Episode 63. Same old bastard
"I won't ask Your Highness to acknowledge me as the creator of the Magic Dome. I haven't even thought about it."
Olivia slowly looked away from him and gazed out at the distant sea.
The sight of the sunset, with its back to the darkness, embracing the sea, was splendidly beautiful.
“The day I ended my relationship with Mr. Wilhelm, I also ended my relationship with the name Oliver.”
As the patent holder, she had no choice but to use a pseudonym. However, using a pseudonym as the patent holder ultimately meant giving up all rights. She realized this too late, having lived solely on the drawings.
She contacted the patent office several times in hopes of getting this corrected, but the answer was always the same.
“There are no cases of women being recognized as having patent rights, so please contact the court.”
When she contacted the court, the answer was the same.
Couldn't there have been something more I could have done? Would this have happened if I hadn't been a commoner, Olivia?
The unanswered questions kept gnawing at her, darkening her mind with ash and soot. So Olivia decided to stop asking pointless questions.
It would be a lie to say that she had no regrets, but the rest of her life was too long to live in regret and cling to the past.
Magic Dome and Engineering.
At one point, it felt like it was everything in life, but it wasn't. Losing it didn't ruin her life.
Yeah, it didn't collapse.
“The life of an engineer was once so earnest... but it wasn’t everything to me.”
Her eyes, which had been deeply sunken, sparkled red, reflecting the brilliant sunlight.
Olivia looked back at Noah and smiled.
“So don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“...”
“And thank you.”
"What."
“Thank you for recognizing that I am Oliver.”
At those words, Noah let out a snicker. He avoided Olivia's gaze and looked out at the horizon, speaking cynically.
“I told you that I couldn’t help you become recognized as Oliver, and that you couldn’t live as an engineer by my side. Don’t you understand?”
“I understand.”
At the dry reply, Noah frowned and turned his head sharply to meet her dark eyes.
“But what are you thankful for?”
“Because you assumed I had created the Magic Dome, and you asked about it without hiding it.”
"Is that something to be thankful for? I just gathered clues and deduced."
"But there's a hidden sense of compassion behind it all...When I was a student at Herrington College, I presented a draft of the Magic Dome in class. The professor who heard it told me to stop presenting, saying it wasn't a contest of imagination."
“Does Harrington College have such an idiot?”
His expression was sharp, but for some reason, Olivia found herself smiling. As laughter filled his dark eyes, he crossed his arms and looked down at her wryly.
“No matter how many times I hear it, I still don’t understand why I’m grateful.”
Olivia touched the corner of her mouth with her hand, then looked out the railing for a long moment to change the subject, and asked.
“How long until Herod?”
“Two days. I’ll be out of my mind when I get there.”
"Yes."
Olivia nodded, and Noah, who was leaning against the railing, looked intently in the direction the boat was heading.
The deep blue curtain of night, embracing the stars, finally pushed the setting sun beneath the sea. As the world grew darker, the wind that cut into his embrace felt even more chilling.
Noah rose from the railing and greeted her.
“I should go and rest now. You should rest too.”
He leisurely disappeared into the room while Olivia hurriedly said goodbye.
Noah returned to his room and collapsed onto the sofa.
He felt so depressed, like he was stuck in the mud.
After asking her if she wanted to live as an engineer, he felt a surge of unease. It was quite amusing, considering he already been prepared to give up on her if she'd said yes.
However, soon, the face that had been smiling at him as if telling him not to worry was so clear and bright that he too felt a twist in his stomach.
Noah muttered, pressing his hand between his wrinkled eyebrows.
“Ansen Wilhelm and I are both bastards.”
Aren't they both trying to eat that little woman up?
Noah took a slow breath, calming his racing heart. Then, as he gazed out at the sea, he recalled the thoughts he'd had.
He may not be able to make her live as an engineer, but he can at least make sure she doesn't have to suffer the same hardships as before.
At that moment, Meson appeared in his room, perhaps sensing his presence.
“Meson.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
"When you arrive in Herod, call Ambrose Atelier. You can spend as much as you want, but make sure you get Olivia whatever she wants. I'll decorate the mansion as she sees fit, except for my office and bedroom, so find an interior design company."
"All right."
“And since she said she liked learning, subtly asked her if there was anything else she wanted to learn.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Noah promised that he would do so willingly.
Beatrix let out a long sigh as she read the morning paper.
Meanwhile, the head maid, Mrs. Polsman, offered the Queen tea with sugar cubes, and the Queen elegantly took the cup offered by the head maid and put the newspaper aside.
“It seems that the Herodians are curious about nothing but news about Noah and Olivia.”
“I don’t think it will be like that until the two of you get married, right?”
“I think so too.”
The Queen clicked her tongue as she glanced at the newspaper.
“Seeing all that attention, I feel a bit uneasy these days.”
“...”
“Moreover, His Majesty... I think he’ll be putting Olivia in front of the press instead of Noah from now on.”
Even the head maid's expression hardened slightly at the Queen's words.
“...His Highness the Prince will not accept it.”
"Who doesn't know that? It's not that they didn't know until now that they brought Noah to the forefront of the media."
"...Yes."
"Ha..."
Beatrix took another deep breath and turned her gaze back to the papers.
Leonard wanted to take every bit of the royal family's gain from Noah's marriage.
He ordered the entire square in front of Hamelin Cathedral to be cleared to allow the crowds to enter, not to mention the Golden Lion Square.
Despite the enormous cost of security, there was only one reason for doing so: to increase public support for the royal family by ensuring that Prince Noah's wedding was witnessed by a large audience.
“When did you say you would arrive?”
“I’m scheduled to arrive at 11:00 AM tomorrow.”
“And the wedding is exactly one week later at 11 AM.”
"yes."
“Wouldn’t it be incredible if I told you the wedding was in a week?”
Even so, Beatrix had been nagging him for a week.
At present, in Herrington, guests who had received invitations that even the parties had never seen before were arriving one after another ahead of the parties.
The maid said nothing, as if she were conscious of it, and Beatrix rubbed her forehead and muttered.
“I hope you like it, though.”
After signing the document, Beatrix handed it to the maid. The maid elegantly folded the documents and placed them neatly on top of the tall pile.
With this, Beatrix's work was done.
All that remained was for the bride and groom, the main characters of the wedding, to arrive in Herod.
And the next day.
A large crowd gathered around Harrington Harbour upon hearing the news that the ship carrying Prince Noah was arriving.
Prince Noah, who seemed so cold, went all the way to Pulder to fetch a bride!
Reporters from third-rate newspapers specializing in flyers and major newspapers lined up in front of the port, and even ordinary citizens holding children's hands craned their necks to wait for the Prince and Olivia.
As a huge carriage escorted by the royal guard entered the port, the people raised thunderous cheers.
The cheers reached a crescendo when Noah Astrid, the crown jewel of the royal family, descended the ship, holding Olivia's hand. Only a select few reporters, granted permission to enter, were able to see the couple, but the crowd outside the harbor, somehow aware of the situation, erupted in cheers.
Olivia's fingers, which were holding Noah's arm, tightened as the noise was loud enough to make the harbor rumble.
Noah glanced down at Olivia.
She was wearing a white blouse and a voluminous flared skirt again today.
The dress Olivia originally intended to wear on the day she arrived at Herod was a green dress she had purchased at the Pulder Royal Boutique, but it was ruined in the chaos, and she couldn't wear it.
There was a dress that the Queen had gifted in the past, but it was too extravagant as it was a banquet dress, and above all, the Prince was against it.
“I told you that it’s out of style and old-fashioned.”
Mrs. Winfred, who was listening from the side, tilted her head.
“Still a great design...”
However, she ended up losing her balance at the sight of the Prince's fierce gaze.
In any case, first impressions were crucial, so Olivia wore her usual clothes today. Mrs. Winfred combed her hair neatly, tied it up, and placed the green ribbon headband she'd requested on her head.
Noah gently patted Olivia's hand, which was holding his. As if aware of the camera pointed at them, a soft, almost melting smile was a bonus.
“Relax.”
“I think the harbor will collapse from the cheers, Your Highness.”
“It won’t collapse.”
“It just means that the sound is very loud.”
Mrs. Winfred, who was standing one step behind Olivia, looked back and forth between the two of them, the corners of her lips twitching.
In particular, the gaze towards the Prince had become much softer, as the evaluation of him as 'a guy I would have beaten on the back if he were my son' had changed after the monster attack incident to 'a reliable man who would protect his wife no matter what.'
Moreover, the magnificent carriage awaiting the Prince and Olivia warmed the lady's heart. She gazed at Olivia's back with warm eyes.
It was a brief two-week encounter, but Mrs. Winfred truly wished her well. Olivia was a warm and cheerful person, yet also someone struggling to survive.
Having struggled to survive herself, she quickly recognized Olivia's silent struggle and found herself rooting for her.
As the door of the massive carriage, escorted by majestic steeds, opened, Olivia took Noah's hand and climbed into the carriage. The Prince followed suit, and the carriage door slowly closed.
“Madam, please come this way.”
As the guards escorted her to another carriage, Mrs. Winfred's eyes were fixed on Olivia.
Mrs. Winfred heaved her chest and inhaled Herod's cold, damp air. She'd never liked the chill that pierced her lungs, but today, for some reason, it felt incredibly sweet.
"I won't ask Your Highness to acknowledge me as the creator of the Magic Dome. I haven't even thought about it."
Olivia slowly looked away from him and gazed out at the distant sea.
The sight of the sunset, with its back to the darkness, embracing the sea, was splendidly beautiful.
“The day I ended my relationship with Mr. Wilhelm, I also ended my relationship with the name Oliver.”
As the patent holder, she had no choice but to use a pseudonym. However, using a pseudonym as the patent holder ultimately meant giving up all rights. She realized this too late, having lived solely on the drawings.
She contacted the patent office several times in hopes of getting this corrected, but the answer was always the same.
“There are no cases of women being recognized as having patent rights, so please contact the court.”
When she contacted the court, the answer was the same.
Couldn't there have been something more I could have done? Would this have happened if I hadn't been a commoner, Olivia?
The unanswered questions kept gnawing at her, darkening her mind with ash and soot. So Olivia decided to stop asking pointless questions.
It would be a lie to say that she had no regrets, but the rest of her life was too long to live in regret and cling to the past.
Magic Dome and Engineering.
At one point, it felt like it was everything in life, but it wasn't. Losing it didn't ruin her life.
Yeah, it didn't collapse.
“The life of an engineer was once so earnest... but it wasn’t everything to me.”
Her eyes, which had been deeply sunken, sparkled red, reflecting the brilliant sunlight.
Olivia looked back at Noah and smiled.
“So don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“...”
“And thank you.”
"What."
“Thank you for recognizing that I am Oliver.”
At those words, Noah let out a snicker. He avoided Olivia's gaze and looked out at the horizon, speaking cynically.
“I told you that I couldn’t help you become recognized as Oliver, and that you couldn’t live as an engineer by my side. Don’t you understand?”
“I understand.”
At the dry reply, Noah frowned and turned his head sharply to meet her dark eyes.
“But what are you thankful for?”
“Because you assumed I had created the Magic Dome, and you asked about it without hiding it.”
"Is that something to be thankful for? I just gathered clues and deduced."
"But there's a hidden sense of compassion behind it all...When I was a student at Herrington College, I presented a draft of the Magic Dome in class. The professor who heard it told me to stop presenting, saying it wasn't a contest of imagination."
“Does Harrington College have such an idiot?”
His expression was sharp, but for some reason, Olivia found herself smiling. As laughter filled his dark eyes, he crossed his arms and looked down at her wryly.
“No matter how many times I hear it, I still don’t understand why I’m grateful.”
Olivia touched the corner of her mouth with her hand, then looked out the railing for a long moment to change the subject, and asked.
“How long until Herod?”
“Two days. I’ll be out of my mind when I get there.”
"Yes."
Olivia nodded, and Noah, who was leaning against the railing, looked intently in the direction the boat was heading.
The deep blue curtain of night, embracing the stars, finally pushed the setting sun beneath the sea. As the world grew darker, the wind that cut into his embrace felt even more chilling.
Noah rose from the railing and greeted her.
“I should go and rest now. You should rest too.”
He leisurely disappeared into the room while Olivia hurriedly said goodbye.
Noah returned to his room and collapsed onto the sofa.
He felt so depressed, like he was stuck in the mud.
After asking her if she wanted to live as an engineer, he felt a surge of unease. It was quite amusing, considering he already been prepared to give up on her if she'd said yes.
However, soon, the face that had been smiling at him as if telling him not to worry was so clear and bright that he too felt a twist in his stomach.
Noah muttered, pressing his hand between his wrinkled eyebrows.
“Ansen Wilhelm and I are both bastards.”
Aren't they both trying to eat that little woman up?
Noah took a slow breath, calming his racing heart. Then, as he gazed out at the sea, he recalled the thoughts he'd had.
He may not be able to make her live as an engineer, but he can at least make sure she doesn't have to suffer the same hardships as before.
At that moment, Meson appeared in his room, perhaps sensing his presence.
“Meson.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
"When you arrive in Herod, call Ambrose Atelier. You can spend as much as you want, but make sure you get Olivia whatever she wants. I'll decorate the mansion as she sees fit, except for my office and bedroom, so find an interior design company."
"All right."
“And since she said she liked learning, subtly asked her if there was anything else she wanted to learn.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Noah promised that he would do so willingly.
***
Beatrix let out a long sigh as she read the morning paper.
Meanwhile, the head maid, Mrs. Polsman, offered the Queen tea with sugar cubes, and the Queen elegantly took the cup offered by the head maid and put the newspaper aside.
“It seems that the Herodians are curious about nothing but news about Noah and Olivia.”
“I don’t think it will be like that until the two of you get married, right?”
“I think so too.”
The Queen clicked her tongue as she glanced at the newspaper.
“Seeing all that attention, I feel a bit uneasy these days.”
“...”
“Moreover, His Majesty... I think he’ll be putting Olivia in front of the press instead of Noah from now on.”
Even the head maid's expression hardened slightly at the Queen's words.
“...His Highness the Prince will not accept it.”
"Who doesn't know that? It's not that they didn't know until now that they brought Noah to the forefront of the media."
"...Yes."
"Ha..."
Beatrix took another deep breath and turned her gaze back to the papers.
Leonard wanted to take every bit of the royal family's gain from Noah's marriage.
He ordered the entire square in front of Hamelin Cathedral to be cleared to allow the crowds to enter, not to mention the Golden Lion Square.
Despite the enormous cost of security, there was only one reason for doing so: to increase public support for the royal family by ensuring that Prince Noah's wedding was witnessed by a large audience.
“When did you say you would arrive?”
“I’m scheduled to arrive at 11:00 AM tomorrow.”
“And the wedding is exactly one week later at 11 AM.”
"yes."
“Wouldn’t it be incredible if I told you the wedding was in a week?”
Even so, Beatrix had been nagging him for a week.
At present, in Herrington, guests who had received invitations that even the parties had never seen before were arriving one after another ahead of the parties.
The maid said nothing, as if she were conscious of it, and Beatrix rubbed her forehead and muttered.
“I hope you like it, though.”
After signing the document, Beatrix handed it to the maid. The maid elegantly folded the documents and placed them neatly on top of the tall pile.
With this, Beatrix's work was done.
All that remained was for the bride and groom, the main characters of the wedding, to arrive in Herod.
And the next day.
A large crowd gathered around Harrington Harbour upon hearing the news that the ship carrying Prince Noah was arriving.
Prince Noah, who seemed so cold, went all the way to Pulder to fetch a bride!
Reporters from third-rate newspapers specializing in flyers and major newspapers lined up in front of the port, and even ordinary citizens holding children's hands craned their necks to wait for the Prince and Olivia.
As a huge carriage escorted by the royal guard entered the port, the people raised thunderous cheers.
The cheers reached a crescendo when Noah Astrid, the crown jewel of the royal family, descended the ship, holding Olivia's hand. Only a select few reporters, granted permission to enter, were able to see the couple, but the crowd outside the harbor, somehow aware of the situation, erupted in cheers.
Olivia's fingers, which were holding Noah's arm, tightened as the noise was loud enough to make the harbor rumble.
Noah glanced down at Olivia.
She was wearing a white blouse and a voluminous flared skirt again today.
The dress Olivia originally intended to wear on the day she arrived at Herod was a green dress she had purchased at the Pulder Royal Boutique, but it was ruined in the chaos, and she couldn't wear it.
There was a dress that the Queen had gifted in the past, but it was too extravagant as it was a banquet dress, and above all, the Prince was against it.
“I told you that it’s out of style and old-fashioned.”
Mrs. Winfred, who was listening from the side, tilted her head.
“Still a great design...”
However, she ended up losing her balance at the sight of the Prince's fierce gaze.
In any case, first impressions were crucial, so Olivia wore her usual clothes today. Mrs. Winfred combed her hair neatly, tied it up, and placed the green ribbon headband she'd requested on her head.
Noah gently patted Olivia's hand, which was holding his. As if aware of the camera pointed at them, a soft, almost melting smile was a bonus.
“Relax.”
“I think the harbor will collapse from the cheers, Your Highness.”
“It won’t collapse.”
“It just means that the sound is very loud.”
Mrs. Winfred, who was standing one step behind Olivia, looked back and forth between the two of them, the corners of her lips twitching.
In particular, the gaze towards the Prince had become much softer, as the evaluation of him as 'a guy I would have beaten on the back if he were my son' had changed after the monster attack incident to 'a reliable man who would protect his wife no matter what.'
Moreover, the magnificent carriage awaiting the Prince and Olivia warmed the lady's heart. She gazed at Olivia's back with warm eyes.
It was a brief two-week encounter, but Mrs. Winfred truly wished her well. Olivia was a warm and cheerful person, yet also someone struggling to survive.
Having struggled to survive herself, she quickly recognized Olivia's silent struggle and found herself rooting for her.
As the door of the massive carriage, escorted by majestic steeds, opened, Olivia took Noah's hand and climbed into the carriage. The Prince followed suit, and the carriage door slowly closed.
“Madam, please come this way.”
As the guards escorted her to another carriage, Mrs. Winfred's eyes were fixed on Olivia.
Mrs. Winfred heaved her chest and inhaled Herod's cold, damp air. She'd never liked the chill that pierced her lungs, but today, for some reason, it felt incredibly sweet.
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