The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly

Dorothea was surprised to see Theon collapse like a doll and call Ethan.

Ethan noticed that Theon’s condition was getting worse.

Theon was distracted by a headache that felt like it was going to break his head. He staggered and barely could stand up.

He heard a buzzing sound and felt like death was breathing beside him.

The dark spirits struggled to take him to the world of rest.

Theon closed and opened his eyes repeatedly trying to restore his blurred vision.

And when he opened his eyes, he saw a handsome man looking at him with a pitying expression and shaking his head.

Each time he shook his head, his silver hair shimmered and shimmered, and his golden 

eyes were tinged with sympathy, even more beautiful.

But that sympathy was never pure, and it tainted Theon.

Theon jumped out of his seat and ran away.

“Te…Theon!”

Ethan caught Dorothea trying to follow him.

“Your Majesty, if you go now, you will only hurt Prince Theon’s heart. If you wait until he calms down, I’m sure he’ll apologize to you as well, so don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Ethan grabbed Dorothea’s hand with his white hand. Dorothea felt her hands tremble.

“However…”

“Your Majesty, You’re is higher than anyone in the world. Don’t be affected by this. Everything’s meant to return to Your Majesty.”

Ethan struggled to overcome the anxiety and depression that Dorothea couldn’t handle alone.

He handed Dorothea’s messy hair over with his hand, took out his own handkerchief, and pressed the bloody earlobe to wipe it off.

Then Dorothea’s rough and unstable breathing slowly calmed down.

But still, her eyes were on the door Theon had left.

‘I am the one taking care of your wounds now, so why are you…’

He resented Dorothea.

Ethan did the stupid thing over and over again.

When Dorothea gets hurt, it’s his job to take care of it. Then the day will come when she will look back at him.

‘Theon’s death is not far away, so just wait a little longer…’

* * *

Meanwhile, Julia Delevingne went on a long journey for Theon’s life.

She searched for the whereabouts of the Spirit of Light Stone and visited distant relatives of Milanaire.

“Lady Julia, there is no need for you to do this. Theon Fried’s illness is not your fault, nor is it your duty to cure it…”

“Ben, does that mean I’m supposed to sit around and drink while my best friend of 20 years is dying?”

Julia stopped and looked back at Ben following behind.

Dressed in frayed and dirty clothes, she was too shabby to be called a lady.

Her hair, so short that it could not even reach her shoulders, was unorganized as if she had been scissored, and the cloth wrapped around her hands was tattered.

“It must be the last remaining Milanaire.”

A distant descendant of Milanaire branched off a few generations ago.

She was looking for the last remaining Milanaire.

“But lady, isn’t it all because of Theon Fried that Delevingne’s family is ruined!”

“Ben, be careful.”

“…”

At Julia’s resolute words, Ben shut his mouth sullenly.

“After all, I can’t do anything under the Emperor right now.”

Even if she kept her title, she could do nothing with her power in this chaotic era.

“But other nobles, generals, and knights seem to be turning to support the current emperor. There are a lot of people who go under it and live comfortably.”

Although Dorothea enjoyed luxury and pleasure, she was also the Emperor who made the Empire the largest in history in two years.

Those who admired her wild and dogmatic force even made Dorothea a hero.

“They are beasts who are happy to have food in their mouth, whether the country is ruined or not”

Julia murmured through the weedy path.

Julia’s concern was not for her immediate hunger but for the fate of the empire. 

‘What does she do when she expands her territory? People’s lives are being devastated by war.’

Those who give advice have already been decapitated or have hidden themselves in the depths for a long time, fearing being decapitated.

The people’s resentment was high, but it was not enough to get past the splendid walls of the Imperial Palace.

To survive as a nobleman in these turbulent times, she had no choice but to praise Dorothea and fit her luxury.

Julia thought it would be better to throw away the duties of a nobleman than to live like that.

As a wanderer, she sometimes thought of Raymond, who dreamed of freedom.

‘Did he have fun running through this wild field? Would he have loved a life of wandering without having anything?’

Julia was about to get depressed thinking about her dead friend, but Ben opened his mouth again.

“But we’re not the only ones looking for spirit stones these days.”

“What…?”

“The old woman who told me about Milanaire last time said that someone asked the same thing a few days ago.”

“…”

Julia didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign.

If they can’t stand the tyranny of the current emperor, there may be those who want to find another Milanaire and appoint that person as the New Emperor.

Or, conversely, they may be trying to find and deal with other Milanaire to eliminate Dorothea’s crisis…

“We must hurry.”

Julia hurried her steps to ensure she wasn’t tired and climbed the hill.

Ben gasped and followed Julia.

“Lady, I think this is the house!”

An old mud house was seen on the hill in the distance.

Julia was exhausted from the long journey, but her strength surged when she saw the destination in her eyes.

Julia ran up the green hill.

It was uncertain, but her heart pounded when she saw a glimmer of hope.

When they reached the top of the hill, Julia found the gate open. Lack of gatekeeping is uncommon in the countryside.

But Julia knocked cautiously on the open door. Knocking is the least she could do as a guest.

But there was no sound from inside.

“Did he go out for a while?”

Ben said, brushing the grass off his body.

“I don’t know.”

Julia muttered and pushed the door carefully.

There was a creaking sound and the door swung open slowly against the wind.

“I was waiting for you, Julia.”

A man beautiful enough to be mistaken for an angel was standing on his feet in the red blood in the sunlight coming in through the window.

* * *

“Ethan, that’s great.”

Upon hearing that Julia had died, Dorothea happily called out his name.

There was no evidence or report of Ethan’s doing it, but she knew like a ghost that he had done it.

It could be because she and Ethan were similar.

Ethan was happy that he had gifted Dorothea a smile.

Okay. If Dorothea is that happy, Ethan can kill hundreds of people.

Ethan shook his head, admiring her brightened face.

“I would have earned Your Majesty’s praise if I had done something, but Julia’s death was not my doing.”

He lied softly to Dorothea.

It would be nice to have credit for killing Julia, but Julia had to be in an accident.

That way, Dorothea won’t feel guilty or sad in front of Theon.

She must remain virtuous.

‘When Theon hears about this, he will not be happy.’

And as expected, Theon ran to Dorothea.

Hearing the news of Julia’s death, he was more angry than ever.

Theon saw Dorothea as soon as he entered and then saw Ethan again.

And his cruel rebuke.

“Remember that. Your greed has killed me.”

Theon was a clever man. Because he knows very well what to say to make Dorothea fall.

Dorothea, who had just been happy, turned pale in an instant.

“Theon, I didn’t kill Julia!”

Dorothea pleaded guilty to a sin she had not committed and knelt before him.

“Theon, believe me. I never ordered Julia to be killed…”

‘Is the Emperor on her knees? That proud Dorothea Milanaire put her hands together and begged like a sinner?’

Ethan couldn’t let it go, so he grabbed her arm.

“Your Majesty, get up.”

He spoke as if pleading, but it seemed that Dorothea couldn’t hear it.

Because that damned Theon Fried was in tears.

As soon as Theon arrived, she completely forgot about Ethan.

And lost the smile he’d barely given her.

“Don’t cry, Theon. please…”

Dorothea begged Theon not to cry, and she cried too.

Ethan clenched his teeth so hard his jaw cracked as he watched Dorothea knelt down.

It was Ethan who wanted to beg her not to cry.

* * *

“Theon Fried!”

That day, Ethan went to visit Theon.

Theon, who was sitting on the sofa catching the sunlight, looked at him with a face that gave up everything.

“Did you have to leave Her Majesty with guilt when you were nearing death?”

Ethan was angry at Theon for nailing Dorothea’s chest.

Did he have to put the shackles of a sinner on Dorothea when she was already suffering every day of her life?

Then Theon looked at him and smirked.

For a moment, Ethan felt like a string had snapped in his head.

“You’re the one who made this happen, Ethan Bronte.”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t have touched Julia.”

Theon muttered with a heavy breath.

He knew it was Ethan, not Dorothea, who killed Julia.

‘But did he do that for Dorothea?’

“If you had known, you should have come to me, why do you come to Her Majesty…!”

Ethan gritted his teeth, and Theon shook his head.

“Because that will make you suffer more.”

Theon made a painful expression as if feeling pain but then smiled softly.

* * *