187 - Chapter 187
Side Story 9.
As the Princess watched the perfunctory bouquet pass from Methone's hands to Sir Howard's, Olivia, finally freed from Noah, came into view, walking towards them. The focus, which had been blurred like a background, was now entirely on Olivia.
Lucy's teenage cynicism vanished as if she had flipped her hand.
"Sister!!!"
It was a lamenting call from Mrs. Lehman, but Olivia actually preferred that call.
"Lucy!!"
Lucy approached without hesitation and burrowed into Olivia's arms, and Olivia held the girl tightly, still holding the bouquet Noah had given her.
"I missed you!!"
Olivia chuckled.
"Me too."
Then she immediately gave polite greetings to the King and Queen Consort.
"I have returned, Your Majesty."
Beatrix embraced Olivia warmly, and Leonard burst into hearty laughter, praising her hard work.
The relationship between Leonard and Noah was Beatrix's long-standing task.
Leonard was a father and a King, and Noah was a son and a Prince. Their respective positions and personalities were often sharply opposed and sometimes meshed like gears, so their relationship deteriorated. Around the time Noah got married, their conflict was at its peak.
Then, at some point, their relationship seemed to improve little by little, and recently it had become noticeably better. Of course, it wasn't because Leonard had repented or Noah had decided to obey his father.
Beatrix defined the reason for the father-son relationship's recovery in one sentence.
'The Queen on Leonard's chessboard has increased to three.'
On Leonard's chessboard, Usher was the King, and Noah was the Queen. The problem was that the Queen, who should have been moving element by element like a versatile person, was difficult to handle like a spoiled horse. So they fought and bit each other every time, and it was a mess.
But now Leonard had as many as three Queens in his hands.
Prince Noah, Princess Olivia, and Olivia, the representative of Herot Magic Dome.
The two newly created Queens were even more capable. They were Queens who could even play the role of a 'Knight,' which was not originally assigned to a Queen! Moreover, this Queen with her fraudulent abilities was a born gambler and even a brilliant general who felt joy on the battlefield.
At this point, Leonard no longer needed to send the Queen he already had, Noah, to the battlefield. Rather than sending him to the battlefield, it was better business to strengthen his relationship with him and freely call Olivia.
In addition, Olivia, who had seized her own independent power through her active moves, used that power to create a strong shield for her husband. The public's attention, which had been burning towards Noah, was slowly withdrawn under Olivia's touch, and Noah, who had regained his leisure, began to take the form of a lion lying languidly and gazing at his feet.
With his personal freedom and the festering wounds healed, Noah voluntarily began to perform his role.
During this tour, Noah filled Usher's vacancy on his own. He discreetly provided money that was difficult to cover with the royal family's glass wallet under the name of donations, and he greeted the state guests from the East in place of the Crown Prince.
"I think he's so pretty these days, Trixie." "You must be happy." "He really takes after me. He's quick-witted and smart." "Congratulations."
If there is something that goes, there must be something that comes.
Leonard postponed or canceled the Princess consort-related events that were scheduled after the tour. Not only that, but if he had his way, he would hold a welcome banquet today, call a lot of reporters, and have Usher on his right, Olivia and Noah on his left, and Lucy on his lap...
The smile on Leonard's lips stopped as he continued his pleasant imagination.
Leonard's gaze flowed to his beloved daughter.
His daughter, who had grown up so much, would never sit on her father's lap even if she died and came back to life. It was a pity, but he could accept that he couldn't put her on his palm and cherish her because she had grown so tall.
But…….
"Clingy."
How could words that didn't contain a single curse sound more insulting than a curse? The cynical tone and expression that made 'that' Leonard sigh were unmistakably Marguerite.
God, why does my daughter resemble Margo?
Lucy, who was sitting right next to Olivia and chattering like a lark, was dying of annoyance at her second older brother, who had been giving her glances from the beginning. She heard that she was going to Hamuel Mansion with her sister, so how much time would they have together?
"Clingy?" "No matter how flowery you decorate it, a clingy man has no charm."
Beatrix and Usher, who had been talking for a while, paused and stared at Lucy, Mrs. Lehman looked at the ceiling with the feeling of 'I don't know,' and Leonard closed his eyes tightly and lamented. But Noah Astrid, who was ready to bite as soon as someone started a fight, bared his teeth and smiled as if he had been waiting for it.
"You're even worried about your brother's charm, you're a good sister?" "My friends say my brother is their ideal type, but I have nothing to say. I couldn't even laugh, so I was thinking about something else." "You have friends with good taste, Lucy." "Good taste, my foot. They have no insight." "If you keep talking like that, you'll keep getting acne."
Olivia, who was stuck in the middle and listening to the siblings' debate, looked at her husband with reproachful eyes for unhesitatingly throwing daggers at his younger sister. But Noah's attack was not the end of it.
"Good people don't get acne, Princess."
Of course, the young lion was not easy to deal with either.
"That's unfounded. If acne only grows on people with bad personalities and bad manners, would I be able to look at the face of our dear Duke Rosemond?"
Beatrix, who was watching the scene with an amazing look, gestured to Olivia.
"Olivia, leave those two to fight and come here."
At the Queen Consort's suggestion, Olivia smiled playfully and got up from her seat. Then Usher, who had been sitting next to the Queen Consort, got up and gave his seat to Olivia.
Olivia lightly thanked Usher for giving her his seat and sat down. Beatrix, as well as Leonard, who was sitting to her right, turned to Olivia.
"Please understand. They've both been waiting so eagerly that they're acting like that." "I'm happy too, Mother. You don't know how much I missed this kind of gathering." "By the way, Olivia, this watch. It's much more comfortable than a pocket watch!"
Leonard interjected, stretching out his left wrist. Beatrix frowned at her husband's unseemly behavior, but Leonard talked about the points he liked in detail, such as how light it was and how surprisingly stylish it was.
"I'm glad you like it, Your Majesty." "I thought only soldiers wore watches, but these days I see young people wearing them often. It's amazing how trends work. It's starting to look cool to me too. I really like it." "Holland is originally famous for its watches. By the way, it'll be in the newspaper soon. How much will you brag about the watch that the Princess consort gave you? I can see it without even looking." "Trixie, what kind of era is it these days? I can't control the articles. It's just that the people of Herot are interested in my every move." "Of course."
The Queen Consort, who was looking at the King as if saying, 'As if I'd believe that,' turned to Olivia with a kind look.
"Olivia, you worked hard to choose the gift. I really like the gift you gave me too. I'll use it well."
At that time, the King and Queen Consort were having a pleasant time with Olivia.
The three masterpieces of the royal couple, sitting in a row, looked at each other with sullen faces. Noah exchanged greetings with Usher, who was sitting in Olivia's seat.
"You've worked hard to come and go." "You chose the bouquet well." "I have a good eye." "You have an amazing eye."
Lucy, who was cutting the corner of the cake with a fork, interjected in an indifferent tone.
"Just curse, Usher oppa."
Usher gave a kind smile.
"Curse? Why would I do that?"
Noah, who was leisurely tilting his long champagne glass, said to Lucy.
"Lucy. Tell Usher the stories you told Olivia. You can't discriminate against people like that?"
Then Lucy glanced at her older brother, who was still wearing a kind expression, and turned her head away.
