The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 102

The needle of the measuring device, which had always been tilted far to the right, beyond the scale, moved to the left.  

 

At some point, the needle stopped moving and remained steady, pointing consistently to one spot.  

 

Though my mana was still above average, it was a significant improvement compared to when it had become unstable after the expedition and the attack.  

 

[It’s almost a miracle. I thought it might improve if you stayed close to that Emperor, but I never imagined it would get this much better…]  

 

Caliberne had hinted at it before.  

 

But I had feared that Cedric’s body might not withstand the powerful lightning strikes and could die. That’s why I had avoided contact until now.  

 

[I thought he wouldn’t even be able to endure it, but wow…]  

 

At that moment, Cedric took my hand and peeled off the glove, which had been scorched in several places by the lightning.  

 

As my bare skin, long confined by the glove, was exposed, I felt the cool air.  

 

Cedric clasped my hand tightly with his own bloodied hands.  

 

And yet, nothing happened.  

 

“Thank goodness. It seems to have worked.”  

 

Cedric’s face, now covered in scratches from the lightning, softened as he spoke with relief.  

 

Then, a comment Rukia had made earlier flashed through my mind.  

 

— ‘That’s why I think more intimate contact might be necessary…’  

 

After examining me, whose mana had been so unstable, he had said that to Cedric and me.  

 

At the time, he had given the example of kissing on the cheek as a form of intimate contact.  

 

‘Then the most intimate contact would naturally be… kissing.’  

 

So that’s why my mana stabilized.  

 

“I’ve been thinking for a while. If I could endure it, kissing you would probably be the most effective.”  

 

Cedric smiled warmly as he spoke. But his arms, soaked in blood, were in no condition to be smiling.  

 

Finally coming to my senses, I quickly sat him down on the bed in the corner of the cell.  

 

“Let’s get you treated first. You’ve lost too much blood…”  

 

“Ciel, I’m not in much pain. It’s really nothing.”  

 

“No, let’s get you treated first, then we’ll talk!”  

 

I tore the bedsheet to provide emergency treatment and told Cedric I’d call the guard and the medical team right away, asking him to wait a moment.  

 

Just as I was about to run out of the cell, he grabbed my hand.  

 

“Just one thing.”  

 

In my haste to rush out, I stopped at the sight of his earnest gaze.  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t misunderstand—”  

 

Cedric looked up at me and spoke, “It wasn’t just for treatment. You know that, right?”  

 

“…”  

 

I was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.  

 

As I scrambled to find the right words in my head, Cedric beat me to it with a smile.  

 

“I like you. Isn’t it about time you realized that?”  

 

His words completely froze my thoughts.  

 

“Uh, uh…”  

 

I had vaguely sensed it, but hearing the confession directly from him felt entirely different.  

 

“You’re really confused, aren’t you? I’m not asking for an answer right now.”  

 

Cedric, seeing me frozen, got up from the bed and approached me.  

 

“I just wanted you to know.”  

 

Then, he lightly kissed my cheek and smiled.

 

💫

 

I was worried that Cedric’s arms or body might have been seriously damaged from the intense lightning strike, but thankfully, it wasn’t life-threatening.  

 

That’s not to say the wounds weren’t deep, though.  

 

“By the way, this is truly… a miracle.”  

 

Dr. Dalton, who had examined Cedric and me, spoke. He described the situation as a miracle in two ways.  

 

First, my mana condition, which had shown no signs of improvement, had miraculously stabilized after kissing Cedric.  

 

Now, I could interact with others besides Cedric without any issues.  

 

Caliberne also mentioned that my current state was similar to when I was younger, before my mana overflow worsened, when just holding Cedric’s hand for five minutes a day kept me healthy.  

 

Second, Cedric had endured the powerful lightning strikes generated by my mana without any protective gear.  

 

Though there was no permanent damage, Cedric’s hands and arms were completely battered after coming into contact with me.  

 

He had endured pain that an ordinary person couldn’t have, all to save me.  

 

“Anyway, your mana condition has improved significantly. In fact, it seems to be getting better over time, so I think it might stabilize even more soon.”  

 

“So in the future…”  

 

Cedric asked nervously, and Dr. Dalton nodded in response.  

 

“As long as there are no major issues, maintaining regular, brief contact with His Majesty should keep things stable.”  

 

My heart raced at those words.  

 

A wave of joy filled me, and I felt like I might cry from happiness.  

 

“Ciel, I’m so glad…”  

 

Cedric, his arm wrapped in bandages, draped it over my shoulder and pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice slightly choked.  

 

“I’m really glad.”  

 

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and gently patted his back. I felt relieved that I could finally give this wonderful person the happy ending I had longed for.  

 

And I was grateful that I could stay by his side.

 

💫

 

“Cedric, I heard about the Captain.”  

 

Kashuel, still not fully recovered, approached Cedric.  

 

Cedric set down his quill and looked up at him.  

 

“Yeah. Thankfully, her condition has improved a lot. She doesn’t have to stay locked up in the prison anymore.”  

 

At those words, Kashuel lowered his gaze and nodded.  

 

“That’s good…”  

 

His voice sounded relieved. But there was an inexplicable sadness lingering in his tone.  

 

“Cedric.”  

 

Hearing Kashuel call his name in a calm voice, Cedric furrowed his brow slightly.  

 

But he didn’t interrupt, quietly waiting for Kashuel to continue.  

 

“There’s something I want to ask you.”  

 

“…Go ahead.”  

 

Cedric, unusually compliant, encouraged Kashuel to ask the question he had been holding onto.  

 

“…Did you kiss Captain Minerva yesterday?”  

 

“What?”  

 

Cedric was taken aback by the unexpected question.  

 

But instead of immediately confirming, he looked at Kashuel, who was staring at him intently with emerald eyes, and calmly replied,  

 

“You saw, didn’t you?”  

 

Kashuel, still looking down, clenched his fists slightly.  

 

‘I knew it.’  

 

Kashuel, who had gone to check on Ciel’s mana condition in place of the Marquis Lauren, who was occupied with other matters, had witnessed Cedric and Ciel together in the cell.  

 

Knowing full well how unstable Ciel’s mana had become, to the point of fatally injuring anyone she came into contact with, Kashuel had initially tried to pull Cedric away from her.  

 

But soon, he realized the two were kissing, and from that moment, he couldn’t move.  

 

Surprisingly, the blue sparks that had been flickering around Ciel’s body gradually subsided.  

 

‘Could it be that the kiss stabilized her mana?’  

 

Kashuel hadn’t entirely dismissed the possibility that it could be a solution.  

 

But for the person making contact with Ciel, it was akin to risking their life, so that option had been off the table from the start.  

 

Yet Cedric had willingly staked his life and chosen the option Kashuel hadn’t considered.  

 

“I noticed traces of someone coming and going near the prison, but I didn’t think it was you.”  

 

Cedric spoke, his crimson eyes, like camellia petals, fixed on Kashuel. His eyes were as clear and vivid as ever.  

 

“There’s one more thing I want to ask.”  

 

“Go ahead.”  

 

“…How did you endure it?”  

 

Kashuel asked, looking at the bandages wrapped around Cedric’s hands.  

 

“You endured minutes of pain that tore your skin to shreds.”  

 

Kashuel’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.  

 

‘Why couldn’t I do that?’  

 

The thought lingered in Kashuel’s mind.