What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 214

Hearing the scream of a child from the alleyway, the justice-driven princess—trusting in her guards—headed into the darkness. She never dreamed that one of her two knight escorts would betray her, attacking the other, or that a group of assassins lying in wait would join forces to kill her.

In that dramatic moment, it was Cain who appeared to save her. Cutting down every assassin single-handedly, he then knelt beside the trembling Ysaris, silently studying her before carefully lifting her into his arms. Carrying her through the alley, he emerged on the opposite side and brought her to a shabby, worn-down house.

Cain didn’t ask Ysaris anything. He simply fetched water, sat beside her, and distractedly scribbled away at his assignments.

Though she’d faced all sorts of threats from her half-siblings, this was Ysaris’s first direct assassination attempt. It took her a long time to finally speak. Despite knowing she shouldn’t carelessly reveal her family’s affairs—being royalty—once the floodgates opened, the words spilled out uncontrollably.

Her mother, poisoned when she was young. Her father, who turned away from her afterward. Her greedy half-siblings. The icy treatment she endured for having commoner blood. The fate of being sold off for a high price or having even her death exploited.

Cain listened quietly to her tearful confession before calmly uttering a single line.

Then silence.

In his unwavering crimson eyes, Ysaris found none of the negative emotions she expected—no irritation, pity, scorn, lust, or even annoyance.

Instead, what she saw was…

Acknowledgment. Or perhaps reverence. For what?

Even analyzing Cain’s gaze from a detached perspective, Ysaris couldn’t be sure. Shedding his boyish demeanor and growing into a young man, his clumsy attempts at comfort still moved her.

That was when the atmosphere between them shifted. The masks they wore for others melted away in each other’s presence.

Over the next year, while Ysaris maintained the dignified facade of a proper princess in public, in front of Cain, she learned to voice every complaint. Meanwhile, Cain—who still avoided most people—began seeking her out first.

Naturally, they spent more time together—eating, studying. Their relationship teetered precariously within the boundaries of friendship for a long time.

Meaningless chatter, peaceful moments, warm gazes.

Who fell in love first? And when, exactly?

Ysaris, observing her past self’s emotions, couldn’t pinpoint the answer. There were too many moments that stood out.

When Cain gifted her flowers, saying their scent suited her. When she taught him to dance for the academy ball. When their bodies brushed too close and their entangled gazes made them avert their eyes as if by mutual agreement.

At any point, they could have nurtured those feelings. No—they did nurture them.

And so, eventually—

The moment Cain declared he would become her guard after graduation, Ysaris didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. She was glad he’d stay, but the limits of their relationship felt painfully clear.

Still, she decided to be content with that. A princess meant to be sold off and a fallen noble—who would believe such a pairing could work? Perhaps it was better this way. Better to keep Cain close as a dear friend and knight than to lose him entirely.

Ysaris resolved to lock away her feelings. She thought time would make everything easier.

…Until the day he knocked on her door, his face deathly pale.