The Tyrant's Happy Ending - Chapter 1.5

“Hmm. Sorry about that.”

Lyle, stroking his chin in thought, suddenly offered an apology.

“For what?”

“For not visiting you during those two years. I guess it made you angry.”

“Not at all. I don’t care.”

Lyle glanced at Yernen’s face, muttering under his breath, “You look mad, though.”

Hearing that, Yernen’s eyebrows shot up in irritation.

“I said I’m not mad.”

“Sure, if you say so.”

Lyle’s sarcastic tone only fueled Yernen’s growing frustration. He had half a mind to throw the papers in Lyle’s face but managed to control himself.

“Whatever. If you want to marry me, sign the contract.”

“And what if I don’t sign it?”

Yernen crossed his arms and tilted his head, giving Lyle a look that clearly said, Do you even have to ask?

“What do you think? We’ll call off the engagement.”

“Hm… and what if I don’t follow through after signing?”

“You won’t be able to.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because this contract is bound by my blood.”
Lyle’s playful expression immediately disappeared.

“A blood oath?”

“Yes.”

A blood oath was a sacred contract only the royal family, who carried divine blood, could create. By mixing their blood into a special ink, they could draft a contract that would force the other party to follow its terms unconditionally.

“Well, that’s something.”

Lyle let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Kid, you really shouldn’t play around with stuff like this. Who taught you about it? Was it your mother?”

‘This idiot…’

Yernen’s irritation flared. How dare he call me a kid!

He nearly swung the other copy of the contract at Lyle’s head but restrained himself.

Stay calm.

Even though he was furious, Yernen held back. Lyle was still the emperor, after all, and hitting him wouldn’t be wise. There were still protocols to follow.

Despite Yernen’s sharp personality, he had always adhered strictly to the laws and customs. Even in his past life, he never behaved disrespectfully towards his parents, the emperor and empress, no matter how harshly he treated others.

“Stop treating me like a child. I’m an adult.”
“Sure, but your birthday hasn’t passed yet, right? So technically, you’re still nineteen. You’re not fully an adult until after your birthday.”

“You—! It’s just four months until my birthday. Stop calling me a child and sign the contract!”
Yernen gritted his teeth.

“Hm, hold on.”

Lyle, now serious, skimmed through the contract again.

After carefully reviewing it, he couldn’t find anything to dispute. Yernen had been meticulous in drafting it over several months.

“Well, it’s not bad. But can I add a couple of conditions?”

“What conditions?”

“Nothing major. Just that the third clause should be void while you’re pregnant.”

Yernen hesitated, confused.

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Explain.”

Lyle sighed, leaning back with a sly grin.
“Come on, kid.”

Yernen’s eyes darkened with anger.

“Lyle Beltimore.”

“What?”

“Call me ‘kid’ one more time, and this engagement is over.”

“Huh. You really hate being called that, don’t you? I remember seeing you a long time ago with someone. You were so small, you still seem like a kid. But fine, if it bothers you that much, I’ll stop.

I’ll just call you ‘Prince.’ Although, I do wonder—did the Duke’s family really not teach you anything? It’s hard to believe you’re about to get married and still don’t know basic things.”

Lyle’s tone was infuriatingly condescending—the same tone Yernen had once dubbed the most irritating in existence.

“What are you talking about? Explain it clearly, in words I can understand.”

“I’m speaking clearly,” Lyle replied lazily. “You’re an Omega, and I’m an Alpha. That’s why we’re engaged.”

“…I know that.”

Yernen found it infuriating to be lectured by Lyle, but when it came to matters related to their traits… it was an area where Yernen genuinely lacked knowledge.

As a royal, Yernen had always been in a position to receive rather than give. The only thing the Duke’s family had taught him about being an Omega was how to control his pheromones—basic etiquette for someone of his status. Beyond that, he knew very little.

The heat cycles that came every six months had happened four times over the past two years, but thanks to his caretaker, who always noticed the slightest change and gave him suppressants, Yernen passed through them without realizing they had even occurred. As a result, although Yernen was technically an Omega, his knowledge of his secondary gender was no more than that of a Beta, just like in his previous life.

“But, if you do get pregnant…”

Lyle’s tone was soft, almost like he was telling an old tale, which made Yernen listen closely, curious despite himself.

“When I get pregnant?”

“You’ll end up needing me.”

“What?”

Yernen’s face contorted into a grimace. What nonsense was he spouting now?

Frustrated by Lyle’s smug attitude, Yernen raised his hand, ready to strike.

“Wait, wait! Just listen for a second!”

Lyle quickly played the victim, though he hadn’t even been hit yet.

“When an Omega gets pregnant, they need an Alpha’s pheromones.”

“Even when they’re pregnant?”

As far as Yernen knew, the only time pheromones were necessary was during sexual relations, not beyond that.

“Of course. Plus, being close to the Alpha helps the baby grow healthy. If you’re apart for too long, you could even miscarry, or fall seriously ill.”

“…….”

‘Is that for real?’

Yernen found it hard to believe, especially considering Lyle’s track record of lying about just about everything. But with no one else to ask, Yernen had no choice but to rely on Lyle’s word. This marriage contract had been drawn up in secret, without even the knowledge of the duchess or their nanny.

“…Are you sure you’re not lying?”

Yernen hesitated as he asked.

“Of course not. If I’m lying, I’ll drop dead right here, right now.”

“Fine, then write it down.”

“Hand me a pen.”

‘…Maybe he’s telling the truth.’

Given that Lyle wasn’t backing down even with such a bold promise, Yernen reluctantly decided to believe him. Even though the thought of having to see Lyle regularly for the next ten months troubled him, he couldn’t risk a miscarriage.

After all, neither of them likely wanted anything more than brief encounters to exchange pheromones. If that was the extent of their relationship, Yernen figured he could manage it.

“Alright.”

“And there’s one more thing I want to add.”

“…What now?”

“Emergency situations, you know?”

Yernen frowned. What now?

“You’re aware, right? After giving birth to you, your mother became unable to have more children. That means you’re the only one left who can carry on the divine bloodline. And, as you know, the Empire is in a rather chaotic state right now.”

“…True.”

Yernen began to understand what Lyle was getting at. Essentially, Lyle was referring to situations where Yernen’s life might be in danger.

“So, what you’re saying is that if I were to be kidnapped, you’d come to rescue me?”

Lyle grinned broadly.

“Exactly. After all, I’m not just the Emperor; I’m also the Empire’s top knight.”

“Well, I suppose I can agree to that.”

“And there’s one more thing…”

“Ugh!”

Another one? This was the third time already.
“Think about it, Yernen. We’ll be living in the same palace. What if we run into each other by accident? If we do and I suddenly drop dead, what would happen to the Empire?”

“Well, in the case of your death, the law permits a remarriage. I’d simply find a new partner.”
Yernen spoke in a serious tone.

“Wow, that’s cold! But then, you’d have to go through all this again, and who’s to say your next partner would be as agreeable as I am? Why not add a clause allowing for accidental encounters as an exception?”

Yernen considered it for a moment, oblivious to the amusement on Lyle’s face as he watched him.
‘He’s got a point.’

Though Yernen had joked about finding a new partner, he had no real intention of doing so. One reason he had chosen to make Lyle Emperor was because he wanted to give him something better after everything he’d lost. Yernen didn’t want anyone else as his partner.

Of course, the contract’s binding nature wasn’t absolute. Despite what he had said, the ink didn’t actually contain Yernen’s blood. But to maintain the illusion that the contract was genuine, it seemed wise to add Lyle’s suggested clause.

‘If we meet by accident and nothing happens to him, he might figure out the contract’s a fake.’
Surely, Lyle wasn’t interested in him enough to orchestrate random encounters, so it would likely just mean brief, harmless run-ins.

“Fine. But that’s the last one. No more.”

“Fair enough. I’m satisfied.”

With that, the two finalized their agreement, adding three new special clauses to the contract.
However, the very next day, Yernen bitterly regretted not adding one more clause to the contract: a stipulation stating that it would only take effect after a grace period.
Because as it turned out, the contract went into effect immediately.

“Lyle Beltimore,” Yernen grumbled in a half-asleep voice, still irritated from having just woken up.

“What?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? I should be asking you that. What are you doing in my room this early in the morning?”

Lyle, uninvited, had taken over the space next to Yernen, who had barely woken up.

“Did you forget about the contract we signed yesterday? I told you not to visit me without permission. Do you have a death wish?”

“Yernen, you seem to have forgotten one important detail.”

“What detail?”

“The contract we signed is a prenuptial agreement, meaning it only takes effect after the marriage.”

“…Damn it.”

“Exactly. Since we haven’t had the imperial wedding yet, it’s not valid at all. Besides, I became curious about my fiancé.”

“Hah.”

‘He’s trying to figure out who I am before the wedding,’ Yernen thought, immediately guessing Lyle’s intentions.

Yernen was right on target.

Lyle, who initially intended to wait until the ‘calm adjustment period,’ became increasingly intrigued when Yernen mentioned it first. He was now driven by curiosity to uncover the true identity of the person occupying Yernen’s body.
No matter how it happened, the person inside Yernen’s body would inevitably gain wealth and power—after all, they would become the Empress of the Empire. Given the divine bloodline, they would hold rights equal to, if not surpassing, the Emperor’s.

But who, in their right mind, would give all that up, saying they didn’t care about power and offering to fulfill everyone else’s desires in exchange for being left alone? Lyle’s curiosity was piqued. That’s why he had made time, despite his busy schedule, to meet Yernen early in the morning.

Now that the contract was signed, there was no turning back. With just four months until the wedding, Lyle had decided to uncover the truth about the person inside Yernen’s body.

“I’m also curious about why you seem to hate me,” Lyle added.

Yernen shot him a look of irritation.

This behavior was unexpected. Yernen knew Lyle to be the type who would submit to him but act with haughty dignity around others. Yet in the years that had passed, Lyle had turned into a common dog, eager to please anyone. Yernen couldn’t help but wonder how many people Lyle had shown this side to. The mere thought made his blood boil.

“Enough.”

It was clear that telling him to leave wouldn’t work.

‘No need to waste energy on this. I’ll humor him for a bit, and he’ll leave.’

Resigning himself, Yernen cursed himself for forgetting to add a clause that the contract would take effect immediately upon signing. He sighed and headed to the bathroom.