What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 143
The chain of events began simply enough. Using the excuse that cooler weather was just around the corner, Kazhan persuaded Ysaris to join him for a picnic. Naturally, their son, Mikael, tagged along. The issue arose when the little one spotted a pretty bird perched on a nearby tree.
“Birdie! Pretty birdie!”
For reasons no one could fathom, Mikael had developed an obsession with winged creatures. His pursuit of the bird ended with him tripping and bursting into loud, wailing tears. Kazhan, who had been watching his son’s antics in silence, earned a glare from Ysaris as she rushed to soothe the crying child.
“Why are you just standing there? You should be helping comfort him!”
“Hm. How do I do that?”
“You pat him and tell him it’s okay… or, you know, try distracting him with a silly face… something like that.”
As Ysaris trailed off, her expression grew dubious. The former might already be underway, but the latter? There was no way Kazhan could manage a silly face.
Did he even know what a silly face was?
Acknowledging her own doubts, Ysaris offered a reasonable alternative.
“Or… you could help him chase the bird he wants.”
“Help him chase the bird?”
“Yes. Activities you do together always help. It’s a good chance for you and Mikael to bond.”
“Understood. If I catch that bird for him, is that enough?”
“Well, technically, yes, but…?”
Kazhan’s abrupt phrasing made Ysaris pause in confusion. Before she could say more, he scooped Mikael up, tucking the boy securely under one arm.
“Then I’ll be back.”
“Wait, why are you carrying him like that?!”
“To run faster—”
“Just hold him properly in front of you!”
Panicked, Ysaris snatched Mikael away, holding him in her arms. Mikael squirmed, whining as he flailed his legs.
“Mommaaa!”
“…Or maybe try putting him on your shoulders instead.”
“That won’t make running easy,”
“You don’t have to run! Just take a light walk with him and call it a day.”
Though reluctantly, Kazhan complied and hoisted Mikael onto his shoulders. Things might have ended there, except the moment the bird reappeared in their line of sight, the child gripped Kazhan’s hair tightly, pulling with all his might as he insisted they follow it. Kazhan had no choice but to grit his teeth and start running.
“Over there! Birdie!”
“I can see it—ack!”
The pain radiating from his scalp made Kazhan’s sentence trail off.
Was this little rascal enjoying himself at his expense?
He couldn’t shake the suspicion. It was irrational to believe that a toddler barely two years old could consciously toy with him, but Mikael’s interactions with him always seemed mismatched. Having no prior experience with children, Kazhan had made it a habit to indulge the boy in everything to win favor with Ysaris.
But was this really what being a good father entailed? Getting his hair yanked while running pointlessly after a bird? Surely, with Ysaris out of sight, he could ease up. It wasn’t like this pint-sized tormentor would tattle on him.
Lost in his thoughts, Kazhan mechanically followed Mikael’s commands. They weaved through trees and tall grass as the bird hopped mockingly from branch to branch, chirping as if in laughter.
If only it would fly off into the distant sky, the chase would end. Instead, its creamy white body, dusted with pale blue feathers, stayed just high enough in the trees to be an attainable—but challenging—target.
“…If catching it is the only way to end this,” Kazhan muttered.
“Birdie?”
With a short exhale, Kazhan adjusted his grip on Mikael, holding the boy securely with one hand while bracing his back with the other. Firmly pressing the boy to his head, he crouched slightly, his sharp, knightly instincts coming into focus.
“Hold on tight and close your eyes. I’m about to run for real.”
“Uhm…? Wheee!!”
Snap!
A low branch cracked as Kazhan shot forward. His inhuman reflexes and balance propelled him upwards, vaulting off tree trunks as he swiftly climbed toward the branches.
“Kyahahaha!”
“Could you not pull on my hair so hard?” Kazhan growled under his breath, his movements fluid despite the searing pain from his scalp. Mikael’s delighted laughter echoed as Kazhan leapt nimbly from tree to tree, shielding the boy’s face from stray leaves with one hand while keeping perfect balance.
“Kyaaah!”
“…Is he thrilled or terrified?”
Kazhan couldn’t tell. Ignoring the piercing squeals, he locked onto the bird. As the distance closed, it seemed to sense the approaching threat. The bird tried to ascend, but Kazhan matched its movement, throwing himself into the air in one final leap.
