It was difficult to imagine what kind of state Zerkan's heart would be in the present.

You're probably going through every day with a high level of anxiety.

'Besides, that filthy emperor is extremely cold to Zerkan.'

The emperor was tall. He always pushed Zerkan to grow strong. Just like the previous emperor did to him.

'Zerkan's glass mentality.... You must keep it.'

In fact, in this novel, Zerkan was nothing more than a time bomb.

And after making the time bomb undetonated, Raphine was thinking of passing it on to someone else.

'Even if it's a bomb that doesn't explode, I don't need to embrace it, right?'

Anyway, the important thing is to mediate between the emperor and the empress.

For that....

'Now I have to go in and out of Hwangseong.'

Since I had already thought of a specific method, it was important to open up.

Raphine immediately opened the door and went out to find her mother.

My mother was visiting the library with the users for repair work. As soon as Raphine found her, she ran and said,

"Mom, I want to go to that castle!"

"Is it because you miss the Crown Prince? But Raffine, Your Majesty the Crown Prince is very busy. If you disturb him...."

"It's not that, I want to see your Majesty the Empress!"

"Your Majesty the Empress?"

"Yes, I promised the Empress last time. I will come to play again."

"Raphine, that's...."

Not long ago, when she visited the Empress, she said so. "See you again, Raphine." do.

Sophia, who was about to announce that it was polite, nodded her head.

The empress's checks on the empress were getting serious day by day.

So, Sophia was reducing her visit to the Imperial Palace as much as possible. It was because of the last duke's will to remain politically neutral.

However, unable to do anything about the child's pure heart, Sophia wrote a letter to the Empress asking for a visit.

* * *

After a while.

'Because the Hwangseong is splendid whenever it comes.'

Raphine thought as she looked out the carriage window and looked at the garden full of flowering trees.

The carriage stopped in front of the Empress Palace, and Raphine took her mother's hand and got off the carriage.

'I'm a lot taller now.'

Gone are the days of six, when he was much smaller than his peers and looked only four years old.

Although he was still smaller than his peers, he was an imposing 8-year-old who had grown to a similar level.

'Of course, carrying a bag is a little embarrassing....'

There was a pretty cloth bag on Raphine's back. It was a precious bag that Sylane, a maid, embroidered and made by hand.

And in that bag....

"Baby, don't run around too much. It shakes."

'Okay....'

To my shame, a pink baby teddy bear was kept. It was the only way because Ruby could not be left at home.

Raphine walked quietly without running around so that Ruby would not be shaken.

"Unwavering comfort. Very good."

Seeing this, Sophia and the royal castle users praised Raffine for being very gentle and modest.

As soon as we entered the Empress's drawing room, the Empress entered.

"I'm glad you came this way. Come on, take a seat. Raphine, it's been a while."

She welcomed them both with a very happy look.

"Hello, Your Majesty."

As Raphine greeted her bravely, the empress's smile deepened.

It was nice to see the Duchess, who could be of help, to come first in a situation where the confrontation with the Empress was severe.

'The battle for power between the queen and the queen is not easy....'

In fact, considering the circumstances, the power of the empress had to be superior.

Her son, Zerkan, was the Crown Prince who was in charge of the future of the empire.

However, the nobles, who received money from the queen's family, began to take sides with the queen one by one, and as the number gradually increased, they became a force that could never be ignored.

'Besides, the emperor seems to hate Zerkan....'

A prince who is hated by the emperor and whose foreign power is weakening.

The aristocrats sensitively sensed the atmosphere.

Therefore, as the Empress, the visit of the Duchess is inevitable.

In the first place, he was quite fond of Raffine because he had prevented Lord Lorelian from doing hukou in the past.

"Come on, sit down. You said you were coming, so I bought some precious tea leaves."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

"No words between us. Come on, bring it in."

When the Empress beckoned as if to hurry, the maids brought out a car.

Rafine looked at the colorful teacup.

A rare teacup that is not sold even in the recently opened tea house!

It was a studded limited edition teacup made by a pottery craftsman who supplied teacups to Rafine.

'I started to deliver to Hwangseong a while ago.'

Fees were kept as low as possible. To make the work of the teacup craftsman more enjoyable.

In addition, the tea leaves were of the highest quality supplied by the tea house to Hwangseong.

'Well, it's really precious tea leaves.'

The Imperial Palace, especially the Empress's Palace, was paying attention and supplying only good products.

'It's very childish to not sell to the empress.'

So the premium price was on the rise.

The maid started making tea, and soon the scent of roses permeated the room. It was a flavored tea with rose scent added.

'under.... the scent is so good the best.'

Raphine savored the scent and looked around while the Empress was talking to her mother.

'It must be there somewhere.'

Haven't you hung it in the drawing room because it's still unfinished?

Raphine seemed to have no choice but to shout at the moment when the conversations of the adults had stopped.

"By the way. It smells like paint!"

"yes?"

When I spoke innocently, the Empress and Mother looked at Raphine with their eyes wide open.

Then the Empress laughed out loud and said,

"Raphine has a very sensitive sense of smell. I can't help but smell the paint. I am learning to draw."

"Oh, I heard the story. your majesty."

At Sophia's words, the Empress nodded and explained.

"I want to create a new hobby. There was a great painter in Hwangseong, so I started learning. It's a skill that hasn't changed yet, though."

"Wow! miss you!"

When Raphine cried out innocently, the Empress smiled cutely and gave an order to the maid.

"good. Raphine, if you want, I'll show you. Instead, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Do you understand?"

"Yes, His Majesty the Empress!"

Raphine answered with a bright smile.

In fact, it was because of the emperor that the Empress began to learn painting.

The emperor was very dissatisfied with the empress's deep obsession with spirit divination, so he suggested creating another productive hobby.

'If I put it into words, it would be like this.... In fact, I must have said it in a very cold sarcastic way. Because I am a person who can't speak well.'

Anyway, it was a time when art was considered very valuable, so the Empress began to take an interest in painting.

And his interest deepened, and at first he only admired it, but now he has come to draw.

When the empress began to learn painting herself, the empress's aristocrats criticized it.

This is because the nobles thought that it was a position to appreciate and enjoy art and to support artists, not to create it by themselves.

However, the art world welcomed them, saying that the Empress was supporting them.

So, recently, artists have been pouring out artworks with the Empress as their muse.

It was rather a good thing for the Empress.

Before long, the empress's maid came in with a small picture frame.

Raphine was amazed as soon as she saw the painting.

'I was trying to compliment you while exaggerating, but you're really good at drawing!'

Sophia admired the painting as well.

The empress even added an explanation as if proud of the two people's reactions.

"It is an autumn field landscape at sunset. I drew it while recalling the scenery I saw in my hometown estate where I lived as a child."

"Wow, that's great!"

Raphine said with clapping hands. It was really sincere. You must have the skills to draw such a wonderful picture.

'It's going to go well as planned.'

But that's it....

Raphine stared at the picture and worked hard to manage her expression. Because if I did, my expression would have been distorted.

'The picture looks so lonely and lonely.'

It was enough to feel the emotions of the person who drew it.

The little girl looking at the setting sun may be the Empress's own childhood.

'It seems that the life of the emperor is very lonely.'

there will be no choice but to

His relationship with the emperor was bad, and he had the only one he could depend on.

Even in order to protect Zerkan, the Empress will be whipping herself even more.

Raphine quietly looked at the painting further and opened her mouth.

"I want to learn to draw too!"

Creating reasons to keep going to Hwangseong Fortress.

It was Raphine's first plan.