Chapter 42
Episode 42: The Guy Who Seems Like He'll Cause Losses and the Obnoxious, Uncomfortable Guy
Olivia gazed at her wisely shining eyes for a long time before slowly lowering her gaze.
The air she slowly inhaled was warm. The chirping of birds and the fresh scent of leaves, which she hadn't noticed for a while, lingered around her nose.
She looked up and glanced around the garden, which was filled with flowers and trees so beautiful it seemed like paradise.
"It's spring."
At that, Margo frowned and tilted her head.
"It's almost summer. Spring was ages ago, why are you saying it's spring now?"
Olivia gave an embarrassed smile at her scolding.
"You're right. The garden is very lovely, Professor! It's a really wonderful mansion. Thank you for letting me stay the night."
Then Margo scolded her fiercely.
"You, you said it well! Knowing that some pervert is lurking around the house, you stayed there?! What nerve!"
Leonard would have run away in disgust at the outburst, but Olivia played it off with a smile.
"Ah, so I put a few more locks on it."
"You impudent thing! Are you proud of that?!"
"Ah, I'm not proud!"
"If only you couldn't talk!! Anyway, don't even think about staying in that house any longer. Got it?!"
When Olivia gave her a puzzled look, Margo shook her shoulders.
"Stay here for the time being! And don't say any of that nonsense about owing me anything."
"Ugh, Professor, you're shaking my head!"
"Quiet, answer me properly!"
"...Thank you."
Only after hearing that did Margo let go of Olivia. Even then, she wasn't relieved, and she raised her voice again.
"You should have said so sooner, sooner!!!"
"...I'm already indebted to you so much, Professor, and I haven't even repaid you."
At those words, Margo gave her a look of disbelief and retorted sharply.
"The debt you owe me is nothing to me!"
"Does that mean I should think of myself as nothing? It's always been a great debt to me, Professor."
At the quiet words, Margo, who had been raising her voice, lost her words and closed her mouth. This little rascal is subtly good at handling arrogant and selfish people.
Margo suddenly imagined her and Noah standing side by side and stroked her chin.
'Well… it might not be so bad.'
Then, after a while, Margo said she was hungry and went into the mansion.
Olivia, left alone in the garden, gazed at the sparkling sea bathed in sunlight.
Herot, beyond that sea. And,
"Noah Astrid……."
Her heart ached at the name she dared to roll around in her mouth.
The moment she faced him again after two years, her heart pounded as if it would burst. Despite his frosty, cold, and steely, indifferent gaze.
The feeling of not wanting to show him her most miserable and pathetic self, the feeling of wanting to run away whenever she stood before him, clung to his rational and political words, 'Marry me.'
As the names of necessity and peace were added to it, it grew as foolishly and quickly as a snowball, filling her small heart completely.
The morning sunlight seeped onto Olivia's face. A clear light flickered in her dark eyes, which had sunk like a deep, dark seabed.
Olivia stroked her full chest with her hand and thought.
As Margo said, every path has its own difficulties.
If she chooses necessity, peace, and Noah Astrid.
What will Olivia Liberty, who has nothing, have to pay in return?
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Ansen stared at the shoddy and insignificant report for a long time before throwing it into the trash can.
Frustration and anger soared to the top of his head.
His moronic researchers had ultimately failed to upgrade the Magic Dome. Ansen had reached a point where he had to either ask for understanding from investors or commit fraud.
"Fire the chief researcher."
Ansen covered his eyes with his hand and ordered, and his secretary Russo, who was waiting, quickly bowed his head and replied.
"Understood."
The chief researcher was just repeating useless words like a parrot.
"It is impossible to modify the Magic Dome designed by Oliver without his help. The only thing we can try is to reduce the size of the cooler and increase the capacity of the converter a little more… but that's not the best option……."
"You moron……."
Ansen roughly ran his hand over his face and took another sip of coffee, not knowing how many cups he had already had, and stroked his rough chin.
"Was Olivia dismissed from Herollington University as of yesterday?"
"Yes, that's right. I have confirmed that her contract has been terminated."
"She must have gone to that big tree again and cried for a long time."
She is a woman who is stingy with tears. She rarely tries to show others her crying face. As if she knows that it stimulates the sadism of the nobles.
When he thought of tears welling up and falling from her crow-like black eyes, one side of his chest stirred.
Ansen ran his hand over his face several times with impatient hands.
It seemed really easy to manipulate her, who had nothing. But Olivia, driven to the edge of a cliff, ultimately did not take his hand.
Oliver and Olivia are both equally insignificant names, but what's the difference?
Ansen glanced at his watch and asked.
"What time is breakfast with Prince Noah today?"
"10 a.m., at the Ritz Hotel."
"The Prince has breakfast quite late."
Prince Noah did not do things carelessly. He will surely mention the upgrade at breakfast today.
Deceive him plausibly?
Ansen shook his head.
Fraud is fraud, and you only commit it if it's worth it.
The Magic Dome is a military facility directly managed by the royal families and governments of each country. If he were to commit a ridiculous fraud against countries that form a union, not just an individual, the company's existence itself would be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, upgrading the Magic Dome is just the cornerstone of his ultimate goal, not the goal itself. So, it would be foolish to risk the company's existence for that kind of thing.
It would be better to cover up the full upgrade with an increase in converter capacity and buy time. For now, he should push ahead with it, as he has temporarily installed and operated it on a Ship-based Magic Dome and produced plausible results.
Ansen took a deep, long breath and tried to calm his complicated heart.
Olivia Liberty.
All of this started with that woman.
"Tell Olivia that I want to meet her. Give her the choice of when and where she wants to meet. Even if she says she doesn't want to meet, persuade her persistently and get an appointment without fail."
"Understood."
Ansen got up from his seat, buttoned his shirt, and tied his tie himself.
Pushing away the woman who was occupying his mind, he slowly pictured the face of Prince Noah, whom he would soon meet.
The hand tying the tie gradually slowed down.
Could there be anyone else who suits the name of royalty as much as him?
The leisurely and arrogant young lion of Herot.
The perfect etiquette he employs must be for his own dignity rather than respect for the other person.
Ansen's brow slowly furrowed.
Despite being a valuable investor who has invested a considerable amount of money in Wilhelm Corporation, he couldn't shake off a strange feeling of unease.
A strange feeling that he would cause a huge loss someday.
His smooth face had given off that feeling since the first time they met.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Uncomfortable and obnoxious.
That was his first impression of Ansen Wilhelm, and it remains unchanged.
Noah savored the slightly cooled black tea and quickly glanced at Ansen, who was sitting across from him.
A solid and large physique that was comparable to his own, and a handsome appearance with impressive thick lines.
He suddenly remembered the document he had received from his father.
Ansen Wilhelm has been visiting Olivia Liberty periodically, but there has been no sign of this recently. Some rumors say that he has feelings for Olivia Liberty, but this has not been confirmed.
Noah put down his teacup and thought.
As expected, he's obnoxious.
The poached egg, which he usually ate well, tasted particularly bad and fishy today.
Exchanging pleasantries that he wasn't even curious about was also extremely boring. That's enough of an introduction.
"By the way, how is the Magic Dome upgrade going?"
At the Prince's surprise question, Ansen put down his fork, thinking that what was coming had come.
As silence continued for a moment, Noah leaned back leisurely in his chair and slowly crossed his legs. His gaze also tilted with his slightly tilted posture. With that alone, he brought the atmosphere to his side and subtly pressured Ansen.
Ansen tried not to be swept away by Noah's atmosphere and carefully chose his words.
He had to answer properly.
However, just as he was about to open his mouth, a polite knock came and the Prince's secretary suddenly entered.
As the sharp energy was broken, Ansen unknowingly let out a breath he had been holding in.
"Mr. Wilhelm, please excuse me for a moment."
At Noah's words, Ansen readily nodded.
"Of course."
When Noah gestured, Methone immediately approached and whispered.
"They've arrived. Shall I tell them I'll contact them later?"
The subject was omitted, but Noah immediately understood. He reflexively looked at Ansen.
Breakfast with Ansen, the head of Wilhelm Corporation, is by no means a light matter. This is especially true considering the recent status of Wilhelm Corporation.
But he was so uncomfortable that he couldn't even eat a poached egg, and judging from the delay, it seemed like the upgrade had failed.
Furthermore, he was very curious about what the new visitor had to say.
"No, tell them to wait a moment."
Methone raised his eyebrows as if surprised, but quickly replied with a quick wit.
"Understood."
