Chapter : 6
Ā A Man Who Seemed the Very Embodiment of Royalty
A woman suddenly appeared, cutting through the strangely concentrated gazes of the gathered nobles.
“Still the same.”
As Leonard murmured while looking at Margo, Beatrix lightly jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
For once, Noah agreed with his father’s opinion.
Marguerite hadn’t changed at all. Princess Marguerite entered the hall with her golden hair twisted up so neatly that not a single strand had escaped, her icy blue eyes flashing with a chill as cold as winter frost.
Then, behind her, a small figure entered Noah’s field of vision.
His gaze slipped away from Margo and settled on the unfamiliar young woman. The white blouse buttoned all the way to her neck stood out immediately among the dresses of noble ladies with their daring necklines.
His eyes traveled up her long, slender neck until they reached a small face that somehow looked even whiter than the blouse she wore.
A light green headband, carefully placed to keep even the smallest loose strands of hair from falling, contrasted with her black hair and naturally drew attention.
Even though her eyes were slightly lowered, her large eyes and delicate features blended together beautifully, something that was obvious even from a distance.
Although she walked cautiously behind Margo, there was something strangely lively about her.
Noah realized the reason when he noticed the tiny shoes busily moving beneath the hem of her skirt, revealing her ankles with each step.
Without realizing it, he smiled.
Meanwhile, Olivia was overwhelmed by the countless eyes fixed on her.
She had thought she had become accustomed to attracting attention after attending school surrounded by male students, but this was on an entirely different level.
Inside Herot’s magnificent royal palace, nobles adorned like precious jewels were all staring at her.
When she had first passed through the palace’s golden gates, excitement had filled her heart.
Now, standing in this situation, she realized only her ignorance had allowed her to feel that way.
For the first time, she questioned whether accepting the royal invitation to come to Herot had truly been the right decision.
She even found herself regretting not wearing the dress the royal staff had brought instead of the clothes she normally wore while walking across her university campus.
The black shoes appearing and disappearing beneath her skirt felt unusually conspicuous today.
Each time she inhaled and exhaled, her breathing trembled.
Forcing herself to calm down, Olivia consciously slowed her breathing.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the hem of Margo’s dress, she desperately matched her pace to Margo’s steps.
She still couldn’t believe that the royal family was waiting at the end of this path.
Just as she found herself wishing, absurdly, that the path would never end, Margo mercilessly came to a stop.
Olivia steadied her shaking breath and carefully lifted her head, exactly as she had practiced.
Then she froze.
Standing before her was a man who looked like the living embodiment of the word royalty.
If someone had gathered hundreds of people together and asked her to identify the royal simply by appearance, Olivia would have chosen this man without hesitation.
Despite his exceptional height and broad build, there was an elegance about him.
He was strikingly handsome without needing to examine each feature individually.
Even his neatly combed dark blond hair, exposing his smooth forehead, looked perfectly composed.
The moment her eyes met his deep green ones, Olivia flinched and immediately lowered her gaze.
“Olivia.”
Had Margo not quietly spoken her name, she would have missed the proper moment to greet them and committed a grave discourtesy.
Olivia hurriedly followed Margo’s lead and greeted the royal family.
Fortunately, thanks to practicing the Herot noblewomen’s curtsy throughout the journeyācrossing her left leg behind her right before bending her kneesāshe performed it flawlessly.
After discreetly checking Olivia’s condition, Margo addressed Leonard.
“It has been a long time, Your Majesty.”
Leonard stepped forward with a welcoming smile.
“You’ve traveled a long way. Welcome, Princess Marguerite.”
Now it was Olivia’s turn.
She looked first at the King, then at the Queen, bowed her head, and spoke.
“Thank you very much for inviting me to the banquet. My name is Olivia Liberty.”
Her unexpectedly low, calm voice drew Noah’s attention away from Margo and back to Olivia.
Seeing how nervous she looked, Beatrix deliberately spoke in an especially warm tone.
“Welcome, Miss Liberty. It’s wonderful to finally meet you. I’ve been eager to meet the Herot woman selected as Herollington University’s top graduate.”
Olivia gave an awkward bow.
Margo gently placed a hand on her back, silently telling her to raise her head.
At that moment, Olivia suddenly wanted nothing more than to run away.
She had no idea how long the banquet would last, and the thought alone felt overwhelming.
Just then, Leonard cleared his throat before turning around.
“Well then, we should go meet the reporters who are waiting for us. I hope everyone enjoys the banquet.”
A faint smirk appeared on Margo’s lips as she followed Leonard.
The Queen then turned to Olivia.
“Miss Liberty, come with me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Olivia followed Beatrix, Usher and Noah naturally walked alongside them.
She could somehow feel someone’s presence directly behind her, making the tips of her ears tingle.
“We’re simply going to take some photographs,” the Queen explained gently. “Think of them as commemorative pictures.”
“Yes.”
Not knowing what else to say, Olivia answered briefly.
Usher, walking beside the Queen, smiled slightly.
“I heard your major is engineering. Is that correct?”
Only then did Olivia properly look at him.
If this weren’t the royal palace, she would have immediately turned to compare him with Noah.
The two looked remarkably alike, but Usher’s eyes were blue.
Margo’s earlier explanation suddenly came back to her.
“The two princes resemble each other a great deal, but you won’t confuse them. The Crown Prince with blue eyes is Usher, and the prince with green eyes is Noah.”
So this must be Crown Prince Usher.
Which meant the overwhelming presence standing to her left was Prince Noah.
Olivia nodded.
“Yes. I’m researching technology that converts magical power into mechanical energy.”
“Oh, really?”
As Usher and the Queen continued speaking to her kindly, Olivia finally felt herself relax a little.
Noah glanced down at Olivia as she walked ahead of him, her back turned while talking with the Queen and Usher.
Standing this close, she was incredibly small.
The top of her head barely reached his chest.
Her shoulders were so narrow they looked scarcely wider than the span of his two palms.
Her thick black hair, neatly braided, and the pale green headband kept drawing his attention.
The slight bounce of her shoulders matched her squirrel-like, energetic steps, making him smile as he leisurely followed behind.
What a wonderfully helpful person.
Ever since news spread that she would be coming, the number of official events Noah had been required to attend had sharply decreased.
In fact, for the past several days, he had practically had none at all.
To someone who had been drowning in an endless schedule of royal ceremonies, this tiny young woman was nothing less than a savior.
Just then, he felt an intensely sharp gaze from ahead.
Turning his head, he found Margo staring at him with the stern expression feared by every troublemaker in Herot.
Noah simply shrugged and flashed his aunt an innocent smile.
He truly couldn’t understand why everyone kept looking at someone living such an honest life with expressions like that.
In a beautifully decorated photo area set up in one corner of the autumn garden, Leonard took his place.
The Queen stood to his left.
As Olivia hesitated, unsure where she should stand, a royal attendant approached and politely guided her.
“Please stand beside Prince Noah.”
“Ah… thank you.”
The King and Queen stood in the center.
Usher and Margo stood on the King’s right.
Noah stood immediately beside the Queen.
Olivia’s place was next to Noah.
The bright lanterns made Noah’s tall silhouette appear even larger.
Olivia quietly moved behind him and stopped about two steps away.
She stubbornly kept her eyes forward.
Then a low, deep voice, cool yet resonant, came from her right.
“Come a little closer.”
Startled, she turned.
The prince was looking directly at her.
Seeing her wide black eyes, Noah spoke again.
“You need to stand a little closer so the composition looks balanced.”
“Oh… yes!”
Olivia hurried one step closer.
It still wasn’t enough.
Noah lifted a finger and pointed directly beside himself.
“Right here.”
There was an inexplicable authority in his voice.
The place he indicated was so close that, if either of them relaxed even slightly, their shoulders would touch.
Olivia carefully moved into position, making sure not to brush against him, and faced forward again.
Soon, however, she realized that sight, hearing, and touch weren’t the only ways people sensed another’s presence.
A breeze swept through the dry autumn plants before passing Noah and brushing across the tip of her nose.
It carried the crisp scent of autumn leaves…
…along with a faint hint of cologne.
Although she watched the reporters busily adjusting their cameras, the scene barely registered in her mind.
Without her consent, all of her senses kept drifting toward the man beside her.
The reason she kept wanting to run away…
…was probably Prince Noah, who seemed like the very embodiment of royalty.
“Relax. Look at the camera and smile.”
“Huh?”
Startled by his sudden voice, Olivia quickly turned toward Noah.
The photographer, who had just snapped a picture, clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Miss Liberty, please look forward.”
“I’m sorry.”
Noah glanced sideways at her.
Her face had turned pink with embarrassment.
Her ears were even redder.
If he told her to move closer again now, she’d probably blush even more.
Instead, Noah quietly leaned a little toward her to balance the composition.
The reporters and photographers admired the perfect symmetry between the royal family and Olivia before calling out loudly,
“Ready… and smile!”
A bright flash lit up the garden.
And with that, the photograph of the royal family together with Noah’s unexpected savior, Olivia, was captured forever.
