The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

Those words stabbed his heart.

 

Raymond’s heart, which had been holding up well, is slowly breaking.

 

Unanswered letter. The blunt tone of voice. And the guilt and helplessness of not being able to protect Dorothea.

 

The wounds that had been piling up inside him opened up.

 

“I just… I’m afraid you will be lonely because you stay alone in the detached palace… ” 

 

He tried to make excuses, but his words were powerless.

 

He lowered his head to hide his tearful face.

 

“Stop crying.”

 

‘I’m sorry, Dorothy…” 

 

He tried to stop crying at the cold words.

 

‘I need to be a cool older brother to Dorothea, but my heart doesn’t obey.

It hurts a lot.’

 

He didn’t get a reply, but he hoped that Dorothea would be happy to see him, that she would have missed him as much as he had missed her.

 

‘It’s pathetic.’

 

“Stop crying.”

 

Dorothea’s heartless words made him shed more tears.

 

He knew why Dorothea hated him so much.

 

He pretended to be a big brother, but he wasn’t. In fact, in the last two years, he hadn’t done anything for her except send her letters.

 

Raymond wanted to suggest to Carnan that he send Dorothea a birthday present.

 

It wasn’t as if he didn’t think about sending something nice to the Ceritian side.

 

But he always just thought about it.

 

He couldn’t even open his mouth in front of Carnan.

 

He didn’t dare say anything that went against his father’s wishes.

 

His fear of Carnan is deeper than his love for Dorothea.

 

So it is perhaps natural that Dorothea hated him.

 

Moreover, isn’t Dorothea smarter and more independent than him?

 

Maybe she hates him for not being able to rebel against his father even once and living like a dead rat.

 

While he was thinking about something, Dorothea left the room, leaving Raymond alone to face his own incompetence.

 

* * * 

 

‘I wanted to show my cool side at least a little bit.’

 

Raymond wanted to do something for Dorothea.

 

So what he chose was a swordsmanship competition.

 

‘I’m going to win it. I’m going to win it and give Dorothy all the prize money.’

 

however…..

 

“I told you not to make it easy because of me.”

 

Dorothea’s sword came to rest just before the nape of his neck.

 

Perfect defeat.

 

“I… didn’t like that.”

 

‘I never thought I would let you win.’

 

It was all because his concentration had been disturbed since the middle of the competition.

 

But Dorothea did not believe him.

 

“You idiot.”

 

Dorothea left the place that way.

 

Raymond panicked and followed her.

 

“At least don’t misunderstand me. I am always sincere to you—!”

 

“Dorothy!”

 

at that time.

 

“too late…!”

 

A tent loomed over him.

 

And Dorothea pushed him away.

 

“Dorothy…?”

 

“You really don’t help my life.”

 

Dorothea is hurt. because of him.

 

“It’s not a surprise, it’s a disaster!”

 

Maybe Dorothea is right. He may be a disaster to her.

 

But Dorothea jumps in to save him from disaster.

 

Raymond could not understand Dorothy’s behavior at all.

 

‘You hate me, but why did you save me?’

 

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”

 

“There’s no need to be sorry.”

 

“but—”

 

“I just did it because I would be in trouble if you died.”

 

On the way back from Dorothea’s treatment, she said that to him.

 

She wasn’t angry at him for being pathetic, nor did she blame him.

 

She simply accepted her wounds.

 

‘What was I supposed to do?’

 

Raymond seemed more concerned for Dorothea, who chose to keep her mouth shut rather than get angry.

 

Maybe you are more delicate than you thought.

 

‘Behind her seemingly perfect appearance, there may be a wound that I didn’t know about.’

 

‘Maybe you’re grown up because you’ve been through things that made you grow up.’

 

“But Dorothy, you don’t have to do that next time.”

 

‘There is no need for her to embrace that wound alone.’

 

“I don’t want you to get hurt again because of me. No, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

 

‘Even though I say this, I may be one of those foolish people who hurt you.’

 

Then Dorothea looked at him quietly and opened her mouth.

 

“You have to fix that first.”

 

“huh?”

 

Dorothea’s comment was a little out of the blue.

 

Raymond looked at her as if he didn’t know what she meant, but Dorothea looked away again as if she had nothing more to say.

 

She still looked blunt and angry, but somehow Raymond felt closer to her.

 

Dorothea was difficult. She was complex and cold, but also kind, so Raymond’s simple mind couldn’t figure out the answer.

 

So he’d just have to try to figure it out his own way.

 

“Dorothy. If you have any difficulties or inconveniences, please tell me. I will do everything.”

 

“I can do it alone.”

 

“But it’s hard to do it with just your left hand. It’s hard to write.”

 

“It’s none of your business.”

 

Raymond pouted his mouth at Dorothea’s words.

 

‘Dorothy says something strange.’

 

“Why is it none of my business when I’m the one who made you like that?”

 

‘She should be screaming at me to take responsibility or getting angry.’

 

‘It’s so strange that she was so angry that I only sent a letter and then came to visit her.’

 

Then Dorothea looked at him with narrow eyes.

 

Looks like she’s thinking about something.

 

Raymond quietly waited for her to speak.

 

“Are you sure you want to do anything?”

 

“If it’s for you.”

 

Raymond nodded vigorously.

 

“Good.”

 

He smiled at Dorothea’s answer.

 

* * * 

 

It must have been around that time.

 

Dorothea stopped being angry at Raymond.

 

“But for some reason, I lived again. I came back to where I was born.”

 

Raymond recalled the story Dorothea had once confessed.

 

‘If it really she lived again as she said,…’ 

 

Raymond was just a little curious about what Raymond Milanaire’s adult looked like before her return.

 

“So what was I like, Dorothy?” 

 

“What do you mean? How in the world does that happen.”

 

“But you said it. You went back in time.”

 

“You don’t even know metaphors?”

 

Dorothea walked ahead, walking quickly for no reason.

 

“Tell me at least how I was!”

 

Raymond asked, running after her.

 

At that time, Dorothea, who was going down the stairs, tripped and almost fell, so he quickly held her arm.

 

Dorothea looked at Raymond, who held her arm.

 

His blue eyes were as clear as a cloudless sky.

 

“I thought you did it.”

 

Dorothea muttered as she looked at him.

 

“Huh?”

 

Dorothea’s voice was so small that he could not hear Dorothea’s words.

 

But Dorothea chuckled, stood up straight, and said.

 

“You were a good brother.”

 

Her words brought tears to Raymond’s eyes.

 

“I was always happy because you were my younger sister!”

 

* * *

 

Side story 3. Our happy ending 

 

The season when waves hit the green wheat fields.

 

The quiet suburban fields became noisy.

 

“You can’t go into that field! Cookie, you too!”

 

Raymond was tired of stopping the children running to the field where he had recently planted seedlings.

 

Fortunately, the good child changed direction at his word and ran out into the wide field.

 

A large retriever ran behind the child.

 

Raymond wiped the sweat from his forehead.

 

The wind blew pleasantly and cooled his sweat.

 

At that time, Cookie, who was running far away, said, “Guk!”.

 

He barked softly and ran off somewhere.

 

“cookie!”

 

As the cookie was being held, a girl who was coming up from afar fell on the grass and burst into laughter.

 

Her giggles carried on the wind and reached Raymond’s ears.

 

A little girl with dark hair and violet eyes, no more than four years old, she hugged and stroked Cookie, who was bigger than her.

 

“Haha, Cookie, I came dressed in yellow on purpose to play with you.”

 

‘I’d been scolded for wearing black because it always made Cookie’s long fur stick to me.’

 

“It’ll be the same mess.”

 

Raymond laughed, putting down the shovel and walking over to where Cookie and the girl were.

 

“Ceres, it’s been a while.”

 

Raymond calmed Cookie, who was flapping her tail like she was going to fly, and helped the girl to her feet.

 

Nevertheless, Cookie’s excitement seemed to have not subsided and he panted as he circled around Raymond and the girl.

 

“Are you here alone, Ceres?”

 

“No. Mom and Dad are over there, along with Gemma.”

 

From where the girl pointed, a couple holding a baby was walking slowly.

 

It was his old friends, Theon and Julia.

 

A bright smile spread across Ray’s lips as he looked at the two people.

 

* * *