What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 264

Kazhan cut off Ysaris and dismissed the attendants. Only after activating additional soundproofing magic tools—meant to prevent leaks of sensitive information—did he speak again.

“Casilia, you said? Eye color?”

“Red. Like yours.”

“Has she awakened her Tennilath abilities?”

“I—I don’t know. I’ve never seen her use any. Is there a way to tell?”

“We’ll find out now.”

Actions over explanations. Kazhan drew the knife he always carried and slit his fingertip without hesitation.

Drip.

“…!”

Before Ysaris could react, he pressed his bleeding finger into Casilia’s mouth, as if expecting a response.

Nothing happened.

“Hm.”

“What does this mean?”

“She hasn’t awakened. If she had, she’d have healed by now.”

This was why most Tennilath abilities beyond blood contracts were kept secret. They healed by consuming a blood relative’s essence—but to outsiders, such blood might appear to be a cure-all. Dangerous knowledge.

“…If she needs to drink it to heal, could it be ineffective because she’s unconscious?”

“No. Even a trace should trigger minimal regeneration. Casilia remains unchanged.”

This complicates things.

Kazhan frowned, examining the wound. A deep gash on her head—as if she’d fallen from a height. For an adult, this would be fatal. The fact Casilia still clung to life was likely due to her Tennilath resilience.

“Regretfully, even elixirs would be useless here.”

“……”

Ysaris’s arms tightened around Casilia. Her vision blurred despite her efforts to hold back tears.

Elixirs and healing potions merely accelerated natural recovery. They forced regeneration at a cost, and even then, permanent damage couldn’t be undone. Head injuries were the worst—skin might mend, but brain damage? At best, a life of disability. At worst, death.

That’s why she’d sought Kazhan. He’d once recovered from wounds beyond elixirs without a scar. And with Casilia bearing Tennilath blood, there’d been hope—until now.

“…If the issue is her lack of awakening,”

Ysaris finally said, lifting her trembling gaze.

“can’t you force it? Like you did before?”

Kazhan went still.

She had no time to decipher his reaction. Instead, her plea spilled out, edged with accusation.

“Casilia is my daughter—but she’s yours too. A result of you deceiving me into your bed. However it happened, I love her. If you have any sense of responsibility… help me. I can’t… lose her like this.”

Her voice frayed, tears breaking free.

She should’ve known better than to let her guard down just because Casilia was quiet. How could she have predicted this? If she’d known her daughter’s mind would lag behind her rapidly maturing body, leading to reckless danger, she’d never have relaxed.

‘…Will he still demand his price? What if he refuses? What if I lose her—’

A voice, low and deliberate, pierced through her chaos.

“No matter the cost?”