What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 134
* * *
Kazhan ignored the piercing scream and exited the corridor. For someone who orchestrated an attack, she was disappointingly weak, leaving him with little interest in further engagement.
And her words? Laughable at best. Claiming her actions stemmed from love, while trembling in fear? Pathetic.
Kazhan knew what true love was. Though he’d only experienced it once in his life, it had been enough to overturn his entire world. Thanks to that woman, he could discern the real from the counterfeit.
“Ysaa.”
His stiff expression softened. His steps, cutting through the dreary underground prison, gained an almost buoyant rhythm.
No matter how dark the place, the path to meet the woman he loved felt illuminated. Even a man as ruthlessly cold as he couldn’t help but display traces of tenderness in her presence.
* * *
“You must be rather free these days. Coming to visit me again, I see.”
“I wouldn’t say that. But I’ll always make time to see you.”
“For someone ‘busy,’ you certainly linger quite a while during your visits.”
“It’s because I miss you that much. If only you could join me in everything I do, but alas, that’s impossible.”
Ysaris blinked at Kazhan, unsure whether his words were sincere or a jest. Uncomfortable with directly addressing the emotions behind his steady gaze, she subtly redirected the conversation.
“While I may not be able to join you in your duties, I can at least take on the responsibilities I should as Empress. When shall I begin?”
“There’s no need for that. Just enjoy life at the palace as you are now.”
“But…”
“Ysaa.”
Kazhan reached out to her. Gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, he tenderly caressed her cheek.
“No one will criticize you for not taking on burdensome tasks. No noble would dare disrespect you as Empress. That’s my decree.”
“…Cain.”
“Didn’t I promise? You need only enjoy your rights, free of obligations. I brought you here solely for my sake, and I’ll bear the responsibility for that. I have no intention of burdening you.”
Ysaris felt as though she might drown in the vivid red eyes fixed solely on her. It was as if she had filled his entire world. Being so close to him stirred a strange sense of nostalgia.
This man—familiar yet perpetually unfamiliar.
Ysaris placed her hand over his, as if to confirm the warmth of his palm against her cheek. His cool skin quickly grew warm at her touch, as it always did.
“Even so, I can’t just sit idly forever. I don’t want to shove my responsibilities onto someone else, either.”
“Why do you think you’re doing nothing?”
“Well, I spend all day with Mikael or indulging in hobbies. I wouldn’t call that being productive.”
Kazhan chuckled at her matter-of-fact reply. He pulled her hand closer and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. Her startled reaction was so endearing it made him want to devour her whole.
“No, you’re handling the most important and difficult task in the Uzephia Empire. You’re just not aware of it.”
“And what might that be?”
Kazhan gazed at her steadily, savoring her question, before replying in a slow, deliberate tone.
“Staying by my side.”
He could see that Ysaris didn’t fully grasp the weight of his words. Yet he had no intention of revealing all that lay hidden in his heart.
Instead, he watched as her cherry-like lips moved, ready to ask another question. Unable to resist, he leaned forward on impulse, closing the distance.
Startled eyes, soft breaths, sweet lips.
Kazhan felt his desire surge as Ysaris neither retreated nor resisted his kiss. The heat pooling low in his abdomen tightened, but he maintained a gentlemanly facade, resting his forehead against hers as he whispered:
“I can’t be without you, Ysaa. I need you in every moment I’m alive. Without you, I’d lose my sanity. Simply by being here, you fulfill all the duties of an Empress.”
His ardent confession was cloaked in a burning red passion. Ysaris, at a loss for how to respond, opened her mouth, only for her attempts to speak to be intercepted by gentle, persistent kisses.
His words stirred her heart, his gaze stripped her bare, and his touches left her breathless. She waved her hand in the air, hesitant, before finally wrapping her arms around him. Her hesitant response only deepened the kiss, leaving her gasping as a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
“Mikael… Mikael will return soon.”
“No, Mikael won’t be back until dinner.”
“You… don’t tell me…”
Kazhan smirked at her incredulous expression. Kissing her again, he murmured sweetly to the one woman who could make him smile.
“I asked Mikael’s maid to ensure we had time alone. She’ll keep him preoccupied elsewhere. Forgive me, Ysaa.”
