The Tyrant's Happy Ending - Chapter 8.8

Norenz was startled by a knock on the door to his office in the middle of the night and opened it.

“What… is going on?”

The one standing outside was the knight of the new bl00d, Teneth Trigia, whom I had seen during the day.

“…I stopped by because I thought I had a headache.”

“Head… you say?”

“Okay.”

“… Come in.”

If it were any other way, I wouldn’t have let him in… But he was the one who had been with me on the island a little while ago. He was another comrade who knew the secret of boating. Now that we’re about to become brothers-in-law, isn’t it okay to give him this much convenience?

However, Norenz, who was feeling aggrieved for no reason, grumbled that he was a noble person who served the emperor and that he was not someone who would give medicine and treatment to mere nobles.

And Lorenz, who had sent the other disciples away early to tell them that he was the only one left and was taking out the medicine, did not see Tenes reach out and grab a small locket pendant that was placed on the corner of the table.

On a dark night when not even the moon had risen, Tenes rowed a small boat, leaning on it. The surroundings were so dark that he couldn’t even distinguish a vague shape, so he couldn’t tell if he was making good progress.

But somehow, he felt like this was the right path. Although the path to his destination was shrouded in darkness and he couldn’t see even an inch ahead, Tenes’s mind, making waves on the black lake, was now clearer than ever.

Yeah, that was correct.

This was the typical Teneth Trigia behavior.

“… … .”

I ignored Yernen’s pain, thinking that this was the right path. I ignored Yernen’s humiliation, thinking that this was the way to live.

But no matter how much he repeated that, the image of Yernen writhing in pain would not leave Tenes’ mind.

For the past two months, Tenes had lived without him, feeling as if he was inhaling shards of glass with every breath, and the headaches were so severe that he couldn’t come to his senses.
And finally, today, Tenes had to admit that he couldn’t live like that, abandoning his beliefs.

This would be a betrayal of his family, his vassals. It would be an unforgivable sin against all those he had to care for. But even so, he was a fool who could not live without serving the one he had chosen.

Tenes recalled the day he first saw Yernen. He could not help but recognize the rumored youngest prince at a glance.

Surrounded by noble children of the same age, Yernen was a being that shone brighter than anyone else.

Emperor Baynon wrapped his arms around Tenes’ shoulders as he stood from afar, looking at Yernen. He asked him to become Yernen’s knight.

Since it was the Emperor’s words that were as heavenly as heaven, Tenes paid respect to Bayen, saying that he would serve him with all his heart. After becoming Yernen’s playmate, he constantly recalled the Emperor’s words that he would one day become his knight to protect him.

It certainly was that way at first. It was just a duty for Tenes.

But while living with Yernen, Tenes learned from Yernen how to cherish his people. He learned that those who deal with politics and power must follow the law and morality. And he learned that those in power must be more just than anyone else.

That is why Tenes decided to be with Yernen and become his knight by his own choice, and to serve him as his lord. And unfortunately, Tenes Trigia was a very old-fashioned man who could not even think of changing his lord once he had sworn allegiance to him.

Thump.

The ship hit something. Tenes knew intuitively that they had reached the island.

At the same time, Tenes recalled the last time he saw Yernen. The senator had said clearly. If he were left alone like this, he would go into shock and might not be able to survive the night.

It couldn’t be left that way. Tenes… didn’t want the lord he had chosen to die.

* * *

“Hah.”

His body was as cold as ice, but the warmth of his exhaled breath was as hot as fire.

After sending Harriet away, she lay there in that position, completely unable to move, but Yernen knew that she had to move her body.

It was dangerous to continue like this. I had to get up and light a fire. Otherwise, I might really die this time.

“Sh1t.”

It was funny. Even after suffering such humiliation and living such a miserable life, he still didn’t want to die.

A drop or two of tears fell from under my hot, motionless eyelids.

“Ah….”

“It hurts.”

It hurts. It hurts so badly. But it hurt so much that I couldn’t even say it hurts.

Every day I lived felt like I was going to die, but honestly, I’ve never been in more pain than today.

“Am I going to die like this?”

I never imagined that I would die like this. But even so, in a corner of my heart, even though I had lived without any regrets, I still thought that someone would come to save me.
It’s like a life-size statue.

Squeak.

No one came to save me, like an idiot. I’ve been waiting for someone for a really long time.

Yes, that blue-eyed, sparkling, sly fellow would come. Yernen had sincerely hoped so.

“In the end, he didn’t come.”

Yernen barely lifted his weak hand and felt the back of his neck. There was nothing to feel.

Now there was nothing that could remind him of the guy. The feeling was so sad that Yernen crouched down a little more. And then, someone lifted Yernen up.

“…!”

Yernen flinched in surprise. But his body was so weak that he couldn’t even fight back. He barely managed to open his hazy eyes, but his vision was blurry and he couldn’t see anything.
At that moment, a voice was heard.

“Majesty.”

‘Tennessee… Trizia.’

He held Yernen tightly, almost crushing him, for a long time. Yernen did not resist. Not only did he not have the strength to resist, but his body temperature began to drop rapidly, as if he would really die without the slight warmth he was receiving.

“Ugh… .”

I felt nauseous as my body temperature suddenly dropped.
Yernen covered his mouth with his weak hand and crouched down.

“Majesty…?”

Tenes also quickly noticed Yernen’s strange symptoms.
He quickly lifted a thin mattress on an iron frame and placed it next to the fireplace, then put Yernen down. He wrapped the cloak I was wearing around him and brought all the blankets and covered Yernen with them. Then he quickly lit a fire in the fireplace.

Yernen barely managed to hold on to his lifeline, shivering from the warmth. Tenes knelt down beside him and continued to rub Yernen’s icy hands and feet.

How much time had passed like that? Finally, Yernen’s body temperature began to rise little by little. And only then was Yernen able to look at Tenes’ face completely.

When Yernen came to his senses a little, Tenes asked him the question that had been on his mind for two months.

“What on earth… is going on? Why is Your Majesty here?”
Yernen just made a bitter face at that question. He couldn’t answer. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the energy, but rather that there had been too many stories to explain everything.

And seeing Yernen’s attitude, Tenes arbitrarily interpreted what was happening to Yernen based on the information he had obtained while staying by Harriet’s side for two months. However, his interpretation was not much different from the truth.

“Your Majesty, did you make it like this…?”

“…okay.”

Yernen whispered in a small voice that seemed ready to break at any moment.

Anger rose on his stone-faced face, which was usually expressionless. Tenes said, his whole body shaking with anger.

“I want to kill Your Majesty.”

“…what…?”

Tenes recalled the day he first met Yernen on this island. The nobles were treating his body, which bore the marks of abuse here and there, as if it were a toy. Everyone seemed so natural. As if they had been committing violence for a long time.
The person he treasured so much.

Tenes, who clenched his fists, looked around. He was Yernen’s playmate. But everyone knew that he was Yernen’s footman. That’s why he knew. That Yernen had been raised with such pampering that he couldn’t even unbutton his own buttons or tie his own shoelaces.

Isn’t it true that they threw such a person into such a poor place and made him live without even a single servant? As if that wasn’t enough, they injected poison into his body and left him behind, as if they wanted him to die.