SOIC - Chapter 48

Episode 48. We're Not Married, We're Like Business Partners

Was it greed to even aim for a royal marriage? Madame Zuberne swallowed a bitter sigh of defeat and opened her mouth.

“It doesn’t matter whether this is true or false, Young Lady.”

“...”

“The important thing is that the royal family tolerates this article.”

At that, Isabelle's eyes widened and shook.

"A story about His Highness the Prince going to Pulder to meet a commoner? You condone that? Does that make sense?!"

Madame Zuberne shook her head, somewhat disappointed by Isabelle's reaction.

“Young Lady, don’t pay any more attention to His Highness the Prince’s business.”

“...”

"Young-ae tried to hide it from me, but I heard about that day. Now that Mrs. Seymour has silenced them, I'm sure there won't be any more gossip."

Isabelle's face paled sharply at Madame Zuberne's remark. Madame Zuberne elegantly sipped her tea and cleared her throat.

She told Isabelle to give up on dating.

She was shocked when she heard that Isabelle had finally managed to find her way to the Prince's mansion in the middle of the night. She thought Isabelle was smart, but it seems she wasn't.

Mrs. Zuberne ended the story there, as she could not continue to lecture Seymour's famous daughter.

Just then, the door burst open, and Mrs. Seymour entered the room.

When she returned from her secret trip to the palace at the Queen's summons, Isabelle jumped up from her seat and approached her.

Mrs. Seymour smiled kindly at Mrs. Zuberne, ignoring her daughter, who was approaching her.

“Madame Zuberne, I have a word with Isabelle alone, so I’m sorry, but could you please step aside?”

“I was just about to go back anyway.”

As soon as Madame Zuberne put on her gloves and went out with her bag, Isabelle clung to her mother's arm.

"Mother! What does Her Majesty say? She says His Highness the Prince didn't go to Pulder to meet a commoner, did she? She says it was a misreading of the article?"

At her appearance, Mrs. Seymour suppressed her anger and touched her forehead.

“Isabelle.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Mrs. Seymour's eyes lit up coolly as she watched her daughter's desperate expression.

“Behave yourself. Unless you want to spend the rest of your days in a monastery.”

Isabelle's face paled at the cold words of her mother, whom she trusted. Mrs. Seymour held her daughter's arm tightly and warned her.

“You must not say anything about Prince Noah from now on, and you must be careful about your actions.”

Isabelle's eyes twitched slightly.

“What did you hear that made you come here?”

“Isabelle!”

"What on earth did Her Majesty the Queen say to you that made you act like this?! She asked His Royal Highness the Prince about my relationship with him! That means she considered me as a potential daughter-in-law at least once! And since I was her substitute, she must have thought I was at least a princess from another country!"

“You have to watch what you say!”

As her daughter's voice grew louder, Mrs. Seymour covered her mouth with her hand and turned around. Mrs. Seymour grumbled and turned to face her daughter.

“Someone listen!”

“Mom and Dad were secretly looking forward to it, too.”

At her words, Mrs. Seymour slumped down in her chair, her head resting on her hand.

"Why wouldn't I have expectations? Which nobles in the capital haven't had such expectations at least once?"

She never would have thought that her daughter would go to the Prince in the middle of the night and propose to him without any hesitation.

She doesn't know how much effort she put into cleaning up after that.

Mrs. Seymour rubbed her face repeatedly with her dry hands, then took a deep breath. Then she strained her eyes and gazed at her daughter.

"Her Majesty the Queen warned me that she would not tolerate any rumors about Prince Noah. She warned me to pay close attention to even the slightest conversation in private. It's so strange to be so obsessed with rumors."

“...”

"It means the Prince will marry soon. At least it's proof that today's article wasn't a lie."

Isabelle's eyes instantly turned red.

Mrs. Seymour sighed deeply. Her irritation with Mrs. Zuberne rne, whom she had paid a fortune to be her chaperone, was running high.

Of all the young women who debuted with Isabelle, none have remained unmarried. She never dreamed her daughter would end up like a dog chasing chickens.

Recently, the relationship between the couple, which was already not very good, has gotten even worse due to problems with their daughter.

"The royal family doesn't tolerate anyone daring to talk about a royal marriage. Your father is looking for a worthy candidate among the local nobles, so don't act rashly."

“Who among the local nobles!!”

"I'm also trying to dissuade your father. I've told him repeatedly how he can marry you off to a local nobleman. So you, too, watch your behavior. Got it?!"

After settling the incident with the Prince, Count Seymour threatened that if something like this happened again, he would immediately send her to a monastery, regardless of whether she was married or not.

Mrs. Seymour dragged her tired body out of Isabelle's room.

Isabelle buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.

Seymour's famous daughter, who had been able to have anything she wanted, shuddered with a sense of loss she had never felt before. How long had she been like that?

Suddenly, she remembered the strange object Noah had thrown away like trash.

“Olivia Liberty...”

For some reason, she had a gut feeling that that thing might be connected to her.

***

Margot was amazed at Noah's speed in getting things done.

She realized anew how he, who seemed to find everything in the world tiresome, was able to run the Norfolk Investment Company.

In fact, Olivia didn't have the capacity to take care of what the bride's family needed to prepare.

It was natural, as she had neither parents nor personal assets, and Noah had no expectations whatsoever.

Noah personally liquidated Olivia's life as a purveyor.

He started by looking into her finances and checking for any debt. Fortunately, there was none.

And he contracted with a caretaker to manage her old house. He even contacted the person in charge directly to process the paperwork for her to renounce her citizenship, which was supposed to take at least ten days, and it was processed in just one day.

Noah Astrid seemed determined to get Olivia to Herod by any means necessary.

If Margot nodded, how much more so must Olivia?

She returned home a few days later and packed what she could take to Herod. The Prince's bodyguards unpacked a large bag large enough to fit a person.

“There are plenty of bags, so take as many as you need.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Then we’ll be outside, so please call us if you need us.”

Olivia took a blue dress that had been a gift from the past Queen and the gifts she had received from Princess Lucy.

Then she went to the room that served as jer grandmother's bedroom and study and looked up at the family picture hanging on the wall.

What would my grandmother say if she knew this?

Did you say it went well, or were you very worried?

With that thought in mind, Olivia carefully removed the painting from its frame. She placed a layer of paper between the pieces to protect them, then placed them neatly inside a thick book.

Then she went to the bookshelf and looked at the books tightly packed in there.

The wall next to the bookshelf was lined with numerous awards she had received. Grandma had found solace in placing them in front of the family portrait.

Olivia turned her gaze away from the listing.

For some reason, she felt bitter because her choice now seemed to directly violate her grandmother's comfort.

Olivia took out her textbook and slowly flipped through it. It was a book she'd carried around without even realizing how heavy it was. It was a book that had both thrilled her and filled her with despair.

Olivia sat in her grandmother's old wing chair, holding a book.

With dark eyes downcast, she gently stroked the worn corner of the book with her fingertips. The image of the young girl, clenching her teeth and carrying this book, filled with romance and dreams, pierced a corner of her heart.

Olivia, who had been looking down at the book with her mouth firmly shut, soon raised her head.

She had already made her choice. Now there was no choice, no reason to change it.

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll do the best I can, as I always have.”

Olivia stood up, grabbed her textbooks and drafting set, and put them in her bag. She also packed all the contract documents with Ansen.

After that, there was nothing left to take care of.

Olivia slowly searched every corner of the house, but no matter how many times she looked, there was nothing left.

“Is this really all?”

The bodyguards questioned Olivia, who was carrying only a small bag that barely filled half the bag they had provided, but she just smiled.

“This is enough.”

So Olivia left the home that had been her life's work.

As she looked back from inside the carriage, which was running and raising dust, she saw the small house quickly moving away.

Olivia, who had been looking at the house for a long time, said goodbye in her heart.

Soon, her eyes, which were turned straight ahead, looked dark and solid, like mahogany that had withstood the winds of time.

The price of marrying a Prince and rising in status can come like a storm, or it can be as subtle as a swamp that slowly sinks you in, starting from your ankles.

Instead of enduring all that cost, she will get the comfort and convenience she deserves.

So, she will do her best in her life, which will lead to this choice.

As always.

***

When Olivia said she would leave five days after accepting his proposal, Meson cursed the Prince inwardly.

Oh, what's so urgent? How desperate must the bride-to-be be?

But what's with the five days? Everything was ready in just three days.

Olivia was no less crazy than the Prince in terms of her work speed.

“They’re not a married couple... they’re like business partners.”

Meson uttered words that would have made the Prince look at him with a look of swearing, but then quickly covered his mouth.

But what can I do if I feel that way?

For the past three days, the Prince hadn't stepped outside the hotel, as if he believed it was dangerous. He spent the entire day eating, sleeping, and resting, ordering people around.

What about Olivia, his bride-to-be?

Even Margot lamented the Prince's behavior of proposing to her but not showing his face even once, but Olivia seemed to have no problem with it.

Sad? She smiled like a doll, as if she hadn't even thought of such a word, and thanked Meson for his hard work.

So on the morning of the fourth day.

Prince Noah left the hotel after five whole days and headed to Marguerite's mansion.

“Your Highness, there are quite a few reporters secretly following you.”

“Leave it alone.”

Noah glanced out the window at the bodyguard's words and shrugged his shoulders in response.

He gazed at the houses of the Pulders passing by with a leisurely gaze, like a sated lion. When he passed a massive mansion made of ivory marble, his gaze turned fierce, though only for a moment.

When he heard that Ansen Wilhelm had gone to Princess Marguerite's mansion and had come looking for Olivia, he just laughed.

But the more he thought about it, the more unpleasant it became.

“There are so many funny kids out there.”

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