NOVEL NEXT Chapter 357: The Price of Love Is Beyond Gold
But then again … she was also the Queen of Noctvaris. So maybe … this amount of money could be considered reasonable? Besides, Edmund had given it from his personal wealth, not the royal treasury.
"This is nothing compared to your worth in my eyes," Edmund said softly, showing a warm smile on his face.
[She could even ask for my very life, and I would gladly give it to her.]
Oh, for heaven's sake, she would never ask for his life!
"Will this money be enough for you to buy some plots of land?" Edmund asked gently.
Primrose cupped his face, hardly believing he would ask something so obvious. "Of course it's enough! More than enough!"
With this, she could probably buy land as vast as a palace and still have plenty of gold left over.
"Do you want me to help you find some land here?" Edmund asked. "I know people who are experts at land trading. They might even give you a good price."
Primrose had thought of buying land back in her homeland, but when she remembered the Emperor's behavior and how it could stir political trouble in the future, she realized it might be safer to buy property in Noctvaris instead.
Still, there was a problem. If she bought too much land under her own name here, people might start whispering that she was wasting the royal treasury, even if the money was her own.
Besides that, what if one day Edmund stepped down from the throne? Wouldn't that mean they'd have to leave the kingdom?
She didn't think it would happen anytime soon, but what about their child? Once Edmund was gone, their child would have to fight other beasts to claim the throne.
If their child refused to fight, then they would have no choice but to leave Noctvaris.
"Husband … what if I buy land outside of Noctvaris's territory? Do you think that's possible?" Primrose asked carefully. "I just think it would be safer for our child to inherit land without complicated political issues. Somewhere peaceful where they could always escape if needed."
Perhaps she could even buy land in the place where Edmund had once wanted to build a home for her, a safe haven far away from all danger. She didn't know if he still planned to build that house in this lifetime, but remembering it now made her heart ache a little.
"It's possible." Edmund's gaze deepened, his hand brushing her cheek with tenderness. "I'll ask some experts to help you buy land in a safe kingdom, maybe somewhere by the ocean. I already have plenty of business partners across the continent."
So, Primrose had been right. He wasn't only selling Moonfire rum in Noctvaris!
"Was it Moonfire rum?" she asked curiously.
Edmund shrugged lightly. "If a kingdom has many beasts, I sell Moonfire. But if beasts are rare there, I sell rum for humans instead." He admitted, "Your father taught me."
Even though Noctvaris was known as the land of beasts, there were, in truth, beasts who lived quietly among humans. If the region was friendly enough, they didn't need to hide. But most of the time, they disguised themselves as humans instead of showing their true forms.
Maybe that was why Edmund had been able to expand his business network so widely.
But wait … why was Edmund even wealthier than Lazarus, when her father had been the one to teach him business in the first place?!
"Husband, do you actually have other businesses besides rum?" Primrose asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. "You've never mentioned it to me before."
Edmund thought for a moment, then said, "I actually only have two businesses: distilleries and … a merchant fleet."
Primrose blinked in surprise. "Merchant fleet? You mean … a shipping company that transports goods from one place to another?"
Edmund nodded. "Have you heard of the Lunar Crest Fleet?"
Her eyes widened in shock. "Of course I have! My father always uses that company to send his goods to other kingdoms! I never knew it belonged to you!"
"It's nothing special," Edmund said in a low voice. "I only built it so my fellow lycans would have a way to earn money."
Nothing special? Like hell it wasn't!
Out of all the businesses out there, merchant fleets made the most money. Not only did they provide shipping services, but also protection against bandits.
According to her father, Lunar Crest Fleet was the only transport company that had never once been robbed by bandits.
Back then, Primrose had assumed the owner simply had an incredibly powerful fleet. But now that she knew it belonged to her husband, she was certain of the real reason.
The Lunar Crest Fleet was untouchable because it was guarded by lycans!
"No wonder your company charges so much for its services!" Primrose exclaimed. "My father often grumbles about how expensive the shipping fees are, but he still pays because the safety is worth every coin."
Edmund raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I've been giving your father a thirty percent discount for years, and after we got married, I raised it to fifty."
Primrose gasped, her eyes widening in shock. Even with a thirty percent discount, the cost was already sky-high. So what was the real price before the discount?
No wonder Edmund could casually give her five hundred thousand gold coins as a dowry!
"Husband, you've worked so hard." Primrose hugged him tightly and rested her head against his shoulder. "Are you really sure you're fine with me using your money so freely? I haven't even done anything for you in return."
Edmund tilted his head down. "What nonsense are you saying, wife?" He gently placed his hand over her stomach, caressing it softly as if he were touching the most delicate silk. "Like I've said before, and I'll say it again, you're creating life with your body, and even if you weren't, you still bless my life with your love, with your warmth, with your presence. Those are things I could never buy, no matter how much money I had."
Primrose couldn't help but lean closer, rubbing her face into the curve of his neck. "Husband, you make my heart feel like it's about to explode."
Edmund didn't reply, only chuckled softly and patted his wife's back. For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the quiet sound of their breathing, until Primrose softly asked, "Husband … in our past life, you built a house for me, far away from Noctvaris. Is that the same place where you want me to buy land now?"
Edmund's eyes flickered away, as if he couldn't bear to meet her gaze. "It is, I think," he admitted quietly. "I haven't built you a house in this lifetime yet … but I did buy a piece of land for you before our marriage. The problem is … it hasn't been easy to get the king's approval for you to stay there. Politics make everything complicated."
[I'm sorry, wife,] Edmund spoke inwardly. [If only I had pushed harder back then, maybe your past life … wouldn't have ended the way it did.]
"But if I had gone to that house … then I wouldn't have been with you," Primrose whispered. "I wouldn't have known what it's like to have such a sweet husband … and I wouldn't be carrying our child now."
"Husband, I've said this before, but I'll say it again, I'm truly grateful to have you now." She smiled warmly, a smile bright enough to chase away every shadow in his heart. "Maybe all the pain and misery we suffered before were only trials from heaven, so that we could finally taste the sweetest cake this world has to offer."
Edmund's throat tightened, and for a moment he couldn't find his voice. He pulled her closer into his arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Maybe … instead of building a house just to hide me away, how about we build a house as a vacation home?" Primrose lifted her head, her gaze locking with his. "Somewhere near the ocean … somewhere warm, so when winter comes to this kingdom, we can escape there. I think our child would love it."
Edmund whispered softly, "That sounds nice."
Even though they hadn't made it real yet, Edmund already carried a vivid picture in his mind. He imagined Primrose laughing as she ran barefoot across the sand, their child chasing after her with tiny footprints trailing behind. The sunlight would catch in her hair, making it glow like gold against the sea breeze.
[My wife would look so beautiful in a light summer dress by the beach,] Edmund thought. [But then again … my wife is always beautiful, no matter where she is.]
"Husband, you're thinking too far ahead." Primrose chuckled softly, brushing her fingers over her stomach in a tender caress. "We need to build the house first and …" Her voice dropped with warmth as she smiled down at her belly. "We need to make sure our child is born safely and healthy."
Edmund's gaze followed her hand, his expression softening with deep affection. He reached over and laid his palm gently atop hers. "Our child will be perfect," he said firmly, as if it were a promise carved into stone. "Because they'll be ours."