The room slowly quieted again after that.
Max remained beside Olivia silently, leaning lightly against her chair while holding the wooden sword close to his chest.
Mike stood a little farther away with crossed arms, pretending he was unaffected by everything.
But Peter noticed it now.
Every few seconds, Mike’s eyes drifted back toward Olivia unconsciously.
Like someone checking whether the warmth would still be there if he looked again.
Olivia suddenly reached forward and flicked Mike’s forehead lightly.
Mike blinked in shock.
“What was that for?”
“For overthinking.”
“I was not overthinking.”
“You were.”
Mike looked offended immediately.
“I hate when you act like you know everything.”
Olivia smiled lazily.
“I do know everything.”
“That confidence is annoying.”
“And yet you still came here before sleeping.”
Mike instantly became quiet.
Peter almost laughed again.
The boy really was sharp-tongued.
But against Olivia, every defense he built somehow collapsed within minutes.
Max quietly looked between them before softly tugging Olivia’s sleeve once.
“Tomorrow…”
Olivia immediately looked down at him attentively.
Max hesitated slightly before asking,
“Will there be many people?”
“Yes.”
Max lowered his eyes for a moment.
Peter noticed the tiny shift instantly.
Max was nervous.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
But enough that he asked.
Olivia seemed to notice too.
She gently touched his hair.
“You do not need to impress anyone tomorrow.”
Max looked at her quietly.
“Just stay beside the people you care about.”
Max slowly nodded once.
Simple words.
But somehow they made the boy relax immediately.
Peter watched the interaction silently.
Olivia never overwhelmed the children with advice.
She never forced confidence into them.
She simply made them feel safe enough to breathe.
And somehow…
that worked better than authority ever could.
Mike suddenly spoke again while looking away stubbornly.
“If someone insults the Grand Duchess tomorrow, I will punch them.”
Peter choked on air.
Olivia blinked once before laughing softly.
“You cannot punch noble children.”
“Why not?”
“Because that creates paperwork.”
Mike looked genuinely disappointed by that answer.
Max quietly added,
“You can step on their shoes accidentally.”
Peter burst out laughing.
Even Olivia looked shocked for a second before covering her mouth.
“Max.”
Max looked calm.
“It would still hurt them.”
Mike stared at him with pure admiration.
“That is genius.”
Peter laughed harder.
Olivia shook her head helplessly, though her eyes were warm.
“Both of you are dangerous.”
Mike smirked proudly.
Max looked slightly pleased too, despite hiding it quickly.
Peter looked at Olivia again after that.
And suddenly— he noticed something strange.
She looked happier like this.
Not during noble banquets.
Not beside power or luxury.
But here.
Sitting in a quiet room with two children arguing about stepping on noble shoes.
The realization made his chest feel oddly tight.
Because Olivia looked more alive now than she probably ever had inside this mansion.
Then Mike yawned suddenly before quickly covering his mouth.
Olivia immediately narrowed her eyes.
“Bed.”
“I am not tired.”
“You almost swallowed your own jaw.”
Mike frowned.
“That was disrespectful.”
“Bed,” Olivia repeated.
Max quietly started walking toward the door immediately without complaint.
Mike looked betrayed.
“You always obey her too fast.”
Max glanced back calmly.
“She is usually right.”
“You are completely brainwashed.”
Max opened the door silently.
“You should sleep before tomorrow.”
Mike stared at him for a long moment before muttering,
“…traitor.”
But he still followed.
Before leaving, Mike paused near the door awkwardly.
His eyes moved toward Olivia again.
Then quietly—
“Goodnight… Grand Duchess.”
Olivia’s expression softened instantly.
“Goodnight, Mike.”
Max looked toward her too.
“Goodnight, Mother.”
“Sleep well.”
The boys finally left.
The room became quiet once more.
Peter stood there silently for a while before speaking quietly—
“You really love them.”
Olivia looked toward the closed door with soft eyes.
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No conditions.
Just yes.
Peter stared at her.
Then suddenly asked,
“And if they hurt you one day?”
Olivia looked surprised by the question.
Peter’s expression became harder to read.
“Children grow up,” he said quietly.
“People change.
Affection changes.”
For some reason—
He wanted to know her answer.
Olivia stayed silent briefly before smiling faintly.
“Then I will still be glad they were loved properly at least once.”
Peter froze.
Something in his chest twisted painfully at those words.
Because she said it like someone who expected abandonment eventually.
Like someone who already believed love was temporary.
And for the first time—
Peter wondered who taught Olivia to think that way.
Peter could not stop thinking about her answer even after leaving the room.
“Then I will still be glad they were loved properly at least once.”
Who says something like that so calmly?
The hallway felt strangely cold as he walked away.
Meanwhile inside the room, Olivia sat quietly near the window after the children left.
The warmth from earlier was gone now.
Only silence remained.
Olivia rested her chin lightly against her hand while looking outside into the dark garden.
Tomorrow’s tea party would be troublesome.
Nobles were experts at smiling while destroying someone quietly.
And children born into noble society learned how to wound others frighteningly early.
A small sigh escaped her lips.
Then—
Knock knock.
Olivia opened her eyes slowly.
“Yes?”
The door opened.
Lucas entered.
Olivia looked mildly surprised for only a second before her expression returned to normal.
Cold.
Calm.
Distant.
Lucas closed the door quietly behind him.
Neither spoke immediately.
The atmosphere felt uncomfortable in a strange way.
Not hostile.
Just empty.
Lucas finally broke the silence.
“You should not have lost.”
Olivia looked back out the window.
“So you noticed.”
“Peter noticed too.
Any skilled knight would.”
Olivia nodded once casually.
“And yet nobody said anything.”
“Because your loss protected everyone’s pride.”
Olivia did not answer.
Lucas stepped closer slowly.
“You could have won.”
“Maybe.”
That indifferent answer irritated him immediately.
Not because she denied it.
But because she clearly did not care.
Lucas frowned slightly.
“You threw away a victory against Peter.”
“And?”
Lucas stared at her.
Olivia finally looked at him directly.
“There was no reason to humiliate him publicly.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
“You speak as if defeating one of the empire’s strongest knights means nothing.”
Olivia’s expression remained completely calm.
“It means nothing to me.”
Silence.
Lucas suddenly felt strangely frustrated again.
Because she truly meant it.
The old Olivia would have chased recognition desperately.
She would have wanted praise.
Validation.
Especially from him.
But now?
Nothing.
Lucas looked at her carefully.
“You changed.”
Olivia gave a faint shrug.
“People change.”
“No,” Lucas muttered quietly.
“Not like this.”
Olivia simply looked away again.
The conversation felt one-sided.
Lucas hated that too.
His eyes moved toward the door where the children had left earlier.
“They trust you.”
Olivia answered flatly.
“They are children.”
Lucas frowned slightly.
“And Peter is becoming attached.”
That finally made Olivia look back at him.
But her face stayed unreadable.
“Is that supposed to concern me?”
Lucas paused.
Because there was no emotion in her voice.
Not embarrassment.
Not amusement.
Nothing.
Lucas suddenly realized something uncomfortable.
Olivia truly did not care anymore.
Not about Peter.
Not about noble attention.
Not even about him standing in this room.
The realization left an unpleasant feeling in his chest.
Lucas spoke again more quietly.
“You used to want people to look at you.”
Olivia’s gaze turned colder.
“And you used to ignore me.”
The words were not emotional.
Not angry.
That somehow made them worse.
Because they sounded like facts she no longer cared about.
Lucas went silent.
Olivia stood from her chair slowly.
“If you came here to discuss the match, we are done.”
Lucas watched her quietly.
She was polite.
Composed.
But the warmth she gave the children earlier— none of it existed for him.
Not even a little.
That difference bothered him more than it should.
Lucas suddenly asked,
“Do you hate me?”
Olivia looked genuinely surprised by the question.
Then she answered simply—
“No.”
Lucas’ chest tightened strangely.
Because somehow that felt colder than hatred.
No anger.
No affection.
Nothing.
Just indifference.
Olivia walked toward the table calmly.
“You should rest, Duke.”
Formal.
Distant.
Lucas stared at her for a long moment.
Then finally turned toward the door.
But before leaving, he stopped briefly.
“You are different with the children.”
Olivia did not look at him.
“They need warmth.”
Lucas’ hand tightened slightly near the door handle.
“And I do not?”
The question escaped before he could stop it.
Olivia finally looked at him again.
Her expression stayed calm.
“You never asked for it.”
Silence filled the room.
Lucas left shortly after that.
But long after the door closed— her last words remained in his mind.
Because for the first time— he realized Olivia had truly stopped reaching for him