Episode 9. A Breeze of Wind, A Fragrance
Olivia was transported by carriage within the palace to her quarters. The room she was given was a guest room with a window facing the main fountain of Herod's Palace, a room the Queen herself had personally selected for her.
Margot, who looked visibly tired, followed the guide after saying she would see her tomorrow, and Olivia followed the maid into the room given to her.
And the moment the maid turned on the light, Olivia reflected on having dared to call this room a guesthouse.
Even in the dim light, everything in the room felt like a magnificent luxury. Yet, nothing was overdone, and everything blended together perfectly, creating a comfortable atmosphere.
The maid briefly explained to Olivia what she needed as she looked around the room.
“...If you need anything, just pull this rope.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Meanwhile, the servants had set the table with fried fish as the main dish, and Olivia sat down happily in front of it.
“Yes, I’ll be back later.”
The maid lit the candle on the table and then quietly withdrew. Her light, flowing, graceful movement as she turned away left Olivia, who watched her quietly.
It seems that no one in Herod's palace is not elegant.
What woke Olivia from her momentary reverie was an appetizing smell.
“Shall we try it?”
Olivia, her heart pounding, cut open the fried fish and stuffed it into her mouth. The crispy skin and tender, salty flesh sent shivers down her spine.
“It’s really delicious.”
Olivia kept muttering how delicious it was, and finished the bowl in the blink of an eye. Now that she had filled her stomach, the next step was a warm bath.
As she came out of the bathroom after washing up, the table was already neatly organized.
Olivia climbed into the soft, soapy bedding and lay her head on the fluffy pillow.
She took a slow breath, rolled her eyes, and looked around the cozy and wonderful room.
“Wow... Are we really in Herod’s Palace?”
She let out a breathy laugh. "I miss Herod so much, I'm coming to Herod's palace."
Just as she carefully folds a worn-out page of a book and reads it over and over again, she will carefully fold this moment and read it over and over again.
Olivia sat up, her tired body heavy, took out her notebook, fountain pen, and the magic flashlight she had designed herself from her bag, and sat down at the table.
Instead of flickering candlelight, Olivia lit a flashlight with a steady brightness and hung it gently on a candlestick, then opened her notebook and wrote in her diary.
Olivia, who had been writing slowly from the moment she arrived and entered the palace by carriage, stopped at a certain point.
The sharp fountain pen nib hesitated as it tried to write something, then tried again and gave up.
Olivia put down her pen for a moment and wrapped her right hand around her left shoulder.
She blinked as she recalled the large, firm sensation that had been wrapping around her back, then lowered her hand in surprise.
It was a banquet she always wanted to escape, but somehow she felt like she would be thinking about it for a long time. Even in the awkward moment, she was surrounded by nobles.
Olivia picked up her pen again and wrote the words she had been hesitating to write, as if she had made up her mind.
“Noah Astrid.”
She quietly rolled the wonderful name she had just finished writing on the tip of her fountain pen, and with a smile on her face, she filled her notebook with the day's events.
The next day, Leonard opened his eyes and checked the newspaper. He burst into hearty laughter, telling the palace to go away.
[ Leonard II invites Olivia Liberty, the first Haroldington student, to the fall banquet ]
He felt like he was going to fly when Walter Lightwing's face disappeared from the front page. He looked so much like Walter that he felt like he was sinking into a swamp every time he read the newspaper.
Leonard pointed to the pictures of the royal family and Olivia with his finger.
“Can you see it? Walter’s face has finally disappeared from the front page! Hahahahaha!”
Leonard, whose lifelong dream was to catch and kill the son who invented the damn camera and the newspaper owners, ironically became more obsessed with newspapers than anyone else.
As the number of wealthy commoners increased, an era of concern for their well-being arrived. The existence of the Republic of Pulder also fueled this trend.
So why not just try to persuade newspaper executives? Surely that's a viable option. But newspaper executives are more concerned with circulation than with the King.
Leonard jumped up from his seat and gave orders to his attendant.
"Yes, let's all go to Herrington Bay today! Let's take a picture with the Magic Dome in the background! And one in front of the Golden Lion statue in the park, where even the common people come and go! Quickly, contact the reporters!"
The attendant quickly answered, offering Leonard a glass of cool water.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so.”
Leonard gulped down the water, wiped his mouth with a towel, and added with a sigh.
"If Margot says she's tired, tell her she doesn't have to come, and that she should get some rest. Also, tell Walter to stay away from the Herrington area today."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So, around 10 a.m., Margot and Olivia boarded a carriage bound for the royal family's private villa in Herrington Bay.
The cottage was situated on a rocky outcrop, rising alone from the gentle coast of Herrington.
The rocky mountain, which looks like a castle from afar, has a steep cliff on the side facing the sea, while the side facing the land has a gentle slope, making it easily accessible by horse-drawn carriage.
Olivia pressed herself against the window, gazing at the sea sparkling between the trees.
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Olivia got out, following Margot.
The cool moisture of the sea was mixed in with the blowing wind.
Olivia, clutching the hem of her fluttering skirt, looked out at the sea, where the fragmented autumn sunlight was widely scattered.
And there, three magic domes stood tall like white pillars.
Although she designed it herself, this was her first time seeing it in person.
“It’s the magic dome Oliver designed, Olivia.”
Olivia laughed hollowly at Margot's words as she approached.
“Yes. Oliver designed it.”
Margot muttered with a cold glint in her eyes.
"Your social standing is crumbling, and yet they're denying your patent rights just because you're a woman. It's a very interesting reason."
At that moment, the royal guard, mounted on warhorses, appeared, escorting the King's carriage. Margot turned toward the carriage and continued speaking.
“Don’t throw away the evidence that you are Oliver. Keep it.”
“Yes, I have it.”
"Don't conform, Olivia. The moment will come when you'll have to take it out."
Margot glanced at Olivia, who was small and delicate, but by no means frail.
“And you’re the first. You were the first in everything.”
“...I’m not that great, Professor.”
Olivia's answer caused Margot to burst into a sarcastic laugh.
"Is that so? Then the reputation of the prestigious Herrington College must be pretty crappy."
“Oh, really, Professor too.”
When Olivia finally retorted with a laugh, Margot laughed along and shrugged.
At that moment, the King and Queen got out of a majestic black carriage drawn by six horses.
Upon spotting them, Olivia bowed low and saluted. The Queen, seeing her, feigned recognition with her gaze.
Leonard's thick eyebrows twitched as Margot, who had insisted she didn't have to come, came into view, but wisely he didn't show it.
And then the Crown Prince and Prince Noah got out of another carriage that followed.
The Crown Prince and the Prince looked great even under the bright autumn sunlight.
The dress code for the men of Herod's royal family was primarily black suits, so Noah was also dressed in a black suit.
His long legs stood out even more thanks to the sleek, shiny suit.
Just when the group thought this was the end, another person stepped out of the carriage the Princes had left behind. She was a middle-aged woman.
“Oh, Lucy’s here?”
As Margot spoke softly, Usher extended his hand toward the carriage. Soon, a small girl, holding the Crown Prince's hand, descended the carriage steps with considerable grace.
Her pale, pale face was as pretty and dainty as the pink flower in her light blond hair, which was tied in half.
A smile appeared on Olivia's face as she looked at the light blue one-piece dress, which suited her so well.
A girl who looked to be no more than ten years old let go of the Crown Prince's hand and stood up with dignity and grace.
'So cute!'
Olivia let out a sigh of relief. Then Margot called the girl's name.
“Lucy Therese!”
Margot opened her arms to the girl, giving her a fond smile she never showed to anyone in the royal family.
Olivia's common sense dictated that she should have rushed to the scene, but Princess Lucy straightened her shoulders and walked briskly toward Margot. Yet, her eyes sparkled at her aunt, making it incredibly adorable.
Margot must have felt the same way, as she ran towards the girl with her arms outstretched and hugged her tightly.
“How have you been, Aunt?”
Lucy hugged her aunt's back and kissed her cheek.
“Of course. How have you been, Lucy?”
Noah, who had been watching Margot's affectionate attitude from the side, remembered the conflicting expressions she had shown him yesterday.
Oh, I feel so wronged.
Noah turned his head with a heavy heart, and Olivia came into his eyes.
“...”
She was wearing a white blouse and a voluminous flared skirt again today.
The high-saturation blue skirt and white blouse were in harmony, like the clear autumn sky and the sea.
Unlike yesterday, her black hair, tied back in half, swayed in the wind along with the voluminous hem of her skirt. A natural smile crept onto her face, fixed on Lucy.
Noah's gaze lingered on a picturesque scene.
At that moment, Margot, who had exchanged affectionate greetings with Lucy, straightened up and took a step to the side.
As Margot gave Olivia a wink, Olivia cautiously approached Lucy.
And the moment Lucy saw Olivia appearing behind her aunt, she was dumbfounded.
She's never seen anyone like this in her life.
Black hair fluttering in the wind, a face shining in the sunlight, and even exotic clothes.
To the eyes of an eight-year-old girl who lived only in the palace, everything seemed unreal.
Are you an angel?
The Princess's small mouth, which had been elegantly straightening its posture, slowly opened, and her eyes grew as big as lanterns.
At that moment, the person came to say hello.
"Hello, Princess. My name is Olivia Liberty. It's an honor to meet you."
Wow...
Usher looked at Lucy with a stern gaze, who did not respond quickly, and then smiled slightly when he noticed her blank face.
“Lucy.”
Lucy, who came to her senses at the soft voice, quickly greeted them with a blush on her face.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Lucy Therese Astrid.”
Leonard, who had been watching, seemed to have decided that it was enough and focused his attention on it.
“Come here. Stand quickly against the backdrop of the Magic Dome.”
Then he called his daughter affectionately.
“Lucy, come here!”
Leonard stood next to the Queen, holding his lovely daughter's hand.
The royal family had a set order of etiquette, even down to the order in which they walked the streets, and the only one who occasionally deviated from the rules was Lucy Therese.
Olivia approached Noah as she had the day before, and the attendant who was trying to show her where to sit smiled and nodded.
Noah gave her a brief bow, then carefully closed the distance between them and glanced at Olivia, who was standing as close as possible to him.
“Yes, let’s take a picture!”
As the photographer, wearing a black veil, shouted loudly, Noah, Olivia, and all the royals looked at the camera.
At that moment, the wind blew.
Olivia's long hair blew and tickled Noah's cheek. Still, Noah didn't look away. He chose to remain still, knowing that if he moved the hair away, he'd have to take another picture.
The sea breeze was fragrant.
With a pop, the light burst, and the photographer nodded with a satisfied expression, and the scented hair soon disappeared.
Noah watched Olivia's back as she hurried towards Margot, and ran his hand over his ticklish cheek.
Then he looked away from her with a smile that felt somehow cynical.
Olivia was transported by carriage within the palace to her quarters. The room she was given was a guest room with a window facing the main fountain of Herod's Palace, a room the Queen herself had personally selected for her.
Margot, who looked visibly tired, followed the guide after saying she would see her tomorrow, and Olivia followed the maid into the room given to her.
And the moment the maid turned on the light, Olivia reflected on having dared to call this room a guesthouse.
Even in the dim light, everything in the room felt like a magnificent luxury. Yet, nothing was overdone, and everything blended together perfectly, creating a comfortable atmosphere.
The maid briefly explained to Olivia what she needed as she looked around the room.
“...If you need anything, just pull this rope.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Meanwhile, the servants had set the table with fried fish as the main dish, and Olivia sat down happily in front of it.
“Yes, I’ll be back later.”
The maid lit the candle on the table and then quietly withdrew. Her light, flowing, graceful movement as she turned away left Olivia, who watched her quietly.
It seems that no one in Herod's palace is not elegant.
What woke Olivia from her momentary reverie was an appetizing smell.
“Shall we try it?”
Olivia, her heart pounding, cut open the fried fish and stuffed it into her mouth. The crispy skin and tender, salty flesh sent shivers down her spine.
“It’s really delicious.”
Olivia kept muttering how delicious it was, and finished the bowl in the blink of an eye. Now that she had filled her stomach, the next step was a warm bath.
As she came out of the bathroom after washing up, the table was already neatly organized.
Olivia climbed into the soft, soapy bedding and lay her head on the fluffy pillow.
She took a slow breath, rolled her eyes, and looked around the cozy and wonderful room.
“Wow... Are we really in Herod’s Palace?”
She let out a breathy laugh. "I miss Herod so much, I'm coming to Herod's palace."
Just as she carefully folds a worn-out page of a book and reads it over and over again, she will carefully fold this moment and read it over and over again.
Olivia sat up, her tired body heavy, took out her notebook, fountain pen, and the magic flashlight she had designed herself from her bag, and sat down at the table.
Instead of flickering candlelight, Olivia lit a flashlight with a steady brightness and hung it gently on a candlestick, then opened her notebook and wrote in her diary.
Olivia, who had been writing slowly from the moment she arrived and entered the palace by carriage, stopped at a certain point.
The sharp fountain pen nib hesitated as it tried to write something, then tried again and gave up.
Olivia put down her pen for a moment and wrapped her right hand around her left shoulder.
She blinked as she recalled the large, firm sensation that had been wrapping around her back, then lowered her hand in surprise.
It was a banquet she always wanted to escape, but somehow she felt like she would be thinking about it for a long time. Even in the awkward moment, she was surrounded by nobles.
Olivia picked up her pen again and wrote the words she had been hesitating to write, as if she had made up her mind.
“Noah Astrid.”
She quietly rolled the wonderful name she had just finished writing on the tip of her fountain pen, and with a smile on her face, she filled her notebook with the day's events.
***
The next day, Leonard opened his eyes and checked the newspaper. He burst into hearty laughter, telling the palace to go away.
[ Leonard II invites Olivia Liberty, the first Haroldington student, to the fall banquet ]
He felt like he was going to fly when Walter Lightwing's face disappeared from the front page. He looked so much like Walter that he felt like he was sinking into a swamp every time he read the newspaper.
Leonard pointed to the pictures of the royal family and Olivia with his finger.
“Can you see it? Walter’s face has finally disappeared from the front page! Hahahahaha!”
Leonard, whose lifelong dream was to catch and kill the son who invented the damn camera and the newspaper owners, ironically became more obsessed with newspapers than anyone else.
As the number of wealthy commoners increased, an era of concern for their well-being arrived. The existence of the Republic of Pulder also fueled this trend.
So why not just try to persuade newspaper executives? Surely that's a viable option. But newspaper executives are more concerned with circulation than with the King.
Leonard jumped up from his seat and gave orders to his attendant.
"Yes, let's all go to Herrington Bay today! Let's take a picture with the Magic Dome in the background! And one in front of the Golden Lion statue in the park, where even the common people come and go! Quickly, contact the reporters!"
The attendant quickly answered, offering Leonard a glass of cool water.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so.”
Leonard gulped down the water, wiped his mouth with a towel, and added with a sigh.
"If Margot says she's tired, tell her she doesn't have to come, and that she should get some rest. Also, tell Walter to stay away from the Herrington area today."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So, around 10 a.m., Margot and Olivia boarded a carriage bound for the royal family's private villa in Herrington Bay.
The cottage was situated on a rocky outcrop, rising alone from the gentle coast of Herrington.
The rocky mountain, which looks like a castle from afar, has a steep cliff on the side facing the sea, while the side facing the land has a gentle slope, making it easily accessible by horse-drawn carriage.
Olivia pressed herself against the window, gazing at the sea sparkling between the trees.
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Olivia got out, following Margot.
The cool moisture of the sea was mixed in with the blowing wind.
Olivia, clutching the hem of her fluttering skirt, looked out at the sea, where the fragmented autumn sunlight was widely scattered.
And there, three magic domes stood tall like white pillars.
Although she designed it herself, this was her first time seeing it in person.
“It’s the magic dome Oliver designed, Olivia.”
Olivia laughed hollowly at Margot's words as she approached.
“Yes. Oliver designed it.”
Margot muttered with a cold glint in her eyes.
"Your social standing is crumbling, and yet they're denying your patent rights just because you're a woman. It's a very interesting reason."
At that moment, the royal guard, mounted on warhorses, appeared, escorting the King's carriage. Margot turned toward the carriage and continued speaking.
“Don’t throw away the evidence that you are Oliver. Keep it.”
“Yes, I have it.”
"Don't conform, Olivia. The moment will come when you'll have to take it out."
Margot glanced at Olivia, who was small and delicate, but by no means frail.
“And you’re the first. You were the first in everything.”
“...I’m not that great, Professor.”
Olivia's answer caused Margot to burst into a sarcastic laugh.
"Is that so? Then the reputation of the prestigious Herrington College must be pretty crappy."
“Oh, really, Professor too.”
When Olivia finally retorted with a laugh, Margot laughed along and shrugged.
At that moment, the King and Queen got out of a majestic black carriage drawn by six horses.
Upon spotting them, Olivia bowed low and saluted. The Queen, seeing her, feigned recognition with her gaze.
Leonard's thick eyebrows twitched as Margot, who had insisted she didn't have to come, came into view, but wisely he didn't show it.
And then the Crown Prince and Prince Noah got out of another carriage that followed.
The Crown Prince and the Prince looked great even under the bright autumn sunlight.
The dress code for the men of Herod's royal family was primarily black suits, so Noah was also dressed in a black suit.
His long legs stood out even more thanks to the sleek, shiny suit.
Just when the group thought this was the end, another person stepped out of the carriage the Princes had left behind. She was a middle-aged woman.
“Oh, Lucy’s here?”
As Margot spoke softly, Usher extended his hand toward the carriage. Soon, a small girl, holding the Crown Prince's hand, descended the carriage steps with considerable grace.
Her pale, pale face was as pretty and dainty as the pink flower in her light blond hair, which was tied in half.
A smile appeared on Olivia's face as she looked at the light blue one-piece dress, which suited her so well.
A girl who looked to be no more than ten years old let go of the Crown Prince's hand and stood up with dignity and grace.
'So cute!'
Olivia let out a sigh of relief. Then Margot called the girl's name.
“Lucy Therese!”
Margot opened her arms to the girl, giving her a fond smile she never showed to anyone in the royal family.
Olivia's common sense dictated that she should have rushed to the scene, but Princess Lucy straightened her shoulders and walked briskly toward Margot. Yet, her eyes sparkled at her aunt, making it incredibly adorable.
Margot must have felt the same way, as she ran towards the girl with her arms outstretched and hugged her tightly.
“How have you been, Aunt?”
Lucy hugged her aunt's back and kissed her cheek.
“Of course. How have you been, Lucy?”
Noah, who had been watching Margot's affectionate attitude from the side, remembered the conflicting expressions she had shown him yesterday.
Oh, I feel so wronged.
Noah turned his head with a heavy heart, and Olivia came into his eyes.
“...”
She was wearing a white blouse and a voluminous flared skirt again today.
The high-saturation blue skirt and white blouse were in harmony, like the clear autumn sky and the sea.
Unlike yesterday, her black hair, tied back in half, swayed in the wind along with the voluminous hem of her skirt. A natural smile crept onto her face, fixed on Lucy.
Noah's gaze lingered on a picturesque scene.
At that moment, Margot, who had exchanged affectionate greetings with Lucy, straightened up and took a step to the side.
As Margot gave Olivia a wink, Olivia cautiously approached Lucy.
And the moment Lucy saw Olivia appearing behind her aunt, she was dumbfounded.
She's never seen anyone like this in her life.
Black hair fluttering in the wind, a face shining in the sunlight, and even exotic clothes.
To the eyes of an eight-year-old girl who lived only in the palace, everything seemed unreal.
Are you an angel?
The Princess's small mouth, which had been elegantly straightening its posture, slowly opened, and her eyes grew as big as lanterns.
At that moment, the person came to say hello.
"Hello, Princess. My name is Olivia Liberty. It's an honor to meet you."
Wow...
Usher looked at Lucy with a stern gaze, who did not respond quickly, and then smiled slightly when he noticed her blank face.
“Lucy.”
Lucy, who came to her senses at the soft voice, quickly greeted them with a blush on her face.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Lucy Therese Astrid.”
Leonard, who had been watching, seemed to have decided that it was enough and focused his attention on it.
“Come here. Stand quickly against the backdrop of the Magic Dome.”
Then he called his daughter affectionately.
“Lucy, come here!”
Leonard stood next to the Queen, holding his lovely daughter's hand.
The royal family had a set order of etiquette, even down to the order in which they walked the streets, and the only one who occasionally deviated from the rules was Lucy Therese.
Olivia approached Noah as she had the day before, and the attendant who was trying to show her where to sit smiled and nodded.
Noah gave her a brief bow, then carefully closed the distance between them and glanced at Olivia, who was standing as close as possible to him.
“Yes, let’s take a picture!”
As the photographer, wearing a black veil, shouted loudly, Noah, Olivia, and all the royals looked at the camera.
At that moment, the wind blew.
Olivia's long hair blew and tickled Noah's cheek. Still, Noah didn't look away. He chose to remain still, knowing that if he moved the hair away, he'd have to take another picture.
The sea breeze was fragrant.
With a pop, the light burst, and the photographer nodded with a satisfied expression, and the scented hair soon disappeared.
Noah watched Olivia's back as she hurried towards Margot, and ran his hand over his ticklish cheek.
Then he looked away from her with a smile that felt somehow cynical.
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