Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Desolate Darkness
About a month ago, on the day Lucy visited the Royal Palace, she ran up and abruptly presented two headbands.
Lucy waited specifically for Noah, instead of asking Usher who lived in the palace, and asked him:
“Noah oppa! Which one is better, this one or this one?”
“They’re too big for you, aren’t they?”
“I’m not going to wear them; I’m sending them as a gift to Olivia. I got a letter from her this time!”
One was a green velvet ribbon headband, and the other was a navy ribbon headband. He thought he would forget her face even if he didn't know her name, but strangely, that white face came to mind as clearly as a painting.
Noah alternately imagined Olivia wearing the green and navy headbands.
What was a ribbon headband to an adult, but wasn't she a woman who even looked good with flowers? Noah chuckled and pointed to the green headband without hesitation.
“This one is better. Or send both.”
“I was going to, but the nanny said it might be a burden, so she told me to send only one.”
What burden could two measly headbands be?
By now, that package would have arrived.
Perhaps that woman was agonizing over Lucy's gift. Well, thinking about it that way, even two headbands could be a burden.
Without realizing it, Noah imagined Olivia wearing the green headband and choosing Lucy's gift, then pushed the thought away.
What does it matter? Whatever gift she chooses, whether she wears Lucy's headband or not.
She's twenty this year, so she'll probably get married soon and live an ordinary life. Maybe she's already taken a step into that kind of life.
Noah's eyes sank like a hollow darkness.
The next day, early in the morning.
Noah, who was preparing to go to work, received a sudden summons from the King and headed to the Royal Palace.
Attendants watched the Prince leisurely walking down the light-filled hallway with anxious eyes.
Recently, whenever the Prince entered the King's office, the King's mood worsened, and the attendants felt like they were developing neuroses.
You were originally crooked, but you listened well at crucial moments, so why are you doing this now...?
It's a relief that puberty came on time, but that's exactly what it looks like now...!
You have to behave obediently today.
Despite the attendants' pitiful gazes, as soon as Noah entered the office, the King's roar erupted.
“Noah!”
It was a roar that made the attendants' shoulders flinch, but Noah didn't bat an eyelash.
Leonard tried hard to calm his anger and sent out the secretaries and attendants. As they rushed out as if they had been waiting, Leonard let out a long sigh, looking at his son standing stiffly to one side.
“You, what on earth is wrong with you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The public relations secretary told me this morning. The interview you conducted yesterday, is that all you could do? When mentioning the concerns of the kingdom's people, you should have answered as gently as possible! I managed to block the article, but this has happened several times recently!”
At that, Noah chuckled and replied.
“Your Majesty. The navy's prestige isn't so low that it should be worried about just because one person is missing, is it?”
Then Leonard approached Noah and whispered very quietly.
“Do you know that there is a revolutionary movement in the Kingdom of Polia recently?”
“……”
“They are demanding the dissolution of the royal family. Who is the Queen Consort of Polia? My cousin. She secretly requested permission for her children to seek asylum from me yesterday. The Crown Prince, Princes, and Princesses.”
“The King of Polia deserves it. The King took the lead in committing all sorts of atrocities, so isn't that only to be expected? That's why Your Majesty is keeping the parliament under control.”
“What's more important than that is the trend. Public opinion, the atmosphere.”
That's why the King assigned the Crown Prince to do work suitable for him, and the Prince to do work suitable for him.
But how dare you do your job like this.
“Laugh when I tell you to laugh, cry when I tell you to cry. Is that what you're saying, that I should do my job properly?”
As the son's eyes blazed fiercely, Leonard blazed just as fiercely.
“I told you to stay in the navy, but you insisted on quitting to do your own business. Then, what exactly are you going to do as a Prince now?”
“What exactly haven't I done? I served four years, two years more than the mandatory service period!”
Noah suddenly remembered that day.
It would have been better if Usher had been even just one year older.
Even though they weren't twins, they were born in the same year and did everything together.
Usher's grades were always better. Usher was the top student, Noah was the runner-up. It was mostly like that.
Then one day, Noah surpassed Usher for the first time and became the top student.
A strange elation surged. He also wanted to be recognized by his father.
But that day, his father called him. And looking into his eyes, he said this.
“You must aim to be the runner-up. Don't get better grades than the Crown Prince, but you must be superior to others. Do you understand?”
The King's words flew like a dagger and tore through his young heart.
He realized that day.
Ah, I'm a substitute.
Noah gradually drifted away from the royal family. He couldn't belong anywhere and floated. That's why he was empty, and that's why he was bored.
Noah took out a document from his pocket and handed it to the King.
“What is this?”
“That business that I'm doing after quitting the navy. Since I'm doing that, I won't receive any more maintenance expenses from the royal family. With this much, isn't it good enough to package and release to the press?”
Then, with an elegant gesture, he paid his respects to the King and turned around and left the office before permission was even granted.
Bright morning sunlight shone down on his head, but he felt like he was walking through pitch-black darkness.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Around the time Noah was wandering alone in the darkness.
Olivia in Polder, across the sea, was also walking through desolate darkness.
On the way back from Susanna's funeral, Margo personally took Olivia to her house. It was surprising that Herot's Princess even attended Susanna Liberty's funeral.
“Thank you, Professor. Thank you so much.”
In front of the small, humble house, Olivia thanked Margo several times.
She had cried so much that she looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, so she couldn't bear to leave. But if she did, Olivia wouldn't be able to enter the house either, so Margo turned the carriage around.
“Eat something. Don't act like you're going to die too.”
What kind of comfort is that? Margo regretted what she had said and turned her head.
Olivia watched Margo's carriage disappear, then turned and looked at the house. The house, where the purple wisteria flowers had all fallen, was as silent as if it were enveloped in death.
She had cried so much that she didn't think any more tears would come out, but tears were already flowing again.
“Oh, Olivia! What are you doing here like this!”
Mrs. McPhee from next door heard the carriage and ran out, draping a blanket over Olivia's shoulders.
Why is this winter so cold!
Mrs. McPhee led Olivia into her house. The interior, which hadn't been used for several days, was as cold as the exterior.
Mrs. McPhee sat Olivia down and quickly lit the fireplace.
“Mrs. McPhee.”
Olivia, who had been quietly watching her, called out, and the woman turned her head.
“Thank you.”
“……”
Mrs. McPhee carefully approached and hugged Olivia. After hugging her for a long time and sharing warmth, she returned.
Olivia took off her coat and hung it next to her, then crawled straight into her grandmother's bed. When she took a deep breath, she smelled her grandmother.
Death seems to sweep away even the soul of the one left behind.
Having stayed up for several nights, she fell asleep as if she had fainted.
And the next morning.
Time flowed relentlessly and consistently, and today was the day she had to go to work regardless of her sadness.
How could Susanna Liberty have disappeared forever, and yet the world could remain the same?
How could my mom, dad, and grandfather have disappeared, and yet the world is the same?
The questions from her childhood come to mind again.
But the world doesn't stop just because a few people disappear.
Olivia creaked out of bed and got dressed up for the first time in a while. As she put on her coat and gloves, her eyes fell on the pile of letters.
While wearing gloves, she looked for important letters, and among them, there was a letter from the Central Library?
With a puzzled mind, Olivia tore open the letter and her eyes gradually widened.
“No, why...?”
It was a notice of dismissal.
She felt like she was going to collapse, but she couldn't stay home, so Olivia headed to the Central Library.
But she couldn't meet the head librarian in the end.
The personnel officer didn't hide his annoyed and bothered expression and coldly threw words at Olivia.
“The reason for dismissal is written there, isn't it? Personnel reorganization for the library's finances.”
“Still, how can you give a notice of dismissal like this overnight?”
“Listen, then what, should I tell you a year in advance? There's no clause in the employment contract that requires prior notice of dismissal.”
Olivia, speechless and exhausted, left the library with only a frustrated heart.
Dizzy and with her vision spinning, she sat down on the stairs, grabbed the railing, and gasped for breath.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand.
Is this what society is originally like, or is this what discrimination is?
How can she fail at every job she tries to get, and even be dismissed so easily from a job she barely managed to get?
It was as if she was barely clinging to a cliff, but someone appeared and kicked the hand holding the cliff away.
She thought she should go home and rest for a while, and was about to get up when she felt a sudden presence and someone called her.
“Olivia.”
The moment she heard that voice, she snapped to attention. Olivia composed her collapsed expression and quickly got up.
As she looked up, as expected, it was Ansen.
“Ansen.”
“You... what's wrong with your face? What's wrong?”
“No, nothing's wrong. It looks like you have business at the library. Go ahead. I'll be going now.”
If she had to pick the person she wanted to show this side of herself to the least, it would be Ansen.
