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

Sometimes, Primrose could clearly feel that Callen had potential.

He just needed time to polish his skills and enough confidence to finally unlock all of it.

"My potential?" Callen repeated, sounding unsure. "I… don't think I'm that great."

[I mean … come on. My so-called 'potential' is nothing compared to the royal guards who passed His Majesty's test.]

Primrose narrowed her eyes. Could that be the main reason why he felt so inferior?

After all, he became the queen's royal guard through her personal recommendation, not by passing the Beast King's official test. Maybe he felt unworthy and thought he was just lucky.

"Sir Callen … would you like to take the formal royal guard's test?" Primrose asked suddenly. "I can tell my husband you want to earn the position the proper way."

Callen's eyes widened at her words. He opened his mouth to speak, but kept closing it again and again.

[What should I say?! I'm sure I'll fail if I take the official royal guard's test!]

[But if I don't take the offer, I'll be branded the 'nepotism guard' for life!]

Ah. That explained a lot.

It was normal for coworkers to feel salty if someone climbed the ranks in an unusual way, like getting a direct recommendation from the queen.

The soldiers who weren't close to Callen didn't care much because they knew the queen had the right to pick her guard. But the ones who were close to him? Yeah … they didn't seem thrilled.

No wonder he had seemed lonely ever since Primrose made him her personal guard.

"If you take the test, you won't just prove it to yourself, but also to everyone else that you truly deserve to be my personal guard," Primrose finally said when she saw Callen still hadn't spoken.

"But … but what if I fail the test?" Callen asked nervously.

Primrose tilted her head, thinking she might need to say something that would really push him to the edge. "Then, I'll fire you."

Callen was too stunned to speak. He had always thought he wasn't worthy of being the queen's personal guard, but he also wasn't ready to be fired so suddenly.

[Shit! Shit! Shit! I just took out a loan to buy a house last week!]

[Fuck! I need ten years to pay off my loan!!]

[What if after getting fired as the queen's personal guard, I also get fired as a soldier?! Where the hell will I live?!]

Primrose didn't even blink while listening to him spiral in his head. She honestly hadn't expected him to take out a house loan so soon.

How could someone with confidence this low have the guts to buy something so far beyond his means?

[FUCK! This is why I should never do impulsive buying!]

Ah. There it was.

Primrose could understand because she did impulsive buying all the time too. The only difference was, she'd been born with a golden spoon in her mouth, so she never had to think about how to pay for expensive things.

Still, if she were ever broke, she might've considered throwing herself out a window just to escape the debt.

Maybe, the thought of not being able to pay off that house would be enough to light a fire under him.

"You don't have to take the test, actually," Primrose said calmly. "But like I said, it's the only way to show everyone you deserve your title as the queen's personal guard."

After all, money wasn't the only thing that could push someone to fight harder, there was also pride.

For most men, pride was everything. They'd rather die than lose it. Which … honestly, explained why they tended to die sooner than women.

If he passed, he'd finally silence the whispers behind his back. But if he failed … well, she'd find another way to keep him around, though he didn't need to know that part.

But for now, she would leave the choice entirely to him.

"Maybe …" Primrose said, a little too casually, "if you pass the king's test, you might even get a salary raise. My husband likes rewarding people he considers worthy, after all."

Of course, Edmund had never actually said that.

In truth, Edmund probably wouldn't raise anyone's pay unless there was a very good reason or unless it was so obvious he couldn't ignore it. If no one complained, he'd just keep everything as it was to avoid the hassle of adjusting his financial records.

Still, she figured dangling the idea of a raise in front of Callen might light a little fire under him. Pride and money were powerful motivators, and right now, he could use both.

Primrose straightened, giving him a small but encouraging smile. "Think about it, Sir Callen. Whether you take the test or not … it's your choice. But if you want to prove something to yourself and to everyone else this is your chance." She added, "... and you could also get a raise."

Her job was simply to plant the idea and watch if his pride or his fear of debt would light the bigger fire under him.

But judging by the way he stayed frozen in place, lips pressed tight and eyes unfocused, Primrose could practically see the numbers spinning in his head, like mortgage payments, interest rates, and all. It didn't take a mind reader to guess which side of the scale was heavier.

[If I could get a raise,] his thoughts raced, [I might be able to pay off my loan in five years! Or maybe even faster!]

"When will the test be held?" Callen finally asked.

Primrose lifted her shoulders in an easy shrug. "Whenever you're ready … or whenever my husband isn't too busy."

Edmund had been extremely busy lately.

Winter was coming, and with it came an avalanche of problems, like threats from outside the kingdom, preparations for the harsh weather, and the endless task of making sure both the palace and the people had enough food to last the season.

Still, she knew the royal guard's test only took an hour or two at most. He could probably spare that much time.

And if not … well, she still had her ultimate weapon: her pleading face. One look, and the mighty Lycan King would melt like snow in spring.