* * *

At that time, the Empress Palace.

Raphine was drawing hard with a brush.

Today is a day to learn painting from a court painter, so I came alone instead of with my mother.

And he was in the middle of painting a picture with the Empress in a friendly way. Suddenly the king came.

"Hey, Raphine. You were there too."

"Hello, His Majesty the Emperor."

"What did you come here for?"

When the Empress asked the question coldly in embarrassment, the Emperor coughed in embarrassment and said:

"Aren't you so displeased that I came to visit the Empress?"

It was a tone of voice with a hint of sadness. The Empress was bewildered.

"It's not that I...."

"I came here because I was wondering if the painting I gave you is well kept."

"...."

"Are you sure you are keeping it well? It's not a picture this kid drew himself."

When the emperor pointed to Raphine, Raphine was perplexed.

'Why are you talking to me all of a sudden? ...!'

The Empress sighed deeply and said.

"Of course it is well kept."

"Order to bring it. I just found a frame that fits the picture perfectly."

Having said that, the emperor sat down on the sofa in the parlor. As if the owner of this place.

The empress called the maid, ordered her to bring the painting, and sent the court painter away for a while.

"Raphine, come here and sit down."

"... Yes, Your Majesty."

Raphine approached the emperor's call and sat down on the sofa. Then the emperor spoke loudly, as if trying to hide his embarrassment.

"As per your request, I have delivered the painting to the Empress. Are you done now?"

"...."

Raphine looked at the emperor with cloudy eyes.

When I glanced around, the empress sitting opposite me was grimacing and looking out the window.

It was just a look of disappointment.

The temperature in the drawing room tickled somehow.

'Why are these two people in such a mood in just a few days? ....'

A subtle and cute air current felt in this awkward atmosphere.

Am I the only one feeling it?

Before long, the maid brought the picture, and the emperor had her attendant put the picture in the frame she brought.

Then he said.

"It is a very cute picture. Why don't you hang it in this parlor?"

"... Your Majesty, do as you wish."

The Empress replied, pretending not to be interested.

"Hmm. Then let me hang over there."

The emperor handed the painting to the servant and said, It was a very nice location.

Raphine looked at the painting she had drawn herself, no ruby drawn with a frown on her face.

'Emperor... It might be a little childish.'

It looks like chicken meat is sprouting, is it an illusion?

Raphine glanced at the emperor.

The emperor glanced at the empress and continued to look into the eyes of the empress.

Perhaps that day, the mood when delivering the bouquet of flowers was not so bad.

'If you look at something sweet. right?'

"That's the way I see it, sweetheart."

"It's kind of disgusting, isn't it, Master?"

The Empress looked at the Emperor as if she did not know why she was doing this, but she did not hate it.

The emperor must... He had a smirk on his face as if thinking, 'I know now that the Empress is shy.'

'... It looks like we're going to fight another hundred percent, but I'm glad we got along for the first time.'

It was at that time when Raphine was relieved inside.

Suddenly, the servant opened the door and came in hastily said.

"Your Majesty, out now...."

The servant could not speak at all.

Suddenly, the door opened and Empress Rebecca came in with blood in her eyes.

"under...!"

Empress Rebecca looked at the scenery in the room and smirked in shock.

He blinked in succession, as if he couldn't believe it even when he saw that the emperor was here.

Seeing the emperor's servants outside, I wondered....

She immediately looked at the emperor and shouted.

"your majesty! Our Antonio... Ugh, the education teacher sent by the Empress Dowager made Antonio like this!"

And then he grudgingly pulled Antonio, showing the inside of his arm.

The purplish bruise was a wound that felt like it had been pinched a lot just by looking at it.

Jureuk....

A cold sweat broke out on Raphine's forehead.

"...."

"...."

"...."

'Oh, what should I do, this.'

Raphine was restless from her impatience.

"Uh, so...."

"Uh...."

Even the spirits were confused, so they couldn't say anything.

"your majesty! I am embarrassed!"

At that moment, a woman who had escaped from among the servants cried and shouted.

Her gossip was not a word. His hair was ripped open, and blood gushed out of his mouth as if he had been hit in the face.

The Empress was startled and immediately pulled Raphine to cover her view.

The emperor's brow furrowed.

"Stop it."

At that order, Empress Rebecca shouted as if she was going to die of injustice.

"Your Majesty, Antonio is also Your Majesty's son! This has happened, stop it! It must be the teacher's work, the teacher sent by the Empress Dowager!"

Empress Rebecca's words were plainly pointed towards the empress.

Raphine became even more bewildered.

The Emperor sighed deeply and rose from his seat, beckoning Antonio.

"Come here, prince."

"...."

Antonio rolled his eyes and approached him as if hesitantly.

"Say it with your mouth. Was it really your teacher who made your arm to this point?"

"...."

Antonio shook his head.

Then Rebecca shouted.

"Educational teachers have shut their mouths firmly! How intimidating must he have been in front of His Majesty!"

"...."

"My Majesty, I have selflessly selected the best teacher and sent it to the Crown Prince. But how could Her Majesty the Empress... whoops... Do you hate our hat that much?"

Empress Rebecca sat down and began to cry profusely.

"Be quiet, Empress."

"Ugh...."

At the emperor's command, she wept even more sadly.

Antonio cried when his mother started crying.

"Antonio, speak with your mouth. Innocent people might be sacrificed because of you. Think carefully and speak. Who has the wound on your arm?"

The emperor asked Antonio.

Despite his heavy tone and voice, Antonio kept his mouth shut.

"...."

Silence passed. Antonio kept his mouth shut, as if he would never say anything.

The emperor, too, had an unusual expression on his face.

"Look at that, Your Majesty, it must have been that teacher's work!"

The queen wept and cried.

'I can't....'

Eventually, Raphine came out.

Raphine, who was hiding in the width of the empress's skirt, sneaked out and raised her hand carefully.

"Hey there, His Majesty the Emperor."

"...."

When Raphine suddenly came out, the emperor looked at Raphine with an unfamiliar expression on her face.

Raphine slowly turned her head to look at Antonio.

And the look of Empress Rebecca over her shoulder....

'Nu, why are your eyes so scary?'

The eyes of Empress Rebecca, who was staring at the Empress, were just like an animal.

'To tell the truth... They'll look at me with those eyes.'

All of a sudden, fear came over me.

Besides, if you know the truth, Empress Rebecca....

'Aren't you trying to do something to my mother?'

Worry came over But, I have to tell the truth....

It was then. A good thought ran through my mind.

'Are we just going to take advantage of this situation?'

It didn't seem bad to use the time when the relationship between the emperor and the empress had improved even a little.

It's embarrassing, but politically speaking, it was a very good timing.

It was also suitable to drive the empress into a corner.

'The Empress must be able to regain power again.'

After Raphine had made up her mind, she coughed heavily and said.

"I was the one who made Prince Antonio like that."

"...!"

At those words, the emperor, the empress, the empress, and even the attendants and maids in this place turned into surprised faces.

Antonio's face wrinkled.

"It is false! How can such a little child! Your Majesty the Empress, do you intend to hide behind a child like that? Aren't you ashamed? God will laugh at you!"

The queen cried out.

Raphine also closed her eyes tightly and shouted in a loud voice.

"It wasn't me to be exact, it was the spirits!"

"What?"

People's expressions became more dazed than before.

"Master, please...."

"It's me, it's me."

"No, it's me! I'm first!"

"No, it's me!"

"it's me! Get out, you bear!"

'I'm sorry, Ruby. If I call you, the ceiling will be shattered.'

"...."

"Is that really me? is it really me it's me?"

Holding back Orphana's loud noise, Raphine raised the back of her hand.

Then Orphana noticed the will and immediately prepared for a manifestation. A blue seal (?) was drawn on the back of Raphine's hand and started to glow.

As a small stream of water flows over the back of the hand to form a river, a pattern to summon a spirit is drawn.