The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 32

There was the scent of flowers in the air—familiar, yet somehow nostalgic. But where was it coming from? There were no flowers or even a pot of plants in my room. Confused, Setz furrowed her brows until she suddenly realized that she was holding a small bouquet in her hand.

The flowers were a light shade of purple, their petals soft and delicate, fluttering in the breeze as if they were dancing. The floral scent grew stronger, enveloping the air. They were beautiful.

But where did they come from?

And… where exactly am I?

Setz glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting in the middle of a hill. Was it the same hill she often visited with her brother, Raytan? But this place looked so different from the hill she knew. Instead of the usual barren ground, the hill was lush with green grass glistening with dew, and colorful flowers bloomed everywhere, far beyond the small bouquet in her hand.

So, it must be somewhere else. Setz looked momentarily bewildered, then down at the bouquet in her hands.

Well… it doesn’t really matter. A soft smile formed on her lips. Even though she didn’t know where she was or why she was there, one thing was certain.

She felt at peace. The warm breeze felt good, and the fragrant scent carried by the wind lifted her spirits. Everything seemed so serene. So Setz just sat there, gently touching the delicate petals of the flowers.

It was a lovely bouquet. Small but thoughtfully put together, with the stems tied neatly with a ribbon made of grass. Who could have given this to her? Who would have gone to such lengths to create such a beautiful bouquet with such care?

As Setz murmured to herself, a shadow suddenly fell over her face.

Startled, Setz looked up. She saw someone standing in front of her, but with the sun behind them, their face was hidden.

Then, in an instant, the person reached out toward Setz. She flinched slightly, taken aback by the sudden movement.

The hand, which had paused near her ear, slowly lowered, and Setz instinctively touched the spot on her ear. Her fingers brushed against the soft petals of a flower. Only then did she realize that the person had placed a flower there, behind her ear.

“…It suits you,” a deep voice murmured, like a distant echo in a dream.

Setz squinted, trying to make out the features hidden in the shadow. She could faintly see the corners of a smile and… eyes as red as blood.

“…Brother?” she mumbled in disbelief.

“Raytan, Brother.”

There was no response. And as those words left her lips, Setz awoke from the dream.

***

The sound of birds chirping came from outside the window.

“…”

Setz, with swollen eyes, stared at the ceiling before slowly sitting up. She thought back to the dream she had just woken from. What kind of dream was that? She laughed softly to herself, running her hand carelessly through her tousled blonde hair.

How absurd, to dream of Raytan giving her a bouquet of flowers. What nonsense.

With his personality, he wasn’t the type to give or even receive such sentimental gestures. And as far as she knew, his aesthetic sense wasn’t refined enough to create such a delicate bouquet. What a ridiculous dream, she thought, rubbing her eyes.

“Good morning, Princess.”

Setz turned her head to see Luna entering the room. Luna greeted her with a morning smile and immediately went to close the open window.

“Even though it’s still autumn, it’s already quite chilly in the mornings and evenings. We don’t want you catching another cold like last time, so please don’t sleep with the window open anymore.”

“Yawn… Alright…,” Setz answered with a sleepy yawn. Luna gave her a soft smile and laid out the dress she had brought on the vanity.

“Princess, let me help you with your hair,” Luna said as she prepared to help Setz get ready for the day.

Luna picked up a brush and began to run it through Setz’s hair, even though she was still half-asleep. With her eyes barely open, Setz muttered in a sleepy voice.

“Luna, can’t you wait a little bit? I haven’t even washed my face yet…”

“I’ll bring you a basin of water as soon as we’re done here, don’t worry,” Luna said gently.

“Can’t I just go to the bathroom and take my time—”

“Raytan is waiting outside. We can’t keep him waiting too long, can we?”

“…Already?”

“Yes, he arrived a little while ago. Now, let’s get you dressed,” Luna replied, holding up a light purple dress. Setz nodded absentmindedly, still not fully awake.

…In the past, she might have wondered what was happening so early in the morning. But by now, she had grown used to it.

Over the past four years, Setz and Raytan had become much closer. They had always met regularly for lessons, but now they spent even more time together.

Raytan now came to pick her up about twice a week. He would join her for breakfast or sometimes have tea with her. Considering how he used to find even their lessons a nuisance, this change was nothing short of a miracle.

Once, Setz had asked him if he found it bothersome to come to see her so early in the morning. Raytan had gone silent for a moment before replying, “Fine, then I won’t come anymore. I’ll just quit.”

Setz had meant it out of concern for him, worried that he might be tired, but he seemed to take it as a suggestion not to come to the palace at all. She’d spent the entire day apologizing and explaining that she didn’t mean it like that.

Aside from the fact that they had grown closer, not much else had changed. Setz still received Khazaki language lessons from Raytan at the Liège Palace, and both of them were still treated as outsiders in the royal court.

If she had to list what had changed, though…

First, Raytan had grown a lot taller. He wasn’t short before, but it seemed like his growth spurt had lasted longer than usual. Now, he towered over even Bern.

His demeanor had also changed. The boyish look that used to be so evident on his face was completely gone. His voice had deepened considerably, to the point where its low tone sometimes startled Setz when she wasn’t expecting it.

Raytan no longer wore his bangs hanging down in front of his face like he used to. Now, he kept his forehead uncovered, which made his striking features stand out even more. Not only did his handsome features become more prominent, but his sharp and intense aura also grew more noticeable.

He carried himself with more confidence now. It seemed as though nothing could faze him anymore, no matter what anyone said. Perhaps it was because he had matured. Sometimes, Setz would recall the image of Raytan from before the regression. Was he like that back then too? She couldn’t quite remember, but she didn’t think so. The Raytan of the past was always like a shadow, living as if he didn’t even exist.

But that was no longer the case. Remarkably, Raytan had become quite popular among the maids and had a magnetic presence that drew the attention of everyone who passed through the palace. Luna once mentioned in passing that a maid of some noble family had even inquired about him.

Now, Raytan was twenty-two, and Setz was sixteen.

It was autumn. Which meant… there were only a few months left until that dreadful incident would take place.

Setz no longer felt the same fear of Raytan that she had as a child. To be honest, she had grown to care for him deeply and even relied on him quite a bit. But the memory of the moment he had nearly taken her life never left her. She was still cautious around him, and sometimes, when she looked into his blood-red eyes, she couldn’t help but recall the expression he had as he stared at her just before he was about to cut her throat—the coldness in his gaze, and the reflection of her own terrified face in his eyes.

It was a vague feeling of unease. Setz didn’t want to believe that the Raytan she knew now, who had become her ally, would ever try to kill her again. Yet, she couldn’t shake the fear. The closer she got to the age she was before the regression, the more uncertain she felt about how things might change.

“All done. Just hold on a moment, and I’ll bring you the wash water,” Luna said as she finished arranging Setz’s hair. She hurriedly opened the door, only to let out a small gasp of surprise. Standing right in front of the door was Raytan.

“Quite a grand makeover you’re doing, judging by how long it’s taking,” Raytan said, his face expressionless.

If this had happened years ago, Luna might have been intimidated by him, just like Setz had been. But by now, Luna had grown accustomed to Raytan and no longer seemed afraid of him.

“We’re almost done! The princess hasn’t washed her face yet, so if you could just wait a little longer, I’ll bring some wash water right away…”

“It’s not like she can’t wash her face just because I’m here.”

“Well… I suppose that’s true.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Without waiting for a response, Raytan strode into the room.

“Good morning, Brother Raytan,” Setz greeted him, her eyes still puffy from sleep. Raytan looked at her, and then, in a low voice, he said one word.

“Your eyes.”

“Sorry?” Setz blinked.

“Did you get stung by a bee last night or something?”

“Oh, I just woke up, that’s all. I must have overslept a bit…” Setz mumbled.

“They say if you sleep a lot, you’ll grow taller,” Raytan teased with a smirk, causing Setz to pout slightly. She knew it all too well—how short she was. While Raytan had shot up in height over the years, Setz had barely grown an inch or two.

What could she do? She was born this way… Although she felt a bit indignant, Setz didn’t bother to argue back.

Raytan’s crimson eyes met Setz’s blue ones, and for a moment, she recalled the dream she had just woken from. The person in the dream—it really did seem like it was Raytan.

Could it have been a premonition? But he didn’t seem to have brought anything special with him.

“…Why are you staring at me like that?” Raytan asked, noticing her gaze.

After a brief hesitation, Setz decided to just ask him.

“Brother, do you… by any chance, have something for me?”

“What should I be giving you?”

“No, it’s not that… I just thought… Is there anything you have for me?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’m asking what it is that you want me to give you.”

“Well… like a bouquet of flowers, maybe?”

“Flowers?” Raytan’s face twisted slightly in confusion at the unexpected request.

“No, never mind! Just forget I said anything,” Setz said quickly, waving her hands to dismiss her own words, feeling embarrassed. Raytan remained silent, staring at her with a steady gaze.

“Princess, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Luna said as she returned with the wash water. Setz silently thanked her timing, immediately taking the basin from Luna and starting to wash her face and brush her teeth.

“Raytan, would you like to join us for breakfast?” Luna asked while holding a towel.

“No, I’ll be having breakfast at my mother’s palace.”

“Huh?”

Setz, towel in hand, looked at Raytan with surprise, unsure of what he meant.

“So, just finish washing up,” Raytan said.

“But I’m already done…” Setz said, trailing off as she looked at him in confusion.

“…Well, that’s unfortunate,” Raytan said with a dry tone.

Setz almost wished he would just outright scold her instead. Luna, noticing the exchange but not missing a beat, let out a small giggle and left the room with the wash water.

“Ugh…” Setz muttered as she sat in front of the vanity, inspecting her appearance. It had been quite a while since she’d last dined with Lady Lize, so she didn’t want to show up looking as Raytan had described—a mess.

But then again, what could she do? She was born this way; there wasn’t much she could change!

“Staring at the mirror like that won’t make anything better,” Raytan remarked.

Setz had grown used to comments like that from him, so they didn’t sting the way they used to. Right now, that wasn’t her main concern anyway. She quickly responded in a flustered voice.

“Still, I don’t look that bad, right? It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, and I don’t want to make a bad impression….”

Instead of answering, Raytan stood up and walked over to stand in front of her.

“Let’s see.”

His crimson eyes locked onto hers, observing her intently. Setz found herself staring back at him with wide eyes.

“If you were that worried about it, you should’ve washed your face more carefully. You still have eye crust in the corner of your eye,” he said bluntly.

Setz’s face flushed bright red—her cheeks, her ears, everything turned crimson. She had washed her face thoroughly, she was sure of it! She wanted to argue back, but her embarrassment was so overwhelming that she couldn’t say a word.

“You look ridiculous,” Raytan added with a smirk as he watched Setz frantically rub her eyes. Then, with a small laugh, he turned and started walking toward the door.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go.”

“Y-Yes,” Setz replied, though she couldn’t resist glancing in the mirror one last time. She knew Raytan was right—staring at her reflection wouldn’t make any difference. With a resigned sigh, she finally stood up.

Raytan was still waiting for her by the door, his eyes fixed on her. When she caught his gaze, Setz couldn’t help but give him a small, sheepish smile.

…Ah, there was one more thing that had changed.

Raytan no longer walked ahead, leaving Setz behind. He always waited for her, never letting her trail too far behind, just as he was doing now.

“Alright, let’s go!” Setz said, running to catch up with Raytan. Luna’s warm voice followed them, wishing them a safe journey, as the two of them slowly made their way out of the palace together.

***