Episode 43. A Shabby and Dirty Woman
As he left, Ansen spoke first with a sociable smile.
“It seems like you have something important to do.”
"No way. Let's finish what we were talking about earlier. It was about the upgrade, right?"
Ansen, drawing a line as if to stop asking more questions, immediately began to talk. And as his story progressed, Noah grew increasingly bored.
All his attention was focused on this uncomfortable room.
When Ansen repeatedly emphasized the difficulty of balancing innovation and stability, he had to struggle to suppress his temper.
Given his personality, he would have just cut him off and said, "I know what you mean, so let's stop."
But he had no intention of hiding his displeasure, so the Prince's expression changed coldly from moment to moment.
Eventually, Ansen stopped making excuses and apologized sincerely.
“I am sorry for not keeping my promise.”
It was a very wise move to stop making excuses at that point.
Noah stroked his smooth chin and sighed briefly.
“That’s too bad.”
"However, as I mentioned, this is the result of our focus on safety. While a full upgrade will take some time, the increased converter capacity has significantly increased the attack power compared to before. If you trust Wilhelm, you'll soon see an even more advanced Magic Dome."
Noah, who had been coldly stiffening his expression until then, finally smiled.
In any case, Wilhelm had no immediate plans to recoup its investment. Even if the upgrade failed, the existing Magic Dome wouldn't go anywhere.
Noah wiped his mouth with a napkin, smiling, having consumed nothing but black tea. It was a sort of signal to end the meeting.
In an aristocratic culture, it is quite natural for those of higher status to decide when a gathering begins and ends.
The two people naturally got up from their seats, wishing each other well without even thinking about it.
"Then, Your Highness, if you need me at any time, please call me. I will see you off when you leave."
"You don't have to come out. I'll just accept your offer. If you ever come to Herod, let me know."
As Ansen was about to turn around, Noah suddenly opened his mouth.
“Oh, I have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
"The documents list a co-developer named Oliver, but there's no one by that name in either the executive team or the research team. Who is he?"
“Ah... you mean Oliver.”
Ansen feigned sadness in response to Noah's question. Then he answered in a choked voice.
“That friend... unfortunately passed away around the time I was starting my own company.”
Noah's eyes narrowed at the answer, but he tilted his head slightly to hide his expression.
“Oh, my. I asked something pointless.”
"No. That's a question investors often ask. Did I answer it?"
When Noah nodded, Ansen greeted him again and turned around.
"hen."
“...”
The moment they were free from each other's sight, the two men's expressions became infinitely cold.
The true feelings that each of them had tried to hide behind a smile for their own benefit suddenly came out.
Noah slowly took out a cigarette and lit it, looking at Ansen's neat back.
Inconvenient, unlucky, unpleasant.
Anyway, he's a kid he doesn't like.
Arriving at the Ritz Hotel, Olivia hesitated for a moment before approaching the front desk staff and speaking.
"I've come to see His Royal Highness Prince Noah Astrid. Could you please tell him that Olivia Liberty wants to see him for a moment?"
Even to her, it felt like a completely outrageous request, so she glanced at the employee. Surprisingly, the employee immediately turned around the front desk and ushered her in, as if he'd been waiting for her.
“Come this way. I will guide you.”
He led her into a reception room as splendid as Herod's palace.
The drawing room, which seemed to have been moved from a corner of Norfolk's ancient royal palace, was a work of art in itself.
As Olivia carefully sat down in the chair the employee had provided, another employee appeared and politely offered her a drink.
How long did you have to wait in one corner of the reception room?
As the hotel staff placed a drink in front of her, a man came up to her and greeted her.
“Hello, Miss Liberty.”
The face that was slightly bowed and raised had a sad look on it.
Olivia, who had a feeling that the Prince had sent him, immediately got up from her seat and greeted him.
“Hello, my name is Olivia Liberty.”
He introduced himself gently, his soft brown eyes wide and a smile on his face.
"It's an honor to meet you. I am Meson Loktar, His Royal Highness's secretary. I will personally guide you. Come with me."
Meson tilted his head slightly to the side and bowed politely. Olivia nodded slightly and followed him.
Meson walked ahead at a moderate pace, glancing briefly at Olivia.
“He’s currently having breakfast. You’ll have to wait a bit.”
"I came unannounced. I only intended to make an appointment and then return."
At Olivia's soft words, Meson smiled and wrinkled his nose.
“It will probably be over soon, so please wait a moment.”
Olivia glanced at his profile.
The playful, lighthearted air she sensed from him was unexpected. She assumed the secretary of a seemingly overbearing and perfect Prince would be like that.
Meson spoke with a polite, sociable smile.
"I noticed you ordered coffee earlier. I'll have the same thing prepared. Did I get here before you even had a sip?"
Olivia smiled faintly and nodded.
“Thank you, Lord Loktar.”
He tilted his head to himself, mulling over his thoughts, and finally asked her to call his name. Before Olivia could even respond, he swung open the antique brown door.
“Please come in.”
Unlike the dazzlingly ornate reception room of the hotel, a calm and weighty atmosphere gently swept over Olivia.
Olivia took a deep breath, her eyes slowly scanning the room.
The pulse, which had calmed down for a moment, began to stir again.
“...?”
Ansen, striding briskly down the hotel corridor, suddenly stopped. His thick eyebrows twitched. He quickly turned his head to glare down the opposite corridor, then finally changed direction.
“Representative?”
The secretary called him over as if he were curious, but Ansen was unyielding.
He turned the corner of the winding hallway with hurried steps. For a moment, something familiar flashed into his vision. The faint scent lingering in the hallway was also familiar.
Olivia.
Ansen ran as fast as he could toward the corner of the hallway where she had disappeared. His eyes followed her intently.
Soon, he turned the corner of the hallway where she had disappeared once more.
"...!”
Ansen's eyes narrowed.
Through his slightly clearer vision, he saw a woman walking somewhere, her back straight.
Olivia Liberty.
He was sure.
It was quite a distance away, and she disappeared soon, but he could tell what she was wearing and what hairpin she had on.
An old jacket that seemed to have gone out of style half a century ago, a faded green skirt that had lost its elasticity after hundreds of washes, black shoes, and a navy ribbon similar to the material of the jacket.
Why is that woman here?
“Are you thinking of working at a hotel now, Olivia?”
Then Ansen slowly scanned the corridor he was standing in.
This is a space reserved for VIPs only. Even if she were to apply for a job as a hotel employee, there's no way she'd be in this hallway.
A feeling of discomfort slowly rose.
Ansen slowly stroked his chin and asked the secretary who came up to him.
“Did the person who sent it to Olivia come back?”
“I was just about to report it anyway.”
As Ansen turned his head, the secretary took a step closer and whispered softly in his ear.
“Last night, Adam McDowell was arrested by police after trying to break down the door of Olivia Liberty’s house.”
“Adam McDowell?”
Ansen frowned as he asked again, and the secretary nodded. Ansen muttered, recalling Olivia's crumbling house.
“You loser. So?”
"That's why Olivia Liberty never came home. I came back without seeing her."
Well, it's strange that a stranger tried to break down the door of a house and then went back to that house.
But does that mean you come back empty-handed?!
“It must have been somewhere cheap, like a hostel. You should have looked for it!”
“It seems like she is staying at Princess Marguerite’s house.”
“...”
Ansen's forehead crumpled like a piece of paper.
Marguerite Astrid's house was the only one she couldn't visit. And what his secretary told him next only further soured his mood.
“Last night, Prince Noah Astrid showed up at the police station and took her there.”
“...Noah Astrid?”
“Yes. I heard he said he was running an errand for Princess Marguerite.”
Errand?
A prickly and sensitive Prince went to run an errand at the police station in the middle of the night?
It's something that even a passing dog would laugh at.
The face of an unlucky man who seemed likely to cause great harm at any moment lingered like an afterimage.
Ansen creaked and turned his head to look at the door through which Olivia had disappeared.
A cold laugh escaped Ansen's lips. He slowly shoved his hands into his pockets, leaned back against the wall, and tilted his head back.
He slowly took a deep breath and then gave an order in a gloomy voice.
"Place surveillance on Professor Marguerite's house, and also on Prince Noah's surroundings. Find out why Olivia and Prince Noah met."
"All right."
A shabby and dull woman.
Why did the woman who wished to live as if dead behind the name Oliver come to meet Noah Astrid?
As he left, Ansen spoke first with a sociable smile.
“It seems like you have something important to do.”
"No way. Let's finish what we were talking about earlier. It was about the upgrade, right?"
Ansen, drawing a line as if to stop asking more questions, immediately began to talk. And as his story progressed, Noah grew increasingly bored.
All his attention was focused on this uncomfortable room.
When Ansen repeatedly emphasized the difficulty of balancing innovation and stability, he had to struggle to suppress his temper.
Given his personality, he would have just cut him off and said, "I know what you mean, so let's stop."
But he had no intention of hiding his displeasure, so the Prince's expression changed coldly from moment to moment.
Eventually, Ansen stopped making excuses and apologized sincerely.
“I am sorry for not keeping my promise.”
It was a very wise move to stop making excuses at that point.
Noah stroked his smooth chin and sighed briefly.
“That’s too bad.”
"However, as I mentioned, this is the result of our focus on safety. While a full upgrade will take some time, the increased converter capacity has significantly increased the attack power compared to before. If you trust Wilhelm, you'll soon see an even more advanced Magic Dome."
Noah, who had been coldly stiffening his expression until then, finally smiled.
In any case, Wilhelm had no immediate plans to recoup its investment. Even if the upgrade failed, the existing Magic Dome wouldn't go anywhere.
Noah wiped his mouth with a napkin, smiling, having consumed nothing but black tea. It was a sort of signal to end the meeting.
In an aristocratic culture, it is quite natural for those of higher status to decide when a gathering begins and ends.
The two people naturally got up from their seats, wishing each other well without even thinking about it.
"Then, Your Highness, if you need me at any time, please call me. I will see you off when you leave."
"You don't have to come out. I'll just accept your offer. If you ever come to Herod, let me know."
As Ansen was about to turn around, Noah suddenly opened his mouth.
“Oh, I have a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
"The documents list a co-developer named Oliver, but there's no one by that name in either the executive team or the research team. Who is he?"
“Ah... you mean Oliver.”
Ansen feigned sadness in response to Noah's question. Then he answered in a choked voice.
“That friend... unfortunately passed away around the time I was starting my own company.”
Noah's eyes narrowed at the answer, but he tilted his head slightly to hide his expression.
“Oh, my. I asked something pointless.”
"No. That's a question investors often ask. Did I answer it?"
When Noah nodded, Ansen greeted him again and turned around.
"hen."
“...”
The moment they were free from each other's sight, the two men's expressions became infinitely cold.
The true feelings that each of them had tried to hide behind a smile for their own benefit suddenly came out.
Noah slowly took out a cigarette and lit it, looking at Ansen's neat back.
Inconvenient, unlucky, unpleasant.
Anyway, he's a kid he doesn't like.
***
Arriving at the Ritz Hotel, Olivia hesitated for a moment before approaching the front desk staff and speaking.
"I've come to see His Royal Highness Prince Noah Astrid. Could you please tell him that Olivia Liberty wants to see him for a moment?"
Even to her, it felt like a completely outrageous request, so she glanced at the employee. Surprisingly, the employee immediately turned around the front desk and ushered her in, as if he'd been waiting for her.
“Come this way. I will guide you.”
He led her into a reception room as splendid as Herod's palace.
The drawing room, which seemed to have been moved from a corner of Norfolk's ancient royal palace, was a work of art in itself.
As Olivia carefully sat down in the chair the employee had provided, another employee appeared and politely offered her a drink.
How long did you have to wait in one corner of the reception room?
As the hotel staff placed a drink in front of her, a man came up to her and greeted her.
“Hello, Miss Liberty.”
The face that was slightly bowed and raised had a sad look on it.
Olivia, who had a feeling that the Prince had sent him, immediately got up from her seat and greeted him.
“Hello, my name is Olivia Liberty.”
He introduced himself gently, his soft brown eyes wide and a smile on his face.
"It's an honor to meet you. I am Meson Loktar, His Royal Highness's secretary. I will personally guide you. Come with me."
Meson tilted his head slightly to the side and bowed politely. Olivia nodded slightly and followed him.
Meson walked ahead at a moderate pace, glancing briefly at Olivia.
“He’s currently having breakfast. You’ll have to wait a bit.”
"I came unannounced. I only intended to make an appointment and then return."
At Olivia's soft words, Meson smiled and wrinkled his nose.
“It will probably be over soon, so please wait a moment.”
Olivia glanced at his profile.
The playful, lighthearted air she sensed from him was unexpected. She assumed the secretary of a seemingly overbearing and perfect Prince would be like that.
Meson spoke with a polite, sociable smile.
"I noticed you ordered coffee earlier. I'll have the same thing prepared. Did I get here before you even had a sip?"
Olivia smiled faintly and nodded.
“Thank you, Lord Loktar.”
“Ah, I'm not a knight, you see. ‘Sir Roktar’...doesn't quite fit, and ‘Master Roktar’...doesn't either. Hmm... Just call me Meson.”
“Please come in.”
Unlike the dazzlingly ornate reception room of the hotel, a calm and weighty atmosphere gently swept over Olivia.
Olivia took a deep breath, her eyes slowly scanning the room.
The pulse, which had calmed down for a moment, began to stir again.
***
“...?”
Ansen, striding briskly down the hotel corridor, suddenly stopped. His thick eyebrows twitched. He quickly turned his head to glare down the opposite corridor, then finally changed direction.
“Representative?”
The secretary called him over as if he were curious, but Ansen was unyielding.
He turned the corner of the winding hallway with hurried steps. For a moment, something familiar flashed into his vision. The faint scent lingering in the hallway was also familiar.
Olivia.
Ansen ran as fast as he could toward the corner of the hallway where she had disappeared. His eyes followed her intently.
Soon, he turned the corner of the hallway where she had disappeared once more.
"...!”
Ansen's eyes narrowed.
Through his slightly clearer vision, he saw a woman walking somewhere, her back straight.
Olivia Liberty.
He was sure.
It was quite a distance away, and she disappeared soon, but he could tell what she was wearing and what hairpin she had on.
An old jacket that seemed to have gone out of style half a century ago, a faded green skirt that had lost its elasticity after hundreds of washes, black shoes, and a navy ribbon similar to the material of the jacket.
Why is that woman here?
“Are you thinking of working at a hotel now, Olivia?”
Then Ansen slowly scanned the corridor he was standing in.
This is a space reserved for VIPs only. Even if she were to apply for a job as a hotel employee, there's no way she'd be in this hallway.
A feeling of discomfort slowly rose.
Ansen slowly stroked his chin and asked the secretary who came up to him.
“Did the person who sent it to Olivia come back?”
“I was just about to report it anyway.”
As Ansen turned his head, the secretary took a step closer and whispered softly in his ear.
“Last night, Adam McDowell was arrested by police after trying to break down the door of Olivia Liberty’s house.”
“Adam McDowell?”
Ansen frowned as he asked again, and the secretary nodded. Ansen muttered, recalling Olivia's crumbling house.
“You loser. So?”
"That's why Olivia Liberty never came home. I came back without seeing her."
Well, it's strange that a stranger tried to break down the door of a house and then went back to that house.
But does that mean you come back empty-handed?!
“It must have been somewhere cheap, like a hostel. You should have looked for it!”
“It seems like she is staying at Princess Marguerite’s house.”
“...”
Ansen's forehead crumpled like a piece of paper.
Marguerite Astrid's house was the only one she couldn't visit. And what his secretary told him next only further soured his mood.
“Last night, Prince Noah Astrid showed up at the police station and took her there.”
“...Noah Astrid?”
“Yes. I heard he said he was running an errand for Princess Marguerite.”
Errand?
A prickly and sensitive Prince went to run an errand at the police station in the middle of the night?
It's something that even a passing dog would laugh at.
The face of an unlucky man who seemed likely to cause great harm at any moment lingered like an afterimage.
Ansen creaked and turned his head to look at the door through which Olivia had disappeared.
“You're here. Should I say I'll contact you later?”
“No, tell them to wait a moment.”
He slowly took a deep breath and then gave an order in a gloomy voice.
"Place surveillance on Professor Marguerite's house, and also on Prince Noah's surroundings. Find out why Olivia and Prince Noah met."
"All right."
A shabby and dull woman.
Why did the woman who wished to live as if dead behind the name Oliver come to meet Noah Astrid?
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