Episode 10. Like the boundary between spring and summer.
“Yes, next is Central Park!”
After taking a shot of the Magic Dome in the background at the royal villa, Leonard led his family to Central Park.
Central Park, the bustling area of Harrington, was a popular destination lined with upscale shops.
The guards who arrived before the royal family set a route and stood guard, and the citizens watched with curious eyes the guards' appearance full of aura.
A moment later, the King's carriage entered the road controlled by the guards, and the citizens beyond the barricade cheered at the sight.
Leonard and Beatrix got out of the carriage and responded to the cheers of the citizens with bright smiles, and the reporters diligently wrote about this scene.
The cheers grew louder as Usher and Noah got out of the carriage that followed.
“Your Highness Prince Noah!”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”
Olivia, about to step out of the carriage, opened her eyes in surprise at the thunderous cheers of the crowd. The bright plaza outside the carriage felt like another world, and she cautiously leaned forward, catching her breath.
And as she leaned out, the cheers coming from nearby suddenly died down.
People blinked and stared at the woman who appeared with the royal family. Where did she look?
Then someone, as if realizing something, called her name loudly.
“Olivia Liberty!”
The cry brought enlightenment to the crowd.
Olivia, the first female college student to consistently occupy a page in the Herod newspaper!
“Oh my, really?!”
“Olivia!”
People stood close to the barricade and waved at Olivia.
When Olivia was flustered because this was her first time experiencing something like this, Margot, who was nearby, took her arm with a smiling face.
“It’s okay. Relax.”
Olivia, who was now out of breath, walked with a bewildered expression.
Usher and Noah, who were walking ahead, turned around and looked at the scene.
“She looks nervous.”
Noah cocked his eyebrows at Usher's muttering.
“It looks like that.”
“Do I really have to take pictures like this?”
Noah looked at Olivia walking with Margot.
Her white face was pale.
But what good would that do?
“His Majesty will only return to the palace if the photos are to his liking, so her active cooperation is the only way to shorten the time, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
All eyes of the crowd were on Olivia.
“Olivia!”
Olivia was sweating profusely and laughing awkwardly as her name was called from everywhere.
Looking closely, the royal family seemed accustomed to this kind of thing, waving their hands lightly and leisurely.
The same was true of little Lucy, who walked holding her parents' hands.
Princess Margot was the only one who didn't wave, but she didn't tremble either.
“How should I respond?”
When Olivia asked, Margot finally paused for a moment, lost in thought. Born into royalty, Margot and Olivia couldn't possibly have the same mindset.
“Just smile appropriately and bow your head occasionally. Lightly.”
It's not like Olivia can respond like royalty.
“Yes, I understand.”
Olivia answered resolutely, steeling herself as she endured the pouring gazes and cheers.
Think back to her first day at university. Still, no sarcasm or mockery was flying around.
“Olivia!”
No, what about sarcasm and mockery? Isn't that a welcome voice?
Yeah, this is nothing.
As she thought about it, her restless heart began to calm down little by little, and a natural smile appeared on Olivia's lips.
A smile spread across her face, and she found herself relaxed. She soon nodded and greeted the crowd.
“She's adapting faster than I thought.”
As Usher glanced back and waved his hand and muttered, Noah replied.
"What?"
"I mean, Miss Liberty. She was nervous and lost in thought, but she seemed to have adjusted quickly. That's fortunate."
“...Please stop worrying and focus on the event, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Noah continued to greet him with a soulless hand for a long time before turning his gaze away.
Like the boundary between spring and summer, she seemed to stand with her feet on the threshold of girls and ladies.
Her rosy cheeks and sparkling black eyes gave her a sense of intelligence and purity.
She probably doesn't know that more eyes are focused on her than on the royal family.
Noah thought as he walked leisurely.
It was a truly brilliant choice to invite that woman to Herod.
The royal family's final destination was the Golden Lion Square, located in the heart of the park. With carriages off-limits, the square felt much wider than usual, expansive and vast.
As they entered the square, the distance between her and the citizens grew considerably, and the cheers that had been hurting her ears also died down.
Beatrix left Lucy in the care of her nanny, Madame Lehmann, and approached Margot and Olivia.
Olivia quickly knelt down and bowed again, and Beatrix smiled and bowed back.
"Thank you for your hard work in agreeing to the interview yesterday, Miss Liberty. I'm sorry, I should have waited longer."
Olivia quickly shook her head at the Queen's casual apology.
"No, it's not. Thank you for inviting me to this wonderful banquet. It was a pleasure."
“Do you like the room?”
The Queen naturally walked, leading Olivia and Margot.
“Yes, it was really nice and cozy. The fountain outside the room was also impressive.”
Even though she was clearly nervous, she answered calmly. That's probably why Leonard dragged out the interview so long.
“Is Your Majesty satisfied with today’s newspaper?”
When Margot, who was walking to the Queen's left, asked with a sly smile, Beatrix narrowed her eyes at her husband.
“He was very satisfied. He complained for a while, saying that he resembled the Duke of Lightwing.”
“Walter would be furious if he heard that.”
"You have no idea how much I've missed these conversations. Could you please come back to Herod?"
“That would be a statement that would make the King angry.”
Beatrix burst into laughter at Margot's whispers and carefully watched over Olivia to make sure she wasn't left out.
"You're truly remarkable, the first female college graduate. It couldn't have been an easy road. Belated, but congratulations on your graduation."
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Olivia walked slowly, keeping pace with the Queen's pace, glancing around the square.
A reporter who happened to be with them cautiously asked the Queen and Margot for an interview, and Olivia took a few steps back from them.
The Queen said to wait a moment with an apologetic look on her face, but Olivia was rather happy about it.
She reminisced about the old, nostalgic past.
The imposing Golden Lion statue was even more impressive than she remembered.
The square's stone path, gently paved with glossy black stones, and the magnificent spire of the Hamelin Cathedral, overlooked by golden lions, were all the same as in her childhood memories.
Even the weather seemed to be just like this time of year.
Olivia's gaze, which had been gazing at the spire of Hamelin Cathedral, turned back to the Golden Lion.
The texture of the crunchy ice cream cone is vivid. The soft, sweet ice cream touched her lips.
When she exclaimed in amazement at the exquisite taste Ilshe had never tasted before in her life, her grandfather said, "What's this? Eat this too," and handed her the ice cream.
Her mother tried to stop her, saying, "Oh no, you can't do that. You'll get a stomachache."
A loving father who asked, 'Liv, is it that delicious?'
Next to him, the grandmother was laughing heartily, in a different way than now.
"Ah..."
Yes, Olivia missed this scene so much that she wanted to come to Herod.
Because she wants to see those who are here again, even if only in her memories.
While the King and Queen were each busy conducting interviews, Lucy was with Madame Lehmann.
The Princess, who would normally be excited about going out for the first time in a while and busy looking around, was staring blankly in one direction since earlier today.
When Madame Lehmann followed the Princess's gaze, there was a royal guest there.
“If you are curious, come closer, Princess.”
The King was so fond of the Princess that he tried to raise her on the palm of his hand, so people secretly called Lucy the Palm Princess.
Madame Lehmann felt sorry for the Princess, who was confined to the palace at an age when she should be forming relationships and developing social skills.
“Is that okay?”
"Sure."
Lucy walked along as if entranced by Madame Lehmann's suggestion.
Olivia turned her back to them. The Princess's small feet were moving faster and faster.
But Lucy, who had no need to speak to anyone first, couldn't bring herself to speak to Olivia first and stopped behind her.
She raised her head and saw the fine details of Olivia's white blouse and the delicate sway of her slightly wavy black hair. Only now did she realize that half of her hair was tied back with a dark blue ribbon.
Madame Lehmann stood a few steps behind, intending to observe what the Princess was doing.
And it wasn't just Mrs. Lehmann who watched Lucy approach Olivia from behind.
“Your Highness Prince Noah.”
“No.”
The reporter, who had been speaking cautiously, stopped short at the cold rejection that immediately came out.
The bright autumn sunlight poured down on the Prince's handsome face, as if in a painting. It would be wonderful to take a picture like this and secure an interview.
But Noah was no pushover. His interview was entirely at his father's behest, not his own free will.
Noah put one hand in his pocket and looked away leisurely.
"Aren't there a lot of people to interview today? Don't be so exhausted by me."
“You’re saying it’s demoralizing? That’s not true at all.”
“I’m saying this because I’m feeling exhausted.”
"... Yes."
He wanted to ask about Noah's company, which has been doing well recently...
The twenty-three-year-old Prince's talent was so great that it was common to hear stories in the business world that there was a line of entrepreneurs waiting to receive his investment.
But the reporter eventually had no choice but to step down.
Noah was really sick of these events. It would only happen once or twice.
Moreover, the constant barrage of stares was not only a burden but also unpleasant. All the crowd wanted from him was a flashy shell.
Whenever cheers echoed, a sad question always welled up inside him.
'Know what kind of person I am.'
Noah leaned back lightly against a large tree, crossing his arms, ignoring the reporters who kept glancing at him.
The sunlight that broke through the colorful leaves created small patterns on his face.
Even with the autumn plaza in front of him, a sight everyone admired, Noah remained indifferent. His only interests, after all, were polo matches and company-related matters.
No, in reality, since the company's work was also focused on gaining independence from the royal family, it would be safe to say that the only thing he enjoyed doing was polo.
How can the boredom of being twenty-three be this deep and intense?
It was then that Olivia and Lucy entered Noah's cold gaze as he was freely scanning the world.
“Yes, next is Central Park!”
After taking a shot of the Magic Dome in the background at the royal villa, Leonard led his family to Central Park.
Central Park, the bustling area of Harrington, was a popular destination lined with upscale shops.
The guards who arrived before the royal family set a route and stood guard, and the citizens watched with curious eyes the guards' appearance full of aura.
A moment later, the King's carriage entered the road controlled by the guards, and the citizens beyond the barricade cheered at the sight.
Leonard and Beatrix got out of the carriage and responded to the cheers of the citizens with bright smiles, and the reporters diligently wrote about this scene.
The cheers grew louder as Usher and Noah got out of the carriage that followed.
“Your Highness Prince Noah!”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”
Olivia, about to step out of the carriage, opened her eyes in surprise at the thunderous cheers of the crowd. The bright plaza outside the carriage felt like another world, and she cautiously leaned forward, catching her breath.
And as she leaned out, the cheers coming from nearby suddenly died down.
People blinked and stared at the woman who appeared with the royal family. Where did she look?
Then someone, as if realizing something, called her name loudly.
“Olivia Liberty!”
The cry brought enlightenment to the crowd.
Olivia, the first female college student to consistently occupy a page in the Herod newspaper!
“Oh my, really?!”
“Olivia!”
People stood close to the barricade and waved at Olivia.
When Olivia was flustered because this was her first time experiencing something like this, Margot, who was nearby, took her arm with a smiling face.
“It’s okay. Relax.”
Olivia, who was now out of breath, walked with a bewildered expression.
Usher and Noah, who were walking ahead, turned around and looked at the scene.
“She looks nervous.”
Noah cocked his eyebrows at Usher's muttering.
“It looks like that.”
“Do I really have to take pictures like this?”
Noah looked at Olivia walking with Margot.
Her white face was pale.
But what good would that do?
“His Majesty will only return to the palace if the photos are to his liking, so her active cooperation is the only way to shorten the time, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
All eyes of the crowd were on Olivia.
“Olivia!”
Olivia was sweating profusely and laughing awkwardly as her name was called from everywhere.
Looking closely, the royal family seemed accustomed to this kind of thing, waving their hands lightly and leisurely.
The same was true of little Lucy, who walked holding her parents' hands.
Princess Margot was the only one who didn't wave, but she didn't tremble either.
“How should I respond?”
When Olivia asked, Margot finally paused for a moment, lost in thought. Born into royalty, Margot and Olivia couldn't possibly have the same mindset.
“Just smile appropriately and bow your head occasionally. Lightly.”
It's not like Olivia can respond like royalty.
“Yes, I understand.”
Olivia answered resolutely, steeling herself as she endured the pouring gazes and cheers.
Think back to her first day at university. Still, no sarcasm or mockery was flying around.
“Olivia!”
No, what about sarcasm and mockery? Isn't that a welcome voice?
Yeah, this is nothing.
As she thought about it, her restless heart began to calm down little by little, and a natural smile appeared on Olivia's lips.
A smile spread across her face, and she found herself relaxed. She soon nodded and greeted the crowd.
“She's adapting faster than I thought.”
As Usher glanced back and waved his hand and muttered, Noah replied.
"What?"
"I mean, Miss Liberty. She was nervous and lost in thought, but she seemed to have adjusted quickly. That's fortunate."
“...Please stop worrying and focus on the event, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Noah continued to greet him with a soulless hand for a long time before turning his gaze away.
Like the boundary between spring and summer, she seemed to stand with her feet on the threshold of girls and ladies.
Her rosy cheeks and sparkling black eyes gave her a sense of intelligence and purity.
She probably doesn't know that more eyes are focused on her than on the royal family.
Noah thought as he walked leisurely.
It was a truly brilliant choice to invite that woman to Herod.
The royal family's final destination was the Golden Lion Square, located in the heart of the park. With carriages off-limits, the square felt much wider than usual, expansive and vast.
As they entered the square, the distance between her and the citizens grew considerably, and the cheers that had been hurting her ears also died down.
Beatrix left Lucy in the care of her nanny, Madame Lehmann, and approached Margot and Olivia.
Olivia quickly knelt down and bowed again, and Beatrix smiled and bowed back.
"Thank you for your hard work in agreeing to the interview yesterday, Miss Liberty. I'm sorry, I should have waited longer."
Olivia quickly shook her head at the Queen's casual apology.
"No, it's not. Thank you for inviting me to this wonderful banquet. It was a pleasure."
“Do you like the room?”
The Queen naturally walked, leading Olivia and Margot.
“Yes, it was really nice and cozy. The fountain outside the room was also impressive.”
Even though she was clearly nervous, she answered calmly. That's probably why Leonard dragged out the interview so long.
“Is Your Majesty satisfied with today’s newspaper?”
When Margot, who was walking to the Queen's left, asked with a sly smile, Beatrix narrowed her eyes at her husband.
“He was very satisfied. He complained for a while, saying that he resembled the Duke of Lightwing.”
“Walter would be furious if he heard that.”
"You have no idea how much I've missed these conversations. Could you please come back to Herod?"
“That would be a statement that would make the King angry.”
Beatrix burst into laughter at Margot's whispers and carefully watched over Olivia to make sure she wasn't left out.
"You're truly remarkable, the first female college graduate. It couldn't have been an easy road. Belated, but congratulations on your graduation."
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Olivia walked slowly, keeping pace with the Queen's pace, glancing around the square.
A reporter who happened to be with them cautiously asked the Queen and Margot for an interview, and Olivia took a few steps back from them.
The Queen said to wait a moment with an apologetic look on her face, but Olivia was rather happy about it.
She reminisced about the old, nostalgic past.
The imposing Golden Lion statue was even more impressive than she remembered.
The square's stone path, gently paved with glossy black stones, and the magnificent spire of the Hamelin Cathedral, overlooked by golden lions, were all the same as in her childhood memories.
Even the weather seemed to be just like this time of year.
Olivia's gaze, which had been gazing at the spire of Hamelin Cathedral, turned back to the Golden Lion.
The texture of the crunchy ice cream cone is vivid. The soft, sweet ice cream touched her lips.
When she exclaimed in amazement at the exquisite taste Ilshe had never tasted before in her life, her grandfather said, "What's this? Eat this too," and handed her the ice cream.
Her mother tried to stop her, saying, "Oh no, you can't do that. You'll get a stomachache."
A loving father who asked, 'Liv, is it that delicious?'
Next to him, the grandmother was laughing heartily, in a different way than now.
"Ah..."
Yes, Olivia missed this scene so much that she wanted to come to Herod.
Because she wants to see those who are here again, even if only in her memories.
While the King and Queen were each busy conducting interviews, Lucy was with Madame Lehmann.
The Princess, who would normally be excited about going out for the first time in a while and busy looking around, was staring blankly in one direction since earlier today.
When Madame Lehmann followed the Princess's gaze, there was a royal guest there.
“If you are curious, come closer, Princess.”
The King was so fond of the Princess that he tried to raise her on the palm of his hand, so people secretly called Lucy the Palm Princess.
Madame Lehmann felt sorry for the Princess, who was confined to the palace at an age when she should be forming relationships and developing social skills.
“Is that okay?”
"Sure."
Lucy walked along as if entranced by Madame Lehmann's suggestion.
Olivia turned her back to them. The Princess's small feet were moving faster and faster.
But Lucy, who had no need to speak to anyone first, couldn't bring herself to speak to Olivia first and stopped behind her.
She raised her head and saw the fine details of Olivia's white blouse and the delicate sway of her slightly wavy black hair. Only now did she realize that half of her hair was tied back with a dark blue ribbon.
Madame Lehmann stood a few steps behind, intending to observe what the Princess was doing.
And it wasn't just Mrs. Lehmann who watched Lucy approach Olivia from behind.
“Your Highness Prince Noah.”
“No.”
The reporter, who had been speaking cautiously, stopped short at the cold rejection that immediately came out.
The bright autumn sunlight poured down on the Prince's handsome face, as if in a painting. It would be wonderful to take a picture like this and secure an interview.
But Noah was no pushover. His interview was entirely at his father's behest, not his own free will.
Noah put one hand in his pocket and looked away leisurely.
"Aren't there a lot of people to interview today? Don't be so exhausted by me."
“You’re saying it’s demoralizing? That’s not true at all.”
“I’m saying this because I’m feeling exhausted.”
"... Yes."
He wanted to ask about Noah's company, which has been doing well recently...
The twenty-three-year-old Prince's talent was so great that it was common to hear stories in the business world that there was a line of entrepreneurs waiting to receive his investment.
But the reporter eventually had no choice but to step down.
Noah was really sick of these events. It would only happen once or twice.
Moreover, the constant barrage of stares was not only a burden but also unpleasant. All the crowd wanted from him was a flashy shell.
Whenever cheers echoed, a sad question always welled up inside him.
'Know what kind of person I am.'
Noah leaned back lightly against a large tree, crossing his arms, ignoring the reporters who kept glancing at him.
The sunlight that broke through the colorful leaves created small patterns on his face.
Even with the autumn plaza in front of him, a sight everyone admired, Noah remained indifferent. His only interests, after all, were polo matches and company-related matters.
No, in reality, since the company's work was also focused on gaining independence from the royal family, it would be safe to say that the only thing he enjoyed doing was polo.
How can the boredom of being twenty-three be this deep and intense?
It was then that Olivia and Lucy entered Noah's cold gaze as he was freely scanning the world.
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