When night fell, the subjugation team made a temporary shelter and started camping.

After entering the tent, Zerkan put down his scabbard and took off his armor.

'It's annoying.'

It was close to scabs sitting on my ears.

A little while ago, Zerkan had been tormented by Adrian.

"Looking at the letter, it was said that Raphine had grown up very nicely. Anyway, you really don't want to overtake my brother, Zerkan?>

"Zerkan, Violet said she was going to marry her butler when she was young. Raphine is like that too, right?>

"Actually, when I was young, I wanted to marry a nanny."

"No raffine, our raffine can't even get dirt in my eyes."

I still feel like I'm hearing hallucinations.

Zerkan squeezed his temples and ventilated his mind.

But since I've been hearing Raffine's name over and over since a few days ago, it was natural for her face to come to mind.

I wondered too.

As a child, Raphine was a grateful partner for Zerkan.

Thanks to Rafine, the relationship between his parents improved, the teacher changed, and he comforted his lonely heart.

'The same goes for the pendant....'

A few years ago, in a battle with a horde of beasts, he was greatly helped by this pendant.

He wouldn't have died without it, but at least one must have been seriously injured.

And through the pendant, Zerkan was able to awaken the spirit of light.

"But who the hell is Raphine? Is it something to be killed? Then with this dark power...."

At that moment, the spirit of darkness, who just woke up, murmured in a gloomy voice.

"You and I die, you and I. you don't know who he is I know. I liked the pendant he had, so I dwelt there."

The spirit of light, who likes to chat, also opened his mouth.

Zerkan, unlike usual, did not block the magic, and was quietly listening to the story of the two spirits.

?Fuu, is this a new enemy? It's a name with a strong soul. Remember the name carefully...."

"I like that kid. Still, the magic material was not good. Because the wavelength didn't suit me very well. And you're still young? I was a little weak. I like people with a lot of magic. The possibility of the future is good, but for me, the ability right now comes first."

I thought it would be a helpful conversation.

Zerkan decided that the conversation was useless and immediately cut off the magic.

Silence flowed inside the tent left alone.

After coming to the battlefield, it was quite a familiar silence to him.

But strangely, I could hear Raphine's voice every time.

That gentle, tickling voice that I used to call out to you, brother.

'Now I won't be so cute as when I was a kid.'

Raphine was now at the age of coming of age.

Perhaps it was too long ago that he had forgotten his existence.

'You must have forgotten everything that asked us to get married, obviously.'

Just thinking about it made me feel sad.

Of course, I had no intention of bringing up the story of my childhood.

To Zerkan, Raphine was just the younger brother of a cute childhood friend.

I often miss that face, though.

* * *

Finally, the coming-of-age ball is approaching.

Raphine was released after struggling for a long time with a designer in charge of this dress.

'it's hard....'

As I lay down on the bed exhausted, my head seemed to spin.

As soon as I finish my graduation thesis and exam, I have to worry about preparing the dress....

Still, Raphine looked forward to the coming-of-age ball.

In the coming-of-age ball held that day, most of the nobles of the capital will participate, and the protagonists are young nobles who will come of age that year.

Raphine was one of them.

But that wasn't the reason for the prom.

It was because of the news that Adrian, whom he had missed before the ball, was finally returning to the capital.

'How did the three of them change?'

Raphine thought of the three people in the original work.

Violet was very beautiful like a female protagonist, but her charm was that she was always confident and just.

Adrian is my favorite, so it was synonymous with tenderness.

Lastly, Zerkan... Although he was a waste, he was a person who charmed women with his gorgeous appearance.

At the same time, he had no interest in women, and his only purpose was to gain the throne.

'It shouldn't be as black as the original.'

His traumatic death of the empress was almost averted.

Of course, in the original story, the time when the Empress died was after Zerkan and Violet got married.

So you can never relax, but....

First of all, the relationship between the emperor and the empress was good and the empress did not return, so one big obstacle has been overcome.

If there was one thing that bothered me, it was the existence of the spirit of darkness.

'There must be a reason why it turned black in the original.'

Orphana said that the dark spirits eat away at the souls of the contractors.

Raphine was worried for a while, then shook her head and smiled.

'I'm glad you're back safely. I miss you soon, everyone.'

* * *

The long-awaited morning finally dawned.

Rafine went out to the streets with her family early in the morning to watch the return ceremony of the subjugation squad.

Since it was a long-awaited welcome procession event, we decided to take a look on the streets like ordinary people.

After all, the emperor was the first to meet the subjugation team, so there was nothing he could do to meet Adrian as soon as possible.

The streets where the procession took place were crowded with people.

"There, there is Adrian. honey!"

"Adrian!"

Robe Mom and Dad have perfectly adapted to this street.

Like ordinary people, he waved his hand towards Adrian who was seen in the distance.

Raphine looked at her parents like that, and when she saw Adrian over there, the tip of her nose was moved.

Violet and Zerkan's profile were also seen around them.

At that moment, Luka and Lois, standing next to each other, grumbled.

"No, why did Mom and Dad come out on the street? .... You can just wait at home or go to Hwangseong. Dad has to go to Hwangseong anyway...."

"Even if you go to the Imperial Palace, you can't see it right away. How long will it take your Majesty to congratulate each and every one of them?"

"still... It's been a while since I took a vacation. Sheesh."

While the two grumbled, they could not take their eyes off Adrian, who looked away.

Mixed in the crowd, the family confirmed that Adrian was safe, and immediately returned to the mansion except for his father.

On the first day of the return of the subjugation group, only the emperor's reception takes place.

This means that you can return home immediately after the event is over.

Apparently, the return of the subjugation party coincided with the coming-of-age ball, so this time, a ball to commemorate the two events was decided to be held at the same time.

That is why it is said that it will be held on a much larger scale than last year's coming-of-age ball.

The date of the banquet was the last day of the 12th month.

Whatever the ball was, Raphine waited for Adrian to return from the imperial castle.

At the Duke's mansion, the Count Fitz's family gathered together.

The two families decided to celebrate the return of Violet and Adrian together.

It was Dad who arrived first. You came after participating in the return event held in the Imperial Palace.

Raphine calmed her pounding heart as she watched the mother and father and the count couple having a conversation with a happy expression.

Luka and Lois were also sitting next to Raffine with similar expressions.

"Didn't your brother bring us a present?"

"I wrote a letter asking you to bring me the Beast Beast's teeth. Trust your brother."

Raphine glared at the two of them.

"what... Do you think I went out to play? Adrian's brother went to fight for his life. You haven't been on a trip, are you looking for a souvenir?"

"I understand, so don't nag, little brother."

"huh. Raphine, are you saying that you don't have any presents?"

"...."

Raphine decided to just stop talking.

"Come, come!"

so late afternoon.

At the sound of the butler's shout, the whole family ran out of the building.

As the carriage that had passed through the main gate approached, the family had already begun to show their tears.

In particular, the Counts and the couple were almost sobbing.

Soon, Adrian and Violet came out of the carriage that stopped in front of the building.

"Mother, father...."

Adrian muttered with a puzzled expression on his face. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Adrian!"

Adrian ran straight to his parents' arms.

Violet cried and hugged her parents, and Raphine went up to Adrian with her twin brothers.

"Luca, Lois, Raphine...."

Adrian smiled brightly with a tear-stained face.

"Brother...!"

"Ugh, tongue...."

Luka and Lois, who had been flirting a while ago, started crying like children.

Raphine didn't want to cry like that, either, but.... When I saw Adrian, I cried like two people.