Episode 31. Isabelle's Misjudgment
Noah got into the carriage, placed his jacket in a corner with rough hands, and leaned back.
It's been an unusually long day.
He took a sharp breath, his throat burning for some reason. Noah, who always maintained a near-perfect appearance, ended up ripping off the two buttons at the nape of his neck.
“You have nothing to do, so you’re interested in other people’s lives.”
It was funny that Lawrence was talking about it as a hot topic, and the people who were listening to it were also pathetic.
“Why do you keep talking about how great that woman is?”
I was just trying to end the day with a couple of drinks, and you're interrupting that with something like that woman?
Noah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling an inexplicable surge of anger.
Still, an unpleasant feeling continued to rise, as if sticky swamp mud was clinging to his whole body.
When he opened his eyes wide, intending to open the window, she saw the carriage passing by the Golden Lion.
Why do I always see that dazzling, flashy thing?
Noah opened the door, cursing softly. A gust of wind blew through his shirt.
As the wind blew, he suddenly took out a flashlight from inside his jacket.
It worked fine for a while, but then it broke. No one knew what it was, so there was no way to fix it.
Why was he carrying around something broken?
It's a funny thing, he always carried it around with him, but now that he doesn't have it, he feels empty. So he just kept carrying it.
Noah scoffed sharply as he remembered the woman who had held this out with trembling hands.
“I guess I’m just as frustrated as those idle brats.”
Noah tossed the flashlight roughly onto his jacket and ran a hand through his hair.
That woman seems to be living quite well.
As Isabelle approached the young ladies, one of them suddenly pulled her to a corner.
“Lady Millain, what’s wrong?”
Young Lady Millain glanced around, then looked at Isabelle with a look of pity. Isabelle's brow tightened at the sight.
“Is everything alright with His Royal Highness, Lady Seymour?”
Isabelle, annoyed by the teasing tone, snorted and shook off her arm.
“What are you talking about? What’s going on?”
"It seems His Majesty is secretly investigating your relationship. But... I don't think his intentions are good."
“...What does that mean?”
A chill ran down her spine.
As Isabelle's eyes trembled slightly, Young Lady Millain concealed her smile and assumed an even more pitiful expression. How pathetic it was to see her flaunting her status as the Prince's lover.
"My father is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, isn't he? He said yesterday that His Majesty, in the midst of the turmoil surrounding the Polia incident, seemed to be trying to change the mood with His Highness's wedding. He said he suspected he might be considering marrying into another royal family..."
Those words were like a bolt from the blue.
Is this what it feels like when the sky is falling?
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
Young Lady Millain's voice came from afar, through the tinnitus. Isabelle nodded roughly and took a deep breath.
First, she thinks she should inform Mrs. Zuberne and her mother about this and discuss it with them.
But then, Prince Noah burst into her sight, standing up from his seat. He left the club, seemingly unconcerned with the club's surroundings.
At that moment, Isabelle followed him blindly.
She must catch the Prince.
“Follow His Highness Prince Noah quickly!”
“Yes? Wow, His Highness the Prince?”
As Isabelle hurriedly climbed into the carriage and gave the order, the coachman's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are we following Prince Noah at this hour?"
"Hurry!"
“Oh, yes, Miss!”
At Isabelle's nervous urging, the coachman quickly drove the carriage.
If you tell me to do it, I have to do it. What else can I do?
Isabelle rolled her eyes nervously in the carriage.
Love, experienced alone, makes a person extremely sensitive. This sensitivity, sharpened like a blade, allows them to attribute meaning to even the smallest actions of the other person.
So she kept getting excited alone and then falling into the abyss alone.
Seymour's famous daughter, who had always been easygoing, was shaken by the upheaval.
Now I can't miss Noah Astrid.
"Remember, Lady Seymour. To captivate Prince Noah, you must, paradoxically, be willing to give him up cleanly at any moment. The moment you lose that willingness, the Prince will grow weary of you."
Then that's the end.
As Noah got out of the carriage, the maid, Mrs. Betty, who had been waiting, quickly took his luggage.
As she was tilting her head at the Prince's disheveled attire, he suddenly offered her something.
“Throw it away.”
Mrs. Betty instinctively took the object and was inwardly surprised. Wasn't that what he'd been carrying around all along?
"...All right."
As she followed the Prince, who was walking ahead, a sudden clatter of horse hooves was heard behind her. Noah stopped and turned, and Mrs. Betty also turned to look behind her.
A beautiful pastel-colored carriage entered the mansion.
Noah's brow hardened at the sight of the cute carriage, and then he crumpled when a woman got out of the carriage.
Noah thought slowly as he watched Isabelle slowly approach him.
It's been a really long day.
Noah didn't bother to dismiss the servants. He just tilted his head, his disheveled clothes still intact, and stared intently at Isabelle.
The only time he tolerated her was inside the club.
If that's the result of tolerating it to that extent, it wasn't bad. But if she came all the way to his house at this hour, it would be a different story.
Noah is already in a bad mood because the excitement from two glasses of alcohol has been ruined.
Isabelle's heart trembled as she watched Noah's expression as she drew ever closer. But this action, and her feelings, were already spilled milk.
Isabelle stopped one step in front of him with a sweet and charming smile.
“Your Highness, good evening...”
“Let’s get to the point. Introductions are boring.”
“...”
“If the main topic is as boring as the introduction, then let’s just go back and not even bring it up.”
Noah took off his thin mask and revealed his true face.
His words pierced Isabelle's chest like a sharp knife, slicing into her heart. They were so cruel that even the servants listening blushed in embarrassment.
It was only natural that Isabelle's eyes, barely able to hold on to their composure, turned red and gleamed.
Needless to say, Noah's irritation was compounded by those tears.
Noah waved his hand, dismissing the servants, and finally pulled out a cigarette. With one hand shoved into his pocket, he spat out a grumpy, almost slurred, "I'm going to die."
"I clearly told you I didn't care about your honor in the slightest. But wouldn't it be a problem if you came to my house at this hour and ruined my already sagging honor? Or did you come here because you wanted to spend the night with me?"
Isabelle glared at him, clenching her fists in humiliation.
This man doesn't love her in the slightest. No, he certainly didn't have any feelings resembling love in the first place.
The wounded beast, whose last rest had been interrupted, was snarling and baring its teeth.
But Isabelle was going crazy because she couldn't let go of this man.
"There's a problem. The rumors are so big that I'm not getting any more marriage proposals."
"However?"
“...So, I would like to ask His Highness the Prince to marry me.”
Noah chuckled at her words.
Isabelle's legs trembled at the absurd reaction.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hold me responsible in any way?”
“I’m not asking for responsibility.”
"Then?"
“Are you tired of attending all the events and doing interviews?”
“...”
“I’ll try to stop it. I’ll ask my father to do it...”
The moment she brought up Count Seymour, Noah cut her off.
“I’m bored. Let’s go back.”
“I can do it!”
"Can you do it? What are you going to tell Count Seymour? Are you going to tell him I asked you to do it?"
"No. If I really shorten, or rather eliminate, Your Highness's schedule... then marry me. That wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"
Noah burst out laughing. Then, taking a deep breath, he looked up at the sky and muttered something dry.
“Or so you say.”
I thought she was a fool, but she turned out to be a sly fox. Did you really think that was possible? How does the Count of Seymour plan to sway King Herod's mind?
Noah got into the carriage, placed his jacket in a corner with rough hands, and leaned back.
It's been an unusually long day.
He took a sharp breath, his throat burning for some reason. Noah, who always maintained a near-perfect appearance, ended up ripping off the two buttons at the nape of his neck.
“You have nothing to do, so you’re interested in other people’s lives.”
It was funny that Lawrence was talking about it as a hot topic, and the people who were listening to it were also pathetic.
“Why do you keep talking about how great that woman is?”
I was just trying to end the day with a couple of drinks, and you're interrupting that with something like that woman?
Noah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling an inexplicable surge of anger.
Still, an unpleasant feeling continued to rise, as if sticky swamp mud was clinging to his whole body.
When he opened his eyes wide, intending to open the window, she saw the carriage passing by the Golden Lion.
Why do I always see that dazzling, flashy thing?
Noah opened the door, cursing softly. A gust of wind blew through his shirt.
As the wind blew, he suddenly took out a flashlight from inside his jacket.
It worked fine for a while, but then it broke. No one knew what it was, so there was no way to fix it.
Why was he carrying around something broken?
It's a funny thing, he always carried it around with him, but now that he doesn't have it, he feels empty. So he just kept carrying it.
Noah scoffed sharply as he remembered the woman who had held this out with trembling hands.
“I guess I’m just as frustrated as those idle brats.”
Noah tossed the flashlight roughly onto his jacket and ran a hand through his hair.
That woman seems to be living quite well.
***
As Isabelle approached the young ladies, one of them suddenly pulled her to a corner.
“Lady Millain, what’s wrong?”
Young Lady Millain glanced around, then looked at Isabelle with a look of pity. Isabelle's brow tightened at the sight.
“Is everything alright with His Royal Highness, Lady Seymour?”
Isabelle, annoyed by the teasing tone, snorted and shook off her arm.
“What are you talking about? What’s going on?”
"It seems His Majesty is secretly investigating your relationship. But... I don't think his intentions are good."
“...What does that mean?”
A chill ran down her spine.
As Isabelle's eyes trembled slightly, Young Lady Millain concealed her smile and assumed an even more pitiful expression. How pathetic it was to see her flaunting her status as the Prince's lover.
"My father is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, isn't he? He said yesterday that His Majesty, in the midst of the turmoil surrounding the Polia incident, seemed to be trying to change the mood with His Highness's wedding. He said he suspected he might be considering marrying into another royal family..."
Those words were like a bolt from the blue.
Is this what it feels like when the sky is falling?
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
Young Lady Millain's voice came from afar, through the tinnitus. Isabelle nodded roughly and took a deep breath.
First, she thinks she should inform Mrs. Zuberne and her mother about this and discuss it with them.
But then, Prince Noah burst into her sight, standing up from his seat. He left the club, seemingly unconcerned with the club's surroundings.
At that moment, Isabelle followed him blindly.
Whether she was Mrs. Zuberne or her mother, the moment she saw him, everything vanished from her mind.
“Follow His Highness Prince Noah quickly!”
“Yes? Wow, His Highness the Prince?”
As Isabelle hurriedly climbed into the carriage and gave the order, the coachman's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are we following Prince Noah at this hour?"
"Hurry!"
“Oh, yes, Miss!”
At Isabelle's nervous urging, the coachman quickly drove the carriage.
If you tell me to do it, I have to do it. What else can I do?
Isabelle rolled her eyes nervously in the carriage.
Love, experienced alone, makes a person extremely sensitive. This sensitivity, sharpened like a blade, allows them to attribute meaning to even the smallest actions of the other person.
So she kept getting excited alone and then falling into the abyss alone.
Seymour's famous daughter, who had always been easygoing, was shaken by the upheaval.
Now I can't miss Noah Astrid.
"Remember, Lady Seymour. To captivate Prince Noah, you must, paradoxically, be willing to give him up cleanly at any moment. The moment you lose that willingness, the Prince will grow weary of you."
Then that's the end.
***
As Noah got out of the carriage, the maid, Mrs. Betty, who had been waiting, quickly took his luggage.
As she was tilting her head at the Prince's disheveled attire, he suddenly offered her something.
“Throw it away.”
Mrs. Betty instinctively took the object and was inwardly surprised. Wasn't that what he'd been carrying around all along?
"...All right."
As she followed the Prince, who was walking ahead, a sudden clatter of horse hooves was heard behind her. Noah stopped and turned, and Mrs. Betty also turned to look behind her.
A beautiful pastel-colored carriage entered the mansion.
Noah's brow hardened at the sight of the cute carriage, and then he crumpled when a woman got out of the carriage.
Noah thought slowly as he watched Isabelle slowly approach him.
It's been a really long day.
Noah didn't bother to dismiss the servants. He just tilted his head, his disheveled clothes still intact, and stared intently at Isabelle.
The only time he tolerated her was inside the club.
If that's the result of tolerating it to that extent, it wasn't bad. But if she came all the way to his house at this hour, it would be a different story.
Noah is already in a bad mood because the excitement from two glasses of alcohol has been ruined.
Isabelle's heart trembled as she watched Noah's expression as she drew ever closer. But this action, and her feelings, were already spilled milk.
Isabelle stopped one step in front of him with a sweet and charming smile.
“Your Highness, good evening...”
“Let’s get to the point. Introductions are boring.”
“...”
“If the main topic is as boring as the introduction, then let’s just go back and not even bring it up.”
Noah took off his thin mask and revealed his true face.
His words pierced Isabelle's chest like a sharp knife, slicing into her heart. They were so cruel that even the servants listening blushed in embarrassment.
It was only natural that Isabelle's eyes, barely able to hold on to their composure, turned red and gleamed.
Needless to say, Noah's irritation was compounded by those tears.
Noah waved his hand, dismissing the servants, and finally pulled out a cigarette. With one hand shoved into his pocket, he spat out a grumpy, almost slurred, "I'm going to die."
"I clearly told you I didn't care about your honor in the slightest. But wouldn't it be a problem if you came to my house at this hour and ruined my already sagging honor? Or did you come here because you wanted to spend the night with me?"
Isabelle glared at him, clenching her fists in humiliation.
This man doesn't love her in the slightest. No, he certainly didn't have any feelings resembling love in the first place.
The wounded beast, whose last rest had been interrupted, was snarling and baring its teeth.
But Isabelle was going crazy because she couldn't let go of this man.
"There's a problem. The rumors are so big that I'm not getting any more marriage proposals."
"However?"
“...So, I would like to ask His Highness the Prince to marry me.”
Noah chuckled at her words.
Isabelle's legs trembled at the absurd reaction.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hold me responsible in any way?”
“I’m not asking for responsibility.”
"Then?"
“Are you tired of attending all the events and doing interviews?”
“...”
“I’ll try to stop it. I’ll ask my father to do it...”
The moment she brought up Count Seymour, Noah cut her off.
“I’m bored. Let’s go back.”
“I can do it!”
"Can you do it? What are you going to tell Count Seymour? Are you going to tell him I asked you to do it?"
"No. If I really shorten, or rather eliminate, Your Highness's schedule... then marry me. That wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"
Noah burst out laughing. Then, taking a deep breath, he looked up at the sky and muttered something dry.
“Or so you say.”
I thought she was a fool, but she turned out to be a sly fox. Did you really think that was possible? How does the Count of Seymour plan to sway King Herod's mind?
You're not a ten-year-old child anymore. Isn't the time when you viewed your parents as gods capable of anything long past?
He thought he would get good results with little effort.
At that moment, Isabelle, who was becoming anxious, added earnestly.
“Then please give me a token of your promise.”
“What promise?”
“If I block the press, you promise to marry me.”
The Prince, who had tilted his head back, looked at her in amazement. His gaze was so pitiful, like that of a madman, that she felt like she was going to die, but her desperation kept pushing her forward.
“Could you please give me that silver thing you always carry around?”
"I think you forgot who broke our promise. Weren't we supposed to share a table for a while? Right? Oh, you know so much. But do you want a token of our promise?"
He pushed her forward without a hint of consideration, his face devoid of a smile. Then he pointed at Betty with his hand.
"I was going to throw it away anyway, but you want it? Yes. Take it."
Large, bead-like tears flowed ceaselessly from Isabelle's eyes, but Noah poured out everything he wanted to say.
"But let's put aside all that nonsense about a token of promise and all that. Let's just call this a fulfilment of our brief collaboration. Or perhaps a reward for bringing me a drink."
“Oh, how could you be so insulting to me...”
"Lady Betty, please give Lady Seymour the items I asked you to throw away, and then see her off."
Noah walked forward with relentless steps, leaving behind the woman who was staggering as if she was about to fall.
Mumbling that it was a truly amazing night.
At that moment, Isabelle, who was becoming anxious, added earnestly.
“Then please give me a token of your promise.”
“What promise?”
“If I block the press, you promise to marry me.”
The Prince, who had tilted his head back, looked at her in amazement. His gaze was so pitiful, like that of a madman, that she felt like she was going to die, but her desperation kept pushing her forward.
“Could you please give me that silver thing you always carry around?”
"I think you forgot who broke our promise. Weren't we supposed to share a table for a while? Right? Oh, you know so much. But do you want a token of our promise?"
He pushed her forward without a hint of consideration, his face devoid of a smile. Then he pointed at Betty with his hand.
"I was going to throw it away anyway, but you want it? Yes. Take it."
Large, bead-like tears flowed ceaselessly from Isabelle's eyes, but Noah poured out everything he wanted to say.
"But let's put aside all that nonsense about a token of promise and all that. Let's just call this a fulfilment of our brief collaboration. Or perhaps a reward for bringing me a drink."
“Oh, how could you be so insulting to me...”
"Lady Betty, please give Lady Seymour the items I asked you to throw away, and then see her off."
Noah walked forward with relentless steps, leaving behind the woman who was staggering as if she was about to fall.
Mumbling that it was a truly amazing night.
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