Methone nodded as if he had expected it.
Having finished his work, Noah headed straight for the mansion.
The mansion seemed quiet yet chaotic, mainly because of the sheer amount of items that had arrived today. Noah glanced up at the bedroom before asking Betty as a greeting,
"Where is the Princess Consort?"
"She's in the study."
Noah took off his gloves and jacket, handing them over before heading to the study in lighter attire.
As a result of his order to decorate Olivia's usual route in a splendid and cozy manner, the hallway leading to the study was harmoniously adorned with all sorts of rare paintings and ornaments.
Noah, contentedly admiring the paradise he had created, crossed the hallway and politely knocked on the white study door.
"Come in."
At the sound of the refined voice, Noah grinned and opened the door.
Olivia was sitting neatly at a fairly large desk, reading a book. She looked serene and intellectual. Noah suddenly wondered if that was how she would have looked if she had continued as a professor.
Then, Olivia, who had been reading, looked up.
"Noah!"
As Olivia tried to get up, Noah approached her and sat on the edge of the desk. Coming closer, he saw that she was not reading a book but a newspaper. Moreover, she was looking at newspapers from each company, mainly those dealing with politics and economics.
"Why are you checking the same content from different newspapers?"
"Because that's how you can accurately grasp the issues. You read like that too. You know that."
As Olivia protested with a smile, Noah turned his head and scanned the articles she was reading. It was news related to the Royal School, and she was reading it quite deeply, even having clipped some parts.
Noah simply raised his eyes and looked at Olivia.
"Even clipping them? Studying?"
"I'm just curious about how Herot is doing and what the issues are."
"The Duke Rosemond's wife has such refined hobbies. Subscribe to other newspapers if you need them."
As he said that, he examined her neck.
There was no necklace on her slightly exposed neck, and she wore no jewelry on the hand resting on the desk.
Noah blinked and suddenly asked,
"Did Jane Ambrose visit?"
"Oh, she did. With a really happy face."
Olivia rested her chin on her hand and looked up at her husband.
"Well, she had reason to be happy."
Noah muttered with a brazen smile, then turned around the desk and held out his hand to Olivia.
"Let's go. Let's check if the items arrived properly."
The dressing room, which had been emptied by Noah's wrath, was now filled to the brim with all sorts of items, as if nothing had happened.
Clutches of various colors, said to be popular among noble ladies, filled the walls, and everything from glamorous dresses to simple blouses and skirts, as well as hats and gloves of various materials, were displayed beautifully.
And in the very center of the dressing room stood an overwhelmingly large mirror with an impressive gold frame and a deep blue velvet sofa.
Noah wanted to give Olivia a dressing room that would leave any aristocrat in the capital speechless. He looked around the treasure box he had created with satisfaction and asked,
"What's your favorite among the things that came in today?"
At his question, Olivia blinked and looked around. Everything was so splendid and beautiful that she couldn't even guess which one to choose.
"Everything is so good that I don't know what to choose."
From Noah's point of view, who had spent astronomical amounts of money decorating this one dressing room, it was a truly disheartening sound.
Noah clenched his mouth tightly, then relaxed and led Olivia to the velvet sofa to sit down. Then, he brought the most expensive tiara in her collection and a teardrop diamond necklace that was a set with it.
"It's not your mother's, so it's okay if you drop it. Hold still."
Then, he carefully placed the tiara, shaped like an olive wreath, on Olivia's head. He also put the necklace around her neck, then stepped back a little to look at her.
Olivia was like a flower that had just bloomed in the early morning. Transparent with dew, yet a faint flower of dawn.
Still feeling like something was missing, he brought a set of dark green emerald earrings and hung them on her ears, and put a large wedding diamond ring on her finger.
In Olivia's eyes, he looked like he was playing with dolls. She felt like she had become a large doll, and Noah stood her up. Then he led her to the mirror.
There stood a woman decorated more splendidly than the Queen Consort of Herot.
"How is it, do you like it?"
Beside her stood Noah, his eyes shining more than anyone else, curious about her answer. What was she going to say, seeing his expectant eyes?
Olivia burst into laughter and curved her eyes.
"I like it, Noah."
It wasn't a very satisfactory answer, but Noah shrugged and sat her back down on the sofa. Then he started choosing another set of jewelry.
This time, he was thinking of having her wear blue jewels.
"Aren't you busy?"
"I finished all my work before coming."
Noah replied, roughly picking up the jewels that Jane had handled as if they were newborns, but the one who was really in a hurry was someone else.
"What should I do? I have to change and go out now."
"……?"
Noah looked at Olivia as if he had heard something really strange.
"Where are you going?"
"I got a call from the Royal Palace this morning. My mother wants to have tea time this afternoon."
In front of almost the only person who could contact Olivia without going through him, Noah was speechless.
"...Mother?"
"Yes. Could you pick out some clothes for me? I can't go like this. I'll definitely be more splendid than my mother."
Olivia carefully put the splendid tiara back in its box and asked.
A little later, Olivia, wearing the small diamond set she had received as a gift, a neat green dress, and a black coat, kissed him on the cheek.
"I'll be back~!"
The remaining Noah stared blankly at Olivia as she smiled and walked away.
"Hmm……."
Noah checked the time. He was thinking of going to play polo since Olivia was gone, but it was already too late.
He put his hands in his pockets and stood there blankly.
Olivia arrived at the Queen's Palace and headed straight to her office. As she crossed the splendid and refreshing hallway of the Queen's Palace, the maids who passed by greeted her politely.
When she arrived in front of the office, Head Maid Mrs. Pulder warmly greeted her.
"Welcome, Princess Consort."
"Hello, Mrs. Pulder."
The Head Maid smiled gently and opened the office door.
"Please come in, she is waiting."
Olivia calmly took a breath and stepped into the room that Mrs. Pulder opened for her. The Queen Consort's office, filled with a subtle fragrance, was bright, cheerful, and elegant.
"Welcome, Olivia."
Beatrix, who was sitting at her desk with her back to the window, greeted her kindly, and Olivia also bent her knees to greet her.
"Good afternoon, Mother."
Beatrix took off the glasses she was wearing and got up from her desk.
The two's tea party was held at a table set up in a corner of the office.
Beatrix led the conversation naturally, considering Olivia, who might find her difficult. It was mainly stories from Noah's childhood.
After talking about Noah for a while, Beatrix subtly asked Olivia a question.
"I was talking and realized I only talked about myself. I'm curious about your story, Olivia. How was life in Pulder?"
Olivia quietly chose her words in her head before opening her mouth.
"Pulder was a time of learning for me. The reason I went there was because of school."
"School?"
"Yes. It was difficult to attend school in Herot, so my grandmother took me to Pulder."
Beatrix knew about the death of Olivia's parents in her childhood.
However, she did not know the detailed reason why her grandmother took her granddaughter to Pulder. But it was because of her granddaughter's education.
"It was difficult to get admission approval in Herot, so you went to Pulder, where admission is free."
"Yes."
Olivia recalled her grandmother's face after a long time. When she remembered her wrinkled face smiling, the tip of her nose tingled for no reason.
"Was life in Pulder difficult? It wouldn't have been easy for you to endure alone in a school full of men."
Then, Olivia, whose eyes had turned red, raised her head and smiled bravely.
"It was so hard that I used to cry every day. I wanted to quit, but when I thought of my grandmother, who felt proud that I was going to school, I couldn't quit, so I just endured it. But as that accumulated, I also felt rewarded and achieved something."
"Was that so?"
"Yes. There was something else that was difficult."
"What?"
"I kept looking for things I could do in my own name and getting frustrated. Looking back now, it wasn't that long, but I was struggling with the feeling that I was passing through a tunnel that seemed to have no end."
Beatrix listened to Olivia's words and asked.
"Noah found you right at that time?"
At her question, Olivia smiled awkwardly and nodded.
"It was the day my professor appointment contract was canceled. I was walking home crying, and he was standing in front of my house."
"Oh, my goodness. So? Did he suddenly ask you to marry him?"
Olivia chuckled at Beatrix's exclamation.
"I was so surprised that I froze, and he gave me a letter and told me to read it and come find him."
"Ah… What kind of proposal was that, like a creditor?"
"No. He didn't."
"So, did you go find him? Well, you must have gone since you got married, right?"
Olivia's cheeks turned red, and Beatrix smiled playfully. Olivia pursed her lips tightly and carefully changed the subject.
"Mother, there's something I want to ask you."
"Of course, anything."
"Please tell me what I can do as the Princess Consort."
At her question, the playfulness disappeared from Beatrix's face.
"What you can do as the Princess Consort?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to work? It might be hard once you actually do it?"
"But if I don't try, I won't know what suits me or what's difficult. I want to do whatever work is given to me. I like doing something. But I don't know what to do yet."
"Without asking Noah?"
It was the moment Olivia was about to slowly open her mouth at her question.
An urgent knock broke the quiet air of the office.
