Episode 78. Foolishness and Hell
Ansen lay half-reclined on the comfortable sofa, breathing slowly. Every breath felt like a thorn was caught in his windpipe.
He went to the doctor several times, but each time, the doctor just tilted his head and made funny remarks.
“Please rest easy, sir.”
Ansen roughly wiped his face.
He, too, longed to find peace and escape the stress. But with everyone in the world talking about Olivia, there was nowhere to run.
When he closed his eyes, that white, innocent face came to mind.
“Ansen!”
When things were not so bad between them, the voice of her calling him rang in his ears.
But that woman became Noah Astrid's wife.
He lost Olivia, and at the same time, he lost Oliver.
As he was struggling with that sense of loss, he received some shocking news.
“How dare you break the terms of the contract?”
The voice, damp and cold, carried a youthful energy as sharp as a piece of lead. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before turning to the secretary beside him and asking,
“Does it matter if Noah Astrid doesn’t have any investment funds scheduled for the next quarter?”
"As long as you prepare in advance, it'll be fine. We can just find another investment to make up for Noah Astrid's investment."
“There’s a line of investment opportunities like that.”
Ansen went to the desk and sat down.
Noah Astrid tore open the magic dome and tampered with its interior.
It was known to the world that it was Olivia who did it.
This incident was like a detonator that set off Ansen's anxiety.
There is only one reason why the Magic Dome can be a Magic Dome.
Because it's unprecedented and unique. But the moment you tear it apart and look inside, the technology will leak out, and its uniqueness will disappear.
And with Olivia already going to Noah, the uniqueness has been cracked.
To preserve the uniqueness of the Magic Dome, he had to react sensitively to this incident.
"Send a cancellation letter to the shipping company and a statement to the Herod royal family expressing our deep regret over this matter. Furthermore, postpone the repair schedule for the Magic Dome installed on the Herod. If you postpone it right away, they'll find fault with it, so have the person in charge check and tell them that the internal parts are missing and the schedule will have to be delayed."
“...I can understand a statement of regret, but if you delay the Magic Dome repair schedule, the royal family won't sit still. They'll think it's retaliatory.”
Ansen gave a bitter laugh at that.
“What if they don’t stay still?”
“...”
"What are they going to say about the lack of internal components? That's why I checked to see if Noah Astrid's investment was safe even if it disappeared."
"Yes..."
"And it's about time we had a fight. The world has changed. This isn't a world where royalty is everything like it used to be. If you lose a fight, you have to kneel and apologize."
“...”
"And if I defeat Herod's messenger, the world will think, 'I'd rather drown in the sea than touch Wilhelm's magic dome.'"
Ansen's eyes sank deeply.
Because there was a thorn in this perfect scenario: the variable called Olivia.
Judging by the fact that Prince Noah trusted Olivia and repaired the Magic Dome, he may have discovered that Olivia was actually Oliver.
Of course, Olivia won't be able to come to the forefront easily.
However, if the Herod royal family is pushed back by the Magic Dome, she will eventually step forward.
So before that, he needs to separate Olivia from the royal family.
But how can we separate her from those solid golden bars?
Ansen agonized over this issue for a while, unable to sleep.
And, as always, he found the answer.
"Secretly acquire one of Herod's third-rate newspapers. It should be so insignificant that the royal family wouldn't even care. Build your profile by buying exclusive gossip about prominent actors, and distribute the paper for free. In a few months, everyone will know about it."
“Yes, I understand.”
Ansen nodded slowly.
If he dares not go beyond Herod's golden bars and bring Olivia out to stand beside Prince Noah...
All he had to do was make the Prince abandon her.
Ansen Wilhelm was not the only one caught in a tangled web of foolishness and despair.
Isabelle Seymour looked down in shock at the personal information given to her by Madame Zuberne and her mother.
Mrs. Seymour explained in as calm a voice as possible.
"Jackson Coleman. He's the second son of the Marquis Coleman family, but the Marquis promised to give him the earldom he held upon his marriage. He also promised to give him the mansion on the Upper River as your new home."
Isabelle shuddered as she remembered the blunt nose and foolish eyes set into his plump face.
“Are you serious?”
Mrs. Seymour felt her heart sink as she looked at her daughter's face, which seemed to ask incredulously. Would she really want to marry her daughter to that seemingly foolish child?
Isabelle looked at Madame Zuberne with a distorted face and a laugh.
“Is this the best?”
“...”
Mrs. Zuberne did not answer, and Mrs. Seymour comforted her daughter.
"Still, I'm glad you maintained your dignity at His Highness's wedding. Your conduct that day changed your father's mind somewhat. He had been turning his attention to the provincial nobles, but he eventually reached out to the capital's nobles."
Dignity?
That wasn't classy.
They say that when a person experiences something unbelievable, their whole body freezes and they can't even breathe, and that's what happened to Isabelle that day.
What is that woman, surrounded by Herod's royal family like a shield?
What was it about that woman that made Prince Noah take her as his wife?
What on earth could that woman possibly be better than me, that she had Noah Astrid, and the only choice I had was Jackson Coleman? Isabelle couldn't understand it, and it didn't make sense.
Mrs. Seymour, who could not understand her daughter's feelings, continued speaking.
"Married life isn't much. If your in-laws are like the Marquis Colemans, that's great. Even if Jackson Coleman doesn't appeal to you now, life is all about the same."
“...”
“Just meet up once.”
“...”
"Yes, yes? If not him, you'll have to go to the provinces."
The word "province" pierced Isabelle's heart like a sharp knife. Perhaps it was the influence of her mother, who treated anyone outside the capital as if they were going to die, but Isabelle couldn't tolerate it.
“...I understand for now.”
Mrs. Seymour's heart was lifted by her daughter's barely managed answer.
“Yes, think about it positively.”
Mrs. Seymour gave a few more compliments to the Marquis Colman and then left the room with Mrs. Zuberne.
Mrs. Zuberne followed Mrs. Seymour in silence and opened her mouth as they entered the courtyard between the annex and the main building.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Seymour, but I’m going to have to stop being Young Lady's chaperone.”
Mrs. Seymour's brisk pace suddenly stopped. With a hardened expression, she turned and glared at Mrs. Zuberne.
“You’re quitting now?”
“....”
“You gave Isabelle the hope of becoming a Princess, and now you’re just going to walk away?”
“...”
“And you think you can still settle down in the capital and work as a matchmaker?”
“I apologize, ma'am. I will return the money I received in advance as a success fee.”
“Is money the problem right now?!”
"I won't necessarily say I've stopped being a chaperone. If you don't spread the word, no one will know, and since you're old enough not to have a chaperone, it won't be surprising."
Despite Mrs. Seymour's sharp threats, Mrs. Zuberne refused to change her mind. This showed how firm her resolve was.
Mrs. Seymour was furious. She walked up to Mrs. Zuberne and warned her.
"If things continue this way, you'd better pack your bags and head straight for the capital's high society."
At Mrs. Seymour's advice, Mrs. Zuberne took a step back and took a deep breath.
The saying that great rewards come with great risks applied to her as well. But what set her apart from Isabelle was that she knew when to step aside.
“I have one thing to ask of you.”
“I told you to pack your bags and stop talking nonsense.”
“Please pay more attention to making sure Young Lady gives up on His Highness the Prince.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Mrs. Seymour slapped Mrs. Zuberne hard across the face.
Mrs. Zuberne's cheek turned with a chilling "thud." Mrs. Seymour hissed and hissed in a sullen, sullen voice.
“Watch your mouth. Where did you get the presumption to give me advice?”
Madame Zuberne, as if prepared for a slap, pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and smoothed her hair. Her legs still trembled, but she calmly bowed her head.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“I hope you never come near the capital again.”
Ignoring the sharp voice piercing her ear, Madame Zuberne turned around quickly.
It felt like the tower she had built so far was crumbling like a sand castle, but it would be wise to pull out now.
“What price did that commoner woman pay?”
Madame Zuberne heard Isabelle mutter several times.
The first time she heard it, she pretended not to know, but the second time she heard it, she advised against it.
“That’s something you shouldn’t say.”
But Isabelle ignored her advice and muttered the same words several more times. This wasn't the first time Isabelle Seymour had ignored Madame Zuberne's advice.
Madame Zuberne decided to stop being her chaperone the fifth time Isabelle called the Princess a "common woman."
Isabelle, as she saw her from the side, was a very narcissistic person.
While she hung on to Prince Noah and envisioned her future alone, her inner self defined herself as a Princess. So, she knew she would never be satisfied with anyone less than Prince Usher.
Madame Zuberne, who had climbed into the carriage, touched her bitter lips and muttered.
"You raised my children like that, so now all that's left is to pay the price. There's no reason for me to pay that price."
Isabelle was a person who would express her ill feelings toward the Princess in any way.
The problem was that Prince Noah, as observed by Madame Zuberne, was not the type of person to let it go.
In fact, didn't he lose his temper and explode with rage when Isabelle broke her promise and came to his house without permission?
The Prince didn't even care whether there were servants around him or not, and that incident ended up being the decisive factor that prevented Isabelle from getting married.
“Furthermore, the person who can retaliate as an example is Prince Noah.”
Madame Zuberne muttered, and the coachman asked from outside the carriage.
“Madam, where should I take you?”
To his question, Madame Zuberne answered, smoothing her disheveled hair.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I think it’s time to get some rest.”
Ansen lay half-reclined on the comfortable sofa, breathing slowly. Every breath felt like a thorn was caught in his windpipe.
He went to the doctor several times, but each time, the doctor just tilted his head and made funny remarks.
“Please rest easy, sir.”
Ansen roughly wiped his face.
He, too, longed to find peace and escape the stress. But with everyone in the world talking about Olivia, there was nowhere to run.
When he closed his eyes, that white, innocent face came to mind.
“Ansen!”
When things were not so bad between them, the voice of her calling him rang in his ears.
But that woman became Noah Astrid's wife.
He lost Olivia, and at the same time, he lost Oliver.
As he was struggling with that sense of loss, he received some shocking news.
“How dare you break the terms of the contract?”
The voice, damp and cold, carried a youthful energy as sharp as a piece of lead. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before turning to the secretary beside him and asking,
“Does it matter if Noah Astrid doesn’t have any investment funds scheduled for the next quarter?”
"As long as you prepare in advance, it'll be fine. We can just find another investment to make up for Noah Astrid's investment."
“There’s a line of investment opportunities like that.”
Ansen went to the desk and sat down.
Noah Astrid tore open the magic dome and tampered with its interior.
It was known to the world that it was Olivia who did it.
This incident was like a detonator that set off Ansen's anxiety.
There is only one reason why the Magic Dome can be a Magic Dome.
Because it's unprecedented and unique. But the moment you tear it apart and look inside, the technology will leak out, and its uniqueness will disappear.
And with Olivia already going to Noah, the uniqueness has been cracked.
To preserve the uniqueness of the Magic Dome, he had to react sensitively to this incident.
"Send a cancellation letter to the shipping company and a statement to the Herod royal family expressing our deep regret over this matter. Furthermore, postpone the repair schedule for the Magic Dome installed on the Herod. If you postpone it right away, they'll find fault with it, so have the person in charge check and tell them that the internal parts are missing and the schedule will have to be delayed."
“...I can understand a statement of regret, but if you delay the Magic Dome repair schedule, the royal family won't sit still. They'll think it's retaliatory.”
Ansen gave a bitter laugh at that.
“What if they don’t stay still?”
“...”
"What are they going to say about the lack of internal components? That's why I checked to see if Noah Astrid's investment was safe even if it disappeared."
"Yes..."
"And it's about time we had a fight. The world has changed. This isn't a world where royalty is everything like it used to be. If you lose a fight, you have to kneel and apologize."
“...”
"And if I defeat Herod's messenger, the world will think, 'I'd rather drown in the sea than touch Wilhelm's magic dome.'"
Ansen's eyes sank deeply.
Because there was a thorn in this perfect scenario: the variable called Olivia.
Judging by the fact that Prince Noah trusted Olivia and repaired the Magic Dome, he may have discovered that Olivia was actually Oliver.
Of course, Olivia won't be able to come to the forefront easily.
However, if the Herod royal family is pushed back by the Magic Dome, she will eventually step forward.
So before that, he needs to separate Olivia from the royal family.
But how can we separate her from those solid golden bars?
Ansen agonized over this issue for a while, unable to sleep.
And, as always, he found the answer.
"Secretly acquire one of Herod's third-rate newspapers. It should be so insignificant that the royal family wouldn't even care. Build your profile by buying exclusive gossip about prominent actors, and distribute the paper for free. In a few months, everyone will know about it."
“Yes, I understand.”
Ansen nodded slowly.
If he dares not go beyond Herod's golden bars and bring Olivia out to stand beside Prince Noah...
All he had to do was make the Prince abandon her.
***
Ansen Wilhelm was not the only one caught in a tangled web of foolishness and despair.
Isabelle Seymour looked down in shock at the personal information given to her by Madame Zuberne and her mother.
Mrs. Seymour explained in as calm a voice as possible.
"Jackson Coleman. He's the second son of the Marquis Coleman family, but the Marquis promised to give him the earldom he held upon his marriage. He also promised to give him the mansion on the Upper River as your new home."
Isabelle shuddered as she remembered the blunt nose and foolish eyes set into his plump face.
“Are you serious?”
Mrs. Seymour felt her heart sink as she looked at her daughter's face, which seemed to ask incredulously. Would she really want to marry her daughter to that seemingly foolish child?
Isabelle looked at Madame Zuberne with a distorted face and a laugh.
“Is this the best?”
“...”
Mrs. Zuberne did not answer, and Mrs. Seymour comforted her daughter.
"Still, I'm glad you maintained your dignity at His Highness's wedding. Your conduct that day changed your father's mind somewhat. He had been turning his attention to the provincial nobles, but he eventually reached out to the capital's nobles."
Dignity?
That wasn't classy.
They say that when a person experiences something unbelievable, their whole body freezes and they can't even breathe, and that's what happened to Isabelle that day.
What is that woman, surrounded by Herod's royal family like a shield?
What was it about that woman that made Prince Noah take her as his wife?
What on earth could that woman possibly be better than me, that she had Noah Astrid, and the only choice I had was Jackson Coleman? Isabelle couldn't understand it, and it didn't make sense.
Mrs. Seymour, who could not understand her daughter's feelings, continued speaking.
"Married life isn't much. If your in-laws are like the Marquis Colemans, that's great. Even if Jackson Coleman doesn't appeal to you now, life is all about the same."
“...”
“Just meet up once.”
“...”
"Yes, yes? If not him, you'll have to go to the provinces."
The word "province" pierced Isabelle's heart like a sharp knife. Perhaps it was the influence of her mother, who treated anyone outside the capital as if they were going to die, but Isabelle couldn't tolerate it.
“...I understand for now.”
Mrs. Seymour's heart was lifted by her daughter's barely managed answer.
“Yes, think about it positively.”
Mrs. Seymour gave a few more compliments to the Marquis Colman and then left the room with Mrs. Zuberne.
Mrs. Zuberne followed Mrs. Seymour in silence and opened her mouth as they entered the courtyard between the annex and the main building.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Seymour, but I’m going to have to stop being Young Lady's chaperone.”
Mrs. Seymour's brisk pace suddenly stopped. With a hardened expression, she turned and glared at Mrs. Zuberne.
“You’re quitting now?”
“....”
“You gave Isabelle the hope of becoming a Princess, and now you’re just going to walk away?”
“...”
“And you think you can still settle down in the capital and work as a matchmaker?”
“I apologize, ma'am. I will return the money I received in advance as a success fee.”
“Is money the problem right now?!”
"I won't necessarily say I've stopped being a chaperone. If you don't spread the word, no one will know, and since you're old enough not to have a chaperone, it won't be surprising."
Despite Mrs. Seymour's sharp threats, Mrs. Zuberne refused to change her mind. This showed how firm her resolve was.
Mrs. Seymour was furious. She walked up to Mrs. Zuberne and warned her.
"If things continue this way, you'd better pack your bags and head straight for the capital's high society."
At Mrs. Seymour's advice, Mrs. Zuberne took a step back and took a deep breath.
The saying that great rewards come with great risks applied to her as well. But what set her apart from Isabelle was that she knew when to step aside.
“I have one thing to ask of you.”
“I told you to pack your bags and stop talking nonsense.”
“Please pay more attention to making sure Young Lady gives up on His Highness the Prince.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Mrs. Seymour slapped Mrs. Zuberne hard across the face.
Mrs. Zuberne's cheek turned with a chilling "thud." Mrs. Seymour hissed and hissed in a sullen, sullen voice.
“Watch your mouth. Where did you get the presumption to give me advice?”
Madame Zuberne, as if prepared for a slap, pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and smoothed her hair. Her legs still trembled, but she calmly bowed her head.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“I hope you never come near the capital again.”
Ignoring the sharp voice piercing her ear, Madame Zuberne turned around quickly.
It felt like the tower she had built so far was crumbling like a sand castle, but it would be wise to pull out now.
“What price did that commoner woman pay?”
Madame Zuberne heard Isabelle mutter several times.
The first time she heard it, she pretended not to know, but the second time she heard it, she advised against it.
“That’s something you shouldn’t say.”
But Isabelle ignored her advice and muttered the same words several more times. This wasn't the first time Isabelle Seymour had ignored Madame Zuberne's advice.
Madame Zuberne decided to stop being her chaperone the fifth time Isabelle called the Princess a "common woman."
Isabelle, as she saw her from the side, was a very narcissistic person.
While she hung on to Prince Noah and envisioned her future alone, her inner self defined herself as a Princess. So, she knew she would never be satisfied with anyone less than Prince Usher.
Madame Zuberne, who had climbed into the carriage, touched her bitter lips and muttered.
"You raised my children like that, so now all that's left is to pay the price. There's no reason for me to pay that price."
Isabelle was a person who would express her ill feelings toward the Princess in any way.
The problem was that Prince Noah, as observed by Madame Zuberne, was not the type of person to let it go.
In fact, didn't he lose his temper and explode with rage when Isabelle broke her promise and came to his house without permission?
The Prince didn't even care whether there were servants around him or not, and that incident ended up being the decisive factor that prevented Isabelle from getting married.
“Furthermore, the person who can retaliate as an example is Prince Noah.”
Madame Zuberne muttered, and the coachman asked from outside the carriage.
“Madam, where should I take you?”
To his question, Madame Zuberne answered, smoothing her disheveled hair.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I think it’s time to get some rest.”
Comments
Post a Comment