'Come to think of it...'

In the original story, the empress colluded with the temple to blemish her empress's family.

'Maybe the empress knew about it and she deliberately held her hand with the temple.'

The temple was using quite a bit of power for their revival. Money is needed for such revival activities.

After growing the business with the help of the emperor, the Hwangbine family would have dedicated a huge amount of money to the temple.

'So the temple later attacked the Empress... In the first place, the Empress was not very religious about her, so there is a reason for her.'

While Raphine was contemplating, Orpana said.

「The Empress often calls the Imperial Wizard to check the spirit fortune. It will be the same this time. Since you have a new family, don't you want to make a fortune?」

'I do.'

「The Empress will call the wizard she trusts. and I... You can control that wizard's fortune! Very easy!」

'you...'

Did you usually play like that?

this bastard...

Raphine narrowed her eyes.

「Life in the Imperial Castle is very free.」

Raphine thought maybe Orphana had moved on to this bracelet on purpose.

'When she picked a bracelet with blue jewels as a gift from the Empress. That's when you moved on, you.'

「Heh heh.」

It will be the same in the original.

Orphana is a troublemaker, so she prefers noisy environments to quiet ones.

She must have somehow wanted to see her get out of the castle.

「anyway! I can do it! Besides, the Empress believes in the existence of the water spirit the most.」

'It must have been because you were playing with water every day...'

「Hehehe... The owner is very smart! Anyway, just trust me!」

Raphine was trembling, but decided to watch it for now.

* * *

so the next day.

Raphine took Sophia's hand from an early age and got on the carriage heading to the Imperial Castle.

The Duke of Aston was busy with work and did not go with him.

The reason the Duke was busy was because of the story Raphine told him last night.

Before a woman named Anna met Sir Laurelian, she was a teacher in an orphanage, in the area where she abused children.

She said she didn't remember the name at one time she actually did.

'Sco? school? What, I think it was...'

When Raphine ponders her memories.

「Are you talking about Scotia, sweetheart?」

'Oh right! I think it was!'

Unlike Raphine, Ruby, who stayed in this world for a long time, helped.

Raphine gave the Duke a hint by secretly hearing the woman's story.

'Will it be revealed soon that the woman abused the children at the orphanage?'

「Yeah, the sooner the duke gets the job done, the sooner it will be revealed.」

'thank God.'

The woman pushed Raphine, and Adrian told her parents about it, which made things easier for her.

However, even if the woman's past of abusing her children is revealed, it will be of no use if the empress has expedited her marriage before that.

'Even if the woman's past is revealed later, she will only suffer great disgrace to the four families of the empress.'

Raphine held her children's book that Sylane had brought in her arms and looked out the window as she was getting closer to the Imperial Castle.

* * *

Crystal Palace, the residence of the Empress, was very luxurious.

If the place where Zerkan was staying had a solemn atmosphere that scholars would like, this place was as grand as knights would like it.

But nonetheless, she was splendid and beautiful, so I could feel how great the status of the empress was.

'Tremendous...'

Raphine groaned in disbelief, but Sophia was as imposing as a knight who just came to the occupied territory.

"Come this way."

A servant dressed in a splendid uniform led the two men to the empress's drawing room.

As I entered the drawing room, I saw colorful desserts laid out on the table.

'He said he prepared a delicious snack, and that's true!'

After sitting for a while and waiting, the Empress came in soon.

Sophia gracefully greeted her, and then gave her a light greeting. And she brought up her point right away.

After her brief pilgrimage, Sophia looked at the woman's face and said she should ask herself.

"Hmm..."

At those words, her empress's expression became serious.

'The Empress might believe the woman named Anna more.'

「I guess so. Her arms bend inward.」

'Besides, my family haven't seen me in a while. From her empress's point of view, it would seem like she was trembling for that reason.'

Even the Empress would be in trouble because she was in the middle of her.

I'd like to take the side of the woman my youngest brother brought me, but I can't make the Duke of Aston an enemy.

Just then, someone cleverly knocked on the parlor door.

"Come in."

Moments later, the door opened and a wizard in a purple robe and a maid in a pretty dress entered.

'At that time, she was the maid who was crying!'

When Rafine recognized her and gave her a welcome look, the maid gave her a bright smile.

Then she approached the Empress and bowed her head.

"Your Majesty, the wizard you were supposed to see today has arrived."

After the Empress was greeted by the wizard, she said sorry to the Duchess.

"I'm sorry, Duchess. It was because I had a prior appointment today."

"no. I was the one who made an appointment in a hurry and came."

"Yes, right now, how about receiving a 'Talisman' with blessings from the wizard for the child? He's a wizard with the best skills in the Imperial Castle, so I'll give you one."

"There is no greater honor for our Raphine if your Majesty grants it directly."

At Sophia's words, the Empress smiled.

'Talisman' is a decoration on a bracelet and is made of mana stones.

For the people here, it was a kind of amulet.

People believed that wearing it would protect you from threats as well as bring you great luck.

And I thought it was the spirit that brought that luck.

So, the higher the price, the more expensive the Talisman made by a wizard with excellent skills.

'That person is the Imperial Magician.'

The wizard in purple robes sat opposite the Duchess, and the maid, whose face Raphine remembered, also sat next to him.

'Today must have been the day the wizard was supposed to come.'

「No coincidence, that wizard comes almost every day.」

'Yes? The Empress believes in her spirit divination.'

It went well this time.

Raphine was aiming for the wizard to take out the manastone and refine the blessing spell to be engraved on the blank paper.

'Now.'

Rafine placed the children's book she had brought with her on the table.

The title of the book was 'The spirit told me the weather!'

It was a lovely story about a young child helping her dad do the laundry by matching the weather with a spirit divination.

I brought it with me to change the topic of conversation just in case.

There's no need to even have a wizard, but you should use it anyway.

Raphine opened the book and asked the Empress in an innocent voice.

"Last time Shilian read it to me. Spirits know everything. Is it true, Your Majesty?"

As the little boy spoke again and again, the Empress smiled sweetly and nodded her head.

She said, "This is a fairy tale book about spirit divination. it really is The spirits know everything."

At Raphine's mention, the Empress confided her feelings to Sophia as if she had just remembered.

"Actually, I had a new family, so I was just trying to do divination today."

"That's right."

"Yes. This is the woman Ethan chose, so she just wants to believe... Hearing the story of the Duchess makes me even more concerned. If she really did that to a kid..."

The Empress said so and sent her hand gesture to the wizard.

The wizard, who was refining the spell, noticed the meaning of the Empress, 'Let's start with the point', and put down the paper.

Then he pulled out a mysterious bottle of clear water from his arms.

It was a bottle with 'spirit water'.

It sounds grandiose, but it was actually water collected from the morning dew.

Since it is pure water obtained from nature, it is believed that it contains the power of spirits.

The wizard poured spirit water into the empty glass dish.

Then he cast a mysterious spell, and soon a green light came out of the wizard's hand and began to mix with the water.

"Your Majesty, please ask any questions you may have."

said the wizard. The Empress pondered for a moment, and then she asked.

"I wonder if it's okay to marry Ethan's woman, Anna, whom Ethan brought."

As it was literally a 'dot', the result was unhappy and unreliable.

However, the Empress, who deeply believes in the existence of spirits, will be inclined towards whatever the outcome may be.

'In the original story, it must have been said that it was okay to marry that woman.'

But this time it will be different.

'Orphana, now!'

「Look forward, Master! You will fall in love with my abilities!」

Okay, let's see how reliably you solve it!

Raphine opened her eyes wide and waited for the result of the 'water spirit dot' that Orphana would create.