Episode 3. The Royal Invitation
“Get out!!! Where did you come in? Aren’t you going out right now?!”
The shoulders of the servants waiting shuddered at the loud noise that echoed through the hallway.
“One, two, three.”
As Noah was leisurely walking down the light-filled hallway, he counted the numbers. As if he had been waiting, the door opened, and a man jumped out.
Duke Walter Lightwing, his hair disheveled, stamped his feet and shouted desperately toward the closed door.
"Your Majesty!!"
“Get that useless, crazy idiot out of the palace right now, right now!!”
Walter squeezed his eyes shut as the King's angry voice came through the heavy door.
Noah walked slowly towards the great plague of the royal palace, stopping at an appropriate location and nodding his head rapidly.
“Hello, uncle.”
Then he immediately started walking again.
Walter blankly rolled his eyes as his nephew passed by, confused as to whether it was a greeting or not.
“Noah!”
Just as Noah stood at the door, Walter urgently called out to his nephew. Noah, his resentment toward his uncle building to a crawl, simply turned his head to look at him.
If a person has a conscience, they will say sorry.
“Speak nicely to His Majesty. Yes?”
Noah clenched his jaw so hard that he felt like he was going to burst out laughing. What conscience did Walter, the scourge of the royal family, have?
“Yes, uncle.”
Noah turned his head sharply and stepped into the open door.
The King's office was thick with cigarette smoke. Even Noah frowned.
The first person to meet his eyes was Crown Prince Usher. Usher greeted him with a small wink, and Noah nodded in return.
Then Leonard II threw the newspaper at the wall in a fit of rage.
“Why is this crazy kid drinking and not paying for his drinks? What?! Why is he talking about royalty in a bar!!”
A few days ago, Walter drank as much as he could at a bar after receiving a letter of separation from his only daughter.
Walter, who was drunk, caused a commotion despite the secretaries' attempts to stop him, saying, "I drank in my own country, so why should I pay for it?" and "The people of this country exist for the royal family!" And, as luck would have it, there were reporters there.
Walter's statement, "The people exist for the royal family," was immediately published on the front page of the newspaper, stirring public sentiment. The problem was that this wasn't Walter's first such atrocity.
“This idiot... I can’t believe I got involved in such a trivial matter.”
While Leonard groaned, clutching his head, Noah flung open the window. Immediately after, the King shouted.
“Close it!!”
Everyone was holding back their smoke, but Noah was relentless.
“I think we need some ventilation, Your Majesty.”
Usher nodded and opened another door himself.
“Calm down.”
The King's momentum subsided slightly at the urging of his grown sons.
Usher opened his mouth.
"First, issue an official statement. Silence alone won't solve the problem. Punish Duke Lightwing appropriately, and directly state that the Crown disagrees with his views."
“...”
Noah looked at his father's face and swallowed sarcasm. It wasn't that he didn't know. He just didn't want to do it.
Noah said, leaning against the windowsill with his arms crossed.
"I attended seven events yesterday, and my picture wasn't in any of the newspapers. Since that won't be enough to cover things up, I think it would be best to do as His Highness the Crown Prince says."
The King's secretaries also nodded repeatedly and looked at Leonard.
Leonard slumped down on the sofa like a defeated soldier, putting another cigarette in his mouth. Only after he'd finished one did he rinse his mouth with water and mutter.
"Then how are we going to rebuild the royal image that's been shattered? We're planning to raise taxes early next year, but with that bastard Walter creating this image, how will it pass?"
Then he looked at Noah openly.
What do you want me to do? Are you asking me to take off my clothes and turn my gaze away?
Noah felt annoyed by his gaze, and then suddenly remembered a palm-sized photograph.
Noah looked down for a moment, lost in thought, then approached the secretary who had picked up the newspaper the King had thrown away and extended his hand.
“Give me the newspaper.”
He accepted the newspaper his secretary handed him and opened it to the page featuring Olivia Liberty. He saw a well-dressed woman smiling at him.
Noah, who had been looking at Olivia in the photo for a moment, put the newspaper down in front of Leonard.
Noah calmly offered his opinion to him as he looked at the newspaper with a puzzled look.
“I think it’s time to congratulate the youngest and most outstanding female college student from the Herod clan.”
The King seemed to hesitate for a moment at his suggestion, then nodded.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Then he suddenly got up, quickly went to his desk, and started harassing his secretaries.
"Quickly, bring me the stationery and envelopes! I told you there's a ship leaving for Pulder today, didn't I? Call them right now and tell them to bring my letter too!"
Two weeks later, Olivia walked down a quiet hallway, reading a letter with a complicated look on her face.
[...If we have the chance, I hope to meet you again next time, but unfortunately...]
She been interviewing for several months before Ansen even offered her a full-time position. But every time they saw her, she was rejected.
But the desperate hope that it might work out this time shattered like sea foam.
Olivia dropped her hand with a dejected expression. This time, she had high expectations, having even submitted a letter of recommendation from Professor Marguerite.
“...It didn’t work out again.”
Her heart sank with each successive failure. Her grandmother must be curious about the outcome, too. How could she possibly tell her?
Olivia folded the letter with heavy hands and put it in her bag. Meanwhile, she was standing before a grand black door.
Marguerite Astrid.
She was the younger sister of the current Herod monarch, Leonard II, and served as president and professor emeritus of Herrington College in the Republic of Pulder, not Herod.
Marguerite, or Margot for short, who seemed to personify the word cynicism, scanned Herod's main newspaper with a critical eye and clicked her tongue at the atrocities of her younger brother, Duke Lightwing.
“This idiot still does things like this even though he’s old.”
At that moment, a steady knocking sound was heard.
“Come in.”
As she took off the glasses she was wearing, the door opened, and the person she had been waiting for appeared.
“Come in, Olivia. Have a seat.”
“Hello, professor.”
Margot circled the desk and took the head of the reception sofa. She watched Olivia cautiously sit down nearby, then suddenly frowned.
“What’s going on?”
Olivia quickly smiled and shook her head at the sharp question.
“What’s wrong? Nothing much.”
“...”
Margot studied Olivia's face with her cool, dispassionate blue eyes, then crossed her arms in disapproval.
She guessed she failed to get a job again. They're just stupid companies with no discerning eye.
"If you're in a company of fools who have eyes but can't see, it's better not to go. Don't worry too much."
Olivia smiled faintly at her sharp consolation and fiddled with her skirt.
“I’m sorry, even though you wrote me a letter of recommendation.”
"You don't apologize in times like these. You rascal. I wrote you a letter of recommendation, and they're rejecting it? Just wait and see."
Margot uncrossed her arms and handed Olivia a heavy, luxurious envelope that had been sitting on the nightstand.
The reason she called Olivia today was because of this envelope.
Olivia took the envelope with both hands and tilted her head at the ornate Herod royal emblem engraved on the sealing wax.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Since it’s in front of you, take a look.”
At the top of the crisp card in the envelope was Olivia's name written in beautiful handwriting, just like a painting.
As Olivia's eyes widened and she quickly scanned the cards, Margot calmly explained the situation.
"The Herod royal family is in trouble due to Duke Lightwing's misdeeds. It seems King Herod wants to use you as a catalyst to change the situation. The invitation likely contained a plausible reason, but the reality is this."
Olivia was still looking down at the cards.
She was taken aback by the unexpected invitation, but her heart fluttered as if something had touched her.
Herod was a home to Olivia, a place filled with fond and cherished memories. Whenever she found herself tossed about by the harsh winds of the storm, she would always think of Herod, the comfort and peace he brought her.
It was the same today.
When her grandmother told her to go on an outing, Olivia inevitably thought of Herod.
“Why? Do you want to go?”
Olivia raised her head at Margot's question. She was already thinking about telling her grandmother that, now that she was an adult, she'd like to visit Herod again sometime. Of course, she wouldn't like it.
And then, an invitation came from Herod's royal family.
But...
Olivia barely managed to open her mouth, overcome with embarrassment.
"But Professor, I don't have the financial means to travel to Herod right now. Besides, if I do, my grandmother will be left alone..."
Then Margot snorted.
"Olivia, what you're holding now is a royal invitation. And until last year, your grandmother was your guardian. You were the one who needed to be protected."
“Still.”
Margot, who was not particularly fond of Susanna Liberty, who was so depressed that she was weighing heavily on the young girl's shoulders, clicked her tongue briefly and added,
"If you want to go, I'll send someone to Mrs. Liberty. I'll check on her morning and night to make sure she's okay. So don't worry about that."
Her words stirred Olivia's heart even more. But the poor commoner's worries didn't end there.
“If I go to Herod with this invitation, will there be any trouble? After all, it’s an invitation from the royal family.”
“It might be a bit annoying.”
“Does that mean there won’t be any trouble, Professor?”
“Should I catch and eat it?”
As she blurted out the words, Margot suddenly frowned. Then, she quickly snatched the invitation from Olivia and read it.
“Autumn Banquet?”
She thought they'd just invite her over to take some pictures, but the event they invited her to was the Autumn Banquet, Herod's social debut?!
Selfish Leonard made a big deal out of it.
“Get out!!! Where did you come in? Aren’t you going out right now?!”
The shoulders of the servants waiting shuddered at the loud noise that echoed through the hallway.
“One, two, three.”
As Noah was leisurely walking down the light-filled hallway, he counted the numbers. As if he had been waiting, the door opened, and a man jumped out.
Duke Walter Lightwing, his hair disheveled, stamped his feet and shouted desperately toward the closed door.
"Your Majesty!!"
“Get that useless, crazy idiot out of the palace right now, right now!!”
Walter squeezed his eyes shut as the King's angry voice came through the heavy door.
Noah walked slowly towards the great plague of the royal palace, stopping at an appropriate location and nodding his head rapidly.
“Hello, uncle.”
Then he immediately started walking again.
Walter blankly rolled his eyes as his nephew passed by, confused as to whether it was a greeting or not.
“Noah!”
Just as Noah stood at the door, Walter urgently called out to his nephew. Noah, his resentment toward his uncle building to a crawl, simply turned his head to look at him.
If a person has a conscience, they will say sorry.
“Speak nicely to His Majesty. Yes?”
Noah clenched his jaw so hard that he felt like he was going to burst out laughing. What conscience did Walter, the scourge of the royal family, have?
“Yes, uncle.”
Noah turned his head sharply and stepped into the open door.
The King's office was thick with cigarette smoke. Even Noah frowned.
The first person to meet his eyes was Crown Prince Usher. Usher greeted him with a small wink, and Noah nodded in return.
Then Leonard II threw the newspaper at the wall in a fit of rage.
“Why is this crazy kid drinking and not paying for his drinks? What?! Why is he talking about royalty in a bar!!”
A few days ago, Walter drank as much as he could at a bar after receiving a letter of separation from his only daughter.
Walter, who was drunk, caused a commotion despite the secretaries' attempts to stop him, saying, "I drank in my own country, so why should I pay for it?" and "The people of this country exist for the royal family!" And, as luck would have it, there were reporters there.
Walter's statement, "The people exist for the royal family," was immediately published on the front page of the newspaper, stirring public sentiment. The problem was that this wasn't Walter's first such atrocity.
“This idiot... I can’t believe I got involved in such a trivial matter.”
While Leonard groaned, clutching his head, Noah flung open the window. Immediately after, the King shouted.
“Close it!!”
Everyone was holding back their smoke, but Noah was relentless.
“I think we need some ventilation, Your Majesty.”
Usher nodded and opened another door himself.
“Calm down.”
The King's momentum subsided slightly at the urging of his grown sons.
Usher opened his mouth.
"First, issue an official statement. Silence alone won't solve the problem. Punish Duke Lightwing appropriately, and directly state that the Crown disagrees with his views."
“...”
Noah looked at his father's face and swallowed sarcasm. It wasn't that he didn't know. He just didn't want to do it.
Noah said, leaning against the windowsill with his arms crossed.
"I attended seven events yesterday, and my picture wasn't in any of the newspapers. Since that won't be enough to cover things up, I think it would be best to do as His Highness the Crown Prince says."
The King's secretaries also nodded repeatedly and looked at Leonard.
Leonard slumped down on the sofa like a defeated soldier, putting another cigarette in his mouth. Only after he'd finished one did he rinse his mouth with water and mutter.
"Then how are we going to rebuild the royal image that's been shattered? We're planning to raise taxes early next year, but with that bastard Walter creating this image, how will it pass?"
Then he looked at Noah openly.
What do you want me to do? Are you asking me to take off my clothes and turn my gaze away?
Noah felt annoyed by his gaze, and then suddenly remembered a palm-sized photograph.
Noah looked down for a moment, lost in thought, then approached the secretary who had picked up the newspaper the King had thrown away and extended his hand.
“Give me the newspaper.”
He accepted the newspaper his secretary handed him and opened it to the page featuring Olivia Liberty. He saw a well-dressed woman smiling at him.
Noah, who had been looking at Olivia in the photo for a moment, put the newspaper down in front of Leonard.
Noah calmly offered his opinion to him as he looked at the newspaper with a puzzled look.
“I think it’s time to congratulate the youngest and most outstanding female college student from the Herod clan.”
The King seemed to hesitate for a moment at his suggestion, then nodded.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Then he suddenly got up, quickly went to his desk, and started harassing his secretaries.
"Quickly, bring me the stationery and envelopes! I told you there's a ship leaving for Pulder today, didn't I? Call them right now and tell them to bring my letter too!"
***
Two weeks later, Olivia walked down a quiet hallway, reading a letter with a complicated look on her face.
[...If we have the chance, I hope to meet you again next time, but unfortunately...]
She been interviewing for several months before Ansen even offered her a full-time position. But every time they saw her, she was rejected.
But the desperate hope that it might work out this time shattered like sea foam.
Olivia dropped her hand with a dejected expression. This time, she had high expectations, having even submitted a letter of recommendation from Professor Marguerite.
“...It didn’t work out again.”
Her heart sank with each successive failure. Her grandmother must be curious about the outcome, too. How could she possibly tell her?
Olivia folded the letter with heavy hands and put it in her bag. Meanwhile, she was standing before a grand black door.
Marguerite Astrid.
She was the younger sister of the current Herod monarch, Leonard II, and served as president and professor emeritus of Herrington College in the Republic of Pulder, not Herod.
Marguerite, or Margot for short, who seemed to personify the word cynicism, scanned Herod's main newspaper with a critical eye and clicked her tongue at the atrocities of her younger brother, Duke Lightwing.
“This idiot still does things like this even though he’s old.”
At that moment, a steady knocking sound was heard.
“Come in.”
As she took off the glasses she was wearing, the door opened, and the person she had been waiting for appeared.
“Come in, Olivia. Have a seat.”
“Hello, professor.”
Margot circled the desk and took the head of the reception sofa. She watched Olivia cautiously sit down nearby, then suddenly frowned.
“What’s going on?”
Olivia quickly smiled and shook her head at the sharp question.
“What’s wrong? Nothing much.”
“...”
Margot studied Olivia's face with her cool, dispassionate blue eyes, then crossed her arms in disapproval.
She guessed she failed to get a job again. They're just stupid companies with no discerning eye.
"If you're in a company of fools who have eyes but can't see, it's better not to go. Don't worry too much."
Olivia smiled faintly at her sharp consolation and fiddled with her skirt.
“I’m sorry, even though you wrote me a letter of recommendation.”
"You don't apologize in times like these. You rascal. I wrote you a letter of recommendation, and they're rejecting it? Just wait and see."
Margot uncrossed her arms and handed Olivia a heavy, luxurious envelope that had been sitting on the nightstand.
The reason she called Olivia today was because of this envelope.
Olivia took the envelope with both hands and tilted her head at the ornate Herod royal emblem engraved on the sealing wax.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Since it’s in front of you, take a look.”
At the top of the crisp card in the envelope was Olivia's name written in beautiful handwriting, just like a painting.
As Olivia's eyes widened and she quickly scanned the cards, Margot calmly explained the situation.
"The Herod royal family is in trouble due to Duke Lightwing's misdeeds. It seems King Herod wants to use you as a catalyst to change the situation. The invitation likely contained a plausible reason, but the reality is this."
Olivia was still looking down at the cards.
She was taken aback by the unexpected invitation, but her heart fluttered as if something had touched her.
Herod was a home to Olivia, a place filled with fond and cherished memories. Whenever she found herself tossed about by the harsh winds of the storm, she would always think of Herod, the comfort and peace he brought her.
It was the same today.
When her grandmother told her to go on an outing, Olivia inevitably thought of Herod.
“Why? Do you want to go?”
Olivia raised her head at Margot's question. She was already thinking about telling her grandmother that, now that she was an adult, she'd like to visit Herod again sometime. Of course, she wouldn't like it.
And then, an invitation came from Herod's royal family.
But...
Olivia barely managed to open her mouth, overcome with embarrassment.
"But Professor, I don't have the financial means to travel to Herod right now. Besides, if I do, my grandmother will be left alone..."
Then Margot snorted.
"Olivia, what you're holding now is a royal invitation. And until last year, your grandmother was your guardian. You were the one who needed to be protected."
“Still.”
Margot, who was not particularly fond of Susanna Liberty, who was so depressed that she was weighing heavily on the young girl's shoulders, clicked her tongue briefly and added,
"If you want to go, I'll send someone to Mrs. Liberty. I'll check on her morning and night to make sure she's okay. So don't worry about that."
Her words stirred Olivia's heart even more. But the poor commoner's worries didn't end there.
“If I go to Herod with this invitation, will there be any trouble? After all, it’s an invitation from the royal family.”
“It might be a bit annoying.”
“Does that mean there won’t be any trouble, Professor?”
“Should I catch and eat it?”
As she blurted out the words, Margot suddenly frowned. Then, she quickly snatched the invitation from Olivia and read it.
“Autumn Banquet?”
She thought they'd just invite her over to take some pictures, but the event they invited her to was the Autumn Banquet, Herod's social debut?!
Selfish Leonard made a big deal out of it.
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