Chapter 243
Of course, Kazhan couldn’t accept this conclusion.
“That’s not possible.”
The rough voice that escaped him without thought was met with a monotone reply.
“I’m sorry, but this wasn’t a request for your permission. It’s a notice.”
“I said no.”
“Don’t be unreasonable. You can’t stop me anyway—this is just a waste of time.”
“Why do you assume I can’t stop you?”
“The Blood Oath.”
Kazhan froze mid-step, his words dying in his throat as he reached for Ysaris. Her detached explanation flowed into his ears like ice water:
“You swore it when you came to Lena’s village. To protect Mikael and me to the best of your ability—and to never forcibly bind us to Uzephia. Break that, and you die. So tell me, how exactly do you plan to stop me?”
“……”
He stared at her, dazed. Of course she’d remember the oath now that her memories had returned—so why did it feel like a betrayal?
Perhaps it was the sheer resolve in her voice. The fact that she’d invoke the Blood Oath just to leave Uzephia, to leave him.
For a few seconds, Kazhan was speechless, disarmed by her final gambit. When he finally managed to speak again, his voice was frayed.
“Mikael… Right. We have a son together. If you care for his future, staying in Uzephia would be—”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Her voice turned glacial. “Every time I tried to distance myself, you dragged him into it.”
Her expression was weary, as if this entire conversation disgusted her. The coldness in her gaze pierced Kazhan’s chest like a blade, but before he could defend himself, she continued:
“You’re not wrong. If we consider Mikael’s future, living as a prince here would grant him far more than a commoner’s life in Lena’s village.”
“Then stay—”
“But Cain.”
Her blue eyes locked onto his crimson ones, brimming with something unreadable—nostalgia? Regret?
“Wealth and power aren’t necessities for happiness. Sometimes, they make you lose sight of what truly matters.”
“A sound heart and joy. The palace offers material abundance, but nothing beyond that. Before you came to Lena’s village, Mikael and I were already happy. Returning would be easy—it’s his home.”
“……Even if you reject imperial life, think of his education. Uzephia could give him more choices.”
“Cain.”
Ysaris sighed, exasperated.
“I can teach Mikael myself. Or have you forgotten I was always top of the academy? More importantly…” Her voice hardened.
“I won’t let him receive your counterfeit affection.”
What would happen when Mikael learned his father had used him as a tool to trap his mother? Ysaris refused to let her son bear that wound.
But Kazhan wasn’t without rebuttal.
“My feelings aren’t counterfeit. I’ve told you before—I’ve grown fond of Mikael.”
He’d flung himself into danger, injuries be damned, the moment he sensed his son was threatened in the den of dark mages. That truth wouldn’t vanish just because Ysaris hadn’t witnessed it.
Yet her gaze remained unmoved.
“This isn’t about affection. It’s about trust, Cain. I can’t believe you. Nothing you say to keep me here feels sincere.”
This was the price of the lies he’d built to reclaim her. Shattered trust couldn’t be glued back together.
“But—”
“Above all,”
She cut him off, her voice cruel in its calm.
“I can’t pretend to maintain a happy marriage in front of Mikael. I don’t want to—and I doubt it’s what’s best for him. Better to leave than to expose him to a relationship doomed to collapse. I can’t bury what you’ve done.”
“……”
Kazhan stared at her, hollow. The slow, certain erosion of his reason whispered that no words would reach her now.
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