Free Web NovelChapter 548: A Farewell Beneath the Snow (I)
From the very beginning, Primrose had known there was only one place Lorelle truly wanted to return to. It was her old house on the edge of Noctvaris’s capital.
She had lived there for years, so it had become a part of her. Even though most of her memories there were bad, they were still precious memories to her.
"She told me that," Primrose said to her husband in his office. Edmund hadn’t wanted her anywhere near work today. He had hoped she would spend the day resting in her room instead. Unfortunately, his wife had never been very good at staying away from her responsibilities.
At least she knew when to stop, and Edmund trusted her enough to let her handle a few things.
"Do you think we can hold her funeral tonight?" Primrose asked. "Lorelle said she doesn’t mind even if we have to do it in the middle of the night."
Edmund let out a long sigh as he looked at her. "I swear it’s impossible for you to spend a single day resting, my wife."
Primrose shrugged and chuckled. "But I won’t be doing anything." She lifted both hands innocently. "I mean... it’s not like I’ll be the one digging the grave."
"Of course not," Edmund said. He finally stood up from his chair and walked toward her. "Has Sir Leofric been informed about this?"
Primrose shook her head. "Lorelle will be the one to tell him. But I think he doesn’t want Lorelle to leave the palace too soon."
In fact, Leofric had already suggested burying her old body himself so she wouldn’t have to go outside.
"He’s too..."
"Protective?" Edmund guessed.
"No." Primrose shook her head and continued after finding the right word. "Controlling."
She moved over to the couch and leaned back against the cushions.
"Being protective and being controlling aren’t the same thing."
Her gaze drifted toward the window. "If someone truly wants to protect another person, they’ll find a way to keep them safe while still letting them do the things they want."
She let out a small sigh. "But Sir Leofric always chooses the easier option. He makes decisions without asking what Lorelle wants first." Primrose shook her head. "If he keeps doing that, their relationship will eventually fall apart."
Of course, she knew she couldn’t fully understand them. After all, their lives, their experiences, and the way they saw the world were all different from hers. What she thought was wrong might not seem wrong to them at all.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Edmund suddenly asked. "I might be able to knock some sense into him."
Primrose immediately waved both hands. "No, no, no." She laughed. "It’s better not to get involved in someone else’s relationship."
Then her expression softened. "As long as Lorelle doesn’t ask for help, and as long as she isn’t in serious trouble, I don’t think forcing them to change will make things better."
After all, it wasn’t as though Leofric was the only toxic person in their relationship. Lorelle could be just as stubborn, and no matter how many times things went wrong, she always found her way back to him.
Maybe, despite everything, that was where she wanted to be.
"Besides..." Primrose lifted her head and smiled at Edmund. "The only people who can solve the problems in their relationship are themselves." Her smile became gentler. "Just like what we did."
Edmund stared at her for a moment before smiling softly.
"Alright." He reached down and squeezed her hand. "But I don’t want you staying up too late tonight, so I’ll have people start digging the grave and preparing everything right away."
Before he could leave, Primrose quickly grabbed his hand. "Oh, and there’s one more thing."
Edmund raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Can you ask a plant witch to come to the funeral?" she asked.
"I can probably find one," Edmund said. "Why?"
Primrose’s smile grew. "I suggested something a little different for Lorelle’s funeral."
Edmund tilted his head. "You want to plant something above her body?"
Primrose’s eyes immediately brightened. Sometimes she wondered if her husband could read minds too.
"Hehe. Lorelle is the one who wants it." She squeezed his hand gently. "So please find a plant witch and ask her to make an apple tree grow above Lorelle’s grave, even if it’s snowing."
"Alright," Edmund agreed without hesitation. "I can do that. Do you need anything else?"
Primrose thought about it for a moment. At first, she was going to say no, but then a playful smile appeared on her face. "Actually... there is one more thing." Primrose looked up at him and smiled. "I need a kiss."
Edmund stared at her for a moment. Then, without saying a word, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead, her lips, and her cheeks.
He kissed every part of her face at least three times, and each kiss sent a pleasant warmth spreading through her body.
"Husband," she whispered softly after Edmund finally pulled away. "Can I stay here instead of going back to my room?"
"Why?" Edmund asked, gently brushing his thumb across her cheek.
Primrose’s cheeks turned slightly pink. "I think... I can rest better here than in my room."
It wasn’t her fault that watching her husband work was far more interesting than doing nothing in her bedroom.
"But you won’t touch any work, right?" Edmund asked in a serious tone.
Primrose immediately shook her head. "No, no, of course not."
After hearing that, Edmund finally allowed her to stay in his office until it was time for them to hold Lorelle’s funeral ceremony.
By the time they arrived at Lorelle’s old house, the sky was completely dark. Little snowflakes continued to fall from above, covering the ground in a blanket of white.
Leofric still looked unhappy about Lorelle leaving the palace. In fact, he had spent quite a while trying to convince her to stay behind.
Unfortunately for him, Lorelle was just as stubborn as ever. After she had thrown several objects at him and refused to change her mind, Leofric had finally given up and allowed her to come.
There weren’t many people attending the funeral. After all, Lorelle’s situation was simply too unusual and too secretive, so only Edmund, Primrose, Leofric, a priest, and a plant witch were there. Even the soldiers who had accompanied them earlier had already left.
"Rosie, this is beautiful."
Lorelle slowly looked around her surroundings.
Her eyes reflected the soft glow of dozens of candles placed around the yard. The warm lights flickered gently in the darkness, creating a peaceful scene against the snowy night.
