What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 86
Ysaris, still cradled in Kazhan’s arms, unlocked the door to her house, guiding him towards the bedroom.
“This is far enough. You can set me down here.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest on your bed?”
“I don’t want to invite Your Majesty into my room.”
“You’ll have a hard time bandaging yourself alone.”
“…Let’s go to the sofa in the living room, then.”
Kazhan nodded and retraced his steps, carefully lowering her onto the large sofa with extreme caution.
“Where are the herbs?”
“When you go down that hallway, the second door is the storage room. As for what you need to bring…”
“I’ll gather everything you used while nursing me. Is there anything else you require?”
“That will be enough.”
Kazhan, with his excellent memory, collected the necessary herbs: painkillers, fever reducers, and those that would aid in her wound recovery. He also grabbed a medical kit he happened to notice and returned to Ysaris.
As he tended to her wounds, neither of them spoke much, exchanging only the occasional remark about the injury. Ysaris found the silence unfamiliar and awkward. It was strange how Kazhan, who she expected to be bitter and scornful, was instead quietly complying with all her requests without a single complaint or sarcastic comment.
By now, she thought, he should have reverted to his true nature—criticizing her, threatening her, or throwing spiteful words her way.
“Ysaris.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Here it comes, she thought.
Ysaris braced herself, looking at Kazhan. If he said even one wrong word, she was ready to kick him out immediately. She had been anticipating this moment for some time now, almost waiting for an excuse to get rid of him.
But once again, Kazhan acted against her expectations.
“Ysaris.”
“Yes.”
“Ysaris.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Ysaris.”
“…What is it?”
Ysaris looked at Kazhan, her tone frustrated, wondering why he kept repeating her name without actually saying anything. He had stopped calling her by the title Empress, and now he was saying her name so freely. It was different from when he used to refer to her formally—it almost felt nostalgic, as if he were recalling something from a distant past, and that unsettled her.
Then came his next words.
“Don’t be in pain.”
“….”
A shiver ran down Ysaris’s spine. The tenderness in Kazhan’s voice felt foreign, something she wasn’t used to at all.
She instinctively tried to move away from him, but lying on the sofa made it impossible to put distance between them. As tension surged through her body, a sharp pain pierced through the effect of the painkillers, making her wince. She responded coldly, trying to regain her composure.
“I don’t want to be in pain, either.”
“I know.”
“But since Your Majesty wouldn’t listen to me, I had no choice.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Ysaris thought she had misheard. Kazhan Tennilath… apologizing? And so easily?
The situation felt so unreal that she forgot whatever biting remark she had been about to make. Her body was wounded, but it felt as if her mind had just taken a hit.
Her expression slipped, and she stared at him in disbelief. As if that wasn’t enough, Kazhan followed up with something even more shocking.
“If I had known you would get hurt, I wouldn’t have come close. But it’s too late for excuses now. If you wish, you can stab me as many times as you like. I’ll bleed just as much as you have, without dodging.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am. So next time, when you feel like shedding blood, stab me instead. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Ysaris opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out. At this point, she didn’t know what to say anymore. She had believed she knew her husband well enough, but suddenly, it felt like she had no idea what was going on in his mind.
How could someone change so drastically in such a short time? Not long ago, he had acted as if he might imprison her, dragging her away against her will.
And now, he seemed terrified of her getting hurt?
She looked at Kazhan, her face full of confusion. His red eyes, darkened by sleeplessness, were fixed on her wound. Despite his usual expressionless face, there was a strange mix of sadness and resignation in his gaze.
He had treated her injuries but neglected his own, his left arm still oozing blood, already hardening in patches. Kazhan had told her to stab him instead, but he was already bleeding profusely.
Tennilath’s blood.
Suddenly, something Lena had once said floated to the forefront of her mind. She didn’t know why she recalled it now, but she found herself thinking of the side effects of the Tennilath family’s powers. And how she, in particular, had the ability to purify them.
