I think I understand why Noah looked so uncomfortable that day as he looked at the Duke of Hessen. Even I sensed that those red eyes held a profound sense of meaning.
If Noah kills Medea's Duke, he may become an international criminal and be forced to flee to a remote corner of the globe or a lawless island in the open sea.
Feeling uneasy, I desperately tried to persuade him.
“Noah. If I disappear, will you find someone who looks like me and meet them?”
"No. There's only one Princess. People like you aren't common."
"He'll be the same. He'll just look at me and think of the dead Duchess, and he'll be lost in thought. Just because we look the same doesn't mean our personalities and memories of our time together are the same, right?"
Noah nodded as if he understood my long speech.
“I hate it when I see someone who resembles someone I hate.”
He didn't understand at first glance. His blue eyes scanned me with alacrity. He brushed back his silver-white hair and continued speaking with a hardened face.
"People think differently. The more unfortunate their situation, the more likely they are to believe their choice is the best. This leads to short-sightedness."
Noah's words sometimes feel difficult. He often blurts out what comes to mind, but sometimes he makes remarkably philosophical statements. As I tried to grasp his meaning, Noah continued.
"It seems the Duke was trying to kill himself. So he stayed away from the Prince and secluded himself in a mansion on the outskirts, putting his affairs in order."
No way! Then what about Daniel, who's left alone? That might seem like an overly selfish thought, but since we can't fathom the suffering of others unless we're the ones who are suffering, we shouldn't judge them rashly.
I tilted my head and asked.
“How do you know that?”
"I found out why he hasn't met the Prince. I submitted the inheritance documents to the Supreme Court. The Duke of Hessen, who even abandoned his work, came to Tempshire Palace to ask the Queen for guardianship. That's how I met him."
You knew all that, didn't you? Did you care that much about Daniel? No, I just wanted the Duke to come and take his son away.
Noah's eyes widened sharply, and his forehead furrowed slightly.
"The look in his eyes as he looked at you reminded me of the dead Duchess. But maybe he has another choice."
“What choice?”
“Should I live my life believing that the woman I see resembles her, or should I just follow her and die?”
The former is perhaps a choice made out of an inability to endure emptiness. Of course, most consider it wrong. While social norms clearly define right and wrong, some people choose not to follow them unless they are legally prohibited.
Daniel also misses me, but I understand because he is still young and has never tried to replace his mother.
His blue eyes, now swollen with a spherical iris, stared thoughtfully over my shoulder. He seemed to be entering a state of clear anger, perhaps annoyance, or even a state of anxiety.
Soon, he gives a formal and neat smile as if nothing had happened.
“My princess wouldn’t fall for such courtship.”
"He's not my type. Even if he's rich, I don't like him if he's not my type. So don't worry about it. I also don't like it when people die over trivial things."
My type of man looks quite satisfied with my simple, unwavering answer. It's like seeing someone who has easily solved a difficult problem. White teeth flash beneath his smiling lips, then disappear.
Today, I saved a life. And to be honest, the target of countless temptations and courtships was Noah. I placed my hand on his waist and interrogated him.
"Rather, you'll be the one getting wooed the most. Be honest."
There are quite a few unscrupulous people who court someone even though they know they have a partner or are married.
Noah's eyes widened at my squinting, revealing a hint of timid jealousy. Judging by his surprised expression, did that really happen often?
“Does the Princess also feel jealous?”
He seemed surprised in another sense. I sighed, sweeping my bangs aside, feeling the irritation on my eyebrows.
"Of course."
I also really hate having my things touched. Unpleasantly, Princess Erita came to mind, and I suppressed my momentary surge of irritation and annoyance as I continued to eat the pudding in my hand.
But I quickly forgot about it as I remembered the sweetness spreading evenly in my mouth and Noah carefully choosing the pudding while thinking of me.
"I'll be back soon. If the Duke tries to woo you, just say the same thing as before. Make a face and shout at him that he's terribly ugly."
“I didn’t say that much... Anyway, I’ll try.”
I nodded, knowing full well that he was a man of decisiveness. Noah didn't take his eyes off me until he left, persistently asking if I was okay without him for a week.
Rather, it seems like he is not doing well.
I woke up and opened my eyes to find it was still dark dawn. Noah had left for his principality last night (I didn't hear which one).
I lightly ran my hand over the empty bedside and sighed, “Ah.”
We were like crocodiles and alligators, stuck together every day. No, I'd like to compare it to a more beautiful symbiotic relationship.
I racked my brain to think, but I was at a loss as only things like sea squirts and sea squirts came to mind.
I curled up in the early morning chill and pulled the covers over me. A headache gripped me, and a dull ache in my lower abdomen forced me to reach for the painkiller. "Today, today." For some reason, my mood was unstable. I'm quite strong, but my period cramps were excruciating.
I grumbled and pulled a painkiller from the drawer. It's a powdered medicine made from a type of willow tree, essentially a modern-day aspirin. Commonly, people drink it by boiling willow bark, but Noah had brought it to me because of the nausea and vomiting side effects.
There are a few new painkillers in the drawer. I remember taking them all, but he must have refilled them ahead of time. I've dated many men, but regardless of their status or wealth, I think the best partner is attentive and considerate.
“Why do you always eat without water?”
I felt a pang of bitterness as I heard Noah's voice from somewhere. I felt like I had truly become tamed and could never part with him.
If he were to say, "Let's stop seeing each other," I might burst into tears like a child in front of him. Like the fox in The Little Prince, I seem to have slowly become tamed by him.
As I was lost in thought, the sun began to rise. Lenny opened the door to wake me, and his eyes widened like a startled rabbit. I wondered why he was up so early.
"Miss, are you up already? Have some dinner. And the Prince of Hessen sent a visiting card through his servant. Which date would be convenient for you?"
A six-year-old is quite aristocratic and well-mannered. That's admirable. Even with the invention of the telephone and the establishment of a communications network, it seems people still prefer letters and postcards here.
If he had been a reckless child, he might have called every day, saying he missed me or barged in without warning.
“Please tell him that tomorrow is good too.”
“Yes, Miss, that’s right! Thank you so much for the gift. How is it?”
Lenny giggled as she spun around in a red satin ribbon she'd bought on Candeborough Street near Tempshire Palace.
“It’s cute.”
“I was so busy raising my younger siblings that I never even thought about dressing up like this.”
A woman smaller than me laughs happily over something trivial. It's not even that expensive.
I'd been lying in bed, reading a book or rolling around, and I'd lost track of the day. Time seemed to have stagnated, and before I knew it, night had fallen.
I changed into new pajamas and lit the oil lamp. Lying on the spacious yet empty bed, I watched the crimson light flicker and wondered what Noah was up to.
You must be sleeping, right?
The next day, I went out to the portico to meet Daniel when he told me he would be arriving at the mansion around 11:00 in the morning.
I saw a young gentleman, wearing a long black waistcoat and a handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket, emerge from the car with the help of his nanny. Daniel, who had gotten out of the car, looked at me and smiled brightly.
“Sister, didn’t you miss me?”
“I missed you.”
“Where did the villain brother go?”
Before I knew it, Noah had established himself as Daniel's villain. The Prince's wet nurse stood there, somewhat shyly, and greeted me.
“I am Elsa Taylor, the wet nurse of the Lord Hessian.”
"Hello."
I felt an uncomfortable gaze sweep over me, almost rudely. Something about the arrogant attitude struck me as odd, but I turned my attention back to Daniel.
“Prince, did you cry after I left?”
At my question, Daniel's eyes widened in surprise as if he was wondering how I knew.
"No?"
“Hey, tell me the truth.”
“I only cried a little.”
Daniel, who was looking embarrassed, bent down and held her small hand to meet her gaze when a dry voice was heard from behind her.
"Diana. Don't touch the Prince's body recklessly."
I turned around at the sudden remark and saw the sharp eyes of his nanny, Elsa Taylor, staring straight at me. I calmly asked.
“Do you know me?”
“I know. Diana Parsene.”
"Yes, Elsa. Is this a situation where you can use the word 'reckless'? We're not strangers, we're close."
“I am warning you not to treat the Prince so casually, as he is a noble young man of a different status from you.”
"What kind of outdated way of thinking is that?" Daniel looked up at his nanny and added force to his voice.
"Nanny, Diana is my precious friend. We are equals, without any class distinction."
"Prince, you're not equal. Last time, you played in the garden with the servant's child. I told you then that it was wrong. I even tried to dissuade you from coming here in person..."
Elsa's brown eyes narrowed in a reproachful glare. I stared at the Prince's nanny with a blank expression.
In today's world, discriminatory remarks about status are something many privileged individuals are wary of. Even if they don't feel this way, the media and politics are intertwined, and for the sake of virtue and reputation, they tend to strive to treat everyone equally.
Why else would someone go to the extent of volunteering for the sake of reputation? Like Celine, for example. Feeling bewildered, I let go of Daniel's hand and crossed my arms. Being so sensitive, my irritation flared up.
Noah, wearing a thick wine-colored cardigan and cream-colored trousers, was lounging on the sofa in the hotel room where he was staying.
Jayce Groenendaal, sitting across from him, chuckled, puffing on his cigarette, as he looked lost in thought, as if his consciousness had been lost in another world.
Even if the armistice negotiations were concluded, it would be problematic for Prime Minister Belford's son to meet with a traitor from Frogen and engage in business. Therefore, the meeting would have to be held in a distant, neutral country, a hassle.
Jace didn't like the idea of two grown men meeting secretly in a hotel room, but he felt it was inevitable. He adjusted his monocle and spoke.
“They’re all dying. Is it because of the woman?”
“Not a woman, but Diana.”
Noah corrected him with a disinterested look on his face.
“Already dumped?”
If Noah kills Medea's Duke, he may become an international criminal and be forced to flee to a remote corner of the globe or a lawless island in the open sea.
Feeling uneasy, I desperately tried to persuade him.
“Noah. If I disappear, will you find someone who looks like me and meet them?”
"No. There's only one Princess. People like you aren't common."
"He'll be the same. He'll just look at me and think of the dead Duchess, and he'll be lost in thought. Just because we look the same doesn't mean our personalities and memories of our time together are the same, right?"
Noah nodded as if he understood my long speech.
“I hate it when I see someone who resembles someone I hate.”
He didn't understand at first glance. His blue eyes scanned me with alacrity. He brushed back his silver-white hair and continued speaking with a hardened face.
"People think differently. The more unfortunate their situation, the more likely they are to believe their choice is the best. This leads to short-sightedness."
Noah's words sometimes feel difficult. He often blurts out what comes to mind, but sometimes he makes remarkably philosophical statements. As I tried to grasp his meaning, Noah continued.
"It seems the Duke was trying to kill himself. So he stayed away from the Prince and secluded himself in a mansion on the outskirts, putting his affairs in order."
No way! Then what about Daniel, who's left alone? That might seem like an overly selfish thought, but since we can't fathom the suffering of others unless we're the ones who are suffering, we shouldn't judge them rashly.
I tilted my head and asked.
“How do you know that?”
"I found out why he hasn't met the Prince. I submitted the inheritance documents to the Supreme Court. The Duke of Hessen, who even abandoned his work, came to Tempshire Palace to ask the Queen for guardianship. That's how I met him."
You knew all that, didn't you? Did you care that much about Daniel? No, I just wanted the Duke to come and take his son away.
Noah's eyes widened sharply, and his forehead furrowed slightly.
"The look in his eyes as he looked at you reminded me of the dead Duchess. But maybe he has another choice."
“What choice?”
“Should I live my life believing that the woman I see resembles her, or should I just follow her and die?”
The former is perhaps a choice made out of an inability to endure emptiness. Of course, most consider it wrong. While social norms clearly define right and wrong, some people choose not to follow them unless they are legally prohibited.
Daniel also misses me, but I understand because he is still young and has never tried to replace his mother.
His blue eyes, now swollen with a spherical iris, stared thoughtfully over my shoulder. He seemed to be entering a state of clear anger, perhaps annoyance, or even a state of anxiety.
Soon, he gives a formal and neat smile as if nothing had happened.
“My princess wouldn’t fall for such courtship.”
"He's not my type. Even if he's rich, I don't like him if he's not my type. So don't worry about it. I also don't like it when people die over trivial things."
My type of man looks quite satisfied with my simple, unwavering answer. It's like seeing someone who has easily solved a difficult problem. White teeth flash beneath his smiling lips, then disappear.
Today, I saved a life. And to be honest, the target of countless temptations and courtships was Noah. I placed my hand on his waist and interrogated him.
"Rather, you'll be the one getting wooed the most. Be honest."
There are quite a few unscrupulous people who court someone even though they know they have a partner or are married.
Noah's eyes widened at my squinting, revealing a hint of timid jealousy. Judging by his surprised expression, did that really happen often?
“Does the Princess also feel jealous?”
He seemed surprised in another sense. I sighed, sweeping my bangs aside, feeling the irritation on my eyebrows.
"Of course."
I also really hate having my things touched. Unpleasantly, Princess Erita came to mind, and I suppressed my momentary surge of irritation and annoyance as I continued to eat the pudding in my hand.
But I quickly forgot about it as I remembered the sweetness spreading evenly in my mouth and Noah carefully choosing the pudding while thinking of me.
"I'll be back soon. If the Duke tries to woo you, just say the same thing as before. Make a face and shout at him that he's terribly ugly."
“I didn’t say that much... Anyway, I’ll try.”
I nodded, knowing full well that he was a man of decisiveness. Noah didn't take his eyes off me until he left, persistently asking if I was okay without him for a week.
Rather, it seems like he is not doing well.
***
I woke up and opened my eyes to find it was still dark dawn. Noah had left for his principality last night (I didn't hear which one).
I lightly ran my hand over the empty bedside and sighed, “Ah.”
We were like crocodiles and alligators, stuck together every day. No, I'd like to compare it to a more beautiful symbiotic relationship.
I racked my brain to think, but I was at a loss as only things like sea squirts and sea squirts came to mind.
I curled up in the early morning chill and pulled the covers over me. A headache gripped me, and a dull ache in my lower abdomen forced me to reach for the painkiller. "Today, today." For some reason, my mood was unstable. I'm quite strong, but my period cramps were excruciating.
I grumbled and pulled a painkiller from the drawer. It's a powdered medicine made from a type of willow tree, essentially a modern-day aspirin. Commonly, people drink it by boiling willow bark, but Noah had brought it to me because of the nausea and vomiting side effects.
There are a few new painkillers in the drawer. I remember taking them all, but he must have refilled them ahead of time. I've dated many men, but regardless of their status or wealth, I think the best partner is attentive and considerate.
“Why do you always eat without water?”
I felt a pang of bitterness as I heard Noah's voice from somewhere. I felt like I had truly become tamed and could never part with him.
If he were to say, "Let's stop seeing each other," I might burst into tears like a child in front of him. Like the fox in The Little Prince, I seem to have slowly become tamed by him.
As I was lost in thought, the sun began to rise. Lenny opened the door to wake me, and his eyes widened like a startled rabbit. I wondered why he was up so early.
"Miss, are you up already? Have some dinner. And the Prince of Hessen sent a visiting card through his servant. Which date would be convenient for you?"
A six-year-old is quite aristocratic and well-mannered. That's admirable. Even with the invention of the telephone and the establishment of a communications network, it seems people still prefer letters and postcards here.
If he had been a reckless child, he might have called every day, saying he missed me or barged in without warning.
“Please tell him that tomorrow is good too.”
“Yes, Miss, that’s right! Thank you so much for the gift. How is it?”
Lenny giggled as she spun around in a red satin ribbon she'd bought on Candeborough Street near Tempshire Palace.
“It’s cute.”
“I was so busy raising my younger siblings that I never even thought about dressing up like this.”
A woman smaller than me laughs happily over something trivial. It's not even that expensive.
I'd been lying in bed, reading a book or rolling around, and I'd lost track of the day. Time seemed to have stagnated, and before I knew it, night had fallen.
I changed into new pajamas and lit the oil lamp. Lying on the spacious yet empty bed, I watched the crimson light flicker and wondered what Noah was up to.
You must be sleeping, right?
***
The next day, I went out to the portico to meet Daniel when he told me he would be arriving at the mansion around 11:00 in the morning.
I saw a young gentleman, wearing a long black waistcoat and a handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket, emerge from the car with the help of his nanny. Daniel, who had gotten out of the car, looked at me and smiled brightly.
“Sister, didn’t you miss me?”
“I missed you.”
“Where did the villain brother go?”
Before I knew it, Noah had established himself as Daniel's villain. The Prince's wet nurse stood there, somewhat shyly, and greeted me.
“I am Elsa Taylor, the wet nurse of the Lord Hessian.”
"Hello."
I felt an uncomfortable gaze sweep over me, almost rudely. Something about the arrogant attitude struck me as odd, but I turned my attention back to Daniel.
“Prince, did you cry after I left?”
At my question, Daniel's eyes widened in surprise as if he was wondering how I knew.
"No?"
“Hey, tell me the truth.”
“I only cried a little.”
Daniel, who was looking embarrassed, bent down and held her small hand to meet her gaze when a dry voice was heard from behind her.
"Diana. Don't touch the Prince's body recklessly."
I turned around at the sudden remark and saw the sharp eyes of his nanny, Elsa Taylor, staring straight at me. I calmly asked.
“Do you know me?”
“I know. Diana Parsene.”
"Yes, Elsa. Is this a situation where you can use the word 'reckless'? We're not strangers, we're close."
“I am warning you not to treat the Prince so casually, as he is a noble young man of a different status from you.”
"What kind of outdated way of thinking is that?" Daniel looked up at his nanny and added force to his voice.
"Nanny, Diana is my precious friend. We are equals, without any class distinction."
"Prince, you're not equal. Last time, you played in the garden with the servant's child. I told you then that it was wrong. I even tried to dissuade you from coming here in person..."
Elsa's brown eyes narrowed in a reproachful glare. I stared at the Prince's nanny with a blank expression.
In today's world, discriminatory remarks about status are something many privileged individuals are wary of. Even if they don't feel this way, the media and politics are intertwined, and for the sake of virtue and reputation, they tend to strive to treat everyone equally.
Why else would someone go to the extent of volunteering for the sake of reputation? Like Celine, for example. Feeling bewildered, I let go of Daniel's hand and crossed my arms. Being so sensitive, my irritation flared up.
Who do you think you are, trying to crush our Daniel's spirit? This is my own battle stance, meant to give the opponent a severe beating.
***
Noah, wearing a thick wine-colored cardigan and cream-colored trousers, was lounging on the sofa in the hotel room where he was staying.
Jayce Groenendaal, sitting across from him, chuckled, puffing on his cigarette, as he looked lost in thought, as if his consciousness had been lost in another world.
Even if the armistice negotiations were concluded, it would be problematic for Prime Minister Belford's son to meet with a traitor from Frogen and engage in business. Therefore, the meeting would have to be held in a distant, neutral country, a hassle.
Jace didn't like the idea of two grown men meeting secretly in a hotel room, but he felt it was inevitable. He adjusted his monocle and spoke.
“They’re all dying. Is it because of the woman?”
“Not a woman, but Diana.”
Noah corrected him with a disinterested look on his face.
“Already dumped?”
“No. I’m scared because I think I won’t be able to see her for a week.”
The smoke from the cigarette Jace exhaled with a displeased expression dissipated heavily and settled downward.
"I didn't see this guy that way, but you seem pretty horny. All women are the same, right? Even if you go out at night, you can find plenty of pretty girls to hang out with. Want to go with me?"
Noah's lips twisted unpleasantly. Gentry and aristocratic businessmen often used the name of business to create places for themselves and flirt with women, but Noah found no interest in such things.
"Why would you do that? Everyone else is the same except Diana. I'd just drink alone and sleep."
“Well, I suppose that says it all—you're the kind of guy who'd take a woman to court just for running at her naked.”
“Aren’t you going to get married? You’re the successor.”
"It's not even certain that I'm the successor, and I plan to marry as late as possible. It seems like my younger brother will get married sooner."
At Jace's words, interest spread across Noah's previously indifferent face. Noah set down his glass, sat up straight, and leaned toward Jace.
He asked softly, the corners of his lips curling into a smile.
“Is Jeffrey Groenendaal getting married? Who?”
"Admiral Belford's daughter. Was it Celani? They're engaged."
“Yeah, that’s the name. Yellow hair.”
He knew it was Celine, but it didn't matter if the name was right or wrong.
So that's how you did it? It's truly just.
Noah chuckled, tilted his head, and wiggled his fingers, resting his chin. It wasn't just his joy at seeing his competitor fall.
Since marriage has been the starting point for solving other annoying problems, he feels like giving them my sincere blessings.
Noah raised his glass as if to celebrate, then took a sip of whiskey and asked while wiping his mouth.
"Tell them congratulations. Why are they getting married all of a sudden? What a crazy combination."
He asked, even though he knew very well why.
Comments
Post a Comment