The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 13

A week had passed.

During that week, there were a few changes for Setz. First of all, the nosebleeds had completely stopped! This was thanks to the cotton swab soaked in herbal medicine that Raytan had provided. Now, even when Setz blew her nose, the bleeding didn’t return. Because of this, she no longer had to endure the miserable appearance of walking around with cotton stuffed up her nostrils.

Secondly, Setz had gained weight. And not just a little… but quite a bit. This, too, was due to Raytan. To be more precise, it was because of the cakes served during her tutoring sessions!

The strawberry cake Setz had on her first day of lessons at Lize’s palace was incredibly delicious. Even if that was the only cake served, she would have been more than satisfied. But the next day, she was greeted not just by strawberry cake but also by a tangy and sweet lemon cake and a rich chocolate cake.

The same thing happened the day after that. That day, she was welcomed by a huge muffin filled with cloud-like whipped cream and a fresh fruit cake decorated with an uncountable number of fruits. The menu changed every day. There was always so much that Setz occasionally had to leave some cake behind. When that happened, Mari would carefully pack up the leftovers for her. And she’d make a passing comment like this:

“I’m glad you like it. Lord Raytan asked me to take extra care, so we put in some effort.”

Setz couldn’t believe what Mari said, so she asked repeatedly. Mari just smiled slightly and gave the same answer each time—that it was indeed Raytan who had asked her to look after Setz!

The day she heard those words, Setz was so happy that she even danced when she returned to her quarters. Luna worriedly asked if she was feeling unwell again, but the point was that Setz was in an exceptionally good mood.

Lastly, the third change! Setz was spending a bit more time with Raytan. This was the most important and surprising change of all.

Before, they would part ways immediately after the tutoring session ended, but a few days ago, they even had dinner together. Of course, it was because Lize had invited them to join her for dinner, but still… for Setz, this was quite a significant improvement.

Raytan didn’t show any signs of dislike like he did during the banquet on his birthday, nor did he make any of his usual snide remarks about how silly she was. Well, at least not as much as before.

While it was Lize who arranged the dinner, the three of them never ate together as a group. Since the day Setz had encountered Lize on her first day in the new tutoring location, she hadn’t seen her since. She felt a bit worried, thinking Lize’s condition didn’t seem great the last time they met. So, she asked Raytan about it, inquiring if Lady Lize’s health was alright.

However, Raytan didn’t respond. He just pressed his lips together with a somewhat stiff expression. After that day, Setz decided not to bring up Lize’s name around Raytan.

Instead, she asked Mari about it. Mari, looking a little troubled, simply said, “She’s not feeling well, so she’s taking some rest.”

But there was one odd thing—despite Lize’s poor health, there wasn’t a single doctor visiting the palace.

The emperor might not like Raytan, but he adored Lize. So, if his cherished concubine were ill, why wouldn’t he send even a single physician? Setz found it strange but dismissed it, thinking perhaps she just hadn’t seen them.

Luna was still anxious that this secret tutoring might reach Yerna’s ears, fretting over the consequences. Seeing this, Setz started to think of ways to reach Lize’s palace without drawing too much attention.

After some thought, there was only one answer. She needed to go to the library much earlier than her usual tutoring time when there were fewer people in the palace, specifically in the early morning.

Setz asked Mari if it would be okay to arrive a bit earlier than their scheduled time, and Mari replied that Lize had already given her permission. Setz also informed Raytan about her plan. Although Raytan didn’t seem entirely pleased, he simply told her to do as she wished.

Thanks to this, Setz was in a great mood lately. Everything she had planned was going just as she wanted, and she was genuinely enjoying her Khazakian language studies.

“I’ll make sure to survive, and when I leave the palace someday, I’m sure this will come in handy,” she thought. So, Setz studied diligently, and Raytan, being quite a capable tutor, helped her improve day by day.

“Luna! I’m off now.”

Setz said to Luna as she packed a few books and notebooks. Luna, who had been bringing out more bread, looked at Setz with a worried expression.

“Please have a bit more before you go. You’ll surely get hungry…”

It was true that lately, Setz had been eating less for breakfast—about half of what she usually ate. The main reason was her concern that if she got too absorbed in eating, she might lose track of time. After all, she needed to reach Lize’s palace without being noticed, which meant setting out very early in the morning.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll probably end up eating snacks when I get there anyway. Besides, if I leave my stomach empty, I’ll be able to eat more once I get there, right?”

She said this to reassure Luna, but Luna’s expression became even more downcast. She had probably been worried all along about the fact that Setz’s meals weren’t anything special. Luna had made the same face when Setz brought back some cake the other day.

Setz knew exactly how Luna felt. Realizing her slip-up, she quickly tried to change the mood with a brighter tone.

“Besides, I’ve gained quite a bit of weight lately… so I should probably try to lose a little. That’s why I’m doing this.”

“…In that case, let me escort you to the palace. Please wait just a moment.”

“No, no, it’s alright. I’ll go by myself from today on. You’re tired too, Luna.”

“But what if you run into someone along the way…?”

“It’ll be fine. You’ve seen it yourself the past few days, right? Around this time, there’s no one near Lady Lize’s palace.”

“Even so…”

“And yesterday, Brother Raytan even showed me a shortcut. He said that place is always empty, no matter the time. So don’t worry, okay? If I do happen to meet someone on my way today, then from tomorrow, I’ll go with you again.”

Normally, this was a time when Luna would still be asleep. She was waking up at this early hour just to prepare Setz’s breakfast and was putting in all that effort purely for her sake. Setz didn’t want to inconvenience Luna any longer.

Luna kept insisting that it would be better if she went along, but Setz was firm in her decision. After several rounds of back-and-forth, Setz finally managed to leave the palace on her own.

Setz’s steps toward Lize’s palace were light, and her mood was great. Although it was early, the weather was clear, and the sunlight was warm. The gentle spring breeze felt refreshing as she walked, even humming a little tune. Before long, she reached the shortcut that Raytan had mentioned.

The shortcut was located behind Lize’s palace, and according to Raytan, it was the most discreet yet fastest route to the library. He called it a “rat hole” or something like that.

“Ugh…”

It seemed the term “rat hole” was no exaggeration. The small entrance was so narrow that even Setz had to squeeze herself through with quite a bit of effort. After much struggling, she finally managed to get through the tiny doorway.

However, since this was her first time taking this route, she wasn’t sure where to go next. Hmm… Is it this way? Setz hesitated for a moment before deciding just to keep walking.

She realized she had made the wrong choice exactly 30 minutes later.

She was lost.

Every cell in her body was screaming it: You’re lost. It felt like she was stuck in the middle of a labyrinth. No matter how much she walked, the corridor seemed to have no end, and there was no one in sight. The winding paths suggested she might be going around in circles, trapped in the same space.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she might actually get lost and starve to death here.

Now, she even started to worry about the most ridiculous things. If she’d known it would be like this, she should have just come with Luna. But it was too late for regrets. Setz kept walking. She walked and walked, passing countless rooms and endless corridors.

But seriously, how could she not run into a single person? If this were just the path to the palace, maybe, but this was indoors. And come to think of it, something felt off. Why weren’t there any guards? The front gate alone had been full of soldiers. As these thoughts crossed her mind, she noticed something.

At the end of the hallway, in the corner, there was a closed door. She could sense someone’s presence beyond it.

“……”

A hint of tension flashed across Setz’s face. She hesitated. Should she open that door and ask where she was? Or should she just keep wandering around by herself? Honestly, there wasn’t much to consider—she didn’t have the energy to walk anymore. With a sigh, Setz finally gave in and gently knocked on the closed door.

Knock, knock.

The sound of her knocking echoed through the empty hallway. But there was no response. Still, she was sure she felt someone’s presence. She knocked a few more times, but the result was the same. Nervously, Setz swallowed and carefully turned the doorknob.

The door was unlocked.

“……”

Stretching her neck forward, Setz peered inside with a tense expression. The room was filled with books. It looked just like a library. But were there really two libraries in this palace? Setz tilted her head in confusion. Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind her.

“……How did you get in here?”

The unfamiliar voice was filled with curiosity. Was this someone’s private library? But this was supposed to be Lady Lize’s palace. Startled, Setz quickly turned around.

“……Huh?”

She opened her eyes wide in surprise.