Episode 145. The Girl in the Old Family Painting
The warship led by Noah anchored near Harolington Bay at sunset. Since the waters where the Magic Dome was installed were too shallow for the warship to enter, they dropped anchor a little further out to sea.
The Prince, in a white navy uniform, appeared before the press looking flawless.
“The safety of Haroldington Bay will be guaranteed under any circumstances. I have returned to the military temporarily, and I will command the warship until the repairs to the Magic Dome are completed.”
He did not blink an eye, even at the loud flash of the camera.
At the sight of him leading a massive warship with a commanding presence, the merchant representatives who had rushed over in anxiety felt a great sense of relief.
Yeah, if that person is guarding it, I don't think there will be any problems.
Noah's magnificent presence, combined with his naval uniform, left a strong impression on people's minds.
“Thank you, Your Highness!!”
As someone shouted that, people chanted Noah's name one after another, welcoming his return to the Navy.
After finishing his interview with the invited reporters, Noah headed straight to the naval residence.
As he entered the naval residence, the sailors who had served with him saluted in unison.
"It has been a long time, Your Highness."
Noah glanced at him but did not stop walking.
"I never thought I’d come here again."
"I have been hoping for a day like this to come."
“If you’re going to talk nonsense like that, shut your mouth, Pierre.”
The office he used during his naval service remained exactly as it was back then. In fact, a soldier's office was pretty much the same everywhere.
As Noah naturally sat down at the desk, Pierre reported as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Since the two Magic Domes, the primary strike units, are malfunctioning, the warship is effectively nothing more than a showpiece."
The range of the magic dome mounted on the warship is not very long.
Noah put a cigarette in his mouth instead of answering.
Pierre frowned and then smoothed out his nose as he asked cautiously.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be alright for you to tear apart the main body of Magic Dome Unit 2?”
As Noah looked up, Pierre shrugged and continued speaking.
“The ship-type Magic Dome—you managed to fix that somehow, didn't you? If you take this apart and try fixing it too...”
'What the hell are you talking about?!'
Pierre expected harsh words to fly at him, but surprisingly, Noah was silent. Only the cigarette hanging from his fingertips burned red.
“We’ve already had a falling out with Wilhelm Company anyway, so what’s stopping us? If you’re going to take it apart, I’ll help. You know I fix all the Navy’s small machinery, right?”
Noah, who had been lowering his gloomy gaze, stubbed out his cigarette.
“That’s not something I can decide alone. There are several alternatives in the worst-case scenario, and this is just one of them.”
"However, you must make a decision quickly. Warmer-than-average weather continues. I heard that some captains who went out fishing spotted a monster in the open sea."
Just then, with a knock, the door opened cautiously, and Meson entered.
At Meson's arrival, Pierre greeted Noah and turned his back. Then, after giving a light chin nod to Meson, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, he left the room.
As soon as he left, Meson took a rather thick document from under his dark cloak and placed it abruptly on Noah's desk, and Noah accepted the document as if he had been waiting for it.
Meson went to Roswell on Noah's orders while Noah went to Hammington to bring back a warship.
“Your Highness, the name of your grandfather is Hemil Max. He is the figure who established Herod’s first spinning mill. He is also the one who transformed Roswell into a spinning city, and it is said that the wealth he amassed was comparable to that of an ordinary noble family.”
Noah's gaze lingered on the faded family portrait tucked between the documents.
On the right side of the painting, a dapper gentleman with a mustache was smiling with a confident expression. To his left, a middle-aged woman with a cheerful expression stood with her husband.
"Her grandmother's name was Susanna Marks. She later changed her surname to Liberty when she immigrated to Pulder. She was said to be a remarkable woman who practically ran a spinning mill."
Noah caught his breath for a moment, then slowly rolled his eyes to the side.
"The names of Her Highness’s parents are James Marks and Sylvia Marks."
A young couple who looked very close were standing affectionately close together. At the feet of a young woman who resembled Olivia enough to be believed to be her, a little girl who appeared to be about five or six years old was smiling brightly while hugging a rabbit doll.
That laughter was radiant and clear.
"It is said that about thirteen years ago, there was a carriage rollover accident. As a result of that accident, Her Highness's Grandfather and parents died instantly on the spot, and in accordance with Herod’s property laws, all of the Marks family’s property was inherited by collateral relatives."
Three people were erased from this affectionate family picture, leaving only the grandmother and granddaughter.
“Did the one who received wealth comparable to that of a noble turn a blind eye to the remaining two?”
Meson nodded with a bitter expression at Noah's question.
"It is such an old matter that I cannot be entirely precise, but it appears they did not even want to pay for the Princess's tuition. That is why it seems the Princess's grandmother headed to Pulder with the young Princess."
"The person who received the property."
Meson quickly answered Noah's cold question.
"It is said that he squandered his vast fortune on gambling in exactly five years and committed suicide the following year. The whereabouts of his family members are also unknown."
No emotion was visible on Noah's face. Not even a trace of pity was seen for his wife, who had tragically lost her family and left her homeland.
Meson lowered his gaze, intimidated. In moments like this, Noah did not look like a human. He looked exactly like King Leonard's son.
Noah, who had been flipping through the documents for a moment, soon gathered them up and changed the subject.
“Where are Les Duants?”
“We have found a point of contact with general newspapers. It appears there was some kind of covert deal, but please wait for just one more case. We are almost done. Also, we have confirmed the circumstances of Ansen Wilhelm entering Polia.”
“Polia?”
"I have assigned someone to monitor the situation, so I will report back periodically on the movements."
Noah was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Good job. Send someone to report Ansen Wilhelm’s movements to His Majesty, and you arrest Les Duants. After all, he published another article like this today.”
Noah pointed his finger at the newspaper containing Olivia's photo, and Meson bowed respectfully. In the newspaper, Olivia, from her days attending Harrington College, was radiating light.
"All right."
Meson glanced at the Prince's face, sharp as if to cut, and turned away. And just before he left the room, Noah asked in a low voice.
"Olivia is..."
When Meson glanced back at him, Noah was taking out a cigarette again.
“...”
“...Wouldn’t she be waiting? Perhaps just stopping by for a moment...”
Noah answered with a cold expression, and Meson quietly withdrew from that point.
Noah's gaze, which had rested on an old family portrait, glided silently to the girl in the newspaper. A heart-wrenching sigh mingled with the sound in the spacious and magnificent office, then shattered and vanished.
The next morning.
As is usually the case, the day after taking medicine and sleeping, Olivia got out of bed suffering from a dull headache.
“You’re awake, Your Highness?”
Mrs. Betty approached as if she had been waiting.
“...What kind of scent is this?”
The cool scent, strongly reminiscent of a crisp forest, felt unfamiliar. However, thanks to it, her dull headache seemed to subside a little.
As Olivia focused on the scent lingering at the tip of her nose, Mrs. Betty carefully offered her some lukewarm tea.
"If you don't like the scent, I will remove it."
“No, it’s not like that. It’s nice.”
"This is a herbal tea that is good for headaches. Drink it straight like water."
Only then did Olivia realize that the scent filling the room was also Mrs. Betty's thoughtfulness for her.
"Thank you."
Olivia, having quenched her thirst with lukewarm tea, looked for the newspaper the Queen had sent.
But there was no newspaper today. Instead, unusual news was waiting for her.
Mrs. Betty whispered to Olivia, who was holding a card with a white ribbon in her hand.
"Please stand up. You must start getting ready now so you won't be late."
And a short while later.
Olivia got into the Queen's carriage and was heading somewhere.
In the presence of the Queen, who appeared with such dignity, Noah's bodyguards protecting Olivia did not dare even ask where the two were going. They simply saw Jonan diligently following the Queen's carriage.
Beatrix glanced at Jonan through the carriage window and looked at Olivia, who was sitting opposite her. Olivia, dressed in a bright, pale pink dress, was extremely beautiful, but she looked gaunt.
"You've gotten really thin."
Olivia glanced down at herself for no reason and simply smiled, while the Queen swallowed a groan inwardly. However, she did not show it on the outside and changed the subject.
"Today is a light charity party for ladies. Since it is not an official event, there are no reporters. Staying inside the mansion all the time can make you feel down, so think of it as an outing."
The ladies' charity party was held at the Queen's private villa located on the outskirts of the capital. Stepping out of the carriage, Olivia looked up as she gazed at the vast vineyards visible at a glance from the villa.
"It looks desolate now with all the leaves fallen and only the trees remaining, but they say it is a spectacular sight around summer."
Beatrix approached and explained.
“When Noah was little, he ran around this vineyard so much picking and eating grapes that whenever he came and went, the grape juice would stain the undersides of his fingernails, turning them dark blue. And because his belly was so full, he would often fall asleep without eating dinner.”
As the image of Noah running around everywhere, plucking a bunch of grapes hanging from the vine with one hand, came to mind, Olivia couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Beatrix didn't miss that laugh.
“If the child born in the future causes unusual trouble, tell Noah to take responsibility.”
Eventually, Olivia burst out laughing. Even though she covered her mouth with her hand, a clear laugh escaped. Beatrix also chuckled and whispered softly.
“If you don’t have the confidence to say that, I’ll do it for you.”
It was then.
The warship led by Noah anchored near Harolington Bay at sunset. Since the waters where the Magic Dome was installed were too shallow for the warship to enter, they dropped anchor a little further out to sea.
The Prince, in a white navy uniform, appeared before the press looking flawless.
“The safety of Haroldington Bay will be guaranteed under any circumstances. I have returned to the military temporarily, and I will command the warship until the repairs to the Magic Dome are completed.”
He did not blink an eye, even at the loud flash of the camera.
At the sight of him leading a massive warship with a commanding presence, the merchant representatives who had rushed over in anxiety felt a great sense of relief.
Yeah, if that person is guarding it, I don't think there will be any problems.
Noah's magnificent presence, combined with his naval uniform, left a strong impression on people's minds.
“Thank you, Your Highness!!”
As someone shouted that, people chanted Noah's name one after another, welcoming his return to the Navy.
After finishing his interview with the invited reporters, Noah headed straight to the naval residence.
As he entered the naval residence, the sailors who had served with him saluted in unison.
Pierre, the head of Magic Dome and the only one who remained in the military while all his colleagues followed Noah in leaving the service, smiled and greeted them.
Noah glanced at him but did not stop walking.
"I never thought I’d come here again."
"I have been hoping for a day like this to come."
“If you’re going to talk nonsense like that, shut your mouth, Pierre.”
The office he used during his naval service remained exactly as it was back then. In fact, a soldier's office was pretty much the same everywhere.
As Noah naturally sat down at the desk, Pierre reported as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Since the two Magic Domes, the primary strike units, are malfunctioning, the warship is effectively nothing more than a showpiece."
The range of the magic dome mounted on the warship is not very long.
Noah put a cigarette in his mouth instead of answering.
Pierre frowned and then smoothed out his nose as he asked cautiously.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be alright for you to tear apart the main body of Magic Dome Unit 2?”
As Noah looked up, Pierre shrugged and continued speaking.
“The ship-type Magic Dome—you managed to fix that somehow, didn't you? If you take this apart and try fixing it too...”
'What the hell are you talking about?!'
Pierre expected harsh words to fly at him, but surprisingly, Noah was silent. Only the cigarette hanging from his fingertips burned red.
“We’ve already had a falling out with Wilhelm Company anyway, so what’s stopping us? If you’re going to take it apart, I’ll help. You know I fix all the Navy’s small machinery, right?”
Noah, who had been lowering his gloomy gaze, stubbed out his cigarette.
“That’s not something I can decide alone. There are several alternatives in the worst-case scenario, and this is just one of them.”
"However, you must make a decision quickly. Warmer-than-average weather continues. I heard that some captains who went out fishing spotted a monster in the open sea."
Just then, with a knock, the door opened cautiously, and Meson entered.
At Meson's arrival, Pierre greeted Noah and turned his back. Then, after giving a light chin nod to Meson, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, he left the room.
As soon as he left, Meson took a rather thick document from under his dark cloak and placed it abruptly on Noah's desk, and Noah accepted the document as if he had been waiting for it.
Meson went to Roswell on Noah's orders while Noah went to Hammington to bring back a warship.
“Your Highness, the name of your grandfather is Hemil Max. He is the figure who established Herod’s first spinning mill. He is also the one who transformed Roswell into a spinning city, and it is said that the wealth he amassed was comparable to that of an ordinary noble family.”
Noah's gaze lingered on the faded family portrait tucked between the documents.
On the right side of the painting, a dapper gentleman with a mustache was smiling with a confident expression. To his left, a middle-aged woman with a cheerful expression stood with her husband.
"Her grandmother's name was Susanna Marks. She later changed her surname to Liberty when she immigrated to Pulder. She was said to be a remarkable woman who practically ran a spinning mill."
Noah caught his breath for a moment, then slowly rolled his eyes to the side.
"The names of Her Highness’s parents are James Marks and Sylvia Marks."
A young couple who looked very close were standing affectionately close together. At the feet of a young woman who resembled Olivia enough to be believed to be her, a little girl who appeared to be about five or six years old was smiling brightly while hugging a rabbit doll.
That laughter was radiant and clear.
"It is said that about thirteen years ago, there was a carriage rollover accident. As a result of that accident, Her Highness's Grandfather and parents died instantly on the spot, and in accordance with Herod’s property laws, all of the Marks family’s property was inherited by collateral relatives."
Three people were erased from this affectionate family picture, leaving only the grandmother and granddaughter.
“Did the one who received wealth comparable to that of a noble turn a blind eye to the remaining two?”
Meson nodded with a bitter expression at Noah's question.
"It is such an old matter that I cannot be entirely precise, but it appears they did not even want to pay for the Princess's tuition. That is why it seems the Princess's grandmother headed to Pulder with the young Princess."
"The person who received the property."
Meson quickly answered Noah's cold question.
"It is said that he squandered his vast fortune on gambling in exactly five years and committed suicide the following year. The whereabouts of his family members are also unknown."
No emotion was visible on Noah's face. Not even a trace of pity was seen for his wife, who had tragically lost her family and left her homeland.
Meson lowered his gaze, intimidated. In moments like this, Noah did not look like a human. He looked exactly like King Leonard's son.
Noah, who had been flipping through the documents for a moment, soon gathered them up and changed the subject.
“Where are Les Duants?”
“We have found a point of contact with general newspapers. It appears there was some kind of covert deal, but please wait for just one more case. We are almost done. Also, we have confirmed the circumstances of Ansen Wilhelm entering Polia.”
“Polia?”
"I have assigned someone to monitor the situation, so I will report back periodically on the movements."
Noah was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Good job. Send someone to report Ansen Wilhelm’s movements to His Majesty, and you arrest Les Duants. After all, he published another article like this today.”
Noah pointed his finger at the newspaper containing Olivia's photo, and Meson bowed respectfully. In the newspaper, Olivia, from her days attending Harrington College, was radiating light.
"All right."
Meson glanced at the Prince's face, sharp as if to cut, and turned away. And just before he left the room, Noah asked in a low voice.
"Olivia is..."
When Meson glanced back at him, Noah was taking out a cigarette again.
“It seems that since Your Highness left, she has remained within the mansion. There have been no other reports of note.”
“...Wouldn’t she be waiting? Perhaps just stopping by for a moment...”
Noah answered with a cold expression, and Meson quietly withdrew from that point.
Noah's gaze, which had rested on an old family portrait, glided silently to the girl in the newspaper. A heart-wrenching sigh mingled with the sound in the spacious and magnificent office, then shattered and vanished.
***
The next morning.
As is usually the case, the day after taking medicine and sleeping, Olivia got out of bed suffering from a dull headache.
“You’re awake, Your Highness?”
Mrs. Betty approached as if she had been waiting.
“...What kind of scent is this?”
The cool scent, strongly reminiscent of a crisp forest, felt unfamiliar. However, thanks to it, her dull headache seemed to subside a little.
As Olivia focused on the scent lingering at the tip of her nose, Mrs. Betty carefully offered her some lukewarm tea.
"If you don't like the scent, I will remove it."
“No, it’s not like that. It’s nice.”
"This is a herbal tea that is good for headaches. Drink it straight like water."
Only then did Olivia realize that the scent filling the room was also Mrs. Betty's thoughtfulness for her.
"Thank you."
Olivia, having quenched her thirst with lukewarm tea, looked for the newspaper the Queen had sent.
But there was no newspaper today. Instead, unusual news was waiting for her.
Mrs. Betty whispered to Olivia, who was holding a card with a white ribbon in her hand.
"Please stand up. You must start getting ready now so you won't be late."
And a short while later.
Olivia got into the Queen's carriage and was heading somewhere.
In the presence of the Queen, who appeared with such dignity, Noah's bodyguards protecting Olivia did not dare even ask where the two were going. They simply saw Jonan diligently following the Queen's carriage.
Beatrix glanced at Jonan through the carriage window and looked at Olivia, who was sitting opposite her. Olivia, dressed in a bright, pale pink dress, was extremely beautiful, but she looked gaunt.
"You've gotten really thin."
Olivia glanced down at herself for no reason and simply smiled, while the Queen swallowed a groan inwardly. However, she did not show it on the outside and changed the subject.
"Today is a light charity party for ladies. Since it is not an official event, there are no reporters. Staying inside the mansion all the time can make you feel down, so think of it as an outing."
The ladies' charity party was held at the Queen's private villa located on the outskirts of the capital. Stepping out of the carriage, Olivia looked up as she gazed at the vast vineyards visible at a glance from the villa.
"It looks desolate now with all the leaves fallen and only the trees remaining, but they say it is a spectacular sight around summer."
Beatrix approached and explained.
“When Noah was little, he ran around this vineyard so much picking and eating grapes that whenever he came and went, the grape juice would stain the undersides of his fingernails, turning them dark blue. And because his belly was so full, he would often fall asleep without eating dinner.”
As the image of Noah running around everywhere, plucking a bunch of grapes hanging from the vine with one hand, came to mind, Olivia couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Beatrix didn't miss that laugh.
“If the child born in the future causes unusual trouble, tell Noah to take responsibility.”
Eventually, Olivia burst out laughing. Even though she covered her mouth with her hand, a clear laugh escaped. Beatrix also chuckled and whispered softly.
“If you don’t have the confidence to say that, I’ll do it for you.”
It was then.
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