Chapter 512: A Queen’s Offer of Freedom (II)
"I know you mean well, Rosie," Bianca said. "But unfortunately, I cannot be saved anymore."
Primrose narrowed her eyes, trying to see whether Bianca was pretending or not. But the moment she heard the Queen of Azmeria’s mind, she knew that Bianca was not lying.
[My husband has made a statement that if I run away or betray him, then he will do something bad to my family.]
Bianca let out a silent sigh. [I hate them. I really do. But that doesn’t mean I want to see them die. After all... they’re the reason I’m still alive.]
The reason why she could live?
The reason she’s still alive?
Those words sounded strangely familiar. The Cardinal used to say things like that all the time when Primrose was still known as Rose. She couldn’t remember the exact moment, but somehow she just knew.
It was almost as if all sick-minded people shared the same way of thinking.
They always believed they were the center of everything. And the people they paid attention to should feel grateful for it, just like the beliefs Bianca’s father had forced into her mind.
"But do you want to try?" Primrose asked at last. "There’s a chance you might survive, and there’s also a chance you might fail. But at least you tried."
Bianca laughed softly, though there was no real joy in it. "Try? There’s no point in trying. The result has already been placed in front of me, and I don’t want to touch it."
"Because you’re afraid?" Primrose asked.
Bianca’s eyes twitched. "Because I have no other choice!" she snapped. "Oh, come on, Rosie! Do you really think everyone has a loving father like yours? A dear father who would do anything for you, even sacrifice himself?"
Her eyes suddenly turned red. "No! Not everyone is like you!" Bianca continued bitterly. "If I make one wrong move and get caught, I won’t just be punished by my husband. My father will punish me too for embarrassing him. Do you think I want that?"
Primrose didn’t say anything for a moment before finally speaking again. "Then let’s make a plan where you don’t need to care about your father anymore." She added, "If we manage to get rid of your husband, then only your father will remain. You don’t have any obligation to go back to him."
"How could I not go back?" Bianca snorted. "I owe him my life, so of course I must always return to him."
"No, you don’t." Primrose leaned forward, speaking to Bianca with a very serious expression. "You don’t owe your father anything. You don’t owe your family anything. Yes, your parents are the reason you exist, but raising you was their responsibility."
[What a naive woman,] Bianca thought. [Does she think running away from my family is easy? Damn it! I’m not even sure they won’t find me the moment I run away.]
Of course, escaping from her family—and from the people who hurt her—would never be easy.
But if Bianca was too afraid to take even a single step forward, she would remain trapped there forever.
Unfortunately, even though a part of Primrose still wanted to help her, there was nothing she could do for someone who had already given up on being saved.
She had been able to help Raven and Hazelle because they had finally found the courage to step out of their comfort zone.
Maybe Bianca was right.
Maybe... she really could no longer be saved.
"Maybe we should just forget what I said earlier," Primrose said at last. She leaned back in her chair, no longer trying to persuade Bianca to cooperate.
If Bianca truly didn’t want to tell her what strange things she had seen around those mysterious rooms, then Primrose could simply find another way to investigate.
But strangely, the moment Primrose stopped offering help, Bianca suddenly looked nervous.
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but then closed it again. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap, and her foot tapped against the floor again and again.
[But what if her offer is the only way for me to escape all of this?] Bianca thought.
[It’s difficult to run away from them, but what if it actually works?]
Primrose raised one eyebrow, feeling confused. Just a moment ago, Bianca had been refusing her offer without hesitation. And now, when Primrose had already given up, she suddenly seemed tempted.
Was this what people called a reverse tactic? Well... if this situation could still benefit her, then she didn’t mind trying a different approach.
"It’s actually a shame that you won’t accept my offer," Primrose said with a soft sigh, pretending to feel sorry for her. "My husband owns a merchant fleet. His fellow lycans transport valuable goods from one place to another."
She tilted her head slightly. "Most of the time they deliver trade goods, but sometimes... they also transport people. You know, lycans are very strong, and they never fail when they are asked to deliver something valuable."
She sighed once again. "Well... but since you don’t want it, I suppose there’s nothing I can do."
Primrose narrowed her eyes and saw Bianca growing even more anxious.
[What should I do now?] Bianca thought anxiously. [Maybe... maybe I should at least try.]
[But what if I fail to escape from here?] Bianca clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. [So what? My father has punished me many times before. My body is already used to enduring it.]
Then another thought crossed her mind. [But... if I leave, doesn’t that mean I will abandon my family forever?]
Bianca held her breath. Her heart was beating so fast it almost hurt. [Maybe Primrose was right... maybe I really don’t owe them anything.]
To be honest, Primrose had never known that Bianca’s father used to torment her. All Primrose knew was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had always been strict with Bianca, but she had never known the full story behind it.
But that was understandable. After all, Primrose had not been able to read people’s minds back then.
"You said... if I help you, then you will help me escape from here and even give me money?" Bianca asked. "How much?"