Chapter 353: My Wife Is My Soul
At noon, Edmund finally returned to the palace with Lazarus. Her father was the first to burst into her room, his face wet with tears. His clothes were still messy from riding Edmund’s wolf form, but he didn’t care about his appearance at all.
"Rosieee!" Lazarus nearly tripped over his own feet as he rushed to her bed. Once he reached her, he grabbed her hands tightly and cried out, "Are you really pregnant?!"
Primrose froze, startled by his sudden outburst. She leaned back a little, but Lazarus pulled her closer until their faces were almost touching.
"F-Father, please calm down," Primrose whispered.
"Calm down?! How could I possibly be calm?!" Lazarus’s voice cracked, his eyes brimming with tears. "MY DAUGHTER IS PREGNANT!"
[I still see her as my little girl, and now she’s suddenly pregnant.] Lazarus wept inwardly. [My daughter ... my little pumpkin ... tainted by that damn dog.]
Primrose took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. Lazarus never stopped referring to Edmund as a ’dog’ and her as his ’little pumpkin.’ In his mind, he truly believed the dog had eaten his precious pumpkin.
Well ... Edmund had basically eaten her, though not literally, but she loved it when he did.
Unfortunately, there was no way she could say out loud to her father that she enjoyed being devoured by her husband. She would rather bury herself underground than admit something so embarrassing.
Lazarus shouted again. "How could you possibly be pregnant?!"
Edmund, who had just entered the room, suddenly froze where he stood, and so did Primrose. The two of them exchanged a silent stare, as though forcing the other to speak first.
At last, Primrose cleared her throat and gently changed the subject. "Father ... aren’t you happy that you’re going to be a grandfather?" she asked softly. "You used to only watch your friends walk proudly with their grandchildren, but now you’ll finally be able to do the same!"
"Of course, I’m happy!" Lazarus let out a heavy sigh and sat down beside Primrose. "But I ... I’m also afraid."
He didn’t need to explain further because Primrose already understood. He was afraid she might suffer the same fate as her mother ... dying while giving birth.
What made it worse was that she was carrying a lycan’s child, which made the risks even greater.
Before Primrose could respond, Edmund stepped forward, his calm voice filling the room. "Father, you don’t need to worry." His eyes softened with determination. "We’ve already found a way to make sure our child will be born safely. I’ll protect both my wife and our baby."
Then, his tone turned firm, steady as stone. "But if you ask me who I would save if something went wrong ... my answer will always be Primrose. I love our child with all my heart, but my wife—" His gaze lingered on her with unshakable devotion. "—my wife is my soul."
Primrose believed that even if Edmund ever faced the same heartbreak her father once did, he would never abandon their child because that child would be the last precious gift from her.
But she also knew the bond between a lycan and his mate was stronger than anything else.
If something ever happened to her, Edmund would be left in unbearable pain, and their child would grow up seeing nothing but sorrow in their father’s eyes.
Both of them understood they could never let their child carry such a heavy burden of guilt.
That was why Edmund would always choose Primrose. He would choose his soul, his heart, the very half of his life. In that choice, their child would never have to suffer believing they were the reason their mother was gone.
"You’re such a sweet talker!" Lazarus suddenly glared at Edmund, his eyes burning with anger. "But how can I trust a man who doesn’t even let his wife spend his money?!"
Primrose hissed under her breath, realizing Edmund hadn’t explained the truth behind her letter to Lazarus at all.
Then again, maybe Lazarus had forgotten about it for the moment, since he’d been too shaken by the news of her pregnancy.
"Father, that was just a misunderstanding!" Primrose raised her voice, tugging at his sleeve until he looked at her. "Edmund has never stopped me from using his money!"
With no other choice, she began to explain what had really happened.
By the time she finished, Primrose was hiding her face in both hands, feeling as though the ground should just swallow her whole. Having to explain this not only in front of her husband, but also to her father, was beyond humiliating.
"I’m sorry, Father," she mumbled, her voice muffled. "I must have scared you half to death with that letter."
[Half to death? More like I nearly had a heart attack!] Lazarus groaned inwardly. [I really thought my poor daughter was suffering in this kingdom, unable to buy all the pretty things she loved so much!]
[But ... now I can’t help but feel guilty toward my son-in-law. I was far too hard on him, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.]
Lazarus then blinked several times, sneaking a quick glance at Edmund but avoiding his eyes like a guilty child. Clearing his throat, he grumbled, "You should’ve written that clearly in your letter. That way, I wouldn’t have jumped to the wrong idea about my ... good son over here."
[Father just called me his good son!] Edmund thought with pure delight. [I’m glad he isn’t mad at me anymore!]
For some reason, Primrose often felt that her husband’s heart was more like that of a golden retriever than a fearsome wolf. No matter how intimidating he looked to others, with her, he was simply soft, loyal ... and absolutely adorable!
"He’s also a very good husband." Primrose emphasized each word clearly, making sure her father understood without a doubt that her son-in-law had never mistreated his precious daughter.
"I can see it clearly now," Lazarus said softly, still looking a little embarrassed after scolding Edmund so harshly earlier. "Please forgive me, son."