Chapter 28
Episode 28: A New Challenge
Olivia bowed her head lightly in greeting before quickly descending the stairs. However, Ansen didn't go up to the library; instead, he followed her down, speaking softly.
"Olivia, do you still feel the same way you did back then?"
"......"
Olivia stopped abruptly and turned her head. Ansen met her gaze and whispered as if confessing,
"I need you."
"You need Oliver, not me."
"What's the difference?"
"There is a difference."
Looking as weak as if she were about to collapse, she still wouldn't bend her pride.
Ansen looked at Olivia's pale face and wondered if what he truly wanted to grasp was Oliver.
Yes. That was right.
Olivia bowed again and quickly walked away. Infinitely fragile shoulders, a frame that seemed as if it would be blown away by the winter wind, and delicate features on a white face.
The fifteen-year-old girl he had met at the age of seventeen had become an adult before he knew it.
For the past few days, Ansen had been wondering how he could get Olivia back, what method she would truly welcome instead of harshly driving her away.
Then, he suddenly had this thought.
What if Olivia Liberty became Olivia Wilhelm?
However, Ansen soon shook his head.
Even if Polder was a republic, the ruling class was from the Norfolk continent's nobility. To survive there, it would be difficult for the mistress of the house to be from a commoner background.
Ansen put his hands in his pockets and took in the desolate and cold winter scenery.
Poor Olivia. Endure the winter a little longer. Then you'll realize that the hand I'm offering is spring.
I'm not in a hurry. You are.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Olivia steeled her heart again. Fortunately, she had enough funds left to live on her own for a few months.
Still, she needed time to sort out her feelings, so she planned to rest for a few more days.
But she was the type of person who couldn't stay still for even a moment. Was it because she had been living a busy life until now?
From the day she received the notice of her dismissal from the library, she started cleaning the house. She organized her grandmother's belongings and disposed of old items she didn't need.
If she stayed still, a dark shadow would emerge from time to time and try to swallow her whole.
Her grandmother's absence still clung to her back and weighed her down, but she couldn't just cry all day.
It wouldn't solve anything.
It was better to move busily and tire herself out. Thankfully, Mrs. McPhee came by with food at every meal and urged her to eat right away, so she quickly regained her strength.
And so, a few days later, Olivia mustered her courage and walked out into the sunlight again.
She bought Lucy's belated gift, wrote a letter on pretty stationery, and sent it by international mail. Olivia, who had also prepared gifts for Mrs. McPhee and Margo, who had helped her, went to see Margo first.
"Professor."
Margo, who was working, widened her eyes at Olivia's sudden visit.
"Olivia?"
She quickly examined Olivia's complexion. Although pale, it was the same as she had always seen.
But Margo didn't ask the meaningless question of whether she was okay.
"What brings you here at this hour?"
It was during her working hours at the library.
Olivia gave a sheepish expression and answered honestly.
"Ah, I didn't tell you, did I? I got fired."
"Fired?"
"Yes. They say it's a personnel reduction due to financial problems, but who knows? Maybe I made some kind of mistake."
A subtle crack appeared on Margo's face.
The central library had financial problems? The wealthiest library in Polder?
And no matter how she thought about it, it didn't make sense. Even if there was severe gender discrimination, a Herrington University graduate's title wasn't that light, yet she couldn't get a job like this. As if it had been arranged.
'As if it had been arranged...?'
"Sit down first."
Margo sat in the seat of honor, and Olivia sat in her usual seat.
Then, with an embarrassed face, she took a small gift box out of her bag and carefully handed it to Margo.
"Thank you for your help."
If it hadn't been for Margo, Olivia would have been too distraught to even grieve her grandmother's death, as she would have been busy figuring out the funeral procedures.
Margo stared at Olivia with an indifferent face before turning her gaze to the gift she had offered.
She unwrapped the wrapping paper and opened the box, revealing a tin case the size of an adult's palm. When she twisted the case open, it was full of stylish gold clips.
As she pondered what these were for, Olivia quickly added an explanation.
"These are called book clips that have come out recently. When you stop reading in the middle of a book, or when you want to mark a chapter, you can insert these."
"Hoo."
It's an interesting world. Things that didn't exist for thousands of years are pouring out like this.
"Thank you. It will be very useful."
Olivia blushed and smiled shyly. The green ribbon headband she wore neatly in her hair suited her very well.
Lucy sent the headband, and she chose well.
Margo neatly arranged her gift next to her and asked.
"By the way, if you've been fired... are you thinking of looking for a job again?"
At that question, Olivia answered cheerfully with a calm expression.
"I'm going to rest for a few days and then try to do that. Actually, I've submitted job offers to most companies and been rejected. I'm thinking of looking for a position at a school or as a tutor."
Of course, before that, she wanted to go on a trip somewhere. Like... Herot, for example.
At her words, Margo was silent for a moment before getting up from her seat and bringing a document.
"There's a temporary contract professor recruitment this time."
At Margo's words, Olivia's eyes widened. Then, she quickly looked at the document Margo handed her.
"The competition will be fierce. But the written exam is weighted much more heavily than the interview, so I think it's worth a try. However, since it's a contract position, the contract can be terminated even in the middle if the number of students falls short and the class is canceled."
"I'll do it."
Olivia raised her head and shone her eyes as soon as Margo finished speaking.
"I'll do it, Professor. I want to do it."
At that, Margo chuckled.
"Yes. I knew you would. It seems the head of the central library, that airhead, fired you so you could do this."
"They say the finances aren't good."
At Olivia's laughter-filled words, Margo turned her head sharply and muttered.
"Finances aren't good, my ass. That's ridiculous. Okay. You, don't go near that place again and prepare for this now. Come back to school."
At her words, the corners of Olivia's lips turned upward. Margo felt good for no reason, as it seemed like it had been a long time since she had seen her innocent smile revealing her white teeth.
"Thank you."
"Even if I were the president, I can't just let you pass."
"That's not what I meant."
"Okay."
It was a curt answer, but Margo's lips were also slightly upturned.
A little later, when Olivia returned, Margo called her secretary and gave a secret order.
"Compile a list of companies that rejected Olivia Liberty's job offers. And find out if the head of the central library has been secretly meeting with anyone recently."
"Yes, I understand."
When the companies rejected her job offers, she thought it was just discrimination, but now that she had been fired from the library where she had been working well, her thoughts had changed.
Olivia was neither incompetent nor negligent enough to be fired. On the contrary.
So there must be something going on.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
A month later, Herot Palace.
It was still cold, but even so, delicate things were peeking out from the ends of the branches, announcing spring.
Queen Consort Beatrix was having tea time with her children for the first time in a long time.
The Queen Consort, who had been talking with Usher, who had returned from an overseas tour, glanced at Noah and Lucy, who were sitting next to him.
It was a truly interesting scene.
The maids and servants were also watching the rare scene with their eyes wide open.
"Ugh, the hero fainted."
"Too bad. Maybe he's not a hero?"
"...So the rabbit appeared."
"What are you talking about? Why would a rabbit appear, Lucy?"
"......"
"...Why."
"...Noah, don't say anything."
Lucy placed a few dolls she was playing with on his lap, but Noah accepted his sister's playfulness without any sign of annoyance. ...It didn't seem like he was playing with her.
Usher was much kinder when it came to being affectionate, and Usher bought her much more presents, but Lucy had been asking Noah to play with her since she was younger, leaving him aside.
It seemed strange to her, her mother, but when she thought about it, Noah hadn't been such a heartless and languid child from the beginning. Of course... he wasn't a warm and affectionate child either.
She, who had left her sons' education to the nannies and teachers because she was sick, reflected on the past every time.
"Noah."
"Yes, Mother."
Would he be a little better if he got married?
"If there's a young lady you like, I don't care who it is, so marry as you wish."
At those words, Noah nodded lightly with a face that felt somewhat cynical.
"Yes, I will."
The Queen Consort's eyes sharply examined her son's expression.
Was the rumor with Isabel Seymour also false?
No matter how she looked at it, he certainly didn't look like he was in love.
Around the time the Queen Consort's worries were deepening, Mrs. Lehman returned. Lucy, who had been playing with dolls next to Noah for a while, welcomed her return with a leap.
"Nanny! Did the letter come?!"
Lucy, who was looking for the letter out of the blue, discovered the package in Mrs. Lehman's hand and cheered, raising both arms.
"It's here!!"
"What on earth is it...?"
Usher muttered in confusion at Lucy's reaction, and Noah answered.
"It must be from Polder."
"If it's Polder... Aunt?"
At those words, Noah glanced at Usher with a pathetic look and muttered.
"Would Lucy react like that to Aunt's gift?"
Mrs. Lehman calmed the excited Lucy and personally tore open the wrapping paper, handing her only the box. Then, she handed a letter to the Queen Consort as well.
"Oh my, there's a letter for me too?"
"Princess Marguerite sent it."
In the meantime, Lucy, who had opened the gift box, took out Olivia's gift with a flushed face.
"Wow, look at this! It's a gift from Liv!"
Usher nodded as if he finally understood.
