Episode 38. The Demon of the Midnight
Noah's carriage headed to Seaside Hill, a wealthy neighborhood in Pulder. Most of the prominent figures who ruled Pulder resided within Seaside Hill, such as Ansen Wilhelm.
Princess Marguerite's mansion was located on a hill overlooking the sea in front of Pulder.
Unlike the seas off Herod, where sea monsters thrived, the waters off Pulder lacked the mana needed to power magic, resulting in a low frequency of monster encounters. This allowed for wealthy villages to flourish near the sea.
As the carriage began to slow down, Noah straightened his clothes, putting on the gloves and jacket he had taken off.
Looking at that sight, Meson stuck out his tongue.
Wouldn't Noah Astrid be perfect even when he sleeps?
Meson quickly got out of the carriage, roughly pressing his disheveled hair with his hand.
Standing on the soft grass, he instinctively scanned the Princess's mansion. Built of white marble, the mansion wasn't grand, but it was exquisitely detailed.
The six pillars supporting the triangular roof were carved with angelic figures at each end, and pots of deep purple flowers hung from every window and balcony facing the front of the mansion.
And above all, the mansion faced the vast sea, creating the illusion that the sea was a garden.
While Messon was looking around the mansion with his mouth open, Noah was following the butler's guidance and stepping inside the mansion.
“Oh, Your Highness!”
Whether Meson, who realized this too late, came running in a panic or not, Noah was busy continuing his path.
The round hall and main staircase that appear as soon as you enter the mansion look like they were copied straight from the Herodian mansion.
The main staircase curved on either side of a landing, and on the wall of the landing hung a large painting of the Herodian royal family.
As Noah stood in the hall, absentmindedly looking at the painting, he soon heard the sound of footsteps and Princess Marguerite's voice from the side.
“Noah!”
Margot quickly came down the stairs.
Earlier this year, she visited Herod to greet the King on New Year's Day, so it was the first time in about six months that she saw her nephew.
Noah smiled at her and lightly kissed the hand Margot offered him.
“It’s been a while, Aunt.”
"You must have been surprised to hear me say 'I'm coming' instead of 'I'm going.' Come on in. It's been a while since I've seen you, too."
When Margot glanced at Meson and pretended to know him, Meson bowed his head politely and greeted her.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
It was evening, so Margot led Noah to the restaurant.
As the exquisite aroma wafted from the entrance, Meson's mouth watered with anticipation. As the three sat down, a delicious meal was soon served.
Margot, as usual, took a sip of water and then opened her mouth.
“Are Your Majesties well?”
“Yes, both of you are fine.”
“Walter seems to have been a bit quiet lately. He must be very worried because of the incident at Polia.”
“...”
Noah only smiled slightly and didn't answer.
Margot took a small sip of the soup and asked abruptly.
That question brought to mind the image of his aunt, who had been protecting Olivia like a fierce beast. He wondered what expression she would make.
“Noah?”
Margot looked at her silent nephew with a puzzled look.
And after a while, Noah put the spoon he was holding down on the bowl and answered lightly.
“I have come to propose.”
Margot's eyes, always maintaining a cynical expression, widened slightly. She quickly calmed down and nodded slightly.
"You're of that age, aren't you? But is there anyone in the world whom you want to propose to? Who...?"
While Margot trailed off, trying to think of someone Herod's Prince might propose to, Noah answered calmly.
“To Miss Olivia Liberty.”
“?!”
Margot's poker face finally broke.
She stared blankly at her nephew's statuesque, cold face, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.
"What?"
Noah was the relaxed one. He swallowed a mouthful of soup and then shrugged.
“For the same reason as two years ago.”
While Margot was lost in thought, he leisurely ate a few more mouthfuls of soup.
Margot gestured to the servants who were just coming in with trays and made them all leave.
A heavy silence descended on the restaurant, where only Margot, Noah, and Meson remained.
Meson swallowed his soup slowly, thinking that the only way to survive in this uncomfortable situation was to simply focus on eating.
'Please, do this when I'm not around. Please.'
“Noah.”
Noah felt a sense of weariness, a subtle worry mixed in her stern voice. Besides, wasn't it too late to heed her advice?
“I’ve already proposed and am on my way back.”
“...”
Noah, who had silenced Margot with those words, turned to face her. It was unclear whether the worry in her deep blue eyes was for his benefit or for Olivia's.
After a moment, Margot let out a short breath and gulped down her wine.
“What did Olivia say?”
“I didn’t hear an answer. She was so shocked she didn’t even have time to listen.”
“Why not? Herod’s Prince suddenly appeared.”
“...”
“For the same reason as two years ago...”
Margot quickly guessed Leonard's intentions.
She looked at Noah, who was eating absentmindedly, with deep, sunken eyes.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn't look like a young man who had crossed the ocean to propose. How could she sense such a deep sense of weariness in a man not even thirty?
Shs imagined Olivia standing next to Noah.
She wonders what kind of expression Olivia will make.
Will she accept this proposal?
Even two years ago, she would have been confident enough to say it wouldn't be Margot. But...
"I'm not strong. I... didn't want to be strong. I want to live without worry, without having to struggle to survive."
As she remembered Olivia, her face on the verge of collapse, crying and revealing her innermost feelings, Margot's heart sank. Noah, who seemed so indifferent even while discussing his marriage, weighed heavily on her heart as well.
At that moment, the sunset fell through the window facing the sea.
Margot watched the sunset, which felt unusually melancholic today, for a long time in silence.
Why do the youth, lush with green foliage and sparkling under the sunlight, feel like the sunset?
She felt sick.
Olivia sat in her room, rereading what she had read over and over again.
No matter how many times she read it, it was still a proposal.
At first, it felt unrealistic, and she wondered if it was a dream. But as time passed, the proposal never vanished from her sight, and Olivia had no choice but to accept that everything that had happened that day was real.
Olivia, without even thinking about changing her clothes, began to ponder the meaning of the proposal that had come out of the blue.
“Why did Herod’s Prince propose to me?”
Love?
The first thing that came to mind was a story straight out of a fairy tale, but Olivia felt it was absurd that she had even considered it.
His cold and businesslike gaze and attitude showed not even a hint of romantic feelings.
They had only met briefly at Herod's Palace two years earlier, and even then, they had only seen each other for a few hours.
“Or else...”
Olivia inevitably remembered why she had been invited to Herod's palace two years ago.
“You called me to change the mood.”
In a flash, a realization flashed through her mind.
Olivia was lost in thought, barely able to breathe. The hottest topic on the Norfolk continent right now is undoubtedly the dissolution of the Polia royal family.
The press in Pulder also covered the matter with significant weight, reporting it daily. Several newspapers even reported that numerous royal families in Norfolk were cautious and cautious.
"Ah..."
The black pupils were deep and sunken.
The trembling and confused look disappeared, and only calmness remained.
Olivia looked at Noah's proposal again.
Then it became clear to her that this proposal was for extremely political reasons.
It is difficult to guess specifically what the royal family really wanted from her, but if it was not for political reasons, why would he have proposed to her?
Two years ago, she had been so excited by the invitation from the Herod royal family that she couldn't sleep at night, but the past two years had worn her down to this point.
Olivia slowly raised her head and looked around the darkened house.
The room was so dark that even the windows were locked tightly, so that not a single ray of light could enter, making it difficult to tell whether it was day or night.
She pulled dozens of crumpled pages of lecture materials from her bag. She couldn't throw them away, so she kept them because the discarded paper felt like she was herself.
It would have been easy for Olivia Liberty's efforts to go down the drain.
Olivia stood up and walked to the wall where family portraits hung. In every single one of them, she was smiling, but Olivia could see the difference between a genuine smile and a forced one.
“Grandma, what should I do?”
The world has changed.
Even half a century ago, a Prince would never have proposed to a commoner like her, but she would not have been able to refuse him either.
But now that she holds the citizenship of a Pulder, she might reject this proposal. She doesn't know what pressures she'll face, but she'll at least be able to refuse.
Olivia stared blankly at a faded picture of herself with her parents and muttered.
"Herod."
A place like the last temple.
It was a rich and comfortable past, a paradise free of worries, a cradle filled with the scent of a mother's love. It was a masterpiece of love and comfort.
His proposal today was exquisite in many ways.
Even though it was a proposal as cold and indifferent as his gaze, for some reason, it felt like a helping hand... perhaps because she was standing on the edge of a cliff today.
Olivia checked all the locks in the house with a weary face, then collapsed onto the bed. As she extinguished the burning lamp, complete silence and darkness fell over her.
Olivia habitually listened outside the window, but detected no sign of life. For the first time in a long while, without sleeping pills, she fell into a deep, almost faint sleep.
“Olivia.”
In her hazy consciousness, someone called her.
“Olivia Liberty.”
A faint smile is mixed in with the lowered voice.
In an instant, Olivia's eyes shot open in the darkness. The hazy energy vanished, and a sense of crisis ran down her spine.
Is this a nightmare?
The moment she strained to listen, trying to control her breathing as it started to get rough.
“Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia.”
Someone was pressed against the window behind the headboard, whispering her name incessantly.
Goosebumps started at the tip of her head and ran through her entire body.
Olivia jumped out of bed like a dragon and covered her mouth tightly as if she was about to scream.
Knock knock.
“Olivia, wake up.”
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.
"Come on, get up."
Noah's carriage headed to Seaside Hill, a wealthy neighborhood in Pulder. Most of the prominent figures who ruled Pulder resided within Seaside Hill, such as Ansen Wilhelm.
Princess Marguerite's mansion was located on a hill overlooking the sea in front of Pulder.
Unlike the seas off Herod, where sea monsters thrived, the waters off Pulder lacked the mana needed to power magic, resulting in a low frequency of monster encounters. This allowed for wealthy villages to flourish near the sea.
As the carriage began to slow down, Noah straightened his clothes, putting on the gloves and jacket he had taken off.
Looking at that sight, Meson stuck out his tongue.
Wouldn't Noah Astrid be perfect even when he sleeps?
Meson quickly got out of the carriage, roughly pressing his disheveled hair with his hand.
Standing on the soft grass, he instinctively scanned the Princess's mansion. Built of white marble, the mansion wasn't grand, but it was exquisitely detailed.
The six pillars supporting the triangular roof were carved with angelic figures at each end, and pots of deep purple flowers hung from every window and balcony facing the front of the mansion.
And above all, the mansion faced the vast sea, creating the illusion that the sea was a garden.
While Messon was looking around the mansion with his mouth open, Noah was following the butler's guidance and stepping inside the mansion.
“Oh, Your Highness!”
Whether Meson, who realized this too late, came running in a panic or not, Noah was busy continuing his path.
The round hall and main staircase that appear as soon as you enter the mansion look like they were copied straight from the Herodian mansion.
The main staircase curved on either side of a landing, and on the wall of the landing hung a large painting of the Herodian royal family.
As Noah stood in the hall, absentmindedly looking at the painting, he soon heard the sound of footsteps and Princess Marguerite's voice from the side.
“Noah!”
Margot quickly came down the stairs.
Earlier this year, she visited Herod to greet the King on New Year's Day, so it was the first time in about six months that she saw her nephew.
Noah smiled at her and lightly kissed the hand Margot offered him.
“It’s been a while, Aunt.”
"You must have been surprised to hear me say 'I'm coming' instead of 'I'm going.' Come on in. It's been a while since I've seen you, too."
When Margot glanced at Meson and pretended to know him, Meson bowed his head politely and greeted her.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
It was evening, so Margot led Noah to the restaurant.
As the exquisite aroma wafted from the entrance, Meson's mouth watered with anticipation. As the three sat down, a delicious meal was soon served.
Margot, as usual, took a sip of water and then opened her mouth.
“Are Your Majesties well?”
“Yes, both of you are fine.”
“Walter seems to have been a bit quiet lately. He must be very worried because of the incident at Polia.”
“...”
Noah only smiled slightly and didn't answer.
Margot took a small sip of the soup and asked abruptly.
"What's up, Noah?"
“Noah?”
Margot looked at her silent nephew with a puzzled look.
And after a while, Noah put the spoon he was holding down on the bowl and answered lightly.
“I have come to propose.”
Margot's eyes, always maintaining a cynical expression, widened slightly. She quickly calmed down and nodded slightly.
"You're of that age, aren't you? But is there anyone in the world whom you want to propose to? Who...?"
While Margot trailed off, trying to think of someone Herod's Prince might propose to, Noah answered calmly.
“To Miss Olivia Liberty.”
“?!”
Margot's poker face finally broke.
She stared blankly at her nephew's statuesque, cold face, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.
"What?"
Noah was the relaxed one. He swallowed a mouthful of soup and then shrugged.
“For the same reason as two years ago.”
While Margot was lost in thought, he leisurely ate a few more mouthfuls of soup.
Margot gestured to the servants who were just coming in with trays and made them all leave.
A heavy silence descended on the restaurant, where only Margot, Noah, and Meson remained.
Meson swallowed his soup slowly, thinking that the only way to survive in this uncomfortable situation was to simply focus on eating.
'Please, do this when I'm not around. Please.'
“Noah.”
Noah felt a sense of weariness, a subtle worry mixed in her stern voice. Besides, wasn't it too late to heed her advice?
“I’ve already proposed and am on my way back.”
“...”
Noah, who had silenced Margot with those words, turned to face her. It was unclear whether the worry in her deep blue eyes was for his benefit or for Olivia's.
After a moment, Margot let out a short breath and gulped down her wine.
“What did Olivia say?”
“I didn’t hear an answer. She was so shocked she didn’t even have time to listen.”
“Why not? Herod’s Prince suddenly appeared.”
“...”
“For the same reason as two years ago...”
Margot quickly guessed Leonard's intentions.
She looked at Noah, who was eating absentmindedly, with deep, sunken eyes.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn't look like a young man who had crossed the ocean to propose. How could she sense such a deep sense of weariness in a man not even thirty?
Shs imagined Olivia standing next to Noah.
She wonders what kind of expression Olivia will make.
Will she accept this proposal?
Even two years ago, she would have been confident enough to say it wouldn't be Margot. But...
"I'm not strong. I... didn't want to be strong. I want to live without worry, without having to struggle to survive."
As she remembered Olivia, her face on the verge of collapse, crying and revealing her innermost feelings, Margot's heart sank. Noah, who seemed so indifferent even while discussing his marriage, weighed heavily on her heart as well.
At that moment, the sunset fell through the window facing the sea.
Margot watched the sunset, which felt unusually melancholic today, for a long time in silence.
Why do the youth, lush with green foliage and sparkling under the sunlight, feel like the sunset?
She felt sick.
***
Olivia sat in her room, rereading what she had read over and over again.
No matter how many times she read it, it was still a proposal.
At first, it felt unrealistic, and she wondered if it was a dream. But as time passed, the proposal never vanished from her sight, and Olivia had no choice but to accept that everything that had happened that day was real.
Olivia, without even thinking about changing her clothes, began to ponder the meaning of the proposal that had come out of the blue.
“Why did Herod’s Prince propose to me?”
Love?
The first thing that came to mind was a story straight out of a fairy tale, but Olivia felt it was absurd that she had even considered it.
His cold and businesslike gaze and attitude showed not even a hint of romantic feelings.
They had only met briefly at Herod's Palace two years earlier, and even then, they had only seen each other for a few hours.
“Or else...”
Olivia inevitably remembered why she had been invited to Herod's palace two years ago.
“You called me to change the mood.”
In a flash, a realization flashed through her mind.
Olivia was lost in thought, barely able to breathe. The hottest topic on the Norfolk continent right now is undoubtedly the dissolution of the Polia royal family.
The press in Pulder also covered the matter with significant weight, reporting it daily. Several newspapers even reported that numerous royal families in Norfolk were cautious and cautious.
"Ah..."
The black pupils were deep and sunken.
The trembling and confused look disappeared, and only calmness remained.
Olivia looked at Noah's proposal again.
Then it became clear to her that this proposal was for extremely political reasons.
It is difficult to guess specifically what the royal family really wanted from her, but if it was not for political reasons, why would he have proposed to her?
Two years ago, she had been so excited by the invitation from the Herod royal family that she couldn't sleep at night, but the past two years had worn her down to this point.
Olivia slowly raised her head and looked around the darkened house.
The room was so dark that even the windows were locked tightly, so that not a single ray of light could enter, making it difficult to tell whether it was day or night.
She pulled dozens of crumpled pages of lecture materials from her bag. She couldn't throw them away, so she kept them because the discarded paper felt like she was herself.
It would have been easy for Olivia Liberty's efforts to go down the drain.
Olivia stood up and walked to the wall where family portraits hung. In every single one of them, she was smiling, but Olivia could see the difference between a genuine smile and a forced one.
“Grandma, what should I do?”
The world has changed.
Even half a century ago, a Prince would never have proposed to a commoner like her, but she would not have been able to refuse him either.
But now that she holds the citizenship of a Pulder, she might reject this proposal. She doesn't know what pressures she'll face, but she'll at least be able to refuse.
Olivia stared blankly at a faded picture of herself with her parents and muttered.
"Herod."
A place like the last temple.
It was a rich and comfortable past, a paradise free of worries, a cradle filled with the scent of a mother's love. It was a masterpiece of love and comfort.
His proposal today was exquisite in many ways.
Even though it was a proposal as cold and indifferent as his gaze, for some reason, it felt like a helping hand... perhaps because she was standing on the edge of a cliff today.
Olivia checked all the locks in the house with a weary face, then collapsed onto the bed. As she extinguished the burning lamp, complete silence and darkness fell over her.
Olivia habitually listened outside the window, but detected no sign of life. For the first time in a long while, without sleeping pills, she fell into a deep, almost faint sleep.
“Olivia.”
In her hazy consciousness, someone called her.
“Olivia Liberty.”
A faint smile is mixed in with the lowered voice.
In an instant, Olivia's eyes shot open in the darkness. The hazy energy vanished, and a sense of crisis ran down her spine.
Is this a nightmare?
The moment she strained to listen, trying to control her breathing as it started to get rough.
“Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia. Olivia.”
Someone was pressed against the window behind the headboard, whispering her name incessantly.
Goosebumps started at the tip of her head and ran through her entire body.
Olivia jumped out of bed like a dragon and covered her mouth tightly as if she was about to scream.
Knock knock.
“Olivia, wake up.”
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.
"Come on, get up."
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