Episode 27. A Calamity of Darkness
About a month ago, on the day he visited the palace, Lucy ran up to me and thrust out two headbands.
Lucy waited for Noah, leaving Usher, who lived in the palace, to ask him.
“Noah, which is better, or is this better?”
“Isn’t it too big for you?”
“I’m not using this for myself, I’m sending it as a gift to Olivia. I just got a letter!”
One had a green velvet ribbon headband, the other a navy blue ribbon headband. He thought he had forgotten her faces, even if he didn't remember her names, but strangely enough, her white faces came back to him vividly, like a painting.
Noah alternated between putting a green and a blue headband on his imaginary Olivia.
"What kind of ribbon headband is this on an adult?" he asked, "but isn't she the type of woman who would even look good in a flower pin?" Noah chuckled and pointed to the green headband without hesitation.
“This is better. Or send both.”
“I was going to do that, but the nanny said it might be burdensome, so I told her to just send one.”
What's the burden of those two headbands?
The package should have arrived by now.
Perhaps she's agonizing over Lucy's gift. Well, come to think of it, even two headbands might be a bit much.
Noah unconsciously pictured Olivia wearing a green headband and choosing a gift for Lucy, then pushed the thought away.
What does it matter? What gift does she choose, or whether she wears Lucy's headband or not?
She's turning twenty this year, so she'll probably get married soon and live a normal life. Maybe she's already taking a step towards that.
Noah's eyes sank like empty darkness.
Early the next morning.
Noah, who was preparing to go to work, received a sudden call from the King and headed to the palace.
The servants watched the Prince leisurely walking down the light-filled corridor with anxious eyes.
Lately, whenever the Prince visited the King's office, the King's mood became so bad that the servants seemed to be on the verge of neurosis.
Although you were originally a bit harsh, you listened well when it was crucial, so why are you doing this now...?
They say it's a good thing that puberty comes on time, but that's exactly what happened...
He has to be polite today.
Despite the pitiful looks on the servants' faces, the King's anger erupted as soon as Noah entered the office.
“Noah!”
The servants' shoulders trembled at the sound of his voice, but Noah didn't even bat an eyelash.
Leonard forced himself to compose himself and dismissed his secretaries and attendants. As they hurried out, as if they had been waiting for him, Leonard looked at his son, who stood blankly to one side, and sighed deeply.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What am I doing?”
"The public relations secretary told me this morning. Was that all you could do about the interview you conducted yesterday? You should have responded as gently as possible when they brought up the concerns of the people of the kingdom! I managed to block the article, but this has happened several times recently!"
Noah replied with a smirk.
"Your Majesty. Isn't it a shame that the Navy should be concerned about the loss of just one person?"
Then Leonard approached Noah and whispered very quietly.
“Are you aware that there has been a recent revolutionary movement in the Kingdom of Polia?”
“...”
"They're demanding the dissolution of the royal family. Who is the Queen of Polia? She's my cousin. Yesterday, she secretly asked me for permission to exile her children. Exile of the Crown Prince, Princes, and Princesses."
"The King of Polia deserves it. He's been out and about committing all sorts of evil deeds; isn't that only natural? And that's why Your Majesty keeps the council in check."
"More important than that is the flow. Public opinion, the atmosphere."
So the King gave the Crown Prince a job that suited him, and the Prince a job that suited him.
But how dare you do things like this?
"If I tell you to laugh, laugh. If I tell you to cry, cry. That's your role, so just play your role properly, is that it?"
As his son's eyes burned brightly, Leonard's burned brightly too.
"I told you to stay in the Navy, but you insisted on leaving to pursue your own business. So, what on earth are you going to do as a Prince now?"
"What on earth didn't I do? I served four years, two years more than the mandatory two-year service period!"
Noah suddenly remembered that day.
It would have been better if Usher had been a year older than him.
Although they were not twins, they were born in the same year and did everything together.
Usher always had better grades. He was top of the class, Noah second. It was always like that.
Then one day, Noah beat Usher for the first time and took first place.
A strange thrill welled up in him. He also wanted to be acknowledged by his father.
But that day, his father called him. He looked into his eyes and said:
"You must aim for second place. Don't get better grades than the Crown Prince, but you must be superior to everyone else. Do you understand?"
The King's words flew like a dagger and pierced his young heart.
He realized that day.
Oh, I'm a replacement.
Noah gradually drifted away from the royal family. He belonged nowhere and was wealthy. He felt empty and bored.
Noah took a document out of his bosom and handed it to the King.
“What is this?”
"That business I'm doing, even though I'm going to throw away the Navy. Since I'm doing it, I'll no longer accept royal maintenance fees. Isn't that enough to make the press want to give it a good press release?"
Then, after paying homage to the King with an elegant gesture, he turned and left the office before permission was even granted.
Although the bright morning sunlight was shining down on me, he felt like he was walking in pitch-black darkness.
At that time, Noah was wandering alone in the darkness.
Across the sea, Olivia of Pulder also walked through a terrible darkness.
On the way back from Susanna's funeral, Margot personally escorted Olivia home. It was surprising that Herod's Princess would attend the funeral of Susanna Liberty.
“Thank you, Professor. I truly appreciate it.”
In front of the small, simple house, Olivia thanked Margot several times.
She looked as if she was about to collapse from crying so much that she couldn't bring herself to move. But if she did, Olivia wouldn't be able to enter the house, so Margot turned the carriage around.
“Eat something. Don’t act like you’re going to die too.”
No matter how much she tries to console her, it's always like this. Margot turned her head, reflecting on what she had said.
Olivia watched Margot's carriage drive away, then turned to look at the house. The house, now devoid of purple wisteria blossoms, was as desolate as death itself.
She cried so much that she didn't think she could cry anymore, but before she knew it, tears were flowing again.
“Oh, Olivia! What am I going to do if you stay here like this?”
Mrs. McPhee, who lived next door, heard the sound of the carriage and ran out to put a blanket around Olivia's shoulders.
Why is it so cold this winter?
Mrs. McPhee led Olivia into her home. It had been unused for several days, and the inside was as cold as the outside.
Mrs. McPhee sat Olivia down and quickly lit a fire in the fireplace.
“Mrs. McPhee.”
When Olivia, who had been quietly watching the scene, called out, the woman turned her head.
"Thank you."
“...”
Mrs. McPhee approached Olivia cautiously and embraced her. After a long embrace, sharing warmth, she left.
Olivia took off her coat, hung it beside her, and crawled into her grandmother's bed. Taking a deep breath, she could smell her grandmother.
Death seems to sweep away even the souls of those left behind.
After staying up for several nights, she fell into a deep sleep.
And the next morning.
Time passed with a cruel regularity, and today was the day she had to go to work regardless of her sadness.
How could the world remain the same when Susannah Liberty is gone forever?
How can her mom, dad, and grandpa disappear and the world stay the same?
The question from her childhood comes back to her again.
But the world doesn't stop when just a few people disappear.
Olivia creaked as she got up from her seat and dressed for the first time in a while. As she put on her coat and gloves, a pile of letters caught her eye.
She put on her gloves and checked for any important letters, and found one from the central library.
Olivia's eyes grew wider as she opened the letter with a puzzled look on her face.
“No, why...?”
It was a layoff notice.
About a month ago, on the day he visited the palace, Lucy ran up to me and thrust out two headbands.
Lucy waited for Noah, leaving Usher, who lived in the palace, to ask him.
“Noah, which is better, or is this better?”
“Isn’t it too big for you?”
“I’m not using this for myself, I’m sending it as a gift to Olivia. I just got a letter!”
One had a green velvet ribbon headband, the other a navy blue ribbon headband. He thought he had forgotten her faces, even if he didn't remember her names, but strangely enough, her white faces came back to him vividly, like a painting.
Noah alternated between putting a green and a blue headband on his imaginary Olivia.
"What kind of ribbon headband is this on an adult?" he asked, "but isn't she the type of woman who would even look good in a flower pin?" Noah chuckled and pointed to the green headband without hesitation.
“This is better. Or send both.”
“I was going to do that, but the nanny said it might be burdensome, so I told her to just send one.”
What's the burden of those two headbands?
The package should have arrived by now.
Perhaps she's agonizing over Lucy's gift. Well, come to think of it, even two headbands might be a bit much.
Noah unconsciously pictured Olivia wearing a green headband and choosing a gift for Lucy, then pushed the thought away.
What does it matter? What gift does she choose, or whether she wears Lucy's headband or not?
She's turning twenty this year, so she'll probably get married soon and live a normal life. Maybe she's already taking a step towards that.
Noah's eyes sank like empty darkness.
Early the next morning.
Noah, who was preparing to go to work, received a sudden call from the King and headed to the palace.
The servants watched the Prince leisurely walking down the light-filled corridor with anxious eyes.
Lately, whenever the Prince visited the King's office, the King's mood became so bad that the servants seemed to be on the verge of neurosis.
Although you were originally a bit harsh, you listened well when it was crucial, so why are you doing this now...?
They say it's a good thing that puberty comes on time, but that's exactly what happened...
He has to be polite today.
Despite the pitiful looks on the servants' faces, the King's anger erupted as soon as Noah entered the office.
“Noah!”
The servants' shoulders trembled at the sound of his voice, but Noah didn't even bat an eyelash.
Leonard forced himself to compose himself and dismissed his secretaries and attendants. As they hurried out, as if they had been waiting for him, Leonard looked at his son, who stood blankly to one side, and sighed deeply.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What am I doing?”
"The public relations secretary told me this morning. Was that all you could do about the interview you conducted yesterday? You should have responded as gently as possible when they brought up the concerns of the people of the kingdom! I managed to block the article, but this has happened several times recently!"
Noah replied with a smirk.
"Your Majesty. Isn't it a shame that the Navy should be concerned about the loss of just one person?"
Then Leonard approached Noah and whispered very quietly.
“Are you aware that there has been a recent revolutionary movement in the Kingdom of Polia?”
“...”
"They're demanding the dissolution of the royal family. Who is the Queen of Polia? She's my cousin. Yesterday, she secretly asked me for permission to exile her children. Exile of the Crown Prince, Princes, and Princesses."
"The King of Polia deserves it. He's been out and about committing all sorts of evil deeds; isn't that only natural? And that's why Your Majesty keeps the council in check."
"More important than that is the flow. Public opinion, the atmosphere."
So the King gave the Crown Prince a job that suited him, and the Prince a job that suited him.
But how dare you do things like this?
"If I tell you to laugh, laugh. If I tell you to cry, cry. That's your role, so just play your role properly, is that it?"
As his son's eyes burned brightly, Leonard's burned brightly too.
"I told you to stay in the Navy, but you insisted on leaving to pursue your own business. So, what on earth are you going to do as a Prince now?"
"What on earth didn't I do? I served four years, two years more than the mandatory two-year service period!"
Noah suddenly remembered that day.
It would have been better if Usher had been a year older than him.
Although they were not twins, they were born in the same year and did everything together.
Usher always had better grades. He was top of the class, Noah second. It was always like that.
Then one day, Noah beat Usher for the first time and took first place.
A strange thrill welled up in him. He also wanted to be acknowledged by his father.
But that day, his father called him. He looked into his eyes and said:
"You must aim for second place. Don't get better grades than the Crown Prince, but you must be superior to everyone else. Do you understand?"
The King's words flew like a dagger and pierced his young heart.
He realized that day.
Oh, I'm a replacement.
Noah gradually drifted away from the royal family. He belonged nowhere and was wealthy. He felt empty and bored.
Noah took a document out of his bosom and handed it to the King.
“What is this?”
"That business I'm doing, even though I'm going to throw away the Navy. Since I'm doing it, I'll no longer accept royal maintenance fees. Isn't that enough to make the press want to give it a good press release?"
Then, after paying homage to the King with an elegant gesture, he turned and left the office before permission was even granted.
Although the bright morning sunlight was shining down on me, he felt like he was walking in pitch-black darkness.
***
At that time, Noah was wandering alone in the darkness.
Across the sea, Olivia of Pulder also walked through a terrible darkness.
On the way back from Susanna's funeral, Margot personally escorted Olivia home. It was surprising that Herod's Princess would attend the funeral of Susanna Liberty.
“Thank you, Professor. I truly appreciate it.”
In front of the small, simple house, Olivia thanked Margot several times.
She looked as if she was about to collapse from crying so much that she couldn't bring herself to move. But if she did, Olivia wouldn't be able to enter the house, so Margot turned the carriage around.
“Eat something. Don’t act like you’re going to die too.”
No matter how much she tries to console her, it's always like this. Margot turned her head, reflecting on what she had said.
Olivia watched Margot's carriage drive away, then turned to look at the house. The house, now devoid of purple wisteria blossoms, was as desolate as death itself.
She cried so much that she didn't think she could cry anymore, but before she knew it, tears were flowing again.
“Oh, Olivia! What am I going to do if you stay here like this?”
Mrs. McPhee, who lived next door, heard the sound of the carriage and ran out to put a blanket around Olivia's shoulders.
Why is it so cold this winter?
Mrs. McPhee led Olivia into her home. It had been unused for several days, and the inside was as cold as the outside.
Mrs. McPhee sat Olivia down and quickly lit a fire in the fireplace.
“Mrs. McPhee.”
When Olivia, who had been quietly watching the scene, called out, the woman turned her head.
"Thank you."
“...”
Mrs. McPhee approached Olivia cautiously and embraced her. After a long embrace, sharing warmth, she left.
Olivia took off her coat, hung it beside her, and crawled into her grandmother's bed. Taking a deep breath, she could smell her grandmother.
Death seems to sweep away even the souls of those left behind.
After staying up for several nights, she fell into a deep sleep.
And the next morning.
Time passed with a cruel regularity, and today was the day she had to go to work regardless of her sadness.
How could the world remain the same when Susannah Liberty is gone forever?
How can her mom, dad, and grandpa disappear and the world stay the same?
The question from her childhood comes back to her again.
But the world doesn't stop when just a few people disappear.
Olivia creaked as she got up from her seat and dressed for the first time in a while. As she put on her coat and gloves, a pile of letters caught her eye.
She put on her gloves and checked for any important letters, and found one from the central library.
Olivia's eyes grew wider as she opened the letter with a puzzled look on her face.
“No, why...?”
It was a layoff notice.
Olivia felt like she was going to collapse, but she couldn't stay at home either, so she headed to the central library.
But in the end, she couldn't meet the librarian.
The HR clerk didn't hide his annoyed and bothered expression as he spoke to Olivia coldly.
"The reason for the layoffs is written down, right? It's a personnel reshuffle to improve the library's finances."
“But how can you give a layoff notice like this overnight?”
"Hey, so you're telling me a year in advance? No clause in the employment contract requires notice before dismissal."
Olivia, speechless and exhausted, left the library with a heavy heart.
Feeling dizzy and her vision spinning, she collapsed on the stairs, clutching the railing and gasping for breath.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand it.
Is this how society is originally, or is this what gender discrimination is?
How come she keeps failing to get a job, and then getting fired so pointlessly from the job she barely managed to get?
It was as if she was barely hanging on to the edge of a cliff, and someone had come and kicked her hand away from the cliff.
She was about to get up, thinking she should go home and rest for a while. Suddenly, she felt a presence, and someone called her.
“Olivia.”
The moment she heard that voice, her mind snapped back to normal. Olivia quickly stood up, her expression shaky.
She raised her head and, sure enough, it was Ansen.
“Ansen.”
“You...what’s wrong with your face? What’s wrong?”
"No, nothing's wrong. It seems you have some business at the library. Go ahead and go. I'm off now."
If she had to pick the person she least wants to see this side of, it would be Ansen.
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