Episode 24. Lucy's Gift
Meanwhile, Noah, who was working at the Navy Residence, suddenly headed to the Magic Dome.
Stepping inside the dome, he began to climb the spiral staircase without hesitation.
The inside of the dome, where the swirling sea breeze echoed like a bell, was not pleasant to say the least.
The morning sunlight that occasionally streamed through the small windows was sharp and dizzying, like bars on a window, and it made his mind dizzy, and the hundreds of spiral staircases that were repeated enough to cause neurosis were tiresome.
One, he didn't rest for a moment. He climbed to the top in one breath, not even out of breath.
Then, a study room large enough for three people appeared. Pierre, who was on duty, turned to Noah with wide eyes.
“Uh, Colonel?”
“Who reads this while working?”
When Noah pointed to the magazine in Pierre's hand and scolded him, Pierre quickly hid the magazine behind his back and jumped up.
“I’m sorry! But, what’s wrong?”
“I want to smoke a cigarette.”
When Noah answered, taking a cigarette out of his pocket, Pierre blinked and tilted his head awkwardly.
“Uh... here? Why did you have to come up the stairs of death?”
Noah didn't answer, but walked past him and onto the narrow balcony that skirted the top of the Magic Dome. Leaning his arm on the chest-high railing, he gazed out at the vast, boundless sea.
The sea, bathed in the autumn sunlight, was unusually calm today. Visibility was clear enough to see a few seagulls dashing toward the sea in the distance.
That's why he could clearly see the large ship moving tirelessly toward the horizon that meets the sky.
The salty sea breeze tossed his hair messily.
The shadowy green eyes were still fixed on the boat moving away.
Until the ship plummeted below the horizon and disappeared.
Until his fleeting peace vanished.
Noah, who had been staring at the spot where the ship had disappeared for a long time, turned away from the sea, leaned halfway against the railing, and took a flashlight out of his pocket.
“It’s dangerous to expect that much!”
As Pierre nagged and gestured for him to come in, Noah shrugged and went back inside.
“Huh? What is that?”
Noah glanced at Pierre, who was staring at the flashlight with wide eyes, and put it back in his pocket without responding.
“Oh, yes. Well, there are probably a few things a guy like me doesn’t know.”
“I’m going.”
“Huh? Did you really come here because of cigarettes? Yes???”
Noah disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. Pierre, unable to understand why, scratched the back of his head and gazed out at the blue sea.
What was there?
There's nothing.
“It’s a parcel!”
Early one morning, Olivia, who was staying by her grandmother's side, jumped awake at the sound of voices outside. She ran to the window and opened the curtains, only to see the postman standing outside the front door.
“Are you there?!”
Olivia quickly opened the window. The cold, fresh air wafted into the warm room, piercing her lungs.
“It’s international mail! Leave it here!”
As the postman placed the package on the mailbox and disappeared, Olivia quickly closed the window.
She roughly wiped away the condensation that had formed like beads of a child's sweat with a nearby dry towel, then closed the curtains again and turned around.
Grandma Susanna was breathing heavily, her breathing unsteady, like the trembling of a dry branch. Still, she seemed much better today than she had been the past few days.
Susanna looked at her granddaughter, trying to lift her rough lips.
“It’s a parcel, so hurry up and go get it. I’m curious too.”
Olivia smiled, kissed her grandmother on the cheek, and went outside.
The snow that had fallen all night sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight. With temperatures generally mild in Pulder, it had been years since she's seen this much snow.
A long-awaited smile appeared on the face of the twenty-year-old girl, who was carefully stepping on the fluffy snow. Olivia crossed the snow and approached the mailbox.
The package atop the mailbox was a box about the size of a textbook. It was tightly sealed in brown wrapping paper, and a large, roughly stamped international mail stamp was stamped on the top.
Olivia's eyes widened as she checked the sender of the package with a fluttering heart.
Therese. A.
It had already been a year since those days in Herod, which felt like a midsummer night's dream. The young Princess she met then would occasionally send her parcels.
Olivia quickly returned to her grandmother with the package.
Susanna, who was exhaling dryly, stared blankly at her granddaughter's face, which had turned red, either from the cold air or from pleasure.
“This is a package sent by Princess Lucy.”
She peeled off the outer wrapping with a letter knife, revealing a luxurious, pale blue wrapping. Unraveling the adorable blue ribbon and peeling off the inner wrapping, the box finally revealed itself.
Even the royal box was extraordinary.
She carefully lifted the box lid, revealing a thin layer of packaging paper. She gently peeled that off with her hand, and finally, the contents were revealed.
Olivia let out a sigh of admiration without realizing it.
“What is it?”
As Susanna asked with a smile, Olivia slowly took out Lucy's gift.
It was a ribbon-shaped headband. A large ribbon made of dark green velvet had a red bead attached to it like a brooch.
“Oh, it’s really pretty.”
Susanna smiled, her wrinkled face twisted into a smile, and urged Olivia to put it on, and when she did, she even laughed out loud, a rare occurrence.
“Your Highness, I am always so grateful.”
“There’s a letter here too.”
Just as Olivia was about to open Lucy's letter, she heard a familiar voice outside.
"Olivia! Mrs. Liberty! I'm here! Come in~."
When she heard the door open, Olivia quickly put away Lucy's gift box and wrapping paper and stood up.
“I think Mrs. McPhee is here.”
Mrs. McPhee was so quick-moving that the sound of footsteps crossing the hallway was heard as soon as Olivia finished speaking.
The door swung open with a steady, steady knock, and a well-dressed middle-aged woman emerged with a wry smile. She removed her scarf and coat, hung them aside, and said good morning.
"Good morning! Mrs. Liberty, how are you today? Oh my, Olivia! What's different today?"
“Good morning, ma’am.”
"But honey, we have to go earlier than usual today. It's been snowing for the first time in ages, so the carriage can't get here. We have to walk all the way to 4th Avenue, so hurry and pack."
“Haha, yes. I will.”
When the bright and cheerful Mrs. McPhee appeared, the air seemed to become lighter.
“Wear your thickest coat, a scarf, and gloves. Wear low-heeled boots.”
She took care of Olivia's appearance like a mother, and Susanna gazed at the two of them.
For some reason, today, her granddaughter's image catches her eye.
Olivia donned the black wool coat she'd been wearing for years and wore brown leather gloves. She wrapped a knitted scarf around her bare neck and grabbed the large leather bag she always carried, completing her preparations for work.
It was an old outfit, but the velvet headband the Princess had sent was elegant and stylish. It was surprising how it didn't feel out of place.
Olivia approached her grandmother and kissed her on the cheek.
“Grandma, I’m going out. See you in the evening.”
“Olivia.”
"Yes."
“...”
"Grandma?"
Susanna slowly stroked her granddaughter's cheek with her rough, dry hands, like those of an old tree.
She didn't want to make a fancy outfit out of just a headband.
Why did it turn out like this?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled with all her might, knowing that a single tear would surely melt away Olivia's day.
“Take care, Liv.”
“We have to go, Olivia. I told you we’re going to be late.”
At Mrs. McPhee's urging, Olivia kissed her grandmother's cheek again and quickly went out.
"Please contact me if anything comes up. Thank you again today."
“Don’t worry, have a nice trip. You look better today than usual.”
When Mrs. McPhee came out to greet her at the door and whispered softly, Olivia bowed her head slightly in greeting and then briskly walked away.
This spring, her grandmother's health, initially thought to be a mild cold, suddenly deteriorated rapidly. Six months ago, it reached a point where even the hospital was reluctant to help.
“If your mind is sick, how can your body endure it?”
Her grandmother spoke so indifferently about her health.
Like a withering tree, she withered and blackened day by day.
It was always heavy walking to work, leaving her sick grandmother behind, but today she looked better than usual, and her heart felt lighter.
Moreover, it was snowing, and she received a nice letter and a gift this morning, so her steps felt light for the first time in a while.
Olivia walked a long way down Fourth Avenue before finally managing to squeeze into a carriage.
She deliberately chose a seat on the outermost side, hoping to see the snow, and sat pressed against the carriage railing, taking out Lucy's letter.
The beautiful letter paper spread out against the backdrop of the passing white world was filled with elegant handwriting.
As Olivia read the letter, she felt as if Lucy's days in Herod's palace were being pictured in her mind.
[...Unfortunately, I can't go to school. I really want to go, but my father says it's too dangerous... It snowed a lot in Herod last night. Noah helped me build a huge snowman. Did it snow in Pulder?....]
Olivia's gaze lingered on one word for a moment.
She quietly rolled the word around in her mouth, then looked up at the white world beyond the letter.
This white snow came to Herod, too.
He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be so affectionate as to build a snowman with his little sister.
Meanwhile, Noah, who was working at the Navy Residence, suddenly headed to the Magic Dome.
Stepping inside the dome, he began to climb the spiral staircase without hesitation.
The inside of the dome, where the swirling sea breeze echoed like a bell, was not pleasant to say the least.
The morning sunlight that occasionally streamed through the small windows was sharp and dizzying, like bars on a window, and it made his mind dizzy, and the hundreds of spiral staircases that were repeated enough to cause neurosis were tiresome.
One, he didn't rest for a moment. He climbed to the top in one breath, not even out of breath.
Then, a study room large enough for three people appeared. Pierre, who was on duty, turned to Noah with wide eyes.
“Uh, Colonel?”
“Who reads this while working?”
When Noah pointed to the magazine in Pierre's hand and scolded him, Pierre quickly hid the magazine behind his back and jumped up.
“I’m sorry! But, what’s wrong?”
“I want to smoke a cigarette.”
When Noah answered, taking a cigarette out of his pocket, Pierre blinked and tilted his head awkwardly.
“Uh... here? Why did you have to come up the stairs of death?”
Noah didn't answer, but walked past him and onto the narrow balcony that skirted the top of the Magic Dome. Leaning his arm on the chest-high railing, he gazed out at the vast, boundless sea.
The sea, bathed in the autumn sunlight, was unusually calm today. Visibility was clear enough to see a few seagulls dashing toward the sea in the distance.
That's why he could clearly see the large ship moving tirelessly toward the horizon that meets the sky.
The salty sea breeze tossed his hair messily.
The shadowy green eyes were still fixed on the boat moving away.
Until the ship plummeted below the horizon and disappeared.
Until his fleeting peace vanished.
Noah, who had been staring at the spot where the ship had disappeared for a long time, turned away from the sea, leaned halfway against the railing, and took a flashlight out of his pocket.
“It’s dangerous to expect that much!”
As Pierre nagged and gestured for him to come in, Noah shrugged and went back inside.
“Huh? What is that?”
Noah glanced at Pierre, who was staring at the flashlight with wide eyes, and put it back in his pocket without responding.
“Oh, yes. Well, there are probably a few things a guy like me doesn’t know.”
“I’m going.”
“Huh? Did you really come here because of cigarettes? Yes???”
Noah disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. Pierre, unable to understand why, scratched the back of his head and gazed out at the blue sea.
What was there?
There's nothing.
***
“It’s a parcel!”
Early one morning, Olivia, who was staying by her grandmother's side, jumped awake at the sound of voices outside. She ran to the window and opened the curtains, only to see the postman standing outside the front door.
“Are you there?!”
Olivia quickly opened the window. The cold, fresh air wafted into the warm room, piercing her lungs.
“Here you go! Take it with you. Thank you!”
As the postman placed the package on the mailbox and disappeared, Olivia quickly closed the window.
She roughly wiped away the condensation that had formed like beads of a child's sweat with a nearby dry towel, then closed the curtains again and turned around.
Grandma Susanna was breathing heavily, her breathing unsteady, like the trembling of a dry branch. Still, she seemed much better today than she had been the past few days.
Susanna looked at her granddaughter, trying to lift her rough lips.
“It’s a parcel, so hurry up and go get it. I’m curious too.”
Olivia smiled, kissed her grandmother on the cheek, and went outside.
The snow that had fallen all night sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight. With temperatures generally mild in Pulder, it had been years since she's seen this much snow.
A long-awaited smile appeared on the face of the twenty-year-old girl, who was carefully stepping on the fluffy snow. Olivia crossed the snow and approached the mailbox.
The package atop the mailbox was a box about the size of a textbook. It was tightly sealed in brown wrapping paper, and a large, roughly stamped international mail stamp was stamped on the top.
Olivia's eyes widened as she checked the sender of the package with a fluttering heart.
Therese. A.
It had already been a year since those days in Herod, which felt like a midsummer night's dream. The young Princess she met then would occasionally send her parcels.
Olivia quickly returned to her grandmother with the package.
Susanna, who was exhaling dryly, stared blankly at her granddaughter's face, which had turned red, either from the cold air or from pleasure.
“This is a package sent by Princess Lucy.”
She peeled off the outer wrapping with a letter knife, revealing a luxurious, pale blue wrapping. Unraveling the adorable blue ribbon and peeling off the inner wrapping, the box finally revealed itself.
Even the royal box was extraordinary.
She carefully lifted the box lid, revealing a thin layer of packaging paper. She gently peeled that off with her hand, and finally, the contents were revealed.
“Wow!”
“What is it?”
As Susanna asked with a smile, Olivia slowly took out Lucy's gift.
It was a ribbon-shaped headband. A large ribbon made of dark green velvet had a red bead attached to it like a brooch.
“Oh, it’s really pretty.”
Susanna smiled, her wrinkled face twisted into a smile, and urged Olivia to put it on, and when she did, she even laughed out loud, a rare occurrence.
“Your Highness, I am always so grateful.”
“There’s a letter here too.”
Just as Olivia was about to open Lucy's letter, she heard a familiar voice outside.
"Olivia! Mrs. Liberty! I'm here! Come in~."
When she heard the door open, Olivia quickly put away Lucy's gift box and wrapping paper and stood up.
“I think Mrs. McPhee is here.”
Mrs. McPhee was so quick-moving that the sound of footsteps crossing the hallway was heard as soon as Olivia finished speaking.
The door swung open with a steady, steady knock, and a well-dressed middle-aged woman emerged with a wry smile. She removed her scarf and coat, hung them aside, and said good morning.
"Good morning! Mrs. Liberty, how are you today? Oh my, Olivia! What's different today?"
“Good morning, ma’am.”
"But honey, we have to go earlier than usual today. It's been snowing for the first time in ages, so the carriage can't get here. We have to walk all the way to 4th Avenue, so hurry and pack."
“Haha, yes. I will.”
When the bright and cheerful Mrs. McPhee appeared, the air seemed to become lighter.
“Wear your thickest coat, a scarf, and gloves. Wear low-heeled boots.”
She took care of Olivia's appearance like a mother, and Susanna gazed at the two of them.
For some reason, today, her granddaughter's image catches her eye.
Olivia donned the black wool coat she'd been wearing for years and wore brown leather gloves. She wrapped a knitted scarf around her bare neck and grabbed the large leather bag she always carried, completing her preparations for work.
It was an old outfit, but the velvet headband the Princess had sent was elegant and stylish. It was surprising how it didn't feel out of place.
Olivia approached her grandmother and kissed her on the cheek.
“Grandma, I’m going out. See you in the evening.”
“Olivia.”
"Yes."
“...”
"Grandma?"
Susanna slowly stroked her granddaughter's cheek with her rough, dry hands, like those of an old tree.
She didn't want to make a fancy outfit out of just a headband.
Why did it turn out like this?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled with all her might, knowing that a single tear would surely melt away Olivia's day.
“Take care, Liv.”
“We have to go, Olivia. I told you we’re going to be late.”
At Mrs. McPhee's urging, Olivia kissed her grandmother's cheek again and quickly went out.
"Please contact me if anything comes up. Thank you again today."
“Don’t worry, have a nice trip. You look better today than usual.”
When Mrs. McPhee came out to greet her at the door and whispered softly, Olivia bowed her head slightly in greeting and then briskly walked away.
This spring, her grandmother's health, initially thought to be a mild cold, suddenly deteriorated rapidly. Six months ago, it reached a point where even the hospital was reluctant to help.
“If your mind is sick, how can your body endure it?”
Her grandmother spoke so indifferently about her health.
Like a withering tree, she withered and blackened day by day.
It was always heavy walking to work, leaving her sick grandmother behind, but today she looked better than usual, and her heart felt lighter.
Moreover, it was snowing, and she received a nice letter and a gift this morning, so her steps felt light for the first time in a while.
Olivia walked a long way down Fourth Avenue before finally managing to squeeze into a carriage.
She deliberately chose a seat on the outermost side, hoping to see the snow, and sat pressed against the carriage railing, taking out Lucy's letter.
The beautiful letter paper spread out against the backdrop of the passing white world was filled with elegant handwriting.
As Olivia read the letter, she felt as if Lucy's days in Herod's palace were being pictured in her mind.
[...Unfortunately, I can't go to school. I really want to go, but my father says it's too dangerous... It snowed a lot in Herod last night. Noah helped me build a huge snowman. Did it snow in Pulder?....]
Olivia's gaze lingered on one word for a moment.
She quietly rolled the word around in her mouth, then looked up at the white world beyond the letter.
This white snow came to Herod, too.
He didn't seem like the kind of person who would be so affectionate as to build a snowman with his little sister.
Well, she supposed that's possible since he was the one who played with the thread with her.
Olivia smiled softly, gazing into those sparkling eyes.
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