The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 19

Before the sun had even fully risen, Luna came bustling into the room, still carrying the bowl of medicine from the previous night. Setz greeted her cheerfully, feeling a surge of relief.

“Good morning, Luna! But you know what? I don’t need that anymore!” Setz said brightly.

“I’m all better now! See? I’m completely fine! You don’t need to worry about me,” she added, smiling as wide as she could.

Luna looked like she might burst with joy. She threw her arms around Setz in a tight hug, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.

“I can’t believe you recovered so quickly! Truly, Princess, you have such a strong spirit!” Luna said, wiping away her joyful tears.

Setz didn’t quite know how to respond to the compliment, feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed, so she just let out a sheepish smile and a small laugh.

Not long after Luna’s visit, Raytan arrived, right after the sun had fully risen. It was still quite early in the morning when he stepped into Setz’s room.

“Brother!” Setz exclaimed as soon as she saw him. She leapt off the bed and ran to Raytan, her face beaming with excitement.

“I’m all better now! I don’t need to take any more medicine!” she said, bubbling with enthusiasm.

“….”

“And look! My mouth works perfectly now! Do you want to see?” Setz started to open her mouth wide to demonstrate, but Raytan’s expression twisted in discomfort.

“There’s no need to show me that,” he said, frowning slightly.

“But it really opens wide now…,” Setz muttered, her enthusiasm deflating a little.

“I said, that’s enough,” Raytan insisted.

“Okay…” Setz replied, her lips turning into a slight pout. She had only wanted to show him how much better she was feeling.

Setz’s initial disappointment turned into quiet observation as she looked up at Raytan. She remembered how he had carried her all the way to her quarters yesterday, holding her tightly in his arms, running without a moment’s hesitation. It wasn’t a short distance either, and he had done it as if it were nothing.

He had stayed with her until Luna came back with the medicine, too. And now he was here first thing in the morning, earlier than he usually showed up. All these gestures made Setz’s heart swell with warmth. It felt almost unreal to have someone care about her like this.

Other than Luna, no one else in the palace had ever shown her this kind of concern. Whether she was ill or in trouble, the people of the palace—including her own mother, Yerena—had always turned a blind eye. They wouldn’t care if Setz was bedridden or even on the brink of death. She had learned to accept that cold reality.

But Raytan, of all people, had shown her worry and care, and that realization made Setz feel something soft and warm bloom inside her chest.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Raytan asked, his voice tinged with a mix of awkwardness and annoyance.

“I’m just looking at you,” Setz said with a playful smile.

“Well, it’s making me uncomfortable. Stop staring like that,” Raytan said, turning his gaze away with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Even though his words were gruff, Setz couldn’t help but smile wider. To her, his awkwardness only confirmed that his concern was genuine, and for the first time in a long while, she felt truly cared for by someone other than Luna.

Setz’s grin only widened in response to Raytan’s gruff demeanor, even as he tried to wave her off. Deep lines of irritation creased his brow, but somehow, his frown didn’t seem as intimidating as it used to.

“Brother,” Setz said teasingly.

“What?” Raytan snapped back.

“You were worried about me, weren’t you?” she asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

“What?” he said, his expression hardening.

“Yesterday, you carried me all the way here because you were worried. And today, you came to see me first thing in the morning because you were still worried, right?”

“No,” Raytan replied, his tone firm and unyielding.

Setz’s smile only grew brighter at his denial, which seemed to bother Raytan even more. He frowned even deeper, clearly annoyed by her persistence.

“I said no,” he insisted.

“Heh,” Setz smirked.

“You little fool…! No, I mean…” Raytan trailed off, stumbling over his words.

“What was that?” Setz asked, pretending not to have heard him clearly.

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” he grumbled.

Liar, Setz thought, giggling to herself. She had clearly heard him call her a fool. To be honest, Setz didn’t mind Raytan calling her names like that anymore. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a compliment, but compared to how her other siblings, like Berne and Lilien, constantly called her things like “idiot” or “imbecile,” it was almost endearing.

Watching Raytan struggle to find the right words, his hands moving restlessly from his temple to his waist to his chin, was just too entertaining for her to resist.

“…Anyway,” Raytan finally said after a long, awkward pause, “it’s good… that you’re not acting like an idiot anymore…”

Setz’s eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth to say something, but he quickly continued.

“No, I mean… damn it. What I’m trying to say is… I’m glad you’re better,” he forced out, clearly struggling with every word.

Setz could see that Raytan was trying his hardest to express something kind, but his face twisted in disgust as if he couldn’t believe he was actually saying something nice. Her bright smile only grew wider in response.

Just then, Luna entered the room, her face lighting up as she saw them.

“Lord Raytan,” she greeted, bowing gracefully. “If it’s not too much trouble, would you join the princess for breakfast? We’ve just finished preparing it.”

The invitation caught Raytan off guard. He hesitated, his eyes shifting from Luna to Setz, who looked at him with hopeful, expectant eyes.

***

Raytan remained silent for a moment, his expression hard to read. He seemed to be processing Setz’s words, perhaps even considering their sincerity. Setz worried that she had overstepped, that maybe her attempt to reassure him had turned into yet another awkward moment. But despite her concerns, she meant what she said—she would be there for him, just as he had been for her.

Then, finally, Raytan broke the silence with a response that was entirely unexpected.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, looking at her with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. “I won’t need you to do anything like that for me.”

“But, I mean it! If you ever get hurt or fall ill, I’ll be there to worry about you, just like you did for me!” Setz insisted, her eyes shining with determination.

Raytan let out a small, dry laugh, shaking his head slightly as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You really are an idiot,” he muttered under his breath, though his voice lacked its usual bite.

“I’m serious!” Setz said, pouting a little. “I’ll make a big fuss over you and make sure you get the best care! You won’t be able to stop me!”

Raytan’s gaze softened, just for a second, almost as if he was touched by her words despite himself. But then he quickly masked whatever emotion had crossed his face with a dismissive snort. “I don’t need that kind of attention,” he said. “I’m not some helpless kid.”

“But everyone needs someone to worry about them sometimes,” Setz said quietly, her voice gentler now. “Even you, Raytan. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or anything. It just means you’re not alone.”

Raytan seemed taken aback by the sincerity in her tone, as if no one had ever said such words to him before. He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

“You really are annoying,” he said finally, but this time, there was something different in his voice—a hint of reluctant acceptance.

Setz couldn’t help but smile at his words, feeling like maybe, just maybe, she had managed to break through Raytan’s defenses, even if just a little bit.

Setz’s request to join Raytan seemed to catch him off guard, and for a moment, his usual stoic expression wavered. He looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly, as if trying to figure out what was going on in her head.

“Why would you want to come with me?” he asked, his tone still gruff.

“Well… I just thought… if we’re not having lessons today, maybe we could spend some time together,” Setz said, her voice softening. “We could talk, or maybe just take a walk. I mean, it’s not often I get to spend time with you like this, and… I’d like to,” she added, her cheeks reddening slightly at her own honesty.

Raytan’s expression didn’t soften immediately. He seemed to be weighing her words carefully as if he couldn’t quite believe that she genuinely wanted to spend time with him. It wasn’t the kind of thing he was used to hearing.

“You… want to spend time with me?” he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Do you have nothing better to do?”

Setz let out a small laugh. “Honestly, no, not really. But even if I did, I’d still rather be with you today,” she said with a shy smile.

Raytan’s eyes flickered with something unreadable—surprise, maybe, or perhaps even a hint of confusion. For a moment, he opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, as if unsure how to respond.

“Fine,” he said at last, his voice sounding almost resigned. “Do as you like. But don’t get in my way.”

Setz’s face lit up with a bright smile. “I won’t! I promise!” she said, practically bouncing on her toes with excitement.

Raytan let out a small, almost inaudible sigh and shook his head. “You’re impossible,” he muttered under his breath, though there was a hint of something softer in his eyes—something that almost looked like reluctant amusement.

As they prepared to leave, Setz felt a warmth in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain. Spending time with Raytan, even if he was gruff and distant, felt like a small victory—a sign that, slowly but surely, they were becoming closer. Even if he didn’t say it out loud, maybe, just maybe, Raytan was starting to let her in.

“Alright, alright,” Raytan said with a resigned sigh, giving a small nod after a moment of silence. He seemed to have accepted that Setz wasn’t going to let this go easily.

“Just don’t make me regret it,” he added, his voice still gruff but with a hint of something softer, almost like he was giving in.

Setz’s face lit up with a bright smile as she tried to hide her excitement. “I promise I won’t be any trouble!” she said earnestly, her eyes shining with joy.

Raytan gave her a long look, a mixture of exasperation and reluctant amusement crossing his features. “You’re more trouble than you know,” he muttered, but there was no real bite in his words this time.

Setz couldn’t help but feel a little triumphant, her heart swelling with a sense of warmth and accomplishment. Raytan was letting her come with him, and even though he wouldn’t admit it, it felt like a small victory. Today, she would get to be by his side, and maybe—just maybe—they were beginning to understand each other a little more.

***

When Setz mentioned her intention to visit Lize’s palace, Luna’s expression immediately turned worried. It wasn’t like Setz was leaving early in the morning as usual; it was already almost noon. Luna was concerned about the possibility of running into others, such as Bern or Lilien.

Setz was optimistic. According to her knowledge, Bern should be in class at that hour, and Lilien, being a late sleeper, usually didn’t wake up until after noon. Also, there was no need to worry about being caught by Osun, the head servant. Around midday, the concubines, including Yerna, would have their tea time, and Osun always personally attended to their needs.

Moreover, Setz planned to take a shortcut to Lize’s palace, the one known as the “mouse hole” path that Raytan had told her about. She had never encountered anyone else using that path.

Of course, if Setz had known that her optimism would prove to be so disastrously wrong, she might have made a different choice. No matter how bored she was, she would have just stayed cooped up in her palace.

But since she didn’t know, she regretfully set off with Raytan.

They arrived safely at Lize’s palace.

“See? Luna worried for nothing,” Setz thought, feeling pleased. The weather was sunny, her spirits were high, her stomach was full, and, most importantly, Raytan had allowed her to accompany him.

All the way there, Setz chattered excitedly without stopping. Surprisingly, Raytan didn’t tell her to “shut up” or “keep quiet,” as he usually would. Not that he responded to her, of course. He merely stared at her as she babbled on. But even this was a significant improvement.

In any case, the two of them continued along the shortcut to Lize’s palace.

“Brother, I’ll wait here,” Setz said, looking at Raytan. Even though she had followed him this far, she had no desire to actually go inside the palace. The reason was simple: it was because of Eaton. The incident from yesterday was still too fresh, and Setz, not wanting to encounter him unnecessarily, preferred to avoid any further entanglements with him for the day.

“Suit yourself, then,” Raytan replied, nodding in acknowledgment. Then he entered Lize’s palace.

Left alone, Setz decided to take a stroll around the palace grounds. She was in the rear area of the palace, which was quiet and lined with various flowering trees—perfect for a leisurely walk. She recalled hearing that the emperor had planted these trees, especially for Lize.

How curious, Setz thought as she wandered slowly. How could her brother be so dismissive of everything, yet the emperor still seemed to shower affection on Lize?

Her footsteps eventually brought her to a flowerbed overflowing with blossoms, emitting a sweet fragrance. Kneeling in front of the flowers, Setz whispered to herself in awe.

There’s not even a single flower near my palace… I guess Lady Lize gets to see these every day.

She glanced briefly at Lize’s palace before turning her attention back to the flowers.

Would she be upset if I took one?