I Became the Tyrant’s Translator

[ Prologue ]

Tyrant.

It was a term referring to Michael Sonnette, the emperor of the Devrant Empire.

As soon as he ascended the throne, the bloody winds that blew over the empire still did not stop.

“… In this situation, I ask for Your Majesty’s opinion.”

The new prime minister, Richard Park, barely finished speaking in a trembling voice.

It has only been a week since the predecessor’s neck was cut off because he dared to oppose the emperor. The newly-appointed prime minister could only freeze with fear.

The emperor did not think long. He opened his mouth, staring at Richard Park with a fierce look.

“Apples.”

The emperor closed his mouth right away, speaking only one word.

It was when Park was frozen, rolling his eyes.

The petite secretary spoke like quickfire. Even under the dim lighting, the shiny gold-eyed and bright red-haired secretary was impressive.

“Your Majesty’s orders are to investigate the Duke of Ruscarel.”

“Oh, I see.”

Park nodded and handed out a document to Michael.

“Your Majesty, It is an intelligence that they are plotting a border dispute in the kingdom of Tetun.”

The emperor skimmed through the documents at a rapid pace and paused to think.

“…”

What came out after silence was only one word this time.

“… Sea.”

The secretary rolled her eyes for a moment, then began to speak quickly again.

“He is telling us to reorganize the navy. If the kingdom of Tetun is in trouble, he orders you to prepare to sink the whole thing.”

Richard Park looked at the secretary with half-amazed eyes. Without Leticia Woods, the secretary, the empire might have already been destroyed.

***

“Your Highness.”

Michael Sonnette Devrant responded to the call of his only secretary, Leticia Woods. His eyes that resembled the color of the tropical sea shone through his disheveled blond hair.

He had an angelic face, but he was a man feared by the entire continent as well as the Devrant Empire.

“I have something to tell you.”

“…”

Silence.

But Leticia knew well that the silence meant to speak right away.

For the past ten years, she had been with Michael as a secretary.

While she was just a commoner, the only reason why she was able to become the emperor’s secretary was only because Michael could not speak properly.

It wasn’t that Michael couldn’t speak at all. He could say one or two simple words out loud.

But that was all.

It was not even words that intuitively formed the meaning, so most people did not fully understand the meaning and interpreted it in the wrong way.

That was Leticia’s job.

It was a difficult task, but it was not the only thing in the world that Leticia Woods could do.

Leticia’s role was the emperor’s mouth, so even words to execute someone came from her mouth.

But what she was going to say now felt harder than ever.

Leticia swallowed her dry saliva.

Usually, she would talk comfortably with Michael when they were alone, but now it was the time to be formal.

“I’m sorry to tell you this all of a sudden, but I would like to resign this year.”

“…”

A lot of emotions surfaced on Michael’s face.

Leticia tried to keep calm. She expected that response.

Ten years was by no means a short amount of time, and Leticia had worked beside Michael since he was only ten years old. No wonder Michael was surprised and upset.

Leticia quickly spoke.

“Therefore, we have to search for candidates and select the right people soon…!”

Leticia’s words were cut off in a hurry. It was because Michael pulled her towards him and embraced her waist.

“Your-Your Majesty?”

Leticia suddenly realized that she was in the secret place of the imperial palace.

As soon as she thought over Michael’s intentions, she felt a heat fanning near her ears.

“Please Leticia. Please stay by my side.”

“…!”

Leticia’s gold eyes widened with confusion.

Michael was talking. The correct words and the correct sentences that made sense to anyone if they heard him!

It wouldn’t be more surprising if the sky collapsed.

As she stumbled and fell, the emperor hugged Leticia.

[ Chapter 1 : A handsome boy in the dark ]

At the age of thirteen, Leticia Woods was the best daughter in town.

Everyone knew this.

Even at a young age, she took care of her sick grandmother and brother all day long on the behalf of her busy parents.

In return, Leticia was always praised.

“How nice of you, Leticia.”

“As expected, our daughter is the best.”

“How can Leticia be so thoughtful?”

Tough and arduous days ensued without a single day’s rest, but Leticia clung to those praises.

All the rewards given to her were sweet words.

***

‘It’s cold…’

Leticia tried to calm her uncontrollably trembling body.

However, the autumn rain fell mercilessly, and even the leafy branches did not completely block the raindrops. Even worse, the sky was getting darker and darker.

‘I can’t go back yet.’

She had only found three severan, a rare medicinal herb that was good for her grandmother’s disease.

‘If I don’t find at least ten, my grandmother and parents will be greatly disappointed.’

Hot tears began to gather around her eyes. What she hated more than her family dying was their disappointment in her.

Leticia wiped away her tears with her less wet forearms.

‘This is not the time. Let’s go dig. You can do that.’

But digging up rare herbs in the dreary forest was never easy.

In addition, there were many plants near the mountains where the shapes of the leaves and stems looked similar.

Even if a similar plant was found, it was not exactly known whether it was a severan until the roots were dug up.

The blue dusk had engulfed the sky. But Leticia kept climbing the mountain with her shaky hands.

Soon the dusk will thicken and the pitched-black darkness will completely engulf everything.

Today was the day of the full moon. If the moon emerged among the clouds, there would be no problem, but Leticia could see the dark clouds from far away.

The only comfort she had was the fact that the rain had already stopped.

‘Get a hold of yourself, Leticia. Mother and Father are also working for us until this hour.’

Leticia swallowed her dry saliva and pulled herself together.

Last fall, she could never forget when she only took seven roots of Severan.

No one was mad at Leticia or scolded her. She just had a serious conversation with her parents for three hours.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be sorry, Leticia. At your age, it would be natural to want to play or get distracted.’

‘But I didn’t play.’

‘We’re not trying to scold you. But keep this in mind.’

Her parents didn’t seem angry at all, but they just looked sad.

‘Severan may seem like a trivial plant, but it’s like a lifeline to your grandmother. If you don’t dig properly… your grandmother will die.’

Just thinking about that time made her feel suffocated.

Leticia bit her lips. It was easy to go down the mountain. Just walk down the slope.

It didn’t matter that it was dark and freezing to the bone. The only thing that mattered was the fact that she couldn’t dig more severan for her grandmother.

Leticia eagerly dug through the mud. The severan’s peculiarly soft roots were plentiful, but it was difficult to find solid roots.

She couldn’t go back until she found seven more. However, only two more were found in the rain.

Suddenly, she remembered what Paddington, her brother who was three-year-old older, said.

‘I heard bears come out often in the mountains these days. I’m glad I don’t have to go to the mountains.’

Leticia trembled.

When she was a baby, it was said that a bear had come down to the village and tore a family to death.

Fortunately, no one has died since then, but sightings have been heard from time to time.

Rustle.

Something moved in the dark.

Leticia jumped from her spot. She knocked the basket, but fortunately it didn’t spill the severan.

She paid attention to her surroundings without moving out of place. If a bear was nearby, it would have a distinct, terrible smell.

She sniffed her nose, but luckily, she only smelled wet grass and mud.

“I was surprised for no reason. It was just a bird.”

The moment she spoke out loud, Leticia was not even sure if it was a bird.

“Ahhh!”

Her sharp screams echoed in the dark. In the midst of screaming, Leticia stepped back, grabbing the basket of precious severan.

Something was creeping up to her through the darkness.

Leticia fell onto her buttocks. Just then, a bright full moon appeared between the gradually lifted dark clouds.

The pale moonlight fell before Leticia’s eyes.

“Uh…?”

A dazed voice came out of Leticia’s mouth. It was the eerie appearance of a boy, who looked three or four years younger than her.

But he was very handsome.

Of course, Leticia soon came to her senses. This was not the time to be mesmerized by the face of a new kid.

“Who are you?”

“…”

The boy kept his mouth shut as if he were scared and only rolled his eyes.

“Where are your parents?”

“…”

“Where is your house?”

“…”

As soon as she was about to get annoyed, a thought came into her mind.

‘By any chance, was he not able to speak?’

Maybe it was because he couldn’t hear sound at all.

“It’s dangerous to be here.”

Leticia spoke loudly and clearly, but the boy still looked at her with his handsome face.

Seeing that his eyes were shaking at her words, it was comforting that it was not because he could not hear sound itself.

‘You can’t speak, then.’

How did this mute boy end up alone in the mountains? Curiosity crept up, but there was no way to solve this.

Leticia looked alternatively at the frightened boy and the basket of five Severans.

At first, she gradually noticed the boy’s initially unnoticed attire.

The colorful embroidery and expensive-looking buttons that glowed in the moonlight were not the clothes that an ordinary son would wear.

‘A rich son?’

Her face grimaced.

What rich family would leave a mute boy all alone in the mountains.

An extremely natural judgement came to Leticia’s mind.

“Did you run away from home?”