Raphine suddenly became very uncomfortable standing close to Antonio.

Fortunately, soon after, Empress Rebecca's attendant came and took Antonio away.

"I'll come, so wait here. I have something to say."

Antonio said so and went away, but Raphine had no intention of doing so.

'You should avoid this.'

It was instinctive anxiety.

Raphine looked around, then decided to go outside and hide before coming in.

So, avoiding people, I walked out and went out to the garden where the cool breeze was blowing.

Fortunately, there were not many people in the garden because the banquet was in full swing.

... was an illusion.

"babe."

"I love you. Well... "

Raphine groaned at the malevolent sound coming from near the large tree.

It was time to move towards the corridor avoiding the couples who were having such a secret meeting.

again and again.

Suddenly, the sound of other footsteps merged behind Raphine's footsteps.

'what?'

Raphine turned around in amazement. Anxiety rushed over to me, wondering if Antonio was following me.

But it wasn't Antonio who was walking towards her.

It was Zerkan with angry eyes for some reason.

"Why...."

Raphine stopped walking and muttered, and Zerkan stood there and said.

"Talk to me."

Suddenly, I felt my throat tighten. It was as if he was caught hiding the fact of the crime and running away.

Zerkan chinked on one side, and Raphine followed him like a led criminal.

The place we arrived at was near a fountain deep in the garden.

Raphine glanced over the bushes, wondering if there were any lovers who had secret secrets.

"What are you doing?"

Zerkan looked at Raffine suspiciously and asked.

"no.... It's just that there are a lot of lovers hiding near the trees."

"Not here. I know all the secret places of the imperial castle."

Obviously, Zerkan knew well where there were no people, just like a person living in the Imperial Castle.

But strangely... His ears burned at those words. I was embarrassed because I couldn't figure out the reason myself.

Raphine coughed heavily and tried to relax.

Fortunately, Zerkan was able to find some time for himself as he stood at a fairly spaced distance.

We can't make eye contact, but....

"Raphine."

"... Yes."

Zerkan stared intently at Raphine, who answered bluntly.

My emotions rushed like a storm and it was hard to control.

I'm angry.... sad, saddened

He had become like this because of a situation he had witnessed a while ago.

Raphine was having a pleasant conversation with Prince Antonio, seemingly very close.

As soon as he saw it, Zerkan shook his head and shivered as if he had been hit in the back of the head with a huge blunt.

I hate being in touch with myself so much....

Seeing Raphine feeling particularly uncomfortable with her arms crossed, Zerkan was also unhappy.

However, Raffine's appearance with Prince Antonio seemed very comfortable.

I wondered if Antonio and Raphine had become friends during the long time they had been away from the capital.

I was aware of Prince Antonio's whereabouts after hearing the report, but.... I never imagined that I would be so close with Raphine.

thoughts went further.

I wonder if he might have grabbed Antonio and begged him to marry him, just like the young Raphine did to him....

Clenched fists trembled. My eyes were red and my stomach was boiling.

"...."

Raphine was worried when she saw Zerkan who called her and didn't say anything.

As I was about to ask first because I was tired of waiting, Zerkan's voice rang out.

"Why do you keep avoiding me?"

"Yeah?"

It was such a raw question that I never thought of. Raphine opened her mouth in embarrassment.

Zerkan continued to say as if pushing.

"You can't deny that you're avoiding me."

"...."

"Why. When I was really young, were you afraid that I might ask you to marry me to keep my promise?"

"That, that...."

Raphine trembled at the pouring fact assault.

In addition, as Zerkan kept coming one step at a time, he automatically took a step backwards.

Eventually, Raphine came to a dead end. I felt a large pillar behind my back.

"Is that why you left?"

All of a sudden, Zerkan was approaching her nose.

When Raphine couldn't answer anything, Zerkan raised one corner of her mouth and smiled. It wasn't a pleasant laugh.

"Why?"

"...."

"Anytime when you say you want to marry me like that, without any attempts or times...."

"...."

"Come now."

Zerkan pulled Raffine's chin up with her fingertips. Their faces were so close that their lips were almost touching, making it difficult to breathe.

"Are you going to run away?"

Above all... Zerkan's eyes when he asked that question were terrifying enough to be indescribable.

'Hey, why is he like this?'

Raphine felt a chill in her spine with some kind of goosebumps. An ominous thought crept into my mind.

for a moment.

'I hope I become a crazy obsessive man like the original... ah... Is it you?'

Zerkan looked down at Raphine, who was confused, then put away his hand and asked.

"So you made a face-to-face list?"

"that...."

"Because I'm so afraid and hateful?"

Of course, most of it was true, but there seemed to be a slight misunderstanding somewhere.

Raphine took a deep breath to calm herself.

"no. that.... It's because you need a contract marriage. Probably...."

As he slowly made excuses, one of Zerkan's eyebrows rose.

"You seem to know very well my situation."

"Well, that's right. Her Majesty the Empress is always worried...."

"But I didn't really want to marry you anyway."

"That, right?"

Raphine looked at him with a smile at the welcome words.

However, Zerkan's expression distorted in response to that.

'My, what did I do wrong?'

Raphine was bewildered by the wrinkled expression on her face that it was difficult to pretend not to know.

Zerkan looked up at the sky once to calm his anger and said,

"yes. Originally, I was going to ask Violet."

Then, this time, Raphine's expression wrinkled.

what? who? Are you crazy? Violet is my brother!

"But Violet is with my Adrian oppa...!"

As Raphine spoke with a rage, Zerkan looked at her with a subtle expression. like exploring.

"yes. Until I found out that the two of them became lovers."

"... Yeah."

When Zerkan said that, Raphine seemed to have gone ahead on her own.

"As you said, whether it's a contract marriage or anything else, marriage is important."

"...."

"I had no intention of coercing or suggesting you."

Raphine had nothing to say.

I just felt sorry for Zerkan. It seemed to hurt him that he had avoided it so openly.

'Yeah, I've been with you since I was little....'

Raphine was so far away that Zerkan must have been stunned too. I felt a little guilty at the thought that I had not taken care of it.

Zerkan continued to speak in a low voice.

"I don't know if you proposed it first, but I'm not saying I'm not going to force you to marry me."

"Yeah...."

"I always said that since I was little. You have to find someone you love."

"...."

"The marriage partner... Let's take a look at the list you gave me. Thank you for saving me the trouble."

Zerkan continued, in a very bitter voice.

"So you don't have to avoid me anymore."

With those last words, Zerkan slowly moved away and turned around and went away.

And Raphine stood there for a while, staring blankly at the place where Zerkan had disappeared.

* * *

'Damn, I didn't mean to push you like that.'

Zerkan regretted everything he had said to Raphine a while ago.

A moment of disappointment exploded and he acted impulsively.

I haven't done anything on impulse since I was a kid....

Seeing Raphine with Antonio rolled his eyes.

Zerkan bit his lip and exited the private palace where the banquet was held. I didn't feel like staying here any longer.

It feels like the small hole in the corner of my chest has now grown to an unstoppable size.

Every time the wind blew, a cool, sharp wind scratched the wound and passed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Empress Rebecca, who acted as if she was the main character of the banquet, was looking for someone with sharp eyes.

'Where have you been?'

It is not enough to dare to bring the Crown Prince as a partner to the banquet he has invited, only his face is reflected and disappears....

'The more you think about it, the more cocky you are.'

What Empress Rebecca was looking for was Raphine.

Today she invited Raffine for a very important plan.