Episode 2. A Brave and Pitiful Woman
The era when class guaranteed wealth was coming to an end. Wealthy commoners and lower-class nobles, fed up with class discrimination, boldly left the Norfolk Continent and founded nations in the New World.
Republic of Pulder.
Pulder is a landmark in an era where class barriers are crumbling. Though a young nation with a history of less than a century, it has grown by leaps and bounds, reaching a level that even the Herod Kingdom, the strongest power on the Norfolk Continent, cannot easily ignore.
Herod's predecessor chose to interact with Pulder rather than to oppose it, and as a token of their friendship, they built a campus in Pulder for the prestigious Herrington College, a cradle of Herod's intellect.
As Noah was heading to the palace, a woman was sitting in the reception room of a hotel near the capital of Pulder.
Her name is Olivia Liberty.
The cotton blouse and simple skirt she wore were completely out of place in the reception room of a luxury hotel reserved only for VIPs.
If it weren't for her appointment with that man, Olivia probably wouldn't have come to this luxury hotel.
Olivia sat on the large velvet sofa, sipping water repeatedly as she tried to decide what to say.
It was around the time the waiter poured water into her glass twice.
“Olivia.”
A deep, heavy presence descended upon her, accompanied by a soft voice. She raised her head, and there stood a tall, handsome young man.
He was Ansen Wilhelm, the head of Wilhelm Corporation, who amassed global wealth through the groundbreaking invention of the Magic Dome.
“Ansen.”
As Olivia tried to get up, the man smiled and stopped her.
“There’s no need to get up. Just sit down.”
Ansen took a chair the waiter had pulled out for him and took off his gloves. He then glanced quickly at Olivia.
The cobalt blue headband, the voluminous black hair, the white, round forehead, and even the line from the high bridge of the nose to the lips were elegant.
Wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and a blue flared skirt, she looked like a painting.
It was clear why Herod's newspaper across the sea had been carrying news of her for days.
Ansen smiled gently and pointed to the glass of water.
“You like cold coffee, don’t you? I ordered some and was drinking it.”
He spoke to the waiter standing next to him.
“One cup of iced coffee and one cup of hot coffee.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
As the waiter moved away, Olivia stared intently into Ansen's brown eyes. Though she tried to maintain a calm expression, she felt a queasy, uncomfortable feeling, as if she were sitting on a cold stone.
The meeting was even more awkward because it came right after Olivia Liberty, the hidden designer of Wilhelm Corporation, declared war, saying she no longer wanted to hide.
“...”
A desolate, uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Ansen simply gazed at Olivia, his face as soft as a mask.
In the end, it was Olivia who couldn't stand the silence.
“Can’t I?”
Then Ansen nodded slightly, frowning as if he was sorry.
"Yes."
It was a very easy and simple rejection.
"Olivia, there are no women in the company. Especially not in the research department. It'll be even harder for you if you join. Just draw up the blueprints like you're doing now, I'll take them and review them, and you'll get paid accordingly. It'll be no different than joining the company."
Then the waiter appeared, placed drinks in front of each of them, and left.
Olivia, who was quietly gazing at the pitch-black coffee and clear ice in the white cup, looked at Ansen with eyes darker than the coffee.
"It's different, Ansen. You can't say it's the same."
“...”
"I designed the Magic Dome. But people think it's Oliver, not Olivia, who designed it. My decision to join the company means I don't want to hide anymore."
“That’s why I even gave Oliver a joint patent.”
“That’s not something you did, it’s something that’s expected.”
Then Ansen's expression hardened. He leaned back, having previously been leaning forward.
"You haven't forgotten that I took a risk, even though the Patent Office in Pulder doesn't recognize women's patents, have you? Besides, if it were known that you, a woman, designed the Magic Dome, a military facility, sales would plummet. We'd sell that much because we said I designed it."
Olivia felt trapped in a thick fog. The suffocation made it difficult to breathe.
As the only female student, she endured all kinds of discrimination while attending school. She consoled herself that things would be much better once she graduated, but the discrimination outside of school was both elegant and far more ruthless.
Additionally, she couldn't help but think about her monthly income.
“I guess it’s a bit weird because there’s no fixed scholarship after graduation, right?”
Olivia held her breath at the sound of Ansen's affectionate voice.
“I think there must be a good reason why you suddenly decided to become a full-time researcher.”
But, since it is a product launched by a company whose main research team is female engineers...
They say it's a world where social status is collapsing, but well.
Ansen nodded slightly. He gently tilted his eyes and handed Olivia a thick envelope.
Olivia's breath caught in her throat, and her gaze slowly fell on the envelope. The clenched fist resting on her lap was pale and trembling.
Ansen whispered sweetly to Olivia, who was staring at the envelope with a pale face.
"Let's do it like this. You'll take extra care to make sure you don't run out of money."
Olivia could easily deduce the truth hidden in Ansen's words.
'So you just hide behind the male name Oliver, be quiet.'
How can he say such things so confidently when he sees her as such a joke?
“Don’t call this living expenses.”
The face that slowly raised its head seemed to be trying to exert some strength, but from Ansen's perspective, it was just weak.
But Olivia, trembling, spoke her mind firmly.
“This is not living expenses, it is a salary you are obligated to pay me.”
Olivia opened the envelope, quickly counted out the money, and put just the amount she needed into her bag before shoving the rest in front of Ansen.
It's strange how she experienced such absurd things countless times and still hasn't developed any tolerance.
“I’ve heard the answer, so I’ll get up first.”
Olivia stood up as calmly as she could. She turned and walked toward the door.
The bag was so heavy that the word contempt was attached to the money.
She had no time to think about how she'd escaped the drawing room. She passed through the grand doors and wandered aimlessly down the hallway when a noblewoman standing at the entrance called out to her.
“Miss Liberty.”
In an instant, a cold sweat ran down Olivia's spine.
She turned her head in surprise, and there was a middle-aged woman who looked very much like Ansen Wilhelm.
“...Hello, Madame Wilhelm.”
Ansen Wilhelm's mother, Frau Wilhelm, slowly glanced at Olivia. Her eyebrows rose sharply at Olivia's increasingly beautiful appearance.
After making sure there was no one in the hallway, she opened her mouth.
“It’s really annoying to keep running into you.”
Olivia was so exhausted she didn't even have the energy to respond.
"Oh, I beat around the bush, so you don't understand. I didn't want to go this far, but listen carefully."
She spoke sharply, each syllable, with a frighteningly hardened face.
"It's not like a girl should be going to a hotel without permission. If my daughter were going to a hotel to meet men like you, I wouldn't let her off the hook."
Olivia replied with a pale face.
"I've come to discuss something with your son. This hotel's reception room is mostly business..."
“What do you dare to discuss with my son?”
Madame Wilhelm whispered, glaring at Olivia with cold, shining eyes.
"Ask anyone on the street. Is the reason you came here for the discussion, or is there some way to get to the head of Wilhelm Corporation..."
"Mother."
At that moment, Mrs. Wilhelm's face, which had been fiercely hardened, became incredibly soft.
“Oh, Ansen. My son.”
Olivia said, taking a step back from Madame Wilhelm.
“Madam Wilhelm, ask your son whether I have anything to discuss.”
And before she could react sharply, he also spoke to Ansen.
"Next time, please don't ask me to meet you at a hotel or something. I'd be a victim of unnecessary misunderstandings. No... I don't think we'll ever have to meet again. Yes."
“How dare you!”
Madame Wilhelm immediately raised her voice, but Olivia turned away, pretending not to notice.
Her legs were trembling, but she couldn't fall down in front of those two people.
“Something poisonous.”
Madame Wilhelm muttered maliciously, glaring at the spot where Olivia had disappeared.
It was also unsettling that someone from a poor, commoner background graduated from Herrington College, a college reserved for aristocrats. How much arrogance could one possibly have?
She was so annoyed that such a woman was hanging around her son. Even more annoyed was her son's reaction.
His gaze, his tone, his every action. She couldn't pinpoint it, but he definitely treated Olivia with a special kindness. It was a motherly instinct.
“Ansen, if you want to expand your business, you shouldn’t be hanging around with a worthless girl like that.”
Ansen remained silent. Madame Wilhelm held his hand tightly.
"This place, Pulder, is a republic, but class systems still exist. Those who dominate politics and business are all of noble birth. Get your act together."
What would Madame Wilhelm think if she found out that that 'insignificant girl' was the one who created the 'Magic Dome', the heart of the business?
Probably she won't care much.
Saying, 'Who would believe that?'
Ansen chuckled and nodded.
“You’re worrying for nothing, Mother. Please go inside.”
Ansen walked down the hallway with his mother. His gaze naturally drifted toward the window.
There she was, just getting into the carriage.
The unfortunate genius, the beautiful Olivia.
Olivia, who had climbed into the dark carriage, tried to forget the constant barrage of abuse from Madame Wilhelm.
Her hands, tightly gripping her bag, were trembling pitifully, but she couldn't express her sorrow to anyone, so she swallowed it down.
For Olivia, being without parents and holding no wealth meant being without a secure home. While she might have forgotten them when she was steadfastly pushing forward, on days like this, she yearned for them with a pang of longing and regret.
Olivia stared blankly out the window, then pulled out an old notebook from her bag. Opening to the first page, she found the initial blueprints for the Magic Dome she'd drawn.
The face of the boy Ansen, who had been putting his head against this, passed by like an illusion.
"Using the attraction between magical powers to strike monsters? Then there's no need for wizards to attack them one by one like they do now!"
"That's right. A single wizard's magical power could strike hundreds of monsters. That's why I named it that."
“What is it?”
The boy, Ansen, leaned forward with shining eyes. Olivia smiled meaningfully and replied.
“Magic Dome.”
Olivia's eyes turned red as she remembered the past.
“Don’t cry, Olivia. You can’t cry.”
But in front of the crumpled bundles of money, she ended up crying quietly.
The era when class guaranteed wealth was coming to an end. Wealthy commoners and lower-class nobles, fed up with class discrimination, boldly left the Norfolk Continent and founded nations in the New World.
Republic of Pulder.
Pulder is a landmark in an era where class barriers are crumbling. Though a young nation with a history of less than a century, it has grown by leaps and bounds, reaching a level that even the Herod Kingdom, the strongest power on the Norfolk Continent, cannot easily ignore.
Herod's predecessor chose to interact with Pulder rather than to oppose it, and as a token of their friendship, they built a campus in Pulder for the prestigious Herrington College, a cradle of Herod's intellect.
As Noah was heading to the palace, a woman was sitting in the reception room of a hotel near the capital of Pulder.
Her name is Olivia Liberty.
The cotton blouse and simple skirt she wore were completely out of place in the reception room of a luxury hotel reserved only for VIPs.
If it weren't for her appointment with that man, Olivia probably wouldn't have come to this luxury hotel.
Olivia sat on the large velvet sofa, sipping water repeatedly as she tried to decide what to say.
It was around the time the waiter poured water into her glass twice.
“Olivia.”
A deep, heavy presence descended upon her, accompanied by a soft voice. She raised her head, and there stood a tall, handsome young man.
He was Ansen Wilhelm, the head of Wilhelm Corporation, who amassed global wealth through the groundbreaking invention of the Magic Dome.
“Ansen.”
As Olivia tried to get up, the man smiled and stopped her.
“There’s no need to get up. Just sit down.”
Ansen took a chair the waiter had pulled out for him and took off his gloves. He then glanced quickly at Olivia.
The cobalt blue headband, the voluminous black hair, the white, round forehead, and even the line from the high bridge of the nose to the lips were elegant.
Wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and a blue flared skirt, she looked like a painting.
It was clear why Herod's newspaper across the sea had been carrying news of her for days.
Ansen smiled gently and pointed to the glass of water.
“You like cold coffee, don’t you? I ordered some and was drinking it.”
He spoke to the waiter standing next to him.
“One cup of iced coffee and one cup of hot coffee.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
As the waiter moved away, Olivia stared intently into Ansen's brown eyes. Though she tried to maintain a calm expression, she felt a queasy, uncomfortable feeling, as if she were sitting on a cold stone.
The meeting was even more awkward because it came right after Olivia Liberty, the hidden designer of Wilhelm Corporation, declared war, saying she no longer wanted to hide.
“...”
A desolate, uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Ansen simply gazed at Olivia, his face as soft as a mask.
In the end, it was Olivia who couldn't stand the silence.
“Can’t I?”
Then Ansen nodded slightly, frowning as if he was sorry.
"Yes."
It was a very easy and simple rejection.
"Olivia, there are no women in the company. Especially not in the research department. It'll be even harder for you if you join. Just draw up the blueprints like you're doing now, I'll take them and review them, and you'll get paid accordingly. It'll be no different than joining the company."
Then the waiter appeared, placed drinks in front of each of them, and left.
Olivia, who was quietly gazing at the pitch-black coffee and clear ice in the white cup, looked at Ansen with eyes darker than the coffee.
"It's different, Ansen. You can't say it's the same."
“...”
"I designed the Magic Dome. But people think it's Oliver, not Olivia, who designed it. My decision to join the company means I don't want to hide anymore."
“That’s why I even gave Oliver a joint patent.”
“That’s not something you did, it’s something that’s expected.”
Then Ansen's expression hardened. He leaned back, having previously been leaning forward.
"You haven't forgotten that I took a risk, even though the Patent Office in Pulder doesn't recognize women's patents, have you? Besides, if it were known that you, a woman, designed the Magic Dome, a military facility, sales would plummet. We'd sell that much because we said I designed it."
Olivia felt trapped in a thick fog. The suffocation made it difficult to breathe.
As the only female student, she endured all kinds of discrimination while attending school. She consoled herself that things would be much better once she graduated, but the discrimination outside of school was both elegant and far more ruthless.
Additionally, she couldn't help but think about her monthly income.
“I guess it’s a bit weird because there’s no fixed scholarship after graduation, right?”
Olivia held her breath at the sound of Ansen's affectionate voice.
“I think there must be a good reason why you suddenly decided to become a full-time researcher.”
But, since it is a product launched by a company whose main research team is female engineers...
They say it's a world where social status is collapsing, but well.
Ansen nodded slightly. He gently tilted his eyes and handed Olivia a thick envelope.
Olivia's breath caught in her throat, and her gaze slowly fell on the envelope. The clenched fist resting on her lap was pale and trembling.
Ansen whispered sweetly to Olivia, who was staring at the envelope with a pale face.
"Let's do it like this. You'll take extra care to make sure you don't run out of money."
Olivia could easily deduce the truth hidden in Ansen's words.
'So you just hide behind the male name Oliver, be quiet.'
How can he say such things so confidently when he sees her as such a joke?
“Don’t call this living expenses.”
The face that slowly raised its head seemed to be trying to exert some strength, but from Ansen's perspective, it was just weak.
But Olivia, trembling, spoke her mind firmly.
“This is not living expenses, it is a salary you are obligated to pay me.”
Olivia opened the envelope, quickly counted out the money, and put just the amount she needed into her bag before shoving the rest in front of Ansen.
It's strange how she experienced such absurd things countless times and still hasn't developed any tolerance.
“I’ve heard the answer, so I’ll get up first.”
Olivia stood up as calmly as she could. She turned and walked toward the door.
The bag was so heavy that the word contempt was attached to the money.
She had no time to think about how she'd escaped the drawing room. She passed through the grand doors and wandered aimlessly down the hallway when a noblewoman standing at the entrance called out to her.
“Miss Liberty.”
In an instant, a cold sweat ran down Olivia's spine.
She turned her head in surprise, and there was a middle-aged woman who looked very much like Ansen Wilhelm.
“...Hello, Madame Wilhelm.”
Ansen Wilhelm's mother, Frau Wilhelm, slowly glanced at Olivia. Her eyebrows rose sharply at Olivia's increasingly beautiful appearance.
After making sure there was no one in the hallway, she opened her mouth.
“It’s really annoying to keep running into you.”
Olivia was so exhausted she didn't even have the energy to respond.
"Oh, I beat around the bush, so you don't understand. I didn't want to go this far, but listen carefully."
She spoke sharply, each syllable, with a frighteningly hardened face.
"It's not like a girl should be going to a hotel without permission. If my daughter were going to a hotel to meet men like you, I wouldn't let her off the hook."
Olivia replied with a pale face.
"I've come to discuss something with your son. This hotel's reception room is mostly business..."
“What do you dare to discuss with my son?”
Madame Wilhelm whispered, glaring at Olivia with cold, shining eyes.
"Ask anyone on the street. Is the reason you came here for the discussion, or is there some way to get to the head of Wilhelm Corporation..."
"Mother."
At that moment, Mrs. Wilhelm's face, which had been fiercely hardened, became incredibly soft.
“Oh, Ansen. My son.”
Olivia said, taking a step back from Madame Wilhelm.
“Madam Wilhelm, ask your son whether I have anything to discuss.”
And before she could react sharply, he also spoke to Ansen.
"Next time, please don't ask me to meet you at a hotel or something. I'd be a victim of unnecessary misunderstandings. No... I don't think we'll ever have to meet again. Yes."
“How dare you!”
Madame Wilhelm immediately raised her voice, but Olivia turned away, pretending not to notice.
Her legs were trembling, but she couldn't fall down in front of those two people.
“Something poisonous.”
Madame Wilhelm muttered maliciously, glaring at the spot where Olivia had disappeared.
It was also unsettling that someone from a poor, commoner background graduated from Herrington College, a college reserved for aristocrats. How much arrogance could one possibly have?
She was so annoyed that such a woman was hanging around her son. Even more annoyed was her son's reaction.
His gaze, his tone, his every action. She couldn't pinpoint it, but he definitely treated Olivia with a special kindness. It was a motherly instinct.
“Ansen, if you want to expand your business, you shouldn’t be hanging around with a worthless girl like that.”
Ansen remained silent. Madame Wilhelm held his hand tightly.
"This place, Pulder, is a republic, but class systems still exist. Those who dominate politics and business are all of noble birth. Get your act together."
What would Madame Wilhelm think if she found out that that 'insignificant girl' was the one who created the 'Magic Dome', the heart of the business?
Probably she won't care much.
Saying, 'Who would believe that?'
Ansen chuckled and nodded.
“You’re worrying for nothing, Mother. Please go inside.”
Ansen walked down the hallway with his mother. His gaze naturally drifted toward the window.
There she was, just getting into the carriage.
The unfortunate genius, the beautiful Olivia.
***
Olivia, who had climbed into the dark carriage, tried to forget the constant barrage of abuse from Madame Wilhelm.
Her hands, tightly gripping her bag, were trembling pitifully, but she couldn't express her sorrow to anyone, so she swallowed it down.
For Olivia, being without parents and holding no wealth meant being without a secure home. While she might have forgotten them when she was steadfastly pushing forward, on days like this, she yearned for them with a pang of longing and regret.
Olivia stared blankly out the window, then pulled out an old notebook from her bag. Opening to the first page, she found the initial blueprints for the Magic Dome she'd drawn.
The face of the boy Ansen, who had been putting his head against this, passed by like an illusion.
"Using the attraction between magical powers to strike monsters? Then there's no need for wizards to attack them one by one like they do now!"
"That's right. A single wizard's magical power could strike hundreds of monsters. That's why I named it that."
“What is it?”
The boy, Ansen, leaned forward with shining eyes. Olivia smiled meaningfully and replied.
“Magic Dome.”
Olivia's eyes turned red as she remembered the past.
“Don’t cry, Olivia. You can’t cry.”
But in front of the crumpled bundles of money, she ended up crying quietly.
Comments
Post a Comment