The Tyrant’s Beloved Doll

Chapter 5

There were two libraries in the Imperial Palace, East Library and West Library. The East Library was a very splendid place full of expensive books, translation of books from other countries, and new books that always come out every day.

Compared to that, the West Library looked like a storehouse than the library itself, it was assorted with bookshelves, but most of the books are old books which got pushed out from the East library. Therefore, it was very rare to find someone visiting the West library. This is also the library where Raytan buried himself with books and where Sezh borrowed the books.

As Sezh makes her way to the West Library, she wondered how she could approach Raytan. She knew too little about him before she died. So it was natural if she couldn’t talk to him properly. But if there’s no way to approach him later, she still had to try somehow.

Right now she wanted to leave the Imperial Palace badly, but if the prince or princess wants to leave, they had to be at least 17 years old to officially leave the palace, which means when they reach the adulthood. Sezh is still too young for now. A twelve years old child couldn’t possibly leave the castle and live alone, let alone one who never live outside the castle.

‘For now, let’s try to approach Raytan and get close to him, and if possible let’s try to stop my mother from killing Lise because it was the main reason Raytan staged a coup d’éta. That event will happen in a few years, so I still have time to prepare for it.’

As she walked with such a trivial thought, she arrived in front of the library. Sezh proceeds to enter with a nervous expression. She slowly roamed around the fusty library.

‘Where’s Raytan Orabeoni? Is he reading the book and sit near the window as he was back then?’

Sezh, whose thoughts went that far, began to walk to the corner area.

“….”She stopped right in the innermost corner side of the West Library. But Raytan was nowhere to be seen. Instead of him, there are about five or six books piled up in the empty place near the window. There is also a book that was opened and turned upside down. It seems like someone just reading it before.

‘These are the books that my brother used to read, right? He and I are the only ones who visit this library anyway. So if I wait here, I’m sure we will meet. ‘

With such thought, Sezh decides to sit near the window and wait for him. But after waiting for a long time, Raytan wasn’t seen.

‘Did he leave the library?’

She felt anxious, but it seemed strange to go directly to his palace, so Sezh sat still for a long time.

‘……But what kind of book he read?’

<Military Studies>

Suddenly, Sezh looks at the opened book. The red lettering, written clearly on the dark leather cover, was intensely visible.

This is strange. Raytan wasn’t treated like a prince and was treated like garbage. It won’t help him even if he tried to read this book as he won’t be able to join the Emperor to the battle anyway. And this is way before he stages a coup d’éta.

Sezh felt a little tempted to check the books that piled up in the empty place near the window.

<The Basic of Artilery>

<The Theory of War>

<The Command of Union>

<Understanding Military Strategy>

<The Theory of Weaponry>

A cold sweat ran through her neck. The book at the bottom was the book that makes her flustered the most.

<The Theory of Monarchy>

What’s wrong with these…? Is this already planned out…?

“…”

The absent-minded Sezh stand abruptly and flinched. She felt the sudden chill on her back and turned around stiffly. There, she saw Reitan staring at her.

“Argghhh!”

Sezh, who was surprised by his presence, screamed. But Raytan didn’t respond to her scream and just stared at his half-sibling.

The red eyes got exposed by the sun and gleamed brightly through the thick bangs. It was as red as blood. She never saw Raytan so close, except that one time where her neck slashed. Moreover, as she saw him faced to face like this, his figure wielding a sharp sword came to her mind. She seems unaware of it, but her mind starts to repeat the sounds of the sharp sword slashing her neck.

“Ah, I… I am…”

“…”

“Just… wondering what kind of book you read…”There was no answer coming out from him. His gaze was still cold. Sezh start to struggle to keep herself together.

‘No, you can’t be scared of him already’

“I, I was bored reading in my palace alone…”

“…”

“If you don’t mind, may I sit here with you?”“…”

“Raytan … Orabeoni…”

It was admirable that she tried to squeeze out her the courage till this point, especially when she spoke out the last word. But Raytan only looks at Sezh with an emotionless face as he uttered the cold word with his cold voice.

“Get out.”

It was a very simple and clear answer, only then Sezh realised that the plan she had been trying to do, which is winning Raytan’s favour was a plan that was hard for her to do and achieved it.