Chapter 142. A Room of Lavish Possession
"What exactly do you want me to do?!"
"Have you been to Lorwell?"
"......"
Noah was speechless at his mother's sudden question.
Lorwell.
Olivia's voice, uttering that word, suddenly came to mind.
"Could we possibly stop by Lorwell on the way back?"
He had wondered why she wanted to go to such an unremarkable town. He had been quite drowsy at the time, so he had vaguely agreed.
"Sure. Then let's stop by on the way back."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you!"
He seemed to remember thinking, 'What's so great about that?'
To Noah, who was lost in his memories, Beatrix posed a crucial question.
"Then, do you know the name of the grandmother who raised Olivia?"
"......"
At that question, Noah's eyes finally wavered violently.
The names of grandparents were not written on the marriage certificate, and King Leonard's report, which contained only essential information, did not mention the name of the already deceased grandmother.
Beatrix shook her head with a hardened expression.
"Can you say that you know what Olivia truly fears, and therefore what she needs protection from, in that state?"
"......"
"And while you are 'protecting' her as you see fit, I don't understand why you seem so weary."
Noah turned away as if he couldn't bear to hear any more and strode away. His steps were measured and unwavering, but his mother could see it. A desperate, precarious gesture of running away.
Beatrix's heart also pounded fiercely at his rough breathing. But ultimately, she rebuked him for his own sake.
"Doesn't your castle have a Lucy's playroom, Noah?"
A room of extremely lavish and beautiful possession, given regardless of the recipient's wishes.
Noah stopped abruptly and pressed his eyes shut. A sense of suffocation and an unknown fear swirled within him. It was a more vicious and merciless emotion than the ennui that had been gnawing at his life.
He would rather have been dealing with the media alone.
He would rather have been in that time when the whole world was painted in black and white, when he wouldn't have regretted dying at any moment.
His heart, which had not been afraid even when facing the Magical Creatures of the dark sea, was now raging madly in front of that small woman.
Thinking that he might have made a mistake in getting married, Noah moved his heavy feet.
The next day, Herot's morning newspapers unanimously reported the news of Prince Noah's return to the navy, turning their arrows towards Wilhelm Corporation.
This was because Leonard, who had been lenient with the media, was fiercely angered by the unauthorized extra edition. This was not Polia, and the Herot royal family was still standing strong. The newspapers quickly bowed their heads before the King's wrath.
The public sentiment, which had been stirred up the night before, shifted towards the royal family and the Prince as if flipping a hand.
"Oh my goodness, those wicked people are retaliating, trying not to admit their mistakes until the end, can you believe it?"
"My cousin was on that ship, you know! They said the Magic Dome stopped working halfway through!! He said he can still hear the Coelacanth attacking the bottom of the ship!"
"And our Prince Noah even helped them because he was worried that the shipping company would go out of business. Did you see the article?"
The angry people rushed to the Wilhelm Corporation's Herot branch building and protested vehemently. The exterior walls of the Wilhelm Corporation building were a mess with the filth and raw eggs that had been thrown early in the morning.
"Hey, you wicked bastards! So, you're saying our Prince and Princess consort should have been drowned in the sea?!"
"What about the countless people who were on that ship?!"
"Start the repairs immediately!!"
The Branch Manager of the Herot branch looked down at the swarming people and shook his head.
"This won't do. Let's put another photo in this afternoon to divert attention."
"Prince Noah has suddenly left the capital, so there's no better time than now. Which photo should we use?"
The Herot Branch Manager turned his gaze to the desk. Among the several black and white photos, he chose a photo of the Princess consort, sixteen years old, carrying a bag and walking somewhere.
"Let's use this one. She looks so good, smiling brightly."
At that moment, the sound of glass shattering loudly was heard.
The Branch Manager frowned and said, annoyed.
"Quickly make a newspaper with this photo and distribute it."
The secretary quickly took the photo and disappeared, and the Branch Manager glanced out the window and clicked his tongue.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
When Olivia opened her eyes, she habitually looked to her side.
There were no traces of anyone having slept on the blanket and pillow. It seemed Noah hadn't slept here at all.
Olivia blinked slowly.
Perhaps because it was expected, she wasn't surprised. She was strangely indifferent.
She threw back the blanket and got up.
"......"
Something was strange, so she looked down and realized she wasn't wearing pajamas. It seemed she had only taken off her coat from the clothes she wore yesterday, and only a couple of the shirt buttons at her neck were undone.
Olivia, trying to remember why she had fallen asleep like this, recalled that she had taken the medicine and gone straight to bed. The coat… Betty must have taken it off for her.
Olivia's gaze slid along the carpet and landed on her coat, which was casually draped over the sofa. She seemed to see a lingering image of Noah draping her coat over the sofa.
Olivia felt a surge of tears welling up.
No matter how hard she pressed her eyes with her hands, there was no way to stop the tears from leaking out.
The overwhelming feeling of disappointment was unfamiliar.
"Don't act like a fool, Olivia. Get a grip."
Olivia suppressed her tears and widened her eyes.
Long ago, she had decided not to have feelings of disappointment and sorrow. No matter how much the world pushed her, she vowed never to think of herself as a victim. She didn't want to be a pitiful person, even if she died and came back to life.
Olivia recalled the opera she had watched with Winifred. She recalled the vow she had made that day.
"It's possible. It's perfectly possible. You know he didn't propose marriage because he loved you. Don't act like you didn't know."
She stared intently at the emotions that were rampaging wildly within her. It felt like something was pricking somewhere in her chest, but still, the emotions meekly lowered their heads and slowly disappeared into the deep darkness.
Having collected her emotions, Olivia sat down at the desk in the corner of the bedroom and wrote a polite letter. When the letter was finished, she called Betty and handed her the letter.
"Please send this letter to Queen Beatrix now."
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Meanwhile, unlike his colleagues who had left the capital with the Prince, Jonan remained at the mansion.
Noah had ordered him to take Olivia to Hamuel this morning, but he had canceled the order last night.
If it hadn't been for yesterday's extra edition, Noah had intended to stop by Harrington to issue an order to Admiral David to move the warships, and then spend some time with Olivia in Hamuel.
Methone, who had been watching Noah by his side, muttered with a tired face.
"Even if His Highness were to give up everything and declare that he would live in Hamuel with Her Highness for the rest of his life, I would just accept it. Even if he said he would never set foot in the capital until he died."
Jonan scratched the bridge of his nose and let out a short breath.
He had thought that light was finally shining on His Highness's eventful life.
At that moment, the sound of carriage wheels rolling vigorously was heard. Since no one was expected to come, Jonan looked down at the narrow path below the mansion with a fierce gaze.
As the ornate decorations on the roof of the carriage, which had been 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 bright face.
"Mother!"
Beatrix had thought that Olivia would be in despair and depressed, but the face she encountered was rather bright, as if nothing had happened. Beatrix was confused by the strangely felt emotional gap.
Was she alright?
No. She had clearly looked like she was about to collapse yesterday.
"...Olivia, are you alright?"
"I'm sorry for saying I couldn't go so suddenly, Mother."
"No, that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you're alright."
At the Queen's words, Olivia smiled, raising the corners of her lips.
She had gained a lot from her marriage to Noah. Her relationship with the kind and affectionate Queen Beatrix was also thanks to Noah.
"I'm alright, Mother. I'm sorry for making you worry."
Beatrix frowned and let out a short sigh. Then, after much deliberation, she spoke with difficulty.
"Noah had to deal with the media from around the age of sixteen. He hated it very much, but it was His Majesty's order, so he couldn't have resisted."
"......"
"Every action, every word was reported in the newspapers. Sometimes he was misunderstood and had to explain. He had no time to rest from the large and small events he had to attend every day. In the end, he came to hate the media itself."
Beatrix moistened her parched lips with tea. The more she spoke, the more she felt like a truly incompetent mother, which made her miserable.
Moreover, she felt even more miserable because it seemed like she was shifting the blame for that onto the innocent Olivia.
"Perhaps Noah's actions... are to protect you."
"......"
"The reason I'm telling you this is not to unconditionally understand Noah and follow his wishes."
Beatrix looked at Olivia with a soft gaze, as if embracing her.
"Princess Marguerite told me. She said that you are someone who wants to live doing things you can do in your own name. That you absolutely cannot just live by breathing."
The smile finally disappeared from Olivia's face.
"Princess Marguerite said that...?"
"Yes. That cynical Princess said that. She earnestly asked me to take good care of you."
Olivia lowered her gaze and bit her lip.
Beatrix then 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's why I said I would help you, and that's why I told you why Noah hates the media."
"......"
"Convey what you want to Noah, and find a compromise with what he wants. It will be difficult, but try to do so."
It was easy to say, but how could it be easy?
Even she, the Queen, had not been able to do it, and Princess Marguerite had left her country because she thought she could not compromise with anyone.
Olivia raised her lowered head and smiled brightly.
"I understand, Mother."
Beatrix met her bright face and turned her gaze away, feeling choked up. Then, she placed the morning newspaper she had brought in front of Olivia.
"I brought it in case you didn't have one."
"......"
"Discuss this as well, by all means."
A heavy silence fell between the two women.
