The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

Standing in front of them was none other than Stefan, who was checking the area around the patrol.

 

The two men and women, who came out secretly holding hands in the remote garden, hurriedly released their hands, but Stefan kept his mouth shut and stared intently at them.

 

Dorothea’s eyes had completely evaporated the faint alcohol that remained.

 

“So we’re going to get some fresh air to relieve a hangover…”

 

“…..”

 

“The banquet hall smells so bad, everyone is drunk and noisy…”

 

“…..”

 

Obviously, Stefan is always silent, but his silence has become scarier today.

 

And Stefan’s eyes slowly focused on Ethan, who was next to Dorothea.

 

Those eyes were the coldest of Stefan’s eyes that Dorothea had ever seen in her life.

 

And Ethan nodded at those eyes.

 

“That’s right. It’s exactly what you think.”

 

Ethan held Dorothea’s hand in front of Stefan. He realized that there was no point in lying to Stefan.

 

Then, Stefan’s forehead was wrinkled and he pulled out the famous sword Setter calyps from his waist.

 

A cool, straight blade shone in the moonlight, and Dorothea’s eyes widened.

 

“Wait, Stefan…!”

 

As Dorothea stepped in front of Ethan, Stefan withdrew his sword for a moment.

 

“Me and Ethan are… dating.”

 

At that, Stefan’s brow furrowed again.

 

“I like Ethan.” Dorothea said, looking up at him.

 

Ethan, who didn’t blink an eye even as Stefan drew his sword, raised the corners of his lips at Dorothea’s confession of love.

 

Then Stefan’s eyes glared at Ethan again. He doesn’t seem to like it.

 

‘How much does it take to satisfy you?’

 

Ethan sighed inwardly as he watched Stefan staring at him with disapproving eyes.

 

His appearance is said to be the best in the empire, and he has excellent musical talent and intellectual ability, and the other young ladies are eager to get involved with him, but Stefan doesn’t seem satisfied with that.

 

Of course, Stefan recently heard something about Dorothea and Ethan from Joy.

 

“I can’t stand the sight of him coming over and smiling at the Princess all the time!”

 

Joy would complain like that whenever she was alone with Stefan.

 

Stefan heard from Joy how Dorothea was doing.

 

“What I hate even more is that he looks so good flirting with Princess. I’m more annoyed because he is handsome!”

 

Stefan remembered Joy, who was talking harshly while eating bread.

 

Joy said that no man she’d ever met in her life could match Dorothea, and she wasn’t impressed with Ethan either.

 

Stefan agreed with Joy. All the men who take the princess are thieves.

 

Stefan turned to Dorothea.

 

Dorothea knew what he was trying to say just by looking at his eyes.

 

He motioned for her to return to the ballroom with him.

 

“You’re not going to tell me anything?”

 

Dorothea asked, knowing that Stefan wouldn’t say anything.

 

Stefan nodded silently and gently pushed Ethan away from Dorothea. He gestured for Ethan to leave.

 

Dorothea looked back at Ethan.

 

‘Well, we can’t go in together.’

 

Ethan wishes he could stay a little longer with her, but as long as Stefan intervenes, it will be impossible.

 

Ethan, without being greedy anymore, quietly bowed and sent Dorothea to Stefan’s hands.

 

‘I have one more gift….’

 

It was a secret gift that he had prepared for Dorothea that he anonymously donated huge sums of money to disabled support centers and small village schools.

 

* * *

 

Dorothea walked with Stefan to the banquet hall.

 

It had been a long time since she met Stefan.

 

After he became the vice leader of the Knights, they occasionally met and greeted each other lightly, but never spent time together.

 

Dorothea often heard about him through Joy, there were still those who were dissatisfied with Stefan’s origins, and it seemed like he was having a hard time finding a seat.

 

“He is very busy. I thought the vice-leader was a high position, but it’s not. It’s a difficult place up and down because he is stuck in the middle. Besides, I didn’t know that the knights are stubborn and rigid.”

 

Joy told Dorothea the stories she had picked up here and there.

 

Joy was frustrated that Stefan was so unwilling to talk about his struggles and she couldn’t figure out how he was accepting and doing the work of the Knights.

 

Dorothea understood Joy’s heart. No matter how accustomed she was to reading Stefan’s eyes, it was not easy to notice his feelings or condition.

 

Only Stefan always knows. Dorothea never really knew about him.

 

“Happy birthday, Princess.”

 

It was then that Stefan greeted Dorothea Happy Birthday.

 

The crude greetings he gave while walking side by side without being fancy, but it stayed in Dorothea’s heart.

 

“Thank you, Stefan.”

 

“….”

 

As Dorothea smiled, Stefan’s lips twitched as if he had something to say.

 

He wanted to congratulate Dorothea more.

 

Stefan wanted to tell her how happy he was that she had reached a place where everyone congratulated and loved her, like today.

 

But only one word came out of his mouth.

 

“Gift….”

 

‘I wanted to give it to her, but I couldn’t choose because I had a lot of thoughts.’

 

‘I wanted to choose a gift for her, but I couldn’t decide.’

 

‘If she likes swordsmanship, should I give her a sword? But I have to give the princess a better sword than the famous sword Setter Calyps that the princess gave me… so I failed because I couldn’t find a better sword.’

 

‘Since she was taking music classes recently, should I give her a sheet music book or piano-related items?…but I don’t know anything about music or pianos, so I can’t even tell what’s good for the princess.’

 

‘There’s a pretty jewelry box that immediately reminds me of the Princess…. but she already has a lot of nice jewelry boxes.’

 

He missed the timing after carefully choosing what to say.

 

He had been thinking and thinking for Dorothea, who was so precious, and then her birthday came along.

 

So what Stefan wanted to say was, ‘If there’s anything you want to have, just say it.’

 

Stefan said those words in his heart as he looked at Dorothea.

 

Then Dorothea burst into laughter.

 

“You don’t have to give me a gift, Stefan.”

 

Stefan shook his head, saying, “I can’t do that.”

 

“Do you really want to give me my birthday gift?”

 

His head nodded violently again.

 

At the same time, a good idea came to Dorothea.

 

“I want to see Leo the Lion Warrior.”

 

Dorothea looked up at Stefan with an innocent face.

 

Then Stefan’s eyes, which were always calm, trembled.

 

Dorothea burst out laughing at his unusual shaking.

 

“I still remember that day. It was the first good birthday gift I ever received.”

 

“….”

 

“Just like that day, walk with me a little longer, Stefan. It’s been a long time.” Dorothea said.

 

Then Stefan nodded and lifted Dorothea up.

 

“Stef, Stefan!”

 

“Like that day…”

 

Just like he walked the beach with Dorothea that day, today, no, he held her up higher than ever.

 

“I’m heavy, Stefan!”

 

Dorothea grabbed his shoulder and said, Stefan shook his head.

 

He swung his longsword freely, so Dorothea was light enough to carry.

 

She could feel that he was taking great care to make sure his touch wasn’t rude as he hugged her.

 

At his thoughtful touch, Dorothea relaxed a little and lifted her head.

 

Her head was already high enough to look down on Stefan.

 

Feeling taller as if riding a horse. It’s been a long time since she has been hugged and lifted up like that, so she felt a little refreshed.

 

Then Stefan stared at Dorothea.

 

“Why?”

 

“The scent of lilies…”

 

The scent that often came from Ethan came from Dorothea. 

 

Because of that, Dorothea trembled.

 

Panicked, Stefan lowered her slowly to the ground again.

 

Red marks peeked out from beneath her disheveled hair.

 

Dorothea straightened her hair, her face flushed red.

 

“Why do you like Ethan Bronte…?” An unusual question from Stefan.

 

Knowing the weight of his question, Dorothea answered.

 

“Ethan…Make me feel loved.”

 

“…..”

 

“No matter what mistakes I make, he’ll stay by my side.”

 

Dorothea had always been afraid of making mistakes and doing wrong, afraid that she would become a bad person again, and that her twisted desires would grow.

 

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t be a perfectly good person, and sometimes her mistakes returned like a dagger stabbed in her chest.

 

At that time, Dorothea couldn’t even love herself.

 

‘And seeing myself as unlovable, I despaired, thinking that others might not be able to love me.’

 

But Ethan was the only flower in her despair.

 

He believed in her and loved her more than Dorothea. He was always by her side, even when she was a tyrant.

 

Thinking of him gave Dorothea a little courage.

 

‘Even if I accidentally stumble for a while, there seems to be someone who will catch me. I’m terribly ugly, but I feel like I’ve become a person who can be loved.’

 

“More than anything, I feel comfortable with Ethan.”

 

‘I wanted to show him a better side, but on the other hand, I was relieved because I showed him the ugliest side of me. I don’t have to keep my  memories from my previous life to myself.’

 

‘It’s not a beautiful memory, but being able to share the past with someone was more important than I thought.

At least I am not alone.’

 

A small smile spread across Dorothea’s lips.

 

Stefan stared at Dorothea quietly.

 

“Now…I think I want to have a comfortable love.”

 

Dorothea smiled, and Stefan nodded, stroking her hair gently.

 

‘I’ve seen Dorothea for a long time, but it’s the first time I’ve seen her face so relaxed.’

 

‘I didn’t really like Ethan Bronte, but if he could make the princess look like this, I would be okay with it.’

 

“Thank you, Stefan.”

 

* * *