The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 47

Setz’s daily life was peaceful. Late at night or early in the morning, she would go to see Raytan, spending time with him in the study.

Matthias Karim continued to send letters. Setz thought about telling Raytan about them but ultimately decided against it.

She felt that Matthias’s kindness towards her was more out of pity than genuine care. Although he was sending letters now, Setz suspected that one day they would naturally stop.

She worried that if she mentioned it to Raytan and the letters eventually ceased, it might lead to an awkward situation later on.

If they truly became close friends…

If they became something more than just pitying acquaintances, then she would tell him about the letters.

Setz made that promise to herself.

Not long after, she received some unexpected news: the Emperor’s health was deteriorating.

According to Luna, the Emperor had been coughing frequently since around last winter. Although a physician had examined him and found nothing seriously wrong, everyone had assumed it was just a minor cold. However, instead of getting better, his symptoms were worsening.

Now, even with medication, the cough wouldn’t subside.

Come to think of it, before she had returned to this time, the Emperor had also started to fall ill around this same period.

To be honest, Setz felt little emotion about the news. Although Rowain III, the current Emperor, was her biological father, he had never shown her any affection.

Meanwhile, Setz discreetly sold a few of the jewels she had been gradually taking from Yerna. Since she was nearing adulthood, it was time to start preparing to leave the palace.

Luna helped her sell the jewels. Setz shamelessly asked Luna to call the merchant once more.

Though Luna seemed puzzled, she secretly summoned a trustworthy merchant who was known to be discreet.

To her surprise, the amount of money she received was much larger than she had expected. While she knew it would be wise to save it, having such a large sum made her want to spend it on something special.

Not for herself, but to give a gift to Luna and Raytan—something meaningful.

Setz chose a pair of leather shoes as a gift for Luna and a thick cloak for Raytan.

“Luna, has the merchant left? Come here for a moment and have a seat,” Setz said.

“Yes, but why did you suddenly call for the merchant?” Luna asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Setz handed her the shoes.

“Luna, you always feel the cold a lot. I’ve been wanting to give you this gift for a while.”

“This… for me?”

“Yes. Someday, I’ll get you something even better. I promise.”

“Your Highness…”

Tears streamed down Luna’s face as she clutched the shoes tightly. Setz’s heart also felt warm and tender at the sight, and she couldn’t help but sniffle a bit as well.

I’ll definitely get you even better shoes. And we’ll both leave this palace wearing them, alive and well.

“I also picked out a gift for my brother,” Setz said, holding up the thick cloak.

“He always dresses too lightly, so I was worried he might catch a cold. Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Of course he will.”

Luna blew her nose and answered, “If it’s a gift from you, Your Highness, he’ll love anything. Absolutely.”

“…I can’t wait for morning to come,” Setz said, her face blushing as she fidgeted with the cloak. She was excited to go see her brother.

***

It was a dark night, with not a trace of moonlight in the sky.

In the small clearing behind the garden, a thick fog had settled, and from time to time, the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.

From behind the dense trees, hidden in the pitch-black darkness, a pair of red eyes glinted sharply.

“……”

Raytan, concealed in the shadows, quietly watched General Haydn as he practiced his sword techniques alone.

Though he had aged and stepped back from the front lines, the rumors of him still training in martial arts daily seemed to be true.

While his movements were not as fast as they once were, they were precise and disciplined—reflecting the lifetime he had spent on the battlefield.

The reason General Haydn was on Lize’s hit list was simple.

He was a man who lived and breathed for Denhelder. His father, his grandfather… they had all served on the front lines, protecting the Emperor for generations.

And for that reason, he had to die.

Raytan held his breath as he quietly drew his sword.

“…I don’t recall inviting any guests this late at night,” General Haydn said in a calm voice, his back still turned.

“I’ve heard the rumors. Those nobles have been dying one by one. Seems like it’s my turn tonight,” he continued as he slowly turned to face Raytan.

“What’s the reason?” he asked, his deep-set brown eyes gleaming sharply through the creases of his wrinkles.

“Is it for the sake of a coup?”

“…!”

“Prince Raytan,” he said, causing Raytan’s face to twist with anger.

“Are you not even going to bother responding to that, out of sheer disrespect?” General Haydn sneered.

“Well, then again, showing respect to a traitor would be far too generous.”

Raytan didn’t reply. He simply gripped his sword tightly and lunged at General Haydn.

The clash of metal against metal echoed through the night. This man was different from the others. He wasn’t scared, nor was he overwhelmed with fear. That made him a worthy opponent for Raytan.

“……”

Raytan bit his lip without realizing it. He had expected it to be difficult to deal with General Haydn, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this evenly matched.

Although General Haydn was an expert warrior with years of experience on the battlefield, Raytan himself was no less skilled. He had never failed before.

But for the first time, Raytan sensed that the outcome of this battle might be different.

Their swords clashed once more, sending an unpleasant vibration through his hands. General Haydn stepped back, his cold eyes fixed on Raytan.

“I always had my suspicions,” the General said, “wondering who on earth could be systematically killing those closest to His Majesty and Prince Bern.”

He pursed his lips and continued.

“There was only one answer. Raytan, the cursed prince. You’ve been setting the stage to ensure that when His Majesty passes and before Prince Bern ascends to the throne, everything will go according to your plan.”

“…You sure do like to ramble, don’t you? Saying things I didn’t even ask,” Raytan replied with a sneer.

“People didn’t even bother to listen. They just laughed it off, saying that there was no way Prince Raytan, who could do nothing and was worth nothing, could be behind all this.”

They weren’t wrong. That’s what everyone thought. No one would have expected it. That Raytan, who had lived so quietly and unremarkably, would be the one to orchestrate such a tragedy.

“But I wasn’t one of them.”

“…….”

“I always knew that one day, you’d show your true colors.”

“Ridiculous…!”

Raytan raised his sword high, but he failed to strike a fatal blow. The sharp tip of the blade only grazed General Haydn’s chest.

The General staggered for a moment but quickly regained his balance and swung his sword.

Raytan felt a searing pain in his shoulder, and the mask that had been covering his face was sliced in half, falling to the ground.

“I told His Majesty so many times,” General Haydn said, his face etched with genuine regret. “You have to kill him before he grows up. Kill that monster, and the cursed child with him.”

Kill me before I grow up?

What had I done wrong?

What did my mother and I do to deserve this?

Grinding his teeth, Raytan lunged at him again.

“Ugh…!”

General Haydn groaned as the blade pierced his right arm. The pain forced him to drop his sword with a short cry.

Not missing the opportunity, Raytan kicked the fallen sword far out of reach.

Then, with precision, he drove his sword into the General’s left chest.

“…….”

Raytan’s face twisted in pain as he tried to pull the sword out. He exhaled heavily, looking down at his own abdomen.

There, embedded in his side, was a small dagger. And the hand gripping it tightly belonged to General Haydn.

“Argh…”

General Haydn’s legs gave out, and he slowly slid to the ground. Yet, even as he collapsed, he clenched his hand around the dagger.

The blade drove deeper into Raytan’s side, tearing into his flesh. Blood dripped steadily as a burning pain spread through his body.

Raytan knocked the General’s hand away, forcing him to release the dagger.

With the weapon gone, General Haydn sank powerlessly to the floor.

“Even long ago…”

Dark red blood trickled from the General’s mouth. He gasped in pain but continued to speak.

“Someone like you… did the exact same thing…”

“What?”

“My ancestors… tried to stop it as well…”

“What are you talking about!”

Raytan shouted, grabbing General Haydn by the collar and pulling him close. But the General couldn’t reply. He let out a rattling breath and started coughing violently.

“Cursed… creatures…”

With a spluttering sound, hot blood sprayed onto Raytan’s face.

“But mark my words… Someone will stop you this time as well… And in the end, it will be you who is defeated…”

With those final words, General Haydn’s head slumped forward, lifeless.

And then, in that exact moment—

A splitting headache struck Raytan.

“……!”

The intense pain caused him to drop his sword to the ground. He clutched his head, gasping for breath.

[Denhelder does not want the cursed …]

Again. That strange voice again. But it had been fine since the day he killed Baron Eint. Why now?

It’s just a hallucination, he thought. Raytan struggled desperately to regain his focus, but the voice persisted.

[The will of His Majesty is the will of the gods. Regrettably, it is so.]

His abdomen burned. Instinctively, Raytan looked down at his own stomach.

There was a sword.

Not the one that General Haydn had thrust into him—another sword entirely.

Raytan’s gaze moved from his abdomen, tracing up the blade, until it reached the face of the person standing before him.

[This is where it ends.]

The man looked just like General Haydn. But he wasn’t Haydn. He was a stranger—someone Raytan had never seen before.

The man’s lips moved slowly.

Then he said something strange.

[Please forgive me, Lord Raytan.]

A sharp pain shot through Raytan, causing him to collapse to the ground.

When he looked up again, there was nothing in sight. Only the lifeless body of General Haydn lay sprawled on the ground.

The sword that had pierced his abdomen was gone, and the mysterious man had vanished.

All that remained was the bitter cold of the winter wind and the sickening smell of blood.

“Ugh…!”

Raytan, still sitting in a daze, retched. Even after he had emptied his stomach, he continued to gasp for breath.

The severe headache that had plagued him began to subside, but the stench of blood in the air stubbornly refused to disappear.

***