The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

“I think practice ended late today.”

 

“It suddenly caught fire and I couldn’t stop it. It was very tight. Isn’t that right Joy?”

 

“I let you off the hook.” Joy said proudly.

 

Clara sighed a little and said to Dorothea.

 

“Princess, you need to dry your hair first and treat the injured hand!”

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

“Ah, I got injured while holding the sword, but it’s not a big wound.”

 

It was a common wound for those holding swords, so it wasn’t to the point of making a fuss about the wound.

 

However, since she is still a princess, even a small wound has to be taken care of by the Imperial Palace doctor.

 

“Hold on. I will be back. Because Clara would be angry.”

 

Dorothea smiled brightly and left the room with Clara, telling Ethan to wait for a moment.

 

Everyone had known Ethan for a long time and had seen him often, so she told him to tell them whenever he needed anything and left the room.

 

He glanced at Dorothea’s desk for a moment, then found an unfamiliar book in a corner.

 

The exotic binding method, not the Ubera style, caught his eye.

 

‘A foreign book?’

 

When he read the cover, it was a book about foreign swordsmanship.

 

Ethan smiled and picked it up, thinking it was very Dorothea-like.

 

However, something fell from the book. Picking up what had fallen to the floor to put it back in, he saw it and had no choice but to stop.

 

[To my dear princess, Theon Fried.]

 

The name on the envelope of the letter pricked his nerves.

 

Judging from the fact that the envelope has not yet been opened, it seems that Dorothea did not notice that the letter was wedged in the middle of the books.

 

“….”

 

Ethan stared at the letter with cold eyes.

 

‘What the hell did you write down here, Theon Fried?’

 

He tapped the envelope on the desk.

 

‘Ethan to be a good person, Ethan to be a good person.’

 

Ethan narrowed his eyes and repeated Dorothea’s wish.

 

However.

 

‘It’s just that I’m still in the process of becoming a good person.’

 

He finally couldn’t stand it and opened the envelope.

 

Inside the envelope was Friedia’s handkerchief made of silk rather than paper.

 

Ethan recognized the handkerchief at a glance.

 

A handkerchief stained with blueberry water.

 

‘Why this, Theon Fried?’

 

Ethan’s brow wrinkled.

 

However, what is different from before is that the letters were written on the handkerchief in neat and calm handwriting.

 

Ethan gritted his teeth and read the letter.

 

[I am writing a letter to congratulate the princess on her birthday at dawn.]

 

Just reading the beginning of Theon’s letter made him uncomfortable.

 

‘If it is a happy birthday letter, it should be on paper. But why is he writing on this handkerchief?’

 

[I hope you like the gift I’m sending you. While looking around the bookstore, I found this book. I immediately thought of the Princess. The appearance of the princess wielding a sword seems to have impressed me quite a bit.]

 

Ethan couldn’t understand why Theon thought of the princess in the bookstore.

 

The golden eyes continued to read the next sentence without stopping.

 

[Giving a handkerchief as a gift means farewell, but to me, this handkerchief has come to mean meeting. Whenever I met the princess, this handkerchief was always with me. When we first met in the Imperial Palace, in the detached palace, in Friedia.]

 

Ethan’s frown deepened as he read the letter.

 

‘Friedia? Did the princess go to Friedia with Theon?’

 

It’s something Ethan never heard of.

 

‘What did they do there? Did they go alone? Dorothea must have had feelings for Theon back then, right?’

 

Ethan ruffled his soft silver hair roughly. His hair was as cluttered as the thoughts in his head.

 

[The princess returned this handkerchief and asked me to throw it away, but I haven’t been able to throw it away so far. At first, I didn’t even know why. But recently I realized why. And that I can’t throw away this handkerchief with my own hands.]

 

Ethan gritted his teeth so tightly that his jaw might crunched.

 

There was no need to read the rest of the story. It’s all just stinky sentences.

 

‘If you can’t throw it away with your own hands, I’ll throw it away.’

 

Ethan took the handkerchief and envelope to the fireplace on one side of Dorothea’s study room. And he threw it into the pit of fire without any regrets.

 

The flames of the fireplace caught the handkerchief and envelope and blew white ash into the air. 

 

Ethan watched as Theon Fried’s letter burned in the blinding flames.

 

The handkerchief, which turned to white ashes, crumbled through the firewood and disappeared.

 

at that time.

 

“Ethan, let’s go to the lesson.” 

 

Dorothea, who was ready, returned to the study.

 

Ethan turned his head to look at her. Her wet hair was drier than before, but she still had a soft floral scent.

Her narrow eyes looked at him and urged him to come closer.

 

Ethan clenched his fists and strode towards Dorothea.

 

“Ethan? Ah!”

 

Unable to contain his burning jealousy, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her.

 

He carved his name into her most intimate places, leaving no room for Theon Fried.

 

The roughness of his kiss took Dorothea’s breath away.

 

The gentle, caring kiss was gone.

 

“Ethan…!”

 

Dorothea moaned through the parted lips, but Ethan didn’t stop.

 

‘You are mine. I can’t let you go to Theon Fried in this life.’

 

Anxiety, jealousy, and love that were about to explode were intertwined and drove him wildly.

 

‘May only my lips be allowed on her lips. May her beating heart be directed only to me.’

 

One day, he was grateful just for her existence, but his growing greed tormented him.

 

Dorothea’s bucket list of Ethan seemed to have to be achieved a little later.

 

* * *

 

After the banquet, Dorothea’s reputation grew.

 

She could attend each meeting, and Raymond liked to get her policy advice.

 

With Dorothea’s proposal, the entire empire’s water and sewage maintenance project was put in place, the postal system was reorganized and settled, the banking system became fully independent, and banknotes began to be used in the market.

 

The reform of the tax system, which was difficult, faced a significant change as the financial system stood upright and banknotes, the small deposits of the imperial family, were distributed.

 

As the tax standards were finalized, the additional taxes collected by the local nobles decreased.

 

Never once had her name been put forward, her ideas were realized through many channels-mostly through Raymond, Theon, and Ethan.

 

Over the years, the appearance of the empire has changed markedly.

 

It was still far from the utopia Dorothea had envisioned, but she thought maybe she was one step closer to it.

 

Meanwhile, despite their secret relationship, rumors about Dorothea and Ethan’s relationship spread widely in social circles.

 

Though they didn’t announce it, the relationship between the two was openly confirmed as a lover less than a year later.

 

It may have been impossible for the two to have a secret love affair in the first place.

 

And, as expected, Dorothea had to endure the stinging gaze of the women who liked Ethan.

 

‘Should I be glad that I’m not threatened by anonymous threatening letters because of my status as a princess?’

 

Rather, it was Ethan who suffered more.

 

He was told that he resembles his mother in the subject of a bastard and likes to lure high-ranking people.

 

There were quite a few people who were openly insulted, ignored, or jealous of him.

 

As Dorothea’s external status rose and her power and beauty were revealed, some people ignored Ethan and proposed to Dorothea.

 

But they didn’t care. It is enough to say no to a marriage proposal and to laugh at jealousy. They were too busy focusing on spending time together.

 

Happiness has the power to turn the clock quickly.

 

The peaceful, simple, and happy time passed so quickly that it was regrettable.

 

And Dorothea Millanaire entered the year that marked a turning point in her life.

 

The year of Carnan’s death. And the year Dorothea killed Raymond and put on the tyrant’s crown.

 

“The spirits of light this year are more beautiful than last year!”

 

“After the awakening of Princess Dorothea, the ceremony of light seems to be getting more splendid every year…!”

 

Ethan kept a smile on his face as he listened to the conversation among the nobles and looked up at the sky.

 

The sky was filled with spirits scattered in beautiful lights and shapes, creating an immense spectacle.

 

The ceremony of light held on every founding day recreated the founding period of the empire and showed the spirit of light in the imperial palace.

 

Unlike before the return, Dorothea now occupies a central position in the Light Ceremony and has become a full-fledged Milanaire dealing with spirits.

 

The power Ethan had given flowed through Dorothea’s hand and filled the sky.

 

Ethan watched the beautiful night sky as he felt Dorothea use the Spirit Stone.

 

* * *

 

“Ethan!”

 

After the ceremony, Dorothea, who had changed clothes, ran to the side of the fountain where Ethan was waiting.

 

The white dress she wore on the founding day of the Empire fluttered with her golden hair.

 

Seeing that, Ethan once again fell in love with Dorothea.

 

“Princess.”

 

“Thank you again this year, Ethan.”

 

It was all thanks to Ethan that she could handle the Spirit in the ceremony of light, so Dorothea thanked him more today and kissed him on the cheek.

 

Even after years of spending time with him, she still liked this love. And so does Ethan.

 

* * *