Episode 8. Just catch it.
Olivia took a step back without realizing it, but then realized she couldn't get out any further and stood firm on her legs.
"I'm sorry, but if you ask me questions sporadically, I won't be able to answer them. Also, I need to visit Princess Marguerite, so please step aside for a moment."
Although she looked sharp as she spoke her mind with an unwavering gaze, it was of little use in the face of overwhelming numerical inferiority.
Moreover, the prodigal son knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never have another chance to see Olivia up close, so he was reluctant to back down.
Olivia's breathing became ragged as they closed the distance between them, ignoring her requests to move or ask them to move one by one.
‘Ah... Professor, where are you?’
Olivia looked around, unsure of how to escape this predicament. But with her back to the wall and three sides surrounded by nobles, she had no idea who to turn to for help.
That was exactly when.
The back of the nobles, who were wrapped in layers, seemed to become chaotic, and then he felt the nobles' movements moving to the side like waves parting.
As Olivia craned her neck and looked over the head of the nobleman standing nearby, Prince Noah appeared, parting the crowd.
Olivia froze again, just as she had when she first met him.
Noah sighed deeply as he saw Olivia's expression, huddled in a corner, panting softly.
His father should have at least assigned this woman a proper attendant after the interview. Of course, since this was his first time with a commoner, he might not have expected such behavior.
Noah slowly approached Olivia, who was frozen in the corner with her eyes wide open like a rabbit.
Her dark eyes, gradually squinting upward, caught his eye, and he was startled. Noah stared at his reflection in her eyes and then reached out his hand.
But isn't she just looking at his hand with a puzzled expression?
“Just grab it.”
A soft, cool voice, an outstretched hand, a difficult situation.
Olivia placed her hand on Noah's, feeling dazed and in a trance.
Unlike her, who was bare-handed beneath her blouse, Noah wore soft black gloves. Beneath the smooth, rounded feel of the gloves, Olivia could feel the firmness and warmth of his hands.
The moment she held that hand, her heart, which had been beating incoherently, calmed down.
As Noah took Olivia's hand and turned around, looking coldly at the regretful faces of the prodigal sons, they stepped back without a word.
Through the crowd of nobles who were parting ways, Noah walked ahead, and Olivia followed him, holding his hand.
Olivia stared blankly at Noah's profile as he opened the path half a step ahead. Her heart, which she had thought had calmed down for a moment, pounded violently for a different reason.
At that moment, the music changed to a lively dance. The young nobles, who had been chatting in small groups, rushed to the center of the banquet hall as if they had made a pact.
It happened without any time to stop it.
Noah met Margot's eyes, wide open, as he looked across the crowd of people who had gathered to dance.
It was so chilling that it was almost heartbreaking.
He's doing this so that he can take this girl to his aunt.
"I..."
When Noah turned his head at the small voice, Olivia was looking at him with an embarrassed expression.
“Thank you. I’ll go around there and see Princess Marguerite.”
Noah glanced in the direction Olivia was pointing. The ladies of prominent families were waving their fans and looking at Olivia.
Noah looked down at Olivia's hands, which looked white and smooth, for a moment, then turned his head to look at the crowd that had begun to dance.
“It’ll be difficult to get around there. Do you see all the ladies gathered there?”
“...”
“It’ll be harder to deal with than the prodigal son. Are you okay with that?”
“Then I’ll stay here for a bit and when the dance is over...”
“The dances are continuous. There is no pause in between.”
Noah hesitated for a moment, then said something in a gentle tone that would have been surprising to Olivia.
“This dance isn’t that difficult. Would you like to try it?”
"Yes?"
When Olivia asked in surprise, Noah pointed to the crowd of dancers with his left hand, which was not holding hers.
“See how it keeps moving to the right? In just three beats, we’ll reach Princess Marguerite.”
Then he extended his left hand towards Olivia.
“I’ve never danced before.”
Olivia whispered urgently, but Noah did not withdraw his outstretched hand and instead raised his eyebrows at Olivia.
Anyway, when the royal family invites a guest, it is polite for a member of the royal family to dance lightly with him.
It was at that moment that the passionate gazes of the chaperones and debutantes pouring in at the same time began to feel burdensome.
Olivia, clutching her sanity as if she were about to faint, stared blankly at the Prince's outstretched hand before finally taking it.
Even though she didn't know the basics of royal etiquette, she was certain that refusing the Prince's hand in this situation would never be a good choice.
When Olivia took Noah's hand, Noah gently released his right hand, which he had been holding, and placed it lightly around Olivia's back.
“Grab my shoulder with your left hand.”
In the midst of extreme confusion, Olivia placed her hand on Noah's shoulder like a machine following orders.
Noah looked down at Olivia, who was frozen with nervousness, and explained the dance.
“You don’t have to be so nervous, just take four steps to the right, turn around twice, and repeat.”
The dry, humorless explanation actually helped her come to her senses.
Olivia looked around, her eyes wide open, as if facing the world's greatest challenge. Indeed, people were dancing just as he had described.
“Take four steps to the right, turn twice.”
Noah chuckled at the sight of Olivia muttering resolutely, as if about to take an exam, and led her into the crowd.
This dance is something even little Princess Lucy can quickly learn, so it won't be difficult.
She felt the pouring gazes, but that didn't matter. Just meeting eyes was enough to send a flash of romance, so what difference would it make if Olivia from the pulpy world were added to the mix?
Besides, this woman is going to go back in a few days anyway.
Noah led Olivia gently and skillfully.
“One, two, three, four, let go, turn around. One more time, grab it again. Not that hard, right?”
The Prince even counted the beats himself, to a simple beat that sounded familiar, so it wasn't as difficult as she'd thought.
Moreover, because the dance itself was lively and cheerful, she felt less embarrassed than she thought, even though she was holding hands and dancing closely with the Prince whom she had just met.
No, rather, after dancing to the beat of two, Olivia got used to the dance by the last three beats and even thought it was fun.
As Olivia turned around twice, balancing on her right hand that was holding Noah's, to her surprise, Margot was right in front of her.
They actually arrived in front of Margot in just three tries.
Noah released the hand that had been wrapped around Olivia's back, releasing their grip. He then greeted her with perfect posture, smiled at Margot, and turned away without a second thought.
Olivia, who had been staring at Noah as if he was walking away leisurely, as if he had never danced before, suddenly came to her senses and turned her head towards Margot.
"Professor."
She blinked, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and Margot gently grabbed her arm.
Margot was dumbfounded. Returning from the terrace, she found the frail Queen had already left, unable to wait for Olivia to finish her interview, and Noah was paying her respects.
He hung out with prodigal sons and sometimes spread debauchery, so she kept a stern eye on him, but she still felt that he was doing his job on behalf of the royal family.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“...It’s really great.”
“Let’s go. I told them to bring fried fish to your room in advance.”
At her words, Olivia felt the tension in her neck suddenly loosen.
“Thank you, Professor! But is it okay to go like this?”
“Of course.”
As Margot strode out of the banquet hall with a commanding stride, the surrounding nobles quickly retreated. It struck Olivia anew that she belonged to Herod's royal family.
Olivia followed Margot for a while, then turned her head briefly to look at the banquet hall.
The magnificent arches decorated with marble and gold looked like a picture frame, and the chandeliers sparkling in red and the jewel-like nobles beyond the arches felt like a scene from a famous painting.
She couldn't believe that she was in that masterpiece.
“Olivia!”
“Oh, yes!”
At Margot's call, Olivia quickly turned around and went down the stairs.
The splendid banquet, in which so much had happened in a short time, ended like that.
As Noah made his way through the crowd to the terrace, the prodigal sons who had Olivia stolen from him gathered around him.
“Oh, isn’t that too much?”
“How can you just take her away like that, Your Highness?”
Noah opened his mouth after leisurely looking over the pathetic guys who were complaining.
“Astrid’s guests are treated like Astrid.”
Although his tone was light and free of any pressure, the prodigal sons flinched at Noah's words, and their expressions softened.
Noah took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Behind the leisurely smoke, a sharp gaze flickered dangerously. The prodigal sons, now out of Noah's sight, slowly backed away.
"No matter how un-Astrid-like the guest may be, if Astrid invited them, they should be treated accordingly. Right?"
“...”
“Why are you acting like a city thug here?”
"Sorry."
No matter how much I hang out with you guys, I have to keep my promises.
“Be careful. There are a lot of eyes watching you.”
Noah passed them with a cynical attitude and went onto the terrace.
The remaining nobles coughed in vain and then dispersed, looking embarrassed.
And from between the grand pillars, Isabel Seymour watched with sparkling eyes. More precisely, the terrace where Noah Astrid had vanished.
“Mrs. Jouverne.”
“Speak, Lady Seymour.”
“What must I do to marry Prince Noah?”
The young lady, who had just turned nineteen, looked at Madame Jouverne, the legend of the chaperone world, with her eyes shining boldly.
Mrs. Jouverne stared at the terrace where Noah had disappeared for a long time, then nodded slightly.
"First, I'll have to think about it. If it's Prince Noah... well, it might be difficult to do it the usual way. It might take some time. Is that okay?"
To her question, Isabel nodded with a smile.
“Of course. Please think about it carefully.”
Isabel and Madame Jouverne turned around gracefully, smiling.
Olivia took a step back without realizing it, but then realized she couldn't get out any further and stood firm on her legs.
"I'm sorry, but if you ask me questions sporadically, I won't be able to answer them. Also, I need to visit Princess Marguerite, so please step aside for a moment."
Although she looked sharp as she spoke her mind with an unwavering gaze, it was of little use in the face of overwhelming numerical inferiority.
Moreover, the prodigal son knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never have another chance to see Olivia up close, so he was reluctant to back down.
Olivia's breathing became ragged as they closed the distance between them, ignoring her requests to move or ask them to move one by one.
‘Ah... Professor, where are you?’
Olivia looked around, unsure of how to escape this predicament. But with her back to the wall and three sides surrounded by nobles, she had no idea who to turn to for help.
That was exactly when.
The back of the nobles, who were wrapped in layers, seemed to become chaotic, and then he felt the nobles' movements moving to the side like waves parting.
As Olivia craned her neck and looked over the head of the nobleman standing nearby, Prince Noah appeared, parting the crowd.
Olivia froze again, just as she had when she first met him.
Noah sighed deeply as he saw Olivia's expression, huddled in a corner, panting softly.
His father should have at least assigned this woman a proper attendant after the interview. Of course, since this was his first time with a commoner, he might not have expected such behavior.
Noah slowly approached Olivia, who was frozen in the corner with her eyes wide open like a rabbit.
Her dark eyes, gradually squinting upward, caught his eye, and he was startled. Noah stared at his reflection in her eyes and then reached out his hand.
But isn't she just looking at his hand with a puzzled expression?
“Just grab it.”
A soft, cool voice, an outstretched hand, a difficult situation.
Olivia placed her hand on Noah's, feeling dazed and in a trance.
Unlike her, who was bare-handed beneath her blouse, Noah wore soft black gloves. Beneath the smooth, rounded feel of the gloves, Olivia could feel the firmness and warmth of his hands.
The moment she held that hand, her heart, which had been beating incoherently, calmed down.
As Noah took Olivia's hand and turned around, looking coldly at the regretful faces of the prodigal sons, they stepped back without a word.
Through the crowd of nobles who were parting ways, Noah walked ahead, and Olivia followed him, holding his hand.
Olivia stared blankly at Noah's profile as he opened the path half a step ahead. Her heart, which she had thought had calmed down for a moment, pounded violently for a different reason.
At that moment, the music changed to a lively dance. The young nobles, who had been chatting in small groups, rushed to the center of the banquet hall as if they had made a pact.
It happened without any time to stop it.
Noah met Margot's eyes, wide open, as he looked across the crowd of people who had gathered to dance.
It was so chilling that it was almost heartbreaking.
He's doing this so that he can take this girl to his aunt.
"I..."
When Noah turned his head at the small voice, Olivia was looking at him with an embarrassed expression.
“Thank you. I’ll go around there and see Princess Marguerite.”
Noah glanced in the direction Olivia was pointing. The ladies of prominent families were waving their fans and looking at Olivia.
Noah looked down at Olivia's hands, which looked white and smooth, for a moment, then turned his head to look at the crowd that had begun to dance.
“It’ll be difficult to get around there. Do you see all the ladies gathered there?”
“...”
“It’ll be harder to deal with than the prodigal son. Are you okay with that?”
“Then I’ll stay here for a bit and when the dance is over...”
“The dances are continuous. There is no pause in between.”
Noah hesitated for a moment, then said something in a gentle tone that would have been surprising to Olivia.
“This dance isn’t that difficult. Would you like to try it?”
"Yes?"
When Olivia asked in surprise, Noah pointed to the crowd of dancers with his left hand, which was not holding hers.
“See how it keeps moving to the right? In just three beats, we’ll reach Princess Marguerite.”
Then he extended his left hand towards Olivia.
“I’ve never danced before.”
Olivia whispered urgently, but Noah did not withdraw his outstretched hand and instead raised his eyebrows at Olivia.
Anyway, when the royal family invites a guest, it is polite for a member of the royal family to dance lightly with him.
It was at that moment that the passionate gazes of the chaperones and debutantes pouring in at the same time began to feel burdensome.
Olivia, clutching her sanity as if she were about to faint, stared blankly at the Prince's outstretched hand before finally taking it.
Even though she didn't know the basics of royal etiquette, she was certain that refusing the Prince's hand in this situation would never be a good choice.
When Olivia took Noah's hand, Noah gently released his right hand, which he had been holding, and placed it lightly around Olivia's back.
“Grab my shoulder with your left hand.”
In the midst of extreme confusion, Olivia placed her hand on Noah's shoulder like a machine following orders.
Noah looked down at Olivia, who was frozen with nervousness, and explained the dance.
“You don’t have to be so nervous, just take four steps to the right, turn around twice, and repeat.”
The dry, humorless explanation actually helped her come to her senses.
Olivia looked around, her eyes wide open, as if facing the world's greatest challenge. Indeed, people were dancing just as he had described.
“Take four steps to the right, turn twice.”
Noah chuckled at the sight of Olivia muttering resolutely, as if about to take an exam, and led her into the crowd.
This dance is something even little Princess Lucy can quickly learn, so it won't be difficult.
She felt the pouring gazes, but that didn't matter. Just meeting eyes was enough to send a flash of romance, so what difference would it make if Olivia from the pulpy world were added to the mix?
Besides, this woman is going to go back in a few days anyway.
Noah led Olivia gently and skillfully.
“One, two, three, four, let go, turn around. One more time, grab it again. Not that hard, right?”
The Prince even counted the beats himself, to a simple beat that sounded familiar, so it wasn't as difficult as she'd thought.
Moreover, because the dance itself was lively and cheerful, she felt less embarrassed than she thought, even though she was holding hands and dancing closely with the Prince whom she had just met.
No, rather, after dancing to the beat of two, Olivia got used to the dance by the last three beats and even thought it was fun.
As Olivia turned around twice, balancing on her right hand that was holding Noah's, to her surprise, Margot was right in front of her.
They actually arrived in front of Margot in just three tries.
Noah released the hand that had been wrapped around Olivia's back, releasing their grip. He then greeted her with perfect posture, smiled at Margot, and turned away without a second thought.
Olivia, who had been staring at Noah as if he was walking away leisurely, as if he had never danced before, suddenly came to her senses and turned her head towards Margot.
"Professor."
She blinked, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and Margot gently grabbed her arm.
Margot was dumbfounded. Returning from the terrace, she found the frail Queen had already left, unable to wait for Olivia to finish her interview, and Noah was paying her respects.
He hung out with prodigal sons and sometimes spread debauchery, so she kept a stern eye on him, but she still felt that he was doing his job on behalf of the royal family.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“...It’s really great.”
“Let’s go. I told them to bring fried fish to your room in advance.”
At her words, Olivia felt the tension in her neck suddenly loosen.
“Thank you, Professor! But is it okay to go like this?”
“Of course.”
As Margot strode out of the banquet hall with a commanding stride, the surrounding nobles quickly retreated. It struck Olivia anew that she belonged to Herod's royal family.
Olivia followed Margot for a while, then turned her head briefly to look at the banquet hall.
The magnificent arches decorated with marble and gold looked like a picture frame, and the chandeliers sparkling in red and the jewel-like nobles beyond the arches felt like a scene from a famous painting.
She couldn't believe that she was in that masterpiece.
“Olivia!”
“Oh, yes!”
At Margot's call, Olivia quickly turned around and went down the stairs.
The splendid banquet, in which so much had happened in a short time, ended like that.
As Noah made his way through the crowd to the terrace, the prodigal sons who had Olivia stolen from him gathered around him.
“Oh, isn’t that too much?”
“How can you just take her away like that, Your Highness?”
Noah opened his mouth after leisurely looking over the pathetic guys who were complaining.
“Astrid’s guests are treated like Astrid.”
Although his tone was light and free of any pressure, the prodigal sons flinched at Noah's words, and their expressions softened.
Noah took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Behind the leisurely smoke, a sharp gaze flickered dangerously. The prodigal sons, now out of Noah's sight, slowly backed away.
"No matter how un-Astrid-like the guest may be, if Astrid invited them, they should be treated accordingly. Right?"
“...”
“Why are you acting like a city thug here?”
"Sorry."
No matter how much I hang out with you guys, I have to keep my promises.
“Be careful. There are a lot of eyes watching you.”
Noah passed them with a cynical attitude and went onto the terrace.
The remaining nobles coughed in vain and then dispersed, looking embarrassed.
And from between the grand pillars, Isabel Seymour watched with sparkling eyes. More precisely, the terrace where Noah Astrid had vanished.
“Mrs. Jouverne.”
“Speak, Lady Seymour.”
“What must I do to marry Prince Noah?”
The young lady, who had just turned nineteen, looked at Madame Jouverne, the legend of the chaperone world, with her eyes shining boldly.
Mrs. Jouverne stared at the terrace where Noah had disappeared for a long time, then nodded slightly.
"First, I'll have to think about it. If it's Prince Noah... well, it might be difficult to do it the usual way. It might take some time. Is that okay?"
To her question, Isabel nodded with a smile.
“Of course. Please think about it carefully.”
Isabel and Madame Jouverne turned around gracefully, smiling.
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