"What do you mean?"

When the emperor asked angrily, the Viscount raised his head.

Tears streamed down the corners of his wrinkled eyes.

"your majesty. I'm too lazy to tell you... My daughter regularly engages in violence against Prince Antonio."

"what?"

"Prince Antonio and Rebecca must be separated, Your Majesty."

"...."

"Isn't Prince Antonio supposed to be a pillar of the Empire by helping the Crown Prince in the future? So, please, save Prince Antonio, even for His Majesty the Crown Prince. your majesty...!"

"under...."

The Emperor let out a hoarse laugh, as if it were hard to believe the words that came out of Viscount Tedler's mouth.

It was an amazing situation.

I couldn't help but believe one.

If someone who was politically on the side of the Empress accused the Empress of this fact, I might be suspicious....

Viscount Tedler was the biological father of Empress Rebecca.

"Your Majesty, this old loyalist pleads with tears. Please, please... Please understand how I feel when I have no choice but to accuse my real daughter."

"...."

The emperor watched the Viscount silently weeping horribly tears, and summoned his aide who was waiting outside the door and ordered it.

"Go to the private palace now and bring Prince Antonio."

"I see, Your Majesty."

As the aide left, the Emperor looked at the Viscount with suspicion.

"Are you asking the Viscount to dethrone the Empress?"

Then the Viscount distorted his expression as if in pain and said:

"As a loyal follower of His Majesty, I accused my daughter, but selfishly, as a parent with a daughter... I am sorry, but I ask for your forgiveness. your majesty."

"...."

"However, for Prince Antonio, it seems appropriate to keep the two of them apart. So, until Prince Antonio comes of age... How about sending Empress Rebecca to the monastery?"

"It's a monastery."

The monastery operated by the temple was located at the foot of a rugged mountain in the southern part of the continent.

It was also a sacred place for the priests as it was an essential training place.

The Emperor sighed, as if he did not understand Viscount Tedler's intentions.

Sending Empress Rebecca to the monastery was like cutting off an arm for the Viscount.

As an emperor who did not know the deep insides of the relationship between the two women, it was only questionable.

However, if it is true that the Empress did violence to Prince Antonio, it was right to keep the two apart as the Viscount said.

Moreover, even if the Empress is absent from the Imperial Palace for several years, the political balance will not be significantly disrupted with Viscount Tedler and Prince Antonio.

The emperor made many calculations in his head, waiting for Prince Antonio to come.

After a while.

When Prince Antonio said that he had arrived, the emperor allowed them to enter.

"... your majesty."

Prince Antonio came in with a bewildered expression, and was surprised to see the pale-faced Viscount.

My grandfather, who was always kind and loving, looked like a criminal.

Antonio was terrified.

"Come here, Antonio."

"...."

At the emperor's command, Antonio looked at his grandfather as if hesitantly while approaching him.

When the Viscount smiled as if it was okay, Antonio seemed relieved only then.

"Anthony."

At the moment when the emperor, who was impatient, was about to ask Antonio openly, the Viscount bowed his head and announced that he would ask directly.

When the Emperor let out a small sigh, the Viscount sat Antonio down next to him and asked in a stern voice.

"Your Majesty, how are your wounds?"

"Yes?"

"This grandfather has been handed down to the Queen and knows."

"...."

"The Empress Dowager regretted doing such a thing out of a sudden."

Antonio's expression distorted at those words. Tears welled up in the child's eyes.

The Viscount kicked his tongue and comforted Antonio affectionately.

"Where is the wound? You said that your Majesty will see it in person and appoint a good member of the council."

At that, Antonio sighed and pointed to his side and back.

The eyes of the Viscount and the Emperor met, and the Emperor nodded.

The Viscount carefully looked at Antonio's clothes. Then the bruised wound was revealed.

The Viscount took a deep breath and stiffened for a moment. The emperor, too, sighed in anger.

Hopefully....

The Viscount opened Antonio's clothes again and gave them a hug.

Seeing the Viscount in tears and suffering after seeing the wounds, the emperor lifted his doubts.

Just by looking at how comfortable Antonio was, you could see how friendly the Viscount was as a grandfather.

I tried to calculate in various ways, but it was not a bottom-up business at all.

"I will do as my own son says."

"Thank you and thank you again for your merciful decision, Your Majesty."

Viscount Tedler looked sad on the outside, but smiled like a snake on the inside.

After all, the relationship between the emperor and the empress had begun to improve again recently, so Rebecca's usefulness was almost exhausted.

After all, his real chess piece was Antonio, not Rebecca.

* * *

One sunny day.

Zerkan, who came to the Crystal Palace, stopped when he saw the emperor's servants standing in front of the drawing room in the distance.

A familiar tension came over me.

Often, whenever he visited his mother, Zerkan would hear his parents quarreling.

Each time, the servants used to look at Zerkan with a troubled expression.

It was the same today.

'Did you fight again?'

Lately, thanks to Rafine, it seems like we've gotten along better....

Zerkan walked slowly, hiding her gloomy feelings.

When the servants found Zerkan, they whispered to each other what to do. It was a pity that he was sweating profusely.

But the closer you get....

Zerkan felt that the servants' reactions were a little different than usual.

"Wow, Your Majesty the Crown Prince."

The Empress's handmaiden greeted Zerkan and smiled awkwardly.

"Is your Majesty here?"

"Yes, my lord. you're right."

Zerkan tilted his head. There was no sound, let alone shouting, from inside.

At that moment, the emperor's secretary turned on a light and approached Zerkan to ask.

"Sorry, My Majesty, how would you feel about just passing away today? His Majesty the Emperor is now...."

"...."

Are you very angry?

Zerkan was guessing behind the scenes, but the secretary looked around and whispered as if telling a secret.

"You have prepared a great gift for your Majesty the Empress."

"... what?"

"It's a gift made by pecking artisans...."

"...?"

Zerkan was bewildered.

It was hard to figure out what it meant.

"So, I'm sorry, but...."

Just when the secretary was in trouble, suddenly a loud noise was heard from inside.

It wasn't a shout, it was the emperor's savage laughter. Beyond that, the empress's laughter was also mixed in.

It was only then that Zerkan realized that the servants' expressions were slightly different from their usual ones.

Before, 'The two of you were fighting, but you came again... If it was the difficulty of feeling .'

Today's 'I was in a good mood.... You mustn't disturb me... It was a feeling of .

Zerkan nodded to the secretary as if he understood what he meant.

"Go, thank you. majesty."

The secretary sighed in relief and laughed.

After realizing it, I looked at the servants and maids again, and they were looking at Zerkan as if not to disturb him and to go quickly.

The servant who came with Zerkan was a little offended.

But Zerkan didn't feel bad at all.

"Come back later."

When Zerkan said so and turned his back, the servants at the door smiled in relief.

As I moved, I heard my mother's clear laughter from inside again.

Zerkan left the Crystal Palace feeling excited for some reason.

The walk back to his residence, Seogung, was also light.

A warm spring breeze blew in his ear, who paused for a moment.

I finally realized that warm spring had arrived.

It must be thanks to Raphine that you can fully feel this season.

After that, Zerkan stood there for a while, enjoying the splendid spring that brought tears to his eyes.

* * *

a few days later.

"Really? Empress Rebecca has left for the monastery...."

peaceful evening.

Raphine stopped fork at her mother's words and blinked.

Dad responded with a friendly voice to Mom's words.

"They said he abused Prince Antonio."

"Mommy, the son you loved so much?"

"He was such a vicious disposition, he couldn't hide it even from his son."

"Oh my gosh, Prince Antonio is pathetic."

"I heard that Prince Antonio could return to the capital only after he came of age... ttt."

At the words of her parents, Raphine also kicked her tongue inwardly.

I did not know that Empress Rebecca was abusing Prince Antonio.

'No wait! Unlike the original, if the Empress leaves the capital....'

Isn't the probability that the Empress will die a little bit lower?

'Because in the first place, the person who wanted to kill the Empress the most was the Empress.'

Raphine narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

But I couldn't be vigilant.

Viscount Tedler was also a man who wanted to make Antonio emperor. His target would also be the Empress.

'yes. Viscount Tedler, as long as he is there....'

Maybe we will have to fight a real fierce battle from now on.

Raphine clenched her fist holding the fork.

'Antonio will never become emperor.'

Raphine ate meat hard and began to make detailed plans.

Time passes and the spring flowers fade, the hot summer passes, and the chilly autumn passes....

The cold and dazzling winter has finally arrived.

And the first snow of the year.

Zerkan, Violet, and Adrian left for the academy with their families seeing them off.

Yerenad Academy was a place where heirs of each family were gathered and taught, and it was a credible academic institution.

The trust of the nobles was also high as they could safely learn a high-quality education.

But it is not forever safe.

Only Raphine knew what was going to happen in the future. Maybe that's why, unlike the family who are happy to say goodbye, Rafine was the only one crying.

Raphine, who greeted Adrian and Violet in turn, stood in front of Zerkan for the last time.

Zerkan stroked Raphine's head as she looked up at me with an anxious gaze.

"...."

Raphine had a cold nose for nothing.

I didn't cry when I said goodbye to Adrian a while ago.... Tears welled up in my eyes, probably because of fear of the future.

After all this effort, in the end, I was worried about what would happen if Zerkan offered Violet a contract marriage, and I also felt sorry for Zerkan.

Raphine said while hugging Zerkan's waist tightly.

"Never forget that you decided to marry me."

Zerkan smiled a little, as if he knew Raphine would say that.

"I promised. I will definitely marry you."

Having said that, Zerkan suddenly had a thought.

Raphine is now so tight on the marriage, and later on, saying that he doesn't remember, he might get rid of him.

"Yeah, sure."

Raphine gave her strength and hugged Zerkan. Zerkan patted the small back to calm the anxious Raphine.

The strength of Raphine's hug was so strong that it felt like her back was about to break. Raphine, who liked and followed her so much, was strange and cute.

Again, the thought I had a while ago was clearly a useless worry.

"Raphine, you have to go now."

Adrian, who could not see from the side, dropped Raffine.

Three people got into the wagon, and the escort in the lead sounded the departure signal without delay.

Through the carriage window, I could see the three men waving their hands.

Raphine finally burst into tears that she had been holding back.

This was the first breakup in my life.