Chapter 24
Episode 24: Lucy's Gift
Meanwhile, Noah, who was working at the naval headquarters, suddenly headed for the Magic Dome.
Entering the dome, he unhesitatingly began to climb the spiral staircase.
The inside of the dome, where the swirling sea breeze echoed, was not pleasant, to say the least.
The morning sunlight, streaming in through the small windows, was sharp like bars and chaotically pecked at the inside of the pillar, making him feel restless, and the hundreds of spiral stairs, repeated to the point of neurosis, were exhausting.
However, he did not rest for a moment. He even went straight to the top without even getting out of breath.
Then, a duty room large enough for three people appeared. Pierre, who was on duty, stared at Noah with wide eyes.
"Oh, Colonel?"
"Who told you to read this while on duty?"
When Noah pointed out the magazine in Pierre's hand, Pierre quickly hid the magazine behind his back and jumped to his feet.
"I'm sorry! But, is there something wrong?"
"I came to have a cigarette."
When Noah replied, taking out a cigarette from his pocket, Pierre blinked and tilted his head awkwardly.
"Uh... here? You went all the way up the stairs of death for that?"
Noah didn't answer and passed him, going out to the narrow balcony around the top of the Magic Dome. Leaning his arms on the chest-high railing, he quietly gazed at the vast and boundless sea.
The sea, where the autumn sunlight scattered, was unusually calm today. The visibility was so clear that he could clearly see a few seagulls rushing towards the sea in the distance.
Therefore, the large ship heading tirelessly towards the horizon, which was touching the sky, was also very visible.
The salty sea breeze ruffled his hair in disarray.
His shaded, verdant eyes were still fixed on the receding ship.
Until the ship dropped below the horizon and disappeared.
Until his fleeting peace disappeared.
Noah, who had been staring at the place where the ship had disappeared for a long time, turned away from the sea and leaned halfway against the railing, taking out a flashlight from his pocket.
"It's dangerous to lean like that!"
As Pierre nagged and gestured for him to come in, Noah shrugged and went back inside.
"Oh? What's that?"
Noah glanced at Pierre, who was staring at the flashlight with wide eyes, and put it back in his pocket without saying a word.
"Ah, yes. Well, there are more than one or two things that a guy like me doesn't know."
"I'm leaving."
"Huh? Did you really come just for a cigarette? Huh???"
Noah disappeared as suddenly as he had come. Pierre scratched the back of his head, not knowing why, and looked out at the blue sea.
Was there something there?
There's nothing there.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
"Parcel!"
Olivia, who was by her grandmother's side, jumped up at the voice coming from outside early in the morning. She ran to the window and opened the curtains, and saw the postman standing outside the gate.
"Are you there?!"
Olivia quickly opened the window. The cold, fresh air rushed into the warm room and penetrated her lungs.
"I'm here! Leave it there. Thank you!"
"It's international mail! I'll leave it here!"
As soon as the postman placed the parcel on the mailbox and disappeared, Olivia hurriedly closed the window.
She roughly wiped the condensation, which had formed like beads of sweat from a child, with a dry towel nearby, then closed the curtains again and turned around.
Her grandmother Susanna was breathing heavily, with shallow and unstable breaths like the trembling of dry branches. Still, she looked much better today than she had in the past few days.
Susanna forced a smile, pulling up her chapped lips, and looked at her granddaughter.
"They say it's a parcel, go, go and get it. I'm, I'm curious too."
Olivia smiled brightly, kissed her grandmother on the cheek, and went outside.
The snow that had fallen overnight sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight. Since Polder generally maintains a mild temperature, it had been years since she had seen snow like this.
A smile appeared on the face of the twenty-year-old girl as she carefully stepped on the soft snow. Olivia walked lightly across the snowy path and approached the mailbox.
The parcel placed on the mailbox was a box about the size of a textbook. The outside was tightly sealed with brown wrapping paper, and a large stamp certifying it as international mail was roughly stamped on the top.
With a fluttering heart, Olivia checked the sender of the parcel, and her eyes widened.
Therese A.
The days in Herot, which had been like a midsummer night's dream, were already a year ago. The young princess she had met back then would occasionally send her parcels.
Olivia quickly took the parcel and returned to her grandmother's side.
Susanna, who had been breathing shallowly, stared intently at her granddaughter's face, which had turned red, whether from the cold air or from joy.
"It's a parcel from Princess Lucy."
When she used a letter opener to remove the outer wrapping, a luxurious light blue wrapping paper appeared. After untying the cute blue ribbon and removing the inner wrapping paper, the box finally appeared.
Even the box from the royal family was extraordinary.
When she carefully lifted the lid of the box, a thin sheet of glassine paper was revealed, and when she gently peeled it off with her hands, the contents were finally revealed.
"Wow!"
Olivia exclaimed without realizing it.
"What is it?"
When Susanna asked with a smile, Olivia slowly took out Lucy's gift.
It was a ribbon headband. A large ribbon made of dark green velvet had a red bead attached to it like a brooch.
"Oh, it's really pretty."
Susanna smiled, creasing her wrinkled face, and urged her to try it on, and even laughed out loud when Olivia put it on.
"The princess, is always, so grateful."
"There's a letter here too."
Just as Olivia was about to open Lucy's letter, a familiar voice was heard from outside.
"Olivia! Mrs. Liberty! I'm here! I'm coming in~"
As she heard the sound of the door opening, Olivia quickly tidied up Lucy's gift box and wrapping paper and got up from her seat.
"It seems Mrs. McPhee has arrived."
Since Mrs. McPhee was so quick, the sound of footsteps crossing the hallway was heard as soon as Olivia finished speaking.
Knock, knock, with a steady knock, the door burst open and a plump middle-aged woman appeared with a cheerful smile. She took off the scarf and coat she was wearing and hung them on one side, greeting them good morning.
"Good morning! Mrs. Liberty, how are you feeling today? Oh my, Olivia! What's different about you today?"
"Good morning, Mrs. McPhee."
"But dear, we have to go earlier than usual today. It's been a while since it snowed, so the carriage can't come all the way here. We have to walk to 4th Avenue, so hurry up and get ready."
"Haha, yes. I will."
With the appearance of the bright and cheerful Mrs. McPhee, it felt as if the air had become lighter.
"Wear the thickest coat, and take your scarf and gloves. Wear low-heeled boots."
She took care of Olivia's grooming like a mother, and Susanna quietly watched the two of them.
For some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off her granddaughter today.
Olivia put on the black wool coat she had been wearing for several years and put on her brown leather gloves. She wrapped the scarf that Susanna had knitted from time to time around her bare neck, and finished preparing for work by taking her usual large leather bag.
The clothes were old, but only the velvet headband sent by the princess was elegant and wonderful. Still, it was strange that it didn't feel out of place.
Olivia approached her grandmother and kissed her on the cheek.
"Grandma, I'll be back. See you in the evening."
"Olivia."
"Yes."
"……."
"Grandma?"
Susanna slowly stroked her granddaughter's cheek with her rough and dry hands, like an old tree.
She didn't want to make her look fancy with just a headband.
How did it come to this?
She felt like she was about to cry, but she smiled with all her might because one of her tears would surely melt Olivia's day away.
"Have a safe trip, Liv."
"We have to go, Olivia. You'll be late?"
At Mrs. McPhee's urging, Olivia kissed her grandmother on the cheek again and hurried outside.
"Please contact me if anything happens. Thank you again today."
"Don't worry and have a good day. You look better today than other days."
As Mrs. McPhee, who had come to see her off at the door, whispered softly, Olivia bowed her head slightly in greeting and briskly quickened her pace.
This spring, her grandmother's health, which she had initially thought was a mild cold, suddenly deteriorated one day. Then, six months ago, even the hospital shook its head, saying that there was nothing they could do.
"If your heart is sick, how can your body endure it."
Her grandmother spoke so indifferently about her own health.
Like a withering tree, she became thinner and darker with each passing day.
It was always difficult to leave her sick grandmother and go to work, but she felt much lighter today because she looked better than usual.
Besides, it was snowing, and it was a morning when she received a pleasant letter and a gift, so her steps were light for the first time in a while.
Olivia walked a long way to 4th Avenue and barely managed to get on a multi-person carriage.
She deliberately took a seat on the outermost side because she wanted to see the snow, and she sat close to the carriage railing and took out Lucy's letter.
On the fancy stationery, which was unfolded against the backdrop of the white world passing by, was writing densely written in elegant handwriting.
As she read the letter, Lucy's days against the backdrop of Herot Palace seemed to be drawn in her mind.
[...Unfortunately, I can't go to school. I really want to go, but Father says it's dangerous and won't let me. ...It snowed a lot in Herot last night. Noah made a huge snowman with me. Did it snow in Polder? …….]
Olivia's gaze lingered on one word for a moment.
She quietly rolled the word around in her mouth, then turned her gaze to the white world beyond the letter.
This white snow also came to Herot.
He didn't seem like the kind of person who would make a snowman with a young sister.
Well, he was someone who played cat's cradle with her, so maybe he would.
Olivia smiled, looking at the sparkling snow.
