The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 14

“…Brother?”

“What?”

The man’s eyes narrowed at the unexpected address.

The man standing before her had red eyes, which was why she initially thought he was Raytan. But upon closer inspection, she realized he wasn’t. His hair wasn’t black like Raytan’s but a deep navy blue, and he was much taller than Raytan. He also seemed to be about five or six years older. His overall demeanor was different as well.

But was there really someone else in the palace with eyes like that?

“Who are you?” Setz asked with a puzzled expression.

“I think I should be the one asking that,” the man replied, looking rather unimpressed.

“Oh, I’m Setz. You see, I got lost while trying to find the library….”

“….”

“Could you perhaps show me the way…?”

The man said nothing, simply narrowing his eyes as he stared at Setz intently. Why was he staring at her like that? Was he trying to start something?

“You got lost and ended up here?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And where did you come in from?”

“Through a small door at the back of the palace.”

“You came in that way and ended up here?”

“Yes…? Yes.”

“Strange,” the man said, tilting his head to the side. Then he asked again.

“And you didn’t feel anything odd on your way in?”

“Uh… no.”

Just then, the man’s expression changed slightly as he looked at Setz.

“Hey, kid, how old are you?”

“I’m twelve,” Setz replied.

It wasn’t a lie, technically. At this moment, she was twelve.

“Twelve? You?”

“Yes. Is there a problem with me being twelve?”

“…Interesting,” the man said with a chuckle. What’s so interesting about that? Setz stared at him like he was crazy.

“Um, anyway, could you please just show me the way—”

“Want some tea before you go?”

“Yeah, so tea—wait, what?”

“Have some tea before you go.”

The man didn’t seem to be taking no for an answer. He grabbed Setz by the shoulders and, without further ado, sat her down at a table by the window. Setz wasn’t sure what to make of this situation, but it didn’t seem to matter to the man what she was thinking.

“Drink. It’s warm milk,” he said, offering her a cup. Hmm… It probably wasn’t poisoned or anything, right? Setz hesitated for a moment, but since refusing might be impolite, she took just two small sips of the milk.

“By the way, what did you call me earlier? Did you say ‘Brother’?” the man asked with a curious look.

The man sat down across from Setz and said, “Ah, I see. So you mistook me for someone else…?”

“Yes, I thought you were someone else,” Setz replied hesitantly.

“Why?”

“What?”

“If you mistook me for someone else, then that means there must be someone who looks similar to me. But you’re saying there’s someone in this palace who looks like me?”

“Well… it’s because your eye color is exactly the same as my brother’s,” Setz explained.

“…The same as mine?”

The man’s expression hardened slightly.

“Yes. Raytan, my brother, also has red eyes. His hair is black, though, not navy blue…”

“Wait, hold on a second. Rei… what?”

“Sorry?” Setz blinked in confusion.

“What did you just say?”

“You know, black hair with red eyes?”

“No, not that part. What did you say his name was?”

“Raytan, my brother?” Setz repeated.

“Raytan? His name is Raytan?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Setz looked at him with a puzzled expression, wondering if he might be hard of hearing.

“But you’re a member of the royal family, right? With your blonde hair and blue eyes…,” he continued.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then that means your brother is also a member of the royal family, doesn’t it?”

“That’s correct too.”

“…Unbelievable,” the man muttered, letting out a disbelieving chuckle. Honestly, Setz felt the same way. She had hoped he might help her find her way, but instead, she found herself stuck with this strange man.

“Who are you, anyway? Do you live here? But this is Lady Lije’s palace,” Setz said, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Well…”

“Are you one of Lady Lije’s servants then?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“I’ve been coming here for the past few days, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

“That’s because I was just recently let out after being confined.”

…A prisoner?

“I’m not a prisoner,” he quickly clarified.

“Uh, what?”

What is this? I thought he was crazy, but how did he know exactly what I was thinking? Setz’s face showed clear signs of shock.

“And I’m definitely not crazy either,” he added.

“Did you just read my mind?” Setz asked, now genuinely bewildered.

“No, I just guessed what you were thinking from the look on your face,” he said, shrugging.

“Your eyesight must be amazing then….”

“You don’t even try to deny it, do you?” the man said with a smirk, taking another sip of his tea.

“Kid, what’s your name again?” he asked.

Setz’s brow twitched in irritation. She had already told him her name, but he clearly hadn’t been listening. And to call her a “kid”? Even though she knew she looked like one on the outside, her pride was still wounded.

So, with as much firmness as she could muster, Setz answered.

“It’s Setz, mister,” she replied, emphasizing the “mister” part.

“Mister? Did you just call me ‘mister’?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes,” she replied firmly.

To be honest, he looked more like an older brother than a “mister,” but Setz insisted on her choice just to see how he’d react.

“And how old do you think I am?” he asked.

“Fifty,” she said without missing a beat.

“…That’s a bit of a shock,” the man mumbled to himself, touching his face in disbelief. His reaction was so amusing that Setz couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“I’m just kidding,” she said with a smile.

“Then call me ‘brother.’ Or better yet, just call me ‘oppa,'” he suggested with a grin.

“But… what’s your name?” Setz asked, hesitating slightly.

“Oh, right. My name,” he said, as if he had completely forgotten about it.

“What’s a trendy name these days?” he mused.

“Uh?” Setz looked puzzled.

“Come up with a name that sounds both strong and handsome,” he said, giving her a challenging look.

“Why not just use your real name? Why are you asking me to come up with one?” she asked, feeling baffled.

“I would, but my name’s been taken,” he replied with a shrug.

What on earth does that even mean? Setz thought, finding the whole conversation more absurd by the second. She nodded her head, not wanting to argue further.

“If you’re not going to help, then fine. Let’s see… Ah, I’ve got it. ‘Eaton.'”

“Eaton?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Call me Eaton,” he said, almost pleased with himself.

“So, is Eaton your real name?” she asked skeptically.

“Think of it as a nickname.”

“And your real name?”

“I told you, it’s been taken,” he said with a sly smile.

“Right… Sure, whatever you say,” Setz responded, her face clearly showing she had given up caring. But despite her dismissive attitude, the man—Eaton—kept staring at her with those piercing red eyes that looked so much like Raytan’s. It made her uncomfortable like he was seeing right through her. Feeling a chill run down her spine, Setz lowered her head.

“You’re interesting,” he said suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“Indeed. There’s a reason. That’s why you managed to get this far.”

“What are you even talking about? I don’t understand a single thing you’re saying,” Setz said, exasperated.

“Of course you don’t. But that’s fine, just the way it is,” he replied enigmatically.

Listening to his nonsense was exhausting, and Setz found her throat dry. She gulped down the milk she’d previously only sipped at and then looked Eaton straight in the eye.

“But seriously, who are you? What are you doing here?” she asked, frustration seeping into her voice.

“Well, does it really matter that much?” he countered.

“Of course it does! This is one of the innermost areas of the palace, heavily guarded. If someone suspicious managed to get in here, it would be a huge issue!” Setz insisted.

“Do I seem like a suspicious person to you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, aren’t you?” she shot back.

“Cheeky,” he said with a smirk.

Ugh, how annoying! Setz glared at Eaton with a mix of frustration and disbelief.

“Did you know?” he continued, ignoring her irritation. “The innermost parts of any imperial palace usually house a temple. The deepest area, to be precise.”

“…”

“In every empire, that’s the tradition. Temples hold great significance for the royal family. During times of war, people hold rituals there, seeking spiritual solace and giving symbolic meaning to their actions.”

“And what does that have to do with anything?” Setz asked, thoroughly confused.

“It’s the same here, in the Denhelder Empire,” Eaton replied, his tone taking on a mysterious edge.

“Sorry, what?” Setz asked, still processing what Eaton had just said.

“There used to be a temple here,” Eaton continued. “A long time ago, but it’s true.”

He smiled faintly, though it was a smile that revealed nothing, hiding his true intentions.

“Once a place is dedicated to a god, it forever belongs to the divine. Its essence never changes, no matter how much the exterior does.”

“…”

“And you, you’re the same, aren’t you?” he said, his red eyes narrowing into a sharp gaze. The intensity of his stare made Setz feel a chill run down her spine, as if he could see right through her, as if he knew her secrets.

It’s like he knows who I really am… like he’s speaking directly to my soul…

“But anyway,” Eaton said, suddenly shrugging his shoulders and lightening his expression. “You don’t need to worry. I’m not a suspicious person. I won’t cause you any harm.”

Setz wasn’t entirely convinced by his words. Eaton was as suspicious as they came, but she kept her doubts to herself.

“By the way, do you come to this palace every day?” he asked.

“Yes. I come here to learn Khazakian from my brother, in the library,” she answered.

“Seems a bit early in the day for that,” he noted.

“Well… there are some reasons. I figured it would be best to come early and avoid drawing attention,” Setz explained.

“So, you’re planning to keep coming here?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Will you stop by tomorrow too? I’ll serve you some delicious tea,” Eaton offered.

“Uh… but…” Setz hesitated.

“And keep it a secret from everyone else,” he added with a mischievous glint in his eye.

This guy is seriously shady, Setz thought. Her instincts were screaming at her that nothing good would come from getting involved with him.

“Not a very tempting offer, huh?” Eaton said, seeing her hesitation.

“Honestly, no,” Setz replied bluntly.

“Alright, then let’s do this instead. You said you’re learning Khazakian, right? How about I teach you myself? It’d be much better than learning from your brother,” he said with a confident smile.

“No, thanks,” Setz said, without missing a beat.

“Why not?” he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

“Because I like learning from my brother,” she replied firmly.

Eaton’s expression flickered with a hint of irritation, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Is there really nothing else you’d like to learn? Anything at all? It doesn’t have to be a language. I could teach you swordsmanship or even magic,” he offered, his tone casual.

“But only the court mages can use magic in this empire. You talk like you can actually use it,” Setz said skeptically.

Magic did exist in the Denhelder Empire, though it was rare compared to other nations. And all known mages were strictly affiliated with the royal court, under the control of the imperial family.

Yet here was this mysterious man claiming he could perform magic. Setz found it hard to believe.