What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 158
That tone was too subtle to simply be the attitude of someone protective of a friend. There was a faint hint of instinctive wariness and a trace of jealousy toward a rival.
Kazhan couldn’t bring himself to say anything more to Ysaris, who smiled brightly. From then on, whenever he crossed paths with Bariteon, he naturally hid the tension between them.
There was no need to make her see Bariteon as anything more than a childhood friend.
In reality, Kazhan was already in a relationship with Ysaris, so he didn’t need to worry about Bariteon’s interference. But he couldn’t completely ignore the young duke either, leaving him exposed to the provocations that kept coming his way.
Looking back now, the guy had an uncanny sense for these things. Even without knowing that Kazhan was dating Ysaris, he had been so wary.
Kazhan didn’t spread word of Bariteon’s two-faced nature, even though he seemed to get along well with Ysaris on the surface. To Kazhan, Bariteon and Mikelun were no different, but for Ysaris’s sake, he couldn’t afford to make an enemy of the Kelloden family, who wielded immense influence in Pyrein.
……It wasn’t until Ysaris finally took her place beside Bariteon that Kazhan’s thoughts changed.
Kazhan believed Ysaris. He clung desperately to her words that she had no feelings for Bariteon beyond friendship and that she loved only him.
But belief alone couldn’t change reality. Ysaris clearly loved him, but she kept avoiding the topic of marriage.
Kazhan understood her position. He tried to understand. Unlike him, for whom Ysaris was his entire life, she had too many people relying on her. He accepted that the weight, value, and standards of their feelings were different and left for Uzephia to better himself for her.
From then until his return to Pyrein, Bariteon was the man who appeared most often in Kazhan’s nightmares about Ysaris.
A scoundrel who had been eyeing his woman and finally stole her away.
“……I found out later that he had a woman named Selena. Honestly, I don’t believe it. To me, it seemed more like he was using another woman to marry you. I don’t know the truth, though.”
When Kazhan learned about Bariteon’s lover, the shock came only from the realization that Ysaris hadn’t betrayed him, not from any regret over killing Bariteon. He wasn’t generous or kind enough to leave a man who coveted Ysaris alone.
The problem was that the outcome had been extreme.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence hung in the room after Kazhan finished speaking. Ysaris’s face was a mix of confusion and turmoil, while Kazhan quietly observed her.
Her reaction wasn’t as intense as he’d expected. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t witnessed Bariteon’s death directly, or maybe it hadn’t fully sunk in yet.
It had also been a long time since she last saw Bariteon. By the time her memories existed, at least two years had passed.
Perhaps unraveling one of the tangled knots now was the right answer. If he could cut off the tail of his mistakes with Bariteon before Ysaris’s suspicions grew further, it wouldn’t be a bad situation.
Now, the key was how much she would push him away at this moment.
“Ysaris.”
Kazhan lowered himself, desperately hoping Ysaris would take the hand of the husband she had grown close to over the past few months rather than that of an old friend. As he met her eye level, he spoke with a pleading expression.
“I’m not saying I didn’t do wrong. No matter what reasons I give, it won’t erase my guilt. But can’t I ask for your forgiveness? ……Please tell me what I can do to ease your heart. Whatever it is, I’ll do my best.”
