Chapter 32
Episode 32: A Royal of Commoner Origin
Meanwhile, the woman who was thought to be doing well, Noah was unfortunately not.
When Ansen first heard the news that Olivia had become a contract professor, he clenched his fist tightly in anger.
Because Princess Marguerite was holding firm at Herollington University, his influence couldn't reach her, so there was no way to stop her from being employed.
However, as the semester began, he smiled.
There was no need for him to interfere with her employment, because the students themselves stepped up and cast a shadow over her position.
Olivia was twenty-one years old this year, close in age to the students.
None of the snobbish Herollington University students wanted to take her courses, and Olivia's first course was thus headed for cancellation.
"If it's cancelled again next quarter, your contract will be terminated."
Olivia nodded with a heavy heart at the staff member's explanation.
"Yes, I know."
"But you'll still be paid during the contract period. Come to the office. Well… I don't really know what you'll have to do."
"……."
She became a temporary professor with overwhelming test scores, but what good was it? There were no students.
The staff member clicked his tongue briefly as he watched her small figure walk away.
The short spring semester ended, and the summer semester was just around the corner.
Olivia took a deep breath as she entered the lecture hall assigned to her.
This was the last time. If the course was cancelled this time, she would have to leave this job.
"But… what more can I do?"
Olivia's eyes, looking at the empty lecture hall, were also empty and hollow.
She tried to calm herself and began to carefully review the course plan she had written.
Like someone constantly pouring water into a broken glass.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Around that time, the person who had been secretly investigating Olivia on Leonard's orders returned. Leonard received the short document from him and quickly read it.
"It seems she won't be able to keep her professorship past the summer semester. In addition, there were no scandals or engaged men as you were worried about, but the story with Ansen Wilhelm is a bit concerning."
"Ansen Wilhelm? The one who made the Magic Dome?"
"Yes, that's right. But Princess Marguerite knows both of them, so I asked her, and she said very firmly that they are not in that kind of relationship."
"Margo said firmly?"
"Yes. Of course… she was angry that I was digging into Miss Liberty's background. But in light of various circumstances, I felt that Princess Marguerite's words carried weight."
Leonard nodded and put the document aside.
"Then what about the relationship between Noah and Isabel Seymour?"
"It doesn't seem like they are considering marriage. The rumors started within the Polo Club, but there haven't been any in the last month."
"I see. That's good. Well done. You can go now. I'll give you a month's vacation, so rest well and come back."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As he left, Leonard immediately called a servant and ordered.
"Bring the Queen Consort here now. And Noah as well."
Beatrix listened silently to Leonard's explanation and then summarized.
"So, you want to marry Olivia to Noah to gain nationwide support."
"That's right."
Beatrix immediately criticized him strongly.
"Did you even ask Noah? How far are you going to push him? I told you to leave the marriage alone!"
"No, Trixie."
"Noah seems to be dating Isabel Seymour. And Olivia too. I heard she became a professor at Herollington University!"
"Ah, that's not what I heard!"
"What do you mean?!"
"Noah is not dating Isabel Seymour. And Olivia's first course was cancelled because there were no students. If it's cancelled again in the summer semester, her contract will be terminated! And it probably will be cancelled."
"……."
As Beatrix's eyes grew colder, Leonard became restless.
Just as she was lamenting how to deal with this selfish man, something even more deplorable happened.
A servant knocked on the door and announced Noah's arrival. Beatrix glared at her husband with wide eyes, and Leonard stammered an excuse.
"Hah, time is of the essence. The current situation… the sooner the better……. Ah, and I called him to ask. To ask."
"Not to push him?"
"Of course!"
But for some reason, Usher was with Noah, even though he was the only one who was called.
"Usher, what's going on?"
"Is there something the three of you need to discuss without me?"
Usher, who had come to the office to talk to the King, grinned and retorted. Leonard hesitated, and Beatrix kindly gestured and called them over.
"Of course not. Sit down."
As the two princes sat side by side in front of the couple, Beatrix leaned back on the sofa and stared intently at Leonard.
Leonard, who kept hesitating under that burdensome gaze, finally seemed to make up his mind and stared intently at Noah.
"……."
Noah, who was sitting perfectly still, sensed his father's blatant gaze.
He knew that his father wanted something from him now.
"Hmm. You two are both of marriageable age, so why haven't I heard any news yet?"
At those words, both Noah and Usher remained silent, waiting for their father to continue.
Leonard glanced at both of them and then, true to his character, got straight to the point.
"You both know that many royal families on the Norfolk Continent are worried about their survival because of the Polia incident. In fact, some royal families that do not have the support of their kingdom's people are already faltering. I don't know how many more royal families will be dissolved in the next 10 years."
How did such a world come to be?
Leonard sighed deeply and paused for a moment before speaking bluntly.
"So, I want to bring a commoner family into the Astrid royal family."
"……!!"
"……!!"
At the shocking declaration, both Usher and Noah stopped breathing and looked at Leonard. And he was looking only at Noah, blatantly.
"You must aim for second place."
Noah finally closed his eyes and let out a hollow laugh at the sound of his father's voice echoing in his ears.
At that empty laugh, Beatrix quickly got up from her seat.
"Noah, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I'll stop it, so you can go now. Usher, you too."
But as always, Leonard did not back down.
"This is not a laughing matter. It was not easy for me to make this proposal either. However, when the world changes, the royal family must also change. Noah Astrid, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty!!!"
"Queen Consort! Don't take the Polia incident lightly! Queen Polia and the princes and princesses were all stripped of their titles and scattered! The Queen Consort and princesses were confined to monasteries, and the princes were confined to castles!"
At that, Noah, who had been languidly closing his eyes, opened them and looked at the King.
"Well. What do I think? I think it's a marriage befitting a splendid replacement for the royal family."
"What did you say?!"
"Noah! Get out of here, now!!!"
It was utter chaos.
The King, enraged by Noah's rude words, slammed the table hard and shouted in anger, while the Queen Consort also raised her voice.
Noah got up from his seat and strode across the office, leaving the enraged King behind. Then, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to ask his panting father.
"So, who is the commoner wife Your Majesty has in mind for me?"
Then Usher jumped up from his seat and said to him.
"Noah, calm down and let me do it."
"Then you would have called His Highness as well. You only summoned me, didn't you? Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"
"Noah, stop it and get out of here."
The Queen Consort said, holding her head, but Noah stood there and looked at the King.
Leonard took a deep breath as if trying to calm his anger, then swept back his disheveled hair.
Then, he uttered her name like a sigh.
"Olivia Liberty."
Usher, who had been looking at Noah, turned his head sharply to look at his father, and at the same time, Noah's eyes widened slightly.
Even the King, who usually refrained from smoking in front of the frail Queen Consort, couldn't resist this time and finally took out a cigarette.
Noah, who had been momentarily stunned by the unexpected name, frowned and opened his mouth.
"Did she agree to this? She became a professor at Herollington University, did she accept this proposal right away!"
"That's for the guy who's going to propose to figure out."
"Ha……!"
In the end, Noah couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the office.
Noah quickly passed through the brightly lit hallway. His momentum was so terrifying that the servants coming from the opposite side hurriedly stepped aside.
Trauma constantly makes people younger and drives them to become irrational.
Noah understood his position in the royal family in his head, but he couldn't accept it in his heart.
Apart from the issue of who he would marry, the way the King treated him ruthlessly trampled on his dignity and pride.
'Olivia Liberty.'
At the same time, in the face of the unexpected name, he was tossed about like a ship caught in rough waves.
He didn't know if running away like this was a rebellion against the King, or what.
"Noah!"
He heard his brother's voice from behind, but Noah pretended not to hear and turned the corner.
"Noah Astrid!!!"
At the same time, Usher, who had rushed over, blocked his path. Usher, breathing heavily, grabbed his arm as his chest heaved.
"Let's talk."
"I have nothing to talk to you about, Usher."
"No, you need to talk to me right now."
Then he led Noah, who was covered in cold anger like a blue lead weight, to the terrace. After carefully checking that no one was there, Usher finally released Noah's arm and caught his breath.
Both brothers had a dumbfounded expression, as if they had been struck by lightning.
Noah roughly ran his hand over his face and opened his mouth with a hot breath.
"Speak."
