Episode 41. Salvation
“Aunt, please send me an expulsion form.”
It was the first thing Noah said to her, waking her up in the middle of the night, dressed in a perfect suit.
"A paper for expulsion? Why do you need it now?"
When she asked him with a confused expression while closing her gown, her nephew shrugged his shoulders with a completely unreadable expression.
“I don’t have enough time to go and see the punishment.”
“...?”
"Meson will explain the details. Just sign, please."
Despite his gently curved, smiling face, he exuded an invincible majesty. Looking at him, he was undoubtedly Leonard's son.
One, Margot was also Astrid.
She glanced at the expulsion papers Noah had handed her with sharp eyes, then calmly asked.
"A paper expulsion for Adam McDowell? Is it okay for me to sign it without reviewing it thoroughly, Noah Astrid?"
Then Noah responded lightly, handing her a fountain pen.
"I swear on my name, you'll understand. You can't have someone at Herrington College who breaks down someone's door in the middle of the night, can you?"
Margot stared intently at Noah, then quickly signed the papers he handed her. Noah thanked her politely and then quickly put the expulsion papers away in his pocket.
The answer to that question was far from what was expected.
"I'm going to pick up Miss Olivia Liberty. I think I'll have to bring her here. Is that okay with you? Meson, you'll explain in detail."
Noah turned around and disappeared after greeting her with a determined look on his face, as if he couldn't wait any longer.
After he disappeared, the stories Meson told her weighed heavily on her heart.
Noah's words that she would be fully convinced by the expulsion papers were true. She suppressed the urge to rush to the police station immediately, beyond the point of being convinced.
It was chilling to even think that this wasn't the first time.
Eventually, Margot ordered the maid to prepare a room for Olivia to stay in and then wandered around the garden.
She often thought that Olivia's house was quite old, but she never thought that it was dangerous.
To make an excuse, isn't the scope of human thought limited to one's experiences?
But then how did Noah notice the danger so quickly?
Margot muttered softly, closing her shawl.
After a while, the sound of horse hooves could be heard far away, cutting through the still air, and before she knew it, a carriage pulled into her mansion.
As soon as the carriage came to a halt, the attendants opened the door, and Noah appeared. He stepped out and reached out toward the carriage. In fact, even that sight was quite surprising to Margot.
Soon, Olivia, with a pale complexion, came down the stairs, holding his hand.
Margot watched the two people in silence, and then suddenly remembered that day.
The night Olivia disappeared.
It was Noah who brought her out of the maze, where there was neither a lamp nor a stove. She thought it was quite a strange thing.
Did Noah go to pick up Olivia? Or did they just happen to run into each other in the maze?
To be honest, at the time, she thought the latter was more likely. Noah always seemed to find everything in the world a nuisance.
But now, after two years, Margot feels certain.
She's sure that Noah Astrid went to find Olivia herself that day.
After dropping Olivia off at Margot's house, Noah disappeared, saying he was going to the hotel to rest. Olivia didn't even have time to properly say goodbye to him.
Margot led Olivia into the cozy bedroom. She looked exhausted and listless, like someone who had just barely emerged from drowning.
“Rest, Olivia. You’re safe here.”
“...Why on earth didn’t you say a word to me...!”
Margot, who had suddenly become angry, soon trailed off and shook her head.
“No... no. Just get some rest. I won’t bother waking you up tomorrow morning, so don’t bother getting up.”
After saying that, she quickly left the room.
Olivia blinked slowly and sat down on the soft bed. The day had been so packed with events that it felt unreal.
Olivia rubbed her face as if washing her face dry, then slowly leaned back on the bed.
A ceiling covered with a cream-colored canopy, transparent windows letting in moonlight, and the sound of waves in the distance.
Olivia slowly closed her eyes, feeling the comfort she hadn't felt in a long time.
Just as you can feel the water flowing down your esophagus when you drink water when you're thirsty, she felt the comfort that came from safety spread throughout her blood vessels.
As her chest, which had been puffed out with tension, slowly sank, she fell into a deep sleep as if she had fainted.
And she had a dream.
In her dream, she was looking at the Golden Lion. She was holding a rough ice cream cone and licking the sweet ice cream over and over again.
That alone made her feel good.
As she leisurely savored her ice cream and gazed up at the majestic Golden Lion, someone called out from behind her.
“Olivia.”
A voice reminiscent of a rugged and cool valley.
As Olivia looked back, she was met with eyes like autumn leaves beginning to turn crimson.
“Olivia.”
The moment he calls her again.
Olivia's eyes opened wide.
A dim, faint light cast a pale light on the cream-colored canopy. She glanced around in confusion; everything felt unfamiliar. It took her a long time to realize this was Marguerite's mansion.
She jumped up from her seat and saw that she hadn't even covered herself with a blanket or changed her clothes.
As the hazy energy evaporated, the events of yesterday came crashing back like waves. Then, Olivia remembered her dream, placed her hand on her forehead, and muttered.
“I think I’m crazy.”
Why do I have such a dream?
Even though no one had seen or heard anything, her face felt hot for no reason, so she rubbed it. But it was difficult to push him out of her mind, occupying both her conscious and subconscious.
“Marry me.”
“...I’m going crazy.”
Olivia covered her ears and lowered her head at the sudden voice. The hairs around her ears prickled, and her heart pounded.
She was startled and sat up as a tingling sensation started in her chest, passed through her navel, and finally passed through her lower abdomen.
“Let’s wash.”
She thinks she needs to wash her face to shake off this strange feeling and make a cool-headed decision.
But Olivia stopped short at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Even setting aside her pale, exhausted face, her hair was disheveled, and her shirt was rumpled; everything was a mess. Looking down at her skirt, which wasn't reflected in the mirror, it was the same.
“...”
Last night's condition probably wasn't much different. Even then, she was still in the same state as when she woke up.
She raised her head again and looked in the mirror. The woman she saw was truly shabby.
Olivia lowered her gaze, unable to look at me any longer.
For some reason, her throat feels tight.
With what kind of feelings did he cross the sea with that heartless proposal? And what must have crossed his mind when he met the woman he was proposing to?
He had made her feel small in the past, but now even more so. She felt so insignificant that her heart shrank to the size of a palm.
“No one can judge your worth but you, you know that?”
Olivia slowly shook her head.
“I know, I know...”
“I need you, Olivia.”
The devil's whispers clung to her ears like honey. How she longed for those words.
Olivia, who had been bowing her head, took a deep breath and looked up. She gazed at her pale face for a long moment before muttering.
“What should I do?”
“I will protect you so that you never end up like that again.”
Olivia bit her lip.
Need, peace, and Herod.
He appeared before her on her most miserable day, offered her what she desperately longed for, and whispered with a beautiful, captivating face.
Just grab it.
So it was perhaps natural that he felt like a savior.
As she stepped outside to enjoy the fresh air, Margo stood there, gazing out at the sea. As Olivia approached her, Margot, sensing the presence, turned her head away.
“You should have gotten better. Why did you wake up so early?”
“My eyes opened.”
Margot looked at Olivia, who had approached her, and then turned her head to gaze out at the distant sea.
The two were silent for a while.
Then, it was Margot who spoke first.
“I heard that Noah proposed.”
"Yes."
“Look into your heart. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Olivia slowly turned her head to look at Margot's profile. Despite feeling Olivia's gaze, she stubbornly stared out at the distant sea.
Margot's words were unexpected. The one who proposed to her was none other than her nephew. Furthermore, she had come to Pulder because she was tired of Herod's royal family.
“If I accept your proposal... won’t you scold me?”
“...Why do you think I would bother you?”
“...Not only does it not fit the situation, but it also looks like I'm running away.”
Only then did Margot turn her head to face Olivia. Bright sunlight streamed between them.
Margot, who had been staring blankly at Olivia, suddenly lifted her lips into an affectionate smile.
“My child, just as you cannot fathom me, how can I fathom you?”
"Professor."
"Every path has its own set of hardships. If you reject the proposal and remain on this earth, you will endure the hardships you already know. If you accept the proposal and go to Herod, a completely different set of hardships awaits you."
“...”
"Of course, there will be happiness in any path. It's yours. So who dares criticize your choice? And you must never speak of yourself in a degrading way. Anytime, anywhere, in front of anyone. Even when you're alone."
“Aunt, please send me an expulsion form.”
It was the first thing Noah said to her, waking her up in the middle of the night, dressed in a perfect suit.
"A paper for expulsion? Why do you need it now?"
When she asked him with a confused expression while closing her gown, her nephew shrugged his shoulders with a completely unreadable expression.
“I don’t have enough time to go and see the punishment.”
“...?”
"Meson will explain the details. Just sign, please."
Despite his gently curved, smiling face, he exuded an invincible majesty. Looking at him, he was undoubtedly Leonard's son.
One, Margot was also Astrid.
She glanced at the expulsion papers Noah had handed her with sharp eyes, then calmly asked.
"A paper expulsion for Adam McDowell? Is it okay for me to sign it without reviewing it thoroughly, Noah Astrid?"
Then Noah responded lightly, handing her a fountain pen.
"I swear on my name, you'll understand. You can't have someone at Herrington College who breaks down someone's door in the middle of the night, can you?"
Margot stared intently at Noah, then quickly signed the papers he handed her. Noah thanked her politely and then quickly put the expulsion papers away in his pocket.
"But where are you going with that at this late hour?"
"I'm going to pick up Miss Olivia Liberty. I think I'll have to bring her here. Is that okay with you? Meson, you'll explain in detail."
Noah turned around and disappeared after greeting her with a determined look on his face, as if he couldn't wait any longer.
After he disappeared, the stories Meson told her weighed heavily on her heart.
Noah's words that she would be fully convinced by the expulsion papers were true. She suppressed the urge to rush to the police station immediately, beyond the point of being convinced.
It was chilling to even think that this wasn't the first time.
Eventually, Margot ordered the maid to prepare a room for Olivia to stay in and then wandered around the garden.
She often thought that Olivia's house was quite old, but she never thought that it was dangerous.
To make an excuse, isn't the scope of human thought limited to one's experiences?
But then how did Noah notice the danger so quickly?
“You bastard.”
After a while, the sound of horse hooves could be heard far away, cutting through the still air, and before she knew it, a carriage pulled into her mansion.
As soon as the carriage came to a halt, the attendants opened the door, and Noah appeared. He stepped out and reached out toward the carriage. In fact, even that sight was quite surprising to Margot.
Soon, Olivia, with a pale complexion, came down the stairs, holding his hand.
Margot watched the two people in silence, and then suddenly remembered that day.
The night Olivia disappeared.
It was Noah who brought her out of the maze, where there was neither a lamp nor a stove. She thought it was quite a strange thing.
Did Noah go to pick up Olivia? Or did they just happen to run into each other in the maze?
To be honest, at the time, she thought the latter was more likely. Noah always seemed to find everything in the world a nuisance.
But now, after two years, Margot feels certain.
She's sure that Noah Astrid went to find Olivia herself that day.
After dropping Olivia off at Margot's house, Noah disappeared, saying he was going to the hotel to rest. Olivia didn't even have time to properly say goodbye to him.
Margot led Olivia into the cozy bedroom. She looked exhausted and listless, like someone who had just barely emerged from drowning.
“Rest, Olivia. You’re safe here.”
"Thank you, Professor. I came by unexpectedly."
Margot, who had suddenly become angry, soon trailed off and shook her head.
“No... no. Just get some rest. I won’t bother waking you up tomorrow morning, so don’t bother getting up.”
After saying that, she quickly left the room.
Olivia blinked slowly and sat down on the soft bed. The day had been so packed with events that it felt unreal.
Olivia rubbed her face as if washing her face dry, then slowly leaned back on the bed.
A ceiling covered with a cream-colored canopy, transparent windows letting in moonlight, and the sound of waves in the distance.
Olivia slowly closed her eyes, feeling the comfort she hadn't felt in a long time.
Just as you can feel the water flowing down your esophagus when you drink water when you're thirsty, she felt the comfort that came from safety spread throughout her blood vessels.
As her chest, which had been puffed out with tension, slowly sank, she fell into a deep sleep as if she had fainted.
And she had a dream.
In her dream, she was looking at the Golden Lion. She was holding a rough ice cream cone and licking the sweet ice cream over and over again.
That alone made her feel good.
As she leisurely savored her ice cream and gazed up at the majestic Golden Lion, someone called out from behind her.
“Olivia.”
A voice reminiscent of a rugged and cool valley.
As Olivia looked back, she was met with eyes like autumn leaves beginning to turn crimson.
“Olivia.”
The moment he calls her again.
Olivia's eyes opened wide.
A dim, faint light cast a pale light on the cream-colored canopy. She glanced around in confusion; everything felt unfamiliar. It took her a long time to realize this was Marguerite's mansion.
She jumped up from her seat and saw that she hadn't even covered herself with a blanket or changed her clothes.
As the hazy energy evaporated, the events of yesterday came crashing back like waves. Then, Olivia remembered her dream, placed her hand on her forehead, and muttered.
“I think I’m crazy.”
Why do I have such a dream?
Even though no one had seen or heard anything, her face felt hot for no reason, so she rubbed it. But it was difficult to push him out of her mind, occupying both her conscious and subconscious.
“Marry me.”
“...I’m going crazy.”
Olivia covered her ears and lowered her head at the sudden voice. The hairs around her ears prickled, and her heart pounded.
She was startled and sat up as a tingling sensation started in her chest, passed through her navel, and finally passed through her lower abdomen.
“Let’s wash.”
She thinks she needs to wash her face to shake off this strange feeling and make a cool-headed decision.
But Olivia stopped short at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Even setting aside her pale, exhausted face, her hair was disheveled, and her shirt was rumpled; everything was a mess. Looking down at her skirt, which wasn't reflected in the mirror, it was the same.
“...”
Last night's condition probably wasn't much different. Even then, she was still in the same state as when she woke up.
She raised her head again and looked in the mirror. The woman she saw was truly shabby.
Olivia lowered her gaze, unable to look at me any longer.
For some reason, her throat feels tight.
With what kind of feelings did he cross the sea with that heartless proposal? And what must have crossed his mind when he met the woman he was proposing to?
He had made her feel small in the past, but now even more so. She felt so insignificant that her heart shrank to the size of a palm.
“No one can judge your worth but you, you know that?”
Olivia slowly shook her head.
“I know, I know...”
“I need you, Olivia.”
The devil's whispers clung to her ears like honey. How she longed for those words.
Olivia, who had been bowing her head, took a deep breath and looked up. She gazed at her pale face for a long moment before muttering.
“What should I do?”
“I will protect you so that you never end up like that again.”
Olivia bit her lip.
Need, peace, and Herod.
He appeared before her on her most miserable day, offered her what she desperately longed for, and whispered with a beautiful, captivating face.
Just grab it.
So it was perhaps natural that he felt like a savior.
As she stepped outside to enjoy the fresh air, Margo stood there, gazing out at the sea. As Olivia approached her, Margot, sensing the presence, turned her head away.
“You should have gotten better. Why did you wake up so early?”
“My eyes opened.”
Margot looked at Olivia, who had approached her, and then turned her head to gaze out at the distant sea.
The two were silent for a while.
Then, it was Margot who spoke first.
“I heard that Noah proposed.”
"Yes."
“Look into your heart. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Olivia slowly turned her head to look at Margot's profile. Despite feeling Olivia's gaze, she stubbornly stared out at the distant sea.
Margot's words were unexpected. The one who proposed to her was none other than her nephew. Furthermore, she had come to Pulder because she was tired of Herod's royal family.
“If I accept your proposal... won’t you scold me?”
“...Why do you think I would bother you?”
“...Not only does it not fit the situation, but it also looks like I'm running away.”
Only then did Margot turn her head to face Olivia. Bright sunlight streamed between them.
Margot, who had been staring blankly at Olivia, suddenly lifted her lips into an affectionate smile.
“My child, just as you cannot fathom me, how can I fathom you?”
"Professor."
"Every path has its own set of hardships. If you reject the proposal and remain on this earth, you will endure the hardships you already know. If you accept the proposal and go to Herod, a completely different set of hardships awaits you."
“...”
"Of course, there will be happiness in any path. It's yours. So who dares criticize your choice? And you must never speak of yourself in a degrading way. Anytime, anywhere, in front of anyone. Even when you're alone."
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