Chapter 603: A Convenient Coincidence

“Do you have any news about the King of Azmeria, Your Majesty?” Edmund asked directly, smoothly shifting the Emperor’s attention away from his wife.

A faint smile slowly appeared on the Emperor’s face before he answered in a calm voice, “Unfortunately, I do have some bad news about him.”

Primrose held her breath and fell silent. She tried once again to force her way into the Emperor’s mind, but no matter how hard she pushed, she couldn’t get through. Instead of hearing his thoughts, a sharp pain started to spread through her head.

In the end, she quickly stopped before the headache became worse.

“What happened?” Edmund asked, his voice still calm. “Did something happen to him?”

The smile on the Emperor’s face slowly faded as he said, “Are you only pretending not to know?”

A deep frown formed on Edmund’s forehead because he was starting to lose track of where the Emperor wanted to take their conversation.

“I don’t understand what you mean, Your Majesty,” Edmund said, clearly confused. “Please, don’t speak in riddles. Just say what you mean. Like you said before, you came here because you thought it would be easier to talk face-to-face, right?”

“The King of Azmeria was found dead. He drowned in the freezing lake near the Illvaris region,” the Emperor said without wasting any more time.

His gaze then shifted toward Primrose. “I want to believe this is nothing more than a coincidence,” he continued. “But what kind of coincidence makes your enemy die so close to your home?”

“Planned,” Primrose finally opened her mouth. “The kind of coincidence planned by people who want to use the Duke of Illvaris as a scapegoat.”

She spoke as if the matter did not shake her at all. The fear and trauma from her past were still buried deep inside her, but at least this time, she knew she was not facing everything alone.

“And who would that person be, if you don’t mind me asking?” the Emperor replied just as calmly.

Primrose gave a small shrug. “I’m not sure, Your Majesty. My father has made many enemies over the years. That’s why we need a long and careful investigation before making any conclusions.”

“Someone is dead.” The Emperor did not take his eyes off Primrose as he spoke. His stare was cold and sharp, like a snake watching a rabbit that had nowhere to run.

“This man was one of the most valuable people in the Vellmoria Empire. There will be many people demanding answers, and they will want them quickly.”

“Was,” Primrose corrected him. “He was a valuable person, but after his crimes were exposed, I don’t think many people will be sad to hear that he’s dead.”

She lifted her chin slightly. “On the contrary, they might celebrate.” Primrose paused for a moment before continuing. “After all, the beastkins were not the only ones who suffered because of him. You should be even angrier, Your Majesty. Many women from your side were also held captive because of what happened there.”

“And he also had connections to the children who were locked inside the Count of Veloria’s basement.”

Anyone with a brain could tell that the Emperor did not care about any of those things.

The only thing he wanted was to see Edmund or Primrose fall into trouble.

But after being separated for so long, after everything they had suffered, and after finally finding their way back to each other, neither Edmund nor Primrose was willing to let this so-called God win for a second time.

“Then perhaps we should stop wasting time trying to blame each other and start looking for the real culprit,” Edmund said calmly.

The Emperor finally shifted his gaze away from Primrose and looked at him.

“You sound very confident that neither of you had anything to do with this,” the Emperor said.

“I am.” Edmund answered without hesitation.

There was no anger in his voice, but there was something cold underneath it that made the whole room feel heavier.

“If you came here because you have already decided that my wife or I killed the King of Azmeria, then there is nothing more for us to discuss,” Edmund continued. “You can arrest me right now if you think dealing with my wife alone will be easier. But Your Majesty, I warn you not to play tricks with either of us.”

Primrose might not be able to control the Emperor’s mind, but that did not mean she was powerless against everyone else.

More than that, both she and Edmund had built many connections over the years. Even if the Emperor tried to isolate Primrose and bring her down on her own, it would not be easy.

She was no longer someone who could be pushed aside so easily.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly, but instead of answering Edmund’s warning, he turned his attention back to Primrose.

“You seem quite confident,” he said. “But perhaps you should be more careful about the people around you. Especially the Duke of Illvaris.”

At the mention of her father, Primrose’s expression changed almost instantly.

It was only for a second, but Edmund noticed it. Her fingers stiffened beneath his hand.

“What about my father?” Primrose asked.

The Emperor gave her a small smile. “Nothing yet. I am simply reminding you that when trouble comes, it rarely stops with only one person.”

Primrose felt her stomach tighten because she knew exactly what he was trying to do.

Even if the Emperor could not easily attack her or Edmund, her father was still someone important to her. If he wanted to scare her, then bringing the Duke of Illvaris into the conversation was the easiest way.

For a moment, Primrose could not stop herself from imagining the worst.

Her father being accused.

His title being taken away.

His soldiers turning against him.

The Illvaris family losing everything because of something they had not done.

But suddenly, Edmund gently squeezed her hand, making Primrose turned toward him.

Edmund’s expression remained calm, almost as if the Emperor had said nothing worth worrying about.

“If the Duke of Illvaris were someone who could be destroyed that easily, he would have lost his power a long time ago,” Edmund said.

Edmund continued as he looked at his wife, “Your father has survived court politics, war, and more enemies than most people could count. He did not keep his position for this long because people were kind to him.”