Episode 95: Is Marriage Good?
Warm autumn sunlight streamed into the lavish drawing room.
“The way you hold your teacup is perfect, you know?”
“How do you do that hand gesture? I should learn it.”
A servant waiting in the corner of the drawing room desperately fought the urge to pick at her ears.
And she wasn't the only one. Olivia had also parted her lips several times upon hearing those words, and Countess Timberline was simply staring blankly, lost in thought.
Only Noah Astrid, who had spoken, seemed relaxed.
“Try again, Liv. How did you position your middle finger?”
Olivia glanced at Noah, but he maintained an unapologetically brazen attitude, gesturing towards her teacup. Eventually, Olivia sighed softly, set down her own teacup, and corrected Noah's fingers.
Noah watched Olivia's fingers touch his with satisfaction, then glanced at the dazed Mrs. Timberlin.
In that instant, Noah's gaze, which had been as warm as the afternoon sunlight, turned as cold as frost.
He knew exactly what that woman was trying to do without even having to look.
She wanted to torment Olivia until she was completely burned out, then keep her on a pedestal.
Or perhaps she wanted to manipulate the Princess consort and revel in her sinister self-awareness.
'How dare she.'
“Countess Timberline.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“It seems there will be no need for further posture correction for the Princess consort. It seems I should be watching and learning.”
“……”
“Don't you agree?”
Whether Olivia was flustered or not, Noah drove the point home with a smile.
'If I ever hear that Olivia has been standing all day again, I'll bite your head off.'
Faced with a lion determined to tear her throat out, Mrs. Timberlin couldn't even dare to object.
“Yes, Your Highness. I understand.”
Herod's Messenger, who had suddenly jumped into the fight between Olivia and Mrs. Timberlin, had finally shaken things up.
Very, very easily and lightly.
Mrs. Timberlin fled the Prince's residence as if running away.
Shivering with a sudden chill, she felt a surge of humiliation only after she had gotten quite a distance from the residence.
“No matter how much the world changes, a commoner is a commoner, and a noble is a noble. No matter how fancy the wrapping paper, the essence never changes.”
The image of Noah standing by Olivia's side made the Countess grit her teeth.
“The Prince is blinded by beauty and has become foolish.”
The Princess consort must have whispered something vulgar to the Prince.
She must have complained that she couldn't accept the teachings and that it was too difficult!
That must be why the foolish Prince had suddenly appeared and interfered.
“It's obvious without even seeing it.”
Mrs. Timberlin trembled all over and entered Marchioness Rettium's drawing room.
“You're here early today? Please, have a seat.”
She sat down in front of the Marchioness, wearing a very aggrieved expression.
“Oh dear, what happened?”
“…Marchioness.”
“Tell me.”
Mrs. Timberlin hesitated for a moment, then leaned towards the Marchioness and whispered.
“I wish we could have the social gathering soon, what do you think?”
At her question, Marchioness Rettium's eyes widened and then curved into a long smile.
As soon as Mrs. Timberlin left, Noah ordered Olivia's meal to be brought in.
“Noah, I already ate a little while ago.”
“I heard you didn't eat properly, so eat without complaining.”
“I'm not really hungry.”
“You usually don't know you're hungry when you miss a meal.”
“……”
How would Herod's Prince know about missing meals?
As Olivia's gaze narrowed, Noah gestured towards the utensils as if telling her not to think useless thoughts and eat.
Eventually, Olivia picked up her fork and began to eat her late lunch. At first, she didn't feel like eating because she didn't realize she was hungry, but as she ate, the thick steamed fish seemed to melt in her mouth.
Noah silently watched Olivia eat.
Then, as Olivia was about to put down her fork, he rose and urged her on.
“Eat more.”
“No, that's enough. But why did you come home early today?”
However, Noah didn't answer Olivia's question and asked something else.
“How long were you planning to endure it?”
“What do you mean?”
“That ridiculous posture correction. If I hadn't intervened, how long were you planning to endure it? Didn't you realize that woman was finding ridiculous fault with you?”
“I knew.”
“Then you should have told me. What were you trying to do?”
Olivia's two inner selves subtly emerged.
Feeling a strange mix of wanting to be endlessly protected and having to overcome everything on her own, Olivia opened her mouth calmly.
“I was planning to endure it for a week. I believed that if she continued to find fault even after that, then I would have something to say too.”
However, Noah remained silent with a blank face at her words. It was clear that he didn't agree with her opinion at all.
Olivia hesitated for a moment and then asked him.
“What do you think would have been the right way for me to handle it?”
Noah remained silent for a little longer even at her question.
In his heart, he wanted to tell her to forget about these etiquette lessons and social events, and just live her life studying as she wanted.
He could find her as many teachers as she wanted. And when the time came, she could spend months holed up in Hamuel, killing time.
But even Noah, as shameless as he was, couldn't bring himself to say that.
In the end, he suppressed a rising sigh and said in a weary tone.
“In the future, if someone finds ridiculous fault with you, don't foolishly endure it, just tell me.”
“Noah, that's……”
“Yes, it's not normal. But there are a lot of crazy people in the world, aren't there? To deal with crazy people, you can't be ‘normal’.”
“…Doesn't it bother you?”
At Olivia's words, Noah's eyes sank deeply.
“Liv.”
He rose and looked at Olivia as if he would devour her.
“As long as you are my wife, that is also my job.”
In that moment, King Leonard's voice overlapped.
"Not just because he is my son, but Noah takes responsibility for what he has to do, no matter how much he dislikes it. By marrying today and becoming his wife, Noah will do his best as a husband."
As Olivia's eyes wavered, Noah rose from his seat and lightly kissed her cheek.
Then, he put on the gloves he had taken off and picked up his jacket.
“Where are you going?”
“I have some business at the Royal Palace. Don't come out, just finish eating.”
Noah lightly pressed down on Olivia's shoulder, preventing her from getting up, and then strode away.
That aloof and jaded man had come all the way here to interfere with her lessons.
Watching his retreating figure, she was reminded of the moment she had faced Noah just before being slapped at the police station. But strangely enough, she thought of her own disheveled and messed-up appearance first, rather than Noah whom she had met there.
Thinking about how she must have looked in his eyes, how crumpled her skirt and messy appearance must have looked so pathetic, her chest felt suffocatingly tight.
It was definitely the protection she had so desperately wanted, but she didn't know why she felt so miserable. It was so strange.
Olivia hesitated for a moment and then abruptly asked Noah, who had grabbed the doorknob.
“Has the Magic Dome-related matter… been resolved well?”
Then, Noah opened the door and casually replied.
“I told you not to worry about that.”
“Still, if you need my help, please tell me.”
However, Noah disappeared without saying anything.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Noah headed straight to the Royal Palace. When he entered the King's office, it was filled with thick cigarette smoke.
Noah shook his head and immediately threw open the window.
Leonard, who had been looking at documents with a nervous expression, snapped angrily.
“Close it!!”
“I can't stay in a place like this for even a moment.”
As Noah retorted indifferently, Leonard groaned and flipped through the documents roughly.
“What's making you so uncomfortable?”
When Noah asked Usher, who was standing by the window, Usher subtly tilted his head and whispered in his ear.
“Lucy has finally declared war on His Majesty.”
“Lucy, declared war?”
“She said that if he doesn't send her to school right away, she will never see her father's face again.”
At that moment, Leonard shook the documents he had been flipping through nervously and raised his voice.
“Why are all the graduation trips going abroad?! What? And the school rules say that bodyguards are not allowed inside the school! How do I know what will happen inside the school!!”
He had been looking at them so seriously that they seemed like important documents, but it turned out they were related to the schools Lucy might attend.
Usher made a face as if he was fed up and said a word.
“The rules were the same when Noah and I attended, Your Majesty.”
Then Leonard glared at his eldest son with wide eyes and said, without missing a single word.
“Is Lucy the same as you guys?!!”
“……”
“……”
Noah and Usher looked at their father with awkward faces and simultaneously stuck their hands in their pockets.
Yes, yes, whatever you say.
Noah, who was about to add a word, changed his mind when he saw the King's face full of annoyance.
Noah straightened his posture politely and said quickly and concisely.
“I have finished preparing to recover the funds that went into Wilhelm Corporation.”
At that, Leonard's eyes changed as if flipping his palm.
He was silent like a lion about to hunt, then looked at Usher.
“Usher, is the statement ready to be released?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The King glanced at his sons alternately and then ordered his secretary, who was beside him.
“Release the statement today and report the reactions to it in real time.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Noah, you will recover the funds tomorrow afternoon.”
“I understand.”
Leonard nodded his eyebrows as if satisfied, then looked at Lucy's school documents and grabbed his head again.
“What on earth……! What is she lacking that she is suddenly causing me so much trouble!”
Noah and Usher lamented such behavior of their father and left the office silently.
The King's groans were heard from behind, but even the secretaries pretended not to hear.
“Wishing Lucy's victory.”
As Noah muttered, Usher chuckled.
The heavy office door closed, and the brothers began to walk side by side down the hallway as if they had made a promise. Usher glanced at Noah's profile and playfully nudged his shoulder.
When Noah looked at him, Usher smiled and asked.
“Is marriage good?”
At that, Noah turned his gaze back to the front and raised the corners of his lips.
