The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 18

“Because of that legend, his name was chosen to reflect his fate. And because of that, people dislike him, they avoid him… He suffers a lot because of it,” Setz continued.

“His name was chosen to reflect that, huh? What’s wrong with the name ‘Raytan’?” Eaton asked, looking curious.

“It means ‘the cursed one,’ doesn’t it?” Setz said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“The cursed one, huh…” Eaton muttered softly. For a moment, his expression seemed to carry a hint of melancholy, a mixture of sadness and regret that Setz couldn’t quite understand.

“It didn’t originally mean that,” Eaton said quietly.

“What? Then… what did it mean originally?” Setz asked, puzzled.

“Well,” Eaton said, letting out a sigh. “I suppose it can’t be helped now. Too much time has passed.”

“What was its original meaning?” Setz repeated, her curiosity piqued.

Eaton didn’t answer Setz’s question about the original meaning of Raytan’s name. Instead, he gave her a quiet smile and changed the subject.

“It’s probably best if you head back now,” he said.

“Oh, right. I was just about to leave anyway,” Setz replied, realizing that staying any longer would increase her chances of getting caught sneaking out. I’ll ask him again later, she thought as she got up from her seat.

“Hurry along then. Even though it’s spring, the night air is still chilly. You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful,” Eaton said, his tone light but with a hint of genuine concern.

“You’re the one who sealed my mouth shut, and now you’re worried about me catching a cold?” Setz replied with a pout, clearly still annoyed by the whole ordeal.

Eaton chuckled softly at her defiant response, shaking his head slightly. “Yes, yes, go on. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow… I don’t think I can come,” Setz said, hesitating.

“Oh? Why not?” Eaton asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, Luna is really worried about me. She thinks I need to rest for a few days… Wait, why are we even assuming that I’d come here every day?” Setz asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Wasn’t that the plan?” Eaton asked in return, giving her a teasing look.

“I mean…” Setz trailed off. Even though she was tempted by the idea of learning magic from Eaton, she also had a strong sense that getting involved with him was dangerous. After everything that had happened today, her instincts told her that she should keep her distance. Her mouth had literally been sealed shut by magic!

“Well, take a break if you need to. You can come back when you’re ready. I’ll be around for a while,” Eaton said, sounding casual and unconcerned.

“You’re not going home? Are you really living here? Why?” Setz asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

“Because I’m interested,” Eaton said simply.

“Huh?” Setz looked at him, confused.

“Just think of it that way. Now hurry back,” he said, giving her a little smile that made her feel like he was keeping a thousand secrets behind that grin.

Setz couldn’t make any sense of what he was saying, but she decided it was best to return to the palace for now. She nodded and started walking towards the door.

“…”

She paused with her hand on the doorknob, then turned back to look at Eaton.

“Mister,” she said.

“Call me ‘brother,’ like I told you,” Eaton corrected with a grin.

“Who are you, really? What’s your real name, and where did you come from?” Setz asked, her voice serious.

“Eaton,” he said with a straight face.

“You said that wasn’t your real name,” Setz reminded him.

“It’s not completely made up,” he replied, still as enigmatic as ever.

“Okay, then where did you come from?” she pressed.

For a moment, Eaton seemed to think deeply about her question. Then, in a voice that had lost some of its playful tone, he answered, “I didn’t come from anywhere.”

“What do you mean?” Setz asked, even more confused than before.

“I’m not from anywhere,” Eaton repeated, his expression softening into something that almost seemed distant, as if he were remembering something far away and unreachable.

“I’ve always been here,” Eaton said quietly, “for a very long time.”

Could he be some kind of prisoner serving a life sentence? Setz wondered, her expression turning skeptical and confused.

“Now, go on, hurry back,” Eaton urged with a gentle smile. “The night isn’t as long as it seems. Morning always comes quicker than you think. In the blink of an eye.”

Eaton’s smile was strangely serene, almost as if he knew more than he was letting on. Setz stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher the mystery that surrounded him. But realizing she wasn’t going to get any clearer answers, she turned around and left the room, still deep in thought.

As she stepped into the hallway, the door closing softly behind her, the chill of the night air seemed to follow her, filling her with an unsettling mix of curiosity and unease about who—or what—Eaton truly was.

***

Setz eventually made it back to her room without being noticed. She tried to settle into bed and sleep, pretending as if nothing had happened. However, after the whirlwind of events she’d just been through, her mind was too restless, and she kept tossing and turning.

Who exactly is Eaton? And why is he staying in Lady Lije’s palace? she wondered. The more she thought about him, the more questions piled up in her mind.

“His eyes are the same as Raytan’s, but Eaton is much taller and his hair color is different,” she mused. A deep navy blue, almost black, but not quite as dark as Raytan’s hair.

And then there was his age. Eaton seemed older than Raytan, though not by much—probably in his early to mid-twenties. He had the same red eyes, but their overall demeanor was entirely different. While Raytan still had traces of youth about him, Eaton felt like a fully grown adult. Both of them had a cold, aloof aura, but Eaton’s was sharper, more piercing. Of course, they were both undeniably handsome.

“…Could he really be a prisoner or something?” Setz mumbled to herself.

But then again, Eaton had said he wasn’t a criminal. Still, Setz couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t add up. She lay there, turning the puzzle pieces over in her mind, trying to make sense of it all. Finally, she came up with a theory that seemed somewhat plausible.

She knew two things for sure: one, Eaton could use magic; and two, he had claimed to have been in the palace for a long time.

Maybe Eaton is a wizard who once belonged to the palace but somehow managed to escape or was cast out, Setz thought.

And then there was what Eaton had mentioned about Lije’s palace, which used to be a temple site before it was repurposed for the emperor’s use. That could explain why Eaton was so familiar with the palace’s layout, including the secret passages that even Raytan had considered unknown.

Denhelder has always worshiped its emperors rather than gods, Setz thought. The legendary first emperor, Heraes I, was practically deified, credited with vanquishing a nameless dark god. Because of that legend, the empire put its faith in the lineage of Heraes, not in other deities.

There were still those in the empire known as “Children of the Gods,” the term used for magic users. They served within the royal palace as part of the imperial order established by Heraes I. By doing so, the emperor’s followers had a clear motive: to demonstrate that even those with divine blood were loyal to the emperor, not to some distant god.

But this strict control over magic users sometimes led to rebellions or desertions. The Denhelder Empire kept a tight leash on its magic users, often pushing them to their limits, which was the reason many of them tried to escape.

Any child born with magical potential had to be registered with the palace immediately. Once they reached adulthood, their abilities would be evaluated, and depending on their talents, they might be drafted into the royal magical corps. Even if they didn’t serve directly, their names remained on record for life. The ability to wield magic was usually hereditary, so these records extended to their descendants as well.

“Why does Denhelder go to such lengths to control magic users?” Setz wondered aloud. “Do other empires do the same?”

The question gnawed at her, but there was no one she could ask. No one she knew had the answers she needed. Then, she remembered the book Raytan had been reading.

The Magicians of the Denhelder Empire.

Yes, I should look for that book, she thought. Books like that were bound to have detailed information about past magicians. Who knows, it might even mention someone like Eaton. Given what happened tonight, Setz knew she couldn’t ask anyone outright about Eaton’s identity. She’d have to find out on her own.

But will Brother even lend me the book? Setz wondered. If not, I’ll just have to search the library myself.

With those thoughts swirling in her mind, Setz finally drifted off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow she could start unraveling the mystery of who Eaton truly was.