Episode 13. Noah, Fading Away Alone
As the Princess descended from the carriage, holding the Crown Prince's hand, a magnificent royal court came into view. The royal family of Astrid stood against the backdrop of the historic Herod's Palace.
The Queen and Princess Margot, smiling and looking down at the Princess, were both kind and elegant. King Leonard and the two Princes, standing beside them, exuded a sense of reassurance simply by their presence. And the young Princess standing between them was infinitely lovely.
If she were to paint this scene, she would title it 'Comfort and Love'.
A dual feeling welled up in her, a desire to step into that scene for a moment, but also a fear of even approaching it.
Olivia suddenly remembered a fragment from her very distant past.
"Grandma, why was I born a commoner and a woman? It would have been nice if I had been born of a higher social status, or at least a man."
Once, her classmates called her "common girl" instead of her real name, Olivia. That day, overcome with anger and sorrow, she burst into tears in front of her grandmother. That day was the first and last.
Olivia wished her grandmother would just say something, even if it was just words, and tell them that she wouldn't let them off easy.
But the grandmother hugged her and cried with her. Her cries were so heartbreaking that it felt like a cold, leaden lump had settled on her heart, already burdened by evil.
The grandmother, who had been crying for a long time, looked down at Olivia with a face filled with melancholy in every wrinkle and said.
"The world is inherently unfair. Accept it, but don't conform."
That was so sad to hear.
Because it sounded like she was saying that even her grandmother couldn't protect her.
It was truly unfair and heartbreaking. It wasn't something a ten-year-old girl would feel.
What more could those poignant words come to mind when looking at this beautiful scene?
At that moment, he, who kept making her feel smaller, turned his head, and their eyes met. For some unknown reason, Olivia couldn't meet his gaze. She quickly averted his gaze and lowered her gaze, her heart pounding.
When she hesitated and then slowly raised her gaze, he was already looking somewhere else.
“...”
The reason why she feels small when she stands in front of him is...
Maybe it's because she envies him.
What kind of life has that man lived?
That woman is quick to avoid eye contact.
What did I do?
Noah looked away from Olivia and grumbled inwardly.
From yesterday's banquet to this afternoon's events, his whole body ached. Still, the promised event has finally come to a close, and he's so happy about that.
He checked his watch, and it seemed like he should go now so he doesn't have to be late.
“I’ll be going now.”
At those words, Leonard, who had been holding Lucy's hand affectionately, turned around and looked at him.
“Do you have an appointment?”
Noah, who found it annoying that he was pretending not to know even though he already knew, let out a small, light laugh.
“Because there are so many people looking for me.”
At the same time, the Queen frowned.
“Noah, what kind of courtesy is this?”
"Mother. The event I promised to attend has ended, so I'm going to take my leave now."
“I guess we’ll be going to play polo again.”
Leonard shrugged, took Lucy's hand, and walked into the palace. Noah's brow furrowed.
The strained relationship between the father and son has become Queen Beatrix's biggest headache. Leonard, who constantly treats the proud Noah like a puppet in the palm of his hand, is the problem. Noah, who is particularly rebellious, also seems to be a problem.
Beatrix, sensing that her son's mood had become considerably worse, quickly pushed him from behind.
“Yes, don’t get hurt. Go ahead and take a look.”
Noah politely greeted the Queen and Margot, then left the palace without looking back.
As Usher and the Queen watched the scene with concern and sighed, Margot shook her head slightly.
“Anyway, Leonard, I told you you’re selfish.”
It was something they could not dare say to the King, but both Usher and the Queen pretended not to hear.
Beatrix nodded slightly as she noticed Olivia standing in the distance.
The more she looked at her, the more beautiful she became. She's a young lady who's even earned Princess Margot's trust. It would be wonderful if she could become Lucy's tutor.
But Margot will not allow it from now on.
"Miss Liberty, I heard Lucy was rude. I'm sorry."
Olivia quickly shook her head.
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I wasn’t being rude.”
"Thank you for saying that. It's been a long time since I've seen Lucy so excited. Now, let's go in."
Usher escorted the Queen in first, followed by Margot.
As she was climbing the last of the palace stairs, Olivia turned her head briefly and looked over her shoulder.
A tall man in a black suit was walking away quickly.
Alone.
Noah stormed out of the palace and headed straight for the polo club. He eschewed carriages and rode horseback, and as he entered the club, the prodigal sons, already in their attire, began to murmur.
“Oh, what if you’re so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
“Take my mallet (polo stick) and say something like that.”
Noah took off his jacket and handed it to someone nearby, then walked to the locker room, unbuttoning his wrists. By the time he arrived, the buttons at the nape of his neck were already undone, revealing his muscular chest beneath his shirt.
Noah, who was about to enter the locker room, looked at the players he would be playing with and then pointed to the mask hanging on the wall.
“Wear a mask today.”
The prodigal sons, realizing that the green eyes filled with red energy were burning with a desire to win, groaned as they did so and put on their armor as ordered.
A moment later, Noah came out wearing a helmet and a face shield, and Matt, who was nearby, handed him a mallet and hit him.
"Noah! Why are you trying to satisfy all your desires with a competitive spirit? You have so many desires, don't you? You have appetite, sleep, and sex! If you're going to satisfy them, why not use sex? You even have to wear a mask? How much are you trying to push?"
Then Noah smiled and replied.
“You asked me not to come to the autumn banquet, so what are you going to do if I let my desires turn into sexual desires?”
“Oh, that’s true.”
The prodigal sons' wild laughter resonated throughout the club.
Noah expertly climbed onto the waiting horse, grasping the reins with his left hand and the mallet with his right. Beyond the gate opened by the attendants, a vast, expansive lawn stretched out before him.
The wide grass field, the rough breathing of horses, and the thrilling impact of the mallet.
Noah's heart pounded as if it were going to burst. It was the moment when he truly felt alive.
Noah gently stroked the polo pony's cropped mane and lightly pressed its belly, causing the horse to begin to trot.
Lawrence, from the same team, came close to him, and his eyes lit up.
"Your Highness, how is Miss Olivia Liberty? I heard she's attending the Maze Garden Party and then going to Pulder. Is that correct?"
These kids are still talking about it.
“Ask Princess Marguerite.”
"Oh, you're saying the impossible. Yes? Just tell me that! Is she even attending the Maze Garden Party?"
Astrid's guests are treated as Astrid. Do I really need to bring this up again?
But when he thought of the little woman who was busy avoiding eye contact whenever they made eye contact, his excitement about the game seemed to cool down.
Noah nodded halfheartedly, feeling annoyed at even adding more words, and then rode off on his horse.
“Oh! She’s attending!”
Behind him, he could hear the prodigal sons cheering, but what did that matter?
“Those kids with nothing to do.”
He muttered as if spitting out something and took a deep breath in the open stadium.
"Ha..."
It really feels like life is coming alive once he gets out of the palace that he was so tired of.
In the following match, Noah pushed the opposing team hard and, as always, won by a significant margin.
The next day, after a polo match, Noah, who had been out drinking late for the first time in a while, woke up a little later than usual. Through his hazy vision, he saw his maid, Mrs. Betty, carefully setting up breakfast.
As he closed his eyes a little longer, he heard her pushing the tray out.
Only then did Noah let out a languid sigh and stand up. He must have had quite a few drinks, as he wasn't even wearing his pajama shirt.
He opened the curtains that had darkened the room and the terrace window, and bright sunlight and a rather chilly autumn breeze enveloped him.
Noah sat down in front of the steaming food, brushing back his messy blond hair, habitually holding a newspaper in his hand.
The front page of the newspaper, which had been stuffed with Walter's face for a while, was now quite readable.
In the large black-and-white photograph, the woman, Olivia, and Princess Lucy were looking at each other with bright smiles.
A sharp thought crossed his mind: would it be a good idea for a schoolgirl from Pulder and a young Princess to go on a field trip to make the front page of the newspaper? But as he looked at Olivia's brightly smiling face, he began to understand it vaguely.
After all, isn't the main purpose of newspapers to sell a lot?
Noah stared at Olivia's face with dry, unsmiling eyes.
Hair blacker than black ink, thick black eyebrows, and large, round eyes. Her small face, with its densely set nose and luscious lips, was a beauty that would surely thrill Herod.
“It looks better in person than in the picture.”
He made a callous assessment, flipped through the back pages of the newspaper halfheartedly, and then set it aside, expressing his deepest condolences to Olivia.
The King's excited laughter seemed to be heard as if by an auditory hallucination.
For the rest of his life, his father would take Olivia to as many events as possible.
As the Princess descended from the carriage, holding the Crown Prince's hand, a magnificent royal court came into view. The royal family of Astrid stood against the backdrop of the historic Herod's Palace.
The Queen and Princess Margot, smiling and looking down at the Princess, were both kind and elegant. King Leonard and the two Princes, standing beside them, exuded a sense of reassurance simply by their presence. And the young Princess standing between them was infinitely lovely.
If she were to paint this scene, she would title it 'Comfort and Love'.
A dual feeling welled up in her, a desire to step into that scene for a moment, but also a fear of even approaching it.
Olivia suddenly remembered a fragment from her very distant past.
"Grandma, why was I born a commoner and a woman? It would have been nice if I had been born of a higher social status, or at least a man."
Once, her classmates called her "common girl" instead of her real name, Olivia. That day, overcome with anger and sorrow, she burst into tears in front of her grandmother. That day was the first and last.
Olivia wished her grandmother would just say something, even if it was just words, and tell them that she wouldn't let them off easy.
But the grandmother hugged her and cried with her. Her cries were so heartbreaking that it felt like a cold, leaden lump had settled on her heart, already burdened by evil.
The grandmother, who had been crying for a long time, looked down at Olivia with a face filled with melancholy in every wrinkle and said.
"The world is inherently unfair. Accept it, but don't conform."
That was so sad to hear.
Because it sounded like she was saying that even her grandmother couldn't protect her.
It was truly unfair and heartbreaking. It wasn't something a ten-year-old girl would feel.
What more could those poignant words come to mind when looking at this beautiful scene?
At that moment, he, who kept making her feel smaller, turned his head, and their eyes met. For some unknown reason, Olivia couldn't meet his gaze. She quickly averted his gaze and lowered her gaze, her heart pounding.
When she hesitated and then slowly raised her gaze, he was already looking somewhere else.
“...”
The reason why she feels small when she stands in front of him is...
Maybe it's because she envies him.
What kind of life has that man lived?
***
That woman is quick to avoid eye contact.
What did I do?
Noah looked away from Olivia and grumbled inwardly.
From yesterday's banquet to this afternoon's events, his whole body ached. Still, the promised event has finally come to a close, and he's so happy about that.
He checked his watch, and it seemed like he should go now so he doesn't have to be late.
“I’ll be going now.”
At those words, Leonard, who had been holding Lucy's hand affectionately, turned around and looked at him.
“Do you have an appointment?”
Noah, who found it annoying that he was pretending not to know even though he already knew, let out a small, light laugh.
“Because there are so many people looking for me.”
At the same time, the Queen frowned.
“Noah, what kind of courtesy is this?”
"Mother. The event I promised to attend has ended, so I'm going to take my leave now."
“I guess we’ll be going to play polo again.”
Leonard shrugged, took Lucy's hand, and walked into the palace. Noah's brow furrowed.
The strained relationship between the father and son has become Queen Beatrix's biggest headache. Leonard, who constantly treats the proud Noah like a puppet in the palm of his hand, is the problem. Noah, who is particularly rebellious, also seems to be a problem.
Beatrix, sensing that her son's mood had become considerably worse, quickly pushed him from behind.
“Yes, don’t get hurt. Go ahead and take a look.”
Noah politely greeted the Queen and Margot, then left the palace without looking back.
As Usher and the Queen watched the scene with concern and sighed, Margot shook her head slightly.
“Anyway, Leonard, I told you you’re selfish.”
It was something they could not dare say to the King, but both Usher and the Queen pretended not to hear.
Beatrix nodded slightly as she noticed Olivia standing in the distance.
The more she looked at her, the more beautiful she became. She's a young lady who's even earned Princess Margot's trust. It would be wonderful if she could become Lucy's tutor.
But Margot will not allow it from now on.
"Miss Liberty, I heard Lucy was rude. I'm sorry."
Olivia quickly shook her head.
“It’s okay, Your Highness. I wasn’t being rude.”
"Thank you for saying that. It's been a long time since I've seen Lucy so excited. Now, let's go in."
Usher escorted the Queen in first, followed by Margot.
As she was climbing the last of the palace stairs, Olivia turned her head briefly and looked over her shoulder.
A tall man in a black suit was walking away quickly.
Alone.
***
Noah stormed out of the palace and headed straight for the polo club. He eschewed carriages and rode horseback, and as he entered the club, the prodigal sons, already in their attire, began to murmur.
“Oh, what if you’re so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
“Take my mallet (polo stick) and say something like that.”
Noah took off his jacket and handed it to someone nearby, then walked to the locker room, unbuttoning his wrists. By the time he arrived, the buttons at the nape of his neck were already undone, revealing his muscular chest beneath his shirt.
Noah, who was about to enter the locker room, looked at the players he would be playing with and then pointed to the mask hanging on the wall.
“Wear a mask today.”
The prodigal sons, realizing that the green eyes filled with red energy were burning with a desire to win, groaned as they did so and put on their armor as ordered.
A moment later, Noah came out wearing a helmet and a face shield, and Matt, who was nearby, handed him a mallet and hit him.
"Noah! Why are you trying to satisfy all your desires with a competitive spirit? You have so many desires, don't you? You have appetite, sleep, and sex! If you're going to satisfy them, why not use sex? You even have to wear a mask? How much are you trying to push?"
Then Noah smiled and replied.
“You asked me not to come to the autumn banquet, so what are you going to do if I let my desires turn into sexual desires?”
“Oh, that’s true.”
The prodigal sons' wild laughter resonated throughout the club.
Noah expertly climbed onto the waiting horse, grasping the reins with his left hand and the mallet with his right. Beyond the gate opened by the attendants, a vast, expansive lawn stretched out before him.
The wide grass field, the rough breathing of horses, and the thrilling impact of the mallet.
Noah's heart pounded as if it were going to burst. It was the moment when he truly felt alive.
Noah gently stroked the polo pony's cropped mane and lightly pressed its belly, causing the horse to begin to trot.
Lawrence, from the same team, came close to him, and his eyes lit up.
"Your Highness, how is Miss Olivia Liberty? I heard she's attending the Maze Garden Party and then going to Pulder. Is that correct?"
These kids are still talking about it.
“Ask Princess Marguerite.”
"Oh, you're saying the impossible. Yes? Just tell me that! Is she even attending the Maze Garden Party?"
Astrid's guests are treated as Astrid. Do I really need to bring this up again?
But when he thought of the little woman who was busy avoiding eye contact whenever they made eye contact, his excitement about the game seemed to cool down.
Noah nodded halfheartedly, feeling annoyed at even adding more words, and then rode off on his horse.
“Oh! She’s attending!”
Behind him, he could hear the prodigal sons cheering, but what did that matter?
“Those kids with nothing to do.”
He muttered as if spitting out something and took a deep breath in the open stadium.
"Ha..."
It really feels like life is coming alive once he gets out of the palace that he was so tired of.
In the following match, Noah pushed the opposing team hard and, as always, won by a significant margin.
The next day, after a polo match, Noah, who had been out drinking late for the first time in a while, woke up a little later than usual. Through his hazy vision, he saw his maid, Mrs. Betty, carefully setting up breakfast.
As he closed his eyes a little longer, he heard her pushing the tray out.
Only then did Noah let out a languid sigh and stand up. He must have had quite a few drinks, as he wasn't even wearing his pajama shirt.
He opened the curtains that had darkened the room and the terrace window, and bright sunlight and a rather chilly autumn breeze enveloped him.
Noah sat down in front of the steaming food, brushing back his messy blond hair, habitually holding a newspaper in his hand.
The front page of the newspaper, which had been stuffed with Walter's face for a while, was now quite readable.
In the large black-and-white photograph, the woman, Olivia, and Princess Lucy were looking at each other with bright smiles.
A sharp thought crossed his mind: would it be a good idea for a schoolgirl from Pulder and a young Princess to go on a field trip to make the front page of the newspaper? But as he looked at Olivia's brightly smiling face, he began to understand it vaguely.
After all, isn't the main purpose of newspapers to sell a lot?
Noah stared at Olivia's face with dry, unsmiling eyes.
Hair blacker than black ink, thick black eyebrows, and large, round eyes. Her small face, with its densely set nose and luscious lips, was a beauty that would surely thrill Herod.
“It looks better in person than in the picture.”
He made a callous assessment, flipped through the back pages of the newspaper halfheartedly, and then set it aside, expressing his deepest condolences to Olivia.
The King's excited laughter seemed to be heard as if by an auditory hallucination.
For the rest of his life, his father would take Olivia to as many events as possible.
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