The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll - Chapter 7

But before she could finish her sentence, there was a sharp slap, and Setz’s head whipped to the side. She stared at Bern in shock.

…You wretched jerk. When I earn Brother Raytan’s favor, I’ll make sure to tell him to cut off your head first!

“Are you two on the same side now? You suit each other perfectly,” Bern scoffed.

“Fitting that two losers would stick together—”

Whack!

Bern didn’t get to finish his sentence because he suddenly crumpled to the floor. Raytan had punched him square in the face.

“….”

Everyone was stunned, their mouths hanging open. Setz included. What just happened? She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Raytan, who never reacted to anything, who stayed silent even when pelted with rocks—had suddenly done this? Why now? Nothing seemed any different from usual.

“Like each other?” Raytan growled as he grabbed Bern by the collar, lifting him off the ground with surprising ease.

“You monster—” Bern struggled, shouting as he flailed.

“Who do you think looks like whom?”

“I’ll kill you…!”

Bang! A heavy thud echoed through the library as Bern’s body was slammed onto the table, face-first. It seemed he hit his nose badly because blood started pouring out—twin streams of blood flowed from both nostrils, making him look even worse than Setz.

“You think that dumb girl and I look alike?”

Ah, so that’s what it was. Setz finally realized why Raytan had snapped. What had provoked the usually composed Raytan was the comment that he looked like Setz. She couldn’t help but feel a bit incredulous.

“If you’ve got eyes, then take a good look. What part of me looks like her?” Raytan hissed, his eyes blazing with fury.

Smack, smack. This time, Raytan slapped Bern’s face repeatedly. Poor Bern couldn’t even respond.

“Are all you blue-eyed bastards colorblind or something?”

“You… you bastard….”

“Your eyes are blue, and mine are red. How do we look alike?”

It turned into an absurd game of colors. Setz didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry at this point.

“What are you all standing around for? Get Raytan! Help my brother!”

Lillian, her face pale with shock, shouted at the group. At her command, four or five of them, who had been hesitating, rushed at Raytan. The previously quiet library suddenly became noisier than a marketplace, descending into utter chaos.

Setz, now pushed aside, watched the melee unfold with a bewildered expression. Bern looked furious—understandably so. After all, Raytan, who never used to respond to any kind of bullying, had suddenly lashed out. Not just with words, but with actual punches.

It was clear to Setz that Bern was now going to make Raytan suffer worse than ever. He’d beat him to a pulp, making him look more pathetic than ever before. Setz realized this instinctively. What should I do? I should probably step in… But even if I do, would it make any difference in that mess of a fight? It’s clear they’re outnumbered, and besides…

Brother Raytan didn’t help me when I needed it. Should I just stay out of this one?

…Setz was surprisingly stubborn and held grudges longer than one might think.

“You miserable wretch! Who do you think you are, climbing up here?!”

Just as she expected, the situation quickly turned against Raytan. In no time, he was surrounded, and Bern, now back on his feet and furious, spewed a string of incomprehensible curses before kicking Raytan squarely in the stomach.

With a grunt, Raytan fell to his knees, and Bern straddled him. Smack, smack, smack. Bern’s fists flew at Raytan’s face in a frenzy, while the others held down Raytan’s arms and legs as if torturing him.

This is too much… This is going too far…

In that moment, Setz’s blue eyes met Raytan’s red ones, connecting in mid-air. It was only for a brief second, but that fleeting moment made Setz change her mind.

Right. I said I’d win his favor.

I have to show him that even though my eyes are blue, I’m really on his side!

Setz suddenly launched herself at Bern, grabbing his arm with her teeth and biting down like a guard dog.

“Aaaah!”

Bern screamed in pain, not expecting the sharp bite that pierced into his wrist.

Setz clung to Bern like a growling watchdog. She knew she didn’t look very dignified, but she was small and didn’t know how to fight, so this was the only way she could help Raytan.

“You crazy girl, what the hell are you doing?!”

Bern yelled, using all his strength to punch Setz in the head. Thud! The heavy impact made stars dance before her eyes. But even then, Setz didn’t let go of Bern. She held on, even as he hit her again and again, and even when Lillian and the rest of the group tried to forcibly pull her away.

“Get off me, you worthless brat!”

Bern, now completely enraged, shoved Setz away with all his might. She staggered back, hitting her head hard against a chair and then falling over with a loud crash.

Unfortunately, she landed directly on top of Raytan, who was lying on the floor. To be precise, she landed right on his stomach, the exact spot where Bern had kicked him earlier.

“Ugh…”

Raytan groaned in pain.

Raytan groaned involuntarily as Setz landed on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He barely had time to process the pain before Setz sprang up like a jack-in-the-box. She hesitated for a moment, then pointed at Raytan and shouted at Bern.

“Brother Raytan is right! His eyes are red!”

“What… what are you talking about?”

“How could you say he looks like me? You blue-eyed people must all be colorblind!”

Setz was so flustered by the fact that she’d accidentally squashed Raytan with her body that she had no idea what nonsense was coming out of her mouth.

“Who does this little brat think she is, sticking up for someone in front of me—”

“There, see? You’re colorblind, so you don’t even realize what’s happening! I’m standing up for Brother Raytan right in front of you!”

Her embarrassment turned into an outburst of defiance, the likes of which Setz had never displayed before. She had never confronted her half-siblings like this, not once in her entire life. It was a first—just like it had been for Raytan moments ago.

“Setz, you stupid girl, being colorblind doesn’t mean you’re blind,” Lillian said with a dumbfounded expression, throwing in her unsolicited comment. As if that matters, Setz thought angrily. All I need is to keep my own eyes and my neck intact. She clenched her fists in frustration.

“Looks like Yerna gave up on you entirely. It makes sense, considering how desperate she is to have a proper heir,” Lillian continued, sneering. “Even she knows that there’s no point in wasting her efforts on a dim-witted girl like you.”

Setz bit her lip.

I know. I know my own mother doesn’t care about me. I know she doesn’t treat me like a real daughter—or even like a person! But that’s not because I’m useless!

Hearing the truth from someone else’s mouth didn’t make it any easier to bear. It was infuriating to have her most vulnerable insecurities exposed like this. It felt unfair, like a cheap shot. Setz glared at Lillian, seething.

“To see two idiots clinging to each other like that, it’s absolutely pathetic,” Bern jeered.

…Idiots? Setz scowled, a rare expression for her. She knew full well how Bern and Lillian thought of her and Raytan. She’d been hurt by their words countless times. But that was when she was younger. Now… now she felt more anger than hurt.

Why is it always us getting treated like this? We didn’t even do anything wrong!

“…So, are you having fun?” she suddenly asked.

“What?”

“Are you enjoying this? Hurting Brother Raytan and me every chance you get—does it make you happy?”

“You brat, who do you think you are—”

“It’s childish,” Setz said, clenching her fists even tighter. It was utterly and completely childish.

What did Brother Raytan or I ever do wrong? she thought. Raytan and Setz hadn’t done anything. They were just two outcasts, hidden away in this dusty library, reading books quietly. Maybe it wasn’t what Raytan wanted, but that didn’t change the fact that it was harmless.

How is that something to laugh at? How does that justify this bullying?

“Looking down on us because our hair and eye colors are different is childish, and so is picking on me because I’m not treated well in the palace. We haven’t done anything wrong!”

“What do you mean, you haven’t done anything wrong?” Bern snapped.

Lillian, who had been standing next to Bern, suddenly stepped forward. With her arms crossed, she looked down at Setz with an incredulous expression, then began poking Setz’s forehead with her finger.

“You nobodies, you annoyances—just existing here and clinging to each other like this is a problem in itself,” she sneered.

“….”

“Not dying or running away and still hanging around the palace is another problem. Why isn’t that wrong?”

Damn her! Anger flared in Setz’s eyes. So what, are you saying Brother Raytan and I should just hold hands and die together?

“Then why don’t you all just go somewhere else?” Setz snapped.

“Did you really just say that?!”

“If you hate seeing us so much, then go somewhere else! Why do you have to come all the way here just to bully us?!”

Setz’s original goal of winning over Raytan’s favor was long forgotten. Her outburst now came from a place of built-up frustration. In the past, she’d just accepted it as her fate and suffered in silence. But having survived death once, she wasn’t afraid anymore.

She had no intention of putting up with the same endless bullying she endured before. Besides, this was the peak of Bern and Lillian’s torment. Now that things had escalated to this point, she might as well end it once and for all, even if it wasn’t exactly part of her plan.

“You—!”

Smack! A sharp pain flashed across Setz’s vision. Lillian, breathing heavily, had slapped her hard. She seemed utterly shocked that Setz had dared to talk back, her face flushing with anger.

Lillian’s hand flew toward Setz again. It seemed today was just one of those days—a day for getting hit. But Setz wasn’t going to just stand there and take it anymore. She clenched her fist tightly and charged straight at Lillian.

“Ahhh!”

Lillian let out a piercing scream as Setz slammed into her, head-first, ramming into her chest like an enraged bull.

“Get her! Grab that girl!” Bern shouted, and the rest of the group quickly rushed forward to restrain Setz. She struggled fiercely, but no matter how hard she thrashed, she couldn’t break free from their grip.

Setz knew all too well what was coming next. They’d hit her again, mocking her as they did. But this time, she refused to beg for mercy. Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought against her anger.

“Just leave us alone! We’re not asking to be treated like royalty—just let us live! Why can’t you even do that?!”

Even if you stop tormenting us, we’ll live quietly like we don’t exist. We never asked to be treated well. The unfairness of it all hit her like a tidal wave. They had everything—the Emperor’s favor, comfortable lives without any lack. All Setz and Raytan wanted was to be left alone, to play with each other in peace, and yet that seemed to be too much to ask. Tears streamed down her face.

“Why can’t you even do that for us?” she cried.

Suddenly, Setz was lifted off the ground. Bern had grabbed her by the collar and was holding her up. Setz dangled in the air, struggling to breathe, her small hands desperately clawing at Bern’s shoulders. The blue eyes glaring back at her were filled with something close to contempt.

“It’s simple,” Bern sneered.

“Just the fact that you exist, breathing the same air in the same place as us, disgusts us.”

“Guh, guh….”

“Disgusting. I feel like I’ll get infected just touching you.”

Bern’s grip on Setz’s collar tightened, cutting off her air. She was on the brink of death—dying not at seventeen but at twelve, and in such a pitiful way.

Setz could see her own disheveled face reflected in Bern’s cold blue eyes. It was a sight she was all too familiar with, but today, for some reason, it felt unbearably humiliating. What makes them think they’re so superior? What makes them any different from us? If they’re so disgusted, why don’t they just leave us alone? Setz’s body started to go limp as her consciousness faded.

And then, suddenly, there was a loud thud as Bern was sent flying backward.

“Ugh, cough…”

Setz gasped for air, collapsing to the ground, choking and coughing as her breath came rushing back. Unsure of what had just happened, she clutched her chest and turned to look to her side.

To her surprise, there was Raytan.

“I’m just as disgusted,” Raytan said in a cold, measured voice.

“Filthy. Like I’ll get contaminated just being near you.”

With those words, Raytan lunged at Bern. The helpless figure who’d been surrounded by the group moments ago was gone, replaced by someone who seemed to have been holding back his strength all this time, only now unleashing it.

“….”

Raytan pinned Bern to the ground just as Bern had done to him. From somewhere behind, Lillian screamed, “Stop him! Stop Raytan!”

Setz sprang to her feet and bit down hard on the hand of one of the people holding Raytan’s arm.

It was the beginning of a true brawl. Raytan and Bern were tangled in a fierce fight, Setz clung to them like a guard dog, Lillian tried to pull Setz away, and the rest of the group stood there in shock, not knowing what to do.

“Aaagh!”

“Grab him! Get Raytan—this crazy girl is biting me!”

“Go get help! Call someone!”

The library descended into utter chaos. Raytan somehow managed to fend off the attackers while continuing to pummel Bern, and Setz was doing her best to help, biting and struggling with all her might. Her gums were sore, and she felt like she might lose a tooth or two. But who cares about losing a couple of teeth right now? This wasn’t just a fight—it was a battle of pride.

“What in the world… What is going on here!”

The chaos finally came to a halt at the sound of a loud, familiar voice.

It was Luna.

“What on earth is going on here!”

With a clatter, the tray Luna was carrying, filled with bandages and medical supplies, fell to the ground.

She had been searching desperately for Setz, worried sick about her after she ran out in that state. She had come to find her and offer care, only to witness this scene. Luna’s face was filled with shock and horror.

It was beyond comprehension. Not just the fact that such a violent fight was happening in the library, but also that Raytan was the one beating Bern senseless, of all people.

Bern was the most likely candidate to be the next Emperor. His mother, Yuria, wielded immense influence, and Bern had the Emperor’s favor. That’s why, despite his many misdeeds, no one ever dared to stop him. Luna couldn’t begin to fathom what Raytan was thinking by attacking Bern like this.

But the most shocking thing of all was that Princess Setz—the timid, delicate princess who used to tremble at the mere sound of raised voices—was now biting someone like a crazed dog.