Chapter 55
Episode 55: Noah's Salvation!
A week passed without the Prince showing his face, and Methone, Winifred, and even the bodyguards looked troubled.
Methone would pointedly add that His Highness was busy with business, and Winifred would expound on the logic that a husband who didn't come home often was a comfortable one.
They were all saying it out of concern for her being upset, but Olivia was genuinely fine.
Just then, the actors began to sing of love with heartfelt expressions.
"I love you, I love you!"
Olivia blankly watched the scene of them pouring out intense emotions and gazing at each other longingly, and suddenly realized why she was okay.
"I love you!"
Love.
That was what was missing from her marriage to him.
Olivia looked at the male actor kneeling before his partner. She subtly superimposed Noah Astrid's face onto his, and a chuckle escaped her lips without her realizing it.
Goodness. It couldn't have been a worse fit.
Olivia shook her head slightly.
He had come to her based on rational judgment. Olivia had accepted his proposal for the same reason.
So, while she could possess awkward silk gloves and dresses, and a dazzlingly beautiful necklace, she could not possess Noah Astrid's love.
Even after the wedding, after they officially became husband and wife, wouldn't it still be the same?
Before she knew it, the opera curtain fell, and Olivia rose from her seat with the others and applauded.
The two actors who played the main characters held each other's hands affectionately as they responded to the audience.
Olivia, though there might be no true love, gazed at their seemingly affectionate appearance and made a small wish.
Even if she didn't have his love, she wanted to get along well with him.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
"One more round! One more round!"
Damn it, did he eat a Fire pot?
"Your Hiiiighness! Just one more round!!!"
Where on earth did he stash his pride, his face, and his sense of propriety?
Noah stared blankly into space, barely managing to catch his breath.
The sight of elderly gentlemen thrusting their flushed faces at him, begging for just one more round, was a horrific scene he never wanted to encounter, not even in his dreams.
Noah wasn't the only one who felt that way; Methone, standing behind him, wore the same disgusted expression.
Listening to drunken shouts in the lightless basement of the cruise ship for days on end made him feel like his soul was rotting away.
Noah couldn't take it anymore.
At this point, he felt like he could just throw business to the wind. Yes, now that he could become independent from the royal family thanks to Olivia, what good was all this? What more wealth and glory did he need to enjoy? He was already enjoying it.
Noah took out a cigarette and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
The repulsive Libero widened his eyes and grabbed the Prince's sleeve.
"Haha, really..."
Noah gave a cold sneer to Libero, who was drunk and senselessly grabbing his sleeve. But his drunken friends didn't stop Libero; instead, they clung to him as well.
"Ah, Your Highness! The moon is still high in the sky! Yes, it hasn't waned yet!"
Noah didn't even bother to respond to the nonsense he was hearing for the first time and shook off Libero's hand. But the leech-like Libero didn't give up.
"Your Highness, it'll be boring if you leave!"
"You little...!!"
Noah, who was at the end of his rope, was about to explode in anger but desperately calmed himself down. But already, the veins in his neck and forehead were bulging and throbbing, and his breathing was rough.
Seeing this, Methone quickly racked his brain.
It wouldn't do any good to explode like this and get into a heated argument with Libero Akiten and the others. It would ruin the efforts of the past ten days!
What good way could there be?
But just then, wasn't it a bit noisy outside the card room? ...As if a performance had just ended.
Methone's eyes lit up. He quickly turned around and burst out of the card room. Time was of the essence.
The opera house was right next to the card room, and elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen were coming out, as if the performance had just ended.
And the person Methone was desperately looking for was shining alone even in the dim light.
"Olivia!"
Olivia looked up in surprise at Methone, who had suddenly run up to her, calling her name.
"Methone! What's wrong?"
"P-Please, just follow me!"
There was no time to explain. The Prince's patience had run out long ago and he was about to explode.
Methone quickly turned around, and Olivia, without asking why, followed him as if running. She thought he was going straight to the cabin, but he led her to a place not far from the entrance of the theater.
In front of the grand black door, Olivia looked at Methone. She wanted him to explain what was going on, but he silently threw the door open.
She was reluctant to enter the dark and secretive interior, but because of Methone, who seemed so urgent, she quickly followed him. As they quickly passed through the wide hallway, familiar bodyguards came into view.
It seemed the Prince was here.
Around that time, Methone started running altogether. Then, he forcefully opened the door that the bodyguards were guarding.
Olivia, who had been following him as if running, took a quick step through the open door, but froze.
"......!!"
What on earth is he doing?
That was Olivia's first thought as soon as she saw the inside of the card room.
To be exact, after seeing the middle-aged gentlemen clinging to Noah Astrid.
Olivia's gaze, which had been fixed on the gentlemen, no, the drunkards, creaked and turned towards Noah.
His glorious face, tinged with irritation and annoyance, was completely crumpled like a piece of paper.
Meanwhile, they were just as surprised by Olivia's sudden appearance. Even if they were drunk, there was no way they wouldn't recognize the dazzling beauty who had suddenly appeared.
Noah, who was on the verge of exploding, also paused at Olivia's appearance. The thought, 'Why is she here?' popped into his head, but the moment he saw Methone standing next to her, a flash of lightning struck his mind.
The anger that had been boiling as if to melt his brain quickly subsided, and cold reason returned.
Olivia.
His peace.
Noah looked into Olivia's dark eyes with an intense gaze and slowly took a long breath. Then, he slowly curved his eyes into a long smile.
"Liberty."
At the meltingly sweet voice, Libero and one of the drunkards who had been clinging to him jumped back in surprise.
"Did you wait long?"
How could a low, cool voice be so captivating?
Olivia trembled slightly at the tingling sensation in her spine. Even so, she tried to calmly assess the situation.
Noah, who had seemed on the verge of exploding, the drunken gentlemen who had been holding him back, Methone, who had urgently come to ask for help.
Olivia carefully met Noah's eyes, looked around at the gentlemen, and opened her mouth.
"I was going to wait longer, but you were so late... I was worried that something might have happened. I came without warning, and I'm afraid I've committed a discourtesy. Please forgive me."
Even the drunkards could recognize the troubled look on her clear face. The alcohol that had been filling them quickly dissipated, and they quickly straightened themselves up, busy adjusting their crooked ties.
Noah took a step towards her and affectionately extended his hand.
Olivia looked at his hand and took one step, one step closer. Then, she took the arm he offered.
Libero and his friends were already standing up and looking at them. Noah looked down at Olivia with loving eyes and introduced her.
"I'm late in introducing her. She's my lover, whom I'll be marrying soon."
The gentlemen's eyes widened at the shocking introduction. Olivia gracefully released Noah's hand and gave the greeting she had repeated dozens of times over the past ten days.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Olivia Liberty."
The gentlemen, who had been frozen as if struck by lightning, soon rushed to introduce themselves, and Olivia exchanged greetings with each one of them.
"M-My name is Libero Akiten. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's my sincere pleasure to meet you as well."
Noah stood still and watched Olivia with satisfaction.
Finally, after exchanging greetings with the last person, Olivia took a step back and looked at Noah.
"Your Highness, if the meeting will be longer, I'll wait a little longer."
Then, she subtly looked back at the gentlemen.
Noah, feeling like he was about to burst out laughing, put strength into his jaw and looked at the gentlemen, following her gaze.
They sweated at the sight of the yearning lover's eyes and quickly pulled on their jackets.
"Ah, ah, it's over!"
"Ah, yes! Of course. It's over."
The gentlemen, who had been shouting 'One more round!' until they were sick of it, returned to their neat appearances as if nothing had happened and hurriedly disappeared.
A chaotic silence, like the aftermath of a storm, descended upon the heads of those who remained.
Olivia stood with her hands neatly folded and looked at the door where the gentlemen had disappeared with a dazed look. Her eyes blinked, and this time she turned her head and looked at the large round table.
Her gaze, which had been following the glasses, bottles, ashtrays full of ashes, spread-out cards, and scattered money, went straight to Noah.
"......"
"......"
This time, a strange silence fell.
Winifred frowned at the Prince with a very displeased expression and shook her head slightly, and Methone and the bodyguards pitied the Prince.
Unless he made a pathetic excuse, wasn't this a scene that made him look like a prodigal son?
So, how must Noah be feeling?
In front of the clear black eyes like glass beads, Noah felt more unfairly than ever.
But he didn't want to make a pathetic excuse. Just as he hated hearing someone else's excuses, he hated making excuses himself.
Right. What did I do wrong that I have to explain this situation?
At the moment he had an uncharacteristically childish thought, Olivia smiled faintly and turned around.
"I'll go back with Winifred first."
"I don't like this."
No sooner had Olivia finished speaking than Noah stated firmly.
"......??"
Then Olivia looked at him as if puzzled, and Methone's eyes sparkled at the rare scene he was finally witnessing.
Noah wanted to bite his tongue instead. He desperately suppressed his face from contorting and feigned as much composure as possible.
Olivia glanced at the scene of pleasure without realizing it and nodded.
"Yes."
At her gaze and the single word 'Yes,' the composure that Noah had barely been holding onto shattered.
"Did you hear me properly? I said, I don't like this."
