Episode 87. Like a Spectacle
As he crossed the line, Olivia, who had been watching Isabelle, slowly turned her head. Their eyes met, dark, round eyes.
As Olivia stood up, her eyes wide with a puzzled expression, those around her also stood up.
Noah jumped down from his horse and ran towards Olivia.
“Your Highness, why...”
“You look pale, Olivia.”
“...”
“Let’s go back.”
Olivia couldn't quite grasp Noah's sudden approach and demanded that she turn back. She didn't respond quickly, just stared at him, and a dry aura seeped into his green eyes.
In the end, Olivia had no choice but to nod.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Only after hearing the answer he wanted to hear did Noah raise the corners of his mouth and smile.
“Meson and I go to the room first. I’ll take Pony to the waiting room and leave.”
Olivia gave a brief greeting to the ladies who were rising up, then walked away with Meson.
Noah, who had been quietly observing the scene, slowly turned his head as Olivia disappeared, his eyes scanning the faces of the noble ladies. He didn't say a word, but the clear warning in his determined eyes sent a chill down their spine.
Finally, Noah gave Isabelle a warning look, took a deep breath, and then climbed back onto his pony. Then he turned his horse gently and rode away.
As he disappeared, the ladies let out their pent-up breaths and stirred.
No matter how positively she thought about it, the only interpretation she could come up with was that the Prince had forcibly removed the Princess from this group. Since he had been paying attention, he must have rushed straight to her.
“Are you okay, Young Lady?”
Someone asked Isabelle cautiously, but she couldn't answer.
The cold gaze was directed at me.
An attitude as cold as frost.
Still, as he rode toward me, my heart pounded. Is this what it would feel like if that man rode toward me?
Isabelle Seymour, who had to get what she wanted at all costs, could not let him go, no matter how hard she tried.
Her face slowly contorted.
At that moment, a voice was heard from behind.
“The Prince doesn’t trust the Princess.”
Isabelle slowly turned her head and looked back. Among the group, the older ones continued speaking, their mouths covered with fans.
"He took her out because he was worried. That ultimately means he doesn't trust her."
"If the Princess fails to fulfill her duties as Princess, their relationship will quickly fall apart. She may suddenly rise in status and feel arrogant, but it seems she'll soon wither away."
“I’ll bet this season’s dress on the Prince’s soon-to-be-governed government.”
The ladies smiled elegantly and nodded.
In the capital's aristocratic society, mistresses were nothing new. While some men had common women or actresses as mistresses, there were also numerous instances of secret affairs within aristocratic society.
Isabelle slowly turned her head and clutched her pounding heart.
Government...
The vulgar word rang in her ears.
Meanwhile, Olivia, walking down the long hallway and back to the main room, took a deep breath. Still, her stomach lurched.
“Meson.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
"Did I make any mistakes? Did I seem arrogant or overly humble? Please answer honestly."
To her question, Meson answered immediately.
“No. You behaved well.”
“...”
Olivia simply blinked at his answer. She felt her palms clammy beneath her silk gloves.
“Please take a seat.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Meson offered her a seat, but the door burst open, and Noah appeared. He usually showered and changed into his original clothes, but today he was still in his competition uniform.
“Please bring my clothes to my house.”
It didn't even look like he was going to change.
While Meson widened his eyes in surprise, Noah winked at Olivia.
“I’m sweating so I can’t catch it, so just follow me.”
Then he walked at her pace. Looking at his mighty back, Olivia felt as if she were standing before a vast mountain range.
Soon, as she boarded the carriage, Noah sat opposite her. Meson insisted on coming separately and moved away, and the carriage departed with only the two of them aboard.
Even among the sharp-tongued ladies, this didn't happen. Olivia felt a pang of discomfort in her chest, as if she had been stifled.
Noah stared out the window. How silent it must have been. He suddenly spoke.
"Why did you want to follow me, Liv? You knew they wouldn't be kind to you."
Noah, who had asked the question, turned his head to look at Olivia. Olivia clasped her hands together tightly and answered honestly.
"The longer I hesitate, the more afraid I become. I wanted to start before my fears grew."
Noah swallowed back his urge to curse at the word "fear."
“...It’s okay to hesitate. You don’t have to do it if you’re afraid.”
“...”
“I told you, you don’t have to do anything.”
"Noah, I don't quite understand what you mean. Before the wedding, I was instructed on the responsibilities of being a Princess. That included a lot of socializing. How can you tell me not to do anything..."
"I don't know who imposed the duties of a Princess upon you. It wasn't my mother, was it, His Majesty? More likely, it was Madame Lehmann, who was in charge of your education."
“...”
“Ignore it. Even if it was His Majesty’s words.”
His light words took her breath away.
"Social events? If you have to go, I'll go with you. So if you're scared or hesitant, don't do it. What's so great about being there like a spectacle? Who told you to? Being there is actually worse for me."
“...”
Every single word Noah said pierced her heart.
As her nose started to sting and her eyes started to heat, Olivia quickly turned her head and looked out the window. She felt like tears were about to spill out.
Olivia held back her tears with all her might.
She desperately tried to think of something else. Someone's already wearing a winter coat. Why is that person wearing shorts? It must be cold. That baby is so cute. And he has a little hat like that.
After a while of thinking about something else, her tears finally subsided. Just as they were fading, the carriage slowed noticeably and came to a halt.
Noah got out of the carriage without saying a word, and as always, he extended his hand to Olivia, who got out after him.
There was not a shred of agitation in his expression.
Olivia came down holding his hand as she always did.
As she came down holding the Prince's hand, the servants of the waiting mansion all bowed their heads.
“Welcome, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.”
Olivia gave them a quick greeting and slowly raised her head.
A grand and delicate mansion made of ivory marble seemed to be looking down on Olivia.
But Olivia couldn't appreciate the beauty of the mansion. Noah's back as he walked away, felt so cold and uncaring.
Noah soaked in the steaming hot bath. This was the first time he'd ever quit a polo game. It was an unpleasant moment in many ways.
“Your Highness, I have come.”
When Meson's voice came from outside the bathroom, Noah emerged. Wrapping a robe around his dripping body, he stepped outside, where Meson quickly followed him.
Mrs. Betty, who had neatly folded Noah's clothes and put them aside, quickly poured black tea into the Prince's cup.
“What about the Princess?”
“Her Highness is taking a quick bath and is taking a walk in the garden.”
At her words, Noah slowly walked to the balcony. As he opened the door and stepped outside, the garden, ablaze with vibrant autumn leaves, was greeted with a beautiful sight.
Noah quickly rolled his eyes and found her.
Olivia was strolling through the garden, wearing a light house dress, looking peaceful and serene.
When he saw that sight, his unpleasant feeling finally subsided, and peace came to him.
Noah took a very deep, long breath.
“Why did you suddenly do that?”
Noah responded calmly to Meson's question.
“What am I?”
“There was no reason for you to come back like this.”
“...Yes. Just tell me what Isabelle Seymour was talking about.”
At Noah's soft command, Meson recited the story as it happened without any embellishment.
"She told Her Highness about how you always had two cocktails, and how she used to hand them to you herself. She told Her Highness she let jer know what kind you were drinking."
“What the hell...!”
Noah gritted his teeth and spat out a curse. His gaze fell on the small of her back, which was fading away. It seemed she'd heard those words while he was gone.
The women surrounding them must have been gazing at Olivia, wondering how she would react.
“So... what did Olivia say?”
“Her Highness handled it so well that I didn’t have to interfere.”
“...”
"Her Highness said she would ask Your Highness directly about the cocktails she offered. When Lady Seymour objected, Her Highness drew the line, citing the Mallet incident as an example, stating that she would only accept her kindness."
“...”
“Your Highness arrived right after that.”
Noah remained silent. Meson stared blankly at Noah, then cautiously added.
"It might be presumptuous of me to say this, but... I think it would be best to trust Her Highness. Of course, entering high society won't be easy, but she'll overcome it. Even recalling what happened on the ship, Her Highness is remarkably rational and calm in assessing situations."
Noah listened quietly to Meson's words, then leaned back against the balcony railing. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the sun was slowly setting.
He remembered Olivia desperately holding back tears in the carriage. He thought tears would eventually fall from her red, puffy eyes.
But, in the end, Olivia held back her tears. She held them back without even a small gasp.
Noah, who had been quietly thinking of Olivia, ended up not saying anything.
As he crossed the line, Olivia, who had been watching Isabelle, slowly turned her head. Their eyes met, dark, round eyes.
As Olivia stood up, her eyes wide with a puzzled expression, those around her also stood up.
Noah jumped down from his horse and ran towards Olivia.
“Your Highness, why...”
“You look pale, Olivia.”
“...”
“Let’s go back.”
Olivia couldn't quite grasp Noah's sudden approach and demanded that she turn back. She didn't respond quickly, just stared at him, and a dry aura seeped into his green eyes.
In the end, Olivia had no choice but to nod.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Only after hearing the answer he wanted to hear did Noah raise the corners of his mouth and smile.
“Meson and I go to the room first. I’ll take Pony to the waiting room and leave.”
Olivia gave a brief greeting to the ladies who were rising up, then walked away with Meson.
Noah, who had been quietly observing the scene, slowly turned his head as Olivia disappeared, his eyes scanning the faces of the noble ladies. He didn't say a word, but the clear warning in his determined eyes sent a chill down their spine.
Finally, Noah gave Isabelle a warning look, took a deep breath, and then climbed back onto his pony. Then he turned his horse gently and rode away.
As he disappeared, the ladies let out their pent-up breaths and stirred.
No matter how positively she thought about it, the only interpretation she could come up with was that the Prince had forcibly removed the Princess from this group. Since he had been paying attention, he must have rushed straight to her.
“Are you okay, Young Lady?”
Someone asked Isabelle cautiously, but she couldn't answer.
The cold gaze was directed at me.
An attitude as cold as frost.
Still, as he rode toward me, my heart pounded. Is this what it would feel like if that man rode toward me?
Isabelle Seymour, who had to get what she wanted at all costs, could not let him go, no matter how hard she tried.
Her face slowly contorted.
At that moment, a voice was heard from behind.
“The Prince doesn’t trust the Princess.”
Isabelle slowly turned her head and looked back. Among the group, the older ones continued speaking, their mouths covered with fans.
"He took her out because he was worried. That ultimately means he doesn't trust her."
"If the Princess fails to fulfill her duties as Princess, their relationship will quickly fall apart. She may suddenly rise in status and feel arrogant, but it seems she'll soon wither away."
“I’ll bet this season’s dress on the Prince’s soon-to-be-governed government.”
The ladies smiled elegantly and nodded.
In the capital's aristocratic society, mistresses were nothing new. While some men had common women or actresses as mistresses, there were also numerous instances of secret affairs within aristocratic society.
Isabelle slowly turned her head and clutched her pounding heart.
Government...
The vulgar word rang in her ears.
Meanwhile, Olivia, walking down the long hallway and back to the main room, took a deep breath. Still, her stomach lurched.
“Meson.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
"Did I make any mistakes? Did I seem arrogant or overly humble? Please answer honestly."
To her question, Meson answered immediately.
“No. You behaved well.”
“...”
Olivia simply blinked at his answer. She felt her palms clammy beneath her silk gloves.
“Please take a seat.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Meson offered her a seat, but the door burst open, and Noah appeared. He usually showered and changed into his original clothes, but today he was still in his competition uniform.
“Please bring my clothes to my house.”
It didn't even look like he was going to change.
While Meson widened his eyes in surprise, Noah winked at Olivia.
“I’m sweating so I can’t catch it, so just follow me.”
Then he walked at her pace. Looking at his mighty back, Olivia felt as if she were standing before a vast mountain range.
Soon, as she boarded the carriage, Noah sat opposite her. Meson insisted on coming separately and moved away, and the carriage departed with only the two of them aboard.
Even among the sharp-tongued ladies, this didn't happen. Olivia felt a pang of discomfort in her chest, as if she had been stifled.
Noah stared out the window. How silent it must have been. He suddenly spoke.
"Why did you want to follow me, Liv? You knew they wouldn't be kind to you."
Noah, who had asked the question, turned his head to look at Olivia. Olivia clasped her hands together tightly and answered honestly.
"The longer I hesitate, the more afraid I become. I wanted to start before my fears grew."
Noah swallowed back his urge to curse at the word "fear."
“...It’s okay to hesitate. You don’t have to do it if you’re afraid.”
“...”
“I told you, you don’t have to do anything.”
"Noah, I don't quite understand what you mean. Before the wedding, I was instructed on the responsibilities of being a Princess. That included a lot of socializing. How can you tell me not to do anything..."
"I don't know who imposed the duties of a Princess upon you. It wasn't my mother, was it, His Majesty? More likely, it was Madame Lehmann, who was in charge of your education."
“...”
“Ignore it. Even if it was His Majesty’s words.”
His light words took her breath away.
"Social events? If you have to go, I'll go with you. So if you're scared or hesitant, don't do it. What's so great about being there like a spectacle? Who told you to? Being there is actually worse for me."
“...”
Every single word Noah said pierced her heart.
As her nose started to sting and her eyes started to heat, Olivia quickly turned her head and looked out the window. She felt like tears were about to spill out.
Olivia held back her tears with all her might.
She desperately tried to think of something else. Someone's already wearing a winter coat. Why is that person wearing shorts? It must be cold. That baby is so cute. And he has a little hat like that.
After a while of thinking about something else, her tears finally subsided. Just as they were fading, the carriage slowed noticeably and came to a halt.
Noah got out of the carriage without saying a word, and as always, he extended his hand to Olivia, who got out after him.
There was not a shred of agitation in his expression.
Olivia came down holding his hand as she always did.
As she came down holding the Prince's hand, the servants of the waiting mansion all bowed their heads.
“Welcome, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.”
Olivia gave them a quick greeting and slowly raised her head.
A grand and delicate mansion made of ivory marble seemed to be looking down on Olivia.
But Olivia couldn't appreciate the beauty of the mansion. Noah's back as he walked away, felt so cold and uncaring.
Noah soaked in the steaming hot bath. This was the first time he'd ever quit a polo game. It was an unpleasant moment in many ways.
“Your Highness, I have come.”
When Meson's voice came from outside the bathroom, Noah emerged. Wrapping a robe around his dripping body, he stepped outside, where Meson quickly followed him.
Mrs. Betty, who had neatly folded Noah's clothes and put them aside, quickly poured black tea into the Prince's cup.
“What about the Princess?”
“Her Highness is taking a quick bath and is taking a walk in the garden.”
At her words, Noah slowly walked to the balcony. As he opened the door and stepped outside, the garden, ablaze with vibrant autumn leaves, was greeted with a beautiful sight.
Noah quickly rolled his eyes and found her.
Olivia was strolling through the garden, wearing a light house dress, looking peaceful and serene.
When he saw that sight, his unpleasant feeling finally subsided, and peace came to him.
Noah took a very deep, long breath.
“Why did you suddenly do that?”
Noah responded calmly to Meson's question.
“What am I?”
“There was no reason for you to come back like this.”
“...Yes. Just tell me what Isabelle Seymour was talking about.”
At Noah's soft command, Meson recited the story as it happened without any embellishment.
"She told Her Highness about how you always had two cocktails, and how she used to hand them to you herself. She told Her Highness she let jer know what kind you were drinking."
“What the hell...!”
Noah gritted his teeth and spat out a curse. His gaze fell on the small of her back, which was fading away. It seemed she'd heard those words while he was gone.
The women surrounding them must have been gazing at Olivia, wondering how she would react.
“So... what did Olivia say?”
“Her Highness handled it so well that I didn’t have to interfere.”
“...”
"Her Highness said she would ask Your Highness directly about the cocktails she offered. When Lady Seymour objected, Her Highness drew the line, citing the Mallet incident as an example, stating that she would only accept her kindness."
“...”
“Your Highness arrived right after that.”
Noah remained silent. Meson stared blankly at Noah, then cautiously added.
"It might be presumptuous of me to say this, but... I think it would be best to trust Her Highness. Of course, entering high society won't be easy, but she'll overcome it. Even recalling what happened on the ship, Her Highness is remarkably rational and calm in assessing situations."
Noah listened quietly to Meson's words, then leaned back against the balcony railing. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the sun was slowly setting.
He remembered Olivia desperately holding back tears in the carriage. He thought tears would eventually fall from her red, puffy eyes.
But, in the end, Olivia held back her tears. She held them back without even a small gasp.
Noah, who had been quietly thinking of Olivia, ended up not saying anything.
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