The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?

Chapter 523: When Freedom Feels Like a Lie (II)

[Can Rosie really do that?] Aster wondered. [I know her father plays a big role in keeping the Vellmoria Empire’s economy running, but still... is that enough to make a king step down from his throne?]

[Well, this whole building could be strong evidence against King Averon, but nobles always find a way to escape their problems.]

If they informed the Emperor about this matter, by the time the envoys from the empire arrived, this entire west wing might have already returned to normal.

"Miss," the young woman said with a soft laugh, "what can a slave like you even do? He’s a king. Just forget whatever you’re planning."

Primrose let out a soft sigh. "Young Miss, with all due respect, I’m not a slave. And even if it seems impossible for someone like me to bring down the palace..." She paused, her gaze looked sharp as she said, "I believe nothing is truly impossible."

Before the young woman could speak, Primrose asked gently, "If I can give you proof... will you be able to truly believe me?"

The word "believe" was something very heavy, something that couldn’t be said carelessly, because if they believed in the wrong person, the consequences could be terrible.

"If you can show me that..." the young woman hesitated for a moment, then continued softly, "...then I will believe you."

A small smile appeared on Primrose’s face. "Then first, can you tell me your name? Your full name."

The young woman still looked unsure, but in the end, she gave in. "Evelia," she said quietly. "My name is Evelia Moretz... if I still remember it correctly."

[I can’t even remember the last time someone called me by my name...] she thought bitterly.

Primrose slowly reached out and gently held Evelia’s hand, making her loosen her grip on the sharp wooden fork that was still pressed against Edmund. "Evelia, did they force you to forget your name?"

Evelia lowered her voice. "They prefer calling us by numbers."

Primrose took a small step back. Then her eyes lifted to the top of the door, where she noticed a faint number carved into it. Evelia’s number... was five.

"Some of the girls have already forgotten their names," Evelia said, her voice filled with bitterness. "It’s because we’re only allowed to call each other by numbers too."

"But I’ve always tried my best to remember my name," Evelia said softly.

[I even carved my name on the wall in secret... just so I wouldn’t forget it,] she thought.

A second later, she hissed inwardly, as if regretting her decision. [Damn it, why did I tell them my name? What if this is just a trap? They will probably use it against me later.]

"Evelia," Primrose called her in such a tender voice. "Everything is going to be alright."

She didn’t make any big promises or say anything special to comfort her.

But somehow, the fear in Evelia’s heart slowly faded. The tension in her body eased, and before she realized it, her grip loosened, so the sharpened wooden fork slipped from her hand.

"We won’t open your door now, Evelia," Primrose said again. "But I promise we will come back tomorrow with good news—no, maybe even this morning."

Evelia slowly pulled her hand back through the small opening in the door. She spoke gently, "I hope I’m not trusting the wrong person."

Primrose replied calmly, "You’re not."

===

Since they weren’t going to open the doors tonight, Primrose didn’t stay long in the west wing.

But at least, she now knew how many people were locked inside.

"Thirty-two..." Primrose murmured as Solene finished counting the doors that were clearly occupied. "That’s a lot."

It wasn’t just a big number, but it was a lot of lives.

There were many reasons why they might have ended up in that place; some were kidnapped, some were tricked with false promises, and some were even sold by their own parents.

In Evelia’s case, she had been kidnapped. That was one of the reason why Primrose chose her door and spoke to her first.

Yes, there were so many thoughts filling the air, so many voices overlapping in her mind. But after using this ability for so long, she had grown used to it. Now, she could slowly sort through them, one by one.

Maybe it was also because the seal that once hid her magic was gone, allowing her to use this power more clearly than before.

But what mattered was when Primrose listened to their thoughts earlier, she faintly heard Evelia wishing for death, just so she could follow her sister to the afterlife.

At first, Primrose didn’t pay much attention to it until Evelia mentioned her sister’s name: Cecilia.

Her sister’s name was Cecilia Moretz1. The same little girl from the bear clan, the one who had been killed by Dr. Silas’s son, Elias Morcant, nine years ago.

"Edmund, we need to talk," Primrose said as she stepped out of the west wing. The soldiers guarding the area were still standing stiffly like frozen statues, but once she and the others left, they would return to normal.

"I’m sure we do, my wife," Edmund replied seriously. "Because I believe I have the right to investigate the crimes inside this palace legally."

Primrose hadn’t told Edmund what she had heard in Evelia’s thoughts. Still, she was sure her husband could connect Evelia Moretz to Cecilia Moretz through his own intuition and through her scent.

They had lived in that place for years, so it was only natural that their scent had blended with the walls and even the doors.

"Rosie, what happened?" Aster asked, clearly confused. "How can you investigate this legally? We went in there without the owner’s permission."

"Well, Aster..." Primrose looked at her friend with a serious expression. "I guess you need to brace yourself before I can tell you everything about this matter."

Primrose didn’t want to waste any more time in that place, so she decided to return to the guest room. The moment Edmund locked the balcony door, she began telling Aster about the connection between Evelia Moretz and a beast who had died nine years ago.

Aster’s face gradually darkened as she listened. "They... they did that to the poor girl? And our Emperor didn’t truly give justice to the beastkins?!"

Chapter 263