Chapter 259: Playing the Monster
Primrose had spent the whole morning planning exactly what she’d say to Silas, topics that would gently guide his thoughts toward Hazelle’s slave seal’s secret word.
But the moment she sat across from the man, all those carefully prepared strategies suddenly felt hard to put into action.
"Dr. Silas, why did you bring your assistant along?" she asked with a polite smile, her eyes drifting to Hazelle, who stood quietly behind him. "Didn’t I mention that I just wanted to have tea with you this afternoon?"
Silas smiled calmly. "I’m afraid my assistant can’t be left alone for long, Your Majesty. She has ... some mental health concerns."
Mental health concerns, my foot.
He just didn’t want Hazelle to rest, not even for a few minutes. No wonder she always looked so pale and worn out. Even now, when all they were doing was drinking tea, Silas didn’t let her sit down.
"She looks perfectly fine to me," Primrose said, lifting her teacup and glancing at Hazelle again. "Would she throw a tantrum or something if you left her alone?"
Silas chuckled softly. "Oh, nothing like that, Your Majesty. But if she’s away from me too long, she tends to grow anxious. That’s why I hope you’ll understand and allow her to stay here, Your Majesty."
Primrose took a sip of her tea in silence, her eyes still fixed on Hazelle. The only thing that would fill Hazelle’s heart if she were left alone was obviously relief.
The clock was ticking, and Primrose was keeping track of every second Edmund had granted her. If she couldn’t separate Hazelle from Silas, then those precious minutes would be wasted.
She turned her gaze to the soldiers outside. Silas didn’t notice it, but near the greenhouse entrance, there was a small hourglass, placed there specifically to remind her that Edmund wouldn’t give her even a second more than the promised thirty minutes.
With a small sigh, she realized that her usual calm approach wouldn’t work here. She needed to try something else, maybe something bolder.