'Raphine is really... I think alcohol is good.'

Raphine took one shot of wine, then poured another glass of wine and drank it.

Zerkan, who couldn't see it, took a piece of fruit with a fork and held it out.

"If you drink like that, you will get drunk quickly."

Even as he said those words, Zerkan couldn't help but feel bitter.

At the engagement ceremony today, he had an absurd idea. Maybe this fake married life would be quite enjoyable. maybe really....

But it was all absurd. Raphine had no interest in herself at all. That fact was not pleasant.

Raffine, who drank alcohol one after another, started eating the piece of fruit that Zerkan offered.

'What should I do now.'

To avoid the suffocating silence, he acted as if he was interested in alcohol, but in fact, Rapine didn't taste alcohol at all.

I usually don't get drunk, but today I'm fine. Before, I thought I was going to pass out at any moment because I was tired, but now my mind is clearer.

The fact that he and Zerkan were in the same bedroom, and dressed like this, caused tremendous tension.

'Let's calm down.'

Raphine took a breath and tilted her glass a few more times.

As a result, I was able to bring out the story more calmly than the first time.

"Still, everyone must have recognized it properly today. If possible, no one will ever doubt it."

"What?"

"It's between you and me. You acted like I was really in love."

"... Yeah, that's a really great performance. The actors in the opera house were about to cry."

After uttering those words, Zerkan paused. Unbeknownst to me, sarcastic words came out and I was embarrassed.

But Raphine didn't care.

"So, by the way, please keep this concept going forward."

"What concept?"

"It's a concept that doesn't open the door to my heart."

"...."

"I love His Majesty so much that I beg for her, while He still feels like I'm just a little brother. You know what it feels like, right?"

"yes...."

Actually, I don't feel like a little brother....

Zerkan thought so, but kept his mouth shut.

"However, please understand that I may have a little skinship."

"skinship?"

"Yeah, finding them from afar and running to hug them, put their arms around them, and beg them to hold their hands."

"...."

"If I act like that, people won't be suspicious."

"Yeah... army."

Raphine shrugged at Zerkan's shivering reaction.

For some reason, this contract seems to be an excuse to satisfy self-interest, but there is nothing that can be done. People already think so, so we have no choice but to guess.

While Raphine was making excuses to herself, Zerkan gathered her eyebrows together and fell into her imagination.

Raffine finds herself from afar and runs to hug her with a bright smile.

Raphine suddenly crosses her arms and leans her cheek against her arm.

On a cold winter's day, Raphine's small hand digs into her palm as she asks to hold her hand.

It was so cute that my eyes were dizzy just imagining it.

Is it normal for you to think like this?

It's confusing, but one of those absurd thoughts I had this day seems to be true.

That this fake marriage would be quite a fun time for him.

While Zerkan was thinking about it, Raphine muttered.

"You're not good at acting anyway... You just have to keep that concept."

"Yeah, but why do I have to keep that concept?"

"Suddenly, if you act as if your majesty took me seriously, everyone... I'm not expecting it!"

Raphine said as if frustrated. Zerkan tilted his head as if he did not understand.

Zerkan was ignorant of the relationship between men and women.

Raphine whispered softly as if telling a secret even though no one was listening.

"Two years old."

"iced coffee...."

Suddenly the atmosphere became cold. As the silence passed, Raphine gulped again.

In the end, Raphine emptied the entire bottle of precious alcohol by herself.

"...."

Time passed and the night grew deeper. They both looked at the bed at the same time.

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa."

"How do you make the royal family sleep on the sofa? We just lie down together."

"... What?"

"Since the bed is big, I think it will be fine if you sleep on the edge."

Raphine said nothing, went up to the bed and went into the blanket.

Zerkan watched for a while, then went to the other end and lay down as Raphine had said.

I should go to sleep on the sofa right now, but strangely, my body turned towards the bed.

Raphine closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep with her back to Zerkan. But the mind was dumb.

'Please sleep. Please sleep.'

Even if I cast a spell on myself, I couldn't sleep.

A strange image kept playing in my head, but I tried to ignore it. He was curious about Zerkan's chest, but he tried to ignore it.

So Raffine barely fell asleep until dawn.

On the other hand, Zerkan stayed up all night with open eyes until morning.

* * *

Antonio stared at the sapphire palace in the distance through the window.

In my heart, I wanted to blow up that palace at any moment.

Broken wine bottles were lined up in the dark room. Antonio picked up an intact wine bottle on the desk and poured it into his mouth.

The spilled liquor wet his clothes, but he didn't care. He ruffled his hair and leaned back like he was lying on a chair.

I never thought it would be so painful.

Yes, it was my first love. I have loved Raphine since I was a child. But I didn't love him enough to give up his life.

But why are there so many thousands of dollars burning inside?

Perhaps it was because of the thought that Raphine was stolen from his brother.

Antonio bit his lip until it bled.

I couldn't even imagine how to pay off this debt.

All of a sudden, Zerkan was regarded as an all-powerful beast. In fact, Antonio hated Zerkan, but he also had his own guilt.

As a child, seeing the emperor who loved him, he felt sorry for his older brother and had a sense of superiority at the same time.

'Because I was born first, my older brother became the Crown Prince, but my father loves me more. love my mother more So I feel sorry for you.'

I had such an arrogant thought, but now it's the other way around.

Zerkan will feel superior to Raphine by his side. In a deep sense of defeat, Antonio knocked the desk 'bang!' slammed loudly

All of a sudden, tears flowed from his eyes, and a cry like a beast was leaking from between his lips.

squeaky.

Antonio's door, which had been slightly open, closed.

The servant, who had been spying on the inside, hurriedly headed to the Imperial Palace and reported the situation.

Empress Rebecca heard the story and shook her head with a disgusted expression on her face.

'What a pathetic bastard!'

If he hadn't been kicked out of the monastery, Antonio would never have grown up to be such an idiot.

Anyway, things went bad in many ways.

'Because I'm married to the Eston family, it means that I gave Zerkan wings.'

But it was enough to cut off those wings.

Raphine Aston, there were rumors that she proposed to her first. I wondered how Zerkan would feel.

If Raphine was precious to Zerkan, it wasn't bad to change the target instead of the Empress.

It was like having one more hostage, so it wasn't a bad thing to look at.

'As scheduled, I can use a saint to lower Zerkan's reputation further down the abyss.'

If Zerkan, who even married Raphine, gets involved with a saint, it will not end as a simple scandal.

If that happens, the Aston family will certainly not stand still.

'I'll have to reach out to the Aston family for that time.'

Surely they will join hands to get rid of Zerkan and make Antonio the emperor.

The saint has already expressed her intention to join Rebecca's plan.

The medicine the empress was going to use was also decided to be used by the saint herself, so all that remained was a matter of time.

Empress Rebecca stared out the window with a sinister smile.

* * *

As soon as the sun rose, Zerkan got up, washed and changed clothes. Originally, I should have called the attendants, but Raphine was sleeping, so I prepared it by myself.

After putting on the uniform, I pondered whether or not to wake Raphine.

As a result, I looked at Raphine, who had been sleeping for a long time.

Raphine, who was sleeping soundly, had a lovely expression like a baby.

'Do I have to continue to be like this in the future?'

I couldn't even sleep yesterday... Life in the future seemed bleak.

But I didn't really want to use a separate room. If you do that, Raphine won't like it either, because she has to explain things to other people in many ways.

For the time being, I have no choice but to endure the discomfort.

Last night, he thought carefully.

He came here by accepting the contract marriage that Rafine had suggested, but in fact, it was a marriage that only benefited him greatly.

The aristocratic society still looked quite conservative, so there were many who regarded divorce as a flaw.

If the contract period ends and they divorce, it will hurt herself too, but it will be fatal for Raphine.

'I need to check the system to support ladies who remarry or live alone after divorce.'

When the law changes, so does perception.

For the future of Raphine, I thought that I had to change the perception of society for the better.

After the contract is over, he will find the best groom and connect him with Rafine. Of course, if Raphine wants to remarry.

But, is there really such a man in this world?

In his imagination, Zerkan put some of the men he knew who had a good reputation, one after another, standing next to Raphine.

No matter how good a reputation he had, when he stood next to Rafine, it all seemed like garbage.

All deserved to be executed.