In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 101

EPISODE 101

After wrapping up the kidnapping case involving Viscount Horrel, Lyneth was summoned by Benjamin. As expected, it wasn’t for a good reason—Benjamin spent quite some time scolding Lyneth sternly.

“No matter what, are you out of your mind? How could you hide something so obviously problematic!”

Thanks to the significant contribution Lyneth made in solving the case, the lecture was delayed, albeit quite long. A week is a long time to wait. Lyneth didn’t bother hiding her indifferent expression.

“But, you know how it is, Ephinas. There’s no shortage of crazy people in the temple.”

Benjamin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Lyneth, who showed no signs of remorse. Lyneth, deliberately acting bold, spoke confidently under Benjamin’s scrutinizing gaze, trying to decide whether to continue scolding.

“You know it’s a rare case. If I had informed in advance, some of those obsessed researchers would’ve already caused more trouble.”

“How much were you promised?”

“That’s a secret.”

Lyneth responded sharply, sensing it was her moment, but instead of getting angry, Benjamin let out a sigh.

“Explain the situation in detail. I assume you weren’t planning to keep everything hidden after coming this far.”

Although he’d already heard from Noah, Benjamin had picked up on a few omissions. To prevent further complications, it was essential to get a more thorough understanding of the situation.

“So, at first, a stranger came looking for me…”

After hearing the general outline of events from Lyneth, Benjamin let out a low groan. It was already frustrating enough that Tyrain May had stepped in as a patron, but after hearing about the involvement of the other party’s identity, he wasn’t even shocked anymore.

The Weichen family, of all people. On top of everything, the fact that she was the queen’s sister was more than enough to bring on a headache.

Lyneth waited with surprising patience as Benjamin fell into silence. Benjamin’s fingers lightly tapped his arm as he crossed them. After a long while, Benjamin shook his head vigorously. His face, now full of fatigue, stared directly at Lyneth.

“There’s no other way. For the time being, I’ll take charge.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I mean, I’ll be responsible for dealing with the situation involving that side. If their body has already changed four times and reverted, there are only two more transformations left before the magic completes. We have to stop the magic from activating and find the caster.”

Benjamin murmured seriously, rambling incessantly about magical theories that Lyneth couldn’t fully understand. Soon, he grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled something down, and handed it to Lyneth.

“Go to Hazel’s workshop and ask them to make a bracelet with this formula.”

“A bracelet?”

Lyneth squinted as she examined the paper.

“It’s a magic control formula. It seems a bit different from the basic version.”

“When did you even study this? As I said, I’ve mixed in some high-level barrier formulas. It’s for a non-mage, so it has to differ from the ones meant for wizards.”

“For a non-mage, huh.”

“It’s going to be a race against time, so we’ll have to try everything we can.”

Despite everything, Benjamin Sandria had a soft spot for people. He might seem easygoing in most matters, but he didn’t overlook issues that caught his eye. This was one of the reasons many of the temple’s priests followed him.

In any case, it was fortunate that someone of his stature in the temple was willing to help, but Lyneth carefully brought up the most critical question.

“What about Ephinas Eir…?”

Benjamin responded as if the question was absurd.

“Of course, I won’t tell her. Do you think she’d tolerate this kind of thing with her personality?”

That was true, and it was why Lyneth felt lucky that Benjamin was the one who found out. Despite her respect for Eir Sandria, Lyneth knew she wasn’t someone who would condone these kinds of underhanded methods. In that regard, she and Benjamin Sandria worked quite well together.

“You’re more lenient than I expected.”

“I’m treating it as paying off a debt.”

“A debt?”

“The incident from two years ago. I owed a favor back then. I think this should settle it.”

Benjamin smiled bitterly as he recalled the man who claimed to be Noah’s guardian. Even though the man hadn’t intended to leave Benjamin in debt, the feeling of obligation still lingered. After all, the fact that the temple was allowed to handle the situation was already a great favor. If the royal family had taken the lead in resolving it, the temple’s reputation would have suffered much more irreparably.

“And just in case, I’ve had Daniel gather some rumors circulating in the marketplace. Here, take a look.”

Benjamin pulled a scroll from his robes and handed it to Lyneth, who took it with a skeptical look. Seeing this, Benjamin smiled brightly and explained.

“I’ve collected various rumors about wizards.”

Lyneth slowly blinked as she unrolled the scroll and reviewed its contents.

“How did you manage to find all this?”

“There are plenty of ways if you know how to look. I hope it’s useful.”

It wasn’t just helpful—it allowed Lyneth to narrow down the potential investigation sites to three or four. The way Benjamin shrugged lightly seemed to suggest, ‘You’re still under my thumb, no matter how clever you think you are.’

“Thank you. Should I report to you once a week?”

“Yes, Daniel will come to you.”

“Aren’t you using your apprentice for too many trivial tasks?”

“No need to worry—he enjoys it. Life at the temple can get a bit dull.”

Benjamin’s serene face lit up with a gentle smile as he delivered the sharp remark, nearly making Lyneth agree before she bit her tongue. The ease with which Benjamin, someone responsible for maintaining discipline at the temple, made such offhand comments was impressive, to say the least.

“Collaborating with foreign wizards—it’s an exciting prospect just to hear about. It reminds me of my younger days when I snuck into the black market and spent an entire night discussing the nature of magic with a wizard rumored to have come from the Kingdom of Carmen. Haha.”

What in the world was he up to?

Lyneth swallowed her desire to ask if that wasn’t illegal.

“I hope it turns out to be a smooth collaboration. If they start any unnecessary trouble over there, make sure to let me know.”

Benjamin said, smiling. But behind his smile, a dark aura seemed to be slowly rising. He was smiling—so why did it feel so ominous?

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Lyneth replied, thinking to herself that he was not someone she wanted as an enemy.

With that thought, Lyneth turned around and left.

* * *

“Cordy!”

A young girl with brown hair braided neatly into two pigtails came skipping into the room. She had rosy cheeks and large, round eyes that gave her an enchanting appearance.

“What’s up, Linda? What’s going on?”

Cordelia’s face lit up with a broad smile at the sight of her niece, Linda Weichen, who had turned sixteen this year. Frederick and his wife, Pamela, had three children—an eldest daughter and a set of fraternal twins. Linda, with her lively and energetic personality, got along especially well with Cordelia.

“Do you want to go into town with me?”

She was already dressed for an outing, clearly eager to leave. Cordelia closed the book she had resting on her lap and stood up.

“Shall we?”

“Yes! The sun is so nice today.”

“You’re not just asking me because I make it easier for you to get permission to go out, right?”

Linda grinned and scrunched up her nose playfully. Cordelia couldn’t help but feel her spirits lift as she watched her adorable niece.

Thank goodness she doesn’t look like Rick at all. She’s much more like Pamela. Cordelia thought, genuinely relieved, as she pulled her much smaller niece into a tight hug.

Once they were dressed and ready to leave the estate, a carriage awaited them. Cordelia, dressed modestly in a simple cloak and hood, sat opposite her niece, who was practically glowing with excitement.

“What about Oscar and Milona?

“Oscar’s busy studying land management, and Milona went to the dressmaker’s.”

“Don’t they usually come to her?”

“She’s just using it as an excuse to go out. Father always complains that it’s unbecoming for a grown woman to be out and about all the time.”

Linda grumbled, mocking her father, and Cordelia barely resisted the urge to nod vigorously in agreement.

“So, why didn’t Milona take you with her?”

“She says she wants to be alone these days. Says she has a lot on her mind.”

Is it a late case of teenage rebellion? Cordelia wondered. What was she doing when she was her age?

As she recalled her eighteen-year-old self, she almost let out a scream remembering the foolish, love-struck girl she had been. Cordelia at eighteen, what in the world was she doing with her life? Was she insane?

Shaking off the embarrassing memory, Cordelia quickly changed the subject.

“Is Milona making her society debut this year?”

“Yes. She was planning to go to the capital in the spring, but with all the unrest recently, Father told her to wait until autumn.”

“It has been chaotic. It’s because of that incident.”

It was, after all, that very incident that had brought Cordelia down to Devron in the first place.

Linda seemed to realize her slip-up and clamped her mouth shut, but Cordelia gave her a nod, indicating it was fine to continue. Relaxing, Linda cupped her face with both hands and sighed.

“I want to go back to the capital soon before Father returns.”

Cordelia understood that sentiment all too well. She needs to get back before Rick comes back from the capital, too. She hasn’t even been able to see her beloved rabbit! What kind of exile is this?

“Speaking of which, you said you’re attending the academy, right?”

“That’s right.”

Linda had enrolled in the academy in the capital two years ago. It was quite unusual for a member of a ducal family to attend such an institution, and Cordelia had heard there had been a lot of discussions before it was allowed.

“I was planning to enroll on my own, but Oscar said he’d be bored without me, so he went and enrolled too.”

“You two are still so close. Does he still follow you everywhere?”

“Of course.”

At first glance, Linda appeared to be the most well-behaved, but she was also famous for being the least obedient to Frederick among his children. Especially when she wanted to do something, she wouldn’t rest until she tried it.

“Rick was loud back then.”

It was said that Pamela played a big role in convincing that stubborn man. Just as there’s a saying that even straw shoes have their pairs, they were always a couple that got along well whenever you saw them.

Since becoming a duke, Frederick had been very reluctant to invite people to his estate. That’s why there were rumors in society that the duchess wasn’t fulfilling her role of hosting gatherings. But that was far from the truth. He simply didn’t want to show his wife off to others.

Marriage, huh? Will she ever get married? She thinks navy blue, the color of their family, would be the best for the dress, right?

Cordelia, imagining a handsome face standing next to her, smiled to herself without realizing it. What would be the best for a wedding outfit? Noah would look good in anything, but in terms of preference, red silk would be the best…

“What are you thinking about so deeply, Cordy?”