What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 152
“Hmm.”
Zebiken stared expressionlessly at the note that had turned black after crackling in the fire. The recent news of the emperor and empress being intimate was momentarily pushed aside as another thought struck him.
What if the empress had some kind of ability? What if she wasn’t just a barbarian who suppressed the power of Tennilath, but someone who also possessed a bloodline ability?
What if she was the “purification” ability user the dark mages were searching for?
“This is complicated.”
His ashen eyes shifted from the fireplace to the desk. His secret collaborator had made several requests, but the first and foremost was to leverage the empire’s intelligence network.
They wanted to find a certain woman who had gone missing decades ago—or her descendants.
The description of her ability to neutralize the side effects of other bloodline powers had initially made Zebiken scoff internally. If such a person existed, Uzephia would have found and exploited her long ago. Still, he had accepted their request with a show of enthusiasm.
But now…
“Was the empress’s mother a silver-haired woman?”
It wasn’t an extremely rare color, but seeing how Kazhan had regained his sanity and was living normally after reclaiming Ysaris, he began to wonder if the purification ability might indeed exist—and perhaps through the empress.
If it was a bloodline the dark mages had monopolized for centuries, even before their time in the shadows, it made sense that it had remained unknown. The fact that they had referred to it as “lost” suggested they had tightly guarded it but somehow let it slip. It must have been passed down through Ysaris’s maternal line.
“Of all people, it had to be the empress…”
Zebiken gazed drowsily at the black letter, weighing his options like a scale. He ran through various scenarios and predicted outcomes multiple times.
After a moment of stillness, he shook his head vigorously.
“The crown prince is too young—that’s the problem.”
He wanted to confirm what kind of ability she might have inherited. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have told Viscount Lafaro to have the empress use contraception.
Zebiken set aside his regrets and sat down, picking up a quill. Regardless, since he had already sent the empress a special gift, it seemed he should wait to see the results before deciding his next move.
* * *
“Mikael, are you cold?”
“Nuh-uh! Warm!”
“That’s good to hear. But just in case, should we put on gloves?”
Ysaris smiled at Mikael’s spirited reply but still slipped gloves onto his small hands. Though it was only the beginning of winter and the empire’s central-south region wasn’t extremely cold, as a mother caring for her young son, she wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance of him catching a cold.
As a result, Mikael waddled out of the building looking quite plump. Bundled up in thick outerwear, he looked like he might roll away if he fell over.
“Mommy, pretty flowers.”
“The flowers are so beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Yeah!”
The two had headed to the garden, which had been closed for renovations the past few days. Redesigned to bloom even in winter, the garden now showcased a unique beauty that made the wait worthwhile.
“Blue!”
“That’s right, there are lots of blue flowers—your favorite.”
“Mommy, this one.”
“Do you like this one? Should we pick just one to take with us?”
“Yeah!”
Ysaris and Mikael chatted softly as they strolled through the garden. Holding his mother’s hand with one hand and clutching a pretty flower with the other, Mikael swung his arms happily as he walked.
It was another peaceful day. Once the day ended, Kazhan would join them, completing the picture of a harmonious family for all to see.
Ysaris thought it would be just like that, but something she found upon returning to her room shook her peaceful routine.
“…Mikelun Kelloden?”
Ysaris examined the letter placed conspicuously on the desk with a strange expression. It was odd enough that a letter had been delivered to her in this manner, but the sender was even more peculiar.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with Mikelun. They had a long history of animosity in the Kingdom of Pyrein.
But the seal on the letter, which represented the Duke of Kelloden, felt utterly out of place.
Had Mikelun inherited the Kelloden ducal house?
“That can’t be…”
Surely, Bariteon would have inherited the title.
Ysaris suppressed her unease and opened the letter. As she slowly read its contents, her eyes widened and froze in shock.
