What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 91

“Do you not have an appetite? You should eat more than that.”
“I’m fine. This is enough.”
“Do you normally eat this little? Surely, you’re not eating less just to match the portion size of a child.”
“I just don’t have much of an appetite right now…”
“Eat one more. It’s the flavor you like, isn’t it?”
“How would you know what I like? Since when did you start paying attention to that?”
Ysaris swallowed the sharp retort that rose to her lips. Even as she stared at him with an exasperated expression, Kazhan persistently held out the fruit to her. With a sigh, she relented and took it.
“This is the last one.”
“Good. Well done.”
Once the irritation set in, everything Kazhan did began to grate on her. Even his casual praise and the way he watched her as if gauging her fullness made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.
The reason was obvious. The man she loved, Cain, kept overlapping with the detestable Kazhan.
“Let’s change your bandages now. I’ll reapply the medicine, too.”
“…Yes.”
The feeling persisted even as he tended to her wounds. The careful way Kazhan worked to avoid aggravating her injuries reminded her uncannily of Cain today.
There were moments—rare, fleeting moments—when she had thought the two were slightly similar before. But those instances had been brief, limited to the color of their eyes. Their actions had never aligned like this.
It was clear why she had started noticing these parallels now. That slow-spreading smile Kazhan had given her—she had only ever seen it on Cain before.

Cain had been someone who never smiled. His expression wasn’t as cold and detached as Kazhan’s—it was more empty, as if he had forgotten how to smile altogether.
Even when Ysaris and Cain had started their romance, he hadn’t smiled. Instead, overwhelmed by emotion, he had clamped his mouth shut and let silent tears spill from his eyes.
The first time he smiled had been at the most unexpected moment.
It was when Ysaris had caught a cold and started complaining.

<I’ve been eating porridge for two days straight. I want to eat something refreshing—can’t I have something else?>
<No. You’re still unwell.>

<Then I’ll summon the physician.>
<Ah, wait…!>

Though she was a Saintess, Ysaris had only recently entered her twenties. While she maintained a dignified facade before others, she let herself show a touch of childishness when alone with Cain.

Muttering, Ysaris pulled the blanket over her head and turned away, feigning a sulk. But it didn’t take long before she peeked out from the covers, slowly turning back toward Cain.
Her eyes peeked out, glinting from under the blanket. Despite her claims of recovery, a faint blush painted her cheeks, and a small smile played on her lips.

<…Still, I’d really like some of that kiwi juice you got for me before. Do you think that’s possible?>
<…>
<It was so delicious. I almost want to invite the chef to the royal palace… or maybe…>

Ysaris’s words trailed off as her eyes widened. Like a flower blooming late in spring, a slow, certain smile spread across Cain’s face. It was as if a drop of water had fallen into a still lake, sending gentle ripples of warmth across his features.
It was a beautiful sight. The look of a man entirely in love was seared into Ysaris’s memory.

At the time, she had been so stunned that she hadn’t been able to stop him from leaving. It was much later—after the moment had passed—that she had the chance to ask him why he had smiled that day.
Cain, who seemed unaware of the expression he had made, tilted his head thoughtfully before giving an honest answer.

His gaze was tender as he listed these things, his expression now warm and familiar.