The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?
Chapter 225: Shopping Like It’s Free (It’s Not)

Chapter 225: Shopping Like It’s Free (It’s Not)

Edmund leaned in close and whispered, "But you’re safe. I’ve got you."

Primrose let out a long sigh, leaning back into him with a dramatic slump. "You better. Because if I die, I will haunt you and Dante forever!"

Right on cue, the horse neighed loudly, almost like he understood.

Primrose narrowed her eyes. "Don’t tempt me, horse."

Next time, she told herself, she was taking a carriage.

Or better yet, maybe it was time to ask Edmund to teach her how to ride properly, so she could ride a smaller, friendlier horse.

Eventually, they reached flatter ground, and Dante slowed to a calm, steady pace.

Edmund pulled gently on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop under the shade of some tall trees just outside the city.

"We’ll walk the rest of the way," he said as he slid down from the saddle.

Then he turned and reached up for her. She placed her hands in his, and he helped her down carefully.

The moment her feet touched solid ground, Primrose let out a long, relieved sigh.

"Finally," she mumbled, placing a hand over her chest like she’d just survived a war. "I can feel the ground again."

On the other side, Edmund patted the horse a few times before tying him to the nearest tree. "Stay here, alright?"

But Dante didn’t seem to care at all because his attention had already shifted to the lush green patch of grass beneath his hooves.

The moment his mouth touched the ground, he started munching like it was his last meal on earth.

Primrose stared in disbelief as the once-thick grass rapidly disappeared, thinning out as if the poor thing hadn’t eaten in days.

Within minutes, the area around Dante looked almost bald.

How can a horse be this greedy?!

"Let’s head to the capital," Edmund said gently, taking her hand and guiding her away from the crime scene that used to be grass.

Primrose didn’t say anything. She just followed quietly, letting her husband lead the way.

They began walking side by side. The trees slowly thinned out, and the edges of the capital came into view ahead of them.

The cobblestone streets glinted softly under the sun, and the distant sound of chatter, footsteps, and the rumble of cartwheels started to fill the air.

Even before entering the city, Primrose could already smell the warm scent of baked bread, roasted nuts, and fresh flowers drifting on the breeze.

"Nuts?" she murmured, almost to herself. "Why does it smell like roasted nuts everywhere?"

Edmund replied, "Because there really are that many nut vendors here. Most beasts aren’t too fond of sweets, but we love roasted nuts as snacks."

As soon as they stepped into the capital’s main district, Primrose saw exactly what he meant.

Nut vendors were everywhere. They were lining the streets with wide grins, waving, and shouting cheerfully to passersby.

Some of them didn’t hesitate to call out to her directly. "Miss! You’ve got to try these roasted nuts! They’re the best in the capital!"

Since there were so many beast travelers passing through, nobody recognized them.

To everyone else, Edmund and Primrose just looked like a young couple exploring the city.

Thanks to Edmund’s adjusted height, he didn’t draw attention anymore because most of the beastfolk here were at least 1.80 meters tall, so he blended in perfectly.

But Primrose wasn’t quite so lucky.

She was far too easy to lose in the crowd because she wasn’t tall enough.

The moment Edmund let go of her hand just for a second, she disappeared into a sea of unfamiliar faces and towering bodies.

’Now I really do feel like a dwarf!’ she thought in frustration, hopping a little to try and see over the heads and shoulders in front of her.

Luckily, Edmund’s sense of smell was sharper than most. He found her within moments, slipping through the crowd like it was nothing.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to his side, gripping it firmly.

"Don’t let go of my hand again," he said, a little more serious now.

He looked her over quickly, gently checking her arms and sides. "There are too many people here, and more than a few pickpockets."

Primrose chuckled. "What would they even steal from me? I don’t have a wallet or a single coin in my pocket."

Actually, she had never personally carried her own wallet.

Back in Illvaris, all she had to do was point at something, whether it was from a humble street cart or a fancy boutique, and the sellers would immediately send the bill to her father’s estate without question.

Some people used to say she was spoiled, but honestly, what was so wrong about spending her father’s money? It wasn’t like he ever minded.

But now that her days of living off endless family wealth were over, she had found herself a new sponsor.

Her husband.

And the best part? He was even richer than her father.

"We only need to worry about one money pouch today," Primrose said with a cheeky grin, patting the coat pocket where all Edmund’s coins were tucked safely away. Then, without missing a beat, she slipped her hand back into his.

"Alright, lead the way," she beamed. "Let’s explore the capital streets until my legs give up."

The capital turned out to be far livelier than she had imagined. It looked more colorful, more chaotic, and definitely more fun than Moonshadow City.

Everywhere she looked, there was something to see. Bright stalls lined the roads, selling everything from handmade jewelry to glowing beast crystals.

Street performers showed off their magic tricks and swordplay, drawing claps and cheers from small crowds.

Children ran laughing through the cobblestone streets, beastfolk of all shapes and sizes bartered loudly with merchants, and the air was filled with the smell of warm bread, grilled meat, and sweet roasted nuts.

They spent the whole afternoon doing all kinds of fun, silly things.

Primrose made Edmund try sugary drinks from rainbow-colored carts, dragged him into spicy skewer stalls that nearly burned his mouth, and even convinced him to stop at a fortune-teller’s tent run by a one-eyed goat beast who warned Edmund that he had "too much bottled-up desire."

And of course, Primrose went on a shameless shopping spree with Edmund’s money.

She didn’t even bother asking for permission.

Whenever something shiny or cute caught her eye—a glittering trinket, a fuzzy bracelet, a wooden spoon shaped like a bunny—she’d casually dig into Edmund’s coat pocket, pull out a few coins, and hand them to the merchant with the brightest smile on her face.

"My wife," Edmund said after she bought a stuffed lizard toy with glowing eyes, "I didn’t know you liked collecting ... things like this."

[These things all look useless,] he thought, [but if they make her smile like that, I’ll happily buy them all.]

Primrose turned toward him, hugging the glowing toy to her chest like it was a prized possession. "These are cheap! I’m being very sensible today."

Edmund raised an eyebrow. "You’ve said that after every purchase."

"Because it’s true!" she insisted. "Look at the prices! Five copper coins, ten at most. That’s basically free!"

"Yes, of course, my wife," Edmund said with a straight face.

Though he sounded completely agreeable, his thoughts were telling a different story.

[Twenty little things that cost ’nothing’ will eventually become something.]

[So ... my wife doesn’t like buying expensive things all at once because it feels wasteful. But if something looks cheap enough, she’ll buy a ton of it without hesitation.]

[Interesting ...] he mused silently. [What if I asked the boutique owner to pretend to give her a discount? Would she accept it if I offered her ten new dresses as a "bargain" gift?]

It would’ve been a brilliant plan if only Primrose couldn’t read his mind.

But maybe she could pretend she didn’t hear anything.