What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 259

Casilia resembled Kazhan in more than just her eyes and hair color. Unlike Mikael, whose round, sweet features radiated gentleness, Casilia’s crescent-shaped eyes and slightly pointed ears looked like they’d been copied directly from her father.

Even her still-developing nose and face shape promised to sharpen with time—her appearance so fiercely declared whose daughter she was.

“Casilia, did you have good dreams? Not hungry yet?”

“Mmm…”

There had indeed been a time when Casilia’s resemblance to her loathed husband unsettled Ysaris, but she wasn’t foolish enough to let that cloud a full year of motherhood. Though bittersweetness lingered, she loved Casilia just as fiercely as Mikael—without distinction.

“Let’s eat. Skipping breakfast won’t do.”

“Muu…”

Adjusting her grip on the grumbling toddler, Ysaris left the room, her coaxing voice tender.

“One bite, and you’ll wake right up.”

“Cassie!”

Mikael, dutifully seated, waved his fork at his sister—whether greeting her or impatiently demanding breakfast was unclear.

“Good waiting, Mikael. Ready to eat?”

“Yeah!”

He’d already speared a bite of egg. Though he’d favored fruit salads until recently, his tastes had shifted again—now he picked out eggs first. His pickiness showed in how he cherry-picked even preferred veggies from the sides.

In contrast, Casilia ate anything. She’d scrunch her nose “Bleh!” at bitter flavors but generally accepted whatever was offered. When feeding herself, she’d evenly grab whatever was within reach—a peculiar habit.

The real marvel was how she managed to spoon soup into her drowsy mouth without spilling a drop. Her muscle control was startling for a one-year-old, especially compared to Mikael, who still smeared food everywhere.

Ysaris shook off the memory of Lena’s antics. At least both children were healthy.

Flutter!

Peep! Peek!

“Mama, Ppiu wants food too!”

“Wait. I’ll get her bowl.”

Ysaris pushed a dish of birdseed toward Ppiu, who’d flown to the table and begun pecking at their meal. The pet Mikael had brought when fleeing Uzephia now roamed freely indoors, often voicing opinions.

“After this, can Ppiu and I go out?”

“Where to?”

“Forest!”

Initially, they’d leashed Ppiu outdoors to prevent escapes, but now it was unnecessary. Whether the bird recognized Mikael as her master or not, she always returned.

Especially when she brought back shiny trinkets—Mikael’s delight made even the occasional bug in her beak worth it.

“Not too far. Promise to stay within the fence?”

“Pwomise!”

The woods behind their home were Mikael’s playground. Villagers had fenced off a garden-sized area, safe from wildlife—it might as well have been their backyard.

With safety measures in place… Ysaris longed to let him explore alone, but his age gave her pause. This time, too, she chose to accompany him.

After all, fenced or not, the forest was still the forest.