Episode 128. Olivia's Efforts and Noah's Anxiety
Leonard's expectation that Noah would visit the next day was completely wrong.
Watching Duke Rosemond, who had become cold and subdued as if he were furious, the staff regretted not leaving work early.
Even in the midst of that, Leonard was constantly sending them glances.
“Noah, come quickly.”
Leonard greeted him while feigning ignorance, but Noah abruptly got straight to the point.
"Isn't the promise different?"
Leonard retorted immediately, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“What do you mean by different?”
"Didn't the Princess and I agree not to attend any events except for those that are absolutely necessary?"
"Isn't that right?"
"But..."
"Do I have to refuse even what the Princess said she would do first?"
Leonard gestured to his aides as he said this. The aides nodded reluctantly, and Noah let out a chuckle.
The aides, chilled to the bone, scrambled to quickly avoid his gaze. It would have been better if the Crown Prince were here, but he happened to be away.
Noah's heart was turning into a quagmire, a chaotic entanglement of resentment toward his father and lingering memories of the past. The mocking look on his face was contorted into a mess.
“Is it Olivia now, not me?”
“...”
"Is one not enough for you? Will you finally be satisfied only if you go so far as to make Olivia a stepping stone to the royal family as well?!!"
At that, Leonard also slammed his hand on the desk and jumped up from his seat.
"I've heard enough!! Did I drive her into a death trap?! Or did I send Olivia into the middle of enemy territory naked?!"
At his father's words, Noah burst into hollow laughter. As he laughed for a long time, his broad shoulders shrugging, a hint of madness could even be glimpsed.
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of the aides who had been holding their breath in the corner. Even Leonard was left speechless.
Finally, Noah composed his laughter, slowly scanned his face, and spoke.
"You speak so effortlessly. It is as if you had gone inside my mind and come back out, wondering whether it was a limb or not."
“...”
Noah spoke calmly, as if he had never let out a furious outburst.
“I will never endure that hell again. I have done enough, and I believe I have paid the price.”
“...”
“My wife is, of course, the same. Your Majesty.”
The King's office fell into an unbearably cold silence.
Olivia paced around the room, unable even to take off her clothes.
Noah clearly left in anger. However, no matter how much she thought about it, it was difficult to understand why he was angry.
Was there something I did wrong?
What did I do wrong?
Today, she did not even engage in the stubbornness and endurance he had hated so much. It was not as if she had clashed with the noble ladies, nor had she done anything that a Princess Consort should not have done.
Olivia stared blankly at the notebook.
"Did you get angry because I said I would do this...?"
But why?
She lingered in the dark room for quite a while when she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. As she ran out of the mansion in one go, Noah, tinged with darkness, was coming toward her, looking exhausted.
Olivia hesitated, unable to bring herself to approach him.
Noah stared blankly at Olivia, who looked exactly the same as when he left, then approached her.
“What were you doing without even changing your clothes?”
"No..."
"Let's go inside. The wind is cold."
Unlike before, his voice had softened.
Strangely, she felt as though she were about to burst into tears, but Olivia held back her tears, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and asked.
"Are you angry because I said I would give a congratulatory speech?"
The young anxiety on the pale face was pitiful.
“...”
Noah thought as he looked at her face.
All you have to do is spend the money I earn, enjoy the status I have, and be happy without a care in the paradise I created.
I couldn't understand how that connected to my happiness. That was just how I felt.
“...Noah.”
Feeling anxious, she called him again.
Everyone in the world wondered about Olivia in his paradise.
He burned countless invitations, canceled the event, and built the walls of the mansion so high that even paparazzi could not see in.
But what should be done if she tries to go outside the wall on her own accord?
Noah suppressed his seething anxiety and asked softly.
“Do you really want to try it?”
Olivia nodded, gripping the hem of his clothes a little tighter.
"Yes. I'd like to try it."
“...”
Wouldn't Olivia's mind change after facing reporters who indiscriminately thrust their cameras at her a few times?
The persistent interest of strangers is like a strangling hand.
“Okay. Then give it a try.”
“...Really?”
"Yes."
Olivia slowly caught her breath and spoke.
"I'll do my best."
"There's no need for that."
“...”
"You don't have to work hard, Liv."
The atmosphere between the two, which had relaxed for a moment, tightened again.
As the strength drained from Olivia's hand, the hem of his garment slipped down. Noah glanced at the sight, then took her limp hand.
The warmth transmitted through the palm and the cold, heartless gaze drove Olivia deeper into confusion.
Meanwhile, Leonard sneaked into Beatrix's bedroom and sat down, pretending not to notice.
"Trixie."
“...”
Outside the bedroom, they were King and Queen, but in their private space, they were merely a married couple. Beatrix did not answer her husband's call and lay down on the bed.
Leonard let out a small sigh and finally got to the point.
"Olivia came to see me today."
Beatrix, who had been stubbornly keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide.
“I secretly thought she had come to ask me to send Lucy to school, but she said she wanted to attend the Royal School founding ceremony.”
“...Is it Olivia?”
Beatrix got up.
"She even wrote a congratulatory speech. It seems like she grasped the situation all by herself, and even though no one helped her, she wrote it incredibly well."
Leonard, who had been snickering as he spoke, looked dark.
Although he was angry at his rude behavior, it was because Noah's hollow laughter was still ringing in his ears.
The children talked back so fiercely today that even he, who was always strong, was shaken.
“I expected Noah to come, but I didn’t expect him to rush over as soon as he heard the news from Olivia.”
"What did Noah say?"
“What are you talking about? He's foaming at the mouth. Asking if I don’t keep my promises properly.”
Leonard's expression was very grim. Beatrix stared at her husband's face for a moment and then asked.
King Herod let out a deep, long sigh slowly, then asked languidly back.
“...Should I not have Olivia give the congratulatory speech?”
“...”
Beatrix was overcome by an inexplicable sense of unease. Lost in thought, she eventually realized the reason for her unease and turned to her husband to speak.
“Why? Because Noah doesn’t like it?”
Leonard looked at her.
“If you had Olivia do this behind Noah’s back, and if you plan to continue putting Olivia in the media in Noah’s place in the future...”
“No. Of course, it would be nice to do that, but...”
"After all, doesn't that mean Olivia came to you of her own accord and asked? That implies she was constantly agonizing over it all alone. About what she should do as the Princess Consort."
"It is a job befitting the title of Princess."
"Then let her do it."
"That’s because Noah is making such a fuss."
Beatrix's eyes darkened. It was because the rumors she was hearing had been added to the mix.
She heard that the ladies of the capital have recently been sending Olivia an enormous number of invitations. However, she heard that not a single reply has come back.
Beatrix was convinced that her son was secretly intercepting the invitations addressed to his wife and throwing them all away.
Too much protection becomes a shackle.
"I will speak with Noah. Please proceed with Olivia's speech as is."
"Shall we?"
"And I will send Lucy to school as soon as her forehead heals, so please keep that in mind."
However, Leonard did not answer that in the end.
Olivia opened her eyes at dawn, before the sun had even risen. She turned her head and saw Noah still sleeping. She was deeply troubled by how downcast he looked.
However, the more that happened, the more a sense of responsibility to do this job well overwhelmed her. As his wife, the Princess Consort, she wanted to do a good job.
To be honest, she wanted to show him, too, that she could do this well.
She cautiously left the room wearing her robe. Perhaps because she had been waking up early for several days now, the servants had already lit a fire in the study.
"Thank you."
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
In the study, where soft light lingered, Olivia carefully reviewed the draft she had written yesterday. She hadn't been able to prepare it last night due to the rush, so she had to work hard now.
The King ordered her to memorize it exactly as it was, but she noticed occasional things that needed correction. After finishing a few corrections, she quickly crammed the content into her head.
Meanwhile, Olivia's stiff lips softened. Once she reached the stage where she could perfectly recite the content without looking, Olivia stood up and practiced, imagining an audience in front of her.
“Dear distinguished guests...”
A lecture demonstration is a mandatory requirement in the university professor appointment exam. Based on her memories of that time, she practiced alone time and time again, paying attention to voice pitch, eye contact, and dynamics.
She became increasingly immersed. The passage of time and the constraints of space vanished, and before she knew it, she was standing before an audience.
It was a joy she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Her heart warmed up, and life returned to her eyes.
She did not even notice the pale dawn wetting her toes or the golden sunlight settling deep into the study.
“...No. That doesn’t sound smooth.”
Even as she shook her head, the smile on the corners of her lips did not disappear.
"How long has she been doing that?"
When Noah, standing at the doorway, asked Mrs. Betty, she answered with a proud look on her face.
"She woke up at 4:30 in the morning."
Noah gazed at Olivia through the open door. Bathed in golden sunlight like a halo, she was as beautiful as an early morning goddess—beautiful enough to make him want to hide her away deep in paradise and gaze at her all alone.
Will the public leave that beautiful prey alone?
His anxiety soared, but he couldn't tell Olivia, who was so engrossed, to stop. Noah stared at Olivia for a long time, then quietly closed the door and turned around, speaking to her.
"Make sure to prepare the Princess's breakfast before going to the palace."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
And a short while later, Olivia, realizing belatedly that Noah had left for work, hurriedly ran outside, but his carriage was already far away.
"Ah..."
As she exhaled a short breath, white breath shattered.
“Your Highness, please go inside for your meal.”
As Mrs. Betty wrapped a shawl around her and spoke kindly, Olivia smiled awkwardly and turned around.
Then, turning back, she stared in the direction Noah had disappeared.
Leonard's expectation that Noah would visit the next day was completely wrong.
Watching Duke Rosemond, who had become cold and subdued as if he were furious, the staff regretted not leaving work early.
Even in the midst of that, Leonard was constantly sending them glances.
“Noah, come quickly.”
Leonard greeted him while feigning ignorance, but Noah abruptly got straight to the point.
"Isn't the promise different?"
Leonard retorted immediately, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“What do you mean by different?”
"Didn't the Princess and I agree not to attend any events except for those that are absolutely necessary?"
"Isn't that right?"
"But..."
"Do I have to refuse even what the Princess said she would do first?"
Leonard gestured to his aides as he said this. The aides nodded reluctantly, and Noah let out a chuckle.
The aides, chilled to the bone, scrambled to quickly avoid his gaze. It would have been better if the Crown Prince were here, but he happened to be away.
Noah's heart was turning into a quagmire, a chaotic entanglement of resentment toward his father and lingering memories of the past. The mocking look on his face was contorted into a mess.
“Is it Olivia now, not me?”
“...”
"Is one not enough for you? Will you finally be satisfied only if you go so far as to make Olivia a stepping stone to the royal family as well?!!"
At that, Leonard also slammed his hand on the desk and jumped up from his seat.
"I've heard enough!! Did I drive her into a death trap?! Or did I send Olivia into the middle of enemy territory naked?!"
At his father's words, Noah burst into hollow laughter. As he laughed for a long time, his broad shoulders shrugging, a hint of madness could even be glimpsed.
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of the aides who had been holding their breath in the corner. Even Leonard was left speechless.
Finally, Noah composed his laughter, slowly scanned his face, and spoke.
"You speak so effortlessly. It is as if you had gone inside my mind and come back out, wondering whether it was a limb or not."
“...”
Noah spoke calmly, as if he had never let out a furious outburst.
“I will never endure that hell again. I have done enough, and I believe I have paid the price.”
“...”
“My wife is, of course, the same. Your Majesty.”
The King's office fell into an unbearably cold silence.
***
Olivia paced around the room, unable even to take off her clothes.
Noah clearly left in anger. However, no matter how much she thought about it, it was difficult to understand why he was angry.
Was there something I did wrong?
What did I do wrong?
Today, she did not even engage in the stubbornness and endurance he had hated so much. It was not as if she had clashed with the noble ladies, nor had she done anything that a Princess Consort should not have done.
Olivia stared blankly at the notebook.
"Did you get angry because I said I would do this...?"
But why?
She lingered in the dark room for quite a while when she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance. As she ran out of the mansion in one go, Noah, tinged with darkness, was coming toward her, looking exhausted.
Olivia hesitated, unable to bring herself to approach him.
Noah stared blankly at Olivia, who looked exactly the same as when he left, then approached her.
“What were you doing without even changing your clothes?”
"No..."
"Let's go inside. The wind is cold."
Unlike before, his voice had softened.
Strangely, she felt as though she were about to burst into tears, but Olivia held back her tears, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and asked.
"Are you angry because I said I would give a congratulatory speech?"
The young anxiety on the pale face was pitiful.
“...”
Noah thought as he looked at her face.
All you have to do is spend the money I earn, enjoy the status I have, and be happy without a care in the paradise I created.
I couldn't understand how that connected to my happiness. That was just how I felt.
“...Noah.”
Feeling anxious, she called him again.
Everyone in the world wondered about Olivia in his paradise.
He burned countless invitations, canceled the event, and built the walls of the mansion so high that even paparazzi could not see in.
But what should be done if she tries to go outside the wall on her own accord?
Noah suppressed his seething anxiety and asked softly.
“Do you really want to try it?”
Olivia nodded, gripping the hem of his clothes a little tighter.
"Yes. I'd like to try it."
“...”
Wouldn't Olivia's mind change after facing reporters who indiscriminately thrust their cameras at her a few times?
The persistent interest of strangers is like a strangling hand.
“Okay. Then give it a try.”
“...Really?”
"Yes."
Olivia slowly caught her breath and spoke.
"I'll do my best."
"There's no need for that."
“...”
"You don't have to work hard, Liv."
The atmosphere between the two, which had relaxed for a moment, tightened again.
As the strength drained from Olivia's hand, the hem of his garment slipped down. Noah glanced at the sight, then took her limp hand.
The warmth transmitted through the palm and the cold, heartless gaze drove Olivia deeper into confusion.
***
Meanwhile, Leonard sneaked into Beatrix's bedroom and sat down, pretending not to notice.
"Trixie."
“...”
Outside the bedroom, they were King and Queen, but in their private space, they were merely a married couple. Beatrix did not answer her husband's call and lay down on the bed.
Leonard let out a small sigh and finally got to the point.
"Olivia came to see me today."
Beatrix, who had been stubbornly keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide.
“I secretly thought she had come to ask me to send Lucy to school, but she said she wanted to attend the Royal School founding ceremony.”
“...Is it Olivia?”
Beatrix got up.
"She even wrote a congratulatory speech. It seems like she grasped the situation all by herself, and even though no one helped her, she wrote it incredibly well."
Leonard, who had been snickering as he spoke, looked dark.
Although he was angry at his rude behavior, it was because Noah's hollow laughter was still ringing in his ears.
The children talked back so fiercely today that even he, who was always strong, was shaken.
“I expected Noah to come, but I didn’t expect him to rush over as soon as he heard the news from Olivia.”
"What did Noah say?"
“What are you talking about? He's foaming at the mouth. Asking if I don’t keep my promises properly.”
Leonard's expression was very grim. Beatrix stared at her husband's face for a moment and then asked.
“Why do you look like that?”
“...Should I not have Olivia give the congratulatory speech?”
“...”
Beatrix was overcome by an inexplicable sense of unease. Lost in thought, she eventually realized the reason for her unease and turned to her husband to speak.
“Why? Because Noah doesn’t like it?”
Leonard looked at her.
“If you had Olivia do this behind Noah’s back, and if you plan to continue putting Olivia in the media in Noah’s place in the future...”
“No. Of course, it would be nice to do that, but...”
"After all, doesn't that mean Olivia came to you of her own accord and asked? That implies she was constantly agonizing over it all alone. About what she should do as the Princess Consort."
"It is a job befitting the title of Princess."
"Then let her do it."
"That’s because Noah is making such a fuss."
Beatrix's eyes darkened. It was because the rumors she was hearing had been added to the mix.
She heard that the ladies of the capital have recently been sending Olivia an enormous number of invitations. However, she heard that not a single reply has come back.
Beatrix was convinced that her son was secretly intercepting the invitations addressed to his wife and throwing them all away.
Too much protection becomes a shackle.
"I will speak with Noah. Please proceed with Olivia's speech as is."
"Shall we?"
"And I will send Lucy to school as soon as her forehead heals, so please keep that in mind."
However, Leonard did not answer that in the end.
***
Olivia opened her eyes at dawn, before the sun had even risen. She turned her head and saw Noah still sleeping. She was deeply troubled by how downcast he looked.
However, the more that happened, the more a sense of responsibility to do this job well overwhelmed her. As his wife, the Princess Consort, she wanted to do a good job.
To be honest, she wanted to show him, too, that she could do this well.
She cautiously left the room wearing her robe. Perhaps because she had been waking up early for several days now, the servants had already lit a fire in the study.
"Thank you."
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
In the study, where soft light lingered, Olivia carefully reviewed the draft she had written yesterday. She hadn't been able to prepare it last night due to the rush, so she had to work hard now.
The King ordered her to memorize it exactly as it was, but she noticed occasional things that needed correction. After finishing a few corrections, she quickly crammed the content into her head.
Meanwhile, Olivia's stiff lips softened. Once she reached the stage where she could perfectly recite the content without looking, Olivia stood up and practiced, imagining an audience in front of her.
“Dear distinguished guests...”
A lecture demonstration is a mandatory requirement in the university professor appointment exam. Based on her memories of that time, she practiced alone time and time again, paying attention to voice pitch, eye contact, and dynamics.
She became increasingly immersed. The passage of time and the constraints of space vanished, and before she knew it, she was standing before an audience.
It was a joy she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Her heart warmed up, and life returned to her eyes.
She did not even notice the pale dawn wetting her toes or the golden sunlight settling deep into the study.
“...No. That doesn’t sound smooth.”
Even as she shook her head, the smile on the corners of her lips did not disappear.
"How long has she been doing that?"
When Noah, standing at the doorway, asked Mrs. Betty, she answered with a proud look on her face.
"She woke up at 4:30 in the morning."
Noah gazed at Olivia through the open door. Bathed in golden sunlight like a halo, she was as beautiful as an early morning goddess—beautiful enough to make him want to hide her away deep in paradise and gaze at her all alone.
Will the public leave that beautiful prey alone?
His anxiety soared, but he couldn't tell Olivia, who was so engrossed, to stop. Noah stared at Olivia for a long time, then quietly closed the door and turned around, speaking to her.
"Make sure to prepare the Princess's breakfast before going to the palace."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
And a short while later, Olivia, realizing belatedly that Noah had left for work, hurriedly ran outside, but his carriage was already far away.
"Ah..."
As she exhaled a short breath, white breath shattered.
“Your Highness, please go inside for your meal.”
As Mrs. Betty wrapped a shawl around her and spoke kindly, Olivia smiled awkwardly and turned around.
Then, turning back, she stared in the direction Noah had disappeared.
Comments
Post a Comment