61
Chapter 61: A Wild Lion
Olivia looked at Winifred with pitiful eyes. After suffering for a long time, she had fallen asleep in a seated position.
"Methone, could you please help Winifred lie down comfortably later?"
"Of course."
"But I don't think we're supposed to open the machine room door. I wonder if it'll be alright."
"Don't worry. His Highness will take care of that. Oh, by the way, there weren't 32 Mana Conduits."
"Not 32?"
"If it was just a few off, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but there were ridiculously many. I didn't count them all, but there were at least twice as many."
"......"
Olivia blinked blankly, then lowered her gaze and fell into thought. It was impossible with the Magic Dome she had designed, but technology is bound to advance. Ansen Wilhelm wouldn't have been idle during that time, so it was possible.
Just as she was nodding to herself, having reached that conclusion, the door burst open, and a wild scent wafted in.
Olivia reflexively raised her head and involuntarily held her breath.
"......!"
There stood Herot's young lion, fresh from battle.
Literally, she vaguely thought of a lion.
His once perfectly styled blond hair was disheveled, and his white shirt was soaked with sweat or seawater, clinging to his body.
The roughly sculpted pectorals visible through the open shirt were shadowed by the dim light, making him look even more savage.
As if she had seen something she shouldn't have, Olivia quickly averted her gaze.
Above the faint smell of gunpowder mixed with the sea, a wild scent of sweat and musk grew closer. As the massive presence took a step closer, it felt as if an invisible wave was crashing over her.
"What's wrong with this person?"
Noah asked, gesturing to the slumped-over Winifred as he entered the room. Methone quickly replied, "It's a wonder she didn't throw up. She gets terrible seasickness."
Noah looked at Olivia, who was sitting demurely, and reflexively scanned her face.
"Liv, seasick?"
At the commanding question, Olivia quickly raised her head and replied, "No. I don't get seasick."
Looking up from below, an even more unapproachable sense of intimidation washed over her.
She had only ever seen him in a gentlemanly guise, so he felt even more unfamiliar. Olivia tried her best not to let her gaze linger on the gap in his open shirt.
Noah stared down at her for a moment, then nodded.
"So it seems."
"......"
"It's over, so rest."
Exhausted, Noah turned away at that point. Olivia straightened her back and pursed her lips. But in the end, she couldn't say anything.
She couldn't figure out what kind of greeting she should offer him. Eventually, as he left the room, the words she couldn't say escaped her lips as a sigh.
Olivia bit her lip, unfastened her seatbelt, and got up to check on Winifred. Meanwhile, the sailors entered the cabin and began to tidy up.
Meanwhile, Noah, having left Olivia's cabin, said languidly to Methone, who was following behind, "It seems like we won't be able to make a restaurant reservation tomorrow."
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Don't wake me tomorrow."
Hearing his extremely tired voice, Methone suppressed the urge to ask about the flashlight and nodded.
"Understood, Your Highness."
Noah stumbled through the messy cabin and collapsed onto the sofa. His body reeked of sweat and the briny sea, but as soon as he lay down, he fell asleep.
A languid sigh escaped Noah's lips.
Booze, cards, and on top of that, an attack by Magical Creatures.
The long, tedious night was slowly coming to an end.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
In the dimly lit room, Ansen, drinking alone, recalled the scene once again.
Noah Astrid, reaching out his hand to Olivia as if it were natural, Olivia taking his arm and gracefully walking through the garden to the carriage.
Unbelievably, the Herot royal family seemed to have chosen Olivia Liberty as Prince Noah's wife.
But what was even more surprising was the look on the Prince's face as he looked down at her.
The Prince, who only showed courtesy for the sake of his own dignity, was looking at her with such a tender smile that Ansen was greatly shocked.
From the perspective of the Herot royal family, it might be beneficial, but wasn't Olivia Liberty a symbol of sacrifice and dishonor for Noah Astrid?
Among the Herot royals of the past, there were those who had commoners as mistresses, but none who had them as spouses. No matter how much the times were changing, the royal family was still the royal family. How could he, a royal to the bone, look at Olivia and smile like that?
Noah Astrid, who was more arrogant than anyone else.
Ansen took another swig of his drink, then ran a hand over his forehead. The pungent smell of alcohol rose up his throat, stirring his head dizzily.
"Olivia."
His heart fluttered at the fiercely articulated name.
The name Olivia was etched into Ansen's mind.
Countless nights, he had thought alone. What if Olivia Liberty became Olivia Wilhelm?
But, no matter what, he couldn't make that woman a Wilhelm.
Arrogantly, Olivia's will was not even considered.
That woman was always poor and pitiful. In his mind, Olivia remained as the girl hiding behind a tree, crying alone.
The things she so desperately wanted were trivial and insignificant to him. It was easy for him to make that small woman comfortable.
"What did I want from you?"
Ansen blankly asked himself.
Then he chuckled.
"I wanted you to beg."
He wanted Olivia to beg, even if it meant making Ansen Wilhelm the only salvation for her.
He wanted her to be subordinate to him.
That's why he didn't properly distribute the Magic Dome's performance bonuses and blocked all avenues of employment. He wanted to hold onto that woman by any means possible.
And yet, you're going to be Prince Noah's wife.
Although there hasn't been an official announcement, the newspapers of Herot and Pulder have been publishing photos of the two, calling it a romance of the century.
Ansen raised the bottle to his lips and tilted it. The spot where the harsh liquor had passed felt as hot as if it had been burned.
"Noah Astrid."
The pup who always seemed like he would cause great damage had finally taken Olivia away.
Ansen's eyes flickered fiercely.
"Noah Astrid."
As he tightened his grip on the bottle, blue veins bulged out.
How could he take Olivia back from that pup? How could he bring the little woman who had run away into the Herot royal court back to his side?
At the same time as that question, Ansen recalled the golden bars that had blocked him at Princess Marguerite's mansion.
He couldn't even get past Princess Marguerite's bars, so how could he get past the Herot royal family's bars?
In the end, Ansen threw the bottle he was holding with all his might.
Crash!
The bottle flew towards the mirror, making a sharp sound as it shattered along with the mirror. Ansen's distorted face, reflected in the scattered shards of glass, was also shattered.
But Ansen, who had been panting roughly, suddenly stopped breathing. His gaze, which had been trembling and wandering, froze blankly in one place and refused to move.
A sense of crisis, incomparable to anything he had felt before, spread coldly down his spine.
"Magic Dome......"
Yes, the Magic Dome. His everything.
Ansen could take away the rights to the Magic Dome from Olivia, but he couldn't take away the knowledge in her head.
It wouldn't be a problem for Olivia to tell Prince Noah that she was the developer of the Magic Dome. That was, after all, something that happened in Pulder, and resolving it would require a legal dispute in Pulder, which would be awkward for the Herot royal family as well.
But, what if... Olivia and the Prince used their knowledge and wealth as a foundation to start another Magic Dome business?
Ansen felt a chill as if a knife was held to his throat.
He jumped up from his seat, touched his neck, and muttered, "The conservative Herot royal family won't easily approve of the Princess consort's business, so it's only a possibility."
Even Prince Noah is hesitant to start a business easily and is only investing in businesses, isn't he? The more one has to enjoy, the more restrictions there are. The royals of this era had even more restrictions.
Even if Olivia were to start a Magic Dome business, overcoming all possibilities, it wouldn't be right away.
But nevertheless, Ansen's anxiety surged like a storm, shaking him violently. It was unlikely, but not impossible, was it?
Ansen began to rack his brains endlessly, immersed in the darkness.
He had to take Olivia away from Noah Astrid, no matter what.
Noah, who had been sleeping uncomfortably on the sofa, got up around the time the sailors finished cleaning the cabin, took a bath, and fell asleep again.
And he woke up when the sun had passed its zenith and was leaning towards the west.
The wildness of the night before had disappeared, leaving only a prince full of languid energy.
He leisurely sipped the hot black tea placed on the bedside table, then got up from his seat and opened the closet door. Then he came back to the bed with something in his hand.
What he held in his hand was none other than Olivia's flashlight and a crumpled piece of paper. He had been so tired when he lay down on the sofa that he hadn't even noticed they were stuffed haphazardly in his pocket.
Noah leaned back against the headboard and slowly stroked Olivia's flashlight. His eyes darkened.
It was because he was reminded of the item he had thrown away to Isabel Seymour in a fit of pique. He also didn't like the fact that all sorts of people remembered him carrying this item around.
Noah clicked his tongue softly and put down the flashlight.
A strange unease crept over him, but thinking about it wouldn't lead to an answer, and it wasn't like he could ask Isabel Seymour to return it now.
Noah pushed the unease out of his mind and unfolded the drawing Olivia had made. At the same time, he recalled his conversation with her the night before.
"Actually, I helped out occasionally when the Magic Dome was being built. But I never had the chance to see the actual Magic Dome."
Noah's gaze lingered on the paper for a long time.
It was roughly drawn but accurate, and above all, she had diagnosed the cause of the problem through subtle sounds that would be difficult for ordinary people to detect. Furthermore, she had a clear understanding of the solution.
At this point, it had to be said that the Magic Dome was materialized in Olivia's head, going beyond the scope of simple 'help'.
Noah slowly lowered the hand holding the drawing and shone his eyes sharply.
