The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 58

 

The other end of the chain was now around Cedric’s wrists. 

 

‘As if shackles weren’t bad enough, now chains?’

 

Despite my internal screams, I tried to make sense of this situation.

 

But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t explain it logically. 

 

The only thing I could think of was that Cedric had finally come to his senses and let loose of the reins. 

 

‘Caliberne, please help me…’

 

More desperately than ever, I called out to her, but no answer came. 

 

Why does she always fail to appear when my life is most at risk?

 

‘Why doesn’t she always come at a time like this…’

 

Swallowing back the tears, I racked my brain. 

 

“Huh, where are you going?” 

 

Cedric asks again, his eyes seeming to glaze over. 

 

Hoping it was just an illusion, I answered nonchalantly, pretending to be unfazed. 

 

“It’s getting late, and I should probably get back to my quarters. I have training tomorrow…” 

 

“Well, you could stay up longer.”

 

“Oh, no. It’s okay.” 

 

When I flatly refused, Cedric scratched his head as if confused as to why I would do that. 

 

“What, you don’t like my bed? That’s why I made you sleep in it.” 

 

It’s a nice bed, but no one can sleep comfortably in chains. 

 

Part of me wanted to point that out, but I held back. 

 

“Well, Your Majesty, would you mind unlocking these, so I can go back to my room…?” I asked, sounding naturally casual.  

 

If he says, ‘Oh, you can’t,’ or ‘What are you talking about, this chain is one with you now,’ or any other crap like that, I’m just going to push him and run. 

 

I may not be the strongest, but if I give it my all, I’m more powerful, so I’ll be fine. 

 

“Anyway, if I can get a sword, I can cut it…”

 

I’ll cut him off with the sword on the wall and jump. 

 

I had just finished simulating this in my head when Cedric spoke up in a casual voice. 

 

“Oh, right, I’ll release you now. Time’s up.” 

 

What? He’s just going to untie me? 

 

He slipped a key from the table into the keyhole in the chain and obediently unlocked the chain. 

 

‘What?’

 

I stared at my free left hand and then at Cedric in surprise. 

 

“Oh, right. That’s from Rukia. You must have been sleeping and didn’t hear the explanation.” 

 

“Rukia?” 

 

No, she’d brought me this weird thing for something this time. 

 

“It’s made of a special metal. They say it’s a very good conductor of magic.”

 

“Huh? So…” 

 

“If you wear it and hold onto my hand, I’m supposed to be able to reliably channel more magic than usual.” 

 

Cedric explained, unlocking his wrists from the chains as well. 

 

“And there won’t be any sparks flying from the unstable magic on contact.” 

 

“Oh… I see. They made it right after they got back?” 

 

“Yep. I guess it bothered her. So, they started tinkering with it to see if there was anything they could do, and they made this as a makeshift.” 

 

“Wow, they made this in just a few hours. They worked hard. “

 

“They said, well, it can’t be helped that it looks like this. She said, don’t worry about it, just use them.” 

 

Cedric looked down at the golden chains that looked like very long handcuffs. 

 

‘I was in a bit of a rush last time… ‘

 

How had I gotten so used to shackles and chains when I’d never committed a crime in my life? 

 

‘At least it didn’t make Cedric go crazy…’ 

 

I breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

[Ciel, I’m back, wow, what an abomination.] 

 

Just then, Caliberne’s voice echoed in my head.

 

‘Caliberne, where have you been?’

 

[Just a quick trip. What’s this waiting for, anyway? Did the Emperor bring it?]

 

‘Uh… It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later when I get to my room.’ 

 

Cedric placed the chains in the luxurious velvet box that Rukia had presumably given him and called me. 

 

“Ciel, is your wrist okay?” 

 

“Yes?”

 

I looked at my wrist and saw a faint red mark. 

 

Cedric, seeing it from the side, frowned, “Oh, no, it’s too tight. I’ll have to put a cloth over it next time.” 

 

He stood up and went to the cabinet, returning with a small pouch. 

 

“Let’s put some medicine on it.” 

 

“With only these marks?”

 

I said in surprise, but Cedric had already opened the pouch and pulled out the ointment. 

 

“Here, your hand.” 

 

“I don’t think you need to do that, and besides, your marks are darker than mine.” 

 

“If you don’t, I won’t.”

 

With that, I held out my hand. 

 

Cedric meticulously applied the ointment, even though I could have done it myself.

 

‘Maybe it’s because I hurt myself earlier.’

 

He seemed a little more attentive than usual because I had become sensitive to injuries. 

 

That made me realize that I should be careful not to hurt myself for a while. 

 

“It’s a shame because I kind of liked the chain.” 

 

Wait, what did I just hear? 

 

What the hell does he mean by ‘I liked the chain’?

 

Does he mean he secretly liked Rukia’s chains? 

 

“Your Majesty? What did you just say?” 

 

“Oh, nothing.” 

 

Cedric grinned, scooping up the ointment with his fingers. 

 

When he finished applying it to my wrist, he did the same to his own, then stood and stuffed the finished salve back into his pocket. 

 

“You know.”

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“Princess Persephine contacted me while we were sleeping earlier.” 

 

My eyes widened at that. 

 

“Really? What did she say?” 

 

” Just asking if we could have a cup of tea together.” 

 

“That’s great.” 

 

It didn’t mean she disliked Cedric, at least not enough to let Persephine talk to him first.

 

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen with the original male lead right next to her, but…’ 

 

Nope…

 

Even if the male lead himself was there, it doesn’t mean Cedric has no chance. 

 

Regardless of that, the princess might develop a crush on Cedric over tea. And he might end up falling for her instead of me.

 

And perhaps they’ll fall in love and marry. 

 

That would be great, or not, as long as Cedric doesn’t do something terrible to Persephine or start a war. 

 

‘He’s supposed to talk to me before he starts a war to invade, and in the case of Persephine, I told him so, and everything should be okay.’

 

I was relieved to hear that. 

 

Cedric, however, looked unhappy about something.  

 

“Ciel, did you think anything of the fact that I was having tea with someone else?” 

 

“What? Uh… I just think it might be a good opportunity.” 

 

“What opportunity?” 

 

“An opportunity for His Majesty to get acquainted with the princess.” 

 

But Cedric still didn’t understand. 

 

“The princess is a good person, though you probably don’t understand that now, even if I tried to explain it to you…” 

 

“Yeah, I don’t know.” 

 

“In any case, as your servant, I’m glad you’re finding someone good.” 

 

“You’re the only good person I need,” Cedric said, clasping my hand.  

 

Staring at him, I eventually kept my mouth shut.

 

‘Yeah, maybe for now.’

 

There was no point in trying to convince him if he couldn’t make up his mind yet. 

 

‘Maybe he’ll change his mind after a cup of tea soon.’

 

So take things slow. I reminded myself not to be impatient.

 

⚔️

 

A man and woman sat together in the center of the immaculate white hall. 

 

Persephine was as beautiful as ever, but she still looked a little under the weather as she was being carried by Felix.

 

Still, she seemed to have the strength to sit upright at the table and drink her tea.

 

Cedric was, well, gorgeous and handsome as usual.

 

‘If he’s got that clean-cut face and manners, Cedric can’t be beaten by Felix.’

 

I thought as I looked at Felix, standing like a stone at the entrance to the hall. It seemed he had come to the entrance of the hall to escort Persephine.

 

Cedric had not brought an escort, perhaps because Paul was waiting outside the door.

 

I only came out to see how their tea session was going.

 

So I stood in a blind spot by the pillar where Felix couldn’t see me, and spied Cedric and Persephine through the window.

 

‘Oh, Cedric is talking to her first.’

 

Cedric was the first to offer her a plate of cookies with a friendly smile, for Persephine, who had come to the Empire and seemed a bit suspicious.

 

Stunned and dumbfounded, Persephine took a small cookie from his plate and ate it. 

 

‘Aww, they’re kind of cute…’

 

As she munched on the cookie like a squirrel, she seemed to relax for a moment. 

 

Then Cedric spoke to her again, and this time she answered him without looking away. 

 

After the process was repeated a few times, Persephine began to look at Cedric with a more relaxed expression, instead of just staring at the floor as she had when she first entered the hall. 

 

‘Oh, is this a green light?’

 

I clapped my hands silently so they wouldn’t hear me. 

 

The mood seemed to be good, and I knew we’d be fine. 

 

‘Kyaah! Look at those faces. It’s nice seeing those two together.’

 

Just as I was enjoying myself, having a little more fun than usual, someone put a hand on my shoulder. 

 

“Captain Minerva, what are you doing here?”