What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 44
* * *
“Ah, ugh…!”
Falling, Kazhan couldn’t even reach out his hand as his body convulsed. The dull pain from the dream became amplified a hundredfold in reality.
It felt as though his entire body was being seared by flames. The taste of blood filled his mouth as his clenched teeth bit down in response to the violent pain. When his back hit a tree, it caused internal bleeding, evidenced by the blood he coughed up.
“Krr, kkkhh, hhh…”
But he was still alive.
Kazhan managed to take shallow breaths while assessing his condition. He had thought he might die this time, but his tenacious life force had kept him alive.
Despite feeling his completely ruined limbs, he didn’t worry about being crippled. As long as he somehow made it back to the imperial palace alive, he could be restored to full health.
Because he is a Tennilath.
Therefore, Kazhan’s concerns lay elsewhere, beyond his insanely painful body.
“Empress.”
Where was Ysaris?
Ignoring the pain as best he could, Kazhan glanced around with half-open eyes. He had used all his abilities to protect her as much as possible, but given the urgency of the situation, he couldn’t be sure if she was truly safe.
No, regardless of whether she was safe or not, Ysaris should have been right by his side. He had held her until the very last moment to ensure her minimal safety.
But she was gone. She had vanished.
The ominous dream amplified his anxiety. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he couldn’t find her in his field of vision.
Maybe.
Maybe, again.
Did she…
Abandon me?
“Ugh!”
Kazhan struggled desperately to lift himself. His veins bulged and his eyes turned bloodshot. Sweat streamed down from his feverish body.
He was in no condition to walk, but he had to move. If he couldn’t walk, he was determined to crawl.
To find Ysaris, who couldn’t have gone far…
Find her and…
What could he do?
Thud, his heart sank. The image of the white hand that cut the bridge and caused his fall appeared vividly in his mind.
“Empress…”
Kazhan couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t endure being abandoned by her.
“Empress…!”
He didn’t even think about the pursuers. In his utterly helpless state, Kazhan called out to her loudly.
It was all he could do. He cried out with all his might, his voice straining.
“Empress!!”
And, astonishingly, there was a response.
“I am here.”
It was akin to salvation.
* * *
Having gathered some herbs nearby, Ysaris looked down indifferently at Kazhan, who was staring at her in amazement from where he had fallen.
You’re in this state because of me.
I will repay the life debt by helping you recover.
And then…
* * *
“The rain has stopped.”
Ysaris slightly lifted the large leaf at the entrance of the cave to look outside.
The sun, which had been gradually rising, now fully signaled morning. With it, the dark clouds had dispersed, giving a clear view of the surroundings.
“Good news… isn’t it.”
“At least it’s better for me to look around the area, isn’t it?”
“What if… you get caught… out there?”
Kazhan, speaking in a labored breath with pauses between words, made Ysaris glance back at him. Stripped to his underwear and covered in common herbs, he looked like a critically ill patient, yet his words were still irritating.
“You don’t even… know how to… cover your tracks.”
“Then should we starve to death here?”
Kazhan was momentarily stunned by Ysaris’s cold words, forgetting his pain. Her expressionless face, looking down at him, seemed overwhelming for some reason.
After going to the trouble of saving him from near death.
His thoughts showed in his eyes, but he bit his lip and clenched his teeth as if enduring physical pain. It had been so long since he had been in a vulnerable position that he didn’t know what to say.
She was just worried. It’s dangerous.
To be honest, part of his fear was that she might leave him. Now that all the conditions for her to go far were met, it seemed she might abandon him and fly away freely at any moment.
Just stay by my side. Don’t go anywhere.
Once my body recovers a bit, I’ll handle anything that needs to be done outside.
He wanted to say that, but there wasn’t enough time for his body to recover enough to move around.
“Please rest.”
With that curt remark, Ysaris left the hiding place. He couldn’t stop her.
It was the morning of the first day after their disaster.
