What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 115

“The blue tones suit Your Majesty the Empress well. Though I wonder if it would look different with platinum blonde hair… Are you planning to attend the banquet with your hair as it is now, still silver?
“I have a potion that can reverse the dye. I haven’t decided if I’ll use it yet.”
“In that case, I’ll prepare two dresses. The colors that suit depend entirely on your hair shade.”
Ysaris glanced at Kazhan, who was observing silently nearby. Since this was a banquet dress for the Empress, it would undoubtedly be expensive, and making multiple dresses seemed an unnecessary waste of the treasury’s funds.
She merely intended to inquire about the cost or the budget allocated to her, but before she could even speak, Kazhan made a startlingly excessive suggestion.
“Order thirty dresses, each in a different color.”
“No, I’ll just undo the dye now. I was planning to return to platinum blonde soon anyway. Three or four dresses should suffice.”
“No fewer than twenty. That’s the minimum.”
Kazhan and Ysaris’s eyes met in mid-air. To prevent her husband’s unnecessary extravagance, Isharis quickly countered:
“There are already too many dresses. My wardrobe is full of the ones I’ve worn in the past. There’s no need to add so many more, is there?”
“They’re unwearable now. Your hair is shorter, and the dresses should complement your current appearance.”
“It’s not as though I attend banquets that often.”
“Ysaa, you’re the Empress. As the Emperor’s wife, the funds designated for maintaining your dignity are more than ample, so I’d prefer you use them on this occasion.”
In the end, the winner was Kazhan, who controlled the purse strings. A compromise was struck, and it was decided that ten dresses would be made.
“Can it be done in just two weeks?”
“It’s no issue, Your Majesty the Empress. Please leave it to our shop.”
Skilled enough to be summoned by the Imperial Palace, the designer’s reassurance convinced Ysaris, who nodded in agreement. Watching the designer sketch multiple designs within moments of seeing her, Ysaris couldn’t help but trust their ability.
Reversing the hair dye, selecting fabrics, finalizing designs, and matching various accessories—all these preparations consumed her time. As she also needed to prepare Mikael, Ysaris found herself busy for the first time in a while.
The days flew by, and with only two days left until the banquet, Ysaris sat on a garden bench watching Mikael chase butterflies. That’s when her husband appeared unexpectedly.
“Kazhan, is something the matter?”
“There’s something I want to give you.”
Kazhan extended a hand to Ysaris. Despite his words, his hand was empty.
Was he suggesting she follow him somewhere?

Without much thought, Ysaris reached out to take his hand. She expected him to help her up, but contrary to her expectation, he lowered his head and kissed her fingers.
“…!”
Rather than a formal kiss on the back of her hand, his lips gently traced the knuckles of her index, middle, and ring fingers, one by one, in a slow, deliberate motion. The sensation tickled.
Ysaris instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but the intense crimson gaze fixed on her reaction held her in place. She hesitated, fearing Kazhan might interpret her withdrawal as rejection.
It wasn’t only concern about hurting his feelings. His reasoning from a few days ago echoed in her mind:

Since her reluctant approval, Kazhan had gradually increased his physical displays of affection. It was as if he sought to expand the boundaries of what he could do while being careful not to overwhelm her.
And this was the result…
“Ah!”
Ysaris quickly withdrew her hand, startled by the soft, damp sensation of flesh. She clasped her hand with the other, but not before a thick, slick tongue that had been brushing between her fingers paused in mid-air and retreated back into Kazhan’s mouth.
“You’re improving.”
“…You said you came to give me something, and this was your intent?”
“No. I needed your left hand, but you offered your right, so I decided to savor it.”
Rendered speechless by his shameless attitude, Ysaris looked around nervously, fearing they had been seen. Most of the maids had wandered off chasing Mikael, leaving the area surprisingly empty.