What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 26
There were no usual pleasantries found in ordinary letters. It was blunt and to the point, with no niceties at the beginning or end.
[I’ve heard there’s still no news of your dismissal. It must be the fault of the military, or perhaps there’s something wrong with your health.
I’ve bought a potion that’s good for preparing you to get pregnant. It’s blue. The red one is a medicine, so it’s good to use for the emperor. If you want, you can eat it directly.
“You have no idea how much the people lament because the Emperor keeps acting capricious because of you. If you had married into a good place, you should have tried to cater to your husband’s whims, and if you couldn’t manage it properly, how could you cause damage to your homeland?
You’re selfish. Hurry up and have a child to help Pyrein. Don’t just enjoy wealth and honor in the empire alone.]
Thump.
Ysaris heard a sound like something snapping, but she couldn’t distinguish if it was rationality, sanity, or her own breath.
Every sentence pierced her mind like needles. She wanted desperately to tear the paper apart right then and there, but her hands lacked the strength. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out when she opened her mouth.
What has she been doing all this time…
Her chest tightened, her vision blurred, then everything turned black. She couldn’t breathe properly. Unable to even stand, her body slumped forward.
Thud.
She heard the sound of someone collapsing.
Before she could even realize it was her own, Ysaris slumped unconscious.
* * *
“Is that all? Really?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Excessive stress, lack of sleep, and physical exhaustion are the main causes. Engaging in relations the previous day compounded these factors simultaneously…”
“Understood. You may leave now.”
“I’ll prepare medicine for immediate consumption once you wake up.”
With a polite nod, Dr. Lafaro withdrew. Kazhan dismissed the maids and looked down at Ysaris.
Her platinum blonde hair clung damply to her face, strands sticking to her skin with sweat. The rise in temperature made her breathing strained and labored.
Though not significantly different from how he had seen her yesterday while holding her, now her discomfort was palpable and distressing.
“Empress.”
Perhaps it was because she didn’t even look at him when he called. The previous day, caught up in excessive pleasure, he had stumbled over her, and eventually there was no hand to stick to
Lying sprawled and groaning, Ysaris’s condition deeply soured his mood.
“Damn it.”
Kazhan covered his face with one hand. The news of Ysaris collapsing had just led him to order the Duke of Kellodin, who was present at the scene, to be summarily thrown into prison.
And the cause was attributed to him.
His hand tightened with frustration as he consciously took a deep breath. It wasn’t the first time he felt self-loathing, but days as intense as today were rare.
Kazhan needed Ysaris. She needed to wake up immediately, call out to him, respond to him, and move about as usual.
Yet it was he who had prevented that.
“…Empress.”
Kazhan stared at Ysaris for a moment, then reached out his hand. His touch discreetly removed strands of hair stuck to her forehead.
From a distance that seemed almost touchable yet unreachable, Kazhan watched over Ysaris, eventually exhaling a held breath and withdrawing his hand.
A weighty emotion surged forth, encapsulated by a single name.
“Ysaris…”
How should I handle you? I can’t fully hate you or love you.
Yet, I continue to live tethered to our past alone.
Kazhan turned away with the face of a defeated man. As he was about to walk out, seemingly gathering up a name he could no longer call when she was awake, a faint voice pierced his ears.
“Don’t… go…”
“…!”
His heart thumping wildly, Kazhan turned back to Ysaris with widened eyes. The dimly lit wall seemed to painfully contort towards him.
Without any time to act, a murmured call emerged from Ysaris’s lips, clouded by sleep and fever.
“Cain…”
There was a sudden stillness.
Kazhan froze. His mouth, slightly agape in disbelief, uttered not a sound, as if his throat had tightened into a knot.
She spoke a name he should never have known. Cain Jenut, whom Kazhan Tennilath had long abandoned.
Because she no longer loved him. Because she had harbored another man in her heart.
Hadn’t she lost her memories as the price for breaking their vow?
<It will take at least a few years. Until I return to you. Will you truly be alright alone until then?>
<Don’t worry, Cain. Or should I say Kazhan? You’ll face more dangerous situations than I will, staying in the palace. Shouldn’t I be the one worrying?>
<I’ve already warned you, but you must never reveal to anyone what we’ve discussed today, including my true identity. That aside, if you were to betray me…>
<Shh, it’s alright. Don’t be anxious. I’ve even made a vow for you. Staking my memories on it.>
<Yssa.>
<Focus on returning safely, trusting in me. As Kazhan Tenilaf, I’ll wait for you to come back proudly as emperor.>
How beautiful her smile was, shimmering in the moonlight.
<And then, shall we marry?>
Kazhan could never forget that moment.
<I never imagined the Emperor of Uzephia would come to my engagement ceremony.>
Even if, four years later, it became a shattered piece of happiness.
