The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

‘I’m not sure if I’ll answer one by one slowly because the emperor is asking a lot of difficult questions.’

As Stefan rolled his eyes in confusion, Carnan nodded and opened his mouth again.

“Okay, I’ll ask you slowly. What should I do for Dorothea?”

Carnan has offered Dorothea an expensive gift, called her to talk, and even offered to attend a good event.

But despite all the efforts of the emperor, Dorothea didn’t like anything.

Will Stefan know the answer? What Carnan should do for Dorothea.

Stefan pondered for a while, then lifted his heavy lips.

“It’s trusting, watching, and waiting.”

Don’t solve it with material and intuitive things right now.

Just like waiting 12 years to make wine, the relationship with Dorothea will also take a long time to wait and trust.

Carnan may have wanted a quick fix, but Stefan knew the weight of Dorothea’s wounds from Carnan.

It is the thief’s heart to hope that the pain that has accumulated for decades will heal overnight.

Unsurprisingly, Carnan’s face was somewhat shocked by Stefan’s answer, as if he had hoped for a quick fix.

“Wait…?”

At Carnan’s question, Stefan quietly bowed his head.

When you slap someone and say you’re sorry, and then offer your hand and ask them to take it, it’s intimidation and coercion.

It was Dorothea, not Carnan, who deserved to reach out first.

All Carnan is allowed to do is wait for Dorothea to reach out first.

* * *

The busy nobles, who had no business with the emperor, the crown prince, and the knights, soon disappeared after a few cheers, and the dinner hall soon turned to a pleasant and wild festive atmosphere of the knights

The voices of the knights, excited with pleasure and drunkenness, grew louder and louder, and Joy felt like her ears were going to fall off.

“Hey! Joy Greenwall!”

A group of knights who were ordained with her put their chins on Joy’s shoulder and talked to her.

They were drunk, Their faces were flushed red, and they held a large glass of wine in one hand.

One of the strange pride of knights was drunkenness, that the more they drank, the more they proved their worth as knights.

Joy didn’t like them.

She hated alcohol from an early age, and she didn’t like it even more if they drank.

‘I wanted to bury the guy who drank so much that he couldn’t control himself.’

Perhaps the influence of her father, Gutt, who gambled and got drunk, was a big factor.

‘It’s good that Sir Stefan doesn’t drink too much….’

When she was in Cerritian, Joy thought that all the knights, like Stefan, could refrain from alcohol.

Therefore, when it comes to “Knight,” she drew an image that was stoic but strong and cool.

But after coming up to Lampas, the image that was cool, strong, and holy was shattered.

Knights liked to drink, and drinking was common even on the battlefield. Alcohol has a great effect on boosting morale or something.

Well, her father, Gutt, Was a very weak man, but when he drank, he suddenly became wild and brave, punching and breaking things and raising his voice.

“Our Joy Greenwall, who walks on a new life path! I can’t believe you don’t drink even on such a good day!”

The knights, who smelled like alcohol, clung to Joy and called her with their twisted tongues.

Joey pushed them away, but the drunken ones staggered and sat down on the table, pouring alcohol into the empty glasses.

“Here! Drink!”

A knight held out a glass full of alcohol enough to create surface tension for Joy, who looked at him with dazed eyes.

“If you don’t drink on a day like this, you will be disqualified as a knight! Appointment canceled!”

“right! right!”

“Drink! Drink! Drink!”

The knights stretched their fists to the sky and urged Joy.

The alcohol must have some sort of voice-enhancing effect. Otherwise, Gutt and that stupid voice can’t be so loud.

‘Pathetic bastards.’

‘If you stay drunk, you will stumble and run to give your head when the enemy comes.’

Joy shook his head and pushed the glass from the knight.

Then came the sound of ridicule from all sides.

Joy thought she’d better get inside and see the princess and Po rather than hang out with these people.

As she turned to walk away, ignoring them, one of the knights grabbed her wrist.

“Where are you going!”

“I want to go in, wash my feet and take a nap.”

Joy twisted the wrist of the knight holding her and pulled her hand away.

“Hey, you can’t do that! They took you after being a beggar with nothing to be recognized as a knight by the imperial family, and now you want to go take a nap?”

“What? A beggar?”

At the knights who burst into laughter, Joy frowned.

‘Beggar…!’

No matter how poor she was, she’d never gotten anything for nothing.

She carried water jars, moved loads until her feet swell, and earned a fair price for her labor, feeding her family.

To repay the kindness that Dorothea had bestowed upon her, she traveled back and forth for four hours each month and offered the vegetables she had saved.

It was a time when she was poor and ignorant, a time that she would never want to go back to, but she never did anything shameful.

Joy wanted to punch all the drunken idiots to the ground, but she restrained herself.

If she makes a fuss at the inauguration dinner, she will disgrace Dorothea and Stefan’s face, who had trusted her.

If there was one thing she’d learned most from Stefan, it was patience.

“Look at her getting angry at me for calling her a beggar! Don’t act like you’re not. You’re supposed to be happy about your status. There is no other life as lucky as you.”

Tongues exuding a sweet and drunken smell were making a loud noise and then forced Joy’s head to bow to the royal family.

Beggars who were accepted into the imperial palace, she served the princess, who suddenly awakened her spirit and got a position as  a servant, so the knights thought that there was no life more comfortable than Joy.

“Sir Lee, won’t you let go of this?”

‘Sure I can beat him.’

Those guys who lose every day in training are the lucky ones in life.

The lucky ones who were born into a noble family from birth, wielded a fine sword, received a good education, and became knights of course.

That’s when Joy was clenching his fists.

Suddenly, the knight’s hand that was pressing on Joy’s head was caught by something and pulled away.

“arghhh!”

A sobering scream of pain made Zoe look up, and there was Stephan.

“Sir Stefan…!”

“….”

Stefan looked down at the knight who was quietly tormenting Joy.

Stefan’s height stood out among the knights, and the sense of intimidation was enormous.

He didn’t say anything, but the knights automatically shut their mouths and cowered.

“Joy.”

“Yes, Sir Stefan, no, vice-leader!”

She answered, straightening up, and Stefan gestured for her to go.

“Yes!”

Joy replied to the silent Stefan and followed him as he started to walk away.

Stefan took Joy out of the banquet hall.

Joy looked at Stefan’s back and couldn’t lower the corners of his lips that were raised.

She had always lived independently, taking care of Po, but looking at Stefan’s broad back, she felt comfortable as if she had a place to lean on.

Stefan took Joy to his new office.

It wasn’t finished yet, so it was distracting, but Joy was just curious and turned his head around and looked around.

She had been very disappointed when Dorothea had decided to promote Stefan to vice leader, but it felt good to see him doing so well and to be proud of him.

After all, the smart princess’s choice was right.

“Thank you for your help. And congratulations from the bottom of my heart, Vice-Captain!”

Joy expressed her gratitude for Stefan’s strong back, whom she admires.

Stefan turned to look at Joy and raised the tip of his lips, which had been closed in a straight line.

“Congratulations, Joy Greenwall.”

He handed Joy the sword.

Joy looked at him with wide eyes. What he held out was the sword he had been using for a long time.

The sword he was sharpening when Joy first entered the detached palace and spied on Stefan at dawn.

“Are you….giving this to me?”

As Joy stuttered, Stefan nodded quietly.

Stefan now had the setter calyps Dorothea gave him.

Unlike the setter calyps, which is called the famous sword, his sword was nothing but a nameless sword, but it was a great sword that had been with him while escorting Dorothea.

Although he may not always be by Dorothea’s side, he hopes to protect Dorothea as Greenwall with Joy and his sword.

So he has the sword she gave him, and Dorothea has the sword he left behind.

It will also be a good gift for Joy, who carries a modest sword.

With trembling hands, Joy picked up the sword that Stefan held out.

Whether it was a famous sword or not, the standards set by the world did not matter.

Stefan’s sword was the sword she had always admired.

Because when she closes her eyes and imagines Stefan, this sword is always around his waist.

Her heart raced just by holding the sword.

There was no real blood, but this sword seemed to carry on Greenwall’s name.

“Please take good care of the princess.”

At Stefan’s brief request, Joy nodded firmly.

“Yes, Vice-leader!”

* * *

A few days after the inauguration ceremony.

Joy Greenwall’s first mission came quickly.

“Are you going to meet Master Theon Fried?”

“Yes.”

Dorothea nodded and straightened her collar in front of the mirror.

Clara brushed her hair from behind and smiled happily.

“The Princess must be very popular.”

She was referring to Ethan and Theon.

Perhaps she was also referring to the other noble children who had taken an interest in Dorothea since she had awakened her spirit.

‘I’m sure others will see it that way.’

Dorothea looked at herself in the mirror.

* * *