Chapter 89
- To My Queen
2023.12.28.
"Do you dislike it?"
He asked back with a smile.
There were countless photos taken with him.
As if condemning an immoral woman, the countless photos published in various newspapers spread beyond Litten to Rondos.
On the night of the Rose Ball, in front of the Rondos Consulate, the day he came to River House with a bouquet of flowers, at the stadium where he appeared without notice.
The numerous photos that disgracefully captured Olivia, turning her into a brazen femme fatale, replayed slowly in her head like a film reel.
"...I like it."
Anne skillfully smoothed Olivia's pure white satin dress.
She neatly adjusted the ribbon that adorned the neckline and smoothed out the wrinkles in the dress that flowed down her figure.
And just as she was about to fix the sky-blue headband that Marquis Lancelot had gifted her.
"Let's go with this."
At Edgar's gesture, Gerald, who was standing behind him, opened a dark blue leather box.
"Ah...!"
Anne's mouth hung open, unable to close. She had never seen a Tiara that sparkled so beautifully in her life.
Even the crown that Queen Cartina wore at her coronation was not more beautiful than this.
It was closer to a work of art.
After a brief silence, Edgar carefully lifted the diamond Tiara resting on the cushion.
Anne quickly removed the headband.
The diamonds, embedded one by one, scattered a shimmering glow in the sunlight streaming through the large windows of the Hall of Honors.
The flawless light flickered and shimmered over Olivia's face.
Edgar gazed at Olivia for a moment.
Then, keeping his eyes fixed on her, he slowly placed the silver crown on her head.
"To my Queen."
Edgar extended his hand. As if paying homage, he lifted Olivia's hand and kissed the back of it.
Finally, the preparations were complete.
The assistant hurriedly ran over with a new film canister. The photographer quickly replaced the film and disappeared under the black cloth.
The two stood side by side in front of the camera.
Edgar smiled slightly and pulled Olivia closer by the waist.
The sweet fragrance deepened. Surprised, Olivia looked up. Their eyes met.
She smiled.
Her bright blue eyes, filled with anticipation, held only him.
He didn't know exactly what she was expecting or imagining, but he was certain that he was in the future she dreamed of.
At that moment, he felt exhilarated.
"Hand... I want to hold it."
Edgar readily extended his hand.
Olivia, her neck flushed red, took his hand. He firmly grasped her small hand, which fit perfectly in his.
The fragrance of blooming flowers wafted in on the breeze from the large arched window.
The night of the Rose Ball, it must have been that night.
Ever since that night... I've been thinking of you.
Perhaps it was the magic cast by the scent of the riotous roses.
"We should look ahead."
He smiled.
Olivia, her face flushed, quickly looked forward.
Edgar signaled with a nod of his chin.
Flash! The flash went off.
White smoke scattered in the Hall of Honors, bathed in the sunlight of Dumblin.
Edgar pulled her hand, which he was holding tightly between his fingers. Olivia, flustered, looked up at him. At that moment, Edgar lowered his head.
At the edge of their locked lips, a dazzling memory of a summer day was being etched.
\\
The closing night was magnificent.
The Dumblin Championship closing party, which marked the finale of the social season, began with fireworks that brilliantly adorned the night sky and was held throughout Litten.
As darkness fell on Golden Avenue, the most luxurious street in Litten, it was as if it had been reborn as a celestial city.
The hotels were wrapped in dazzling lights from top to bottom, and the roads were crowded with processions of luxurious Carriages.
Whenever famous athletes or socialites stepped out of the Carriage, there were always loud cheers like screams from young ladies and the sound of flashes from photographers.
Among the hotels where parties were held, the Lancelot Hotel was by far the most crowded.
This was because it was the host of the Dumblin Championship, and rumors were rife that the male and female protagonists of the victory would be attending.
The men's singles champion, Taylor Prairie, had already entered, and reporters and girls were eagerly waiting for Olivia Blanchett.
And a moment later, a luxurious black Carriage, with no crest but gleaming under the streetlights, glided to a stop in front of the main entrance of the Lancelot Hotel.
The doorman politely opened the Carriage door.
The man who slowly stepped out of the Carriage was none other than Edgar Lancaster Lancelot.
The surroundings instantly became noisy.
And following him, the protagonist of this night, Olivia Blanchett, revealed her elegant figure, holding the Marquis's hand.
"Olivia! Olivia!!!"
The girls shouted her name.
At the same time, silver flashes burst out dazzlingly, pushing back the summer night's heat, and white smoke rose.
"Over here! Please look over here just once! Blanchett!"
"Blanchett! This way too!"
Olivia, dressed in a calm, watery blue evening dress with a lower saturation than her eye color, willingly stood before them.
Her relaxed demeanor was overflowing with dignified grace.
Her once beautiful face was now imbued with strength, and her blue eyes, which had trembled like a fragile lake, had deepened like an abyss.
Olivia Blanchett, who had appeared like a deity and conquered the tennis world, was no longer the same as before.
That was the conclusion of everyone who saw her. Something indescribable overwhelmed them.
"Shall we go in?"
Edgar whispered in her ear. His voice was languid, like a summer night.
Olivia, replacing her answer with a bright smile, took Edgar's hand and was about to step onto the red carpeted stairs.
"Olivia!"
A girl, mixed in with the reporters, broke through the guards' restraints and called her name. Olivia turned her head at the call.
"Could you sign this here? Please."
The girl handed over a weekly magazine with Olivia on the cover, along with a fountain pen. Olivia, flustered, slowly raised her head to face the girl.
"Can I become a great tennis player like you, Blanchett? I want to be like you."
The girl asked, revealing fervent anticipation. Her eyes, filled with admiration, sparkled as if stars had fallen into them.
I want to be like you.
For some reason, her heart was racing. Her stomach churned and heat rushed to her eyes, as if she had eaten something wrong for breakfast.
Like you.
Olivia calmed her suddenly churning heart.
"Of course."
Although she didn't know the girl's skills, the fighting spirit burning like a flame in her firm eyes made her seem worthy of being the Dumblin Empress in the near future.
"You."
Olivia continued, biting her trembling lips tightly and then releasing them. Her voice was still trembling.
"I believe you can become an even better tennis player than me."
Olivia smiled sincerely and signed the bottom of the cover.
"Me too! Please do mine too!"
The girls flocked to get Olivia's autograph. When the guards hired by Edgar tried to stop them, Olivia gave them a look of restraint.
Olivia spent a considerable amount of time signing autographs for the girls.
The girl who shook hands with the admired athlete screamed with joy and jumped up and down.
Olivia and the girls burst into laughter. The reporters captured this scene endlessly with their cameras.
Is it okay to be this happy?
Edgar was smiling amidst the flashes of light. Her heart swelled.
Olivia stepped back onto the red stairs. The hem of her dress, which wrapped around her feet like waves, trembled slightly in her hand as she lifted it.
The trembling that started at her fingertips made her heart pound.
The trembling was also transmitted to Edgar.
Edgar slowed his pace slightly.
So that she could enjoy the cheers and the shower of countless lights pouring down from behind her for a little longer.
The night of the festival was just beginning.
\\
"Ms. Olivia Blanchett and Marquis Edgar Lancaster Lancelot have arrived."
The hotel employee's loud shout echoed.
As the protagonists of today's party appeared, the guests' eyes were all focused on the entrance of the banquet hall.
The first thing that caught their eyes was a woman shining like a jewel.
"She's really beautiful."
Everyone nodded in agreement behind their fans.
The light blue chiffon dress reflected light like the surface of a lake as it followed Olivia's steps.
On top of her neatly braided and richly styled hair, a diamond Tiara scattered an elegant luster.
But the most radiant thing was the face of a woman in love.
"They said she was a brazen femme fatale. I guess you can't trust rumors."
One noblewoman, seeing Olivia for the first time, clicked her tongue.
The pinnacle of Litten society was Princess Anne Boleyn. She was the Queen of tennis, the Queen of society, and the darling of everyone.
The star that had reigned like an eternally unsetting sun fell in an instant. And a new star rose.
The woman who had seized the title of Queen reached the center of the banquet hall, escorted by Marquis Lancelot.
Olivia, bathed in the chandelier lights hanging from the high ceiling, shone dazzlingly.
"To be honest. If you only look at Ms. Blanchett's lineage, there's nothing to criticize. She's from the Blanchet Family and the Xavier Marquess Family. Isn't that right?"
It was so easy to praise the object they had been so eager to belittle.
If the Olivia Blanchett image was needed for the business that the family was doing, she could be compared to Princess Anne Boleyn.
While everyone was looking for an opportunity to build a relationship with her, Henry McDowell, without any tact, monopolized Olivia.
"Congratulations, Ms. Blanchett."
A satisfied smile hung on his lips, which followed his sleek mustache.
There was no reason for him not to be in a good mood, as he had won a lot of money thanks to her.
Whatever the amount, wasn't it always better to win a bet?
Moreover, as the first woman to break Dumblin's tradition, she was flawless in terms of skill and topicality.
"Thank you. It's all thanks to the Marquis's consideration."
Olivia replied with a smile.
"Congratulations, Ms. Blanchett. It was a really moving match."
"I heard you were injured. Are you feeling better?"
The noblewomen, who had only been watching, had already pushed in and surrounded Olivia like bees.
