The Cruelty of Salvation — Chapter 5

SO HOW MANY INTERVIEWS HAS SHE DONE? SHE HASN'T EVEN HAD DINNER...

Oh Dear

NOAH, TRY TO STOP YOUR FATHER.

YOU'D BETTER GIVE UP, MOTHER.

LOOK HOW EXCITED HE IS.

NEXT QUESTION, MS. LIBERTY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HEROLINGTON UNIVERSITY?

UM...

THE RENOWNED HEROLINGTON UNIVERSITY...

IS BY FAR THE LEADING INSTITUTION AMONGST THE MANY UNIVERSITIES IN POLDER.

AS YOU WELL KNOW, YOU COULD EVEN SAY HEROLINGTON GRADUATES ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF POLDER'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WORLDS.

VERY GOOD.

RECENTLY, I MET WITH MS. MILAINE, THE FIRST LADY OF POLDER...

...AND SHE PRAISED HERLINGTON UNIVERSITY'S OUTSTANDING REPUTATION...

TRULY GOOD... IT'S MAGNIFICENT!

SHE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID, AND ONLY THAT!

Keep It Short.

Is That Question Really Necessary?

YOU CAN'T EVEN COMPARE HER TO THAT NOAH!

THIS LITTLE LADY...

...COULD EASILY SQUASH THAT SCANDAL WALTER CAUSED!

It's Been A Real Headache With Every Paper Talking About It!

HEAVENS, I CAN'T STAY ANY LONGER. THE LIGHTS ARE HURTING MY EYES.

YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM. I THINK IT'LL TAKE AT LEAST ANOTHER HOUR.

WELL...

THANKS TO HER, I GUESS I'LL BE AT PEACE FOR A WHILE.

THE FLASHES ARE BLINDING...

THANK YOU FOR WALKING ME BACK.

IT WAS NOTHING. REST WELL, MOTHER.

NOAH.

YES?

ARE YOU BY ANY CHANCE INTERESTED IN MS. LIBERTY?

...THAT WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO ASK, RIGHT?

IT'S NOTHING. TAKE CARE OF MS. LIBERTY FOR ME WHEN YOU GET BACK, WILL YOU?

OH...

VERY WELL.

I'M SO TIRED... AND HUNGRY, TOO...

UM, EXCUSE ME...

DO YOU KNOW WHERE PROFESSOR... I MEAN, PRINCESS MARGUERITE IS?

WOAH...

SO THAT'S THE OLIVIA LIBERTY...

HEY, SHE'S GOING...!

Oops

LET'S GO, LET'S GO!

MS. LIBERTY! WAIT!

YES?

SHE'S SO PRETTY...!

NICE TO MEET YOU, MS. LIBERTY! I'M IEL FOEM.

I HEARD YOU'RE 19, IS THAT RIGHT?

I HEARD YOU MAJORED IN ENGINEERING.

HAVE YOU EVER DRAWN BLUEPRINTS?

PARDON?

UH, I---

I THINK YOU'D LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL IN A GOWN.

SHALL I SEND YOU ONE?

WH-WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?

UM

I APOLOGIZE, BUT I HAVE TO GO TO PRINCESS MARGUERITE.

IF YOU WOULD EXCUSE ME--

ANYWAY, HAVE YOU EVER DANCED BEFORE, OLIVIA?

OLIVIA.

UH...

UGH, THEY JUST WON'T LISTEN...!

OLIVIA.

OLIVIA--

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?

NO...

NOAH...!

I ASKED YOU...

WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO THE GUEST OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.

W-WE JUST THOUGHT MS. LIBERTY SEEMED LONELY...!

NEVER MIND!

EXCUSE US!

WHAT IN THE WORLD...

THAT'S...

PROFESSOR MARGUERITE...!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, YOUR HIGHNESS.

I HAVE TO GO SEE THE PROFESSOR NOW.

WAIT.

YES?

DO YOU SEE OVER THERE, ON THE WAY TO MY AUNT...

ALL THOSE YOUNG LORDS AND LADIES WHO ARE DEEPLY INTERESTED IN YOU?

IT'LL BE HARD TO AVOID THEM...

...SINCE THE DANCING HAS ALREADY BEGUN IN THE CENTER OF THE HALL.

IN SOME WAYS,

THEY WILL BE HARDER TO FACE THAN THOSE FOOLS FROM JUST NOW. WILL YOU BE ALL RIGHT?

OH...

THEN I CAN WAIT HERE FOR A MOMENT UNTIL THE SONG ENDS, AND--

THERE IS NO BREAK BETWEEN THE SONGS. THEY PLAY ONE AFTER ANOTHER.

WHAT SHOULD I DO...?

SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL SHE'S DONE WITH HER CONVERSATION?

THIS DANCE ISN'T VERY DIFFICULT. WOULD YOU CARE TO TRY IT?

...PARDON ME?

IF YOU DANCE, YOU NATURALLY MOVE AROUND THE HALL.

YOU WILL REACH MY AUNT IN JUST THREE BEATS.

BUT...

I'VE NEVER DANCED BEFORE IN MY LIFE, SO--

IT'S ALL RIGHT. YOU JUST NEED TO REPEAT THE SAME MOVES.

TRUST ME.

I'LL ESCORT YOU SAFELY TO MY AUNT.

OH... I'M TREMBLING AGAIN.

I'VE JUST CALMED DOWN FROM THE INTERVIEW...

THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU VISIT HEROD AGAIN.

I WILL.

OH DEAR. THAT CONVERSATION TOOK LONGER THEN I EXPECTED.

IS OLIVIA ALL RIGHT?

HMM? WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM? NOAH DOESN'T USUALLY DANCE...

WAIT. THAT OUTFIT...

OLIVIA?

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

IT CAN'T BE...

IS SOMETHING BLOSSOMING BETWEEN THEM? SURELY NOT.

HAH!

A COMMONER LIKE HER...

...DARES TO DANCE WITH MY PRINCE?!