The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 39

Setz returned safely, carried on Raytan’s back.

He laid Setz down on the bed and stood there without saying a word. Normally, he would have tossed out a half-hearted, “Just go to sleep,” and left right away. But this time, Raytan stayed, silently watching Setz for a long moment.

Thinking that he might have something to say, Setz waited patiently, but that was all. Without even a simple goodnight, Raytan turned and walked out.

“Doesn’t my brother seem a bit strange, Luna?” Setz asked.

“I’m not sure,” Luna replied, tilting her head in thought.

“He did look a bit tense, but then again, Lord Raytan always looks like that…”

Maybe so. Now it was Setz’s turn to tilt her head in puzzlement. The conversation she had with Raytan earlier flashed through her mind.

“I’ll remember today for the rest of my life. Thank you so much, brother.”

“If that’s how you feel… then that’s enough.”

He’d seemed to have that same peculiar expression back then too, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

As Luna massaged her feet, Setz’s thoughts were consumed with Raytan.

Setz placed the flower Raytan had personally tucked into her hair into a vase, setting it beside her bed by the window. She opened the window and leaned her upper body against the sill, staring blankly at the flower petals swaying in the breeze.

It was indeed the same flower she had seen in her dream.

“It suits you.” Raytan’s words were exactly the same as in the dream.

“But Eaton said I could control the wind, not that I could have prophetic dreams…”

Even as the night deepened and dawn approached, Setz couldn’t fall asleep. Her mind was preoccupied with too many thoughts. She tossed and turned for what felt like ages before finally drifting off.

But even the hard-earned sleep didn’t last long. Setz had to wake up as soon as the sun rose because Yerna, having heard that her daughter had attended the debutante ball, rushed over to see her.

***

Yerna frowned deeply as she sipped her tea.

“……”

Sitting across from her, Setz anxiously watched for any sign of her mood, a habit she couldn’t shake.

She had expected that Yerna might come storming in after hearing she’d gone to the debutante without a word. She even thought she might get slapped.

But Yerna didn’t hit her. In fact, she didn’t say a single word until she had finished half her tea.

The longer the silence stretched, the more nervous Luna became. She stood near the door, her face pale, ready to intervene if Yerna raised her hand against Setz again.

“Osen told me… that you attended the debutante yesterday,” Yerna finally said after a long pause.

“Yes,” Setz answered.

“You dared to go without telling me a single word…”

“I’m truly sorry I didn’t inform you in advance,” Setz quickly apologized.

“I thought you wouldn’t allow it, Mother… But I really wanted to go at least once,” Setz said, lowering her head with the most pitiful expression she could muster. It wasn’t that she was genuinely afraid of Yerna; she was just putting on a show.

Even if Yerna were to throw a tantrum, it wouldn’t matter much, but it still wasn’t exactly pleasant to get hit like a dog.

Yerna stayed silent for a moment. Setz wondered why she had bothered to come all this way if she was just going to sit there quietly sipping tea. Keeping her head down, Setz fiddled with her dress.

To her surprise, Yerna’s response was unexpected.

“Well, you’ve already gone, so there’s nothing to be done about it.”

“…Pardon?”

“I heard from people that you didn’t look too bad. Who helped you?”

“Oh, that….”

“Was it Lize?” Yerna asked sharply. It was a natural suspicion since the only people Setz had even a remote acquaintance with in the palace were Raytan and Lize, and it was indeed the truth.

Still, not wanting to drag Lize into trouble, Setz decided to lie.

“Actually, Lady Lize told me I should get permission from you first. I insisted, and she reluctantly helped me.”

“Hmph, dressing up to win favor is that woman’s specialty. I heard she was on death’s door, yet she still has time to meddle in others’ affairs,” Yerna scoffed.

Setz said nothing in response.

“But to think you accepted an escort from that cursed man? Do you have any sense at all?”

“I’m sorry. There was no one else available to escort me, so I had to ask him,” Setz said apologetically.

Yerna continued muttering to herself, throwing out the usual insults like “those detestable bastards” and “the nerve of that man to strut around while his mother’s at death’s door.” She ranted on for a while, with no one daring to respond.

Finally, Yerna cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, I heard there was someone at the debutante who took a liking to you.”

Setz suddenly felt a sense of dread.

“He may be a bit older, but he’s a distinguished man.”

“……”

“He’s someone far beyond the reach of someone as insignificant as you,” Yerna continued.

It was then that Setz realized who Yerna meant by this “distinguished man.” It was the old duke.

Before her regression, before her head was cut off, Yerna had tried to marry Setz off to that old duke as his second wife.

Though the timing seemed a bit off this time around, it roughly matched, as Setz was about to turn seventeen.

“Distinguished” indeed. That duke might have been from a good family with plenty of wealth, but he was notorious for beating his wife, his daughter, and even his mistresses.

Setz had heard that his first wife eventually couldn’t bear the violence any longer and ran away.

Surely, Yerna knew all this. She must have been well aware of his reputation and yet was still willing to sell off her own daughter. It was astonishingly shameless.

“Just keep that in mind. And be sure to conduct yourself properly. If any rumors start to spread, the duke might change his mind,” Yerna warned.

Who cares if he does or doesn’t. He’s a dead man walking, after all. Even before her regression, the duke had been found dead one day, killed by his own illness.

When Setz heard the news back then, she had breathed a huge sigh of relief. And knowing what a cruel man he was, who beat women without remorse, she didn’t feel the slightest hint of sympathy for his passing.

In the first place, the fact that the duke, old enough to be her father, had even laid eyes on her was revolting. What a disgusting maniac.

Yerna, having said everything she wanted to say, got up from her seat without hesitation. Setz wished she’d just leave already. She kept her eyes fixed on the table, hoping Yerna would go, but then Yerna stopped mid-step.

“And stop those private lessons, too,” Yerna said suddenly.

“What?”

“You’re still taking private lessons from that Raytan, aren’t you? Every single day!”

“……”

“Today’s probably the same, right? Go and tell him yourself that you’re quitting! There’s absolutely nothing good that can come from being around him. Especially not with things as they are now!”

“Mother, I—”

“I’ll check again tomorrow. If I find that you’re still hanging around that Raytan, you won’t like the consequences.”

Knowing her personality, there was only one reason she demanded Setz deliver the message personally rather than handling it herself. Yerna was worried that if she confronted Raytan directly, Lize might go and say something to the emperor.

Her petty intentions were so transparent that it was almost embarrassing.

With those words, Yerna stormed out. Luna immediately approached Setz, her face full of concern as she called out, “Your Highness.” But Setz just clenched her fists tightly, her expression dark and troubled.

***

Here’s the translation of the passage you provided:

Setz’s steps toward Lize’s palace felt unbearably heavy.

Even though Yerna had issued her a threat disguised as a warning, the truth was, Setz didn’t want to stop the lessons. If possible, she wanted to continue learning Khazaki from Raytan.

It wasn’t just because she found Khazaki interesting. Her skills had improved significantly, and honestly, she was now at a level where she could study on her own without Raytan’s help.

But what Setz really enjoyed was spending time with Raytan.

Others might wonder what was so delightful about being in the same room with an older brother who never uttered a warm word. But Setz knew better.

She understood that, in his own way, Raytan was looking out for her, even if he wasn’t exactly the most affectionate person.

He still wasn’t what you’d call kind, but for the past four years, he had never once missed a lesson.

Whenever she went to the library, her favorite strawberry cake and a warm glass of milk were always waiting for her, and Raytan would sit beside her, watching her solve problems from a slight angle.

The fear she had of Raytan hadn’t entirely disappeared. He might still end up killing her ruthlessly, just like he had before her regression. That’s why she knew she had to leave the palace as soon as she came of age.

But when she thought about that… ironically, those warm moments they shared felt even more precious.

Regardless of what the future might hold, these moments would never come again if not for now. At this moment, he was her dear brother, and that was what she wanted to believe.

The time she spent with Raytan in the library made her happy. It felt like the strength that helped her endure the grueling life in the palace.

Her slender shoulders slumped as she let out a deep sigh and stepped into the library.

“Good morning, Brother…,” Setz greeted him weakly, even though it wasn’t a good morning at all.

Raytan was already there, sitting in a chair, staring directly at her. On the table, as always, was a cake with large strawberries on top and a steaming glass of milk.

“Who was it this time?” Raytan asked.

“Sorry?” Setz responded, confused.

“Who made you look like that? Was it Berne? Lilien?”

Raytan had an uncanny ability to immediately sense whenever Setz was feeling down, and he would always ask her that question.

Berne and Lilien had stopped openly picking on Setz as much, possibly because Raytan’s demeanor had grown sharper over the years, or maybe they were wary of causing trouble that might drag Lize into it.

Lilien, too, would often leave Setz alone after Raytan appeared and glared at her, muttering a few curses and spitting on the ground before walking away.

“No, it wasn’t anything like that. Nothing happened,” Setz said, trying to brush it off.

Raytan seemed like he wanted to say something more but closed his mouth. Suddenly, he recalled what Lize had told him the previous night.

After dropping off Setz, Raytan had gone to Lize’s palace. She had listened to what happened with Caroline Regent at the debutante and had looked quite pleased, a stark contrast to her usual faraway gaze.

With a cold voice, she had said, “Everything is falling into place nicely. Now, handle the rest yourself. Make sure it’s clean.”

“Your act as the kind older brother will soon come to an end. You know what that means, don’t you, Raytan?”

It was time for him to start creating distance. So whether Setz looked sad or even burst into tears, he needed to stop caring about it.

It wasn’t just because of Lize’s order. Raytan didn’t trust himself—not enough to handle getting rid of that fool who kept following him around, always calling him “Brother, Brother,” without a second thought.

So more than ever, there was no benefit in maintaining such a close relationship.

“Brother, is something wrong? You look upset,” Setz said.

“What’s wrong with my expression?” Raytan retorted.

“It’s just that the frown between your eyebrows looks deeper than usual,” she replied.

Just as Raytan could always sense Setz’s shifts in mood with uncanny precision, Setz could do the same with him. Even though Raytan tended to frown regardless of whether he was in a good or bad mood, if you looked closely, there was a subtle difference.

“Brother?”

“Whether something’s wrong with me or not, what does it have to do with you?” Raytan snapped, deliberately making his words harsh.

“Stop worrying about me and focus on taking care of yourself.”

“Oh, there you go again, saying such mean things!”

…The problem was, his words had no effect on her at all. In the beginning, his harshness might have caught her off guard, and she was hurt a little. But by now, she was so used to it that it didn’t even faze her.

“How could I not care? It’s you we’re talking about, not just anyone,” Setz said earnestly.

“……”

“So, come on, tell me what’s going on. Who knows, maybe I could help.”

“Help? What help could you possibly offer?”

Nothing had really changed. It had been like this ever since they were kids. Even when she had a nosebleed, she was more worried about the little bit of blood on her hands than her own injury.

And then there was the incident with Lilien. She had fiercely defended him, fighting endlessly just because Lilien had badmouthed him.

Setz always treated Raytan’s issues as if they were her own, never hesitating to get involved.

…What a foolish girl. Raytan struggled to swallow his words.

“Or is it… Did Brother Berne or Sister Lilien say something strange again? I thought things had quieted down a bit… But don’t worry too much. Even if a fight breaks out like last time, I’ll be able to help to some extent,” Setz said.

Help, what help could she possibly give? It was absurd. Ridiculous, even, and yet, Raytan found himself laughing despite himself. Watching her so serious and endlessly talking to herself was somehow… a little endearing.

“Seriously?” he asked with a hint of amusement.

“What, are you going to bite and hang on like a dog again? You silly girl.”

“If necessary… then yes,” Setz said with a determined expression. Raytan stared at her for a moment, then stood up from his seat.

“Today, let’s do a different kind of lesson,” he announced.

“What? What kind of lesson?”