What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 39
Ysaris swears to her life, Kazhan never once stopped caring about her.
Despite thinking he should hate her, whenever she seemed even slightly unwell, he would call the physician and fuss over her. He planted her favorite flowers in the garden, prepared meals with her favorite dishes, and filled the banquet hall with her favorite music.
However, Ysaris despised both him and Uzephia, so she never accepted any of it kindly.
In retrospect, he couldn’t understand why he made such efforts. He dreamt every night of her betraying him. The start and end of each day were filled with resentment towards her.
Yet, he still wanted to see her smile. Even though it was already irreversible, he couldn’t let go of the splendid past they shared.
Kazhan opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. No matter how much he had cared for Ysaris, it was irrelevant now.
Because he was clearly the perpetrator.
“……”
“……”
Kazhan ultimately did not answer, and Ysaris closed her eyes again.
Afterwards, the carriage rode on in silence. Until they reached a city near the border of the Hertie Kingdom for a group teleportation, the two did not exchange a single word.
* * *
Three days after leaving the Empire’s territory, the emperor’s procession, accompanied by hundreds of guards, smoothly crossed into another country without any issues.
“Your Majesty, we will arrive at the first village of the Hertie Kingdom in about two hours.”
“Right on time.”
Kazhan glanced at the slowly darkening sky. Even though it was still summer, it felt like the sun was setting faster.
Maybe it was because he had so many distracting thoughts that he lost track of time. It was no wonder he had left the carriage to ride a horse since yesterday.
Although he used the excuse of getting some fresh air, Kazhan knew his actions were no different from running away. He was temporarily escaping from Ysaris’s consistent coldness.
“Sigh…”
It was unreasonable. Just because his mindset had changed, her indifference had become so burdensome.
Kazhan frowned and roughly ruffled his hair. The knights around him tensed up and watched his reaction carefully, but he didn’t notice any of it.
By some stroke of fate—or perhaps luck—Kazhan learned just before departure that he had misunderstood Ysaris. However, he had no idea how to make amends.
Attempting to converse on the first day only to be cut off completely was just the beginning. After several tries, Kazhan realized that Ysaris and he could never be on the same wavelength.
<Do you like the food?>
<Fortunately, it seems there’s no poison.>
<…Does that mean you don’t like it?>
<It means you can eat it without worry.>
Even simple questions about meals were misconstrued, making proper communication impossible. His attempts to clear up misunderstandings were met with stiff rejections.
<I was asking if the food suits your taste.>
<Why would Your Majesty be curious about that?>
<Is it wrong to be curious?>
<I said that hoping you wouldn’t concern yourself.>
Every conversation went like this. Seeing her eyes filled with indifference and irritation made Kazhan shut his mouth.
He had never lived a sociable life. Even when he was Cain, Ysaris had always approached him first, so he had no idea how to reach out to others.
Should he apologize for his past mistakes and seek forgiveness? Would that make Ysaris look back at him?
“Like that would ever happen.”
She would probably be even more suspicious and wary of his intentions. Or she might get angry, thinking he was trying to cover the past with a mere apology.
Neither option was favorable, and Kazhan’s frown never left his face. What was supposed to be an enjoyable journey felt like a trek through a field of thorns.
“We’re almost there now. We’re nearly at our destination.”
Sensing the emperor’s discomfort, a knight reported anxiously. Only then did Kazhan snap out of his thoughts and nod at the village that began to appear in the distance.
“Go ahead and prepare for our party to stay the night.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Beyond the swiftly galloping knight, a massive mountain range came into view.
According to the plan, they were to spend the night in the village ahead and then traverse the mountain range in one go via a shortcut tomorrow. Once past that, the road would be smooth, marking the toughest part of the journey.
Still, if they spent time together on this journey, their relationship would improve, even if only a little.
Kazhan urged his horse forward, forcing himself to think about the famous tourist spots in the Hertie Kingdom. The time spent contemplating how to win over Ysaris during their stay stretched out like a long shadow.
* * *
“Why?”
At Ysaris’s question, Kazhan paused while putting on his pajamas and turned to look at her.
“What do you mean?”
His confusion was justified. She had been silent since they arrived at the village, ate, went up to their room, and even while he bathed.
Why was she asking now?
When he asked her back, feeling it was a bit out of the blue, Ysaris closed her mouth briefly before answering slowly.
“Why did you book the same room as me?”
“And you’re asking this now?”
Kazhan was baffled, but Ysaris took it as a mocking response. Thinking she had asked a pointless question, she glared at him before turning away and lying down on the bed.
“It’s not important. Rest well then.”
