What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 122
“Where is Ysaa? Did you harm her?”
“I am—Ick! I am Ysaa!”
“You don’t seem to understand.”
“Why won’t you believe me—kyaa!”
Thud!
Kazhan violently hurled the woman aside. She hit her head against the floor and lay motionless, possibly unconscious. He didn’t spare her another second, rising to his feet with urgency to find Ysaris.
“Ugh.”
He staggered.
After only two steps, he clutched his head and stopped. His vision kept spinning, and he took a deep breath, focusing all his senses on the feeling of his feet touching the ground. Slowly, he began to move again.
Three steps. Seven steps. Twenty steps.
Despite narrowly avoiding falling several times, Kazhan gradually adjusted to his disrupted senses and finally found a door. He pushed it open and stumbled into the corridor. Though he could barely make out blurry shapes and faint colors, he strained to navigate the hallway.
* * *
“Where am I now?”
Ysaris looked around the corridor, her face troubled. Setting out confidently to find Kazhan had been easy enough, but now she was utterly lost.
Finding the dressing room Kazhan had originally gone to hadn’t been difficult. She had asked a maid near the banquet hall for directions and followed her guidance.
But after confirming the empty dressing room and sending the maid away, Ysaris realized her mistake. She’d thought the maid, carrying an armful of items, would be better off continuing her tasks. Only after letting her go did Ysaris understand she shouldn’t have dismissed her help.
“Did I drink too much…?”
She pressed the back of her hand to her warm cheek and sighed.
Though she’d spent months in the imperial palace, her movements were limited to visiting Kazhan and Mikael. She had no knowledge of the paths around the banquet hall, and she regretted rushing out so hastily.
“…Still, I didn’t expect there to be no servants around here.”
The banquet hall had been bustling not long ago, but after a few turns in the corridors, the area was eerily deserted.
Unbeknownst to Ysaris, this was an unspoken rule, allowing nobles to use nearby vacant rooms for secretive and illicit trysts.
How troubling.
At another fork in the hallway, she furrowed her brow in thought before choosing the path to the right. She unknowingly ventured farther from the banquet hall into a secluded corridor. That’s when she heard faint groans.
“Ugh…”
“…!”
Alarmed, Ysaris hurried toward the sound and turned another corner. What she saw made her eyes widen.
“Cain!”
“Y… saa?”
Kazhan, on his knees and bracing himself against the wall, lifted his sweat-drenched face with great effort. His clothing was nearly disheveled, his eyes unfocused, and his entire body flushed as if consumed by fever. Ysaris was horrified.
“Heavens, what happened to you?”
“Room… take me to… a room.”
His voice was broken and labored, and Ysaris quickly moved to support him. She guided him into the nearest open room and shut the door behind them.
But as soon as the door closed, Kazhan pushed her against the wall.
“Cain?”
Her startled call received no response. Kazhan buried his face in her neck, his heavy, labored breaths brushing against her skin.
Kazhan’s scorching body.
Ysaris shivered at the warm breath against her flesh. She instinctively tried to push him away but hesitated, worried about his condition. Instead, she patted his back gently.
“Dear, are you all right? Lie down on the bed for a moment. I’ll fetch a physician right away.”
“Ysaa…”
“Yes, Cain. I’m here.”
“Ysaa.”
“Yes, Cain. Are you feeling very unwell?”
“Ysaa…”
“…!”
Ysaris realized that Kazhan wasn’t in his right mind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have started exploring beneath her dress without her permission.
“Wait, Cain—ah!”
Kazhan bit down on her neck so hard it hurt, making Ysaris tremble. His rough hands forcibly pulled down her undergarments as they roamed beneath her dress.
‘This isn’t like him. No matter how drugged he might be, he would never disregard my will like this.’
She was at a loss, overwhelmed by the violent behavior of her once-gentle husband. Panicked, she shoved at his shoulders with all her strength.
But it wasn’t enough.
She stomped hard on his foot and shouted desperately.
“Please, come to your senses, Cain!”
Kazhan froze.
Ysaris thought he had regained his reason, but she soon realized she was mistaken.
“Ysaa… don’t…”
He slowly raised his head. His bloodshot red eyes were wild, almost insane, and a tear rolled down his cheek as he rasped.
“Don’t… reject me.”
