Translator: Nox

Ten days after the warship carrying Olivia and Noah left the waters off Herot, a letter was delivered to the King.

It was a letter from Noah, sent from the Bahma Joint Zone Administration Office. Beatrix could not wait and reached out her hand to him.

“Hurry. What does it say about Olivia?”

Leonard handed her the letter with an indescribable, subtle expression.

“It’s fortunate that the surgical site is healing without festering, but they say she’s still unconscious.”

Beatrix did not reply to her husband’s words and quickly read through the letter. Soon, her expression also became subtle.

The biggest reason was, of course, Olivia’s condition of not waking up, but that wasn’t all.

[…Therefore, I intend to head to Pulder. I will accept any punishment for the offense of moving the warship unilaterally without Your Majesty’s order, whatever it may be, upon my return. Even if I must step down from my position, I will accept it gladly. I apologize.]

Leonard had personally submitted a permit application to the Bahma Joint Zone Administration Office, so passage to Pulder was easily granted.

Nevertheless, sailing a warship into foreign waters could easily provoke an international dispute.

Noah was willing to take responsibility for this by relinquishing his position.

Leonard and Beatrix looked at each other, feeling an inexpressible, heavy emotion.

Then, Leonard, regaining his composure, sat down and took out some stationery.

“What are you writing?”

Beatrix asked as she approached, and he replied, opening the pen cap.

“Olivia will surely wake up, and she went to Pulder under my orders, didn’t she?”

“……”

“The promise Duchess Rosemond made to me, Your Majesty Queen Consort, you remember it too, don’t you?”

Beatrix blinked and quickly nodded.

“Of course.”

“So, she must finish what she has to do there, and I must encourage her. That’s why I sent Noah.”

Leonard did not want Noah to bear responsibility for this matter.

Beatrix quietly watched Leonard write the letter, then closed her eyes and prayed.

Please, watch over our children so they are no longer hurt.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

And around that time, Ansen arrived in Pulder after a long voyage. Fearing that reporters might be at the port, he deliberately chose a late hour.

Fortunately, it was late, so there were no reporters.

Instead, there were other people at the port.

As a hastily summoned head office employee tried to guide him, a mournful shout erupted from afar.

“It’s Ansen Wilhelm!!!”

How could they recognize him with his cloak pulled up to his ears? Ansen was startled as if he had met a demon crawling out of hell.

“Where, where?!”

“There he is! Ansen Wilhelm!!!”

The employee who came to greet him grabbed Ansen’s arm tightly.

“Hurry, CEO!!”

Ansen could not understand why he had to run away. What exactly had he done wrong!

But seeing the people rushing towards him as if they would tear him to shreds, he had no choice but to flee.

Ansen ran, his face pale. It was a humiliating experience he had never had at any point in his life.

“You wicked bastard!!!”

“Bring back my daughter, my daughter whose body we couldn’t even find!!!”

As Ansen scrambled into a carriage, his secretary shouted.

“Th-let’s go! Quickly!!”

As soon as the sound of the driver’s whip was heard, the carriage began to move. Ansen, breathing heavily, watched the people running towards him from a distance.

“You probably didn’t care about people dying because you were after money, you wicked man!!”

The resounding shouts echoed in the round harbor.

Ansen blinked as if confused and muttered.

“What did I do wrong.”

“……”

“How is it my fault that people drowned in the sea? Even before the Magic Dome, people crossed the sea and died. But now, because they traveled more comfortably thanks to the Magic Dome, they blame me for dying due to bad luck?! Did I kill them?!”

He spat out his indignation with bloodshot eyes.

He was already resentful from sailing without proper food or washing on a fishy fishing boat, and now this!

What was more frightening was the ominous feeling that this was just the beginning.

Ansen nervously licked his lips with his tongue.

And shortly after, at the Wilhelm head office building, he witnessed a scene where his feeling had become reality.

“Ansen!!”

His mother rushed out with a tear-soaked face, but Ansen could only stare blankly at the devastated office.

“Wh-what happened? Why are they ransacking your office in Pulder like this, why!! Where have you been!”

“Mother!! Please, just!!”

“……!!”

Ansen, with a contorted face, pushed his mother’s hand away and shoved her back.

“If you can’t help, please don’t say anything. It’s distracting.”

“…R-right. I’m sorry.”

Ansen roughly wiped his face and then headed for his desk. His bloodshot eyes trembled wildly like a cornered beast.

Ansen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could not die like this. This was not the end.

Ansen then opened his eyes and commanded his secretary.

“Report everything that has happened in detail. Start with what documents have been seized.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

What had happened?

Margo, who had been pacing by the entrance, worried until Noah returned, blinked at the sight of Noah, who looked remarkably well-groomed.

He had looked like he was dying…

“I’m back, Aunt.”

His voice was full of life again, and his eyes, which had been like black holes, had returned to normal.

Margo tilted her head and looked Noah up and down. Then she asked casually.

“Um… so, how… was it resolved well?”

To her question, Noah only offered a faint smile. But even that made him seem as if he had come back to life. Margo sighed in relief.

“Yes, I’m glad. I won’t ask any more questions.”

Noah, with a tired face, patted her shoulder and then said abruptly to Margo, who was turning away.

“I intend to file a lawsuit for Olivia’s patent rights.”

Margo’s movement, which had just placed a foot on the stairs, stopped momentarily.

When she turned to look at Noah, he had returned to being the cold, sharp Astrid, his eyes shining as if he had never looked like he was dying.

“I want to help Oliver, so that name can be returned to Olivia. Please help me.”

Margo looked at his determined eyes for a moment and asked.

“Does Olivia wish for this? I’m asking if it’s her will, or yours.”

To that, Noah replied firmly.

“It is Olivia’s will.”

Then Margo smiled faintly and started climbing the stairs at a faster pace, saying,

“If so, there is something you must see before that. Follow me, Noah.”

A moment later, Noah held a thick document in his hand.

“One must know how to keep to the proper path… Unlike you, I was too ignorant of Olivia’s condition. Read this.”

Noah turned the pages. Before he had read a few lines, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. He felt a heat rise from the depths of his chest.

When Noah looked up with his reddened eyes, Margo was looking at him with equally reddened eyes.

“Ansen Wilhelm, that bastard was driving Olivia into a pit, and I didn’t know.”

Ansen had blocked every single thing Olivia had tried to do.

Noah suppressed his rising anger and turned to the next page. He then read all the documents she had given him at a very rapid pace.

When he looked up again, the boiling energy had disappeared, replaced by a cold, lead-like aura. Margo felt Noah was like fire, so hot it was cold.

Noah handed the documents back to Margo and said.

“It seems the Pulder government intends to hold Ansen Wilhelm responsible for the Sunrise incident.”

“Yes. They are the same kind of people, but not at this moment.”

“When there is a common enemy, friends are made, aren’t they?”

Margo stared at Noah and asked meaningfully.

“Is it alright if Duke Rosemond and Duchess Rosemond are at the center of the controversy?”

To that, Noah remained silent as if it were not worth answering.

Although his methods were wrong, all his actions since meeting Olivia had been for her.

“I will meet with the government officials.”

“Resolve it as quickly as possible. Ansen Wilhelm seems to have arrived in Pulder.”

“Don’t worry. One day will be enough.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Betty liked Olivia’s small, humble house. She liked the antique furniture with knitted lace on top, and she liked the old but well-maintained tableware.

Recently, a manager hired by Noah had tidied it up daily, but the traces on each item were from a long time ago.

Betty looked around the kitchen and smiled faintly as she began preparing breakfast. She ground the coffee beans, boiled water, and toasted the bread until it was crispy.

Despite its simplicity, the house was filled with abundant sunlight. Betty laid a cotton cloth on the sunlit dining table and set out a modest meal.

Then she went to Olivia’s room and knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, it’s me. I’m coming in.”

Her tone of voice was quite different from when she was in the grand palace, but Betty did not notice.

She thought the Princess consort would still be asleep. Although the sun had risen, it was still early, and above all, Olivia’s condition had not fully recovered.

However, contrary to her expectations, Olivia was already awake and sitting at her desk, working on something.

“You’re already up?”

Betty quickly checked her condition.

Last night, the royal couple had talked for a long time. Betty had secretly worried about what to do if Noah were to sleep here.

With the guards, the doctor, and herself all staying in this small house, there wasn’t even enough bedding, let alone beds.

Fortunately, the Prince had returned around midnight. Though it didn’t seem to be his will.

And the Princess consort looked refreshed and light, as if she had shed something.

“Good morning, Betty.”

“I’ve prepared breakfast. Would you like to eat in the dining room if you’re up for it? The sunlight is lovely there.”

“Then I’ll finish this and come out. It will save me a lot of time since you brought my bag. Thank you.”

Betty glanced at the Princess consort’s bag, which she had brought as if it were her life, and smiled awkwardly.

“Not at all. Then, please come out soon.”