If a Tyrant Becomes a Father

When the fleeting light disappeared, I found myself outside the water. The cold wind touched my skin, and my feet dangled in the air.

As the seawater that had entered my eyes, nose, and mouth drained out, I coughed. Something tightly coiled around my waist, gripping me firmly. Overwhelmed by the stinging and spicy sensation, I hung onto whatever held me, not knowing how to react.

The light flashed again, and this time, my feet touched the ground. Soft sand clung to my bare feet, liberated from the lost shoes.

“Ugh, haa!”

Pouring out a handful of seawater, I collapsed onto the sand. However, before my body could fully sprawl over the sand, someone pulled me up.

“Not yet.”

I lifted my head at the rough voice mixed with labored breaths. Lucerne, soaked in seawater, was panting, gripping my arm. Despite his disheveled appearance, his expression remained calm. After catching his breath for a moment, he spoke again.

 

“We need to go further.”

Nodding with difficulty, I managed to recompose myself. Lucerne tightened his grip on my arm, and we teleported multiple times. We covered a distance noticeably shorter than from the Yellow Castle, and even that seemed reduced to just a few steps later on.

When an old house-like structure appeared in the darkness, I grabbed Lucerne’s clothing.

“Stop. Please stop. You’re too exhausted. I can walk this distance; it’s okay.”

However, Lucerne clasped my body to his chest, preventing me from standing upright, and in an instant, we teleported again. From in front of a collapsed wall to the tilted door, then inside the room cluttered with fragments of worn-out fabric and straw.

The strong hand that held me was finally released, and I sank to the floor.

Compared to the Rock Isle, the house was significantly smaller. Abandoned furniture scattered throughout, the actual space to step was much narrower than the Rock Isle.

 

I shook my body, trying to warm myself up. The floor of the untouched house in early winter was cold, and the magic of the children had long disappeared.

“Lu, Lucerne. How did you find your way here? And Geo, where is Geo?”

Collis had said it was a place prepared with great care. Lucerne wasn’t as skilled in teleportation magic as her, so I didn’t expect him to find me so quickly. But how did he manage to come for me this fast?

I was curious about Geo’s safety. I wondered if he had been hurt while trapped inside the bead.

“Lucerne?”

There was no answer. Lucerne, stumbling, found a large piece of cloth that seemed to be a past blanket among the straw. He spread the straw evenly and placed the cloth on top.

He gently embraced me as I slumped down.

 

“Ah! Wait… just a moment. I can manage on my own…!”

With a precarious expression, Lucerne, as vulnerable as a candle flame about to be extinguished, gently placed me on the blanket. His face, barely visible, brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to my face as he struggled to speak.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Lucerne!”

His large body collapsed beside me. I was startled, quickly got up, and supported Lucerne. His usually pale cheeks were now flushed, and even his touch felt warm.

“Oh my, Lucerne. Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine. Just a bit tired from using too much magic.”

 

“You don’t look fine at all.”

“I am really fine. I’ll feel better after a good nap. How about you? Did anything bad happen to you while I was gone, like someone treating you poorly?”

“Thanks to your magic and the children’s, nothing happened to me.”

“Good. Fortunately.”

“Can you wait for a moment? There’s a dry cloth under that table. I’ll bring it, and maybe I can help you dry your hair.”

“Geo…”

At the sudden mention of Geo, Lucerne stopped abruptly.

“Geo is safe. As soon as you and my sister disappeared, he went back to the Yellow Castle and left himself in the care of Dipeume . He seemed a bit worn, with some scratches and lacking energy, but there was no harm to his life. So, don’t worry too much.”

Alright… It’s alright. I knew Lucerne would take good care of things. Relief washed over me, and my chest swelled with gratitude.

Lucerne grabbed my wrist. Following his lead, I placed the back of my hand against his cheek. The once cold skin now felt warm.

“Don’t worry about my wet hair. Just stay here. Your hands feel cool and refreshing.”

“But… “

“Now is not the time for you to worry. You seem to be shivering uncontrollably.”

Honestly, it was cold. Wet clothes weighed me down, and the salt-tinged water stung my skin. I wanted nothing more than to strip off all my clothes, wrap myself in the tablecloth, and burrow into the straw.

But I couldn’t say that.

I had been under magical protection the entire time, only briefly submerged in water. Lucerne must have traveled from the Tower of Sorcery, where I had no idea how far away it was, to reach this place. He would have searched for me, struggling to cast unfamiliar spells.

He must have gone through so much. Despite his assurance, I knew it wasn’t okay. The fact that he couldn’t perform even simple magic to dry me off or warm me up was evidence enough.

Lucerne was in a state of exhaustion, where even casting basic spells seemed difficult.

As I remained silent, Lucerne’s black eyelashes trembled. Slowly, his eyelids, as if lifting a heavy object, opened. His opal-colored eyes, unfocused and dazed, slowly rolled to find me.

“If you’re disappointed, I apologize. Just a moment, a very short moment. Once I recover, I’ll use magic to warm you up.”

“I’m not disappointed. Please don’t say such things.”

His gem-like eyes shook, emitting a strange light.

“Well then… luckily.”

Lucerne, as if expelling a heavy breath, closed his eyes again.

Through the gap in the open window, the soothing sound of waves entered. The threatening noise that seemed ready to devour me earlier had now turned into a gently continuing melody.

The parts of me that touched Lucerne—my hand on his cheek and his hand gripping my wrist—gradually warmed up. Despite the overall chill, those specific points, in contact with him, strangely grew hotter.

I quietly gazed at the beautiful face buried in the worn blanket. Despite the fatigue and hardship, there was a calm expression that seemed relieved.

Only then did I feel relieved too.

Both Geo and I were safe. It was incredibly fortunate.

I reached out my index finger and swept it along Lucerne’s jawline, feeling the tension in the muscles that had relaxed a bit.

Lucerne slowly opened his eyes again and looked at me. His pupils still lacked focus, but there was more strength in them than before.

“When you and my sister disappeared, I was afraid I might go mad… I understood. I almost became the crazed tyrant from the stories you read.”

“Really? Were you very worried?”

“Isn’t it natural? I’m relieved that you’re unharmed. If you had a single injury on your body, I wouldn’t have forgiven Sister or myself.”

Having finished his response, Lucerne half-closed his eyes and lifted his chin. It felt like the affectionate gesture of a pleased puppy asking for more attention.

“…With magic protecting you, I knew Sister couldn’t harm you easily. I was anxious and fearful. Worried that, despite knowing magic would keep you safe, I still feared for your well-being.”

As the pleasant words continued, my heart ached. The mention of almost going mad and being worried was painful.

It was all directed toward Astia. Lucerne liked Astia.

Tears threatened to fall. My head was frozen from the cold, making it difficult to think or judge normally. That’s why, contrary to what I would have usually done, I asked today.

“Do you like Astia that much?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Even though you know that magic protects her, you flew here so hastily, fearing that Astia might be injured. Astia is a deceased person, and you know that the essence is not Astia, yet, she still looks like Astia on the outside.”

Lucerne fell silent for a moment and then said, “You think I love Astia?”

“Isn’t it natural? You love Astia more than anything in the world.”

“…”

Lucerne, after taking a short breath, lazily blinked his eyes.

“I’ve wanted to ask you something for a while.”

“Speak.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

 

It was a question that didn’t require any thought.

“No, I’m not afraid.”

Except for when we first met, Lucerne was not someone I feared. He was often adorable and occasionally pitiable. He was someone who filled my heart and the first person I came to like.

To my response, Lucerne smiled wryly.

“You don’t hesitate.”

“There’s no need to hesitate with that question.”

“If you’re not afraid, why did you stay by my side?”

“…What? What are you talking about?”

My staying by Lucerne’s side was because he wanted it. It wasn’t that I disliked it, but I had no right to refuse or choose.

After a moment of contemplation, Lucerne furrowed his brow.

“…I forgot for a moment. I’m sorry. You didn’t have a choice.”

I only lowered my eyes instead of responding.

“If I were to let you go, what would you do?”

It was a poignant question.

Even if I had the choice, I wanted to stay by Lucerne’s side. Even if I had to mimic Astia’s appearance, even if she was the opposite of me, I wanted to linger by his side. But can I be honest about my true feelings? Can I confess that it’s not the real Astia but me, Hyerim, who desires Lucerne? Because of the chill in my heart, not my body, my lips trembled.

Lucerne, who was waiting for a response, closed his eyes as if exhausted.

“Are you not going to tell me?”

His voice lacked any strength.

What am I doing? He, who went to great lengths to protect me, even risking discord with his sister, came looking for me in such distress. I fear that my feelings might cause harm, afraid that I won’t be able to answer the question while being consumed by jealousy. With a sound like creeping vines, I managed to answer, my lips barely moving.

“I won’t go. If I can, I will stay by your side forever.”

Lucerne opened his eyes and looked at me. His face expressed a deep emotion, whether it was joy or sadness was unclear. His opal-colored eyes sparkled brightly.

“Why?”

“I… because I like you. Because I like you, that’s why.”