FRAGILE RELATIONSHIPS

<"HOW COULD you say that? The royal knights belong to Empress Veronica. An insult the is an Her Majesty–">

Rino turned off the recording device (that Isaak taught him how to use earlier), then he watched Veronica's face turn pale.

He summoned the empress to his throne room, and now the woman was standing in front of him like the criminal that she was. By summoning the empress that way, he clearly showed her that she wasn't there as a "family" or a guest.

Moreover, he liked seeing Veronica literally look up at him since the throne was on an elevated platform.

[Yes, there must be this much distance between us.]

"Your Majesty, the servants' opinion has nothing to do with me," Veronica said firmly. "I never claimed that the royal knights belong to me. It was Helena's sole opinion, so why do I have to take responsibility for it?"