The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 42

She had even conjured a breeze when Luna complained about the laundry not drying and when Raytan fanned his shirt during last year’s unusually hot summer. Of course, she’d kept her magic a secret from both of them.

It wasn’t that she was intentionally hiding it, but she worried that if Luna knew, she would fret even more. And bringing up magic around Raytan made her hesitant, ever since he’d once casually remarked:

“Magic is useless. It’s not a help; it’s more of a shackle.”

…Those words had lingered in her mind, leaving her conflicted.

Still, Setz kept at the task that Eaton had left her, the homework he hadn’t explicitly assigned but that she took upon herself.

“If you can master the art of wind magic by the time I return, I’ll grant you one wish.” The problem was, the person who’d made that promise had yet to return.

Setz rested her chin on the windowsill and looked outside with a bored expression. The scene before her was as ordinary as ever. Servants and maids bustled about, and a few nobles passed by now and then.

Those people are lucky. They can go wherever they want without having to look over their shoulders all the time.

But then, Setz’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked out the window.

“…Huh?”

Did I see that right? She blinked and looked again, but there was no mistake. The person she saw walking below was none other than Mathias Karim.

As always, Mathias appeared perfectly put together. Not a single strand of hair was out of place, and his clothes were impeccably neat. He wore his signature gentle smile, which seemed to enhance his kind and approachable aura.

He was the complete opposite of Raytan, whose slightly disheveled look and emotionless face always gave off a cool, detached vibe. Comparing the two was pointless—they were like two extremes standing on opposite ends of a spectrum.

But why is he looking around like that?

Mathias seemed to be searching for something. If that’s the case, why doesn’t he just ask one of the maids?

All he had to do was call for any servant, and they would surely drop whatever they were doing to rush over to him.

Just as Setz was wondering about Mathias’s behavior and watching him curiously, his eyes met hers.

“……”

Startled, Setz flinched. What if he thinks I was spying on him and gets offended? But I was just looking out the window, not spying… I didn’t open the window just to peek at him…

“…Huh?” she murmured.

Setz was in the middle of justifying her reaction to herself when Mathias suddenly gave a small smile. That’s what they mean by a radiant smile, she thought. The expression on Mathias’s face as he looked at her was warm, like sunlight on a spring day.

Mathias’s gentle smile remained as he mouthed the words:

Good- afternoon, Princess Setz.

Setz hesitated for a moment before mouthing her reply:

Yes- it is.

Mathias glanced around, scanning his surroundings. Setz followed his gaze, but there was no one else in sight.

She looked back at Mathias, wondering, What is he doing? What’s he looking for?

Then, to her surprise, Mathias looked back up at her and said something she hadn’t expected.

If it’s not too much trouble- could you spare- a moment of your time?

Me? You mean me? Setz asked, pointing at herself in confusion. Mathias nodded and gave her a bright smile.

Setz hesitated. There was absolutely no benefit to being seen with Mathias Karim, and it could even lead to trouble.

What if Lilien heard about it? She didn’t even want to imagine that scenario.

But then again, how could she say no to Mathias, who was smiling at her so genuinely? Rejecting him with a blunt “No, I don’t want to” wasn’t in her nature.

In the end, Setz decided to step outside.

When Mathias saw Setz approaching, he greeted her with a respectful bow.

“Mathias Karim, at your service, Princess Setz,” he said with a warm smile.

Setz felt a bit embarrassed. No one else in the palace ever bothered to treat her with such formal respect. Most people only gave her the bare minimum of courtesy. Flustered, she gave a clumsy attempt at a polite bow in return.

“How is your ankle? I’ve been worried about it,” Mathias asked with genuine concern.

“Oh, yes… It’s much better now. I can walk without any trouble,” Setz replied.

“That’s a relief,” Mathias said, his smile growing even brighter.

Setz couldn’t help but notice again how kind Mathias was. The truth was, her injured ankle had been her own fault; she had simply missed her step. It wasn’t Mathias’s responsibility at all. She was grateful that he had helped her that day and even more touched that he was still asking about her well-being.

Raytan, Eaton, and Luna aside, Setz had never experienced this kind of kindness from anyone else, which made her feel a bit awkward.

“So, um… why did you want to talk to me?” Setz asked hesitantly.

“My father had business at the palace, so I came with him. It seems like it will take some time, so I was on my way back,” Mathias explained.

“Oh, I see…” Setz said, though she was still puzzled. If he was on his way out, why had he gone out of his way to come here? Setz’s quarters were quite far from the main exit of the palace. It was actually the opposite direction from where he should be heading.

Sensing her confusion, Mathias continued speaking.

“To be honest, after the debutante, I wanted to see you again. My cousin mentioned that you never attend Lilien’s tea parties, even though she goes often.”

It wasn’t simply that Setz didn’t want to attend those gatherings. True, she didn’t have any desire to go, but even if she had, there was no way Lilien would invite her unless she lost her mind.

“I thought I might take the long way around just in case, and I’m glad I did. It’s nice to see you again. If I’ve overstepped by approaching you like this, I sincerely apologize,” Mathias said.

“It’s… it’s okay,” Setz stammered, shaking her head. If this counted as a breach of etiquette, then Berne and Lilien deserved to dunk their heads in a bucket of water out of shame. She waved off his apology.

“Do you usually stay in the palace, Princess?” Mathias asked.

“Ah, yes. Mostly,” Setz replied.

She did go out every day to take her lessons with Raytan, but she didn’t think it was necessary to explain that to Mathias. Besides, she had already lied to Yerna, saying that the lessons were over.

“It must be quite dull for you,” Mathias said.

“No, I’m used to it… It’s not so bad,” Setz said with a forced smile.

“But don’t you feel lonely? I was an only child too, you know, and…”

Mathias continued to speak, sharing how he had often felt lonely growing up. But Setz barely heard his words because her attention had been captured by something else—a maid walking toward them.

A maid she recognized.

Lilien’s maid.

For a moment, Setz’s vision blurred as panic set in.

“Wait, please!” Setz exclaimed.

“Princess… Princess Setz?” Mathias looked at her, startled.

In her panic, Setz grabbed onto Mathias’s sleeve and began leading him toward a less populated area at the back of the palace. Mathias looked puzzled, but there was no time to explain.

Mathias Karim was immensely popular, especially among eligible young women. If anyone, especially Lilien, caught wind of the fact that Setz had been seen with him… the thought alone was horrifying.

“I’m so sorry, did I scare you?” Setz asked, finally letting go of his sleeve after checking that they were alone.

“No, it’s alright. But is something the matter?” Mathias asked gently.

“Well, um…” Setz hesitated, unsure of how to explain.

“Please, feel free to speak openly. I promise to keep anything you say in confidence,” Mathias said earnestly, his expression sincere.

Setz thought back to what Mathias had mentioned during the debutante ball—that he had recently returned from studying abroad. He had also said that his cousin often attended Lilien’s tea parties and knew that Setz rarely left her quarters.

It made her wonder if his cousin had shared the grim reality of her situation. If Mathias knew the truth about how Setz was treated in the palace, would he still be as kind as he seemed now?

Setz knew she was acting out of a sense of insecurity. But she didn’t want to live in constant fear of when people might find out the truth. If Mathias was the kind of person who would change his attitude once he learned of her circumstances, then maybe it was better to end things now.

“If anyone sees me with you, they’ll definitely mock me,” Setz said quietly.

“Mock you? Who would dare to mock a princess?” Mathias asked, looking genuinely surprised.

“Everyone,” Setz replied.

“……”

“All of them, both the royals and the nobles. To them, I’m… just that kind of person,” she said, her voice growing smaller.

“That’s why I don’t go outside the palace. I’m scared that if I draw attention, something bad will happen to me,” she admitted.

Mathias fell silent, processing her words.

He recalled a conversation he’d had with his cousin some time ago.

“Princess Setz? Oh, she rarely leaves the palace.”

“Why not? Isn’t the tea party hosted by Princess Lilien? Shouldn’t Princess Setz also be there?”

“Princess Setz? She doesn’t get invited to those kinds of events. Nobody ever asks her to join.”

He remembered a hint of mockery in his cousin’s voice, but he hadn’t given it much thought at the time.

Mathias truly hadn’t known. He had always assumed that Princess Setz was just shy and introverted, that she preferred to keep to herself. After all, she had seemed that way during the debutante ball.

Since that day, she had stayed on his mind. Part of it was due to Mathias’s naturally kind and empathetic nature.

Mathias had always been warm and considerate to everyone, especially to those who seemed isolated or left out, like Setz. He couldn’t just stand by and ignore someone in that situation.

And she was a princess! To be honest, during the debutante ball, Setz had looked every inch the graceful, pampered princess she was supposed to be. She was stunningly beautiful.

Mathias had grown up interacting with many members of the royal family due to his family’s high status.

He had seen his share of unpleasant behavior among the royals—some of them so arrogant and entitled that he often found himself shaking his head in disbelief.

Setz had stood out to him precisely because she was different. Unlike the other royals who used their status to push people around, she seemed cautious, even humble.

“This is… truly absurd,” Mathias said, shaking his head.

Of course, it’s absurd, Setz thought. Even though I’m a princess, I’m treated this way. It’s ridiculous even to me. She lowered her head in a mixture of embarrassment and resignation.

But what Mathias said next took her by surprise.

“Regardless of the reason, it’s wrong. You haven’t done anything wrong, Princess,” he said firmly.

“…What?” Setz responded, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

“Please, don’t let it weigh on your mind,” Mathias said gently. “The ones who should feel ashamed and embarrassed are those who have treated you so poorly.”

Setz wanted to say, But those people are the royals themselves… However, she was too surprised by his words to voice that thought, so she simply blinked in astonishment.

Mathias looked at her warmly before continuing.

“Princess, if it’s not too presumptuous, may I offer to be your conversation companion?” he asked.

“A conversation companion?” Setz repeated, puzzled.

“Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that you’d be my companion,” Mathias said with a light smile. “As I mentioned before, I’ve only recently returned to Denhelder, and I haven’t had much chance to reconnect with many people.”

That can’t possibly be true, Setz thought to herself. If Mathias showed even a hint of interest, there would be plenty of people eager to be in his company.

“Since you said that you’re often in the palace… may I send you a letter?” Mathias asked.

“A letter?” Setz tilted her head in confusion.

“I’ll send someone with a letter tomorrow,” he continued. “I’ll make sure it’s delivered directly to your maid, so you needn’t worry about it reaching the wrong hands.”

“Oh…”

“Is that uncomfortable for you?” Mathias asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“No, it’s not that, but…” Setz hesitated.

“It’s nothing formal, just a simple exchange of letters, so there’s no need to feel pressured. Is that alright with you?” Mathias asked again, gently.

…Just as she couldn’t refuse his request to meet earlier, even at the risk of being seen, Setz found it impossible to turn him down now.

And besides, if the letter went straight to Luna, as Mathias promised, there was little risk of anyone else finding out. After a moment of deliberation, Setz nodded her agreement.

“Thank you,” Mathias said, looking genuinely pleased. “I’ve been feeling rather lonely myself, with no one to talk to. And this is a secret, but…”

He paused, bringing a hand to his lips in a playful gesture, as if he were about to reveal a great secret. Then, in a hushed tone, he added, “I’m actually quite a talkative person.”

The unexpected joke caught Setz off guard, and she let out a small laugh. Mathias smiled back, his face brightening with that signature radiant smile of his.

***