Episode 119. The Event to Welcome Lucy
And so, a short while later.
The royal guards who had come to take Lucy looked at Prince Noah, who had suddenly appeared, in confusion.
Noah's ambush, who had no intention of getting out of the carriage, was Olivia.
Wearing the green ribbon headband she had received from Lucy for the first time in a long while, she very naturally stepped out of the carriage and looked to see if Lucy was coming.
Then Noah looked out the window with a somewhat restless expression and eventually got out of the carriage and took a seat next to Olivia.
“I told you it’s cold. Wait inside the carriage...”
“Noah, Noah! Isn’t that Princess Lucy over there?!”
As Olivia stood on her tiptoes and pointed somewhere, Noah's gaze quickly followed her fingertips.
A group of students swarmed out of a splendid building with ivy covering the exterior walls, and Lucy was among them.
The girl with her blonde hair loosely tied back was carrying a rather large bag firmly. Lucy, who had been engrossed in conversation with the girl beside her, only turned her head after someone who had spotted Noah and Olivia first tapped her on the shoulder.
The girl, having spotted a magnificent carriage that was impossible not to recognize, then discovered Olivia, who was staring at her with shining black eyes.
Her little heart pounded.
Lucy arched her face, puffed out her chest, and shouted.
“Your Highness, the Princess!!”
Then she ran toward her with all her might.
The child ran really well. The sight of her running with a flushed face was quite different from the way she had approached Margot so softly.
Even Noah was startled, as it was the first time he had seen Lucy running like this. On the other hand, Olivia smiled broadly and opened her arms toward the girl.
"Princess!!"
Lucy ran over and threw herself tightly into Olivia's arms. As Olivia held the girl's back tightly and then let go, Lucy lifted her face up and asked.
“What brings you here?! Are you feeling alright?!”
"I'm all better now. Thank you for worrying about me. I couldn't congratulate you on your admission, Princess. I came to pick you up to give you a gift."
Just then, girls Lucy's age crept up with faces full of curiosity. When Olivia looked at the children, the girls who met her eyes grinned.
“Your Highness! Let me introduce you to my friends!”
Lucy excitedly introduced her friends.
"This one is Ronnie Alex, and this one is Lydia Alex. They are twins."
“Hello, Your Highness, the Princess.”
"Hello?"
“Ronnie, Lydia. Nice to meet you!”
“And this side is...”
Noah Astrid was thoroughly excluded amidst the noisy and chaotic introductions. Well, not that he wanted to join in anyway.
It was only after the long, long introduction of friends was over that Lucy recognized her brother.
“Brother Noah!!”
"Right. You really recognized me early."
Lucy grinned and spoke to the guards waiting for her.
“Lord Lessert! I will go with the Her Highness!”
Then, after saying goodbye to her friends, she bravely climbed onto the carriage all by herself without anyone's help. Thanks to the school uniform skirt designed for mobility, she didn't even need to hold onto the hem.
As soon as Noah and Olivia boarded the carriage, it departed, and Olivia's gift-giving ceremony followed.
Lucy, who had always smiled demurely and said "Thank you" whenever she received a gift, expressed her delight passionately that she liked the gift.
“I’ll really make good use of it! I like it very much!”
“Princess, are you enjoying school life?”
When Olivia asked, Lucy excitedly poured out her story.
Noah learned for the first time today that his younger sister is such an excited child, and he also learned for the first time that she likes running more than anything else.
As he listened to Lucy's story about her school life, the carriage had already passed over the golden bars of Herod's palace.
Lucy's demeanor changed along with him. The excitement vanished, and her voice lowered. The girl, too, knew that the time she had spent simply as Lucy Therese was over, and that she had to return as a Princess.
Olivia quietly watched Lucy's change. Even so, the girl's eyes sparkled, filled with vitality.
And a short while later, Noah and Olivia witnessed 'Lucy's walk home from school,' which was grander than a state guest welcoming ceremony.
King Leonard personally came out to the main palace entrance to greet his beloved daughter, and his secretary, aides, guards, and attendants stood in a long line, accompanying him like a needle and thread.
Moreover, with the Crown Prince and Queen standing there, even if this were a state reception, it would be fitting for someone of at least the rank of a King.
Noah, who had been watching the way home from school with dumbfounded eyes, shook his head slightly and said.
"Your Majesty Lucy, please disembark first."
Lucy giggled, having understood his joke, when the door suddenly rattled open outside. And as soon as the door opened, King Leonard's voice was heard.
“Lucy!”
As soon as his only daughter appeared, he quickly approached and tried to carry the bag himself.
“Father, I can lift it.”
Lucy shook her head while tightening her grip on the bag, and Leonard looked disapprovingly at his daughter carrying a bag that was as big as her body (it wasn't).
“Isn’t the bag unnecessarily big?”
"It's big, so it's comfortable."
While the two were having a small argument over the bag, Olivia and Noah got out of the carriage.
“Olivia!”
As Beatrix approached Olivia, calling out affectionately, Leonard finally turned his gaze to his son and daughter-in-law.
There was a pallor on Olivia that was characteristic of someone who had been ill.
Olivia politely greeted Beatrix and Usher as they approached, then turned slightly to greet Leonard as well.
"How are you feeling? You still look pale."
As Beatrix spoke with a worried look on her face, Noah, who was standing beside her, nodded.
“See? I told you it’s not fully healed.”
"It's okay."
Olivia whispered softly to Noah, then quickly spoke to Beatrix.
“Thank you for your concern, Mother. Thanks to the treatment you sent from the palace, I have fully recovered.”
Lucy, who was standing next to her father, quietly approached and interrupted.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess gave me an entrance gift."
While the people looked down at Lucy and smiled slightly, Leonard also chimed in.
"Still, it is a relief to hear you are fine. Herod's cold is particularly virulent, so take good care of your health throughout the winter. It is different from the winter in Pulder."
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern.”
“Noah, I see you again this morning. Even after seeing your chariot, I didn't think you would be here; it is quite unexpected.”
Noah replied to him with an indifferent expression.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
After exchanging a light glance with his brother, he intended to take Olivia back at this point. It had become quite cold by evening, and the coat Olivia was wearing looked thin.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you have dinner before you go, Olivia?”
He would have done so if his mother hadn't held onto his wife.
"Would you mind, Mother?"
“Of course. Now, let’s go inside. Noah, are you busy? If you are busy, you can go ahead.”
When Beatrix grinned and spoke to him, Noah frowned slightly, then shrugged his shoulders and replied.
"No, Mother."
He was wondering if he should borrow his mother's fur for a while on his way back.
Even royalty did not always sit at a huge table to enjoy a formal dinner. Of course, some Kings had such a hobby, but Leonard and Beatrix were certainly not.
The dinner, attended by all of King Leonard's direct descendants, was served elegantly on a round table. Beatrix preferred round tables for family meals because, unlike rectangular tables, they exuded a much more intimate atmosphere.
As Leonard and Beatrix took their seats first, the rest of the family naturally found their places as well. Olivia sat in the chair Noah pulled out for her.
As they sat down, they ended up sitting in the order of Leonard, Beatrix, Usher, Noah, Olivia, and Lucy, and Olivia took note of this order.
"Olivia, there is no need to be too formal, so relax and enjoy your meal."
While Beatrix was speaking kindly to Olivia, Leonard was asking about Lucy's school life.
“So, did you give a presentation today as well?”
"Yes. I learned about the history of the Middle Herodian period and the history of the preceding era, and I asked questions about things I was curious about."
"So, what question did you ask?"
However, as Lucy coughed occasionally while speaking, Leonard frowned slightly and gave an order to the attendant standing beside him.
"Turn up the room temperature a bit."
“Father, aren’t you cold?”
Lucy shook her head, and Beatrix and Usher thought, "It's not that cold," but an unexpected person agreed.
"That would be good. It's a bit chilly."
Noah looked at Olivia, who was wearing a white blouse.
Usher and Beatrix blinked at Noah and tilted their heads.
The question, "Is it because you're worried Olivia might be cold?" was merely the prelude to the shock that would follow.
The strange, uncertain feeling began to turn into surprise from the moment the meal officially started.
Lucy was so glad to see Olivia after a long time that she talked to her incessantly, and Olivia continued the conversation with Lucy.
“Your Highness, did you have a lot of tasks too?”
“Yes, there were many. I sometimes even pulled all-nighters during exam periods. Of course, that was back in college.”
“Oh, you stay up all night? Wow, I want to try that too!”
"Um... that might not be fun for you. I recommend breaking it up so you don't have to stay up all night studying."
And all the while, Noah's gaze was constantly directed toward Olivia.
He glanced at Olivia while eating, and glanced at Olivia while drinking water.
Noah Astrid was undoubtedly here because Olivia was here.
Then, when Olivia's glass was empty, he very naturally gestured to a waiting attendant to refill it.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Wait, what did we just see?
And so, a short while later.
The royal guards who had come to take Lucy looked at Prince Noah, who had suddenly appeared, in confusion.
Noah's ambush, who had no intention of getting out of the carriage, was Olivia.
Wearing the green ribbon headband she had received from Lucy for the first time in a long while, she very naturally stepped out of the carriage and looked to see if Lucy was coming.
Then Noah looked out the window with a somewhat restless expression and eventually got out of the carriage and took a seat next to Olivia.
“I told you it’s cold. Wait inside the carriage...”
“Noah, Noah! Isn’t that Princess Lucy over there?!”
As Olivia stood on her tiptoes and pointed somewhere, Noah's gaze quickly followed her fingertips.
A group of students swarmed out of a splendid building with ivy covering the exterior walls, and Lucy was among them.
The girl with her blonde hair loosely tied back was carrying a rather large bag firmly. Lucy, who had been engrossed in conversation with the girl beside her, only turned her head after someone who had spotted Noah and Olivia first tapped her on the shoulder.
The girl, having spotted a magnificent carriage that was impossible not to recognize, then discovered Olivia, who was staring at her with shining black eyes.
Her little heart pounded.
Lucy arched her face, puffed out her chest, and shouted.
“Your Highness, the Princess!!”
Then she ran toward her with all her might.
The child ran really well. The sight of her running with a flushed face was quite different from the way she had approached Margot so softly.
Even Noah was startled, as it was the first time he had seen Lucy running like this. On the other hand, Olivia smiled broadly and opened her arms toward the girl.
"Princess!!"
Lucy ran over and threw herself tightly into Olivia's arms. As Olivia held the girl's back tightly and then let go, Lucy lifted her face up and asked.
“What brings you here?! Are you feeling alright?!”
"I'm all better now. Thank you for worrying about me. I couldn't congratulate you on your admission, Princess. I came to pick you up to give you a gift."
Just then, girls Lucy's age crept up with faces full of curiosity. When Olivia looked at the children, the girls who met her eyes grinned.
“Your Highness! Let me introduce you to my friends!”
Lucy excitedly introduced her friends.
"This one is Ronnie Alex, and this one is Lydia Alex. They are twins."
“Hello, Your Highness, the Princess.”
"Hello?"
“Ronnie, Lydia. Nice to meet you!”
“And this side is...”
Noah Astrid was thoroughly excluded amidst the noisy and chaotic introductions. Well, not that he wanted to join in anyway.
It was only after the long, long introduction of friends was over that Lucy recognized her brother.
“Brother Noah!!”
"Right. You really recognized me early."
Lucy grinned and spoke to the guards waiting for her.
“Lord Lessert! I will go with the Her Highness!”
Then, after saying goodbye to her friends, she bravely climbed onto the carriage all by herself without anyone's help. Thanks to the school uniform skirt designed for mobility, she didn't even need to hold onto the hem.
As soon as Noah and Olivia boarded the carriage, it departed, and Olivia's gift-giving ceremony followed.
Lucy, who had always smiled demurely and said "Thank you" whenever she received a gift, expressed her delight passionately that she liked the gift.
“I’ll really make good use of it! I like it very much!”
“Princess, are you enjoying school life?”
When Olivia asked, Lucy excitedly poured out her story.
Noah learned for the first time today that his younger sister is such an excited child, and he also learned for the first time that she likes running more than anything else.
As he listened to Lucy's story about her school life, the carriage had already passed over the golden bars of Herod's palace.
Lucy's demeanor changed along with him. The excitement vanished, and her voice lowered. The girl, too, knew that the time she had spent simply as Lucy Therese was over, and that she had to return as a Princess.
Olivia quietly watched Lucy's change. Even so, the girl's eyes sparkled, filled with vitality.
And a short while later, Noah and Olivia witnessed 'Lucy's walk home from school,' which was grander than a state guest welcoming ceremony.
King Leonard personally came out to the main palace entrance to greet his beloved daughter, and his secretary, aides, guards, and attendants stood in a long line, accompanying him like a needle and thread.
Moreover, with the Crown Prince and Queen standing there, even if this were a state reception, it would be fitting for someone of at least the rank of a King.
Noah, who had been watching the way home from school with dumbfounded eyes, shook his head slightly and said.
"Your Majesty Lucy, please disembark first."
Lucy giggled, having understood his joke, when the door suddenly rattled open outside. And as soon as the door opened, King Leonard's voice was heard.
“Lucy!”
As soon as his only daughter appeared, he quickly approached and tried to carry the bag himself.
“Father, I can lift it.”
Lucy shook her head while tightening her grip on the bag, and Leonard looked disapprovingly at his daughter carrying a bag that was as big as her body (it wasn't).
“Isn’t the bag unnecessarily big?”
"It's big, so it's comfortable."
While the two were having a small argument over the bag, Olivia and Noah got out of the carriage.
“Olivia!”
As Beatrix approached Olivia, calling out affectionately, Leonard finally turned his gaze to his son and daughter-in-law.
There was a pallor on Olivia that was characteristic of someone who had been ill.
Olivia politely greeted Beatrix and Usher as they approached, then turned slightly to greet Leonard as well.
"How are you feeling? You still look pale."
As Beatrix spoke with a worried look on her face, Noah, who was standing beside her, nodded.
“See? I told you it’s not fully healed.”
"It's okay."
Olivia whispered softly to Noah, then quickly spoke to Beatrix.
“Thank you for your concern, Mother. Thanks to the treatment you sent from the palace, I have fully recovered.”
Lucy, who was standing next to her father, quietly approached and interrupted.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess gave me an entrance gift."
While the people looked down at Lucy and smiled slightly, Leonard also chimed in.
"Still, it is a relief to hear you are fine. Herod's cold is particularly virulent, so take good care of your health throughout the winter. It is different from the winter in Pulder."
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern.”
“Noah, I see you again this morning. Even after seeing your chariot, I didn't think you would be here; it is quite unexpected.”
Noah replied to him with an indifferent expression.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
After exchanging a light glance with his brother, he intended to take Olivia back at this point. It had become quite cold by evening, and the coat Olivia was wearing looked thin.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you have dinner before you go, Olivia?”
He would have done so if his mother hadn't held onto his wife.
"Would you mind, Mother?"
“Of course. Now, let’s go inside. Noah, are you busy? If you are busy, you can go ahead.”
When Beatrix grinned and spoke to him, Noah frowned slightly, then shrugged his shoulders and replied.
"No, Mother."
He was wondering if he should borrow his mother's fur for a while on his way back.
Even royalty did not always sit at a huge table to enjoy a formal dinner. Of course, some Kings had such a hobby, but Leonard and Beatrix were certainly not.
The dinner, attended by all of King Leonard's direct descendants, was served elegantly on a round table. Beatrix preferred round tables for family meals because, unlike rectangular tables, they exuded a much more intimate atmosphere.
As Leonard and Beatrix took their seats first, the rest of the family naturally found their places as well. Olivia sat in the chair Noah pulled out for her.
As they sat down, they ended up sitting in the order of Leonard, Beatrix, Usher, Noah, Olivia, and Lucy, and Olivia took note of this order.
"Olivia, there is no need to be too formal, so relax and enjoy your meal."
While Beatrix was speaking kindly to Olivia, Leonard was asking about Lucy's school life.
“So, did you give a presentation today as well?”
"Yes. I learned about the history of the Middle Herodian period and the history of the preceding era, and I asked questions about things I was curious about."
"So, what question did you ask?"
However, as Lucy coughed occasionally while speaking, Leonard frowned slightly and gave an order to the attendant standing beside him.
"Turn up the room temperature a bit."
“Father, aren’t you cold?”
Lucy shook her head, and Beatrix and Usher thought, "It's not that cold," but an unexpected person agreed.
"That would be good. It's a bit chilly."
Noah looked at Olivia, who was wearing a white blouse.
Usher and Beatrix blinked at Noah and tilted their heads.
The question, "Is it because you're worried Olivia might be cold?" was merely the prelude to the shock that would follow.
The strange, uncertain feeling began to turn into surprise from the moment the meal officially started.
Lucy was so glad to see Olivia after a long time that she talked to her incessantly, and Olivia continued the conversation with Lucy.
“Your Highness, did you have a lot of tasks too?”
“Yes, there were many. I sometimes even pulled all-nighters during exam periods. Of course, that was back in college.”
“Oh, you stay up all night? Wow, I want to try that too!”
"Um... that might not be fun for you. I recommend breaking it up so you don't have to stay up all night studying."
And all the while, Noah's gaze was constantly directed toward Olivia.
He glanced at Olivia while eating, and glanced at Olivia while drinking water.
Noah Astrid was undoubtedly here because Olivia was here.
Then, when Olivia's glass was empty, he very naturally gestured to a waiting attendant to refill it.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Wait, what did we just see?
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