The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

“It’s the worst? It’s a legendary spirit.”

“I was thinking of a much more dazzling brilliance than that… that one just scatters glitter around, right?”

The two lowered their voices and whispered.

Ethan said that he had imagined a dazzling, intense light.

“It’s a little disappointing.”

A faint smile spread across Dorothea’s lips, seeing Ethan disappointed with Carnan.

It’s a bad feeling to be jealous and curse at a talent you don’t have…

She couldn’t stop herself from feeling better because someone told her that the spirit was nothing.

* * *

Dorothea’s debutante, unfortunately, did not proceed with indifference.

People showed great interest in Dorothea and Ethan, who is the brightest of the debutants.

If you stood still, you could hear chatter about Dorothea and Ethan from everywhere.

Some of them even actively approached the two of them.

Those who approached out of politeness would offer a formal greeting and disappear, while those who approached out of curiosity would ask unpleasant questions.

“You really can’t handle spirits?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to learn from His Majesty the Crown Prince?”

“Why didn’t you come to Episteme? Is it true that you got 0 on the test?”

Questions Dorothea hates the most.

Dorothea tried her best to be as nice as possible to answer their malicious curiosity.

But every time she answered, it felt as if one side of her chest was dented.

It may have been an unimportant question to them, but Dorothea had to answer the same question many times over and over again.

The one who wants to find the answer to their question the most is Dorothea.

She was getting tired of being the parrot that had to answer the same question over and over again.

Her discomfort grew and grew, and she wanted to run away to a place where she wouldn’t be seen.

‘I wish no one knew me. If only they’d treat me like the wall…’

“Princess, if you practice the power of the spirits a little, won’t you be able to handle it? It’s like a person who can’t ride a horse can become a good rider with practice.”

The same question for the fifth time in a row.

Dorothea seemed to have a sharp thorn in her neck, she bit her lips.

At that time.

“Hey, Princess Dorothea can control spirits, but you don’t seem to know?”

Ethan grabbed Dorothea’s hand and answered instead.

Not only the Ladies but also Dorothea looked at him in amazement.

“The princess herself shines like a light spirit, doesn’t she?”

Ethan smiled brightly and gave the young ladies a soft glance.

Then the ladies laughed and nodded their heads.

“You’re a funny guy, Ethan!”

“You shouldn’t laugh at me like that when I am serious.”

Ethan smirked, and the young Ladies laughed in response.

So Ethan dealt with the young Ladies in moderation and let them go.

“Thank you, Ethan.”

“You’re welcome.”

He smiled lightly as if he was just doing what he had to do.

“Though I was a little embarrassed to hear you talk about spirits.”

Dorothea said and laughed.

It was a rather embarrassing joke, but thanks to that, the young Ladies didn’t ask questions about Dorothea, and quickly retreated into an atmosphere that wouldn’t get cold.

Ethan’s eloquence was something Dorothea wanted to learn a little bit.

“Everyone asks about spirits without exception.”

Ethan muttered as he looked at the side where the ladies had left.

“It is an important topic that cannot be separated from me.”

And after looking at Dorothea for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“The Princess is more alienated than I thought.”

“I was like this from the beginning. So I got used to it.”

Dorothea laughed bitterly.

“If the princess had the power of a spirit, they would not have acted like that.”

People who don’t even look at her feelings and ask questions easily and rudely. Those who are curious about the other person’s sensitive parts without hesitation.

The reason why aristocrats who have rolled around in society ask such rude questions is that Dorothea seems easy.

If Dorothea was properly dignified as a princess, they wouldn’t ask such a rude question.

“I told you, I can’t do anything for you. This is my position as you see it now.”

“….”

“After the debut circle is over, I’ll just eat a piece of cake and go.” Dorothea said.

The reason she waited for the cake, not even interested in the debutante, was simple. Just because Po was involved in making the cake.

Other than that, nothing to expect here.

Ethan glanced at Dorothea, who was expecting a cake that Po had just made at this important debutante.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ethan’s staring gaze was so intense that she couldn’t ignore it.

“I think you need something more than a cake. It’s your debutante, after all.”

“The cake is enough.”

“My motto is to give my partner the most memorable ball.”

She did not know when such a motto existed, Dorothea laughed at it.

‘Would he have treated the young Ladies who always looked for him like that even before returned?

With that thought in mind, Theon came in at the end of an inadvertent gaze.

He was sitting close to Julia and talking.

Judging by the expressions on their faces, they seem to be having a very deep conversation.

Before returning, I fell in love with Theon Fried on the same day. The day the long unrequited love began.

At that moment, Theon, who was talking with Julia, raised her head.

Dorothea made eye contact with him and quickly looked away. Had she been caught staring at him?

Unsurprisingly, Theon and Julia approached her.

“Congratulations on your debut, Princess.”

“Congratulations on your debut.”

The two stood side by side and celebrated Dorothea’s debut.

“Yes, thanks…”

Dorothea replied with a forced smile.

At least she wasn’t jealous enough to hate Julia like she used to.

“You are beautiful, Princess.”

Theon looked at Dorothea and smiled softly.

At his light praise, Dorothea continued to smile awkwardly.

‘You’re cool too, Theon.’

It can be so difficult to say those words.

Dorothea’s gaze, unable to see his face right away, turned to Theon’s hand that was holding Julia.

Tightly entangled hands.

Ethan grabbed her hand then.

“Lady Julia and Master Theon look good together too.”

Ethan smiled, clinging closer to Dorothea’s side.

Ethan’s grip, felt by the back of Dorothea’s hand, was painfully strong.

As she gave a signal, flinching her fingertips, Ethan belatedly realized that her hand had been tightened, and then relaxed slightly.

But still, it was tight enough that she couldn’t get out.

“I heard that Master Theon has already made his debut. You graduated from Episteme too, so will you be returning to Friedia soon?”

Contrary to the strong tension in their hands, Ethan had a leisurely conversation with Theon.

“Ah, I plan to stay in Lampas a little longer.”

“Aren’t you going to return to Friedia and succeed the Grand Duke?”

“There is still more to learn in Lampas.”

Dorothea almost raised the corners of her lips without realizing the mention of Theon staying in Lampas.

Just because he stays longer doesn’t mean anything more will happen to her.

‘This is a habit.’

“I see.”

“How long do you plan to stay in Lampas, Ethan Bronte?”

Julia, who was listening to the conversation from the side, showed interest and asked.

“I plan to stay in Lampas for a while.”

At his answer, Dorothea’s head turned to him.

‘Wasn’t he supposed to go down after the debutante was over?’

“Since I was little, I have only lived in the duke’s residence, so I think I need to learn more. Get to know a little more people.”

“I’m sure Ethan will get to know people quickly. Everyone already wanted to talk to you. Sometimes there may be people with a bad mouth, but never mind”

Julia said playfully and glanced at Nereus.

Surrounded by other nobles, Nereus was showing off as the true center of the social world.

‘It must have been because of those connections that the nobles did not like when I hit the hark.’

Nereus had been close to the nobles of Ubera from an early age, sometimes bribing them.

network diplomacy. It was a clever strategy of Nereus and Hark.

It was obvious that Hark was increasing his national power day by day, but the nobles of Ubera pretended not to know.

With Hark on their backs, they acted as arrogant as the Empire, sometimes even more arrogant than that.

The nobles of Ubera also agreed to Hark’s rude request, saying that war should not be waged.

But Dorothea was annoyed by that.

“Isn’t this like Ubera trying to please Hark?!”

Before returning, Dorothea’s pride counted as high as that of Nereus, so she insisted that she wage a war with the arrogant Hark.

But all of them were against her argument.

Was it because the nobles of Ubera were all pacifists? It won’t be. These are the people who show their teeth even when they touch their rice bowls.

TL: pacifist is a resistance to war or violence as a means of settling disputes.

In the end, Dorothea was able to start a war with Hark only after he drew his sword under the pretext of Ethan and his fiancée Monica.

Dorothea, who had previously insisted on war, felt it was right and went to the vanguard.

‘I’m sure Hark is growing stronger by the day…’

If Ethan doesn’t touch Monica, Wouldn’t Hark go to war? Did Nereus really draw his sword because of one woman and attack Ubera?

At that moment, the sound of music announcing the beginning of the debut circle was heard.

The atmosphere seemed to lift as the upbeat music filled the ballroom.

“Then I’ll see you later, Princess and Ethan Bronte.”

Theon and Julia bowed politely. Then Theon held out his arm to Julia as an escort, and she naturally took it.

Dorothea looked at the backs of the two of them as they moved away side by side. 

‘They fit really well’ she thought.

“Princess.”

Then, Ethan called her to wake her up.

“We should go too.”

Ethan gently offered her his arm. His arm, long and strong, was waiting for her.

Ethan’s lips curved into a smile as Dorothea gingerly slipped her hand through his.

“Let’s go.”

* * *