What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 70
Feeling a bit anxious, Ysaris opened the door. She set the ingredients she was carrying down on the table and entered the room where Mikael had been sleeping. A small head quickly turned toward her.
“Mama!”
“Mikael.”
The baby tossed aside the pacifier in his hand and, with a grunt, pressed his hands on the floor to stand. Though his steps were still unsteady, he toddled towards his mother with outstretched arms, and as if it was the most natural thing, she lifted him into her embrace.
“My Mikael, you woke up without crying even though Mama wasn’t here. You’re such a good boy.”
“Mmm!”
“Mama brought the candy you like. Should we have it later as a snack?”
“Yay!”
With a smile that spread naturally, Ysaris pressed her cheek to Mikael’s. The warmth and softness of the baby’s body melted her heart.
He was the child she had risked her life to protect, even while he was in her womb. Even if he had resembled her enemy husband, she had resolved to love him. But when the child was born, it was clear to anyone that he was her spitting image, and he quickly stole her heart completely.
Despite Tennilath’s dominant trait of dark hair, Mikael had inherited her platinum blonde hair. Unlike Kazhan’s sharp and angular features, Mikael had soft, delicate, and pure-looking features that only added to his charm.
The only trace of his biological father was his red eyes, a trait that perhaps resembled Cain more than Kazhan.
“For dinner, Mama is going to try a new recipe, but how about we have some soup for breakfast? Does that sound good?”
“Soup.”
“Yes, soup. I’ll make it right away.”
And so, their day began simply and peacefully. As Mikael, who had recently become quite good at walking, toddled around the house, the sound of bubbling and the fragrant aroma filled the kitchen. The sound of chopping and mashing ingredients followed, making the meal easier for the baby to eat.
Before long, breakfast was ready. Though the texture might be bland for an adult, the seasoning was just right for both of them. They ate leisurely, with Ysaris blowing on each spoonful of soup to cool it before feeding it to Mikael and then taking a bite for herself.
After breakfast came the much-anticipated snack time. Mikael’s favorite honey candy quickly disappeared into his tiny mouth.
“Do you remember Madam Verin? She’s the one who gave this to you. Make sure to thank her when you see her.”
“Mmm…”
“It’s not hard. Just give her a big smile and—”
Bam!
“Liz!”
Without a knock, Lena burst through the door, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Her sharp gaze darted around the room, causing Ysaris to rise quickly, holding Mikael.
“Lena? What’s going on?”
Instead of answering, Lena’s golden eyes flicked to a particular spot. Ysaris followed her gaze but found nothing but empty air. Puzzled, she turned back to Lena cautiously.
“Is there something here?”
“Not exactly…”
Lena’s expression became ambiguous as she confirmed the remnants of a quickly vanished magical presence. She seemed about to say something, then shook her head and changed the subject.
“Maybe I was mistaken. Nothing happened, right?”
Though it seemed suspicious, Ysaris had no choice but to let it go. If Lena wasn’t telling her, it likely wasn’t something serious.
“Yes, we’ve just been having a normal morning. Mikael and I just finished breakfast.”
“Mama!”
Mikael flailed his arms excitedly, reaching out as if happy to see Lena. His attitude was so carefree that Lena couldn’t help but glare at him.
“This little one is calling me so casually.”
But despite her words, Lena scooped Mikael up securely in her arms. The baby, who had grown noticeably heavier, giggled as she gently rocked him.
“Already walking around so well…”
Lena chuckled softly before turning her gaze back to Ysaris.
“It looks like he’s inherited more of your traits. His growth is slower than I expected. He’s 16 months now, right?”
“Yes, he’ll be 16 months exactly next week… But is Mikael growing too slowly? Is something wrong with him…?”
“No, it’s just that I heard Tennilath children usually develop quickly. He seems… about average, though.”
It wasn’t a lie. Comparing Mikael to Lillia, his growth seemed similar, and to Lena, with her limited experience with children, Mikael appeared average.
It was just surprising that, despite carrying Tennilath blood, his growth wasn’t more rapid.
