What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 23
“I didn’t expect Her Majesty the Empress to value the lives of a few over the greater good.”
“The greater good? How does giving up my child serve the greater good?”
“If an imperial heir is born from you, won’t the political situation become more complicated?”
“Speak plainly. Do you think I don’t know that you see Pyreins as mere barbarians and simply don’t want to serve my bloodline?”
Dr. Lafaro, frowning, removed his glasses and cleaned them with an elegant cloth, as if his squinting had merely been due to poor vision.
“Didn’t Your Majesty agree to contraception? Why are you changing your mind now?”
“I have no desire to get entangled in the empire’s politics, nor to carry the Emperor’s seed. But since the situation has come to this, I must protect it. My child.”
“…This is quite something.”
Dr. Lafaro tilted his head slightly, his inorganic eyes scanning Ysaris from head to toe.
“I never realized Her Majesty the Empress had such a hunger for power. To secure a place in the great empire by raising the child of an enemy.”
“Doctor, did you understand what I just said?”
“In the end, you mean to give birth to a royal heir. Even if it is the child of the man you despise.”
Ysaris clamped her mouth shut and glared at Dr. Lafaro. Her hand tightened instinctively around her belly.
“It’s my child. Not the Emperor’s.”
“You speak as if you conceived alone.”
“Is it not in my womb? In any case, His Majesty the Emperor will neither show interest in my offspring nor grant a rightful claim to the throne. So leave it be.”
At first, Ysaris considered aborting the child as Dr. Lafaro had suggested. But the more she argued with him, the more her resolve shifted.
Her child. A life that will come from her body.
Perhaps her offspring would be the only being to share warmth with in this lonely cage.
Ysaris’s heart raced. She began to break away from her skeptical thoughts, gradually feeling a sense of hope. She started to look forward to the baby’s birth.
What did it matter if Kazhan was the father? She would be raising the child alone anyway.
Dr. Lafaro coldly responded to her belief that it was as if she had conceived alone.
“I have warned you. It is not a good idea for Your Majesty to give birth to a royal heir.”
“Then let me warn you. If anything happens to the child in my womb, I will accuse you of treason against the royal family, even if it wasn’t directly your doing.”
From the moment he provided the contraceptive pills, he had already committed a crime. Ysaris clenched her teeth as she rose, looking down at the now rigid physician.
“So help me. Ensure my child is born safely.”
* * *
Clack, clack.
The sound of heels echoed down the corridor leading to the Emperor’s office. Ysaris walked with a purposeful stride, attracting several curious glances behind her.
It had been a long time since she walked as Empress into the Imperial Palace. Each time she visited, the Emperor’s mood swung unpredictably, causing the servants from noble families to observe her every move with caution.
What mischief is she up to now?
Their gazes didn’t reach Ysaris. Concealing her tension under an indifferent facade, she stood before the Emperor’s office and took a deep breath.
She replayed her last conversation with Dr. Lafaro in her mind several times before finally speaking.
“Announce my visit.”
“The Empress is here to see you!”
After a brief silence, Kazhan’s voice returned. It was directed squarely at Ysaris.
“Let her in.”
Ysaris stepped through the open door held by the attendant. As she walked over the carpet laid from the entrance to Kazhan’s desk, she saw his hand lowering a quill pen.
“Did you meet with the physician?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How did it go?”
Kazhan glanced Ysaris up and down with a hint of a smile.
Her eyes were coolly composed. Lips sealed in an expressionless line. Posture e***t.
At a glance, nothing seemed significantly amiss. Her complexion was somewhat pallid, as it had been for some time now.
“It was insomnia due to stress. Along with loss of appetite and other minor symptoms, I received a prescription to address them.”
“I see.”
Kazhan nodded in response to Ysaris’s typically calm voice. As he had suspected, or perhaps hoped, the answer that it was nothing serious was satisfactory.
To think she’s been under so much stress that she couldn’t sleep or eat properly.
Ysaris reported to him, her voice steady, as Kazhan furrowed his brows slightly at the mention of Runellia’s tormenting behavior.
“After taking the medicine through my maid for a few days, I should improve.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ysaris calmly spun a lie and studied Kazhan. Thankfully, he seemed to accept it, appearing to be persuaded.
This falsehood was part of a calculated plan with Dr. Lafaro.
