What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 160

“Anyway, I don’t participate in social circles, so it should be fine.”

“We have Mikael, don’t we? I doubt you’d want our son to sense discord between his parents. Considering your position in the imperial palace, maintaining a strong relationship with me, even superficially, would benefit both you and Mikael.”

Ysaris hesitated.

Kazhan pressed further, seeing her momentarily lost in thought.

“I’ll just say my visits are less frequent because I’m busy. With the New Year’s festival preparations, I’ll naturally have less free time, so it’ll be believable. As long as I don’t suddenly stop coming altogether.”

“…….”

Ysaris weighed Kazhan’s words from multiple angles before nodding. While she might have been able to distance herself from her husband if she were alone, the fact that she had a child made it impossible to cut ties completely. She decided to compromise within reasonable limits.

“Alright. Once a week, then?”

“Going from daily visits to once a week is too drastic. Let’s make it every two days.”

“Every four days. Every two days doesn’t make much of a difference.”

“Fine. Will you allow me to show our closeness in public settings?”

“In public settings… I suppose I’ll have to. As long as it’s not excessive.”

Kazhan smiled inwardly. It was moments like these that reminded him how helpful it was that Ysaris was a woman who knew how to separate public and private matters.

If they had had conversations like this early in their marriage, could they have resolved their conflicts peacefully?

“…….”

Well, Kazhan doubted it. Shaking off the memory of her past scorn, pain, and anger, he stood up from his seat.

“I’ll come back in four days. I hope you and Mikael have a good time until then.”

In any case, it was a relief that the conversation had ended much more amicably than expected. After all, the reality of a husband who showered her with love would naturally feel more tangible than the death of a friend she had only heard about.

Kazhan turned away, satisfied. He thought that as long as Ysaris didn’t recover all her memories at once, they could gradually work through whatever past she uncovered.

* * *

“Daddy gone?”

“Yes, Mikael. Daddy’s busy, so he won’t be able to come often for a while.”

“Ung…….”

Ysaris looked down awkwardly at Mikael, who was rolling his eyes. The way he sucked on his finger made it clear he missed the treats Kazhan had been bringing daily, as if bribing him.

“Let’s sleep together, just you and me. If you sleep quietly and wake up nicely, I’ll give you something tasty. Okay?”

“Okay.”

As Ysaris patted Mikael to sleep, she recalled the events of the past two days. Despite having plenty of time to think things over calmly, she still hadn’t sorted out her complicated feelings.

It wasn’t just about how to deal with the awkwardness of Kazhan. Her husband had always been somewhat enigmatic, and there had been moments when he felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She had simply chosen to ignore them, wanting to settle into the present.

Ysaris’s concerns were more multidimensional. How much of Kazhan’s story was true? If he had only told the truth, why had she let go of him and joined hands with Bariteon? If he had lied, how could she uncover the truth? These thoughts occupied her for a long time.

She had come to Uzephia purely because she trusted Kazhan. He had seemed to love her, and it didn’t feel like he would do anything reckless toward her and Mikael.

But as more layers of the veil were peeled away, her doubts only grew, leaving her unsettled. She found herself standing at a crossroads, unsure whether she could trust Kazhan, and it filled her with anxiety.

“…….”

Perhaps it wasn’t so much that she had trusted him until now, but that she had wanted to trust him. She had hoped that the man who confessed his love so desperately, the husband who threw himself wholeheartedly into protecting her and their son without regard for his dignity as emperor, the Kazhan Tennilath who showed her only warmth and gentleness, was a truthful person.

Not someone who hid things from her and deceived her.

“Sigh……”

Ysaris exhaled deeply and hugged Mikael tightly. The peacefully sleeping child remained undisturbed in her comforting embrace, lost in a serene dreamland. It was the peace she wanted to protect as a mother for a long time.

‘I should sleep too. Let’s rest for now and think things through slowly when I wake up.’

Ysaris forced her eyes shut. She thought she had a few days to sort out her feelings, but by the time she regained her composure, the day to meet Kazhan again had already arrived.