Episode 149. The Reality of a Lonely Paradise
Ansen inhaled deep into his lungs the cool, damp winter air characteristic of Herod that was rushing in through the window. Although it was much warmer than usual, the high humidity made the perceived temperature feel low.
As a shiver ran down his spine, Ansen frowned and closed the door.
"The dampness is really unpleasant."
Branch Manager Herod quickly brought out some warm tea.
"The Herodian royal court must have been taken aback by your sudden arrival. It was an excellent choice to enter using Polia as a base rather than coming directly to Herod."
Ansen's expression remained unchanged despite the branch manager's flattering words.
“The warship led by Prince Noah is currently anchored at sea. Since it is just a cover-up, he must be in a hurry. There have been no significant attempts at contact from the Royal Family yet. What should we do?”
"What is the whereabouts of Prince Noah and his wife?"
"The Prince appears to have been staying at the official residence since arriving in a warship, and the Princess seems to have stayed within the mansion for several days before attending a charity party with the Queen this morning."
“What is the relationship between the two of them?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t go that far...”
"There hasn't been any specific report linking the Princess and the Magic Dome, has there?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"What could the Princess possibly have in common with the Magic Dome?" The branch manager tilted his head.
Ansen remained silent for a moment, then took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to him.
"Distribute the photos and the full article exactly as they are right now."
As the branch manager took the envelope, Ansen gestured for him to open it.
Inside the envelope were a piece of writing that appeared to have been written by Ansen himself and two photographs.
In the first photo, the Princess, who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and Ansen were bursting into laughter with their heads together at a table.
"Uh..."
Cold sweat trickled down the branch manager's spine. He looked at the next photo with trembling eyes.
"Ah..."
It contained the grown-up appearances of the two people.
Ansen, dressed in a perfectly fitted suit, and the Princess, wearing a light skirt, were sitting opposite each other across a table.
Even if he wasn't smiling as brightly as in the first photo, he didn't have an angry face, and above all, the background was a hotel.
The branch manager unfolded the paper with trembling hands.
[On the long-standing relationship between Princess Olivia and Ansen Wilhelm]
As his gaze slid from the eye-catching title and pierced through the entire paper, the branch manager saw a vision of a lion bearing sharp teeth toward his neck.
“...If things go wrong... you’ll die, Mr. CEO.”
Then Ansen chuckled.
Ansen took the photo from his hand and looked down at it blankly.
Olivia was giggling with her face close to his. It felt as if he could hear her clear laughter.
It must have been around this time that he fell in love with Olivia.
However, he felt ashamed of that feeling.
Me, you?
Unfortunately, it was nothing but childishness. By the time he realized that loving her was a natural thing to do and that she was a person fully worthy of being loved, their relationship had already reached a breaking point.
He wanted to connect them, but they wouldn't, so he pushed her.
Because he didn't want to swallow his pride, and because he wanted her to come to him crying.
Then, just as he was wondering if things shouldn't be this way, Noah Astrid appeared.
Ansen recalled the proud face of Noah.
With the sentiments of the Herodian people toward Ansen Wilhelm at their peak, how will public opinion react if an article like this is published? How embarrassed must the Herodian royal family be, having married her as Princess Consort in need of public support?
In addition, how will the proud Noah Astrid react to his wife's scandal?
“He won’t be able to endure it. He will push her to the limit, lock her up, and make sure she can’t get out anywhere.”
And you won't be able to handle that, Olivia.
“You’re going to come find me eventually. You’ll ask what on earth this article is and demand a proper correction.”
So I came to Herod.
Because when the time comes to the extreme, Olivia will kick off Prince Noah's fence on her own accord.
Herod's branch manager blinked in confusion as he listened to Ansen's muttering, then asked worriedly.
“CEO?”
“...”
“Are you really... letting him go like this? Prince Noah’s henchmen are desperate to find the Les Duants headquarters. This time, we might really be captured. Besides, I don’t see what good would come from provoking the Herodian royal family at a moment like this...”
“I am not a moth that jumps into a fire.”
“...”
“Trust me and do as I say. And with this article as the last, dispose of the machine that printed the newspapers. Destroy it without leaving a trace.”
"...All right."
When the branch manager answered reluctantly, Ansen gestured for him to leave and approached the window.
In the distance, the spire of Hamel Cathedral was visible.
She is somewhere in this old city.
It's been a while since I've seen you, Olivia.
Ansen's eyes curved deeply in the dim window.
The Prince appeared, holding the sleeping Princess!
He walked carefully, fearing that Olivia might waver, and was cautious even when lying down on the bed.
Mrs. Betty was waiting behind him, but he even took off Olivia's shoes himself, as if to say he would not entrust anything to anyone else.
He gazed at the sleeping Princess for a long time and then muttered.
"Leaving all the good things behind, why do you have to go around doing only this?"
The small diamond set that Meson purchased to silence the Pulder Dressmaking Shop. Why would she wear only this one when she has so many magnificent jewels worth well over the price of a mansion?
"If you are referring to the earrings and necklace, Her Highness cherishes them especially because they were the first gifts you gave her."
Noah turned his head toward Mrs. Betty.
“...Did the Princess say that?”
"Yes. Since it was the first item she received as a gift, she said it makes her feel good when she wears it."
The Prince, who had been silent for a moment as if deep in thought, stared intently at the dressing room before walking away. A magnificent dressing room created by deliberately knocking down a wall. As for anyone with a dressing room more extravagant than Olivia's... well, perhaps the Queen.
The Princess's dressing room was filled with shawls, hats, and gloves of various materials and colors, and countless dresses studded with real jewels were hanging there.
And that wasn't all. Ornaments that shone brilliantly even in the dim moonlight were displayed by color.
Noah stood motionless at the entrance of the dressing room and stared inside for a long time.
He wondered how long it had been like that.
He asked Mrs. Betty in a low voice.
"Does the Princess frequent this place?"
At that question, Mrs. Betty was overwhelmed by an inexplicable emotion.
What is that trivial jewel? She lives holding a white medicine bottle.
The work of a maid she took to make a living. For many years, she has lived a hazy and slow life, like a muddy riverbed.
This was because there was no benefit in clearly understanding the affairs of the nobles, and even if one did find out, daring to step forward and pretend to know would likely result in trouble.
Olivia was a stone that flew over the stagnant river.
She dug into the old heart that had sunk like a swamp and was eventually hardening.
“No, Your Highness.”
Mrs. Betty, who had answered in a trembling voice, took a deep breath and spoke even more clearly.
"His Highness does not enter the dressing room."
The Prince turned his head toward her. A chill ran down her spine at the sight of his deeply shadowed face, but Mrs. Betty did not back away.
Noah's gaze shifted from her to the sleeping Olivia.
"So, what does Olivia usually do at the mansion?"
What will she do to spend her time in this splendid and beautiful paradise?
"She mostly spends time alone in her study."
Upon hearing Mrs. Betty's answer, he remained silent with an expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
A moment later, Noah roughly ran his hand over his face and stormed out of the room. Mrs. Betty, who had been staring at the spot where he had disappeared, quickly followed the Prince with a determined look on her face.
Noah burst out of the room, ran across the hallway, and threw open the study door. Perhaps because the Princess frequented the place, the fireplace was blazing.
Rolled-up bundles of paper and old books were piled up at the corner of the desk.
Noah stood in the spot where Olivia always sat and lifted the neatly rolled paper. And just as he was flipping through the pages for quite a while, Mrs. Betty approached and held something out.
Noah glanced up at the object she held out, narrowed his eyes, and impatiently reached out his hand.
Noah seemed unable to understand the object in his hand at all. He looked dazed, as if he were dreaming.
Noah, who had been staring at it for quite a while, spoke slowly.
“...Pulder General Hospital...?”
Mrs. Betty, who had been silent until now, cautiously began to speak.
“I suspect it might be an insomnia medication. Perhaps because of that medicine, she suffered greatly from headaches every time she woke up in the morning.”
Noah, who had been silent while holding the medicine bottle, asked slowly back.
“...Since when?”
“Since the newspapers stopped coming to the mansion... and since Your Highness went to Hammington, I believe. It hasn’t been long since I noticed the medicine bottle.”
The Prince's expression remained unchanged.
However, for some reason, Mrs. Betty felt as though he were sobbing. There were no tears, and even his breathing was peaceful, yet she felt that way.
However, the Prince did not cry in front of her in the end. It was when he had slowly put the medicine bottle into his pocket and was turning to walk around the desk to leave.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached in an instant.
As Mrs. Betty turned her head back in surprise, Meson gasped for breath and threw open the door.
"Your Highness!"
He held a newspaper in his hand.
As the Prince, whose mood had changed drastically in an instant, quickly reached out his hand, Meson ran over as if flying and handed him the newspaper.
Noah opened the newspaper and was left speechless in front of the large photo of Olivia and Ansen.
"I think you should go to the royal palace right away."
Ansen inhaled deep into his lungs the cool, damp winter air characteristic of Herod that was rushing in through the window. Although it was much warmer than usual, the high humidity made the perceived temperature feel low.
As a shiver ran down his spine, Ansen frowned and closed the door.
"The dampness is really unpleasant."
Branch Manager Herod quickly brought out some warm tea.
"The Herodian royal court must have been taken aback by your sudden arrival. It was an excellent choice to enter using Polia as a base rather than coming directly to Herod."
Ansen's expression remained unchanged despite the branch manager's flattering words.
“The warship led by Prince Noah is currently anchored at sea. Since it is just a cover-up, he must be in a hurry. There have been no significant attempts at contact from the Royal Family yet. What should we do?”
"What is the whereabouts of Prince Noah and his wife?"
"The Prince appears to have been staying at the official residence since arriving in a warship, and the Princess seems to have stayed within the mansion for several days before attending a charity party with the Queen this morning."
“What is the relationship between the two of them?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t go that far...”
"There hasn't been any specific report linking the Princess and the Magic Dome, has there?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"What could the Princess possibly have in common with the Magic Dome?" The branch manager tilted his head.
Ansen remained silent for a moment, then took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to him.
"Distribute the photos and the full article exactly as they are right now."
As the branch manager took the envelope, Ansen gestured for him to open it.
Inside the envelope were a piece of writing that appeared to have been written by Ansen himself and two photographs.
In the first photo, the Princess, who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and Ansen were bursting into laughter with their heads together at a table.
"Uh..."
Cold sweat trickled down the branch manager's spine. He looked at the next photo with trembling eyes.
"Ah..."
It contained the grown-up appearances of the two people.
Ansen, dressed in a perfectly fitted suit, and the Princess, wearing a light skirt, were sitting opposite each other across a table.
Even if he wasn't smiling as brightly as in the first photo, he didn't have an angry face, and above all, the background was a hotel.
The branch manager unfolded the paper with trembling hands.
[On the long-standing relationship between Princess Olivia and Ansen Wilhelm]
As his gaze slid from the eye-catching title and pierced through the entire paper, the branch manager saw a vision of a lion bearing sharp teeth toward his neck.
“...If things go wrong... you’ll die, Mr. CEO.”
Then Ansen chuckled.
Ansen took the photo from his hand and looked down at it blankly.
Olivia was giggling with her face close to his. It felt as if he could hear her clear laughter.
It must have been around this time that he fell in love with Olivia.
However, he felt ashamed of that feeling.
Me, you?
Unfortunately, it was nothing but childishness. By the time he realized that loving her was a natural thing to do and that she was a person fully worthy of being loved, their relationship had already reached a breaking point.
He wanted to connect them, but they wouldn't, so he pushed her.
Because he didn't want to swallow his pride, and because he wanted her to come to him crying.
Then, just as he was wondering if things shouldn't be this way, Noah Astrid appeared.
Ansen recalled the proud face of Noah.
With the sentiments of the Herodian people toward Ansen Wilhelm at their peak, how will public opinion react if an article like this is published? How embarrassed must the Herodian royal family be, having married her as Princess Consort in need of public support?
In addition, how will the proud Noah Astrid react to his wife's scandal?
“He won’t be able to endure it. He will push her to the limit, lock her up, and make sure she can’t get out anywhere.”
And you won't be able to handle that, Olivia.
“You’re going to come find me eventually. You’ll ask what on earth this article is and demand a proper correction.”
So I came to Herod.
Because when the time comes to the extreme, Olivia will kick off Prince Noah's fence on her own accord.
Herod's branch manager blinked in confusion as he listened to Ansen's muttering, then asked worriedly.
“CEO?”
“...”
“Are you really... letting him go like this? Prince Noah’s henchmen are desperate to find the Les Duants headquarters. This time, we might really be captured. Besides, I don’t see what good would come from provoking the Herodian royal family at a moment like this...”
“I am not a moth that jumps into a fire.”
“...”
“Trust me and do as I say. And with this article as the last, dispose of the machine that printed the newspapers. Destroy it without leaving a trace.”
"...All right."
When the branch manager answered reluctantly, Ansen gestured for him to leave and approached the window.
In the distance, the spire of Hamel Cathedral was visible.
She is somewhere in this old city.
It's been a while since I've seen you, Olivia.
Ansen's eyes curved deeply in the dim window.
***
The Prince appeared, holding the sleeping Princess!
He walked carefully, fearing that Olivia might waver, and was cautious even when lying down on the bed.
Mrs. Betty was waiting behind him, but he even took off Olivia's shoes himself, as if to say he would not entrust anything to anyone else.
He gazed at the sleeping Princess for a long time and then muttered.
"Leaving all the good things behind, why do you have to go around doing only this?"
The small diamond set that Meson purchased to silence the Pulder Dressmaking Shop. Why would she wear only this one when she has so many magnificent jewels worth well over the price of a mansion?
"If you are referring to the earrings and necklace, Her Highness cherishes them especially because they were the first gifts you gave her."
Noah turned his head toward Mrs. Betty.
“...Did the Princess say that?”
"Yes. Since it was the first item she received as a gift, she said it makes her feel good when she wears it."
The Prince, who had been silent for a moment as if deep in thought, stared intently at the dressing room before walking away. A magnificent dressing room created by deliberately knocking down a wall. As for anyone with a dressing room more extravagant than Olivia's... well, perhaps the Queen.
The Princess's dressing room was filled with shawls, hats, and gloves of various materials and colors, and countless dresses studded with real jewels were hanging there.
And that wasn't all. Ornaments that shone brilliantly even in the dim moonlight were displayed by color.
Noah stood motionless at the entrance of the dressing room and stared inside for a long time.
He wondered how long it had been like that.
He asked Mrs. Betty in a low voice.
"Does the Princess frequent this place?"
At that question, Mrs. Betty was overwhelmed by an inexplicable emotion.
What is that trivial jewel? She lives holding a white medicine bottle.
The work of a maid she took to make a living. For many years, she has lived a hazy and slow life, like a muddy riverbed.
This was because there was no benefit in clearly understanding the affairs of the nobles, and even if one did find out, daring to step forward and pretend to know would likely result in trouble.
Olivia was a stone that flew over the stagnant river.
She dug into the old heart that had sunk like a swamp and was eventually hardening.
“No, Your Highness.”
Mrs. Betty, who had answered in a trembling voice, took a deep breath and spoke even more clearly.
"His Highness does not enter the dressing room."
The Prince turned his head toward her. A chill ran down her spine at the sight of his deeply shadowed face, but Mrs. Betty did not back away.
Noah's gaze shifted from her to the sleeping Olivia.
"So, what does Olivia usually do at the mansion?"
What will she do to spend her time in this splendid and beautiful paradise?
"She mostly spends time alone in her study."
Upon hearing Mrs. Betty's answer, he remained silent with an expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
A moment later, Noah roughly ran his hand over his face and stormed out of the room. Mrs. Betty, who had been staring at the spot where he had disappeared, quickly followed the Prince with a determined look on her face.
Noah burst out of the room, ran across the hallway, and threw open the study door. Perhaps because the Princess frequented the place, the fireplace was blazing.
Rolled-up bundles of paper and old books were piled up at the corner of the desk.
Noah stood in the spot where Olivia always sat and lifted the neatly rolled paper. And just as he was flipping through the pages for quite a while, Mrs. Betty approached and held something out.
Noah glanced up at the object she held out, narrowed his eyes, and impatiently reached out his hand.
Noah seemed unable to understand the object in his hand at all. He looked dazed, as if he were dreaming.
Noah, who had been staring at it for quite a while, spoke slowly.
“...Pulder General Hospital...?”
Mrs. Betty, who had been silent until now, cautiously began to speak.
“I suspect it might be an insomnia medication. Perhaps because of that medicine, she suffered greatly from headaches every time she woke up in the morning.”
Noah, who had been silent while holding the medicine bottle, asked slowly back.
“...Since when?”
“Since the newspapers stopped coming to the mansion... and since Your Highness went to Hammington, I believe. It hasn’t been long since I noticed the medicine bottle.”
The Prince's expression remained unchanged.
However, for some reason, Mrs. Betty felt as though he were sobbing. There were no tears, and even his breathing was peaceful, yet she felt that way.
However, the Prince did not cry in front of her in the end. It was when he had slowly put the medicine bottle into his pocket and was turning to walk around the desk to leave.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached in an instant.
As Mrs. Betty turned her head back in surprise, Meson gasped for breath and threw open the door.
"Your Highness!"
He held a newspaper in his hand.
As the Prince, whose mood had changed drastically in an instant, quickly reached out his hand, Meson ran over as if flying and handed him the newspaper.
Noah opened the newspaper and was left speechless in front of the large photo of Olivia and Ansen.
"I think you should go to the royal palace right away."
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