Claimed By The Tyrant King

Cedric’s eyelids fluttered, his vision clouded as he stared blankly at the ceiling above him.

He blinked several times, trying to focus, but every attempt sent a dull ache through his head as his body had only just regained consciousness after lying asleep for so many days.

Even the simple act of keeping his eyes open felt exhausting.

The sound of hurried footsteps drew his attention before someone suddenly appeared beside him, and as the woman moved closer, he slowly turned his head in her direction.

He tried to focus on her face, but no matter how hard he tried, it remained hazy before his eyes.

Only the dark strands of her hair stood out clearly enough for him to recognize.

His body felt unbelievably weak, perhaps weaker than it had ever been in his entire life, and even lifting a finger felt like a difficult task.

Then he felt warm fingers wrap around his hand, and although he couldn’t properly make out the woman’s features, he sensed the overwhelming relief pouring from her.

He could hear the sound of quiet sobs, followed by soft laughter that broke through the tears, and it seemed she hadn’t even realized she was crying because both emotions came pouring out at once.

She held onto his hand as though she feared letting go would cause him to disappear, and after repeating his name with a trembling voice, she leaned closer.

"Cedric... Can you hear me?" she asked softly, her fingers tightening around his.

Cedric parted his lips, wanting to answer her immediately, but no sound came at first.

His throat felt painfully dry, and the effort of forcing even a single word out was far greater than he had imagined. He tried again, but only the faintest breath escaped him.

"..."

He wanted to tell her that he could hear her.

He wanted to reassure her that she didn’t have to cry anymore because he had finally opened his eyes, yet his body didn’t want to cooperate no matter how desperately he tried.

Even though he hadn’t yet realized that the woman beside him was Rebecca, he could already tell from the way she clung to his hand and the tremble in her voice that she had been waiting a very long time for this moment, and somehow, despite the haze clouding his mind, he didn’t want her to worry anymore.

Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something important, Rebecca gasped quietly before releasing his hand and hurriedly turning away.

Cedric’s eyes instinctively followed her retreating figure, although the movement made his vision blur even more. His brows knitted together faintly as confusion settled in, and he tried to lift his head, but he didn’t have the strength.

"Wait..." he called weakly, yet the word came out no louder than a whisper and disappeared into the quiet room before it could reach her.

Meanwhile, Rebecca hurried into the corridor until she spotted one of the palace servants passing by, and she immediately stopped her.

"Quickly, fetch the physician and also inform Their Majesties that the Lord Commander is awake," she said, unable to hide the hope trembling in her voice.

The maid’s eyes widened in surprise because everyone in the palace knew about Cedric’s condition, and hearing that he had finally regained consciousness filled her with relief.

Without wasting another second, she lowered her head respectfully before hurrying off to carry out Rebecca’s orders as quickly as possible.

Rebecca didn’t linger in the corridor either. She turned at once and hurried back into the chamber, her heart still beating so hard that she could hear it in her ears.

Although she had waited countless days for this very moment, she suddenly found herself at a loss, unsure of what she was supposed to do now that it had finally arrived.

Returning to Cedric’s bedside, she carefully took his hand once more and offered him a reassuring smile, even though her own emotions were still threatening to overwhelm her.

"The physician will be here soon," she said gently. "You don’t have to worry."

Her voice was much calmer than before, yet there was still a faint tremor beneath it as she remembered the physician’s exact instructions. The moment Cedric opened his eyes, they were to send for him immediately and avoid overwhelming the patient until he had been examined.

As much as Rebecca wanted to say countless things... tell him how relieved everyone would be to know he had finally awakened, she held herself back and simply remained by his side, gently holding his hand while waiting for the physician to arrive.

Cedric used that quiet moment to steady his breathing, and with each slow breath he took, the haze before his eyes gradually began to clear. The outlines of the chamber slowly came into focus, and although everything still appeared faint, he could now distinguish the walls, the furniture.

His throat, however, felt unbearably dry, almost as though it had been stripped of all moisture, and every breath left it burning.

Rebecca noticed the way he swallowed with difficulty, and before the physician had even arrived, she quickly reached for the cup of water resting on the nearby table. Supporting the back of his head as gently as she could, she helped him sit up just enough before bringing the cup to his lips.

"Slowly," she murmured. "Don’t force yourself."

Cedric obediently took only a small sip, the cool water easing the dryness in his throat. He wanted to drink more, but the weakness weighing down his body reminded him that even something as simple as drinking required patience now.

Although the water soothed the dryness in his throat, his body still felt unbearably heavy. His vision continued to improve little by little, yet everything remained slightly blurred around the edges, and the light filling the chamber stung his eyes after so many months spent in darkness. Even so, he could now see the face around him well enough to know he wasn’t dreaming.

Rebecca lowered the cup after another careful sip before helping him rest comfortably against the pillows once more.

Not long afterward, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the chamber before the physician entered, still catching his breath from how quickly he had come.

"How long has he been awake?" the physician asked after exchanging quick greetings.

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