The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?!-Chapter 43: Measuring Fingers

Edmund blinked, clearly caught off guard. [Am I messing this up again?]

"I ... didn’t know the process," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I thought giving you the gem first would be more meaningful."

[How could I be this clueless? Giving her something like this probably makes me look more like a beast than a man.]

[And my wife probably thinks the same.]

Yes, giving someone an unpolished, uncut gemstone was unusual, definitely not something most humans would consider romantic.

It was a bit barbaric.

But that didn’t mean Primrose didn’t like it. freewёbnoνel.com

Actually, She did.

"And ... I wasn’t sure what your ring size is," Edmund added, his voice a little lower, like he was embarrassed to admit it.

Beast bodies were generally larger than human bodies, so if Edmund wasn’t sure about Primrose’s ring size, the jewelers in Noctvaris might have used the standard size for beast women, which would be too big for her.

"Then, let’s measure it," Primrose said, placing her palm gently against his.

The difference was obvious.

Her hand looked so much smaller next to his—dainty, soft, almost like it didn’t belong in the same world as his rough hands.

[Her hand is so small ... and pretty.]

[I could wrap my whole hand around hers.]

Without really thinking about it, Edmund slowly closed his fingers around hers. His touch was warm and a little rough, the calluses on his palm brushing softly against her skin.

It sent a strange, fluttery feeling through her chest, something she wasn’t ready for.

He didn’t stop there.

Carefully, like she was something fragile, he began tracing each of her fingers. Memorizing the length and the shape.

Honestly, he only needed to check her ring finger, but he was touching all of them.

One by one.

It felt ... oddly intimate.

Primrose knew she should say something. Maybe pull her hand away, but she didn’t.

Instead, she looked away, trying her best to hide the soft blush rising to her cheeks.

She wasn’t sure what this moment meant, but somehow ... she didn’t want it to end.

This foolish Lycan King really had a way of making her heart beat faster and it honestly felt a little unfair.

"Maybe ... I should just ask one of the maids to write down my ring size," Primrose mumbled when she noticed Edmund was taking far too long to ’measure’ her fingers.

"No need." Edmund finally let go of her hand, though it was clear he didn’t really want to. He had already taken a mental note of every line, every curve, the exact way her fingers fit in his palm.

"I already know your size," he said, his voice sounded a little too calm for someone who’d just spent way too long tracing her entire hand.

"Oh ... alright." Primrose lowered her hands and turned away, suddenly shy.

Every time she looked at his face, her words seemed to get stuck in her throat. "I think ... you should probably go clean up, Your Majesty."

Edmund looked down and finally noticed that he had left faint smudges of dirt and dust on her soft skin.

[Oh no ... I made her hand dirty.]

[What do I do now?]

Primrose instinctively looked at her own palm too. There was indeed dirt there, tiny traces of soil and dust from his journey.

But instead of being annoyed, all she could really feel was the warmth still lingering on her skin.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but now she realized that Edmund’s hands were always warm.

Warmer than her tea.

Warmer than her thickest fur coat.

Warm enough to make her heart ache just a little.

"I’m sorry. I made your hands dirty," Edmund said softly.

He reached into his pocket, intending to wipe her hands with a handkerchief, only to realize it was filthy too. His hand awkwardly froze mid-motion, hovering inside his coat.

The moment started to feel tense and a little awkward, so Primrose stepped in to ease it.

"This is nothing, Your Majesty." She offered a small smile. "Compared to the effort you made to get these gemstones, a little dirt on my hands means nothing."

Then, in a quieter tone, she added, "You’ve been gone from the palace for a week ... and there are a few things I’d like to talk to you about."

She hesitated for a second, then looked up at him. "If you don’t mind, would you meet me in the receiving room after you’ve cleaned up?"

She was pretty sure Edmund wouldn’t have a problem with Salem being around, but it was still better to let them meet first.

In that way, he wouldn’t freak out when he found a man casually tasting his wife’s food in the dining room.

But Edmund interpreted her words differently.

[My wife wants to see me again after this?]

[Does that mean ... she missed me? She wants to spend more time with me?]

One moment, he was drowning in insecure thoughts and the next, he was absolutely convinced that his wife had been longing for his return.

Did that even make any sense?!

"I’d like to see you again, my wife." Edmund lifted the corners of his mouth, but instead of giving her a warm, genuine smile ... he flashed the kind of grin that looked more like a predator eyeing its prey.

He’d been gone for a whole week and his smiling skills were still that bad?!

Well, whatever.

The only thing he probably saw in the Forbidden Abyss were demon beasts. It’s not like he could practice friendly smiles in front of them.

Still ... he had tried, hadn’t he? Maybe he just needed a little encouragement.

"Your Majesty, your smile has improved a lot lately!" Primrose clapped her hands gently, pretending as if she had just witnessed the most charming smile in the world. "If you keep practicing, I’m sure many people will be impressed by your friendly expression."

[My wife praised me! I should smile even wider!]

Primrose’s eye twitched as she watched Edmund’s smile grow ... and grow ... until it started looking like something a creepy window-stalker would wear.

Honestly, if anyone else saw that smile, they’d probably sprint away faster than lightning instead of wanting to start a conversation.

Maybe she shouldn’t hand out too many pretty lies to him.

"That’s enough, Your Majesty." She laughed awkwardly, softening her voice so it wouldn’t sound like she was mocking him. "Your facial muscles might get tired if you smile for too long."