The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 26

Eaton stared at her coldly.

“Who is your father?”

Lize met his gaze steadily.

“The father of your son. The one who gave you his seed.”

No response came. Instead, Lize simply smiled—a chilling smile.

“The Emperor gave me many things,” she said, her tone mocking.

“He made sure I didn’t have to dance in the streets, didn’t have to live being mocked. He gave me fine clothes, jewels, a lavish palace… and even an affection I never asked for.”

“……”

“But the one I chose was that man,” she said, her voice softening. “A lowly street musician. The one who always stayed by my side while I danced.”

“A musician?” Eaton asked.

“Munid,” she answered.

Eaton’s eyes narrowed.

“It means ‘red moon’ in Kazakh,” Lize explained. “He was named Munid because he was born on the night of a red moon. It was a hastily given name. But what could we do? Even a proper name was a luxury for someone as insignificant as a commoner.”

“……”

“A lowly life. Worthless. A wretched existence that could only survive as a spectacle for others to gawk at. That was who we were.”

Suddenly, Lize’s smile vanished, wiped clean from her face. Her unfocused emerald eyes stared blankly into the air, and then she murmured softly, her expression neither laughing nor crying.

“But I was still happy.”

“……”

“Even if we were treated like dirt, even if we had to work every day just to eat the next… as long as we could be together, I was happy.”

Eaton looked at the dazed Lize in silence, then asked again.

“Was he black-haired with red eyes?”

Lize let out a small laugh, almost a scoff. She wavered, almost as if she were drunk, and then broke into a burst of laughter.

“He had neither of those traits. His hair was red, and his eyes were brown. The only thing he shared with my son’s father was one single trait.”

“And what is that?”

“……”

“What exactly did he resemble?” Eaton asked, his expression a mix of confusion and intensity. Lize’s face remained inscrutable, and then, with a chilling smile, she replied.

“…I’m not sure. In any case, Munid didn’t have black hair or red eyes.”

Eaton’s brow furrowed slightly. He doubted Lize’s denial, feeling that his suspicions might be correct. But if neither of the parents had black hair and red eyes, then why did this man, Raytan… Why did he? And Lize—she resembled that woman. So then… could it be…?

“Where are you from?” Eaton pressed.

“……”

“Where did you come from?” he asked again, more insistently.

“Iont Empire.”

“And your mother? Your grandmother, and her mother before that? Where did your ancestors’ bloodline originate?” Eaton’s voice grew louder. But Lize’s expression remained frustratingly calm.

“Who knows? From here to there, from there to somewhere else, and finally back here again… That’s just how life is,” she said with a vague, almost evasive tone that was impossible to decipher.

Eaton bit his lip in frustration at her cryptic words.

“What does it matter where I came from or where I wish to be?” Lize continued. “It was never something I could choose anyway. It’s always been like that—for Munid and for me. We never got what we wanted. Not when Munid’s head was crushed before my eyes, nor when I ended up here.”

“……”

“I can’t even control my own dreams. So, I keep dreaming the same unwanted dreams—of my mother, burned and charred, of monstrous creatures whose forms I can’t comprehend, and… of my man, his head crushed before me.”

Eaton stared silently at Lize, then finally understood. The man Lize had chosen, Raytan’s father, had been killed by none other than the Emperor himself. And now, Lize was trapped, drugged, suffering through the same nightmare night after night… reliving the vision of her lover dying at the Emperor’s hands.

“…But not tonight,” Lize said slowly, extending her hand. She gently touched Eaton’s cheek. The smile that had been on her face disappeared, replaced by a cold, distant expression. Her unfocused emerald eyes fixed on Eaton.

“Who are you?” she asked, her tone sharp.

Lize’s nails scraped lightly across Eaton’s cheek, leaving a faint scratch. A thin line of blood appeared, but Lize didn’t even blink.

“What kind of nightmare is this?” she muttered.

“…It’s just a dream,” Eaton said, his voice steady. He slowly reached out his hand, pushing lightly against Lize’s delicate shoulder, causing her to sink back into the bed. As he looked into her unfocused emerald eyes, he continued speaking.

“When you wake up, when you open your eyes again, you won’t remember a thing. It’ll all be forgotten like a fleeting dream.”

Her empty eyes fluttered, then gradually closed. Eaton stood there, staring down at Lize as she lay there like a lifeless corpse, and gently placed his hand on her smooth forehead.

He needed to know. Something didn’t feel right. He had to understand more about the lineage of this woman’s blood, passed down through the generations. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t read anything from her. Eaton bit his lip again, frustrated. He thought he had come so far, but it seemed he still wasn’t enough…

Just then, in that moment of mumbling frustration, Eaton’s face hardened completely.

“……”

His fingertips, resting on the center of Lize’s pale forehead, detected a faint glow—a barely visible red aura.

[The blessing of the gods…]

And then, he heard a voice—a voice he knew well.

[Our bloodline… will forever endure, so never forget…]

…And in that moment, he saw a woman, her violet eyes so much like Lize’s, smiling brightly as she looked back at him.

[…Sharwhina.]

Eaton’s fingers trembled uncontrollably. He stared at Lize with a rigid expression, but the red aura on her forehead vanished in the blink of an eye. It was gone, just like that.

…The faint remnants of the gods’ blessing, now nothing more than a trace, lingering across time and generations.

“That can’t be,” Eaton muttered, his face blank with disbelief.

“That can’t be… impossible…”

His voice, filled with confusion and denial, echoed through the silent room, the only sound cutting through the heavy stillness that surrounded him.

***

Setz repeatedly asked Raytan on their way back, “How do you know the ancient language?” But Raytan didn’t give any answers; he just kept walking silently. Frustrated, Setz pouted and muttered under her breath.

“Brother, you don’t actually know it, do you? You’re just pretending because you’re worried I might be smarter than you!”

At that, Raytan let out a short, amused laugh. Though it was a laugh born of disbelief, it was the first time Setz had ever seen him smile, so her eyes widened in surprise. Raytan stared at her quietly for a moment, then said only, “It’s cold, so stop talking nonsense and go inside,” before walking away.

“See? He was just pretending to know,” Setz concluded to herself.

Of course, there was no way Raytan could know the ancient language. Even the scholars and wizards of the imperial palace didn’t understand it, so how could Raytan? Setz decided it might be wise not to show her full potential in the future—just in case Raytan felt threatened.

Still, for something made up on the spot, it’s a pretty name, she thought to herself as she murmured the name “Sharwhina.” It sounded so noble, almost regal. I wish my name were that beautiful too, but unfortunately, she was just plain old Setz.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Setz decided to do something a bit more productive.

She wanted to express her gratitude to Raytan and Lize properly at least once. They had given her so much, yet she felt she had done nothing in return, and that weighed heavily on her conscience. Being someone with a sense of integrity, she resolved to repay them in some way.

The “productive task” she had chosen turned out to be more time-consuming than expected. Setz worked late into the night and even woke up early in the morning to continue her efforts. Nevertheless, there were results to show for it. Of course, Luna’s help played a big part in that.

“Luna, how does it look?”

“It’s really beautiful. I’m sure they’ll love it,” Luna replied with a smile.

“Do you really think so?”

“Absolutely.”

Even though Luna nodded with certainty, Setz couldn’t shake her doubts. After all, Luna was the type who would call anything Setz made beautiful, even if it was a pot crafted from mud. Still a bit nervous, Setz packed up her things since it was almost time to head to Lize’s palace.

Despite feeling slightly tired, Setz’s steps were light, now that she carried the gift she had put so much heart into. And she made sure to eat a good breakfast, still feeling a bit self-conscious about Eaton’s earlier comment, “Did you really drink all that?”

But why did Eaton ask about Lady Lize in the first place? He wouldn’t be planning to… do something bad, would he? Though Eaton had denied it, Setz still felt uneasy, so she hurried over to Eaton’s room.

However, Eaton wasn’t there.

Setz looked around the empty room with a puzzled expression. He always said he’d be here. Could he have done something to Lady Lize last night? The thought worried her, but if something had indeed happened to Lize, the palace would be in an uproar. Since everything seemed as calm as usual, it appeared Eaton hadn’t caused any trouble… But where on earth could he be?

Setz sat alone at the table, waiting for Eaton, but he never returned. In the end, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of him and had to leave for the library.

“Hmph, he always tells me to come by every day, and yet he’s nowhere to be found,” she grumbled inwardly, annoyed that she’d sacrificed her sleep only to be stood up.

Fortunately, unlike certain people, Raytan never broke his promises.

“You’re such a dependable person, Brother,” Setz said, greeting Raytan with an out-of-the-blue compliment that made him narrow his eyes.

“One of the marks of a dependable person is keeping their promises. So, Brother, you really are a dependable person.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Raytan asked.

“Of course it is.”

Much better than some people who break promises and always talk nonsense! Setz muttered silently to herself.

“Well, then you must have a good teacher,” Raytan said.

“What?”

“Isn’t that right? I don’t think that’s a wrong statement,” he said, his face still expressionless.

It was the first time Setz had seen someone boast so plainly with such a straight face. To think Raytan could have such a brazen side to him! Surprised by his unexpected response, Setz couldn’t help but giggle.

“Yes, you’re a good teacher indeed,” she admitted.

“As long as you know that. Now, open your book,” Raytan replied.

“Wait, before we start…” Setz murmured as she rummaged through her bag. Originally, she planned to give the gift after their lesson, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to focus if she kept wondering whether Raytan would like it or not.

“I have a present for my wonderful teacher.”

Setz hesitantly handed a small pouch to Raytan, watching his reaction closely.

“Go ahead, open it.”

Raytan stared at the small pouch in his palm, then slowly untied it. As he opened it, a peculiar expression crossed his face, one that was difficult to read.

“How is it?” Setz asked, her heart pounding nervously. What if he didn’t like it? She glanced at Raytan, trying to gauge his reaction, but he only furrowed his brow slightly. Setz’s face fell, disappointment creeping in.

“What is this?” Raytan asked.

“It’s a necklace. I made it overnight… and even worked on it this morning…” Setz said, her voice trailing off.

“……”

“Of course, Luna helped me a little, but I still put in a lot of effort myself…” Setz said in a tiny voice.

The gift Setz had offered to Raytan was a necklace made from the gemstone he had thrown away on his last birthday. The gem was a ruby that perfectly matched the color of Raytan’s eyes. Setz wasn’t a jeweler, so the craftsmanship was a bit rough, but she had put a lot of effort into it. She hoped that even though the gift was simple, he would at least appreciate the gesture since they had grown closer than before.

“It may not look like much, but when you wear it, it’s really not that bad…” Setz continued, her voice almost a whisper.

“I just felt bad that I didn’t get to give you a proper present last time… And since it matches your eye color, I thought it might have some meaning…”