The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

I think it’s too much.

I fiddled with my pen, after chasing Clara and Stefan away from seeing the rest of my bucket list.

[First, a friendly smile once a day.]

This was a great decision for me.

After that…

After writing the first thing I needed to do, the second one came to me a lot easier.

[Second, do not covet other people’s things.]

That one was pretty spot on. So,I wrote more stuff next to it.

[The throne belongs to Ray, and Theon belongs to Julia.]

The nib for writing short phrases scratched my chest and made my heart ache.

Neither the throne or Theon were mine.

After engraving indelibly on the paper, I let out the breath I had been holding on to unconsciously.

Wanting to move quickly from the second commitment, I hurriedly wrote the third in.

[Third, save a million people.]

Saving people should be a good thing to do.

The third promise was to atone for the most terrible sins I committed in the past.

How many people have died because of me in my past life?

Not only the ones I killed with my own hands, but also the ones who perished because of the senseless wars I waged, the harsh labor I imposed on them, the disasters and diseases I did not properly deal with, and the hunger I caused.

I thought that around 500,000 people died because of me. Perhaps even more than that.

Tbey were people who might have lived if Ray didn’t die because of me.

So, I had to save twice as much in this life. I must save a million people.

After that, I wrote a few more good deeds I needed to do.

Like saying thank you three times a week.

Donate over 1 million each month.

For now, this is enough…

Those alone were enough for a successful life.

Finished with the important work, I got up from my seat and looked outside.

The blue sea could be seen over the white sandy beach. The waves were crashing over the rifts as if to cool my heart down.

“I want to go to the beach.”

The reward for coming here to recuperate lay in that landscape.

* * *

I went to the beach with only Stefan. 

Stefan was an excellent knight, so I didn’t have to care about him.

Sometimes I even forgot that he was following me.

Only after turning around and checking the footprints on the sandy beach was I certain he was still following me.

He didn’t say anything, didn’t interfere with my walk, and never even touch me. But,  he was most certainly by my side.

Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy the calm sound of waves, seagulls, bubbles, and wind as the only person on the beach.

Well, at least I thought I was… until I saw a young boy sitting in the distance.

At the end of the sandy beach where the sun was shining, there was no one other than me, and the boy who was sitting on the sand with his knees bent.

He was facing the sea, and had his head buried in his palms.

He looked the same age as me; small and crouched.

Who is it?

Stefan seemed to have seen the child even before I did, but didn’t say a word about it; probably because the kid didn’t seem like a threat.

But when I was close enough to actually see his face, I had to stop.

This was a face I knew well. 

Silver hair fluttering softly in the sunlight, sheer nose and jawline.

The most beautiful person in the world as far as I knew.

Looking at his beauty, I had the illusion that the sea was stretching the waves hard into the sand just to catch him.

The sun seemed to be shining only on him, and the sand seemed to be sparkling for him.

Even the seagulls flying in the sky came to sit on the rocks so they could look at him.

“Ah…” Stefan, who also saw his face, let out a sigh.

A face that made even Stefan speak.

How could anyone forget this perfect appearance?

Ethan Bronte; I said inwardly, recalling his name.

When I was called a tyrant in the past, he was my closest aide.

He was the ‘Golden-Eyed Angel’ of high society.

The nickname ‘Golden-Eyes Angel’ may sound embarrassing, but there was no other title that suited Ethan Bronte more than that one.

Even for me, who was in love with Theon, Ethan’s appearance was the best in the whole Empire.

When he walked across the ballroom with his long legs, everyone’s eyes were all glued on him, and he would make eye contact with those people, with a bright smile on his pretty face.

Anyone would be fascinated by him,  if he stared at them with his shining golden eyes that looked like they captured all the light in the world.

Anyone would be hypnotized if he greeted them with his soft, deep voice that sounded like music to the ears.

Ethan didn’t only have a gorgeous appearance; he could also sing, dance, and play any instrument.

There was nothing he couldn’t do if it was something that he could show off in front of high society.

His abilities were so overwhelming, it became everyone’s dream–regardless of age or gender–to share a word with him.

But God didn’t give everything to only one person either.

Just like Ray had the crown prince’s title but was a single-minded fool, Ethan Bronte had one fatal flaw.

That’s right. If one could look at the Sakka hidden under his beautiful exterior, they would realize Ethan was not a good and upright man at all.

Maybe in that sense, his blinding beauty was a blessing.

Because he was so wicked, it was a good thing everyone was too mesmerized to see how evil he really was.

[“If I do it, everyone does it, Your Majesty. The Empire is full of people begging to lick my toes.”]

And Ethan knew all too well that he was good looking. His appearance was both a weapon and a shield, and that made his power explosive.

With a kind and gentle mask, he put everyone on his side, and he used that skillfully to move things as he saw fit.

[“As you said, the lord of River South is dead. How the hell did you know that?”]

When the lord of River South, whom I did not like at all, suddenly died in an accident, I recalled that Ethan had predicted his death a few days ago.

Shortly after his prediction, the man was killed by one of his old servants.

[“I didn’t predict it, I made it happen. For my Empress.”]

Ethan had answered with a smile before kissing the back of my hand.

Now that I was thinking about it, even I, who was well aware of what was behind his mask, was used by him.

When Ethan killed that Lord for me, I rewarded him, and he killed more people after.

He helped me deal with people I didn’t like, brought me everything I liked, and helped me get rid of Ray.

He was even the one who killed Julia, Theon’s love, like I wished.

So for all those things, I gave him all the wealth, power, and honor he desired, and he became the most powerful person after the Empress, at an early age.

I didn’t even know at the time that I was being used by him. I just thought I had a loyal servant.

Between the family who did not love me and Theon who ignored me, he was the only person who moved only for me. He was someone who understood my heart. So I believed it was natural to give him everything I could.

And Ethan, who received everything there was to receive, even aimed for the seat next to me in the end.

[“Your Majesty, why do you keep that arrogant man by your side?” he asked one day after seeing Theon walking up the stairs alone, ignoring my hand.

[“If I had married your Majesty, I would have served you very well.”]

His beautiful golden eyes gleamed towards me.

I was offended by those eyes who were looking at me full of desire.

His greed was clearly visible.

[“Ethan. I thought it was your talent to know what to say and what to not say.”] I said, reprimanding him.

[“I’m sorry, Your Majesty”]

Ethan was a clever man, so after that day, he never talked bad about Theon or marriage in front of me again.

But as I was dying, I realized I had made the wrong choice.

Because while I was accused of being a tyrant and put to death, the prime minister was acquitted by all.

The Prime Minister somehow tried to protect the country from the tyrant.

That was the content of his indulgence. He was even appointed to become the next emperor after my death.

His angelic appearance and false kindness assured his innocence, and all of his sins were added to mine.

He watched my neck fall from the front row.

And here I was meeting him again.

As if fate was making fun of me who barely escaped from Carnan and Ray, and tying me back to my past.

It was also only then did I remember that this Cerritian belonged to the estate of the Duke of Bronte.

Bronte…

It wasn’t that I didn’t think of Ethan when I heard the name of the Bronte family. Rather, the first thing that came to mind when I thought of Bronte was him.

But I never thought that we would meet like this, so I was feeling a little stupid now.

Nevertheless, the detached palace was located in a remote place quite far from the Bronte mansion, so if I tried hard enough, I would never have to see him aging in this life.

I have to avoid him.

* * *