Episode 44. Peace in Your Arms
She came to see him and then had this very strange thought that shr wished he hadn't shown up.
Olivia's heartbeat, which had been eerily slow, then surged to a thumping pace that left her breathless, was almost daunting. Her stomach was so cold that she, who usually drank cold coffee, ordered a warm one.
She never been this nervous or anxious before a professorial exam.
Meson, who had been waiting on one side, looked at Olivia, whose expression was clearly tense, and pressed his lips together tightly.
"Don't be so nervous! It's actually our Prince who's feeling the pinch!"
If someone were to ask why the one who is pitiful is the Prince, Meson would proudly answer.
If it weren't for the regret, Noah Astrid wouldn't have come across the sea and proposed to her personally.
He probably just had someone send her a proposal.
Olivia wiped her palms on her handkerchief several times, half-sipping the coffee in front of her.
As she paused, the sound of neat shoes reached her sensitive ears. The sound of wide, heavy footsteps, muffled by the soft carpet, gradually drew closer.
She held her breath and raised jer head toward the door, and it opened with a knock.
And then he appeared.
As perfect as ever.
Olivia reflexively rose from her seat. This time, she was quick to offer a Herodian greeting.
As she bent and straightened her knees and raised her gaze, she was met with a gaze as sharp as a piercing green.
Noah approached her slowly, looking into her eyes. Olivia lowered her gaze to his tie.
She was worried that jer heart would burst from the rough throbbing.
Noah stood across from Olivia, who was frozen stiff and refusing to meet his gaze. Then he greeted her politely.
“Sit down.”
When Noah offered her a seat, the servant who had been waiting quickly came up behind them and grabbed a chair for them. Then he placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him and stepped aside.
Noah leaned back in his chair and let out a long, slow breath.
Perhaps because he had just met someone uncomfortable just sitting together, he was quite satisfied with this place.
He was worried about keeping her waiting too long and worried about his patience. But he's also satisfied that it arrived so quickly.
“I’d like to talk about it just the two of us. What do you think?”
Meson's gaze flew to him before Olivia's.
Ugj, Your Highness!! Really!!
Meson looked at Olivia with a desperate wish.
Please tell me that it's uncomfortable to talk to just the two of you!! Let me see it too!!
But isn't it Olivia who shatters his expectations?
“Yes, it’s okay.”
In response to her answer, Noah gave Meson a slight nod. The intent in his cool gaze was clear.
Stop dawdling and get out now.
"Yes..."
In the end, Meson had no choice but to go out, his shoulders hunched, amidst the servants.
The door closed slowly.
Then, a suffocating silence, almost desolate, descended upon him. He remained silent, seemingly unwilling to speak a word.
Olivia's gaze, which had been stubbornly wandering around the edge of the table, finally slowly moved up.
Then, her eyes met his immediately. He seemed to have been watching her the whole time.
This time, Olivia couldn't avoid his gaze. No, more precisely, she was captivated by his piercing, intense gaze.
Noah finally opened his mouth slowly as her large black eyes turned to him.
“Have you thought about it?”
Faced with the dry tone and refined expression, Olivia mustered up her courage. She cleared her throat and braced herself, meeting his captivating gaze.
Her red lips slowly opened. Noah's gaze left hers for the first time.
“If I marry Your Highness the Prince, what should I do in Herod?”
His gaze, which had been lingering on her rosy lips, quickly shot upward. To his amazement, the face he met was quite serious.
“I never offered you a job. I've even proposed to you.”
“You said it was necessary.”
“Because I asked if you needed it.”
“That’s not wrong either.”
“...”
Whenever she wanders around without even making eye contact, he responds without saying a word.
Noah crossed his long legs with a cynical smile. Then he muttered sarcastically.
“Should I have brought at least one flower when I proposed?”
As they say, blood is thicker than water.
If he didn't like something, he would immediately sneer and be sarcastic, just like Margot.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. But...”
"But?"
Olivia lowered her gaze and calmly chose her words.
It took courage. It took the will to overcome shame.
Then the pulse beat surprisingly gently.
Olivia slowly raised her gaze to meet Noah's gaze. Noah's head, which had been tilted in annoyance, returned to its original position.
“I have nothing to give you, except myself.”
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly.
Why does such a simple statement sound so obscene?
“So it’s only natural that I should know what to do, both for Your Highness and for myself.”
"Do you know what I'm going to say? What if I tell you something really embarrassing?"
“If there is something I absolutely cannot do...”
As soon as he saw her trailing off, Noah realized what she was saying.
“Are you going to refuse?”
“...”
Noah burst into laughter, looking into those stubborn, dark eyes. "Ah, now I understand a little why Auntie keeps squeezing her."
Noah uncrossed his legs and leaned his elbows on the table. He leaned forward, brought his face a little closer to her elegant face, and whispered.
"Let's get married with such a big splash that all of Herod will be in an uproar, and kiss me in front of everyone. I want the world to know that you're my wife."
Olivia held her breath. She felt the heat rising and flushing her cheeks.
Noah thought her pale face looked like a newly bloomed flower.
“The very fact that Olivia Liberty married me is proof of my need for you.”
“...”
He said that marriage itself has a purpose, so it's clear.
A royal family of commoner origin.
The fact that the royal family chose her as a bridge to win the hearts of the people.
The countless events and interviews she had attended with King Leonard flashed through her mind.
At that moment, he rose from his seat and approached her. She expected him to stop, but when he closed the distance to within a step, Olivia, taken aback, quickly stood up.
And just as she was about to take a step back, he politely extended his hand.
He tilted his powerful, massive shoulders slightly and entangled her with his captivating gaze.
This man is bewitching.
He knows that if he reaches out with a face like that, there's no way shep can refuse.
Olivia raised her trembling hand and placed it on his, thinking about that. Then he gently squeezed her hand.
Then he slowly lowered his head.
“—!!”
Olivia's eyes widened, and she held her breath.
Noah lightly kissed the back of her hand, as he would with noble ladies. A warm, soft sensation touched and lifted from her hand.
He seemed to raise his head very slowly. He stared at Olivia, his eyes wide open like a predator gazing ahead, prey in its clutches.
A lion vaguely came to mind.
“Please, accept my proposal.”
Olivia felt like she was strangled and couldn't say anything.
Looking at Olivia, Noah impulsively blurted out the words he'd been mulling over. Just like they had on that moonlit night, in the carriage.
“Olivia.”
Like a flower that has died down for a while and then blooms again, the fever spread throughout the city.
Then the lion that had been lying down got up and laughed.
The corners of his lips curved gracefully, revealing his neatly aligned teeth. The slight tilt of his delicate, graceful eyes completely transformed his impression.
'It can't be this unfair.'
Olivia stared blankly up at him, wondering why God had poured everything into this man.
Meson was thinking the same thing Olivia had been thinking.
The Prince eventually succeeded in proposing.
And yet, he proposed like a creditor who came to receive light! Oh, really. What an unfair world.
At that time, Noah, who had completed the letter by pressing the royal seal on the sealing wax, handed it to him.
“Send it to the King today on a speedboat.”
"All right."
“And we, too, are ready to go back.”
“Miss Liberty, too?”
“...”
A pitiful look immediately appeared. Meson hunched his shoulders and muttered.
“Yes. I was into that ‘we,’ but I was being presumptuous.”
"Stop talking nonsense and move quickly. I can't stand the sunlight from the Pulder any longer. I think I'm going to burn to death."
“Hey. You look the strongest.”
“...”
“I’ll go now.”
“I’ll be leaving in a week. Send someone to Olivia to help her prepare.”
Meson blinked, stunned by the name that had suddenly popped out.
'Are you already calling her by her name?'
Meson wanted to ask him out of the blue, but if he did, the Prince would definitely become more aggressive.
And then, without fail, he'll send him to Herod first, along with this letter! He says it's a speedboat, but just put him m on a barge! And the hellish seasickness is a bonus!
Meson bowed his head politely.
“I will prepare without a hitch, Your Highness!”
“...”
"Why?"
“You... what did you do wrong?”
"No?"
“Speak.”
“I said no?”
“Tell me.”
“There has to be fire, right?!”
Because of the fierce glare, Meson took a step back hesitantly and soon started to run away.
“I’ll be back~~.”
Noah looked at the spot where he had disappeared and shook his head slightly.
She came to see him and then had this very strange thought that shr wished he hadn't shown up.
Olivia's heartbeat, which had been eerily slow, then surged to a thumping pace that left her breathless, was almost daunting. Her stomach was so cold that she, who usually drank cold coffee, ordered a warm one.
She never been this nervous or anxious before a professorial exam.
Meson, who had been waiting on one side, looked at Olivia, whose expression was clearly tense, and pressed his lips together tightly.
"Don't be so nervous! It's actually our Prince who's feeling the pinch!"
If someone were to ask why the one who is pitiful is the Prince, Meson would proudly answer.
If it weren't for the regret, Noah Astrid wouldn't have come across the sea and proposed to her personally.
He probably just had someone send her a proposal.
Olivia wiped her palms on her handkerchief several times, half-sipping the coffee in front of her.
As she paused, the sound of neat shoes reached her sensitive ears. The sound of wide, heavy footsteps, muffled by the soft carpet, gradually drew closer.
She held her breath and raised jer head toward the door, and it opened with a knock.
And then he appeared.
As perfect as ever.
Olivia reflexively rose from her seat. This time, she was quick to offer a Herodian greeting.
As she bent and straightened her knees and raised her gaze, she was met with a gaze as sharp as a piercing green.
Noah approached her slowly, looking into her eyes. Olivia lowered her gaze to his tie.
She was worried that jer heart would burst from the rough throbbing.
Noah stood across from Olivia, who was frozen stiff and refusing to meet his gaze. Then he greeted her politely.
“Sit down.”
When Noah offered her a seat, the servant who had been waiting quickly came up behind them and grabbed a chair for them. Then he placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him and stepped aside.
Noah leaned back in his chair and let out a long, slow breath.
Perhaps because he had just met someone uncomfortable just sitting together, he was quite satisfied with this place.
He was worried about keeping her waiting too long and worried about his patience. But he's also satisfied that it arrived so quickly.
“I’d like to talk about it just the two of us. What do you think?”
Meson's gaze flew to him before Olivia's.
Ugj, Your Highness!! Really!!
Meson looked at Olivia with a desperate wish.
Please tell me that it's uncomfortable to talk to just the two of you!! Let me see it too!!
But isn't it Olivia who shatters his expectations?
“Yes, it’s okay.”
In response to her answer, Noah gave Meson a slight nod. The intent in his cool gaze was clear.
Stop dawdling and get out now.
"Yes..."
In the end, Meson had no choice but to go out, his shoulders hunched, amidst the servants.
The door closed slowly.
Then, a suffocating silence, almost desolate, descended upon him. He remained silent, seemingly unwilling to speak a word.
Olivia's gaze, which had been stubbornly wandering around the edge of the table, finally slowly moved up.
Then, her eyes met his immediately. He seemed to have been watching her the whole time.
This time, Olivia couldn't avoid his gaze. No, more precisely, she was captivated by his piercing, intense gaze.
Noah finally opened his mouth slowly as her large black eyes turned to him.
“Have you thought about it?”
Faced with the dry tone and refined expression, Olivia mustered up her courage. She cleared her throat and braced herself, meeting his captivating gaze.
Her red lips slowly opened. Noah's gaze left hers for the first time.
“If I marry Your Highness the Prince, what should I do in Herod?”
His gaze, which had been lingering on her rosy lips, quickly shot upward. To his amazement, the face he met was quite serious.
“I never offered you a job. I've even proposed to you.”
“You said it was necessary.”
“Because I asked if you needed it.”
“That’s not wrong either.”
“...”
Whenever she wanders around without even making eye contact, he responds without saying a word.
Noah crossed his long legs with a cynical smile. Then he muttered sarcastically.
“Should I have brought at least one flower when I proposed?”
As they say, blood is thicker than water.
If he didn't like something, he would immediately sneer and be sarcastic, just like Margot.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. But...”
"But?"
Olivia lowered her gaze and calmly chose her words.
It took courage. It took the will to overcome shame.
Then the pulse beat surprisingly gently.
Olivia slowly raised her gaze to meet Noah's gaze. Noah's head, which had been tilted in annoyance, returned to its original position.
“I have nothing to give you, except myself.”
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly.
Why does such a simple statement sound so obscene?
“So it’s only natural that I should know what to do, both for Your Highness and for myself.”
"Do you know what I'm going to say? What if I tell you something really embarrassing?"
“If there is something I absolutely cannot do...”
As soon as he saw her trailing off, Noah realized what she was saying.
“Are you going to refuse?”
“...”
Noah burst into laughter, looking into those stubborn, dark eyes. "Ah, now I understand a little why Auntie keeps squeezing her."
Noah uncrossed his legs and leaned his elbows on the table. He leaned forward, brought his face a little closer to her elegant face, and whispered.
"Let's get married with such a big splash that all of Herod will be in an uproar, and kiss me in front of everyone. I want the world to know that you're my wife."
Olivia held her breath. She felt the heat rising and flushing her cheeks.
Noah thought her pale face looked like a newly bloomed flower.
“The very fact that Olivia Liberty married me is proof of my need for you.”
“...”
Amid the stifling heat, a cold, cool rationality seeped in.
A royal family of commoner origin.
The fact that the royal family chose her as a bridge to win the hearts of the people.
The countless events and interviews she had attended with King Leonard flashed through her mind.
At that moment, he rose from his seat and approached her. She expected him to stop, but when he closed the distance to within a step, Olivia, taken aback, quickly stood up.
And just as she was about to take a step back, he politely extended his hand.
He tilted his powerful, massive shoulders slightly and entangled her with his captivating gaze.
This man is bewitching.
He knows that if he reaches out with a face like that, there's no way shep can refuse.
Olivia raised her trembling hand and placed it on his, thinking about that. Then he gently squeezed her hand.
Then he slowly lowered his head.
“—!!”
Olivia's eyes widened, and she held her breath.
Noah lightly kissed the back of her hand, as he would with noble ladies. A warm, soft sensation touched and lifted from her hand.
He seemed to raise his head very slowly. He stared at Olivia, his eyes wide open like a predator gazing ahead, prey in its clutches.
A lion vaguely came to mind.
“Please, accept my proposal.”
Olivia felt like she was strangled and couldn't say anything.
Looking at Olivia, Noah impulsively blurted out the words he'd been mulling over. Just like they had on that moonlit night, in the carriage.
“Olivia.”
Like a flower that has died down for a while and then blooms again, the fever spread throughout the city.
Then the lion that had been lying down got up and laughed.
The corners of his lips curved gracefully, revealing his neatly aligned teeth. The slight tilt of his delicate, graceful eyes completely transformed his impression.
'It can't be this unfair.'
Olivia stared blankly up at him, wondering why God had poured everything into this man.
***
Meson was thinking the same thing Olivia had been thinking.
The Prince eventually succeeded in proposing.
And yet, he proposed like a creditor who came to receive light! Oh, really. What an unfair world.
At that time, Noah, who had completed the letter by pressing the royal seal on the sealing wax, handed it to him.
“Send it to the King today on a speedboat.”
"All right."
“And we, too, are ready to go back.”
“Miss Liberty, too?”
“...”
A pitiful look immediately appeared. Meson hunched his shoulders and muttered.
“Yes. I was into that ‘we,’ but I was being presumptuous.”
"Stop talking nonsense and move quickly. I can't stand the sunlight from the Pulder any longer. I think I'm going to burn to death."
“Hey. You look the strongest.”
“...”
“I’ll go now.”
“I’ll be leaving in a week. Send someone to Olivia to help her prepare.”
Meson blinked, stunned by the name that had suddenly popped out.
'Are you already calling her by her name?'
Meson wanted to ask him out of the blue, but if he did, the Prince would definitely become more aggressive.
And then, without fail, he'll send him to Herod first, along with this letter! He says it's a speedboat, but just put him m on a barge! And the hellish seasickness is a bonus!
Meson bowed his head politely.
“I will prepare without a hitch, Your Highness!”
“...”
"Why?"
“You... what did you do wrong?”
"No?"
“Speak.”
“I said no?”
“Tell me.”
“There has to be fire, right?!”
Because of the fierce glare, Meson took a step back hesitantly and soon started to run away.
“I’ll be back~~.”
Noah looked at the spot where he had disappeared and shook his head slightly.
He leaned back against the backrest, tilted his head back, and reminisced about the moments that had passed.
She said that since she had nothing but herself, she had nothing else to give. So, it was only natural for her to ask what she should do.
Noah thought that sounded strange.
What should I 'do'?
Actually, she doesn't have to do anything.
Noah truly wanted nothing from her except marriage.
But Noah cunningly did not say those words.
'In exchange for marrying you, I can escape this tedious ceremony hell.'
But what does that matter?
Doesn't she also get peace?
If she marries him, there will be no need or reason to live in that shack-like house.
"... Great."
A new voice, barely able to escape, pierced his eardrums.
Noah smiled lazily.
He suddenly lifted the peace that had been hanging on the edge of the cliff and held it in his arms.
She said that since she had nothing but herself, she had nothing else to give. So, it was only natural for her to ask what she should do.
Noah thought that sounded strange.
What should I 'do'?
Actually, she doesn't have to do anything.
Noah truly wanted nothing from her except marriage.
Olivia is peace itself.
'In exchange for marrying you, I can escape this tedious ceremony hell.'
But what does that matter?
Doesn't she also get peace?
If she marries him, there will be no need or reason to live in that shack-like house.
At the very least, she'll never have to hear those ridiculous tirades from that uncultured woman, McDowell, for the rest of her life.
A new voice, barely able to escape, pierced his eardrums.
Noah smiled lazily.
He suddenly lifted the peace that had been hanging on the edge of the cliff and held it in his arms.
Beyond the boundless sea, he thought he'd fallen away forever, vanished without a trace. That peace—the kind he thought he only saw in a nightmarish dream, one that plunges him into the abyss—
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