The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 46

The Eont Empire was a land of intense heat. People often referred to it as the Empire of the Sun, where the sun rose early and set late, and winter never came.

Eaton was headed to Mount Alkmaar, located in the northern part of the Eont Empire.

Mount Alkmaar was a place where the snow never melted, regardless of the season. The temperature there was different—just getting near the mountain, one could feel the chill in the air. Because of the abundant wildlife, human presence was rare.

People spoke in awe of Mount Alkmaar, calling it a sacred place. Some even said that a god lived there. They wondered how else such things could be possible.

And they weren’t entirely wrong.

A god did indeed dwell on Mount Alkmaar.

“It’s me.”

The place where Eaton stood was a shabby, small house that looked worse than the homes of ordinary commoners, let alone a place fit for a god.

Well, Belkiel had always preferred simple things.

“Open the door. It’s me, Eaton.”

Soon, with a creak, the door opened. The person who opened it was a young boy who looked to be no older than fourteen or fifteen.

Of course, that was just his appearance.

The boy’s clear, silvery-blue eyes stared at Eaton.

“It’s been a while, Belkiel,” Eaton said with a smile.

***

The house was modest.

A wooden table and chairs, a low bed, and a white wool carpet on the floor. Despite his appearance, Belkiel seemed to like such things.

Eaton sat on the edge of Belkiel’s bed. Belkiel glanced at Eaton, then put some water on to boil in an old, rusty kettle.

“You’re really living like a human, aren’t you?”

“It’s not so bad,” Belkiel replied.

“But it takes a lot of time, doesn’t it? Why don’t you just hand me the kettle? It wouldn’t take me long to heat it up.”

“Bold words for someone with no power. Just sit there and wait quietly.”

For someone with no power.

It wasn’t just a casual remark. Belkiel knew full well that Eaton hadn’t regained his original strength yet.

“You’ve got a sharp tongue. I practically raised you like my own, and this is the thanks I get?”

“You practically raised me, and now you only come to see me after all this time?”

Belkiel’s voice was tinged with coldness, but Eaton knew better. He could sense how hurt Belkiel actually was. This was how Belkiel always behaved—awkward with his emotions, expressing himself by grumbling and acting distant, just like now.

“I had things to do,” Eaton said.

“Of course you did. You always had things to do,” Belkiel muttered with a hint of bitterness.

Soon, the water boiled, and Belkiel handed Eaton a cup of tea. He then pulled a chair over and sat down across from Eaton.

“On my way here, I saw the high priest. He’s a truly terrible person. Why are you letting him run wild like that?”

“It has nothing to do with me,” Belkiel said, sipping his tea.

“I have no interest in human affairs. Whether they wage wars or slit each other’s throats, it’s none of my business.”

“…I don’t know if I should say you’re still the same or if you’ve gotten even more heartless.”

“That’s why you should give it up, too.”

“What?”

“You didn’t come to the Eont Empire just to find the sealing stone, did you? There’s another reason, isn’t there?”

Eaton froze.

“How… how do you know about that?”

“Your thoughts are always so predictable. Same as before, same as now,” Belkiel said.

He was right. Eaton had come to find the sealing stone, but he also wanted to learn more about Lize’s lineage.

Since Lize had been a dancer, Eaton started by seeking out other dancers and musicians like her. He asked questions and searched every corner of the empire.

However, the information he managed to gather was limited.

Lize’s ancestor, a woman whose name was now lost to time, had been exiled from the Denhelder Empire.

Her descendants supposedly lived their lives in hatred of Denhelder, following an unwritten rule never to set foot in that land.

The reason was unknown. It was a story from over a thousand years ago, passed down more like folklore than history.

The only thing Eaton could confirm was that the majority of Lize’s descendants were daughters.

There had been sons born in the family, but, according to an old woman he found after much searching, they all died before reaching adulthood.

When Eaton asked her how she knew this, the old wanderer answered that she had known Lize personally. She claimed that when Lize’s mother gave birth, she had acted as the midwife.

She told Eaton that both Lize’s mother, who hadn’t lived long, and Lize herself had once said to her in passing:

“It’s just a life of moving from here to there, and from there to somewhere else, eventually coming back here again.”

At that moment, Eaton finally understood Lize’s words, words that had been so cryptic to him before. Eventually, it all came back to this place.

“Well, in any case,” Belkiel said, placing his teacup down on the table.

“You seem to be doing better than I expected. The color of your hair is still a bit unappealing, but… I thought you’d look much worse.”

“Then why don’t you seem surprised? It’s like you knew I’d wake up, as if you were expecting it all along,” Eaton asked, puzzled.

“I thought you’d awaken eventually. And I figured you’d come back here soon after. Though you did take much longer than I expected.”

“What do you mean by that?” Eaton asked, frowning.

Belkiel stared at him for a moment, then stood up and walked over to a desk, rummaging through its drawers.

He pulled out a small box and handed it to Eaton.

“Open it.”

Eaton slowly opened the box.

And then he froze.

“It’s broken.”

Inside the box was the sealing stone, perfectly split into two pieces.

“It shattered exactly 22 years ago. The power that was sealed inside was completely absorbed. All that’s left is the empty shell.”

“…What?” Eaton whispered in disbelief.

“Do you have any idea who might be responsible?”

“…….”

“You know there’s one person.”

Only one name came to Eaton’s mind.

“The child with your name.”

[Raytan has red eyes too, just like you. His hair isn’t navy blue like yours, though—it’s black.]

“A child who inherited your eyes and your original hair color.”

[Of course, Raytan’s eyes are the same color as yours, but that’s about it. His hair color is different, isn’t it?]

“Your descendant.”

“…That’s impossible,” Eaton said, his red eyes blazing with turmoil.

“There’s no way that woman had my child… It’s not possible.”

“When you didn’t come looking for her, I thought something was off. So I went to Denhelder myself to see for sure. And I confirmed it—the child named Raytan.”

“…….”

“Whatever the case, the beginning of that bloodline was your daughter with Sharwhina.”

“…Why?”

“…….”

“Why…”

How could she have betrayed me?

How could she have abandoned me?

The words he couldn’t bring himself to say echoed silently in his mind.

“I told you back then, didn’t I?” Belkiel said coldly. “You can’t trust or understand the hearts of humans.”

“The reason there were so few male descendants in your bloodline was that the boys who were born didn’t survive long. Since the original power belonged to a man, the inheritance likely passed to male offspring, except for your direct descendant, your daughter. But since half of their blood was human, they couldn’t handle that power and died.”

He continued speaking.

“Raytan is the exception. He’s the only one capable of inheriting your power. In other words, he’s the descendant most like you. That’s why the sealing stone shattered on the day he was born, and the power within it likely transferred to him.”

[But then Raytan suddenly started acting like he knew what he was talking about! Even though he can’t actually read. I think he felt threatened because I was so good at Kazakian-]

[…What did he read? This ancient language?]

[Sharwhina. He said it was Sharwhina.]

[Does your brother… know how to control fire? Like I do.]

[Oh, come on, that’s impossible, right? That makes no sense.]

“He might not have fully absorbed the power yet. It might not have manifested, or if it has, it could be something very minor. It’s probably starting with something small. But once the trigger appears… it’s only a matter of time. And after that,” Belkiel said, biting his lip slightly, “…he might even steal your power.”

The truth was, there was originally only one sealing stone.

Half of the original power.

Unlike Eaton, Belkiel never trusted humans, and he suspected that Sharwhina might betray him. So, as a precaution, he decided to keep the sealing stone himself. He took the stone and left Denhelder.

Leaving Denhelder was something Belkiel regretted deeply.

If he had stayed by Eaton’s side, he might have been able to stop him from doing the foolish thing of splitting his power once more into yet another sealing stone.

The second sealing stone was stored in Denhelder. After awakening from his slumber, Eaton used that stone to regain his power.

But it was less than half of what he originally possessed.

And a far greater amount of power now belonged to Raytan.

No one knew when it would fully manifest.

But if, like in the past, Eaton’s rage spiraled out of control and he went on a rampage, killing all those he once served and cherished, then… the power would undoubtedly awaken completely.

“Eaton, don’t go to Denhelder,” Belkiel said, looking directly at Eaton.

“Stay here. It’s the only way to hold out for even a little longer.”

His jet-black hair had already lightened to a dark navy blue. And eventually, it would turn completely white. If he lost all of his power… that’s what would happen.

“I can help you. I’ll find a way. So stay by my side. This time,” Belkiel pleaded.

“…….”

“Eaton,” Belkiel called his name again, but there was no response. No reaction at all. Eaton simply stared blankly into the void, his eyes unfocused.

***