Episode 96. No Need for Help
“Your Highness, please get married soon.”
Usher nodded vaguely and continued his daily conversation.
“Are you attending the Hamington warship construction ceremony next week?”
"Uh."
"Father wanted the Princess to come with him. I think he was so distracted by Lucy that he forgot to mention it."
“Olivia too?”
"It's not bad for the first official event after marriage, is it? Most warship construction ceremonies are attended by their spouses."
Noah nodded slowly.
“Yeah, well, that’s about it.”
“Are you going home?”
“No, I wanted to go see my mother while I’m here.”
"Yes, then. See you later. And give my regards to the Princess."
At the fork in the road, Usher gave Noah a quick greeting and then walked away, talking to his secretary.
Noah stared blankly at his back, then turned and headed toward the Queen's palace.
When he arrived at the Queen's office, which had a refined charm, Lucy, who was making King Herod's heart ache, came running towards him with a bright smile.
“Noah, brother!!!”
"General Lucy, I wish you victory. I hope you win."
As Noah playfully spoke, looking down at his younger sister's face, Lucy nodded with a determined expression.
"I'm going to go to school no matter what! I'm sick of that toy room."
Then Lucy glanced behind Noah and shook her brother's hand.
“What about Olivia?”
The Queen, who had been smiling affectionately at the sight of the siblings getting along well, spoke in a stern voice.
"Princess or Duchess of Rosemond. Lucy, I told you not to dare say Olivia's name."
Lucy quickly corrected herself at her mother's rebuke.
“I’m sorry, Mother. Brother, why didn’t the Princess come?”
Noah took Lucy's hand and approached the Queen, responding.
“I just stopped by for a moment. I’ll come with you next time.”
"It's a shame. I wanted to see her. Then can I come visit your mansion?"
“If you have permission to come.”
“...”
Lucy took a deep breath and put on a look of exhaustion. The expression on her face, even for a ten-year-old, was so poignant that it left both the Queen and Noah speechless.
At that moment, Mrs. Lehmann approached.
“Princess, class will start soon.”
“Embroidery class? What do you do with that?”
“...”
“Oh, I really don’t understand, that’s why I’m asking. Mom, why do I have to take that class?”
Noah watched Lucy's reaction as it slowly began to emerge.
Lucy, perhaps not seeking an answer, gave a graceful greeting to her silent mother and turned away. She also gave a brief greeting to Noah.
“Noah, I’m going. Bye.”
The girl's back, which had been slowly moving away, had grown considerably. Noah realized anew that Lucy had grown considerably.
“We really have to send her to school, Mother.”
As Lucy disappeared, Noah turned to Beatrix and said, and she nodded in agreement.
Although things hadn't gone too far wrong yet, she had a feeling that if she continued to suppress the child, Noah's backlash would be incomparably greater. So, she, too, was determined to break her husband's will this time.
“That’s right. By the way, what’s going on?”
Beatrix tilted her teacup and raised the corners of her mouth.
“You never went to Cosmos Hill, did you? Did you swear you wouldn’t go there?”
“Cosmos is cosmos.”
When Noah responded indifferently, Beatrix put down her teacup and scolded him.
“Don’t say that. How beautiful is the vast cosmos field.”
“Olivia brought me a bunch of cosmos flowers, so I saw a lot of them.”
“Yeah, that’s good. How’s Olivia?”
“...”
Noah faced her in silence at his mother's question. Beatrix, seeing her son's stubborn expression, quickly realized he was dissatisfied with her.
“Everyone, please step back for a moment.”
As the maids guarding the Queen's office left at the Queen's command, Noah spoke directly as if he had been waiting for it.
“Why did you choose Countess Timberline as Olivia’s etiquette teacher?”
“She was the only one who could do it. All the nobles in the capital city refused my request.”
Although he already knew this, Noah held back his anger.
"Does Olivia really need an etiquette teacher? Her manners are beyond her control, and if you give her a book to teach her the basics, she'll learn them quickly and accurately enough that she won't need a teacher."
"Then who will help her enter the social world? You know this isn't just a place to teach etiquette."
“Why does Olivia have to be social?”
"...What?"
"I don't need Olivia's help. If there's a social event, I can go with her. And if there's a party she needs to host, I'll be there, so it won't be a problem. So why should Olivia enter the social scene?"
Beatrix felt a pounding pain in the back of her head. She took a moment to catch her breath and then asked again.
“Then what if you’re not there?”
“...”
“Without you, Olivia can’t do anything. Does that matter to you?”
Noah responded to her question with a sharp glint in his eyes.
“Will the nobles accept Olivia as she is?”
“...”
"You said they even turned down the position of etiquette teacher. What do you think about that so-called etiquette teacher, whom my mother so desperately sought, not allowing Olivia to sit for even a moment during a mere three-day class?"
The unsolved grudge rose again. Noah's eyes flashed coldly.
The Queen was inwardly startled by the anger on her son's face. Noah was furious to the core.
“She was already nitpicking and nitpicking about Olivia's perfect manners, down to the last finger.”
The Queen sighed deeply, recalling Lady Timberline's face. Despite having been reminded that Olivia was her superior, she still seemed determined to shake her.
But, apart from that, it's only been three days now.
"Olivia said she couldn't stand it? How did you know she was standing there for three days? Did you have someone attached to her?"
“If she said she couldn’t stand it, I wouldn’t have talked for so long.”
Beatrix was left speechless by her son's cold face, which showed no trace of humanity.
“I found out through the servants that she had been standing there all along.”
“...So, Olivia says she’ll endure it? Apparently, she doesn’t even know you came to see me.”
Noah frowned and looked at his mother. The Queen met her son's dry gaze calmly and spoke firmly.
“If Olivia says she’ll endure it, then let her endure it.”
"Mother!"
"It's been three days now. The person involved is still, so why are you making such a fuss?!"
“...”
“During my time as Crown Princess, I had to endure subtle bullying because I was a local noble.”
Noah chuckled at his mother's words.
“You don’t mean to imply that my mother and Olivia are in the same situation, do you?”
"Don't be rude and listen. Of course, how could Olivia and I be in the same situation? But I, too, had to put in at least a year of effort. I suffered from being secretly ostracized and ignored. But I overcame it, and now I'm recognized as Queen."
Noah wanted to point out that this was his mother's affair as Queen and had nothing to do with Olivia as Princess. He wanted to reaffirm that his wife had no reason to be desperate for the approval of the nobles.
"I know Olivia has to endure this much longer than I have. She might feel like quitting because it's too hard, and she might actually quit. But that's not your call."
Beatrix stared at Noah with a dignified expression.
“Noah, let me be clear. Did Olivia ask you to kick Mrs. Timberline out?”
Noah didn't hide his displeasure, but he had no choice but to answer properly.
"...No."
"Then go back. It's not your business, so don't even dare interfere. In this matter, I will only listen to the Princess's opinion."
Still, her son's face was a mess of lingering anger and discontent. Beatrix realized that his features bore a frightening resemblance to Leonard's.
Moreover, she could clearly sense that Noah's feelings toward his wife weren't simply a matter of responsibility. If responsibility were everything, Noah wouldn't have cared whether his wife took etiquette classes or not.
Beatrix opened her mouth to soothe, feeling a strange mixture of relief and anxiety.
"Watch over Olivia as she builds her own world. Even parents can't control their children's lives, can they? Trust Olivia. I've said it several times, but it hasn't even been a week. Don't be impatient."
Noah remembered Olivia's voice whispering to him as she held him close last night.
“Please trust me and wait for me. I can do it.”
"Ha..."
He finally pressed his hand to his eyelids and let out a long sigh.
A week? He felt like he had been exhausted for months.
Late that afternoon, the royal family's official statement on Wilhelm's death was released, and it quickly made headlines.
Wilhelm Herod, the branch manager, calmly read the extra edition containing the royal statement.
The gist of the royal statement was clear and simple.
If you want to question Prince Noah's actions, prove that the Magic Dome wasn't defective at the time. Is it truly condemnable that the Prince tore open the Magic Dome to save countless lives in a desperate moment?
In addition, the royal family demanded that the shipping company withdraw its contract.
"Public opinion is already tilted toward the royal family. The royal family has framed the situation as a battle between a righteous Prince and a money-grubbing merchant."
At the words of his aide, the branch manager rubbed his throbbing head and took out a letter that had arrived from Pulder that morning.
The aide quickly read the letter the branch manager had handed him. His eyes narrowed, then widened.
“Isn’t this... dangerous?”
“Your Highness, please get married soon.”
Usher nodded vaguely and continued his daily conversation.
“Are you attending the Hamington warship construction ceremony next week?”
"Uh."
"Father wanted the Princess to come with him. I think he was so distracted by Lucy that he forgot to mention it."
“Olivia too?”
"It's not bad for the first official event after marriage, is it? Most warship construction ceremonies are attended by their spouses."
Noah nodded slowly.
“Yeah, well, that’s about it.”
“Are you going home?”
“No, I wanted to go see my mother while I’m here.”
"Yes, then. See you later. And give my regards to the Princess."
At the fork in the road, Usher gave Noah a quick greeting and then walked away, talking to his secretary.
Noah stared blankly at his back, then turned and headed toward the Queen's palace.
When he arrived at the Queen's office, which had a refined charm, Lucy, who was making King Herod's heart ache, came running towards him with a bright smile.
“Noah, brother!!!”
"General Lucy, I wish you victory. I hope you win."
As Noah playfully spoke, looking down at his younger sister's face, Lucy nodded with a determined expression.
"I'm going to go to school no matter what! I'm sick of that toy room."
Then Lucy glanced behind Noah and shook her brother's hand.
“What about Olivia?”
The Queen, who had been smiling affectionately at the sight of the siblings getting along well, spoke in a stern voice.
"Princess or Duchess of Rosemond. Lucy, I told you not to dare say Olivia's name."
Lucy quickly corrected herself at her mother's rebuke.
“I’m sorry, Mother. Brother, why didn’t the Princess come?”
Noah took Lucy's hand and approached the Queen, responding.
“I just stopped by for a moment. I’ll come with you next time.”
"It's a shame. I wanted to see her. Then can I come visit your mansion?"
“If you have permission to come.”
“...”
Lucy took a deep breath and put on a look of exhaustion. The expression on her face, even for a ten-year-old, was so poignant that it left both the Queen and Noah speechless.
At that moment, Mrs. Lehmann approached.
“Princess, class will start soon.”
“Embroidery class? What do you do with that?”
“...”
“Oh, I really don’t understand, that’s why I’m asking. Mom, why do I have to take that class?”
Noah watched Lucy's reaction as it slowly began to emerge.
Lucy, perhaps not seeking an answer, gave a graceful greeting to her silent mother and turned away. She also gave a brief greeting to Noah.
“Noah, I’m going. Bye.”
The girl's back, which had been slowly moving away, had grown considerably. Noah realized anew that Lucy had grown considerably.
“We really have to send her to school, Mother.”
As Lucy disappeared, Noah turned to Beatrix and said, and she nodded in agreement.
Although things hadn't gone too far wrong yet, she had a feeling that if she continued to suppress the child, Noah's backlash would be incomparably greater. So, she, too, was determined to break her husband's will this time.
“That’s right. By the way, what’s going on?”
Beatrix tilted her teacup and raised the corners of her mouth.
“You never went to Cosmos Hill, did you? Did you swear you wouldn’t go there?”
“Cosmos is cosmos.”
When Noah responded indifferently, Beatrix put down her teacup and scolded him.
“Don’t say that. How beautiful is the vast cosmos field.”
“Olivia brought me a bunch of cosmos flowers, so I saw a lot of them.”
“Yeah, that’s good. How’s Olivia?”
“...”
Noah faced her in silence at his mother's question. Beatrix, seeing her son's stubborn expression, quickly realized he was dissatisfied with her.
“Everyone, please step back for a moment.”
As the maids guarding the Queen's office left at the Queen's command, Noah spoke directly as if he had been waiting for it.
“Why did you choose Countess Timberline as Olivia’s etiquette teacher?”
“She was the only one who could do it. All the nobles in the capital city refused my request.”
Although he already knew this, Noah held back his anger.
"Does Olivia really need an etiquette teacher? Her manners are beyond her control, and if you give her a book to teach her the basics, she'll learn them quickly and accurately enough that she won't need a teacher."
"Then who will help her enter the social world? You know this isn't just a place to teach etiquette."
“Why does Olivia have to be social?”
"...What?"
"I don't need Olivia's help. If there's a social event, I can go with her. And if there's a party she needs to host, I'll be there, so it won't be a problem. So why should Olivia enter the social scene?"
Beatrix felt a pounding pain in the back of her head. She took a moment to catch her breath and then asked again.
“Then what if you’re not there?”
“...”
“Without you, Olivia can’t do anything. Does that matter to you?”
Noah responded to her question with a sharp glint in his eyes.
“Will the nobles accept Olivia as she is?”
“...”
"You said they even turned down the position of etiquette teacher. What do you think about that so-called etiquette teacher, whom my mother so desperately sought, not allowing Olivia to sit for even a moment during a mere three-day class?"
The unsolved grudge rose again. Noah's eyes flashed coldly.
The Queen was inwardly startled by the anger on her son's face. Noah was furious to the core.
“She was already nitpicking and nitpicking about Olivia's perfect manners, down to the last finger.”
The Queen sighed deeply, recalling Lady Timberline's face. Despite having been reminded that Olivia was her superior, she still seemed determined to shake her.
But, apart from that, it's only been three days now.
"Olivia said she couldn't stand it? How did you know she was standing there for three days? Did you have someone attached to her?"
“If she said she couldn’t stand it, I wouldn’t have talked for so long.”
Beatrix was left speechless by her son's cold face, which showed no trace of humanity.
“I found out through the servants that she had been standing there all along.”
“...So, Olivia says she’ll endure it? Apparently, she doesn’t even know you came to see me.”
Noah frowned and looked at his mother. The Queen met her son's dry gaze calmly and spoke firmly.
“If Olivia says she’ll endure it, then let her endure it.”
"Mother!"
"It's been three days now. The person involved is still, so why are you making such a fuss?!"
“...”
“During my time as Crown Princess, I had to endure subtle bullying because I was a local noble.”
Noah chuckled at his mother's words.
“You don’t mean to imply that my mother and Olivia are in the same situation, do you?”
"Don't be rude and listen. Of course, how could Olivia and I be in the same situation? But I, too, had to put in at least a year of effort. I suffered from being secretly ostracized and ignored. But I overcame it, and now I'm recognized as Queen."
Noah wanted to point out that this was his mother's affair as Queen and had nothing to do with Olivia as Princess. He wanted to reaffirm that his wife had no reason to be desperate for the approval of the nobles.
"I know Olivia has to endure this much longer than I have. She might feel like quitting because it's too hard, and she might actually quit. But that's not your call."
Beatrix stared at Noah with a dignified expression.
“Noah, let me be clear. Did Olivia ask you to kick Mrs. Timberline out?”
Noah didn't hide his displeasure, but he had no choice but to answer properly.
"...No."
"Then go back. It's not your business, so don't even dare interfere. In this matter, I will only listen to the Princess's opinion."
Still, her son's face was a mess of lingering anger and discontent. Beatrix realized that his features bore a frightening resemblance to Leonard's.
Moreover, she could clearly sense that Noah's feelings toward his wife weren't simply a matter of responsibility. If responsibility were everything, Noah wouldn't have cared whether his wife took etiquette classes or not.
Beatrix opened her mouth to soothe, feeling a strange mixture of relief and anxiety.
"Watch over Olivia as she builds her own world. Even parents can't control their children's lives, can they? Trust Olivia. I've said it several times, but it hasn't even been a week. Don't be impatient."
Noah remembered Olivia's voice whispering to him as she held him close last night.
“Please trust me and wait for me. I can do it.”
"Ha..."
He finally pressed his hand to his eyelids and let out a long sigh.
A week? He felt like he had been exhausted for months.
***
Late that afternoon, the royal family's official statement on Wilhelm's death was released, and it quickly made headlines.
Wilhelm Herod, the branch manager, calmly read the extra edition containing the royal statement.
The gist of the royal statement was clear and simple.
If you want to question Prince Noah's actions, prove that the Magic Dome wasn't defective at the time. Is it truly condemnable that the Prince tore open the Magic Dome to save countless lives in a desperate moment?
In addition, the royal family demanded that the shipping company withdraw its contract.
"Public opinion is already tilted toward the royal family. The royal family has framed the situation as a battle between a righteous Prince and a money-grubbing merchant."
At the words of his aide, the branch manager rubbed his throbbing head and took out a letter that had arrived from Pulder that morning.
The aide quickly read the letter the branch manager had handed him. His eyes narrowed, then widened.
“Isn’t this... dangerous?”
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