Episode 4. The Grateful Woman
Meanwhile, Olivia's large, round eyes curved into crescent moons, and her lips turned upward.
"Well, I'd like to go! Can I reply by international mail?"
At that sight, Margot wiggled her eyebrows and shook her head slightly.
"You don't understand the arrogance of royalty, Olivia. The moment you tell them you're leaving, people are already here to take you away."
So strictly speaking, it's not really an invitation.
As Olivia blinked with a bewildered expression, Margot let out a small sigh.
Sending this young lady alone to Herod, and to the autumn banquet at that, would have caused great trouble.
Should we go together? ...It’s really annoying.
Olivia headed straight home.
Nineteen this year. She graduated early from Herrington College with top grades, but while all her peers landed decent jobs, she failed to find a job.
Just when she felt like her lungs were about to collapse from the harsh reality, an invitation from Herod made her heart flutter.
Olivia handed the coachman her wages and hurried out of the carriage. Then she ran toward a small house with a cedar tree lining its exterior walls.
Of course, her grandmother would say no, but she really wanted to get her permission this time.
Meanwhile, Susanna, who was spending her free time in the study, sat up at the sound of an approaching carriage and looked out the window.
Sure enough, Olivia was running across the garden toward the mansion. A faint smile crept across the sullen, unsmiling face of the woman.
She thought she heard small, noisy footsteps, then the door opened, and Olivia popped her head out.
"Grandma!"
“Welcome, Liv. How was your trip?”
As soon as she opened the door, a gloomy atmosphere washed over her, but Olivia smiled even brighter.
“Oh, by the way, please open the curtains.”
Olivia opened the curtains, letting sunlight flood into every corner of the study, and sat down in front of her grandmother. She hoped the sunlight would dim the sadness and helplessness etched in every wrinkle of her grandmother's face.
Olivia chattered away for a while, and Susanna laughed for a moment as she listened to her granddaughter's babbling.
After talking for a while, Olivia paused for a moment and then quietly took out the royal invitation and handed it to her.
“What is this?”
Olivia answered her grandmother's question cautiously.
“This is an invitation that has come to me.”
Susanna hung the magnifying glass on the table to her nose and accepted the envelope Olivia handed her. But the material of the envelope she held in her hand was unusual.
As she quickly took the card out of the envelope, a gorgeous sentence appeared that she could not help but recognize.
Although she was a commoner, Susanna, who had been in business for a long time in Herod's household, immediately recognized it as the emblem of the Herodian royal family.
When Susanna looked at Olivia in surprise, Olivia quickly added an explanation.
“I guess I made a name for myself in Herod as the first female student at Herrington College.”
"No."
Olivia's expression was earnest at the sudden objection.
"Grandma."
"No, Liv. And even more so."
Olivia is beautiful enough to make anyone turn around.
However, she has no father or brother to serve as her legal guardian, and is even a commoner.
Showing her to Herod, and to the nobles at that? Absolutely not.
Susanna's attitude was extremely firm. Olivia had expected this, so she played her last card.
“Grandma, Professor Marguerite is coming with me.”
Susanna, who had been shaking her head firmly, stopped at those words.
“Princess Marguerite?”
Olivia smiled brightly and nodded quickly.
"Yes, I said I'd go with the royal family. I really want to go! Yes? Grandma~"
Susanna stared blankly at Olivia, who was pestering her for the first time in a long time.
As Susanna's expression disappeared, her granddaughter grew mentally before her body, and from one day on, she never cried again.
It had been a long time since her granddaughter had teased her with such an expression, and Susanna felt as if someone was strangling her. After a long silence, Olivia looked at her with a desperate expression, and Susanna managed to ask a question.
“...Do you really want to go to Herod that much?”
"Yes."
Susanna sighed deeply at the unhesitating answer. Still, unable to readily consent, she stared down at the royal invitation for a long time.
Susanna, who sent Olivia away, saying she would think about it a little more, ended up staying up all night.
As dawn broke, her wrinkled eyes, staring at the family photos hanging on the wall, collapsed.
The girl who smiled innocently in her father's and mother's arms grew into a young lady who tried to smile brightly next to her gloomy grandmother.
Yeah, why wouldn't you? You lost your parents in an instant and left that place.
Finally, early in the morning, Susanna returned the royal invitation to Olivia, saying with a resolute tone:
"No matter what happens, you must never leave Princess Marguerite's side. Never go out alone, and always stay by her side."
As soon as those words left her mouth, Olivia threw her hands up in the air, cheered, and hugged her grandmother.
“Yes, yes!! I will definitely do that!!”
Olivia's eyes kept shining as she endured her grandmother's endless nagging.
Herod! How I longed to go there!
So, a few days later, Olivia boarded a ship bound for Pulder with Professor Marguerite.
It was a long two-week journey, as it was the season when sea monsters were prevalent and a direct route was not possible, but Olivia's expression was brighter than ever.
Meanwhile, in Herrington Bay, the sea monsters were having their last run.
Spring and summer, when the monsters were in their mating and spawning seasons, were truly seasons of disaster, while fall and winter were so peaceful that there were almost no attacks.
The Magic Dome struck every single monster that entered its range.
The Magic Dome developed by Wilhelm was truly revolutionary.
The wizards simply had to pour magical energy into the magic charging terminals to power them. Of course, that wasn't an easy task.
A white spray of water rose, and small krakens that had been hiding in the sea capsized the boat and floated to the surface.
“Hey, you can’t change shifts?!”
Pierre, who had been supplying magical power from the Magic Dome body for several hours, shouted, clutching his trembling legs.
Noah Astrid, the head of the Naval Special Forces, has been away from the residence recently due to various interviews, leaving Pierre, the deputy head, with a heavy workload.
Oh my god, I'm going to die! When the hell is Noah Astrid coming?!!
“Enough cursing inside, Pierre.”
He felt someone's presence on his shoulder, and Pierre's hand, which had been barely resting on the charging terminal, was moved aside.
Noah, wearing a sleek black suit instead of his navy uniform, took off his thin summer gloves, stuffed them into his pockets, placed his bare hands on the charging terminal, and poured out his magical power.
Without even giving a glance at the sprawled Pierre.
The Magic Dome, whose firepower had been weakened, responded with renewed magic, rekindling its powerful barrage. The momentum of the surging water stream was different.
As the cheering voices of the sailors from the shore began to roar, Pierre sat up and muttered.
"Oh, why are there so many interviews? I thought I was going to die doing them all alone."
Noah deftly took the cigarette out of the charging terminal with his free left hand.
“If you don’t reduce that too, you’ll die young.”
“It’s noisy.”
Noah, who had cut off Pierre's advice, stared indifferently at the magical flames that were bursting out in a flashy manner.
He was on his way back from leaving a note to his father, who had told him to go to one more event and not to contact him for the time being.
Fortunately, the girl from the Pulder was coming to Herod, so he was thinking of withdrawing at this point.
“I am very grateful.”
"Yes?"
"Anyway, that's the end of our interview for now. And you'll have to get used to the Navy without me, Pierre."
“Huh? Why do you say that?”
“This will end soon, too.”
Pierre's face crumpled at Noah's words.
“Have you decided to make money instead of defending Herod’s country?!”
Noah laughed at Pierre's accusation. Even as he poured out his magical power, his expression remained unchanged.
As the blue flag rose, signaling the end of the coastal waters treatment, Noah took his hand off the charging terminal and turned around.
Then, with a posture so perfect it seemed almost impeccable, he put his gloves back on and stubbed out his cigarette.
Noah glanced at Pierre, who looked visibly tired, and then said as he went down the stairs.
“If I earn a lot of money and pay enough taxes, wouldn’t that be a greater help in defending our country?”
Noah, who was descending the spiral staircase, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt that was suffocating his neck and twisted his stiff neck from side to side.
"Keep an eye out for the young ladies making their debuts at this fall's banquet. They should be getting married by next year!"
As Noah left, threatening not to give any more interviews, the King offered him a wedding card.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I’ll take care of love.”
“I know about your love life, but you don’t plan on just enjoying it moderately, do you?”
What do you know about the kind of relationships I enjoy? Are you talking about those cheesy socialite flyers who start blabbing about how I'm a Prince Charming just by making eye contact?
Despite his son's cold attitude, the King only shrugged.
As his father's expression came to mind, Noah cursed and strode down the stairs.
His only goal is to achieve complete independence and peace from the tedious royal family.
Meanwhile, Olivia's large, round eyes curved into crescent moons, and her lips turned upward.
"Well, I'd like to go! Can I reply by international mail?"
At that sight, Margot wiggled her eyebrows and shook her head slightly.
"You don't understand the arrogance of royalty, Olivia. The moment you tell them you're leaving, people are already here to take you away."
So strictly speaking, it's not really an invitation.
As Olivia blinked with a bewildered expression, Margot let out a small sigh.
Sending this young lady alone to Herod, and to the autumn banquet at that, would have caused great trouble.
Should we go together? ...It’s really annoying.
***
Olivia headed straight home.
Nineteen this year. She graduated early from Herrington College with top grades, but while all her peers landed decent jobs, she failed to find a job.
Just when she felt like her lungs were about to collapse from the harsh reality, an invitation from Herod made her heart flutter.
Olivia handed the coachman her wages and hurried out of the carriage. Then she ran toward a small house with a cedar tree lining its exterior walls.
Of course, her grandmother would say no, but she really wanted to get her permission this time.
Meanwhile, Susanna, who was spending her free time in the study, sat up at the sound of an approaching carriage and looked out the window.
Sure enough, Olivia was running across the garden toward the mansion. A faint smile crept across the sullen, unsmiling face of the woman.
She thought she heard small, noisy footsteps, then the door opened, and Olivia popped her head out.
"Grandma!"
“Welcome, Liv. How was your trip?”
As soon as she opened the door, a gloomy atmosphere washed over her, but Olivia smiled even brighter.
“Oh, by the way, please open the curtains.”
Olivia opened the curtains, letting sunlight flood into every corner of the study, and sat down in front of her grandmother. She hoped the sunlight would dim the sadness and helplessness etched in every wrinkle of her grandmother's face.
Olivia chattered away for a while, and Susanna laughed for a moment as she listened to her granddaughter's babbling.
After talking for a while, Olivia paused for a moment and then quietly took out the royal invitation and handed it to her.
“What is this?”
Olivia answered her grandmother's question cautiously.
“This is an invitation that has come to me.”
Susanna hung the magnifying glass on the table to her nose and accepted the envelope Olivia handed her. But the material of the envelope she held in her hand was unusual.
As she quickly took the card out of the envelope, a gorgeous sentence appeared that she could not help but recognize.
Although she was a commoner, Susanna, who had been in business for a long time in Herod's household, immediately recognized it as the emblem of the Herodian royal family.
When Susanna looked at Olivia in surprise, Olivia quickly added an explanation.
“I guess I made a name for myself in Herod as the first female student at Herrington College.”
"No."
Olivia's expression was earnest at the sudden objection.
"Grandma."
"No, Liv. And even more so."
Olivia is beautiful enough to make anyone turn around.
However, she has no father or brother to serve as her legal guardian, and is even a commoner.
Showing her to Herod, and to the nobles at that? Absolutely not.
Susanna's attitude was extremely firm. Olivia had expected this, so she played her last card.
“Grandma, Professor Marguerite is coming with me.”
Susanna, who had been shaking her head firmly, stopped at those words.
“Princess Marguerite?”
Olivia smiled brightly and nodded quickly.
"Yes, I said I'd go with the royal family. I really want to go! Yes? Grandma~"
Susanna stared blankly at Olivia, who was pestering her for the first time in a long time.
As Susanna's expression disappeared, her granddaughter grew mentally before her body, and from one day on, she never cried again.
It had been a long time since her granddaughter had teased her with such an expression, and Susanna felt as if someone was strangling her. After a long silence, Olivia looked at her with a desperate expression, and Susanna managed to ask a question.
“...Do you really want to go to Herod that much?”
"Yes."
Susanna sighed deeply at the unhesitating answer. Still, unable to readily consent, she stared down at the royal invitation for a long time.
Susanna, who sent Olivia away, saying she would think about it a little more, ended up staying up all night.
As dawn broke, her wrinkled eyes, staring at the family photos hanging on the wall, collapsed.
The girl who smiled innocently in her father's and mother's arms grew into a young lady who tried to smile brightly next to her gloomy grandmother.
Yeah, why wouldn't you? You lost your parents in an instant and left that place.
Finally, early in the morning, Susanna returned the royal invitation to Olivia, saying with a resolute tone:
"No matter what happens, you must never leave Princess Marguerite's side. Never go out alone, and always stay by her side."
As soon as those words left her mouth, Olivia threw her hands up in the air, cheered, and hugged her grandmother.
“Yes, yes!! I will definitely do that!!”
Olivia's eyes kept shining as she endured her grandmother's endless nagging.
Herod! How I longed to go there!
So, a few days later, Olivia boarded a ship bound for Pulder with Professor Marguerite.
It was a long two-week journey, as it was the season when sea monsters were prevalent and a direct route was not possible, but Olivia's expression was brighter than ever.
***
Meanwhile, in Herrington Bay, the sea monsters were having their last run.
Spring and summer, when the monsters were in their mating and spawning seasons, were truly seasons of disaster, while fall and winter were so peaceful that there were almost no attacks.
The Magic Dome struck every single monster that entered its range.
The Magic Dome developed by Wilhelm was truly revolutionary.
The wizards simply had to pour magical energy into the magic charging terminals to power them. Of course, that wasn't an easy task.
A white spray of water rose, and small krakens that had been hiding in the sea capsized the boat and floated to the surface.
“Hey, you can’t change shifts?!”
Pierre, who had been supplying magical power from the Magic Dome body for several hours, shouted, clutching his trembling legs.
Noah Astrid, the head of the Naval Special Forces, has been away from the residence recently due to various interviews, leaving Pierre, the deputy head, with a heavy workload.
Oh my god, I'm going to die! When the hell is Noah Astrid coming?!!
“Enough cursing inside, Pierre.”
He felt someone's presence on his shoulder, and Pierre's hand, which had been barely resting on the charging terminal, was moved aside.
Noah, wearing a sleek black suit instead of his navy uniform, took off his thin summer gloves, stuffed them into his pockets, placed his bare hands on the charging terminal, and poured out his magical power.
Without even giving a glance at the sprawled Pierre.
The Magic Dome, whose firepower had been weakened, responded with renewed magic, rekindling its powerful barrage. The momentum of the surging water stream was different.
As the cheering voices of the sailors from the shore began to roar, Pierre sat up and muttered.
"Oh, why are there so many interviews? I thought I was going to die doing them all alone."
Noah deftly took the cigarette out of the charging terminal with his free left hand.
“If you don’t reduce that too, you’ll die young.”
“It’s noisy.”
Noah, who had cut off Pierre's advice, stared indifferently at the magical flames that were bursting out in a flashy manner.
He was on his way back from leaving a note to his father, who had told him to go to one more event and not to contact him for the time being.
Fortunately, the girl from the Pulder was coming to Herod, so he was thinking of withdrawing at this point.
“I am very grateful.”
"Yes?"
"Anyway, that's the end of our interview for now. And you'll have to get used to the Navy without me, Pierre."
“Huh? Why do you say that?”
“This will end soon, too.”
Pierre's face crumpled at Noah's words.
“Have you decided to make money instead of defending Herod’s country?!”
Noah laughed at Pierre's accusation. Even as he poured out his magical power, his expression remained unchanged.
As the blue flag rose, signaling the end of the coastal waters treatment, Noah took his hand off the charging terminal and turned around.
Then, with a posture so perfect it seemed almost impeccable, he put his gloves back on and stubbed out his cigarette.
Noah glanced at Pierre, who looked visibly tired, and then said as he went down the stairs.
“If I earn a lot of money and pay enough taxes, wouldn’t that be a greater help in defending our country?”
Noah, who was descending the spiral staircase, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt that was suffocating his neck and twisted his stiff neck from side to side.
"Keep an eye out for the young ladies making their debuts at this fall's banquet. They should be getting married by next year!"
As Noah left, threatening not to give any more interviews, the King offered him a wedding card.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I’ll take care of love.”
“I know about your love life, but you don’t plan on just enjoying it moderately, do you?”
What do you know about the kind of relationships I enjoy? Are you talking about those cheesy socialite flyers who start blabbing about how I'm a Prince Charming just by making eye contact?
Despite his son's cold attitude, the King only shrugged.
As his father's expression came to mind, Noah cursed and strode down the stairs.
His only goal is to achieve complete independence and peace from the tedious royal family.
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