Episode 20. Eyes filled with pity
It's ridiculous.
That's how Olivia defined her situation.
Fear breeds fear, and the dark maze only amplifies the fear.
But what is this?
The sound of footsteps chasing her was no longer audible. Instead, an endless maze gaped open.
It's so wide and expansive. She can't even see where the main garden is, and it must be far away.
It was pitch black, without even a single stove or lamp.
It had been a long time since she could tell the direction, and facing the gloomy darkness that prevented her from seeing even an inch ahead, she could only sigh.
“I’m going to get in trouble with the professor.”
She wishes it were a little brighter.
At that moment, a flashlight appeared in Olivia's mind.
"Yes!"
Olivia quickly opened her clutch and took out a flashlight.
She turned the door twice, and a bright light poured out. That alone seemed to give her hope.
Olivia chose her direction carefully, even though it was only a shot.
“Let’s go this way.”
Please come out to the main garden. Or at least to the end of the maze.
How long has he been wandering through the maze?
Noah, who had been walking for a while, suddenly stopped.
He wondered what he was doing. He had unconsciously set out to find the missing woman, but why was he doing it?
The woman who recklessly jumped into a maze she didn't even know was pathetic, and the nobles who brought her here with such vulgar intentions were absurd.
“Astrid looks very funny.”
Standing in front of a maze without a stove or lamp, Noah finally turned around.
He thought that no matter how pathetic it was, he wouldn't have entered such a pitch-black maze.
What on earth are the knights and servants standing here and there doing?
He checked his watch and saw that an hour had already passed since he'd been out and about. Perhaps the head maid had found her and taken her to the main garden.
Besides, thinking rationally, the chances of finding her, even if he wandered around here alone, were slim.
“Ha, you’re really doing something so trivial.”
Noah turned his head, putting his hands in his pockets.
But that was exactly when.
Something sparkled in his eyes, accustomed to the darkness.
“...?”
It was an unfamiliar light. It wasn't a flickering candle or anything like that, a light source that could reach quite far.
What is that?
The light flickered on and off just beyond the dense wall of rose trees, drawing closer and closer to him.
Noah stared intently at the approaching light, his nerves tense. A thin ray of light filtered through the lush trees, brushing against Noah's cheek and then vanishing.
And at some point, Noah heard the sound of small footsteps that he had heard somewhere before.
Huh?
It was the moment when Noah narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly.
“Why on earth is this garden so big?”
A voice half-sobbing, and footsteps that felt like they were stumbling as they got closer.
Noah put his hands in his pockets, lowered his head, and chuckled.
A woman in a blue dress was clearly depicted walking with her shoulders hunched.
The sound of small, weak footsteps grew closer and closer, and the sound of sniffling could be heard occasionally.
“It’s really bad taste, it’s really perverted.”
As she passed him through the wooden wall, a grumbling sound came from right next to him, and Noah turned in the direction she was walking.
Then he glanced around the dark maze.
Yes. To this extent, it is perverted and has bad taste.
“Professor... Where are you, Professor? I’m lost here, sob sob. Grandma...”
None of Marguerite's nieces had ever cried or whined to her, but Olivia started crying as she looked for Margot.
She was overcome with sadness and stopped crying.
Noah stood where he could feel her presence, sighed softly, and looked up at the sky.
It's not something that can be solved by crying, so why are you crying?
Now that I've found it, I have to take it...
Noah's patience was too shallow to wait for the crying to stop.
He squinted and groped through the dark maze. Fortunately, the wooden wall separating him and her ended a few meters away.
Noah decided that it would be better to go around the wall and appear in front of her to take her away, and was about to take a step when a crow cried out from somewhere.
“Huh.”
At the same time, the crying that had begun to feel tiresome suddenly stopped. It seemed like she was surprised by just that little thing.
Then, small murmurs were heard one after another.
"What's going on? There are no landmarks, no lights, and it's freezing cold, but there's no stove. Whoever created this garden must be either paranoid or a pervert."
Noah ended up laughing at her candid criticism of his ancestors.
“...Huh.”
As if hearing laughter, the flickering lights suddenly disappeared. At the same time, a quiet silence descended.
Noah turned around, still with his hands in his pockets, and looked in Olivia's direction.
His eyes were as calm as the current of the deep sea, as if he had never smiled before.
She must have been so shocked by the nobles' annoying pranks that she ran away in a panic until she reached this point.
A dark maze, a woman whose every nerve is as sensitive as a cat's. If she were to be startled and run away, then Noah would surely abandon her and turn away.
Noah looked at Olivia beyond the wall and thought.
How can I get her there as quickly and comfortably as possible without getting tired?
Olivia just kept pacing in circles. Unaware of this fact, she was in a state of utter confusion, unable to find an end to her wanderings, no matter how long she walked.
It was even more frustrating because she didn't even know how much time had passed.
She was so frustrated that tears welled up in her eyes.
“Oh, really, why isn’t it coming out?”
In addition, the flashlight blinked repeatedly, as if the magical power that had been charged up had almost run out.
“Why on earth is this garden so big?”
Olivia, exhausted and half-crying, trudged along, her resentment building towards the seemingly endless maze growing.
“It’s really bad taste. It’s really perverted.”
The situation was pitiful and appalling.
“Professor... Where are you, Professor? I’m lost here, sob sob. Grandma...”
As she searched for Margot, tears welled up in her eyes. She stood there, sobbing loudly, when a crow began to croak ominously from somewhere.
“Huh.”
The garden felt even more eerie. Olivia rubbed her arm, muttering to herself, feeling a strange chill.
"What's going on? There are no landmarks, no lights, and it's freezing cold, but there's no stove. Whoever created this garden must be either paranoid or a pervert."
“...Huh.”
Olivia stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of a small laugh. Then, startled, she quickly turned off the flashlight.
Her heart pounded violently, and her breathing became ragged and labored without her realizing it. She glanced around with wide eyes, but there was nothing there.
Are you a ghost?
Are you human?
Olivia was about to take a step back, clutching the clutch and flashlight she was holding without realizing it.
"If you keep going straight ahead, you'll see a path on your left. Don't think about anything else, just keep looking straight ahead."
A cool, soft voice came from beyond the wooden wall. It was a voice she couldn't help but recognize.
The moment she heard that voice, a tingling sensation ran through her from head to toe.
“No, Your Highness Prince Noah?”
It was funny to even ask. Why would the Prince be here without a lamp?
Well, if you put it that way, what about her herself?
Ahe could hear him clicking his tongue softly from beyond the wall, and then a languid voice, as if annoyed, followed.
"Look ahead and walk, Miss Liberty. Unless you want to spend the night here."
"Yes?"
As she asked blankly, she felt the presence beyond the wall mercilessly recede.
Olivia quickly followed the sound, her feet twitching. To catch up with him, she needed to run, not just walk. Desperate, Olivia desperately followed him, trying to avoid losing even a little of his presence.
How busy must you have been?
As she continued on, as he said, wasn't there a path leading to the left?
The moment she finally reached the corner and turned.
The boundary between the dark land and the sky, which had been overlapping as if they were one, was torn open, and a golden moon as intense as the sun showed its face.
All of Olivia's thoughts stopped. Her large black eyes dilated slightly, and her pale pink lips parted slightly.
He appeared like a mysterious moon and overwhelmed her.
The moonlight shone through her hair, and the sunken eyes beneath it were so dark that their color was impossible to discern.
At the same time, Olivia realized that he was quite large. The intimidating presence he radiated in the dark garden was unlike anything she'd ever felt from anyone else.
She felt very foolish for having run away in terror at the nobles' low laughter and thinking of him as a lifeline.
The moment Olivia unconsciously took a step back, he reached out his hand.
As if he was showing proper courtesy.
A cool and clean feeling, without any malice, contempt, or low-level ridicule disguised as kindness.
He is wearing gloves.
Olivia lowered her head without realizing it, her chest puffed out with tension and her shoulders tense, letting out a long sigh.
It's ridiculous.
That's how Olivia defined her situation.
Fear breeds fear, and the dark maze only amplifies the fear.
But what is this?
The sound of footsteps chasing her was no longer audible. Instead, an endless maze gaped open.
It's so wide and expansive. She can't even see where the main garden is, and it must be far away.
It was pitch black, without even a single stove or lamp.
It had been a long time since she could tell the direction, and facing the gloomy darkness that prevented her from seeing even an inch ahead, she could only sigh.
“I’m going to get in trouble with the professor.”
She wishes it were a little brighter.
At that moment, a flashlight appeared in Olivia's mind.
"Yes!"
Olivia quickly opened her clutch and took out a flashlight.
She turned the door twice, and a bright light poured out. That alone seemed to give her hope.
Olivia chose her direction carefully, even though it was only a shot.
“Let’s go this way.”
Please come out to the main garden. Or at least to the end of the maze.
***
How long has he been wandering through the maze?
Noah, who had been walking for a while, suddenly stopped.
He wondered what he was doing. He had unconsciously set out to find the missing woman, but why was he doing it?
The woman who recklessly jumped into a maze she didn't even know was pathetic, and the nobles who brought her here with such vulgar intentions were absurd.
“Astrid looks very funny.”
Standing in front of a maze without a stove or lamp, Noah finally turned around.
He thought that no matter how pathetic it was, he wouldn't have entered such a pitch-black maze.
What on earth are the knights and servants standing here and there doing?
He checked his watch and saw that an hour had already passed since he'd been out and about. Perhaps the head maid had found her and taken her to the main garden.
Besides, thinking rationally, the chances of finding her, even if he wandered around here alone, were slim.
“Ha, you’re really doing something so trivial.”
Noah turned his head, putting his hands in his pockets.
But that was exactly when.
Something sparkled in his eyes, accustomed to the darkness.
“...?”
It was an unfamiliar light. It wasn't a flickering candle or anything like that, a light source that could reach quite far.
What is that?
The light flickered on and off just beyond the dense wall of rose trees, drawing closer and closer to him.
Noah stared intently at the approaching light, his nerves tense. A thin ray of light filtered through the lush trees, brushing against Noah's cheek and then vanishing.
And at some point, Noah heard the sound of small footsteps that he had heard somewhere before.
Huh?
It was the moment when Noah narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly.
“Why on earth is this garden so big?”
A voice half-sobbing, and footsteps that felt like they were stumbling as they got closer.
Noah put his hands in his pockets, lowered his head, and chuckled.
A woman in a blue dress was clearly depicted walking with her shoulders hunched.
The sound of small, weak footsteps grew closer and closer, and the sound of sniffling could be heard occasionally.
“It’s really bad taste, it’s really perverted.”
As she passed him through the wooden wall, a grumbling sound came from right next to him, and Noah turned in the direction she was walking.
Then he glanced around the dark maze.
Yes. To this extent, it is perverted and has bad taste.
“Professor... Where are you, Professor? I’m lost here, sob sob. Grandma...”
None of Marguerite's nieces had ever cried or whined to her, but Olivia started crying as she looked for Margot.
She was overcome with sadness and stopped crying.
Noah stood where he could feel her presence, sighed softly, and looked up at the sky.
It's not something that can be solved by crying, so why are you crying?
Now that I've found it, I have to take it...
Noah's patience was too shallow to wait for the crying to stop.
He squinted and groped through the dark maze. Fortunately, the wooden wall separating him and her ended a few meters away.
Noah decided that it would be better to go around the wall and appear in front of her to take her away, and was about to take a step when a crow cried out from somewhere.
“Huh.”
At the same time, the crying that had begun to feel tiresome suddenly stopped. It seemed like she was surprised by just that little thing.
Then, small murmurs were heard one after another.
"What's going on? There are no landmarks, no lights, and it's freezing cold, but there's no stove. Whoever created this garden must be either paranoid or a pervert."
Noah ended up laughing at her candid criticism of his ancestors.
“...Huh.”
As if hearing laughter, the flickering lights suddenly disappeared. At the same time, a quiet silence descended.
Noah turned around, still with his hands in his pockets, and looked in Olivia's direction.
His eyes were as calm as the current of the deep sea, as if he had never smiled before.
She must have been so shocked by the nobles' annoying pranks that she ran away in a panic until she reached this point.
A dark maze, a woman whose every nerve is as sensitive as a cat's. If she were to be startled and run away, then Noah would surely abandon her and turn away.
Noah looked at Olivia beyond the wall and thought.
How can I get her there as quickly and comfortably as possible without getting tired?
Olivia just kept pacing in circles. Unaware of this fact, she was in a state of utter confusion, unable to find an end to her wanderings, no matter how long she walked.
It was even more frustrating because she didn't even know how much time had passed.
She was so frustrated that tears welled up in her eyes.
“Oh, really, why isn’t it coming out?”
In addition, the flashlight blinked repeatedly, as if the magical power that had been charged up had almost run out.
“Why on earth is this garden so big?”
Olivia, exhausted and half-crying, trudged along, her resentment building towards the seemingly endless maze growing.
“It’s really bad taste. It’s really perverted.”
The situation was pitiful and appalling.
“Professor... Where are you, Professor? I’m lost here, sob sob. Grandma...”
As she searched for Margot, tears welled up in her eyes. She stood there, sobbing loudly, when a crow began to croak ominously from somewhere.
“Huh.”
The garden felt even more eerie. Olivia rubbed her arm, muttering to herself, feeling a strange chill.
"What's going on? There are no landmarks, no lights, and it's freezing cold, but there's no stove. Whoever created this garden must be either paranoid or a pervert."
“...Huh.”
Olivia stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of a small laugh. Then, startled, she quickly turned off the flashlight.
Her heart pounded violently, and her breathing became ragged and labored without her realizing it. She glanced around with wide eyes, but there was nothing there.
Are you a ghost?
Are you human?
Olivia was about to take a step back, clutching the clutch and flashlight she was holding without realizing it.
"If you keep going straight ahead, you'll see a path on your left. Don't think about anything else, just keep looking straight ahead."
A cool, soft voice came from beyond the wooden wall. It was a voice she couldn't help but recognize.
The moment she heard that voice, a tingling sensation ran through her from head to toe.
“No, Your Highness Prince Noah?”
It was funny to even ask. Why would the Prince be here without a lamp?
Well, if you put it that way, what about her herself?
Ahe could hear him clicking his tongue softly from beyond the wall, and then a languid voice, as if annoyed, followed.
"Look ahead and walk, Miss Liberty. Unless you want to spend the night here."
"Yes?"
As she asked blankly, she felt the presence beyond the wall mercilessly recede.
Olivia quickly followed the sound, her feet twitching. To catch up with him, she needed to run, not just walk. Desperate, Olivia desperately followed him, trying to avoid losing even a little of his presence.
How busy must you have been?
As she continued on, as he said, wasn't there a path leading to the left?
The moment she finally reached the corner and turned.
The boundary between the dark land and the sky, which had been overlapping as if they were one, was torn open, and a golden moon as intense as the sun showed its face.
All of Olivia's thoughts stopped. Her large black eyes dilated slightly, and her pale pink lips parted slightly.
He appeared like a mysterious moon and overwhelmed her.
The moonlight shone through her hair, and the sunken eyes beneath it were so dark that their color was impossible to discern.
At the same time, Olivia realized that he was quite large. The intimidating presence he radiated in the dark garden was unlike anything she'd ever felt from anyone else.
She felt very foolish for having run away in terror at the nobles' low laughter and thinking of him as a lifeline.
The moment Olivia unconsciously took a step back, he reached out his hand.
As if he was showing proper courtesy.
A cool and clean feeling, without any malice, contempt, or low-level ridicule disguised as kindness.
He is wearing gloves.
Olivia lowered her head without realizing it, her chest puffed out with tension and her shoulders tense, letting out a long sigh.
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