Chapter 81
Episode 81: Cosmos and the Princess Consort
Noah leaned back deeply in his chair and nodded.
Olivia was stealthily approaching, hiding something behind her back.
"What are you doing?"
Olivia hesitated for a moment even after reaching his desk. Then, she carefully presented what she had been hiding behind her back to Noah.
Noah's gaze went to her hands. Cosmos flowers, carrying the scent of fresh grass, were held delicately in Olivia's hands.
Olivia couldn't bring herself to meet Noah's eyes and just stared intently at the cosmos petals she had offered.
They were so beautiful in the vast field. So she had carefully picked only the most luscious and colorful flowers in her eyes.
But presenting them to Noah, they felt strangely shabby.
Just as she was reminded of the autumn night when she handed him the flashlight, the weight in her hand disappeared like that night.
When Olivia looked up, Noah was grinning, holding the bouquet of cosmos flowers she had given him in one hand.
"Cosmos?"
Olivia nodded, feeling the tension ease.
"Queen Consort told me to visit Cosmos Hill. She said it was very beautiful, and it really was."
"My mother is particularly fond of that place."
Noah quietly gazed at the flowers Olivia had picked. The clumsily picked flowers, with their uneven heights, were loosely tied together with reed stalks.
He delicately touched the bouquet with his slender fingers, and then, as if struck by an idea, he called for a servant.
"Yes, Your Highness? You called?"
"Bring a vase and scissors."
A vase and scissors? Olivia tilted her head, puzzled.
Soon, she blankly watched Noah arranging the flowers. He sat on the sofa, delicately untangling the tangled stems and skillfully trimming them.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"...You know how to arrange flowers?"
"Lucy was about to faint last year, so I helped out a bit, and I ended up being better at it. What's the point of teaching a nine-year-old how to arrange flowers? She should be in school."
Even as he spoke sharply, his touch was so delicate that Olivia couldn't take her eyes off him.
Soon, when he placed the bundled flowers in the vase as they were, they looked splendid, as if they had never looked shabby.
"Wow..."
Noah stared at Olivia, who had approached the cosmos as if drawn by a spell.
The scent of soil and wind, unique to someone who had been running around in a field, clung to her. Her exposed earlobes, slender cheeks, prominent nose, and soft hair.
Noah suddenly wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist and pulled her onto his lap.
"Noah!"
"Sit and look. You can see better."
A shiver ran down her spine at the voice flowing over her ear.
Noah buried his nose in her black hair, which flowed down to her waist, and inhaled deeply. Olivia felt like her soul was leaving her body at the solid physique she felt behind her.
"Noah, what if people come in?"
"Duchess Rosemond. No one can enter without my or your permission."
Noah smiled languidly and inhaled even deeper.
"You must have had a lot of fun running around Cosmos Hill. You smell like cosmos flowers."
Olivia burst into laughter at Noah's words.
"It's really vast and beautiful. Would you like to go with me tomorrow?"
"No."
The refusal was very simple.
"Pick some more flowers. I'll make another one for you."
Whispering so, Noah gently turned Olivia's chin. At the same time, he rose and devoured her lips. Like a fruit ripened red and full of sweetness, her lips, imbued with the scent of cosmos flowers, were endlessly sweet.
Why be curious about cosmos?
It's right here.
And the next day, Olivia picked another armful of flowers. As if she had made up her mind, she had pinned up her cumbersome hair and was wearing a dress that was easy to move in.
At the sight, Noah chuckled and muttered.
"She's having fun."
Noah divided the flowers into two vases and returned them to her. Olivia placed the cosmos by her bedside, and Noah quietly watched her before whispering.
"Don't you wonder what it would feel like to do it on Cosmos Hill?"
"How can you say that when you've never even been to Cosmos Hill?"
"Ah, then should we go there and do it this time?"
"Noah!"
When Olivia reacted as if she had heard something she shouldn't have, Noah chuckled and unilaterally presented a condition that was favorable to him.
Olivia lay on her side with her eyes closed.
The sound of fire devouring wood came from the fireplace, the subtle scent of cosmos lingered at the tip of her nose, and the touch caressing her hair was languid.
Olivia suddenly thought of the sleeping pills in her bag. For a while, she couldn't sleep without them.
She took them because she had to, but when she lay in bed after taking them, she felt like she was falling into the abyss.
So she had missed this languid feeling, when she was on the verge of falling asleep.
Olivia closed her eyes and smiled, raising the corners of her lips.
"You're smiling in a way that makes me want to do more."
Olivia opened her closed eyes at the languid voice. Noah, lying on his elbow, was constantly touching her hair with one hand and looking at Olivia.
No matter how much she looked at his unfamiliar splendor, her face flushed regardless of her will.
"Ah, why are you doing this in a way that makes me really want to do more?"
When Noah noticed her change with uncanny accuracy and spoke with a long laugh, Olivia simply closed her eyes.
Still, the hand caressing her hair remained the same.
She felt like this when she lay on her mother's lap as a child. Olivia quietly felt the touch and then very carefully opened her mouth.
"Hey, Noah."
"Yeah."
"I..."
"If you're going to start, then say it. Don't drag it out."
Olivia opened her eyes. Noah's eyes were closed.
"On the way back, could we possibly stop by Lorwell?"
Then Noah slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Lorwell?"
"Yes. I heard it takes about an hour by carriage from here. I'd like to stop by for a moment on the way to Herrington, would that be possible?"
Noah thought about the map for a moment and then recalled Lorwell City.
Was there anything to see there? He thought there was a spinning factory. She probably didn't want to see that.
Since he was feeling sleepy, Noah decided not to think about it any further. It wouldn't matter if they stopped by for a moment on the way to Herrington.
Noah closed his eyes and replied.
"Okay. Then let's stop by for a moment on the way back."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you!"
Olivia's voice seemed excited. Noah smiled as he was increasingly drawn into sleep.
"Good night, Noah."
The whispering voice was sweet.
Thinking that his beautiful peace might actually be the nightmare Lilith, Noah fell asleep.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Meanwhile, while Noah and Olivia had left for Hamuel, Beatrix still had work to do.
In the end, the capital's nobles refused the position of Olivia's etiquette teacher. She had offered it to as many as twenty people, but all of them refused.
"If only my family were closer in times like these."
At Beatrix's sigh-like words, the Head Maid silently poured her tea.
The reason she was putting so much effort into Olivia's etiquette teacher was that the position was not simply about teaching etiquette.
Just as unmarried young ladies received help from chaperones when entering society, Olivia also needed help to enter society.
In the future, Olivia's world would be the high society of Herot, so there were many things to do, from making friends to establishing a position.
So, in these times, an etiquette teacher was a helper who would assist Olivia in building her world and creating a foundation for her daily life from the closest position.
In that sense, Queen Consort had personally offered the position of Olivia's etiquette teacher to the leading figures of the capital's high society. She intended to use the position of the etiquette teacher since Olivia's independent position was weak.
And they were all rejected.
No matter how much it was Queen Consort's request, it was a stubborn will not to bend the knee to someone from commoner origins.
"I'm already feeling hopeless about how high the barrier to entry will be."
Beatrix sighed deeply and looked down at two documents.
Fortunately, these two people had sent positive responses to her proposal.
"Countess Timberline..."
At the name that leaked out like a sigh after a long time, the Head Maid carefully opened her mouth.
"Since her family is the Marquess of Rettium, I heard that she spends half of the year in the capital. In addition, her position in the capital's high society is quite solid."
"..."
"However, she is a person with extremely contrasting reputations. I heard that the difference in temperature when dealing with superiors and inferiors is very large."
Beatrix recalled the face of a middle-aged woman with her silver hair tied high. She always sent her a kind smile, so it was difficult to imagine her face when dealing with inferiors.
After pondering for a moment, Beatrix turned her gaze to another document.
"Countess Miriam."
"She is a person whose character is beyond question. Unlike Countess Timberline, she is a noble from the capital, but the problem is that she is from commoner origins."
"And therefore, she has not been able to build a position in high society."
"Yes. But because she has such a good character, she has connections with the capital's noble ladies through acquaintances."
For example, Countess Miriam was close to Mrs. Lehman, Lucy's nanny. So Beatrix occasionally met her, and she was a pretty decent person.
The reason why she put her name on the backup plan despite the lack of a position in high society was also because of her character.
But when it came to the moment of decision, Beatrix couldn't easily choose her.
This was because recognition was more important than character.
In the end, Beatrix pointed to Countess Timberline's document with her finger and ordered the Head Maid.
"Summon Countess Timberline."
"Yes, I understand."
Beatrix braced herself and widened her eyes. Now, all that remained was to make Countess Timberline aware that Olivia was her superior.
