What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 50
“Instead, I will take Ysaa from you again. I look forward to seeing you after losing her replacement.”
That was the greatest revenge Ysaris could enact. She declared it under the moonlight to someone who seemed to hear nothing.
It was a night with one more reason to flee.
* * *
Ysaris awoke only when the sun was high in the sky. Despite having spent half the day sleeping, her body felt heavy and limp, indicating she was in quite a bad state.
‘Do I have a fever…?’
She placed a hand on her dizzy head. She tried to check her temperature, but her hand was also hot, making it useless. Judging by the chills running through her, she self-diagnosed it as the flu.
“Sigh.”
Ysaris sighed involuntarily. She had moved excessively with her injured body, so it was no wonder she caught the flu. Adding to that the hours spent in the rain, it was fortunate that the aftereffects had only just hit.
…Even though she knew this rationally, the feeling of helplessness was inevitable. She needed to escape at the right moment, but with her body in this condition, it seemed she would have to stay put and rest for the time being.
“Ugh…”
Ysaris thought the faint groan she heard had come from her own mouth. However, turning around, she saw Kazhan frowning and twitching his fingers, the low voice clearly not her own.
“Damn it…”
“You’re awake.”
“Empress.”
His half-opened red eyes turned to her. He seemed somewhat clear-headed, his focus sharper than the previous day.
No matter how many times she saw it, it was a remarkable body. The fever reducer she had given him yesterday hadn’t worked at all, yet he seemed to have recovered on his own overnight.
‘Ah, the fever reducer.’
Ysaris fumbled for the pile of herbs she had pushed into the corner. Tearing a bitter herb and chewing on it, she noticed Kazhan’s gaze following her.
“Are you in pain?”
“It’s just a mild flu.”
Dizziness, fever, severe muscle pain, and chills. Ysaris stubbornly hid her condition, unwilling to show weakness in front of Kazhan.
“Then…”
Kazhan uncharacteristically dragged out his words. As Ysaris tensed under his scrutinizing gaze, his next request was surprisingly mild.
“Could you give me some water? My throat is parched.”
‘…He doesn’t remember anything from last night.’
Ysaris felt a wave of relief. Though she had hoped he wouldn’t remember, she had worried about saying too much. Now she was reassured.
But then, irritation followed. How could he put her through so much turmoil and then peacefully recover?
“I’m not well enough to make a trip to the river.”
Half truth, half spite, she coldly refused, and Kazhan fell silent. She expected him to give up, but instead, he looked at her with a peculiar expression and said something outrageous.
“Even your saliva would do.”
“….”
‘Is he serious?’
Ysaris stared at Kazhan in disbelief. Her dizziness, already making her head spin, seemed to intensify.
‘People do change when they’re about to die. Or maybe he’s still confusing me with that woman Ysaa?’
Perhaps his prolonged illness had affected his mind. Or maybe he was more desperate than he seemed.
Ysaris pushed aside all the thoughts swirling in her head. Resting her forehead on her hand as if to endure a headache, she sighed and stood up.
“I’ll go.”
The bitter taste of the herbs lingered in her dry mouth.
She needed water as much as he did.
* * *
“Hoo…”
Ysaris stopped on her way to the river and leaned against a tree. Under the shade of the lush leaves, she cooled her dizzy head, feeling a sense of futility.
The symptoms that were bearable while lying down or sitting started to constrict her as soon as she stood up and began walking. The heaviness and pain in her body were incomparable to the muscle aches after her encounters with Kazhan.
‘Should I go back?’
Ysaris bit her dry lips. The river wasn’t far, but returning empty-handed would reveal to Kazhan just how bad her condition was.
‘Should I run away?’
That was also impractical. Leaving behind the shelter she had found in the seemingly endless forest was not an option with her body in such a state.
“Really…”
‘I’m exhausted.’
Ysaris took a moment to rest, leaning against the tree. As she sat there, blankly staring into the distance, a small fruit caught her eye.
“Oh.”
It was the same fruit she had eaten the day before to stave off hunger. The pulp was abundant and could potentially serve as a water substitute.
‘At least I’ll have something to eat.’
She sighed in relief and stood up. Slowly gathering the fruit, she scanned the area for more edible items when a commotion erupted from one side of the forest.
Thud, thud, thud!
“…!”
Ysaris froze. The sudden flight of a flock of birds from a not-too-distant spot did not seem natural.
There was also a faint, heavy thudding sound. The disturbance was drawing closer.
Thump, thump. Her heart pounded loudly.
