'Ru.... Ruby!'

「... Baby? Baby? Sob.... Baby...!」

Raphine approached Ruby with her desperate face. Like a soldier who couldn't protect his comrades.

"Ruby, Ruby...!"

"It got dirty, so I sucked it, miss. Since it's an attachment doll, I should have secretly sucked it when I was sleeping.... It wasn't as good as I thought it would be."

Silane said with sorry.

「That, that maid... I just hit it with a bat.... And she soaps and pinches her whole body, slaps her....」

Raphine sighed in regret. She felt how painful Ruby must have been.

'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you....'

But... I haven't washed it in a while, so it's kinky.

'That's why she borrowed the power of Orphana....'

In fact, a few days ago, Raphine was going to ask Orphana for Ruby, who had become so sloppy.

But Ruby said she didn't want to borrow that guy's power, and she was very angry.

She even said nonsense that she would come back and wash up to her original shape, so she just had no choice but to leave it alone for a while.

In Silane's neat eyes, the twisted doll seemed to be very annoying.

「Huh! It's as good as if you were born again right now! On the subject of stupid bears! Do you think I will give you strength? go away! You bastard with a missing gallbladder!」

'Quiet! Don't curse at Ruby!'

「Ugh.... Baby, come on save me....」

「Hiing, master....」

Raphine's head began to ring loudly today as well.

* * *

It had been almost three weeks since Raphine returned to the duke's house.

In the meantime, Raphine ate at least three to five meals a day, and ate a full meal, including snacks.

As a result, the body, which had been so skinny to the point of regret, was gaining weight in moderation.

Also, she was now very familiar with her family.

'I haven't been able to call you Mom or Dad yet.'

And today was a historic day.

Finally, it was the first day I decided to visit the Imperial Palace.

'Heart.... My heart is beating terribly....'

Raphine placed her small palm on top of her pounding heart.

「Baby, calm down.」

'Yeah, it should be....'

Raphine looked at herself in his mirror.

Perhaps because she was going to the Imperial Palace, the sky blue dress she wore today was carefully selected by her mother herself.

I liked it because his fabric was as soft as a cloud.

In addition, Sylane showed great skill, tying her hair neatly to the side and then curling it up, and she looked very docile and smart.

She looked a bit like putting two wang dumplings on top, but.... Anyway, it was neat and I liked it.

It's not an official visit, but it's still my first visit to the Imperial Palace.

So, both Mom and Silane seemed to be concerned.

Not only that, of course, but it was also Raphine's first official outing after coming to the duke's house.

'How long have you been meeting Zerkan?'

「It's five days, baby.」

'This! I often have to do face painting....'

Zerkan must have been really busy, so he hasn't come to play since that day. So he has no choice but to go directly as promised.

'I can't be so relaxed.'

In fact, there were only two years left, so I didn't know how often I would be able to meet Zerkan during those two years.

The Crown Prince Zerkan was very busy with various education and training.

"Miss, shall we go now?"

Silane said affectionately to Raphine, who was looking in her mirror.

Raphine took Silane's hand and left the room and went down the stairs. He did not forget to bring a present for Zerkan.

Adrian and Violet were waiting for Raphine in front of the large front door.

"Nuna!"

Raphine greeted Violet warmly and approached her to hug her.

However, over the past five days, Violet has been visiting Raphine.

Even on days when she couldn't stay long, she made time for a snack together.

Thanks to this, Violet and Adrian were seeing each other like this every day.

'It's going according to plan! The days left to save the Empire are short!'

"Have a good trip. My baby."

Sophia saw Raphine off and kissed her on the cheek.

Then she beckoned to go.

It was meant to go quickly before Luca and Lois saw them.

The two twins were in class when their teachers came and went.

Raphine grabbed Violet's hand and got on the big carriage.

She was the carriage that sent from the Imperial Castle to the escort knights. Thanks to this, Sir Rendell did not follow him and decided to wait in his mansion.

Raphine poked her head out of her window and looked at her mansion.

'Did you notice?'

If Luca and Lois found themselves in the room, there would be a big fuss.

Originally, Adrian had gone except for his twin brother, but knowing that he took only the youngest, he might riot.

Fortunately, the window in the room where Luca and Lois were being educated was quiet.

Raphine sighed in relief, waving her hand to her mother and servants who looked out the window.

As Adrian and Violet got on board, the carriage started slowly.

* * *

"Raphine, are you okay?"

"Yes...."

Adrian took Raphine's hand as if worried.

All the way through the carriage, Raphine was so nervous that her hands got cold.

The three men who arrived at the castle got off the carriage.

"...!"

Raphine opened her mouth wide as she looked at the building of overwhelming size.

The capital of the duke's residence was also large, but it was different from the Imperial Castle. When I saw the colorful forms, I felt like I was dying for nothing.

The building where Zerkan lived was traditionally the Seogung, the space where successive princes stayed.

And in front of the magnificent building stood a huge statue.

It was a huge statue of the first emperor covered with gold.

"... Oh, wow."

The statue of the first emperor had a terrifying expression, as if rebuking Raphine.

Raphine felt like her throat was tightening for some reason.

'Yeah, until recently, I was a nerd eating dog food in an alcove.... It was a beggar stealing bread on the street.... My, can I come here? .'

When I saw the statue of the first emperor, I suddenly felt like a jjuguri.

The golden statue seemed to shout at Raphine.

'How dare you come to the Imperial Castle!'

「Don't be afraid, baby. Shall I manifest and destroy you?」

'... No, I wasn't scared.'

Raphine quickly swallowed her saliva and turned her head away. Yes, there was no need to panic.

'Huh. You should be thankful for me. The future of the empire is in my hands.'

「That's right, baby.」

Raphine held both his hands between Adrian and Violet and entered the building.

Violet, who was rubbing Raphine's small hand, whispered to Adrian in a low voice.

"Raphine must have been very nervous. Cute."

"Yeah."

A small smile appeared on Adrian's lips at those words.

His hands were cold with tension, but Raphine's eyes were full of curiosity.

As she entered the building, Raphine's head and eyes were very busy.

'Nice to bring you here.'

Seeing that, Adrian thought.

He honestly didn't want to show Raphine to Zerkan, so he tried to leave it behind anyway....

Seeing him like it so much made me think it was a good thing he didn't.

A servant of the Imperial Palace, dressed in a fine uniform, led the three men to the drawing room.

Then he gave me herbal tea and said.

"I'm sorry, but right now, there are guests who suddenly visited the Crown Prince. His Majesty will come to meet them first after class is over. Could you please wait here for a moment?"

"Okay."

After answering that, Violet turned to Adrian as the attendant left.

"customer? Who is it? We don't have any other appointments on the day we come."

"Yeah. If it came suddenly, it would be important."

Adrian shrugged his shoulders and put the snack into Raphine's mouth.

And Raohine ate snacks and looked at the interior of the splendid drawing room.

'The Imperial Palace snacks are also delicious.'

There was not much difference from the cooks at the peacock house, but it was very good.

Adrian and Violet started talking while looking at Raphine. It was mainly about the books I had read or what I was being taught.

'Who is not a model student? Talking about a book you've read....'

Raphine pretended not to know the conversation between the two of them, and sat on the sofa, dangling her legs out of reach, looking around the room.

It was in the meantime.

Knock-knock.

After several knocks on the living room door, the door opened.

Raphine thought, 'Zerkan came?' and jumped up from her chair and turned around.

However, it was not Zerkan who entered the drawing room, but a tall adult.

She was an aristocratic man in a neat uniform and a beautiful woman in a pretty dress.

Adrian and Violet also got up from their seats, but they looked like they were strangers.

'If you don't even know Adrian and Violet, who are they?'

The man with lavender hair and red eyes was quite handsome.

With a soft impression, he approached the children and greeted them with a smile.

"I came to visit my nephew, and then I met precious people.... Nice to meet you. The spirit of the Duke of Aston, and the daughter of the Count of Fitz."

And the pretty noble woman next to the man also blushed shyly and bowed her knees slightly to greet him.

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. I am Ethan Lorelian, the youngest maternal uncle of the Crown Prince."

Adrian and Violet were bewildered at the man's successive words, but they greeted them in the usual manner.

Raphine also greeted her in an unexpected way. When her eyes met, he looked at Raphine and smiled cutely.

The word "the Crown Prince's maternal uncle" means....

'You mean the Empress's younger brother? I think he said he was a knight....'

Raphine blinked his eyes and traced back memories of the original.

The Empress had quite a few brothers.

The imperial family was at peace until the peace was disrupted by the queen's scheme.

At that time, Zerkan entered the drawing room belatedly.