What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 234

A sheltered fool who knew nothing of the world. That was how Kazhan saw Ysaris.

After all… why else would she keep worrying over him? Even after he’d rudely pushed her away.

For a while, Kazhan avoided the grating princess. Whether her interest in him stemmed from pity or curiosity, he had no desire to become someone’s plaything and unilaterally kept his distance.

But strangely, the more he withdrew, the more determined Ysaris became. After a month, he gave up. He assumed humoring her would make her lose interest quickly—but never in his wildest dreams did he expect to end up as her friend over a shared meal.

Though pessimistic, Kazhan didn’t bother pushing her away further. At this point, it felt like he was the one paying more attention to her. Letting things flow naturally seemed the most practical option.

A month passed. Then two. Half a year.

Before he knew it, a year had gone by. Both had grown a year older, yet Kazhan and Ysaris remained friends.

Around that time, Kazhan found Ysaris peculiar. By all rights, a princess should’ve grown bored of a stoic, humorless fallen noble—yet she greeted him with unwavering warmth.

He’d also learned many things about her. Ysaris had a sweet tooth, especially for desserts with refreshing finishes. She loved music where the violin’s timbre stood out. She had a particular fondness for blue-toned flowers.

They shared trivial details about themselves but never broached deeper topics. Their interactions were simple—peaceful conversations before parting ways.

If time with Kazhan was a breath of fresh air for Ysaris, then for him, their meetings had slowly altered something inside. The man who’d never spared a thought for others now found himself watching her longer, more intently.

So subtly even he didn’t notice.

Then, one day, everything changed.

Low on funds after years of scraping by in a crumbling alleyway house, Kazhan was heading to the academy for a secret training session when he stumbled upon Ysaris—

Or more accurately, Ysaris under attack by assassins.

Without another word, Kazhan cut down the assassins, scooped her up, and carried her to his home. He intended to simply wait until she recovered—but after a long silence, an unexpected confession spilled from her lips.

Hearing Ysaris’s past for the first time struck Kazhan with fresh shock.

Not because she’d lost her mother young, nor because her father despised her. No—what stunned him was that despite such a dark upbringing, she’d grown into someone so radiant.

Though, to be fair, he’d always known she wasn’t truly carefree. Knowing her had long since shattered his first impression.

Neither endlessly cheerful nor perpetually serene, Ysaris was playfully mischievous, effortlessly kind, and sharply wise.

A perfect student. Diligent, courteous, student council president—no one genuinely hated her. Envy, yes. But malice? Unthinkable.

Which was why Kazhan had never imagined this. That behind her brilliance lay such pain. That she lived under constant threat.

How?

Most people would’ve twisted under such weight. Yet Ysaris had grown straight and unbroken.

Hell, even he wasn’t normal.

His next emotion was respect. She was someone who deserved reverence. At just seventeen, her spirit outshone any adult’s.

And then came something else—something he couldn’t quite name.

Awe, perhaps?

Emotionally stunted, Kazhan couldn’t parse his own heart. But one thing was clear.

How can a person shine so brightly?

In his world, humans were little better than corpses. The assassins he’d killed today? His first murders. Yet he’d felt nothing.

But in that monochrome existence, Ysaris was the only color. A vivid, breathing creature—noble in the truest sense.

For the first time, Kazhan felt curiosity toward another person.

And it terrified him.