesty’s life."
He grew quiet for a moment, his gaze distant. For some reason, Primrose suddenly felt that he didn’t look like just a royal advisor anymore, but more like a father figure to Edmund.
"That poor boy ..." Sevrin murmured softly. "If Sir Leofric hadn’t protected him from the wizards of the magic tower back then, His Majesty would have been sealed inside a coffin long ago."
Primrose’s jaw dropped. She froze, trying to make sure she hadn’t misheard him. "They ... they wanted to seal my husband inside a coffin? Why?"
Sevrin’s face darkened. "Because they feared him," he said quietly. "The wizards of the magic tower believed His Majesty’s power was dangerous, too dangerous to be left free. They thought if they sealed him away, they could control the balance of the kingdoms."