What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 182

If he had stayed alone in the imperial palace, he might have focused more on diverting personnel to investigate the forces behind the ambush, keeping only a minimal guard against dark magic, which wouldn’t be much help against large numbers anyway. Physical ambushes like this had to be small-scale to avoid drawing attention, so they posed little real threat to him.

But with Ysaris by his side, security had to be airtight. Simply assigning her a few escort knights wasn’t enough.

If, by any chance, he couldn’t secure the support of the Magic Tower…

“Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

Kazhan snapped out of his thoughts and responded to Temisian, who had been following slightly behind him. When no immediate answer came, he glanced back and saw the man’s serious expression.

“Do wyverns count toward the hunting score too?”

“……”

Is this man incapable of reading the mood?

Under Kazhan’s icy gaze, Temisian scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.

“I got lost on the way here, so I wasted quite a bit of time…”

“You couldn’t have wasted more time than I did, being the target of the ambush. The hunting tournament is canceled.”

“I figured as much. I guess I’ll have to aim for the Sepia flowers next year, then.”

Kazhan ignored the sulking middle-aged man and turned his gaze forward.

Duke Blake was an enigma in a different way from Duke Barilio. At times, he seemed scatterbrained, but then he’d be surprisingly close with mages and excel in business, despite having spent his life wielding a sword. Just when you thought he was normal, he’d say something completely offbeat.

He was infuriatingly carefree.

“The Emperor was ambushed, yet you remain so composed, Duke.”

“What nonsense! No matter how many come after me, they won’t get through, so let’s focus on practical matters. And…”

Temisian smiled leisurely. His eccentricity was rooted in his confidence in his own abilities.

“I memorized their aura. They all carried the same scent. If I sense it nearby again, I’ll kill them all before Your Majesty even notices.”

…Kazhan thought it was truly fortunate that he had formed a blood pact with this man.

* * *

“Where is Duke Barilio now?”

“I’ll find out immediately.”

“No, never mind. I was going to signal the end of the tournament anyway. If he sees it, he’ll sense something is wrong and come looking. It’s earlier than scheduled.”

Kazhan issued rapid orders to several people. He announced the end of the hunting tournament, informed them of the ambush to tighten security, sent tracking teams in the direction the wyvern had come from, and calmed the murmuring nobles by controlling the atmosphere.

Even after handling the basics, Kazhan’s eyes remained busy. The sparrowhawk he had summoned appeared, but he was still searching for something. Eventually, he frowned and asked those around him.

“Where is the Empress?”

“Her Majesty the Empress is in the adjacent building with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Is she resting?”

“She mentioned refreshments when she took His Highness with her, but…”

“Um, I believe… she’s with Her Majesty the Imperial Consort.”

“What?”

The noble who had answered last flinched under Kazhan’s sharp gaze. Sweating profusely, he regretted opening his mouth as a cold voice pierced through him.

“Did the guards let the Imperial Consort approach the Empress?”

“Well, Her Majesty the Imperial Consort said she wanted to give a gift to His Highness the Crown Prince, so she approached… and from the middle of it, it seemed like Her Majesty the Empress… accepted the conversation.”

He hadn’t been close enough to the Empress to see clearly, only catching glimpses from a distance while chatting with his group. He didn’t know the details.

“I see. Understood.”

Kazhan answered with a completely unconvinced expression and began walking. His visibly displeased face made people in his path quickly step aside.

Of all people, she’s with the Imperial Consort.

Kazhan hurried toward where Ysaris was. He had already begun preparations to remove Runellia immediately after the New Year’s festival, and this only heightened his unease.

Though her identity had been thoroughly concealed, if Runellia had discovered that she was the force shaking the Logiten family and was acting on that knowledge, it would be a headache. Who knew what impulsive actions she might take out of resentment?

With a hardened expression, he briskly walked until he soon spotted Ysaris’s escort knights standing in the hallway. At least it seemed she had arrived safely.

“Is the Empress inside?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. She just went in with His Highness the Crown Prince…”

“Step aside.”

Kazhan was about to fling the door open but paused, took a deep breath, and knocked politely instead. He waited for a response from either Ysaris or Runellia, but no sound came from inside.

The silence was eerily ominous.