What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 15

If, by any chance…
What if Ysaris were to bear the Emperor’s child?
“Gasp!”
Splash! Ysaris jerked upright, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the shocking thought.
A child? Not only would she have to share her body with a man she despised, but to carry his child as well?
She shuddered lightly, hugging herself tightly. It wasn’t just her husband’s reaction she worried about; she couldn’t even fathom how she would feel towards the child herself.
What if she ends up hating her own child? If a child, already likely to be neglected by its father, were to be abandoned by its mother as well…
“Poor baby…”
Ysaris’s hand gently brushed over her flat stomach.
It was a needless worry for now, given that she wasn’t pregnant. In fact, it was a baseless assumption since she was unlikely to conceive.
After all, she had been diligently taking her contraceptives.
The contraceptives prepared by the royal physician himself.
“Your Majesty, the Empress, you don’t want to bear his child either, do you? So please cooperate. It’s for everyone’s sake.”
Ysaris recalled the hazy memory and closed her eyes. In that lonely place, with no allies, she submerged her face in the bathtub as if trying to escape.
She wished the world would stop as it was, but indifferent time continued to flow without change…
Soon, the consort’s coronation ceremony arrived.

* * *

Click, clack. Step, step.
The couple, arm in arm, crossed the expansive hall with grace.
With each step, the woman’s red hair rippled, and her white dress fluttered. The tail of the man’s black uniform rose and fell in the same rhythm.
Colorful, radiant light poured from the chandelier, blessing the new couple’s future. An orchestra lined up on one side played cheerful summer melodies, celebrating their union.
A clear sky, warm weather. It was truly a perfect day.
There couldn’t have been a better day for the Emperor to marry the Consort.
“My goodness… Was Lady Logiten always this beautiful?”
“She’s now Her Majesty the Consort. Runellia Tenilath, Her Majesty the Consort.”
“Regardless, I knew she was pretty, but I didn’t realize she was this stunning.”
“Isn’t that why she caught the Emperor’s eye?”
“Well, the reason he kept the Empress by his side all this time must have been her looks too…”

Ysaris ignored the faint murmurs of the nobles, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. She spent the time counting the patterns on the ornate wallpaper beside Kazhan and Runellia, who stood on the platform.
Runellia, with a blush that might have been makeup or genuine, smiled happily, looking as lovely as people said, but it was of no concern to her. The whispered admiration from the ladies about how dashing Kazhan looked in his rare finery also fell on deaf ears.
With her usual indifferent expression, Ysaris remained in her isolated world as the coronation ceremony, disguised as a wedding, proceeded swiftly.
“From now on, as Runellia Tennilath, I will assist His Majesty the Emperor and contribute to the prosperity of the Yuzepeia Empire…”
Ysaris listened silently, her eyes lowered, to Runellia’s contrived voice. Duties of a wife, duties of a consort, duties of a member of the royal family… As she listened to the flawlessly delivered speech, clearly well-prepared, a sudden curiosity arose within her.
What might the Emperor be feeling now? Is he proud of his new wife? Happy? Is he smiling, unlike during his wedding with her?
In her memories, Kazhan always had a stern, hardened face. It was still a mystery why he forced himself to marry her if he disliked her so much.
That was why she sought him out, almost unconsciously.
Curiosity about the rare sight of his smile made her look up.
And then she met his red eyes directly.
“……!”
How long had he been watching her?
The intensity of his gaze made the surrounding colors seem to fade for a moment. The sensation of confronting Kazhan face-to-face caused Ysaris to briefly hold her breath before she turned her eyes elsewhere.
She had merely wanted to check his expression; if she had known their eyes would meet, she wouldn’t have looked.
Wasn’t this ceremony supposed to be for his new wife? Though it was officially called an investiture for the Empress, the coronation was practically a wedding. She had expected him to be gazing lovingly at her, yet she couldn’t fathom why his eyes had been on her instead.
Ysaris did not look back at Kazhan. She steadfastly ignored the gaze she continued to feel upon her.
No matter how their worlds might run parallel, the ceremony for Runellia moved steadily towards its conclusion.
“…I hereby declare that Runellia Logiten has become Runellia Tennilath. She is now the wife of His Majesty Emperor Kazhan Tennilath and the Empress.”
“Whistle…!”
Clap, clap, clap!
Applause erupted at the officiant’s declaration. A spirited young noble whistled, earning disapproving glances for his lack of decorum, but it was a minor issue.
The orchestra mimicked grand cannonades. Pollen scattered through the air, and wizards burst light. Nobles politely congratulated the new couple.
In a scene where everyone smiled, only Ysaris and Kazhan did not.
Like a tragicomedy destined for tragedy.