The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

“Your majesty.”

 

“Stay out for a moment, Robert.”

 

Carnan kicked out those who served him and was left alone.

 

A portrait of Alice hung on one wall of the room he was left with. And the small box in front of it contained Alice’s belongings and her hair.

 

The unburied collection of hair, nails, and small bones of the dead is considered a superstition and taboo among the people, but Carnan still couldn’t let go of her.

 

Carnan stood in front of her portrait and clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug in.

 

“I’m sorry, Alice….”

 

He bowed his head and muttered.

 

He laughed and talked in front of people, but he still seemed guilty just by holding a banquet on Alice’s death anniversary.

 

“It would be selfish greed…. to hope that you would forgive me even for thinking of Dorothea.”

 

He remembered seeing Alice giving birth to Dorothea, trembling in fear.

 

‘I still remember vividly the woman who asked me to hold her hand because she was afraid.’

 

Until then, he thought it would be a normal birth. He had heard that second births were less risky, so he wasn’t too worried.

 

So he dared to say, “I’ll be there for you, Alice.”

 

Unaware of the tragedy that would unfold before them a few hours later, he made a ridiculous promise.

 

‘I can’t even keep it. Having no choice but to watch her suffer and let her go helplessly.’

 

‘The tears she shed in pain, her pale fading lips, her pale face, her blood dripping down the bedsheets and falling to the floor…!’

 

Stuttering as if to say something, and then losing consciousness, Alice left without leaving a single word of her last words.

 

But a banquet on the day she died.

 

“Dorothea becomes more like you every year.”

 

To the point where he might imagine that at the moment of Alice’s death, her soul dwells in Dorothea.

 

Carnan looked at the portrait of Alice.

Surprisingly, her face now looked like Dorothea’s.

 

“So I regret it.”

 

‘I kept your belongings in a precious box, so why couldn’t I do that to the last child you left behind?’

 

This is because, unlike Alice’s keepsake, which holds memories of her life, Dorothea only contains memories of the death of Alice.

 

“Looking back now, there are so many things I feel sorry for Dorothea.”

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why she hated and distanced herself from him, her father.

 

“Still, the nanny and maids of the imperial family seem competent, seeing as how Dorothea is so big now.”

 

Raised by nannies and maids without the care of a mother and father, but she’s grown so well.

 

Growing up without parents, Dorothea became such a wonderful woman that there was no sign of the void to be seen.

 

There will be no place for Carnan in Dorothea’s life.

 

Carnan caresses Alice’s keepsake box.

 

“If you were alive…A lot would be different.”

 

He scoffed at himself for leaning on his own meaningless imagination.

 

* * *

 

Returning to the palace after the banquet, Dorothea found gifts lying on her desk.

 

The servants had moved the gifts Dorothea received at today’s banquet.

 

Among them was Theon Fried’s gift.

 

Dorothea hesitated for a moment when she saw Theon’s gift.

 

It was not because she had lingering feelings for Theon, but because the relationship between her and Ethan and Theon was a sensitive issue.

 

She wished that the gift was something to eat. Eating is simple because she can share it with other people and get rid of it.

 

However, when Dorothea lifted that gift, she didn’t think anything hard and heavy would be food.

 

‘Theon may have given it as a courtesy without any thought.’

 

Staring intently at Theon’s gift, she slowly removed the wrapping paper from the gift.

 

When the red wrapping paper was removed, there was a book covered in leather inside.

 

The book with a beautiful sword pattern on the cover was engraved with gold leaf, and it was a book documented on the swordsmanship of a foreign country.

 

As she turned the first few pages, there were quite interesting stories and illustrations.

 

‘Did you consider my hobbies?’

 

It was a gift for Dorothea, who still spent an hour or two each day with Joy and Raymond at swordsmanship practice.

 

When Dorothea is about to flip the back page a little more.

 

“Princess! Let’s have a party together.” Clara called her.

 

Stefan, Joy, and Po also were waiting downstairs.

 

“Yes, I’ll be right there!”

 

Dorothea closed her book and hurriedly followed Clara downstairs.

 

Dorothea was so busy afterward that she forgot about the book for several days.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Ethan came for his piano lessons.

 

“You came for piano lessons almost every day. so I guess my princess wants to become a pianist too.”

 

Clara smiled and led Ethan to Dorothea’s study room.

 

After the swordsmanship practice, her hair was still wet.

 

At the same time, she is looking for some documents, saying she has something to see urgently.

 

Having left the window open for ventilation, she was engrossed in looking at something even as her wet hair fell down her shoulders and wetted her shoulders and chest.

 

Her wet blonde hair was gleaming in the sunlight coming through the window, and as her blue eyes descended shallowly, her eyes were examining documents with a pure, clear light.

 

“Princess, Master Ethan has arrived.”

 

After Clara knocked on the door and spoke, Dorothea raised her head.

 

“Ethan!”

 

Dorothea left what she was looking at and ran to him.

 

Freshly bathed, Dorothea had a soft floral scent. Ethan wanted to hug her and soak up her scent.

 

But since Clara and Joy are watching, he has no choice but to be patient.

 

* * *