The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me?!-Chapter 40: Are You A Skunk?

"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Salem asked with a smile.

Primrose considered his request for a moment. Blood, hair, and nails... that didn’t sound too bad.

"You’re not going to shave my head, are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

If Salem dared to ask for something that would ruin her appearance, she would throw him out of the palace herself.

Just imagine, what kind of queen would show up in public bald?!

"I wouldn’t dare ask for something that ridiculous." Salem chuckled. "Relax, Your Majesty. I only need a few strands of hair or a tiny drop of blood to test my poisons."

[What would I even do with all of her hair? Make a wig?]

[I don’t even like her hair color. It’s too bright for my eyes.]

Too bright?!

Say someone who was wearing bright purple and yellow outfits!

"Alright, let’s make a deal." Primrose extended her hand toward Salem.

His request was ridiculous, but as long as he didn’t go too far, she didn’t mind giving him a few strands of hair, some blood, or even her nails.

Besides, if he did try anything dangerous, she would just have Edmund bite him to death.

Salem took her hand with a smile. "I can’t wait to experi—I mean, work with you, Your Majesty."

[I’ve heard rumors that the Queen smells as sweet as flowers. I thought it was just an exaggeration, but ... turns out, it’s true.]

[I wonder ... does her blood smell like flowers too?]

Primrose frowned slightly.

What the hell did he mean by that?!

Edmund also had a habit of thinking about how good she smelled whenever they were close.

Maybe it was just because she used way too much perfume? She easily went through a whole bottle in a week.

But she never expected the beasts to turn her perfume scent into palace gossip!

And why was Salem so curious about how her blood smelled?!

Was he even normal?!

Forget it.

She wasn’t keeping Salem around for fun, she just needed him to stay long enough to help her figure out who was trying to poison her and to make sure that everything she used in the palace was safe and free of toxins.

"Now then," Salem said, tilting his head with a smile. "Let’s talk about the other things I’ll need if I’m going to stay here."

He was trying to sound polite, but Primrose knew his type—he wasn’t someone who made life easy for others.

Since Salem wanted to experiment on humans and use her as a test subject, he asked for a special research room.

Honestly, that wasn’t a problem. The palace had plenty of empty rooms.

But Salem was infuriatingly picky! And his demands were outrageous!

At least five windows with perfect lighting and a beautiful view, a location far from noisy areas like the training grounds, and a room with black walls because, according to him, "white walls are too blinding and uninspiring."

Primrose’s eye twitched.

Was he designing a lab or a luxury retreat?!

"And, of course," Salem continued casually, as if he wasn’t making absurd requests, "I’ll need a large bookshelf filled with research books, preferably rare ones. Oh, and a comfortable couch. A stiff chair would ruin my concentration."

Primrose narrowed her eyes. "You do realize you’re supposed to be testing poison, not lounging around, right?"

Salem gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "Your Majesty, do you not understand the importance of comfort in scientific research?"

"Comfort?" Primrose deadpanned. "You’re testing poison, not writing poetry."

"Still," Salem sighed. "A researcher’s environment affects their creativity. If you want the best results, I must be inspired."

Primrose pinched the bridge of her nose. This man was truly something else.

However, if he could create a powerful antidote that could neutralize various poisons in the human body, then no human would have to die from poisoning again.

And more importantly ... Primrose could also demand a share of his profits because after all, she was the one providing him with the resources!

Primrose would be a complete fool if she helped humans for free.

At the end of the day, humans were the reason she had suffered in her past life.

"Fine," she muttered. "But if you ask for a gold chandelier next, I will throw you out."

Salem grinned. "Noted."

Then, as if just remembering something, he added, "Oh, and I’ll need a few assistants."

"Assistants?" Primrose gave him a look. "You’re testing my things. Why would you need other people?"

Salem shrugged. "I can’t do everything myself. What if I accidentally poison myself? I’ll need someone to document my last words."

Primrose raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you immune to poison?" She tilted her head slightly, pretending like she had heard the information from Solene. "That’s what Lady Solene told me."

"That’s right," Salem admitted without hesitation. "But is it wrong to take precautions? Life is far too beautiful to leave behind."

Primrose stared at him.

Then maybe don’t become a poison tester if you love life so much?!

Aside from that, what kind of beast was he, exactly? A beast that was immune to poison?

A snake, maybe?

But he didn’t look like a snake beast. His hair was black and white ...

She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you a skunk?" she asked, completely serious.

Salem clutched his chest as if she had just insulted his entire bloodline.

"A skunk?!" he repeated, his voice slightly strained, as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard. He took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back his irritation. "Your Majesty, how could you compare me to a skunk?!"

Primrose blinked at him, her expression pure and innocent.

"But aren’t skunks immune to snake venom?" she pointed out. "And your hair is black and white, sooo ... skunk, right?"

"I am not a skunk!" he snapped. "How could you compare me to that tiny creature? I am a honey badger!"

Primrose didn’t even flinch. "Isn’t that basically the same thing?"

"We are NOT the same!" Salem barked, looking personally offended.

But ... weren’t both skunks and honey badgers known for releasing a strong smell when threatened?

Primrose slowly bent down, picking up her fan from the floor. Gracefully, she lifted it to cover the lower half of her face.

She didn’t say anything.

But the look in her eyes said everything. ’I don’t like the smell of anything foul.’

Salem’s nostrils flared. His eye twitched.

"Your Majesty," he gritted out. "I am deeply offended!"