What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 65

“Anyway, mother and daughter are both equally stubborn.”
Lena, who had plopped down into her seat, sipped her drink as she gathered her thoughts. While dividing what to reveal and what to conceal, she noticed that her cup had emptied.
“Would you like some more?”
“No, that’s fine. Let’s just get to the point and finish this.”
Lena declined any additional snacks and crossed her legs. Then, with her arms folded and finger tapping, she began her explanation.
“The ancient forgotten history aside, let’s get straight to the point about the Tennilath bloodline. As powerful as the abilities are, the backlash is just as severe. If someone is born with these abilities, rather than awakening them later, they can’t control it and usually go mad at a young age.”
“Such a thing…!”
Ysaris stood up abruptly, without realizing it. Her emotions clashed—one part of her wanted to rush over and check on Mikael, while the other part knew she needed to hear the explanation first.
Seeing her distress, Lena waved her hand nonchalantly, as if to calm her.
“If Mikael hasn’t shown any symptoms so far, he should be fine, so don’t worry. There are three possible outcomes, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
“What exactly are Tennilath’s side effects? Does the backlash occur every time the abilities are used? And what about abilities beyond oath magic and taming beasts?”
“Ah… I didn’t want to get into this because it’s going to be a long explanation.”
At Lena’s deep sigh, Ysaris forced herself to calm down. After taking a few deep breaths, she sat back down and, with a composed voice, asked for the most crucial information.
“Please explain the side effects in detail, at least. That way, if Mikael shows any abnormal symptoms, I can handle it properly.”
“Good, that’s a very responsible attitude. Lillia really raised her daughter well, didn’t she?”
Ysaris awkwardly smiled, trying to mirror Lena’s grin. Although Lena appeared to be around her age, comments like that always gave her a strange feeling, but for now, she focused on the explanation.
“There’s some variation depending on the individual, but Tennilaths who’ve awakened their abilities generally become more violent. After using their abilities beyond a certain limit, they’re plagued by nightmares every time they sleep. They somehow endure with their superior physical stamina or take naps during the day. Either way, it’s a recipe for a bad temper.”
“Is it only a problem when they sleep at night?”
“Yes. It seems to be related to the curse from the Clan of the Night…”
“The Clan of the Night?”
“It’s something like that.”
When Lena shook her head, indicating that it wasn’t worth delving into, Ysaris had no choice but to accept it. Despite receiving an answer, she found herself filled with even more questions.
“Anyway, the Tennilath family is quite vulnerable to negative emotions. Sadness, anger, despair… They’re easily swayed by such feelings. Those who inherit the abilities are particularly susceptible, so it’s considered a kind of side effect.”
“Do you mean they’re prone to depression or have a short temper?”
“More like their threshold for emotional outbursts is low. If you look at the past emperors of Uzephia, there were quite a few tyrants and madmen, right? It’s along those lines.”
Lena shrugged and twirled her finger in the air.
“They can’t sleep properly at night, work during the day, feel positive emotions less intensely, and negative ones much more so… Honestly, it’s surprising they don’t all go mad. That’s why the average lifespan of a Tennilath is remarkably short.”
“…I see.”
“There might have been some improvement in recent generations since fewer people have awakened their abilities. But I heard the current emperor recently revived the Tennilath’s oath magic?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“If you listen to the rumors going around, it sounds like he’s on the brink of death too. It’s no ordinary madness he’s dealing with. Looks like he’s been hit head-on by the side effects of the bloodline’s abilities.”
Ysaris responded with silence. She had requested this explanation for Mikael’s sake, but the more she listened, the more her thoughts drifted to Kazhan.
It wasn’t out of sympathy. While she was compassionate, she wasn’t so soft-hearted as to regret cutting ties that she had severed with her own hands.
But still…

She suddenly recalled one of the emotions she glimpsed in those red eyes during their first meeting, their first conversation.
A profound despair.
Why was that? Ysaris wondered. Had Kazhan already gone mad by the time “Ysaa”, his former lover, died or left him?
As Ysaris traced back through her memories, she unintentionally voiced her thoughts.
“Is it possible to not have nightmares on certain nights?”
There was one time, on the mountain where they were stranded together, when it seemed like he slept. Or had he actually been awake the entire time?
The unexpected answer came when she asked, hoping it might help Mikael.
“If you sleep together with him, it should be fine.”
“What?”
“Isn’t that why you asked? Because the emperor didn’t have nightmares when he slept?”
“That’s true, but…”
Lena chuckled at Ysaris’s hesitant and unsure voice.
“I told you before, your blood is very rare. The reason I took care of Lillia in the first place… Oh, never mind, let’s skip that.”
“Don’t skip it, Lena. How much longer do you intend to keep hiding things about my mother?”
“There’s really no need for you to know.”
“I believe I have the right to know about my own lineage.”
At Ysaris’s plea, Lena let out a grunt.
It was true. Even after more than a year, she hadn’t explained anything to Ysaris.
All she did was provide a place to live and some basic necessities, and then visit every few months, casually dropping news from Uzephia before leaving again.
“Have I been a bit irresponsible?”
“Yes.”
At Ysaris’s firm response, Lena pouted.