Episode 62. Olivia and Oliver
Even King Herod's secret agents failed to discover her connection to the Magic Dome. This suggests that Ansen Wilhelm kept her under wraps. Perhaps even within Wilhelm's organization, no one knows of her existence.
Reflecting on Olivia's words, that hypothesis gained a little more weight.
"We were reviewing blueprints. Ansen usually came to me with the blueprints himself. He would relay the engineers' opinions, which I would then incorporate into the blueprints. Conversely, he would also relay my own opinions to the engineers."
Noah suddenly narrowed his eyes. A puzzle he hadn't even considered popped into his mind, along with a faint light.
Noah stared intently at the imaginary puzzle, his index finger tracing the paper.
Even though he had no idea what the completed puzzle would look like, or even what he wanted to know by putting it together, pieces of memories he never thought would fit together popped up on the screen.
The first piece was a conversation with Meson.
"The documents related to Wilhelm's Magic Dome just arrived from Pulder. Apparently, a joint patent application has been filed for the Magic Dome."
“Joint patent?”
"Ansen Wilhelm and a man named Oliver are joint patent holders. Since it's just Oliver, without a surname, I checked the list of Wilhelm's internal executives and researchers. But they're not there. Strange, isn't it?"
Then Ansen Wilhelm's voice overlapped.
“Ah... you mean Oliver. That guy... unfortunately passed away around the time I was starting my own company.”
And the memory of that autumn night came to mind.
“Is it similar to the Magic Dome?”
Olivia nodded with a smile at Noah's muttering.
“Yes, yes, that’s right! The type and amount of energy being converted are different, but the principle is the same!”
Noah's eyes sank coldly.
“...Oliver.”
He repeated the name he had whispered lowly.
“Oliver...”
Then he dropped his gaze and looked at Olivia's paper.
“...Olivia.”
With her name finally in the puzzle, the puzzle was completed.
On the completed puzzle, Olivia was depicted walking alone along a worn stone path, weeping. In a world in ruins, Olivia wept bitterly, as if enduring the torrential downpour and bitter cold with her bare body.
He wondered what had happened over the past two years to make her eyes so deep as the deep sea.
As Noah was leaving Princess Marguerite's mansion, he remembered Ansen staring at Olivia persistently and cursed.
“Why were you looking at me so pitifully after stealing something, you crazy bastard?”
Other things flashed through Noah's mind.
The prodigal sons who had forced Olivia into a corner of the banquet hall and giggled, the young ladies who had put her in a difficult position despite knowing she was a royal guest, the old house full of marks from attempts to forcibly tear down the door, and the uncivilized woman who had tried to slap her in the face while spewing abusive language.
How much did he see of her? That was all he saw.
And, Noah Astrid, with a little bit of kindness, easily lifted Olivia from the edge of the cliff and brought her there.
For the benefit of the royal family and his peace.
“...”
Noah took a deep, heavy breath and stared at Olivia's paper for a long time.
Mrs. Winfred was bedridden for the rest of her days, suffering from severe motion sickness. Olivia stayed by her side, bringing her medicine and food as needed.
"Young lady, you don't have to do this. I'm sorry for everything today. I came here to assist you..."
Mrs. Winfred kept shaking her head, looking very sorry.
"Those who can do it will. Besides, the crew cleaned up this place first, so it looks clean, but the outside of the cabin is still a mess and a mess. I couldn't go anywhere, so I was bored with staying in my cabin all day. Come on, eat. That way, you'll get better soon."
Olivia said as she handed over the warm water and medicine that Meson had given her, and in the end, the lady accepted her kindness, though she felt sorry.
Olivia helped her lie down on the bed, then left the room with a glass of water. As she stood there, putting the glass away, the noise of the ship's interior rang faintly in her ears.
The ship was in turmoil all day. There was constant noise, and sometimes even crying. The sailors cleaning the room said among themselves that if the Prince hadn't been there, the ship would have sunk.
Olivia unconsciously stroked her shoulder slowly.
The image on her retina blurred meaninglessly, and she was once again struck by a thought that had been lingering in her mind all day.
It's locked.
Just as she was about to slip and fall down the railing, she saw Noah reaching out his hand towards her with his eyes wide open in surprise.
It was a moment that didn't feel real, but she vaguely felt like she could survive if she held his hand, so she reached out without thinking.
Noah caught her with a powerful thrust, and behind him, people were seen sliding here and there. Then, something splashed out of the dark sea.
A creature of overwhelming size that leaps out and splits the sea.
Olivia's sanity vanished in a horror she could not even imagine. What happened next felt so utterly surreal that she couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
“If anything happens, I’ll come get you first, so don’t come out for now.”
But his soft voice and firm, recording eyes were stuck to her heart and would not let go at all.
Olivia paused, then turned her head to look at the door.
They said he was asleep the whole time. I wonder if he's awake by now?
Olivia hesitated, then carefully opened the guest room door.
And as soon as she opened the door, Olivia felt him.
The sea, which had been rough and swaying as if it were going to swallow the boat, was calm as if nothing had happened, and the sky, which had been as dark as the entrance to an abyss, was dyed a dreamy pink and floated lightly over the sea.
And there he was, in a scene like a masterpiece.
He was standing there looking out at the endless sea, and he slowly turned his head as if he sensed someone's presence.
As always, Noah overwhelmed everything. The dreamy pink sky, the glittering glitter scattered across the sea, all vanished before the dim green light of his eyes.
Noah slowly turned towards her and tilted his head.
“Liv.”
At the call, which was like a spell, Olivia slowly approached him, as if drawn to a star. She stopped a few steps ahead and knelt in greeting.
As the sound of her pounding heart began to ring in her ears, Noah turned around and said.
“You wanted to get some fresh air, didn’t you? Come here.”
Olivia slowly approached him, catching her trembling breath. As she approached the railing, the vast expanse of sea and sky became even more magnificent. Then, she glanced down, the height daunting.
Olivia opened her mouth cautiously, lightly wetting her dry lips with her tongue.
“Your Highness, thank you for holding me from falling yesterday.”
Noah chuckled at the sudden expression of gratitude. Olivia, feeling a little more courageous after opening her mouth, glanced at him and asked.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Noah shook his head, his gaze fixed on the distant sea.
"Not at all."
“That’s fortunate. I heard Your Highness worked very hard.”
After finishing speaking, Olivia followed him and looked out at the sea.
As the wind gently caressed her hair, the sunset grew redder and redder.
Noah, who had been watching the changing colors with an indifferent gaze, took out a piece of paper and a flashlight from his pocket and held them out.
“Indeed, I tried hard, but you also played a part.”
Olivia, who was looking out at the sea, turned her gaze to Noah's hand.
Noah looked at the strands of her long, delicate eyelashes and whispered a name that didn't suit her at all.
“Oliver.”
Olivia's movements stopped as the unfamiliar name descended upon her. She slowly raised her head, forgetting even to breathe.
The pitch-black pupils trembled slightly and then suddenly filled with transparency.
“Oliver, developer of the Magic Dome.”
“How, how did you do that...”
Noah met her sparkling eyes and clicked his tongue inwardly. Then, he calmly spoke out the thoughts he'd been organizing while gazing at the sea.
“Do you want to live the life of an engineer?”
If that were true, Noah planned to let her go cleanly. If she had wanted to live as an engineer, she shouldn't have held his hand in the first place, but he wouldn't even ask why.
His father wouldn't readily admit it, but since they weren't married yet, there were plenty of ways to turn it around.
Herod was conservative, and the royal family was even more so. People assumed royalty had the power to do everything, but with so much to enjoy came so many restrictions.
If Olivia wants to be recognized as Oliver, she will have to fight not only with Wilhelm, but also with the Pulder Patent Office and the courts.
The Herodian royal family has the resources to fight them, but they cannot afford to instigate a conflict that could easily escalate into a national conflict. The Pulders will likely seek to protect their own businesses.
And above all, what the Herodian royal family needed was not an engineer Princess.
Noah asked again softly.
“Liv, do you want to live as an engineer?”
The tears that had filled her eyes at his repeated questions slowly seeped away, just as Olivia's fervent yearning had slowly seeped away in the past.
Olivia carefully accepted the object Noah offered and slowly opened her mouth.
“I want to live as Olivia.”
Even King Herod's secret agents failed to discover her connection to the Magic Dome. This suggests that Ansen Wilhelm kept her under wraps. Perhaps even within Wilhelm's organization, no one knows of her existence.
Reflecting on Olivia's words, that hypothesis gained a little more weight.
"We were reviewing blueprints. Ansen usually came to me with the blueprints himself. He would relay the engineers' opinions, which I would then incorporate into the blueprints. Conversely, he would also relay my own opinions to the engineers."
Noah suddenly narrowed his eyes. A puzzle he hadn't even considered popped into his mind, along with a faint light.
Noah stared intently at the imaginary puzzle, his index finger tracing the paper.
Even though he had no idea what the completed puzzle would look like, or even what he wanted to know by putting it together, pieces of memories he never thought would fit together popped up on the screen.
The first piece was a conversation with Meson.
"The documents related to Wilhelm's Magic Dome just arrived from Pulder. Apparently, a joint patent application has been filed for the Magic Dome."
“Joint patent?”
"Ansen Wilhelm and a man named Oliver are joint patent holders. Since it's just Oliver, without a surname, I checked the list of Wilhelm's internal executives and researchers. But they're not there. Strange, isn't it?"
Then Ansen Wilhelm's voice overlapped.
“Ah... you mean Oliver. That guy... unfortunately passed away around the time I was starting my own company.”
And the memory of that autumn night came to mind.
“Is it similar to the Magic Dome?”
Olivia nodded with a smile at Noah's muttering.
“Yes, yes, that’s right! The type and amount of energy being converted are different, but the principle is the same!”
Noah's eyes sank coldly.
“...Oliver.”
He repeated the name he had whispered lowly.
“Oliver...”
Then he dropped his gaze and looked at Olivia's paper.
“...Olivia.”
With her name finally in the puzzle, the puzzle was completed.
On the completed puzzle, Olivia was depicted walking alone along a worn stone path, weeping. In a world in ruins, Olivia wept bitterly, as if enduring the torrential downpour and bitter cold with her bare body.
He wondered what had happened over the past two years to make her eyes so deep as the deep sea.
As Noah was leaving Princess Marguerite's mansion, he remembered Ansen staring at Olivia persistently and cursed.
“Why were you looking at me so pitifully after stealing something, you crazy bastard?”
Other things flashed through Noah's mind.
The prodigal sons who had forced Olivia into a corner of the banquet hall and giggled, the young ladies who had put her in a difficult position despite knowing she was a royal guest, the old house full of marks from attempts to forcibly tear down the door, and the uncivilized woman who had tried to slap her in the face while spewing abusive language.
How much did he see of her? That was all he saw.
And, Noah Astrid, with a little bit of kindness, easily lifted Olivia from the edge of the cliff and brought her there.
For the benefit of the royal family and his peace.
“...”
Noah took a deep, heavy breath and stared at Olivia's paper for a long time.
***
Mrs. Winfred was bedridden for the rest of her days, suffering from severe motion sickness. Olivia stayed by her side, bringing her medicine and food as needed.
"Young lady, you don't have to do this. I'm sorry for everything today. I came here to assist you..."
Mrs. Winfred kept shaking her head, looking very sorry.
"Those who can do it will. Besides, the crew cleaned up this place first, so it looks clean, but the outside of the cabin is still a mess and a mess. I couldn't go anywhere, so I was bored with staying in my cabin all day. Come on, eat. That way, you'll get better soon."
Olivia said as she handed over the warm water and medicine that Meson had given her, and in the end, the lady accepted her kindness, though she felt sorry.
Olivia helped her lie down on the bed, then left the room with a glass of water. As she stood there, putting the glass away, the noise of the ship's interior rang faintly in her ears.
The ship was in turmoil all day. There was constant noise, and sometimes even crying. The sailors cleaning the room said among themselves that if the Prince hadn't been there, the ship would have sunk.
Olivia unconsciously stroked her shoulder slowly.
The image on her retina blurred meaninglessly, and she was once again struck by a thought that had been lingering in her mind all day.
It's locked.
Just as she was about to slip and fall down the railing, she saw Noah reaching out his hand towards her with his eyes wide open in surprise.
It was a moment that didn't feel real, but she vaguely felt like she could survive if she held his hand, so she reached out without thinking.
Noah caught her with a powerful thrust, and behind him, people were seen sliding here and there. Then, something splashed out of the dark sea.
A creature of overwhelming size that leaps out and splits the sea.
Olivia's sanity vanished in a horror she could not even imagine. What happened next felt so utterly surreal that she couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
“If anything happens, I’ll come get you first, so don’t come out for now.”
But his soft voice and firm, recording eyes were stuck to her heart and would not let go at all.
Olivia paused, then turned her head to look at the door.
They said he was asleep the whole time. I wonder if he's awake by now?
Olivia hesitated, then carefully opened the guest room door.
And as soon as she opened the door, Olivia felt him.
The sea, which had been rough and swaying as if it were going to swallow the boat, was calm as if nothing had happened, and the sky, which had been as dark as the entrance to an abyss, was dyed a dreamy pink and floated lightly over the sea.
And there he was, in a scene like a masterpiece.
He was standing there looking out at the endless sea, and he slowly turned his head as if he sensed someone's presence.
As always, Noah overwhelmed everything. The dreamy pink sky, the glittering glitter scattered across the sea, all vanished before the dim green light of his eyes.
Noah slowly turned towards her and tilted his head.
“Liv.”
At the call, which was like a spell, Olivia slowly approached him, as if drawn to a star. She stopped a few steps ahead and knelt in greeting.
As the sound of her pounding heart began to ring in her ears, Noah turned around and said.
“You wanted to get some fresh air, didn’t you? Come here.”
Olivia slowly approached him, catching her trembling breath. As she approached the railing, the vast expanse of sea and sky became even more magnificent. Then, she glanced down, the height daunting.
Olivia opened her mouth cautiously, lightly wetting her dry lips with her tongue.
“Your Highness, thank you for holding me from falling yesterday.”
Noah chuckled at the sudden expression of gratitude. Olivia, feeling a little more courageous after opening her mouth, glanced at him and asked.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Noah shook his head, his gaze fixed on the distant sea.
"Not at all."
“That’s fortunate. I heard Your Highness worked very hard.”
After finishing speaking, Olivia followed him and looked out at the sea.
As the wind gently caressed her hair, the sunset grew redder and redder.
Noah, who had been watching the changing colors with an indifferent gaze, took out a piece of paper and a flashlight from his pocket and held them out.
“Indeed, I tried hard, but you also played a part.”
Olivia, who was looking out at the sea, turned her gaze to Noah's hand.
Noah looked at the strands of her long, delicate eyelashes and whispered a name that didn't suit her at all.
“Oliver.”
Olivia's movements stopped as the unfamiliar name descended upon her. She slowly raised her head, forgetting even to breathe.
The pitch-black pupils trembled slightly and then suddenly filled with transparency.
“Oliver, developer of the Magic Dome.”
“How, how did you do that...”
Noah met her sparkling eyes and clicked his tongue inwardly. Then, he calmly spoke out the thoughts he'd been organizing while gazing at the sea.
“Do you want to live the life of an engineer?”
If that were true, Noah planned to let her go cleanly. If she had wanted to live as an engineer, she shouldn't have held his hand in the first place, but he wouldn't even ask why.
His father wouldn't readily admit it, but since they weren't married yet, there were plenty of ways to turn it around.
Herod was conservative, and the royal family was even more so. People assumed royalty had the power to do everything, but with so much to enjoy came so many restrictions.
If Olivia wants to be recognized as Oliver, she will have to fight not only with Wilhelm, but also with the Pulder Patent Office and the courts.
The Herodian royal family has the resources to fight them, but they cannot afford to instigate a conflict that could easily escalate into a national conflict. The Pulders will likely seek to protect their own businesses.
And above all, what the Herodian royal family needed was not an engineer Princess.
Noah asked again softly.
“Liv, do you want to live as an engineer?”
The tears that had filled her eyes at his repeated questions slowly seeped away, just as Olivia's fervent yearning had slowly seeped away in the past.
Olivia carefully accepted the object Noah offered and slowly opened her mouth.
“I want to live as Olivia.”
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