Episode 80. Agreement on Period and Frequency
When Olivia remained silent, Noah kissed her hair and smiled, the corners of his mouth stretching out.
“It’s normally like this, Liv.”
But Olivia couldn't quite agree that this was "normal" or "average." She sat upright and looked down at Noah.
“Mrs. Lehmann asked us to discuss and agree on the number of times and the frequency.”
Shr really taught you a lot of things.
While Noah was shaking, Olivia came in with her logic.
"Given the fact that you're talking about frequency and period, this can never be an average, because frequency and period are meaningless."
“...”
Noah was silent for a moment at the sharp remark, but then he retorted with shamelessness.
"She told you to discuss and reach an agreement, didn't she? In that sense, the average doesn't matter. It's your problem and mine."
“...”
“I like it this much.”
There is no way to do business with a shameless person.
Olivia, who was at a loss for words for a moment, firmly shook her head, tightening her grip on her stomach.
“Life is not going well.”
"Olivia, the Duchess and lord of Rosemond Plains, and the title of Princess Consort. You need not worry about your livelihood."
"Still, going to bed, waking up, and eating regularly are all necessary for good health. Noah, all we had this morning was a poached egg and a cup of black tea."
Noah realized that tricking Olivia was harder than he'd thought. The lion, intent on devouring the innocent rabbit, groaned briefly and straightened up.
Then he opened his mouth and stared at Olivia with a piercing gaze.
“Yes. Let’s agree as long as it doesn’t affect your waking, sleeping, and meal times.”
“What is the period and frequency?”
“Seven days a week. There’s a time limit on the number of times, so I don’t think there’s a need to set a specific time limit.”
“...5 days.”
"No, six days. And come to think of it, meal times are a bit ambiguous. You don't want to discuss it with the servants, do you?"
“...Then, let’s decide on a wake-up time and a bedtime.”
Noah, who was thinking of lumping it together, sighed inwardly and said.
“7am, 12pm.”
“9 a.m., 10 p.m.”
“8am, 11pm.”
“...”
“Don’t you know how to compromise?”
The person who seemed to be the furthest from the word compromise dared to utter it.
Olivia looked at him with her lips pursed tightly, then nodded.
“Yes. 8am, 11pm. Six days a week.”
“It’s a little less than usual.”
Noah chuckled, seeing his wife's eyes devoid of even the slightest trace of faith. At the same time, he grabbed Olivia's waist.
“Noah!”
"Why, ma'am? Isn't this a time that conforms to the conditions reached through discussion and agreement?"
Noah smiled, his red lips curling up, and kissed her back.
As expected, there is no business in front of a shameless person.
Prince Noah and his wife's Hamuel itinerary was scheduled for ten days.
Fortunately, Olivia's anxiety about not being able to get out of bed for the next ten days turned out to be unfounded.
After five long days of living in bed, Noah declared, "Now is the time you want," and, as if by magic, he ended his bedtime routine. Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to his gentlemanly demeanor and sat down at his massive desk.
“Bring the documents.”
At a brief command, the servants delivered several cartloads of documents to the Prince, and Noah began processing them with a fierce agility. These were the documents that had piled up while Noah was away.
He ate all his meals in his office and was busy processing paperwork.
Noah Astrid was a man of few means and no middle ground.
Olivia, who was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, quickly began to search for something to do. The problem, however, was that there was no such thing as "something to do."
The first day out of bed, there was still work to be done.
It took a whole day to tour the huge mansion and stroll through the deciduous garden.
Noah returned home around 10 p.m. that night and fell asleep after 11 p.m. There was no particular conversation.
Olivia stared blankly at Noah's face, exhausted and asleep. It was the first time she'd seen him sleep, having fallen asleep before him for days.
Olivia slowly gazed at the beautiful outline, then buried her head in the pillow and whispered.
“Good night, Noah.”
And when she opened her eyes the next day, the bed was empty.
The moment the words 'debauchery' and 'excessiveness' finally left her life, Olivia just blinked.
Olivia glanced up. Noah, standing on the second-floor balcony, was conversing with a man from the capital. Judging by the lack of introduction, he seemed to be an employee of the company Noah represented.
“Your Highness, please go.”
Olivia turned her head and smiled at the maid's soft voice.
“Yes, let’s go.”
Olivia turned toward the maid's quarters and walked briskly. Unlike in Pulder, where many people carried parasols even in autumn, Herod's autumn was overcast and overcast today. Still, Olivia liked the weather. The sunlight in Pulder always felt excessive.
“The weather is nice.”
Noah, who had been giving instructions about the documents for a while, turned his head slightly and looked at Olivia's back as she walked away.
When he asked the head maid, she said that although Olivia didn't eat much, she ate well, and it seemed like she had a good time looking around the mansion.
Yes then.
“I will proceed as you said.”
"While you're here, take some of the paperwork you've been dealing with. Have you heard from Wilhelm yet?"
"Yes."
“That’s funny.”
Noah went into the room with a bitter laugh on his lips.
Olivia's destination today was Cosmos Hill, not far from Hamuel's mansion. Outside the carriage, Hamuel's autumn unfolded like a masterpiece.
Beyond the harvested fields, an old cathedral appeared. The peaceful sound of bells, perhaps tolling at regular intervals, rang out. The paintings framed in the windows also shifted, following the carriage's movements.
Tall reeds swaying in the chilly autumn breeze and flocks of birds circling the sky.
A wagon crossing a stone bridge, the river flowing beneath it, fallen leaves on the river, and a flock of ducks swimming.
“Isn’t Lorewell far from Hamuel?”
"Lorewell? Yes, it's a little off to the right of the road connecting the capital and Hamuel. It's about an hour's drive from here. Do you know anyone in Lorewell?"
“No. It just reminds me of when I was little.”
The maid simply smiled without asking any further questions.
The carriage carrying them climbed a slight hill a short time later and then stopped. As soon as it stopped, Olivia put on her hat and gloves, then leaned out the door.
To her surprise, a spectacular sight unfolded at that moment.
The wind that swept through the dry and withered vegetation carried the fragrant scent of flowers.
Olivia silently took in the scene unfolding before her eyes. The cosmos flowers blooming beneath the hillside swayed gracefully, swaying in the wind.
The cosmos field, so vast it couldn't be captured in one glance, was splendid yet simple, vast yet unobtrusive. Olivia took a slow breath at the peaceful spectacle and smiled involuntarily.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes, it is really beautiful.”
“At this time of year, Her Majesty the Queen often visited Hamuel with Their Highnesses the Prince and Princess. It was mainly to admire this Cosmos Hill.”
Olivia remembered the Queen's voice. The day she presented the tiara, the Queen had looked at Olivia tenderly and said:
"Hamuel's Cosmos Hill is truly beautiful. The peaceful scenery that unfolds before you is truly breathtaking. You inherited Hamuel because I wanted you and Noah to live that kind of life. When you go, go to Cosmos Hill with Noah. ...If possible."
A warm feeling filled Olivia's chest as she recalled her voice.
“Then His Highness the Prince must have seen this hill too.”
“...”
“...?”
Olivia looked at the head maid, puzzled by her silence. She remained silent, and Olivia blinked in confusion.
“Has His Highness never been to Cosmos Hill before? I think Her Majesty the Queen wanted to bring him here...”
“Because... his Highness is a person with a very clear opinion.”
Her husband seems to have been the same since childhood.
Olivia smiled awkwardly and turned her gaze to the cosmos field.
She finally realized the meaning of the 'if possible' that the Queen had added.
That meant it would be impossible.
Noah diligently checked the documents. The pile of work had piled up since the time he'd been heading to Pulder, so there was more than he'd expected.
He worked for a long time without resting for even a moment.
Noah's eyes grew heavy, so he put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. He habitually had a cigarette in his mouth, but stopped himself from lighting it.
It didn't really appeal to him.
Instead, he was curious about other beings.
“How far did you go?”
Olivia was literally a woman of peace.
He was so sensitive to sleep that he insisted on having a separate master bedroom in the Upper River mansion. Sometimes, even the moonlight filtering through the curtains was bothersome, so sharing a bedroom with Olivia was out of the question.
But surprisingly, Olivia slept as if dead. Her breathing was so light that he wondered if she was truly dead, and she had no sleeping habits.
Rather, when she was half-asleep for a while and was about to wake up, she reached out and stroked his hair, and he couldn't sleep well.
He loved that languid, relaxing feeling so much so that he spent five whole days rolling around in bed with Olivia, demanding ridiculous conditions.
Noah quickly scrapped his plans to have a separate bedroom.
At that moment, Noah's peace returned, and the outside of the window became somewhat noisy.
“Your Highness, have you arrived?”
“Thank you for welcoming me.”
When he heard a cheerful voice, he chuckled and picked up his pen again.
“Even if I don’t pay attention, you can still get around.”
After processing a few more documents, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Noah gave his permission halfheartedly, not even looking up. He assumed it was just some paperwork, but then a cautious voice drifted into his ear.
“Noah, can I come in for a moment?”
Noah's movements stopped at the sound of a smooth voice. When he put down his pen and looked up, Olivia was standing by the door. The fresh scent of grass drifted in, as if she had just returned from a walk through the fields.
When Olivia remained silent, Noah kissed her hair and smiled, the corners of his mouth stretching out.
“It’s normally like this, Liv.”
But Olivia couldn't quite agree that this was "normal" or "average." She sat upright and looked down at Noah.
“Mrs. Lehmann asked us to discuss and agree on the number of times and the frequency.”
Shr really taught you a lot of things.
While Noah was shaking, Olivia came in with her logic.
"Given the fact that you're talking about frequency and period, this can never be an average, because frequency and period are meaningless."
“...”
Noah was silent for a moment at the sharp remark, but then he retorted with shamelessness.
"She told you to discuss and reach an agreement, didn't she? In that sense, the average doesn't matter. It's your problem and mine."
“...”
“I like it this much.”
There is no way to do business with a shameless person.
Olivia, who was at a loss for words for a moment, firmly shook her head, tightening her grip on her stomach.
“Life is not going well.”
"Olivia, the Duchess and lord of Rosemond Plains, and the title of Princess Consort. You need not worry about your livelihood."
"Still, going to bed, waking up, and eating regularly are all necessary for good health. Noah, all we had this morning was a poached egg and a cup of black tea."
Noah realized that tricking Olivia was harder than he'd thought. The lion, intent on devouring the innocent rabbit, groaned briefly and straightened up.
Then he opened his mouth and stared at Olivia with a piercing gaze.
“Yes. Let’s agree as long as it doesn’t affect your waking, sleeping, and meal times.”
“What is the period and frequency?”
“Seven days a week. There’s a time limit on the number of times, so I don’t think there’s a need to set a specific time limit.”
“...5 days.”
"No, six days. And come to think of it, meal times are a bit ambiguous. You don't want to discuss it with the servants, do you?"
“...Then, let’s decide on a wake-up time and a bedtime.”
Noah, who was thinking of lumping it together, sighed inwardly and said.
“7am, 12pm.”
“9 a.m., 10 p.m.”
“8am, 11pm.”
“...”
“Don’t you know how to compromise?”
The person who seemed to be the furthest from the word compromise dared to utter it.
Olivia looked at him with her lips pursed tightly, then nodded.
“Yes. 8am, 11pm. Six days a week.”
“It’s a little less than usual.”
Noah chuckled, seeing his wife's eyes devoid of even the slightest trace of faith. At the same time, he grabbed Olivia's waist.
“Noah!”
"Why, ma'am? Isn't this a time that conforms to the conditions reached through discussion and agreement?"
Noah smiled, his red lips curling up, and kissed her back.
As expected, there is no business in front of a shameless person.
Prince Noah and his wife's Hamuel itinerary was scheduled for ten days.
Fortunately, Olivia's anxiety about not being able to get out of bed for the next ten days turned out to be unfounded.
After five long days of living in bed, Noah declared, "Now is the time you want," and, as if by magic, he ended his bedtime routine. Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to his gentlemanly demeanor and sat down at his massive desk.
“Bring the documents.”
At a brief command, the servants delivered several cartloads of documents to the Prince, and Noah began processing them with a fierce agility. These were the documents that had piled up while Noah was away.
He ate all his meals in his office and was busy processing paperwork.
Noah Astrid was a man of few means and no middle ground.
Olivia, who was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, quickly began to search for something to do. The problem, however, was that there was no such thing as "something to do."
The first day out of bed, there was still work to be done.
It took a whole day to tour the huge mansion and stroll through the deciduous garden.
Noah returned home around 10 p.m. that night and fell asleep after 11 p.m. There was no particular conversation.
Olivia stared blankly at Noah's face, exhausted and asleep. It was the first time she'd seen him sleep, having fallen asleep before him for days.
Olivia slowly gazed at the beautiful outline, then buried her head in the pillow and whispered.
“Good night, Noah.”
And when she opened her eyes the next day, the bed was empty.
The moment the words 'debauchery' and 'excessiveness' finally left her life, Olivia just blinked.
Olivia glanced up. Noah, standing on the second-floor balcony, was conversing with a man from the capital. Judging by the lack of introduction, he seemed to be an employee of the company Noah represented.
“Your Highness, please go.”
Olivia turned her head and smiled at the maid's soft voice.
“Yes, let’s go.”
Olivia turned toward the maid's quarters and walked briskly. Unlike in Pulder, where many people carried parasols even in autumn, Herod's autumn was overcast and overcast today. Still, Olivia liked the weather. The sunlight in Pulder always felt excessive.
“The weather is nice.”
Noah, who had been giving instructions about the documents for a while, turned his head slightly and looked at Olivia's back as she walked away.
When he asked the head maid, she said that although Olivia didn't eat much, she ate well, and it seemed like she had a good time looking around the mansion.
Yes then.
“I will proceed as you said.”
"While you're here, take some of the paperwork you've been dealing with. Have you heard from Wilhelm yet?"
"Yes."
“That’s funny.”
Noah went into the room with a bitter laugh on his lips.
***
Olivia's destination today was Cosmos Hill, not far from Hamuel's mansion. Outside the carriage, Hamuel's autumn unfolded like a masterpiece.
Beyond the harvested fields, an old cathedral appeared. The peaceful sound of bells, perhaps tolling at regular intervals, rang out. The paintings framed in the windows also shifted, following the carriage's movements.
Tall reeds swaying in the chilly autumn breeze and flocks of birds circling the sky.
A wagon crossing a stone bridge, the river flowing beneath it, fallen leaves on the river, and a flock of ducks swimming.
“Isn’t Lorewell far from Hamuel?”
"Lorewell? Yes, it's a little off to the right of the road connecting the capital and Hamuel. It's about an hour's drive from here. Do you know anyone in Lorewell?"
“No. It just reminds me of when I was little.”
The maid simply smiled without asking any further questions.
The carriage carrying them climbed a slight hill a short time later and then stopped. As soon as it stopped, Olivia put on her hat and gloves, then leaned out the door.
To her surprise, a spectacular sight unfolded at that moment.
The wind that swept through the dry and withered vegetation carried the fragrant scent of flowers.
Olivia silently took in the scene unfolding before her eyes. The cosmos flowers blooming beneath the hillside swayed gracefully, swaying in the wind.
The cosmos field, so vast it couldn't be captured in one glance, was splendid yet simple, vast yet unobtrusive. Olivia took a slow breath at the peaceful spectacle and smiled involuntarily.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes, it is really beautiful.”
“At this time of year, Her Majesty the Queen often visited Hamuel with Their Highnesses the Prince and Princess. It was mainly to admire this Cosmos Hill.”
Olivia remembered the Queen's voice. The day she presented the tiara, the Queen had looked at Olivia tenderly and said:
"Hamuel's Cosmos Hill is truly beautiful. The peaceful scenery that unfolds before you is truly breathtaking. You inherited Hamuel because I wanted you and Noah to live that kind of life. When you go, go to Cosmos Hill with Noah. ...If possible."
A warm feeling filled Olivia's chest as she recalled her voice.
“Then His Highness the Prince must have seen this hill too.”
“...”
“...?”
Olivia looked at the head maid, puzzled by her silence. She remained silent, and Olivia blinked in confusion.
“Has His Highness never been to Cosmos Hill before? I think Her Majesty the Queen wanted to bring him here...”
“Because... his Highness is a person with a very clear opinion.”
Her husband seems to have been the same since childhood.
Olivia smiled awkwardly and turned her gaze to the cosmos field.
She finally realized the meaning of the 'if possible' that the Queen had added.
That meant it would be impossible.
***
Noah diligently checked the documents. The pile of work had piled up since the time he'd been heading to Pulder, so there was more than he'd expected.
He worked for a long time without resting for even a moment.
Noah's eyes grew heavy, so he put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. He habitually had a cigarette in his mouth, but stopped himself from lighting it.
It didn't really appeal to him.
Instead, he was curious about other beings.
“How far did you go?”
Olivia was literally a woman of peace.
He was so sensitive to sleep that he insisted on having a separate master bedroom in the Upper River mansion. Sometimes, even the moonlight filtering through the curtains was bothersome, so sharing a bedroom with Olivia was out of the question.
But surprisingly, Olivia slept as if dead. Her breathing was so light that he wondered if she was truly dead, and she had no sleeping habits.
Rather, when she was half-asleep for a while and was about to wake up, she reached out and stroked his hair, and he couldn't sleep well.
He loved that languid, relaxing feeling so much so that he spent five whole days rolling around in bed with Olivia, demanding ridiculous conditions.
Noah quickly scrapped his plans to have a separate bedroom.
At that moment, Noah's peace returned, and the outside of the window became somewhat noisy.
“Your Highness, have you arrived?”
“Thank you for welcoming me.”
When he heard a cheerful voice, he chuckled and picked up his pen again.
“Even if I don’t pay attention, you can still get around.”
After processing a few more documents, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Noah gave his permission halfheartedly, not even looking up. He assumed it was just some paperwork, but then a cautious voice drifted into his ear.
“Noah, can I come in for a moment?”
Noah's movements stopped at the sound of a smooth voice. When he put down his pen and looked up, Olivia was standing by the door. The fresh scent of grass drifted in, as if she had just returned from a walk through the fields.
Comments
Post a Comment