Episode 126. The Small Creature That Crawled into the Den of Evil
She never hesitates to do what needs to be done. Because prolonged hesitation breeds doubt and fear. That is why, in moments of life and death, Olivia always acted immediately without hesitation.
The two guards standing at the main palace entrance quickly saluted the Princess upon seeing her suddenly appear. The Princess, dressed in a neat coat, greeted them and stepped through the door.
"If you follow the central staircase of the main palace to the third floor and turn to the right, you will see a massive door that is instantly recognizable as the King's office. Six guards and two attendants will be standing on either side of the door; please request an audience with the attendant wearing a black tie."
Recalling the words of Lucy's nanny, Mrs. Lehmann, Olivia took her first step onto the central staircase.
The main palace, the heart of Herod's Palace, was a cultural heritage in itself. The central staircase she was stepping on had been built as far back as five centuries ago. However, Olivia was so nervous that she could not see anything about the main palace.
'3rd floor, 3rd floor...'
Olivia, having reached the third floor after winding her way around the landing, caught her breath and turned to the right. Just as Madame Lehmann had said, at the end of the hallway was a massive door, large enough for anyone to recognize as the King's office. The gazes of the people standing in front of the door fell upon her.
Her heart pounded as if it would burst. Fear surged through her.
'It's something that has to be done.'
Olivia forced her hesitant legs to move. Hesitation and fear clung to her like shadows, seemingly pulling her heels backward, yet she did not stop walking.
The guards of the King's office met Olivia with emotionless, statue-like eyes and saluted respectfully.
Olivia approached the servant wearing a black tie.
Then, she spoke calmly in a steady voice.
"Olivia Rosemond Astrid wishes to request an audience with His Majesty."
The King's expression after meeting Lucy was cold and dark.
With a hole in the direction due to the Magic Dome problem, Harold Beam irritating him with nonsense, and his beloved daughter Lucy causing him trouble, Leonard's mood hit rock bottom.
The aura emanating from him was so chilling that not only the chief chamberlain and staff who had served him for a long time, but even Usher, who had stopped by to report, could not easily open his mouth. They merely endured the cigarette smoke rising from his fingertips.
The icy silence was broken by a sudden knock.
A servant slipped in through the gap in the door that the chief attendant had quickly opened. The eyes of the people in the room, who had been shuddering at the silence, all turned to the servant at once.
He hurried toward the King and announced the visit of an unexpected person.
"Your Majesty, the Duchess of Rosemond has requested an audience. She says she will come at a time if you let her know when it is convenient."
Leonard, who had been leaning his elbows diagonally on the desk, finally turned to look at the servant.
"Olivia?"
"Yes."
Ah, what am I going to do about this timing?
Even seasoned aides would delay their reports and flee in moments like this, so to think an audience had to take place at such a time. The aides mourned her.
Perhaps thinking so himself, the attendant who had reported it tried to postpone the audience as much as possible for Olivia's sake.
“Should I ask her to come back tomorrow... in the morning?”
However, the King shrugged his shoulders indifferently and opened his mouth.
"There is no need for that. Let her in now."
As the King's command was given, everyone in the room prayed for Olivia.
Why did you come at a moment like this...
A moment later, when Olivia appeared through the open door, people let out an even deeper sigh. This was because she coughed from the strong cigarette smoke as she entered the King's office.
Cough, cough.
She was like a small creature that had unwittingly crawled into a den of evil.
Cough, cough.
As Olivia stopped and coughed, Leonard, who had been happily smoking a cigarette until now, also paused.
He stared at the cigarette for a moment, then stubbed it out as if resigned. Usher, who had been unable to open the door due to the King's displeasure, opened the window as if this were his chance.
As a cold, chilly wind swept through the thick smoke, Olivia's coughing also stopped.
"Cough... Sorry."
As she quickly bowed in apology, Leonard also straightened his back and returned her greeting.
"Come on in. As I said earlier, you worked really hard teaching Lucy today."
Olivia braced herself, gripping her legs tightly, even as she worried her heart might burst. After giving a light bow to Usher, who was standing by the window, she looked at Leonard.
One fortunate thing was that the King bore a striking resemblance to Marguerite and Noah. It was not just the appearance that was similar, but above all, the impression and atmosphere they exuded. Though she supposed the three of them would likely get sick of it if she told them they looked alike.
Olivia spoke up, hoping her voice wouldn't tremble.
"Her Highness the Princess's passion for learning is so great. I was able to teach her with pleasure as well."
Leonard chuckled and nodded. Then, he stared intently at Olivia with a sharp gaze. He suspected that she had come intending to bring up Lucy's school issues. If she did, he intended to firmly stop her.
"So, what brings you here?"
Even the aides trembled at the question, which was filled with dignity. It was common for even the courtiers and nobles to tremble and make mistake after mistake upon their first meeting with the King. People looked at Olivia with worried eyes.
However, the Princess was calm, though somewhat stiff. She even appeared detached at first glance. Even Usher was inwardly surprised.
And even the words that came out through her teeth were unexpected.
"I have come to ask if I may attend the ceremony for the founding of the Royal School hosted by Your Majesty."
Leonard, who had been looking at her with a sharp gaze, widened his eyes as if he had been struck by a punch.
“Hmm? At the Royal School's founding anniversary?”
"Yes."
“How did you come up with such a thought?”
Olivia chose her words carefully for a moment. Just because their vibes were similar didn't mean their personalities were the same, but considering Margot and Noah, she decided that being direct would be better than beating around the bush.
Olivia bowed her head slightly and said.
“I have never forgotten for a single moment the words Your Majesty spoke to me on our wedding day.”
It was a word only Leonard could understand. The gazes of the aides and Usher who silently turned toward the King. And they saw it. The corners of the King's tightly closed lips were twitching slightly.
However, the King completely concealed his smile and asked back sluggishly.
"So?"
“...”
Olivia cautiously raised her eyes to meet Leonard's gaze. The King of Herod tested Olivia, his eyes shining with a cold glint.
“If you attend there, what do you intend to do?”
Ah, Your Majesty, why are you doing this?
The advisors deplored the King's behavior, and Usher was convinced that if Noah had seen this scene, he would have foamed at the mouth.
It was the moment Usher, unable to bear it any longer, was about to open his mouth to say something to his father.
"If you let me know what I can do, I will do my best."
“Things you can do?”
"For instance, if you ask me to do an interview, I will do so, and if you ask me to give a congratulatory speech, I will prepare one."
The corners of Leonard's lips trembled.
“Congratulatory speech?”
When he barely managed to maintain his composure and asked, Olivia hesitated for a moment, then opened the bag she was holding.
“...?”
While everyone was wondering, Olivia took out a notebook.
“Um... It’s hard to predict the interview, so I tried writing a congratulatory speech for now...”
Before Olivia could even finish speaking, Leonard sat up and impatiently reached out his hand.
“Bring it over here.”
Olivia quickly approached him and held out a notebook, and Leonard snatched it away.
Olivia's heart was on the verge of bursting. Cold sweat ran down her spine. Only then did her tightly clasped hands begin to tremble.
Leonard quickly read through the neat notes.
“...”
Leonard, having finished reading to the last sentence, tilted his head, straightened his posture, and read again.
Olivia held her breath and stared only at her fingertips. She desperately hoped that this choice was not wrong.
However, the expressions of the others, excluding her, changed subtly.
It was because of the King's attitude.
Leonard was a man who would mercilessly return a report if he read it once and deemed it unsuitable. The fact that he straightened his posture to read it again meant it was worth reading. Above all, the corners of the King's mouth kept trembling and twitching.
"Hmm..."
The King was desperately holding back his laughter.
The aides heard the King's silent cheer. It was visible that the gloomy mood, which had pierced through the floor and extended down to the underground, was soaring steeply toward the spire of Hamel Cathedral.
Leonard, having checked the congratulatory speech three times, stared intently at Olivia and asked.
"Did you write it alone?"
Olivia answered, catching her breath.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Did Noah tell you about the situation?
"...No."
Leonard furrowed his brow slightly and lowered his gaze again. Olivia blinked and cautiously began to speak.
“...to revise...”
"Memorize it."
Leonard interrupted her and handed her a notebook. As Olivia froze in a daze, Leonard gently shook the notebook he was holding to wake her up. Olivia quickly took the notebook.
"Are you having classes with Lucy from the morning again tomorrow?"
"That is correct."
“Then come back after class. Memorize it exactly as written.”
It was a neat command.
Olivia hugged the notebook and blinked blankly.
Leonard nodded, staring intently into her eyes as if to ask if she understood. Startled awake by this, Olivia quickly knelt down and bowed.
“Yes. Then I will return tomorrow, Your Majesty. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
The moment she bowed, the tension that had been building up so tensely crumbled. Her hand trembled as she put the notebook into her bag, but she didn't drop it. In the midst of that, she even managed to greet the usher.
Olivia turned around, feeling as if she were floating in the air. It felt as if her heart was already outside her body.
The eyes of everyone in the room followed her footsteps.
As soon as she left the room, the people stealthily rolled their eyes to look at the King.
An uncontrollable smile hung over the King's face, which had just moments ago worn a menacing expression that sent shivers down one's spine.
She never hesitates to do what needs to be done. Because prolonged hesitation breeds doubt and fear. That is why, in moments of life and death, Olivia always acted immediately without hesitation.
The two guards standing at the main palace entrance quickly saluted the Princess upon seeing her suddenly appear. The Princess, dressed in a neat coat, greeted them and stepped through the door.
"If you follow the central staircase of the main palace to the third floor and turn to the right, you will see a massive door that is instantly recognizable as the King's office. Six guards and two attendants will be standing on either side of the door; please request an audience with the attendant wearing a black tie."
Recalling the words of Lucy's nanny, Mrs. Lehmann, Olivia took her first step onto the central staircase.
The main palace, the heart of Herod's Palace, was a cultural heritage in itself. The central staircase she was stepping on had been built as far back as five centuries ago. However, Olivia was so nervous that she could not see anything about the main palace.
'3rd floor, 3rd floor...'
Olivia, having reached the third floor after winding her way around the landing, caught her breath and turned to the right. Just as Madame Lehmann had said, at the end of the hallway was a massive door, large enough for anyone to recognize as the King's office. The gazes of the people standing in front of the door fell upon her.
Her heart pounded as if it would burst. Fear surged through her.
'It's something that has to be done.'
Olivia forced her hesitant legs to move. Hesitation and fear clung to her like shadows, seemingly pulling her heels backward, yet she did not stop walking.
The guards of the King's office met Olivia with emotionless, statue-like eyes and saluted respectfully.
Olivia approached the servant wearing a black tie.
Then, she spoke calmly in a steady voice.
"Olivia Rosemond Astrid wishes to request an audience with His Majesty."
The King's expression after meeting Lucy was cold and dark.
With a hole in the direction due to the Magic Dome problem, Harold Beam irritating him with nonsense, and his beloved daughter Lucy causing him trouble, Leonard's mood hit rock bottom.
The aura emanating from him was so chilling that not only the chief chamberlain and staff who had served him for a long time, but even Usher, who had stopped by to report, could not easily open his mouth. They merely endured the cigarette smoke rising from his fingertips.
The icy silence was broken by a sudden knock.
A servant slipped in through the gap in the door that the chief attendant had quickly opened. The eyes of the people in the room, who had been shuddering at the silence, all turned to the servant at once.
He hurried toward the King and announced the visit of an unexpected person.
"Your Majesty, the Duchess of Rosemond has requested an audience. She says she will come at a time if you let her know when it is convenient."
Leonard, who had been leaning his elbows diagonally on the desk, finally turned to look at the servant.
"Olivia?"
"Yes."
Ah, what am I going to do about this timing?
Even seasoned aides would delay their reports and flee in moments like this, so to think an audience had to take place at such a time. The aides mourned her.
Perhaps thinking so himself, the attendant who had reported it tried to postpone the audience as much as possible for Olivia's sake.
“Should I ask her to come back tomorrow... in the morning?”
However, the King shrugged his shoulders indifferently and opened his mouth.
"There is no need for that. Let her in now."
As the King's command was given, everyone in the room prayed for Olivia.
Why did you come at a moment like this...
A moment later, when Olivia appeared through the open door, people let out an even deeper sigh. This was because she coughed from the strong cigarette smoke as she entered the King's office.
Cough, cough.
She was like a small creature that had unwittingly crawled into a den of evil.
Cough, cough.
As Olivia stopped and coughed, Leonard, who had been happily smoking a cigarette until now, also paused.
He stared at the cigarette for a moment, then stubbed it out as if resigned. Usher, who had been unable to open the door due to the King's displeasure, opened the window as if this were his chance.
As a cold, chilly wind swept through the thick smoke, Olivia's coughing also stopped.
"Cough... Sorry."
As she quickly bowed in apology, Leonard also straightened his back and returned her greeting.
"Come on in. As I said earlier, you worked really hard teaching Lucy today."
Olivia braced herself, gripping her legs tightly, even as she worried her heart might burst. After giving a light bow to Usher, who was standing by the window, she looked at Leonard.
One fortunate thing was that the King bore a striking resemblance to Marguerite and Noah. It was not just the appearance that was similar, but above all, the impression and atmosphere they exuded. Though she supposed the three of them would likely get sick of it if she told them they looked alike.
Olivia spoke up, hoping her voice wouldn't tremble.
"Her Highness the Princess's passion for learning is so great. I was able to teach her with pleasure as well."
Leonard chuckled and nodded. Then, he stared intently at Olivia with a sharp gaze. He suspected that she had come intending to bring up Lucy's school issues. If she did, he intended to firmly stop her.
"So, what brings you here?"
Even the aides trembled at the question, which was filled with dignity. It was common for even the courtiers and nobles to tremble and make mistake after mistake upon their first meeting with the King. People looked at Olivia with worried eyes.
However, the Princess was calm, though somewhat stiff. She even appeared detached at first glance. Even Usher was inwardly surprised.
And even the words that came out through her teeth were unexpected.
"I have come to ask if I may attend the ceremony for the founding of the Royal School hosted by Your Majesty."
Leonard, who had been looking at her with a sharp gaze, widened his eyes as if he had been struck by a punch.
“Hmm? At the Royal School's founding anniversary?”
"Yes."
“How did you come up with such a thought?”
Olivia chose her words carefully for a moment. Just because their vibes were similar didn't mean their personalities were the same, but considering Margot and Noah, she decided that being direct would be better than beating around the bush.
Olivia bowed her head slightly and said.
“I have never forgotten for a single moment the words Your Majesty spoke to me on our wedding day.”
It was a word only Leonard could understand. The gazes of the aides and Usher who silently turned toward the King. And they saw it. The corners of the King's tightly closed lips were twitching slightly.
However, the King completely concealed his smile and asked back sluggishly.
"So?"
“...”
Olivia cautiously raised her eyes to meet Leonard's gaze. The King of Herod tested Olivia, his eyes shining with a cold glint.
“If you attend there, what do you intend to do?”
Ah, Your Majesty, why are you doing this?
The advisors deplored the King's behavior, and Usher was convinced that if Noah had seen this scene, he would have foamed at the mouth.
It was the moment Usher, unable to bear it any longer, was about to open his mouth to say something to his father.
"If you let me know what I can do, I will do my best."
“Things you can do?”
"For instance, if you ask me to do an interview, I will do so, and if you ask me to give a congratulatory speech, I will prepare one."
The corners of Leonard's lips trembled.
“Congratulatory speech?”
When he barely managed to maintain his composure and asked, Olivia hesitated for a moment, then opened the bag she was holding.
“...?”
While everyone was wondering, Olivia took out a notebook.
“Um... It’s hard to predict the interview, so I tried writing a congratulatory speech for now...”
Before Olivia could even finish speaking, Leonard sat up and impatiently reached out his hand.
“Bring it over here.”
Olivia quickly approached him and held out a notebook, and Leonard snatched it away.
Olivia's heart was on the verge of bursting. Cold sweat ran down her spine. Only then did her tightly clasped hands begin to tremble.
Leonard quickly read through the neat notes.
“...”
Leonard, having finished reading to the last sentence, tilted his head, straightened his posture, and read again.
Olivia held her breath and stared only at her fingertips. She desperately hoped that this choice was not wrong.
However, the expressions of the others, excluding her, changed subtly.
It was because of the King's attitude.
Leonard was a man who would mercilessly return a report if he read it once and deemed it unsuitable. The fact that he straightened his posture to read it again meant it was worth reading. Above all, the corners of the King's mouth kept trembling and twitching.
"Hmm..."
The King was desperately holding back his laughter.
The aides heard the King's silent cheer. It was visible that the gloomy mood, which had pierced through the floor and extended down to the underground, was soaring steeply toward the spire of Hamel Cathedral.
Leonard, having checked the congratulatory speech three times, stared intently at Olivia and asked.
"Did you write it alone?"
Olivia answered, catching her breath.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Did Noah tell you about the situation?
"...No."
Leonard furrowed his brow slightly and lowered his gaze again. Olivia blinked and cautiously began to speak.
“...to revise...”
"Memorize it."
Leonard interrupted her and handed her a notebook. As Olivia froze in a daze, Leonard gently shook the notebook he was holding to wake her up. Olivia quickly took the notebook.
"Are you having classes with Lucy from the morning again tomorrow?"
"That is correct."
“Then come back after class. Memorize it exactly as written.”
It was a neat command.
Olivia hugged the notebook and blinked blankly.
Leonard nodded, staring intently into her eyes as if to ask if she understood. Startled awake by this, Olivia quickly knelt down and bowed.
“Yes. Then I will return tomorrow, Your Majesty. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
The moment she bowed, the tension that had been building up so tensely crumbled. Her hand trembled as she put the notebook into her bag, but she didn't drop it. In the midst of that, she even managed to greet the usher.
Olivia turned around, feeling as if she were floating in the air. It felt as if her heart was already outside her body.
The eyes of everyone in the room followed her footsteps.
As soon as she left the room, the people stealthily rolled their eyes to look at the King.
An uncontrollable smile hung over the King's face, which had just moments ago worn a menacing expression that sent shivers down one's spine.
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