The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 22

Eaton pondered over Setz’s words, turning them over in his mind. His red eyes stared out the window as he did. The palace, now quiet, seemed as though the earlier chaos had never even happened. Everything had returned to its serene state, as if the turmoil from before was nothing but an illusion. Yet, the image of Raytan’s face that he’d seen through the window remained vivid in his memory.

He looks like her.

Eaton muttered to himself. But it wasn’t just their physical resemblance that struck him. Sure, there were similarities in their appearance, but that wasn’t what had left him so unsettled.

He looks like that woman…

Raytan’s red eyes were a reflection of Eaton’s own, but his facial features bore a striking resemblance to hers—the woman Eaton had never forgotten, not even for a moment, throughout all those long years. It was as if Raytan’s face was a perfect blend of both of them, half resembling Eaton and half resembling her.

No, it can’t be. It’s just a coincidence… Eaton shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. There couldn’t possibly be a child in this world who resembled both him and her. Besides, hadn’t countless years passed since that time? So many that it was impossible to keep track anymore.

But what about his name?

Could that also be a coincidence?

How could it be that this child, who looked so much like both him and her, just happened to have that name?

Eaton bit his lip in silence as he continued to gaze out the window. His own reflection stared back at him, with eyes as red as Raytan’s—eyes that bore the unmistakable color of his past, the one he thought he’d left behind.

***

It was absolute chaos.

To start with Lilien’s condition: the magical fire seemed almost impossible to extinguish, no matter how desperately the maids tried. It stubbornly continued to burn, refusing to go out.

While the maids frantically worked to put out the fire, Lilien’s hair turned black as it burned away. It was truly a sight to behold.

Even amidst the pandemonium, Lilien didn’t forget to hurl insults at Raytan, screaming at him to put out the fire. She even cursed at him. “You bastard! Put it out! Put it out right now!” It was laughable, watching someone who usually pretended to be so elegant and refined lose all composure.

Despite her desperate shouting, Lilien seemed convinced that Raytan was the one responsible for setting her hair on fire. She kept shrieking accusations about Raytan and Setz, making such a fuss that neither Raytan nor Setz could simply walk away.

Raytan stared at Lilien for a moment before suddenly grabbing her by the collar again. Without a word, he began to drag her away.

His destination was the fountain.

SPLASH!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Raytan threw Lilien straight into the fountain. Her once pristine appearance was now utterly ruined; after being scorched by fire and then soaked in water, she looked even worse than Setz in her disheveled state. She looked more like a monster out of a legend than a noble princess. The grotesque sight left everyone around in stunned silence, including Setz.

“You bastard! What are you doing?!” Lilien screamed, her rage boiling over, tears forming in her eyes from sheer frustration. But Raytan’s response was unexpectedly blunt and dismissive.

“You asked me to put it out, didn’t you?”

Lilien lost it completely. Setz, too, felt a surge of fear. She had never seen Lilien lose her mind to such a degree before. Even in her usual state, Lilien was already malicious, but in this condition, there was no telling what she might do.

But Raytan remained utterly unfazed. Ignoring the chaos he left behind, he walked back to Setz, a thoughtful look crossing his face as he remembered something. He looked around briefly before picking up a book—the one Setz had asked to borrow, The Magicians of the Denhelder Empire. Even in this insane situation, he still bothered to bring her the book. Setz didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of it all.

Brushing the dirt off the book, Raytan handed it to Setz and said, “Let’s go.”

Setz took the book in one hand and held tightly to Raytan’s hand with the other. She was simply… afraid. Lilien wouldn’t let this go easily after what had happened. She knew there would be trouble, and surely Yerna would find out about her closeness to Raytan. When that happened, she’d surely be punished, just like last time.

But her biggest worry was about what might happen to Raytan because of all this. Setz only hoped that Raytan wouldn’t end up in more trouble because of her. But Raytan, either unaware of her concerns or choosing to ignore them, made a carefree comment as they walked away.

“That book is really boring. Just so you know before you read it.”

Setz’s face was filled with worry when they returned to the palace. She was anxious to the point of despair. By now, word of what had happened must have reached Yuriah, and possibly even the emperor. She didn’t know what to do, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Brother…” Setz called out hesitantly.

“What?” Raytan replied.

“I’m sorry. This happened all because of me…”

“What did you do?”

“You got in trouble trying to help me, and now you’re bound to face severe punishment…”

“…”

“If I hadn’t followed you, or if I’d just stayed quiet and let her hit me, none of this would’ve happened…”

Even though it was Eaton who had set Lilien’s hair on fire, Setz still blamed herself for starting the whole mess. If only she had listened to Luna and not followed Raytan in the first place… Guilt washed over her, and she bowed her head.

“But if you’d just stood there and taken it, then you wouldn’t have been able to have your lessons tomorrow either,” Raytan said.

“Huh?” Setz looked up, confused.

“You might have ended up like before, dealing with your mutism again.”

Setz tilted her head in confusion. Why was Raytan suddenly talking about this?

“Starting from the next lesson, I’m going to teach you how to speak. So it’d be a problem if you were to fall into mutism again.”

“…”

“And didn’t you say you’d like to study while eating cake again next time?”

Setz’s expression went blank.

Honestly, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Raytan had said something like, “Why did you have to follow me and make things complicated?” or “No matter what anyone says, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with a girl like you in the first place.” She had been bracing herself for his coldness.

From what Setz knew, Raytan never fought back, no matter how much he was bullied. He always just endured it silently. The incident in the library, when he lashed out at Bern, was the exception because he’d been provoked. But this time, it was different. If it hadn’t been for her, Raytan wouldn’t have even gotten involved in the confrontation.

And yet, instead of blaming her, he said things like this…

Setz clutched the book Raytan had given her, feeling overwhelmed.

For some reason, she felt like she might cry.

“Seriously, you’re such an idiot… No, I mean, stop saying weird thi—”

Raytan’s words were cut off abruptly when Luna, her face as pale as a sheet, came rushing in.

“Lord Raytan. And Your Highness…” Luna’s voice trembled as she spoke.

The moment Setz saw Luna’s face, she knew. She had a gut feeling that things had escalated far beyond her control. And that instinct turned out to be right.

“Lady Yuriah… she demands to see you both immediately. She said she’ll hold you accountable…”

Yuriah Liran—Bern and Lilien’s mother. The one who loathed Raytan and Lize, and treated Yerna and Setz as nothing more than low-born, vulgar creatures.

Setz’s eyes filled with fear, and they wavered violently. She knew this wasn’t going to end well.

***

The atmosphere was icy cold.

Even though Setz might have the mind of a seventeen-year-old, she couldn’t help but feel terrified. Yuriah stood there with a hardened expression, her face a mask of disdain. Next to her was Bern, and the disheveled, humiliated Lilien. Yerna was also present, biting her lip in silent frustration.

Setz looked like a criminal awaiting her sentence. This was the worst possible situation she could imagine. She never expected things to escalate to this extent. But unlike Setz, Raytan didn’t seem afraid at all. He just stood beside her with his usual expressionless face.

Yuriah slowly rose from her chair. She approached Raytan and, without warning, slapped him across the face.

The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the room, and Setz shut her eyes tightly. I shouldn’t have stood up to them, she thought. I should have just let them beat me, even if it meant becoming crippled. But now it was too late for regrets.

“You filthy creature,” Yuriah spat, her voice dripping with disdain.

“You really don’t know your place, do you? How dare you do this to my daughter?” Her eyes glared daggers at Raytan, burning with contempt. Setz felt like biting her own tongue to end her misery.

“You should be grateful you haven’t been cast out of the palace already,” Yuriah continued, her words filled with venom. Raytan’s expression didn’t change; he didn’t flinch or look down, and he certainly didn’t apologize, which only seemed to enrage Yuriah further. His cheek was starting to swell, but he remained stoic, not giving Yuriah the satisfaction of a reaction.

“Let’s see how confident you are when His Majesty hears about what you’ve done!” Yuriah shouted, her voice rising in anger.

Setz’s heart sank. The emperor already disliked Raytan, and if he learned about this incident…

But then, Raytan said something that took everyone by surprise.

“I’m curious as well. What will His Majesty say when he finds out that Lady Lilien beat up Setz as if she were nothing more than a common criminal?”

“What?!” Lilien roared, stomping forward like a raging bull. Even as she stormed toward him, and despite Yuriah’s cold stare, Raytan continued speaking without a hint of hesitation.

“It was Lady Lilien who first struck Setz, who was doing nothing to provoke her. And she even went so far as to call Lady Yerna a matchmaker.”

At that moment, Yerna’s face flushed a deep shade of crimson, like a ripe tomato.

The truth was that while the emperor might not punish Lilien for beating up Setz, he didn’t truly know what Lilien was like. Lilien had always maintained a perfect facade as the “well-mannered and kind princess.” Although she might not face any severe consequences, her standing with the emperor would undoubtedly suffer. That was a risk neither Yuriah nor Lilien could afford to take lightly.

Yuriah and Lilien knew this all too well.

“Beg,” Lilien hissed, her face twisted with anger as she stepped up to Raytan and Setz.

“Kneel down and beg for forgiveness. Then maybe I’ll forgive you, Raytan. And you too, Setz.”

“B-but Sister!” Setz couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She summoned all the courage she had.

“It’s all my fault. It happened because I talked back to you. I’ll kneel and apologize…”

“Yerna,” Yuriah interrupted, calling out to the silent Yerna, who stood behind them.

“Were you unaware that Princess Setz has been associating with Raytan and causing trouble? Didn’t you know what she’s been up to?”

Yerna’s hands clenched into trembling fists. She looked furious and humiliated. She already carried a deep-seated inferiority complex towards Yuriah, and this public scolding only added salt to the wound. It was clear that Yerna’s rage was simmering just beneath the surface, and she’d likely take it out on Setz later.

“I understand you’ve been busy maintaining your connections with noble families,” Yuriah continued with a patronizing sneer. “It’s the peak season for matchmaking, after all. But shouldn’t you have done a better job of managing your daughter?”

Please… Setz thought, her hands trembling as she fidgeted nervously.

“This situation is partly your fault as well! Don’t you have anything to say for yourself, Yerna?” Yuriah shouted, her voice dripping with contempt.

Yerna bit her lip so hard it looked like it might bleed. Even though she had built a network of influence within the noble families, she was no match for Yuriah, who had the powerful backing of a noble lineage.

“Yerna!” Yuriah barked, pressing her for a response. Setz’s gaze drifted to Yerna, hoping for some sort of mercy or understanding. But Yerna slowly approached her daughter with a cold expression, extending her hand.

Without warning, she grabbed Setz’s slender wrist with a painful grip. Her long nails dug harshly into Setz’s soft skin, causing Setz to wince in silent pain.

“…Setz, apologize to Lady Yuriah and Princess Lilien,” Yerna ordered, her voice devoid of any warmth or compassion.

“Kneel down. Now!” Yerna’s voice was harsh, commanding.

Setz thought to herself that it might be the easiest way out. If she could solve this problem by simply kneeling and apologizing, then maybe it was worth it. She closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself to kneel. But just as she was about to do so, Lilien’s voice shrieked through the air.

“Make him kneel too!” Lilien yelled, pointing furiously.

“Raytan set my hair on fire! I’m sure it was him!”

No, it wasn’t Brother Raytan—it was Eaton who did it… Setz knew she couldn’t say that aloud in this situation, and she hesitated with a troubled expression.

“Set your hair on fire, Sister?” Raytan spoke slowly, almost calmly, addressing Lilien as “Sister.” It was a remarkable shift in tone for someone who had threatened to break her arms and legs just moments ago. His demeanor was so convincing that he seemed even better at acting than Lilien.

“All I did was put out the fire,” Raytan continued. “If I had truly been the one who started it, I would have just let your hair burn off completely.”