Episode 142. The Room of Splendid Possession
“What on earth do you want me to do?!!”
"Have you been to Roswell?"
“...”
Noah was speechless at his mother's sudden question.
Roswell.
Suddenly, he recalled Olivia's voice as she spoke those words.
"Could we possibly stop by Roswell on the way back?"
He wondered why she wanted to go to that neighborhood with nothing to see. Since he was feeling quite sleepy, he vaguely said okay.
“Alright. Then let’s stop by briefly on the way back.”
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Thank you!"
He thought he wondered why she liked it so much, what was so special about it?
Beatrix asked Noah a crucial question as he recalled the past.
"Then, do you know the name of the grandmother who raised Olivia?"
“...”
At that question, Noah's eyes eventually shook violently.
The names of the grandparents were not written on the marriage vows, and the name of the grandmother, who had already passed away, was not mentioned even in King Leonard's report, which contained only essential information.
Beatrix shook her head, her expression hardening.
“Can you really say that you know what Olivia is truly afraid of, and therefore what she needs protection from?”
“...”
“And while you are ‘protecting’ as you please, I don’t understand why you look so exhausted.”
Noah turned as if he could no longer listen and walked away with a steady stride. His steps were perfectly steady, as if measured with a ruler, but his mother could see it. The precarious gesture of a desperate escape.
Beatrix's heart trembled violently at the sound of his rough breathing. But ultimately, she shouted out for his sake.
“Doesn’t your castle have Lucy’s toy room, Noah?”
An extremely splendid and beautiful room of possession given regardless of the recipient's will.
Noah stopped dead in his tracks and pressed his eyes shut. A suffocating numbness and an inexplicable fear swept over him. It was an emotion more vicious and merciless than the boredom that had been eating away at his life.
He would have preferred it if he were the only one suffering from the media.
It was better back when everything in the world was colored in black and white, and he wouldn't have felt regret even if he died at any moment.
His heart, which had not been afraid even when facing monsters of the pitch-black sea, surged wildly in front of that little woman.
Thinking that he had made a mistake marrying, Noah walked with heavy steps.
The next day, Herod's morning newspapers unanimously reported the news of Prince Noah's return to the navy and turned their attention to Wilhelm.
This was because Leonard, who had been tolerant of the press until then, was furious at the unsolicited extra edition. This was not Polia, and the Herodian royal court was still intact. The newspapers quickly bowed their heads before the King's wrath.
Last night, public sentiment, which had been in turmoil, tilted in favor of the royal family and the Prince as easily as flipping a hand.
"Good heavens, they say these wicked bastards are seeking revenge because they refuse to admit their wrongdoing to the very end?"
“My cousin was on that ship, you know! He said the real Magic Dome actually stopped working in the middle of the journey!! He said he can still hear the sound of the coelacanths attacking the bottom of the ship!”
“And I heard that His Royal Highness the Prince even helped out because he was worried the shipping company might go out of business. Did you see the article?”
The angry people rushed to the Herod branch building of Wilhelm and protested vehemently. The exterior walls of the Wilhelm building were a mess of filth and raw eggs that had flown in early in the morning.
“Hey, you wicked bastards! Then are you saying our Prince and Princess should have been drowned in the sea?!”
“What about the countless people on that ship!!”
"Start the repairs right now!!"
Herod, the branch chief, shook his head as he looked down from above at the crowd of people swarming about.
“This won’t do. Let’s post another photo this afternoon to divert attention.”
“Since Prince Noah has suddenly left the capital, there is no better time than this. Which photo should we use?”
Herod's branch manager turned his gaze to the desk. Among several black-and-white photos, he selected one of a sixteen-year-old Princess carrying a bag and walking somewhere.
"Let's go with this. It's really nice to see her smiling so broadly."
Just then, the loud crash of glass breaking was heard.
The branch manager frowned and spoke as if annoyed.
"Quick, make a newspaper out of this photo and distribute it."
The secretary quickly grabbed the photo and disappeared, and the branch manager glanced out the window and clicked his tongue.
When she opened her eyes, Olivia habitually looked to the side.
There were no signs of having been slept on the blanket or pillow. It seemed Noah hadn't slept here at all.
Olivia quietly blinked her eyes.
Perhaps because it was what she had expected, she wasn't even surprised. She was strangely indifferent.
She threw off the covers and stood up.
“...”
Something felt off, so she looked down; it wasn't pajamas. It looked exactly like the coat had been removed from the clothes worn yesterday, with only a couple of buttons on the shirt at the nape of the neck undone.
Olivia retraces her steps, wondering why she had fallen asleep in this state, and recalls that she had gone straight to bed after taking her medicine. As for the coat... Mrs. Betty must have taken it off for her.
Olivia's gaze slid along the carpet until it landed on her coat draped loosely over the sofa. She felt as though she could see the afterimage of Noah hanging her coat on the sofa.
Olivia choked up, and tears welled up.
No matter how hard she pressed her eyes with her hands, there was no way to stop the tears from leaking out.
The wave of disappointment felt unfamiliar.
“Don’t act like a fool, Olivia. Get a grip.”
Olivia held back her tears and opened her eyes wide.
Long ago, she resolved not to harbor feelings of hurt or sorrow. No matter how hard the world pushed her, she vowed never to consider herself a victim. She did not want to be a pitiful person, not even if she died and came back to life.
Olivia recalled the opera she had watched with Mrs. Winfred. She recalled the promise she had made that day.
“It’s understandable. It’s entirely possible. You know he didn’t propose because he loves me. Don’t act like you didn’t know.”
She stared intently at the emotions raging wildly inside her. It felt as though her chest was pricking somewhere, but the emotions still quietly bowed their heads and slowly faded away into the deep darkness.
Having composed herself, Olivia sat at the desk in a corner of the bedroom and wrote a polite letter. As soon as the letter was finished, she called Mrs. Betty over and handed it to her.
"Please send a letter to Her Majesty the Queen now."
Meanwhile, unlike his companions who left the capital with the Prince, Jonan remained at the mansion.
Noah ordered him to take Olivia to Hamuel this morning, but canceled the order from last night.
Had it not been for yesterday's extra edition, Noah intended to stop by Hammington to issue the order to Admiral David to move the warships, and then stay with Olivia and Hamuel for a while.
Meson, who had been watching over Noah from the side, muttered with a weary face.
“Even if His Highness declares that he will give up all affairs and live out the rest of his life in Hamuel with the Princess, I will accept it. Even if he says he will never set foot in the capital again until the day he dies.”
Jonan scratched the bridge of his nose and let out a short sigh.
Just when it seemed that light was finally shining on His Highness's turbulent life.
Just then, the sound of carriage wheels rolling vigorously was heard. Since no one was expected to come, Jonan gazed intently at the narrow path below the mansion.
As the splendid decorations on the carriage roof, hidden by the tall evergreen trees, came into view, Jonan's fierce gaze changed instantly.
The owner of the carriage was none other than Queen Beatrix.
Olivia greeted the Queen with a radiant face.
"Mother!"
Beatrix had expected Olivia to be sinking into despair, but the face she faced looked rather bright, as if nothing had happened. Beatrix was confused by this strangely contradictory emotional gap.
Is it that she is not bothered at all?
No, that's not right. She definitely looked like she was going to collapse yesterday.
“...Olivia, are you okay?”
"I'm sorry to tell you so suddenly that I can't come, Mother."
“No, that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking if you’re okay.”
Olivia smiled, pulling up her lips at the Queen's words.
She gained many things through her marriage to Noah. Her relationship with the benevolent and affectionate Queen Beatrix was also thanks to Noah.
"It's alright, Mother. I'm sorry to worry you."
Beatrix furrowed her brow and let out a short sigh. Then, after pondering for a long time, she spoke with difficulty.
“Noah had to deal with the press from around the age of fifteen or sixteen. He hated it terribly, but since it was His Majesty’s order, he couldn’t have rebelled.”
“...”
“Every single action and word he said made it into the newspapers. Sometimes he was misunderstood and had to clarify things. He didn’t have a single day to rest, attending events big and small every single day. In the end, he came to despise the media itself.”
Beatrix moistened her parched lips with tea. The more she spoke, the more tormented she felt by the thought that she had been such a terrible mother.
On top of that, it was even more distressing to feel like the price for the work was being shifted onto innocent Olivia.
"Perhaps Noah's actions were... to protect you."
“...”
"The reason I am bringing this up to you is not to ask you to blindly understand Noah and conform to his will."
Beatrix looked at Olivia with a gentle gaze, as if embracing her.
“Princess Marguerite told me that you are a child who wishes to live doing what you can in your own name. She said you are a child who absolutely cannot live merely by breathing.”
Only then did the smile vanish from Olivia's face.
“Princess Marguerite...?”
“Right. I mean that cynical princess. She earnestly begged me to look after you.”
Olivia lowered her gaze and bit her lip.
It was only then that Beatrix realized that this strange emotional gap was a desperate shield created by Olivia.
“Olivia, I am someone who wants you and Noah to live happily together. That is why I offered to help you, and why I told you why Noah dislikes the media.”
“...”
"Tell Noah what you want, and find a compromise with what he wants. It will be difficult, but give it a try."
It sounds easy, but is it really an easy task?
Even the Queen could not do it, and didn't Princess Marguerite leave her homeland believing she could not compromise with anyone?
Olivia lifted her bowed head and smiled brightly.
"Understood, Mother."
Beatrix looked at the radiant face, then averted her gaze due to a lump in her throat. Then she placed the morning newspaper she had brought down in front of Olivia.
"I brought this because I thought you wouldn't have any."
“...”
"Make sure to discuss this as well."
A heavy silence fell between the two women.
“What on earth do you want me to do?!!”
"Have you been to Roswell?"
“...”
Noah was speechless at his mother's sudden question.
Roswell.
Suddenly, he recalled Olivia's voice as she spoke those words.
"Could we possibly stop by Roswell on the way back?"
He wondered why she wanted to go to that neighborhood with nothing to see. Since he was feeling quite sleepy, he vaguely said okay.
“Alright. Then let’s stop by briefly on the way back.”
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Thank you!"
He thought he wondered why she liked it so much, what was so special about it?
Beatrix asked Noah a crucial question as he recalled the past.
"Then, do you know the name of the grandmother who raised Olivia?"
“...”
At that question, Noah's eyes eventually shook violently.
The names of the grandparents were not written on the marriage vows, and the name of the grandmother, who had already passed away, was not mentioned even in King Leonard's report, which contained only essential information.
Beatrix shook her head, her expression hardening.
“Can you really say that you know what Olivia is truly afraid of, and therefore what she needs protection from?”
“...”
“And while you are ‘protecting’ as you please, I don’t understand why you look so exhausted.”
Noah turned as if he could no longer listen and walked away with a steady stride. His steps were perfectly steady, as if measured with a ruler, but his mother could see it. The precarious gesture of a desperate escape.
Beatrix's heart trembled violently at the sound of his rough breathing. But ultimately, she shouted out for his sake.
“Doesn’t your castle have Lucy’s toy room, Noah?”
An extremely splendid and beautiful room of possession given regardless of the recipient's will.
Noah stopped dead in his tracks and pressed his eyes shut. A suffocating numbness and an inexplicable fear swept over him. It was an emotion more vicious and merciless than the boredom that had been eating away at his life.
He would have preferred it if he were the only one suffering from the media.
It was better back when everything in the world was colored in black and white, and he wouldn't have felt regret even if he died at any moment.
His heart, which had not been afraid even when facing monsters of the pitch-black sea, surged wildly in front of that little woman.
Thinking that he had made a mistake marrying, Noah walked with heavy steps.
The next day, Herod's morning newspapers unanimously reported the news of Prince Noah's return to the navy and turned their attention to Wilhelm.
This was because Leonard, who had been tolerant of the press until then, was furious at the unsolicited extra edition. This was not Polia, and the Herodian royal court was still intact. The newspapers quickly bowed their heads before the King's wrath.
Last night, public sentiment, which had been in turmoil, tilted in favor of the royal family and the Prince as easily as flipping a hand.
"Good heavens, they say these wicked bastards are seeking revenge because they refuse to admit their wrongdoing to the very end?"
“My cousin was on that ship, you know! He said the real Magic Dome actually stopped working in the middle of the journey!! He said he can still hear the sound of the coelacanths attacking the bottom of the ship!”
“And I heard that His Royal Highness the Prince even helped out because he was worried the shipping company might go out of business. Did you see the article?”
The angry people rushed to the Herod branch building of Wilhelm and protested vehemently. The exterior walls of the Wilhelm building were a mess of filth and raw eggs that had flown in early in the morning.
“Hey, you wicked bastards! Then are you saying our Prince and Princess should have been drowned in the sea?!”
“What about the countless people on that ship!!”
"Start the repairs right now!!"
Herod, the branch chief, shook his head as he looked down from above at the crowd of people swarming about.
“This won’t do. Let’s post another photo this afternoon to divert attention.”
“Since Prince Noah has suddenly left the capital, there is no better time than this. Which photo should we use?”
Herod's branch manager turned his gaze to the desk. Among several black-and-white photos, he selected one of a sixteen-year-old Princess carrying a bag and walking somewhere.
"Let's go with this. It's really nice to see her smiling so broadly."
Just then, the loud crash of glass breaking was heard.
The branch manager frowned and spoke as if annoyed.
"Quick, make a newspaper out of this photo and distribute it."
The secretary quickly grabbed the photo and disappeared, and the branch manager glanced out the window and clicked his tongue.
***
When she opened her eyes, Olivia habitually looked to the side.
There were no signs of having been slept on the blanket or pillow. It seemed Noah hadn't slept here at all.
Olivia quietly blinked her eyes.
Perhaps because it was what she had expected, she wasn't even surprised. She was strangely indifferent.
She threw off the covers and stood up.
“...”
Something felt off, so she looked down; it wasn't pajamas. It looked exactly like the coat had been removed from the clothes worn yesterday, with only a couple of buttons on the shirt at the nape of the neck undone.
Olivia retraces her steps, wondering why she had fallen asleep in this state, and recalls that she had gone straight to bed after taking her medicine. As for the coat... Mrs. Betty must have taken it off for her.
Olivia's gaze slid along the carpet until it landed on her coat draped loosely over the sofa. She felt as though she could see the afterimage of Noah hanging her coat on the sofa.
Olivia choked up, and tears welled up.
No matter how hard she pressed her eyes with her hands, there was no way to stop the tears from leaking out.
The wave of disappointment felt unfamiliar.
“Don’t act like a fool, Olivia. Get a grip.”
Olivia held back her tears and opened her eyes wide.
Long ago, she resolved not to harbor feelings of hurt or sorrow. No matter how hard the world pushed her, she vowed never to consider herself a victim. She did not want to be a pitiful person, not even if she died and came back to life.
Olivia recalled the opera she had watched with Mrs. Winfred. She recalled the promise she had made that day.
“It’s understandable. It’s entirely possible. You know he didn’t propose because he loves me. Don’t act like you didn’t know.”
She stared intently at the emotions raging wildly inside her. It felt as though her chest was pricking somewhere, but the emotions still quietly bowed their heads and slowly faded away into the deep darkness.
Having composed herself, Olivia sat at the desk in a corner of the bedroom and wrote a polite letter. As soon as the letter was finished, she called Mrs. Betty over and handed it to her.
"Please send a letter to Her Majesty the Queen now."
***
Meanwhile, unlike his companions who left the capital with the Prince, Jonan remained at the mansion.
Noah ordered him to take Olivia to Hamuel this morning, but canceled the order from last night.
Had it not been for yesterday's extra edition, Noah intended to stop by Hammington to issue the order to Admiral David to move the warships, and then stay with Olivia and Hamuel for a while.
Meson, who had been watching over Noah from the side, muttered with a weary face.
“Even if His Highness declares that he will give up all affairs and live out the rest of his life in Hamuel with the Princess, I will accept it. Even if he says he will never set foot in the capital again until the day he dies.”
Jonan scratched the bridge of his nose and let out a short sigh.
Just when it seemed that light was finally shining on His Highness's turbulent life.
Just then, the sound of carriage wheels rolling vigorously was heard. Since no one was expected to come, Jonan gazed intently at the narrow path below the mansion.
As the splendid decorations on the carriage roof, hidden by the tall evergreen trees, came into view, Jonan's fierce gaze changed instantly.
The owner of the carriage was none other than Queen Beatrix.
Olivia greeted the Queen with a radiant face.
"Mother!"
Beatrix had expected Olivia to be sinking into despair, but the face she faced looked rather bright, as if nothing had happened. Beatrix was confused by this strangely contradictory emotional gap.
Is it that she is not bothered at all?
No, that's not right. She definitely looked like she was going to collapse yesterday.
“...Olivia, are you okay?”
"I'm sorry to tell you so suddenly that I can't come, Mother."
“No, that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking if you’re okay.”
Olivia smiled, pulling up her lips at the Queen's words.
She gained many things through her marriage to Noah. Her relationship with the benevolent and affectionate Queen Beatrix was also thanks to Noah.
"It's alright, Mother. I'm sorry to worry you."
Beatrix furrowed her brow and let out a short sigh. Then, after pondering for a long time, she spoke with difficulty.
“Noah had to deal with the press from around the age of fifteen or sixteen. He hated it terribly, but since it was His Majesty’s order, he couldn’t have rebelled.”
“...”
“Every single action and word he said made it into the newspapers. Sometimes he was misunderstood and had to clarify things. He didn’t have a single day to rest, attending events big and small every single day. In the end, he came to despise the media itself.”
Beatrix moistened her parched lips with tea. The more she spoke, the more tormented she felt by the thought that she had been such a terrible mother.
On top of that, it was even more distressing to feel like the price for the work was being shifted onto innocent Olivia.
"Perhaps Noah's actions were... to protect you."
“...”
"The reason I am bringing this up to you is not to ask you to blindly understand Noah and conform to his will."
Beatrix looked at Olivia with a gentle gaze, as if embracing her.
“Princess Marguerite told me that you are a child who wishes to live doing what you can in your own name. She said you are a child who absolutely cannot live merely by breathing.”
Only then did the smile vanish from Olivia's face.
“Princess Marguerite...?”
“Right. I mean that cynical princess. She earnestly begged me to look after you.”
Olivia lowered her gaze and bit her lip.
It was only then that Beatrix realized that this strange emotional gap was a desperate shield created by Olivia.
“Olivia, I am someone who wants you and Noah to live happily together. That is why I offered to help you, and why I told you why Noah dislikes the media.”
“...”
"Tell Noah what you want, and find a compromise with what he wants. It will be difficult, but give it a try."
It sounds easy, but is it really an easy task?
Even the Queen could not do it, and didn't Princess Marguerite leave her homeland believing she could not compromise with anyone?
Olivia lifted her bowed head and smiled brightly.
"Understood, Mother."
Beatrix looked at the radiant face, then averted her gaze due to a lump in her throat. Then she placed the morning newspaper she had brought down in front of Olivia.
"I brought this because I thought you wouldn't have any."
“...”
"Make sure to discuss this as well."
A heavy silence fell between the two women.
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