Serpent Emperor's Bride Chapter 199: “As Malik Wishes”

[Eastern Zahryssar — Imperial Encampnt — Sunset]

By sunset the imperial encampnt had finally begun moving.

Thousands of imperial banners rose beneath crimson desert skies while armored serpent knights escorted the royal convoy westward toward Silthara.

The sands trembled beneath imperial carriages, mage wagons, and endless serpent soldiers. Yet despite the massive procession, an unsettling silence lingered throughout the empire’s ranks.

Because everyone knew sothing had changed. The dead crown prince had returned, and Zahryssar no longer felt stable.

At the center of the imperial convoy, the black imperial carriage carrying Levin moved silently between endless rows of serpent knights. Blue silk curtains shifted softly beneath the desert winds while distant imperial banners danced beneath the fading sky.

anwhile, inside the carriage, silence ruled—not peaceful silence but a painful silence. Levin remained seated quietly near the carriage window. One elbow is resting against the fra, blue eyes distant.

Thoughts tangled endlessly: too many questions, too many secrets, and too many truths refusing to align together.

Slyvarakh, Sarash, the necklace, the hidden history, and the acting emperor, but sohow none of those things disturbed Levin as much as the person sitting directly across from him now.

Zerat.

The emperor sat opposite him in complete silence, golden eyes fixed outside the carriage window, not once glancing toward Levin and not once reaching toward him.

anwhile below them, Lyresaph and Asha slept quietly together across the imperial carpets. Completely unaware that their masters’ world was beginning to collapse.

Levin quietly watched Zerat afterward, and slowly a heaviness settled deeper inside his chest as his fingers tightened slightly against his robes.

’What is wrong with him...? Is he worried because of Slyvarakh?’

That thought lingered painfully because ever since Slyvarakh returned, Zerat had begun distancing himself, quietly and carefully.

As though preparing for sothing terrible. Then finally Levin softly spoke.

"...Zer."

Zerat’s golden eyes shifted toward him briefly, only briefly.

"Are you alright?"

Silence. Then the emperor quietly looked back outside the carriage again. "Yes."

That single word hurt more than anger because it sounded empty and distant, like soone already leaving, and Levin felt it instantly.

The distance, not the absence of love, because the love remained. Levin could still feel it, still see it hidden inside Zerat’s eyes.

But alongside it, sothing else existed now: danger. The kind Zerat could neither explain nor reveal.

Still, Levin tried reaching toward him, slowly and carefully, wanting to hold his hand, wanting to pull him closer, and wanting to remind him.

you are not alone.

But before his fingers could touch him, Zerat suddenly spoke.

"After we return to Silthara..." The emperor’s voice remained terrifyingly calm. "...you shall prepare to leave for Thalryn."

Levin froze completely. His hand stopped midair, and silence crashed violently through the carriage.

"...what?"

Zerat finally turned toward him fully afterward, and sohow his cold expression hurt more than fury ever could.

"We shall divorce, Consort."

Levin’s entire world stopped; the imperial carriage continued moving, the knights continued marching, and the desert winds continued howling outside.

Yet inside Levin, everything froze.

anwhile, Zerat continued speaking calmly as his golden eyes lowered slightly.

"I shall summon the temple priests personally. They will remove the markings to free you."

Silence.

"I hope...you will cooperate."

Cooperate. Not: stay, fight, ask why, or hate him. Only: cooperate.

Levin stared at him silently afterward, completely unable to breathe properly because he was confused, frightened, heartbroken, and carrying Zerat’s child.

And during a mont like this, when his body still carried their future, his husband was speaking of separation.

But sohow what hurt Levin most was not the divorce itself.

No. It was realizing Zerat had already decided to suffer alone. The emperor is worried about so upcoming danger.

Levin could see it clearly now, but instead of reaching toward him, Zerat was pushing him away. Trying desperately to fight sothing alone.

And that realization shattered Levin quietly from the inside. Then slowly, very slowly, Levin withdrew his hand completely. Turned toward the carriage window instead.

And softly said, "...as Malik wishes."

Silence...an absolute silence, and imdiately Zerat froze. Because perhaps deep inside he had expected anger, questions, tears, and refusal.

Not acceptance.

The emperor’s fingers subtly tightened afterward, almost painfully. Then quietly he continued:

"After crossing the western hills..." His voice weakened slightly for the first ti. "...you shall travel separately with another convoy."

Levin remained silent, still looking outside, still refusing to look at him now, and sohow that hurt Zerat far more than hatred would have.

Then finally the emperor spoke again, more carefully this ti. "The child will be—"

But Levin imdiately cut him off. "The child shall beco heir of House Veyrhold."

For the first ti, pain entered Levin’s voice openly. Then softly, almost breaking, he whispered:

"...I only hope you do not take my child away from too."

Silence.

Zerat visibly swallowed afterward, golden eyes darkening painfully, but no words ca out because the emperor of Zahryssar, the serpent feared across empires, suddenly found himself unable to speak before the person he loved most.

And outside the imperial carriage, the desert sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon.

As though even the skies themselves could no longer bear witnessing the tragedy unfolding inside.

***

[Midnight — Imperial Encampnt — Near the Western Hills]

Midnight settled heavily across the imperial encampnt.

The convoy had temporarily halted near the western hills, where massive dark cliffs surrounded the desert roads like ancient sleeping giants.

Above, the night sky stretched endlessly, filled with cold, beautiful, and silent stars. And throughout the encampnt, most serpent soldiers had already retreated toward their tents.

Only patrol guards and blue serpent flas remained awake beneath the cold winds. Near the edge of the hills, Zerat stood alone silently.

Silver robes drifting beneath the night breeze. Golden eyes fixed upward toward the endless stars unreadable and tired.

Then slowly footsteps approached from behind.

Sarash lowered himself respectfully afterward. "Malik."

Zerat did not respond imdiately. Sarash hesitated briefly then quietly asked, "...Malika Levin appears troubled. Have you already told him?"

Silence lingered afterward; only the desert winds answered. Then finally Zerat spoke softly as his golden eyes remained fixed upon the stars.

"I had no choice; Slyvarakh has returned."

The emperor’s voice lowered further afterward, darker and more dangerous. "And this ti...he will go to any lengths."

The blue serpent flas across the encampnt flickered violently beneath the midnight wind.

Sarash remained silent, listening carefully because, unlike the rest of Zahryssar, only a handful of serpents truly understood what Slyvarakh was capable of.

anwhile, Zerat slowly clenched his hands behind his back; his voice carried bitterness now.

"To the public...he may remain the Heaven-Blessed Emperor." A cold smile appeared briefly across the emperor’s face, humorless and painful as his golden eyes darkened.

"But the truth...the truth is sothing only we know."

Sarash visibly lowered his gaze because yes, they knew. Slyvarakh no longer feared death itself.

"The magic he possesses..." Zerat whispered quietly. "...will eventually destroy everything."

The night winds howled harder afterward. As though even the desert itself agreed, then slowly the emperor closed his eyes briefly, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded softer.

"As a husband...I must keep my consort and child safe."

Sarash imdiately looked upward afterward. Pain was visible across his pale eyes. "By hurting him? And by breaking him?"

Zerat visibly froze only briefly, but Sarash noticed. Then quietly the pale serpent asked: "Why not simply tell Malika everything?"

The emperor slowly exhaled afterward, long and exhausted. "Because...my consort would never leave my side."

A tiny and broken sad smile appeared across Zerat’s face. "He would stand beside even against death itself."

Sarash remained silent afterward because he knew that was true. Levin would never abandon Zerat willingly.

Never.

But that only made this tragedy worse. Then Zerat slowly looked downward, toward his own trembling hand.

"In two months...the egg shall be delivered."

For the first ti fear truly entered the emperor’s expression openly. "I cannot take risks anymore. I shall resolve everything myself."

A faint pause, then softly, almost desperately, he whispered, "...and afterward I shall bring him back."

A painful silence.

Then Sarash quietly asked the one question Zerat himself had been avoiding as his voice lowered carefully.

"...and if by then...it is already too late?"

Zerat had no answer. For several monts the emperor simply stood there silently beneath the endless stars, unable to speak and unable to promise anything. Because deep inside even he feared that possibility.

Then slowly Zerat turned slightly, and his golden eyes landed sowhere farther across the encampnt. There, standing alone beneath the silver moonlight, was Levin.

One hand rested gently over his abdon. The other brushed softly against the cold winds while he stared upward toward the sa night sky.

Alone..pletely alone.

And sohow that sight hurt Zerat more than war ever had. Then suddenly Levin slowly turned, and from across the distant camp, their eyes t.

Golden t blue eyes.

Hurt, distance, love, and unbearable silence. Neither moved, neither spoke. Yet thousands of unspoken words shattered between them anyway.

anwhile, Sarash quietly lowered his gaze because for the first ti in years, the emperor of Zahryssar looked completely helpless.

Then finally Zerat turned away first as though unable to endure the sight any longer. And quietly, almost like soone trying to convince himself—he whispered:

"...this is for the best."

But beneath the cold midnight stars, even the desert winds sounded unconvinced.