Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Noah Crosses the Sea
Weeks later, late at night.
Olivia fanned herself incessantly, reviewing the lecture content she had already checked dozens of times.
If the late spring evening was this hot, how hot would this summer be! She wished she could at least open a window, but every shutter in Olivia's small house was securely locked.
It seemed word had spread that a woman lived alone, as she had already witnessed dark silhouettes peering through the windows several times. She had reported it to the police, but how could the police catch someone she herself hadn't seen?
Anxious, she had stayed in a cheap hotel for a few days, but that could only last so long.
She had considered asking Professor Marguerite for help, but she was already receiving too much assistance without offering anything in return, and she couldn't bring herself to ask for more.
Eventually, she put the house up for sale, but no one had yet offered to buy it. With the money she currently had, it was difficult to find even a cheap room, so Olivia was forced to stay in this house.
Becoming sensitive to the smallest sounds, she paid attention to the outside of the window several times. Exhausted by the heat and her heightened nerves, Olivia closed her book and flopped onto the bed.
"Ugh..."
The flickering candlelight made the family photo on the wall flicker as well. Olivia stared blankly at her grandmother's face and muttered.
"Grandma, I'll get fired again if I don't have any students this time."
There was no reply.
The silence, filled only with the sound of her own breathing, enveloped her like a blanket. Olivia gave a small, meaningless laugh and curled up.
Whether she closed her eyes or opened them, it was all darkness. Curled up in the darkness, Olivia habitually thought of Herot.
"If I get fired again, I might as well visit Herot."
Yesterday, a document arrived stating that the period for allowing dual citizenship had ended. Olivia now faced the time when she really had to give up citizenship in either Herot or Pulder. The deadline was September of this year.
"Or... should I just go live in Herot?"
Should she really?
Go to Lorwell City, which she had wanted to visit, and revisit the Golden Lion Statue...
Then, suddenly, he came to mind.
It had only been a short period of about a week, but perhaps because it was such a vivid memory, she couldn't easily forget her days at Herot Palace.
Ironically, looking back, it might have been because she had briefly felt the sense of protection she had so desired there.
"Noah Astrid..."
Olivia whispered his name.
Then she burst out laughing.
The King probably had already forgotten she existed.
"Even if I go to Herot, I shouldn't go near Herot Palace."
The magnificent golden bars were not suitable for her in her worn clothes.
Just as her bare hands had felt ashamed in front of his hands wearing elegant black gloves.
Olivia turned off the candle and, as usual, listened for sounds outside the window. When there was no particular reaction, she took out two sleeping pills, swallowed them, and lay down on the bed.
She used to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but now, the weight of life that rushed in as soon as she lay down caused her to develop insomnia.
"It'll be okay. It'll be okay."
Then, as usual, she repeated those words and slowly sank below the surface of sleep.
"Tomorrow... I should buy Professor a crepe cake..."
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Around that time, the ship carrying Noah was diligently sailing towards Pulder.
Noah, wearing a gown, came out of his cabin. As soon as he opened the door, a cool sea breeze swept over him.
He had been sailing for almost three weeks, so he was actually quite bored. With a cigarette in his mouth, he leaned against the railing and tilted his head back. A large moon was looking down at him as if it would pour down.
Noah stared blankly at the moon, then turned his head to the side and looked in the direction the ship was heading.
Pulder would be at the end of that. And...
For some reason, Noah put the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth back in its case.
Hair as black as this night and eyes in which black waves rippled.
The King of Herot was not one to do things carelessly.
Judging from the dozens of pages of records he had investigated, the woman he thought was living a good life did not seem to be living such a peaceful life.
"Pulder is no different. And yet it's called a republic."
Noah's muttering was scattered and disappeared in the strong sea breeze.
When he saw the record that the top graduate of Herollington University had not been able to find a proper job anywhere for nearly two years, even he burst out laughing.
In addition, it seemed certain that she would soon be dismissed from her temporary professorship at Herollington University.
This was because the Pulder aristocratic faction did not welcome her employment and had intentionally canceled her spring semester courses. So, would the summer courses be any different?
Then, he remembered the woman who had wandered alone through the maze without a lamp on that autumn night.
Yes, would Herot be any different?
It was not important where one existed, but who one existed as.
And Ansen Wilhelm...
His gaze, which lightly swept over his face, sank deeper than the black sea, which was breaking into foam.
There was no record anywhere that Olivia had gone to see him. There was only a record that Ansen Wilhelm had come to see her.
"That bastard must be the only one who likes her."
He was the only one who liked her, but, as Lawrence said, he was hesitating to take her as his wife because she was not of high enough status.
But Noah Astrid was on his way to propose to her.
Would Ansen Wilhelm laugh, or would he feel wronged?
Noah entered his cabin with a smile that was somewhere between a laugh and something else on his lips.
He would arrive in Pulder in about two days.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
The more anxious Olivia felt, the more she focused on her lectures. She was so enthusiastic that other professors who passed by shook their heads.
After enriching the lecture content she had already checked dozens of times throughout the morning, she bought her favorite crepe cake and a cool coffee at the cafe on campus. Then, she headed straight to Margo's office with them.
"Oh, welcome."
Margo greeted Olivia with a bright smile.
Olivia politely greeted her and placed the coffee and cake she had bought for Margo on the table.
"What about yours?"
"I'm going to eat it in my office."
Margo, who knew that Olivia was preparing for her lectures with an almost obsessive perfection, smiled and nodded.
"What more is there to prepare?"
"Professor, there's no end to learning."
"Huh, that's true. You leave me speechless?"
"The weather is getting hotter. It feels like summer came early."
"You're right. I'm worried about how we'll get through this summer."
"Then I'll be on my way."
Olivia bowed politely with a smiling face and turned around.
"Olivia!"
"Yes?"
Margo called her, but then remained silent for a moment. When she tilted her head, widening her eyes, Margo finally spoke in a voice mixed with laughter.
"I'll enjoy it."
"Yes. I'm always grateful to you."
As Olivia disappeared out the door, Margo rubbed her forehead and let out a long sigh.
Tomorrow was the day to apply for courses.
So, tomorrow it would be decided whether Olivia could stay at the university or not.
She seemed bright and cheerful, pretending to be okay, but what was she really feeling inside?
"Did I make a suggestion in vain... and pour salt on her wounded heart?"
Margo stared at the cake and coffee Olivia had given her for a long time.
And the next day, early in the morning.
Olivia got ready and left the house at dawn.
As she did so, she checked and rechecked the locks several times. A month ago, even Mrs. McPhee, who lived nearby, had moved away, and the area felt increasingly deserted.
"If I'm not canceled today and can continue my life as a professor, I should stay in a cheap accommodation for the time being."
As people left the village one by one, the carriage no longer came to her house. Olivia walked all the way to 4th Street before she could board a shared carriage.
Even leaning her head back for a moment in the rattling carriage made her feel nauseous. Her heart kept beating coldly.
Olivia kept touching her hair and wetting her lips with her tongue.
Even though she had taken sleeping pills, she couldn't fall asleep easily last night.
Would there really be any students who would apply for her course? Please, there had to be.
Her white face was full of worry.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Around the time Olivia was trembling and heading to school, the ship carrying Noah arrived at Pulder International Port.
It had taken exactly three weeks for the journey, as they had used a detour route instead of a direct route due to the season when marine Magical Creatures appeared.
"Oh, it's dazzling. The sunlight is different, different!"
Methone made a fuss, shading his eyes with his hand from the hot summer sun of Pulder.
"If it's this hot around this time, what will midsummer be like?"
Methone was either excited about witnessing the King's proposal firsthand, or he was just excited to get away from work for a while, but he was very excited.
Noah was not at all swayed by Methone's fuss.
He frowned at the pouring sunlight and walked steadily in the direction the guards were guiding him.
They were heading to the VIP immigration office, which was located a few minutes' walk from the pier.
The immigration office was in a frenzy at the news that the King of Herot had arrived.
The Vice President, under the direction of the President, appeared at the office himself to welcome the King.
The dignified middle-aged gentleman stroked his beard as he stared blankly at the extraordinary young man walking through the crowd from afar.
"After all, Astrid is Astrid. He stands out even from a distance."
He wore a benevolent smile on his face and asked the secretary standing next to him in a whisper.
"I heard he's also the CEO of Norfolk Investment Company? I wonder why he came to Pulder?"
"The speculation is that it's related to company business. I heard he invested quite a bit of money in Wilhelm."
"I see."
Even while talking to his secretary, the Vice President's gaze was fixed on the young lion of Herot, who was approaching.
The perfectly tailored suit, even in this heat, the golden hair combed back without a single strand out of place, and the posture of a textbook of etiquette.
He was a man who turned everything around him into a background. As the Vice President of Pulder, he had seen many royals, but Noah Astrid, who was walking towards him now, was different.
Everyone could understand why the symbol of Astrid was a lion.
