The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?!-Chapter 104: The Familiar Soldier (II)

That name stayed engraved in her memory for years, because only a few days later, she heard from a maid that the soldier named Callen had died.

From what she was told, he had been stationed near the border during a temporary patrol shift. There, a sudden demon beast raid had struck a nearby village.

As the beasts rampaged, Callen saw a child, no older than six, crying and separated from their parents near a burning home.

While others retreated, Callen ran straight into the chaos, shielding the child with his own body. He was found the next day, curled protectively around the child, his body frozen and bloodied, but still holding the child close.

The child survived. He didn’t.

Primrose had never expected to see the young soldier again, the one whose kindness she’d almost forgotten.

"Callen," she said softly, "would you like to become my personal guard?"

Primrose looked him in the eye. "After a guard tried to kill me, it’s hard for me to trust just anyone with my safety."

Callen was taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure. "His Majesty has assigned about five trustworthy soldiers to guard your chambers in turn, Your Majesty. So ... I don’t think it’s necessary for me to become your personal royal guard."

[Most of the assigned royal guards are highly experienced. I’ve only been working here for about a year, I’m not sure I’m even qualified to be that close to the queen.]

[I still need a lot of experience, and maybe I can gain that if I’m sent to the border.]

If he really did end up at the border again, his fate might not be so different from what it was before.

Besides, why were new soldiers being assigned to dangerous places like the border in the first place?

No, it wasn’t the place that killed him. He died because he was too kind. If only he hadn’t tried to save that kid, if he’d just run away, maybe he wouldn’t have died so young.

"But if you’re not officially assigned to guard me," Primrose said softly, "then someone else will eventually take your place. What if the next person turns out to be like the one who tried to kill me?"

Callen hesitated. "His Majesty ran careful background checks before assigning anyone. Everyone guarding you has been vetted."

Primrose clicked her tongue inwardly, frustrated by his stubbornness. "We can’t guarantee that someone won’t become a killer just because they don’t have a criminal record."

Just take Silas, for example.

He was a kind doctor who traveled around to help those in need. And yet, he still ended up being the reason for her death.

"That’s ... not wrong," Callen said reluctantly. "But ... you don’t really know anything about me either, Your Majesty. How can you be sure I’m not dangerous?"

[I know I’m not the type of beast that would be considered dangerous, but still ... shouldn’t she be cautious around someone she barely knows?]

Come to think of it, Primrose didn’t even know what kind of beast Callen was. He didn’t have any obvious features, like visible ears or animal tail.

As far as she knew, beasts who couldn’t hide their animal traits were usually those with lower abilities.

In other words, wasn’t it likely that Callen had high-level skills? So why was he acting like he wasn’t good enough?

"I have a sharp intuition," Primrose said with a small smile. "Just by looking at someone, I can tell if they’re good or bad."

Callen’s eyes widened. "Y-You can really do that?"

He believed it that easily?

Wouldn’t most people think she was crazy for saying something like that?

Especially since she wasn’t a witch or a seer. Actually, she didn’t even have magic energy in her body at all.

"It’s true," Primrose said confidently. "And I know you’re not a bad person. That’s why I trust you."

Callen hesitated. Even though part of him wanted to accept the offer, he still felt like he wasn’t good enough to be the queen’s personal guard. Deep down, he thought he didn’t deserve it.

After all, what rookie soldier would get such an important job? Most royal guards were veterans, people with years of experience. He’d only been working at the palace for a year.

Still ... who wouldn’t want that job?

Better pay, better food, and special benefits that most soldiers could only dream of.

"I’ll give you some time to think about it," Primrose said gently, stopping in front of the kitchen door. "Maybe ... a week? Will that be enough?"

Callen slowly nodded. "That’s enough for me, Your Majesty."

[Ugh, what did I just say?! A week? That’s way too soon! I take two days just to pick out a pair of pants, and now I’m deciding my future?!]

Two days just to choose a pair of pants? He was even worse than Primrose.

But since Callen said it was enough, she didn’t offer him more time. That’s why people needed to learn to speak their minds instead of pretending.

"Alright. I’ll be waiting for your answer next week," she said with a small smile.

Primrose opened the kitchen door and smiled brightly as she saw the food laid out on the table. Just as she had expected, the cooks had prepared meals, so the maids could grab anytime the queen felt hungry.

Since the food needed to be something that wouldn’t spoil easily, most of it was simple, like roast chicken, clear broth soup, and meat pie.

But it was more than enough to satisfy Primrose’s grumbling stomach.

"Would you like me to warm some up for you, Your Majesty?" Callen asked, standing a little straighter.

Primrose laughed softly. "If I let you do that, could you even manage it?"

Callen scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "Honestly? Probably not."

"That’s fine. I don’t mind cold food." Primrose pulled out a chair and sat down, feeling much more relaxed.

Her action made Callen blink in surprise. "You ... you want to eat here?"

"Of course," she replied casually. "It’s too much trouble to carry everything to my room. Besides, this is faster." She glanced at him with a half-smile. "If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat. I’m not going to scold you for having a snack while on duty."

He opened his mouth to say something, but just then, a loud clatter echoed from the storage room nearby.

Both of them froze.

Callen immediately stepped in front of Primrose, one hand already on the hilt of his sword. His voice was calm but firm. "Who’s there?"

"The Queen is present," he said, his eyes scanning the shadows. "If you don’t want trouble, show yourself. Now."