In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 118

EPISODE 118

“Ugh, it’s cold.”  

Cordelia, standing on the bridge, gazed at the river flowing gently in the distance. Being by the river, the chilly breeze seemed to seep deep into her lungs.  

“But it’s still beautiful.”  

Noah, holding Cordelia tightly from behind, replied calmly. The strong wind caused his cloak to billow, leaving a light chill on his arms. Of course, he was naturally warm-blooded, so it didn’t bother him much.  

“Are you very cold?”  

More than that, he was worried about Cordelia. No matter how much she bundled up, wasn’t the wind too cold? Although the sun was shining, it would be bad if she caught a cold.  

“Romance is usually a bit chilly.”  

“From the way you’re talking, you must be really cold.”  

“What did you say, Noah?”  

“What did I say?”  

“Ah, look at you. You’ve learned how to play dumb now. You’ve grown.”  

Cordelia chuckled softly and leaned her head against Noah’s chest. A carriage passed by them, crossing the bridge. As the sound of horses began to fade, Cordelia opened her mouth.  

“You know, Noah, I have a new story I’m writing.”  

Her voice had slightly dropped from its earlier liveliness. Curious, Noah responded gently.

“Is it a new work?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Is that why you’ve been so busy lately?”  

“You’ve been busy too.”  

“Well… I can make time whenever you call.”  

“Really? You mean it?”  

Seeing his serious expression as if he would invest any spare time he had made her feel a bit shy. Cordelia forced herself to maintain a nonchalant expression.  

“Aren’t you going to ask what it’s about?”  

Ah, why can’t she speak?  

She had never felt so self-conscious, but she found herself worrying about the other person’s reaction. She thought she’d be better after moving past her unrequited feelings, but if anything, it seemed to have intensified.  

The growing silence made her increasingly anxious.  

“Well… I want to see it as a book later.”  

Despite her nervousness, his reply was surprisingly light. Noah, locking eyes with Cordelia after she sharply turned her head, spoke in a somewhat uncertain voice.  

“Now, I think it’s okay to see it, right?”  

“Hmm? Oh, yes!”  

‘That’s something you only show to family or a spouse!’  

Recalling her earlier words, her heart, which had been racing, began to settle.  

“What? So you’re thinking about marrying me?”  

Noah fell silent without answering. It was hard to tell whether his flushed cheeks were due to the cold or something else, so she decided it was the latter.  

“Cordelia, I… I’m thinking of trying sculpture again.”  

“Sculpture?”  

Caught off guard by the sudden topic, Cordelia blinked in confusion. What was he talking about?  

“Yes, I’ve been hesitating about it for a while.”  

“Why? Are you afraid you can’t make it properly?”  

“My desire feels too raw.”  

“Desire?”  

Noah hesitated, then whispered.

“Somehow, it seems I’ll be making something that I find the most beautiful…”

“Isn’t that a good thing? When I see your paintings, I really think they’re beautiful. Even just looking at my portraits from last time felt quite fresh, despite seeing my face in the mirror every day.”  

As she answered excitedly, Noah’s arm flinched slightly. He was agitated, enough that she couldn’t pretend not to notice, and her curiosity was piqued.  

What on earth was he trying to say?  

“Even if my desire reflects you, Cordelia?”  

“Huh?”  

“Um, when I sculpt your face…”  

Noah lowered his head, unable to continue, and his eyes were shaking intensely. Seeing him struggling to speak, Cordelia quickly asked back.

“So, um, if I interpret that… it means when you’re making a statue, you keep reflecting my face? Am I right?”  

After a long pause, he quietly replied, ‘Yes,’ and Cordelia burst into laughter. The heavy atmosphere lifted instantly. She touched Noah’s bewildered cheek and smiled, her eyes crescent-shaped.  

“What’s this? Were you really worrying about something so trivial?”  

“It’s not trivial.”  

“Then if my partner is worried because they think I’m too beautiful, what’s the big deal? Go ahead and do what you want. No one will know it’s me anyway! If someone asks, just say you sculpted a beautiful woman. It’s true, right?”  

With her grounded confidence, it was now Noah’s turn to smile. Cordelia sighed lightly.  

“I get a lot of attention, more than you think. Some so many people use me as a muse without asking for permission; what’s the problem with just one more?”  

When she vented about the woes of being beautiful, Noah’s expression stiffened slightly. It felt like he was about to scold her, so she quickly pushed the remaining words out.  

“Other people are just no good, but you’re still okay.”  

That one sentence made Noah feel special, more than anything he’d ever heard, and it caught in his throat.  

He pressed his lips tightly together and held Cordelia more firmly, burying his face in her shoulder.  

After wandering around all day, dusk had finally settled. Under the sky where the moon peeked out, the two stood in front of the mansion, facing each other.  

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a carriage?”  

“It’s close enough to walk from here.”  

It was inconvenient to specify the mansion’s location. So, whenever they had to move something large, they received help from soldiers sent by the Tyrain.  

“Right, I see.”  

Their conversation continued haltingly. No matter how much she promised herself it wouldn’t be like this next time, it always turned out this way when they parted.  

What’s the big deal about saying goodbye?  

“Well, you should head in now. It’s cold.”  

Noah was the one to wrap up their playful banter. Cordelia, still worrying about him, couldn’t even joke about not wanting to hear it.  

“Okay. You be careful getting in, too.”

In the end, Cordelia felt a pang of regret for not having mentioned her alliance with the king, but she reassured herself that she could talk about it later. With the first draft nearly complete, it wouldn’t be bad to share it as her initial offering when the time came.

As she rationalized her thoughts and turned toward the main gate, Noah called out to her.  

“Cordelia.”  

“Hmm?”  

When she glanced back, she saw him looking at her with a nervous expression. He spoke in a barely audible voice.  

“I’ve always wanted to meet you.”  

Even in the darkness, she could see the tips of his ears slightly reddened. Unlike before in the castle, he wasn’t running away; he was patiently waiting for her reaction. Cordelia’s blue eyes gazed intently at his face.

Noah was always careful about expressing his feelings. Though he showed his affection with his whole being, he could never bring himself to say it outright. Perhaps he feared that merely voicing his feelings would solidify the ambiguous emotions he harbored. He must be wondering if it’s truly okay to intertwine his life with hers, even while holding her hand and glancing back.

Yet, the fact that he still wanted to walk toward her made him utterly endearing. Cordelia cherished this small piece of his heartfelt honesty more than anything. She could feel his intention to draw closer to her, and the realization that he truly held her hand filled her with emotion. She didn’t hide her excited expression.  

“I want to meet you too!”  

She wanted to keep seeing him.

Noah reflexively pulled Cordelia into a hug as she suddenly rushed toward him, and his eyes widened in shock at the feel of her hands on his face and her lips on his.

After a brief kiss, Cordelia beamed with joy. In a playful gesture, she lightly touched her forehead to his, her gaze filled with affection as if she didn’t know what to do with her feelings for the charming figure in front of her.

Cordelia playfully wiggled away from Noah’s arms, as if teasing him, and waved at him.  

“Then, see you later!”  

Even after saying goodbye, a lingering sense of longing remained.

With her fingers playfully kissing the air near her lips, she turned toward the gate. Noah stood like a statue, watching Cordelia’s retreating figure until she disappeared inside the gate. Struggling to shake off his lingering thoughts, he turned away and walked briskly down the dark street, emotions swirling within him.

As he reminisced about the joyful day, he couldn’t help but smile, yet he also found it amusing that he couldn’t fully enjoy the moment. Even though he had long since made a decision, he found it hard to voice it. Still, one thing was clear.

Noah absentmindedly traced his lips with his fingers. The kiss felt like it had happened only moments ago, still fresh in his memory. Thinking of Cordelia, who had waved goodbye with a bright smile, made him want to laugh out loud.

The conversations they shared blended, culminating in that recent moment.  

Ah, yes.

He can finally like her now.  

The realization hit him clearly at that moment. He felt special to her, and it was okay for him to become special to her too. He no longer needed to deny his feelings.  

He repeatedly clenched and released his fists. After confessing his feelings, he had never fully grasped the reality of it until now, as if the truth had finally reached his fingertips.  

The waves of emotion filled his heart, threatening to overflow. For some reason, his face felt incredibly hot, and Noah found himself unconsciously hiding it. The emotions he had been suppressing surged forth like a dam bursting, spreading through his entire body.  

Fully accepting his feelings brought a sense of relief, but it also tasted strangely bitter, like chewing on herbs. The pounding of his heart grew louder as if it were something a mere human like him could never endure.  

A faint sound, like something breaking, echoed in his ears.  

And then.  

“Um…?”  

As he blinked, he was startled by the brightness around him. The contrast between the roaring fireplace and the darkness outside the window was striking.  

Just to check, he lowered his head slightly. When he saw his pale hands, which seemed unfamiliar, Noah let out a soft gasp.  

“This is a problem.”  

What should he do now?

* * *

“What, what is this?”  

Cordelia was, well, incredibly flustered.  

Suddenly overwhelmed by sleepiness, she swayed for a moment and ended up in this situation. She splashed water on her face with her hands.  

The stiff body and elevated viewpoint made the cold wind feel fierce. It was as if she had been thrown from a warm room into the icy outdoors. Of course, Noah hadn’t intended for this to happen.  

“Why all of a sudden?”  

Had he missed her that much?  

Though it was an absurd thought, it was the only explanation she could think of for why their bodies had switched. Checking her bracelet, she saw the green stone was cracked and let out a hollow laugh.  

“…Is this real?”  

She paused, briefly contemplating how to interpret this ridiculous situation. If she thought positively, it meant their date had been that satisfying, right? But the reminder that there was only one chance left made her a bit anxious.  

This was a problem. Spring was still a long way off.  

But even more pressing was the fact that she had no idea where she was.  

“By the way, where on earth am I?”  

She couldn’t figure out where she was standing at all.

Even during the day, it was troubling; the darkness around her made it hard to find her direction. There weren’t even any people around. As she looked at the surroundings, which all seemed similar, a sigh escaped her lips.  

Still, judging by the large houses, it seemed like she had entered Noah’s neighborhood, but where should she go? She couldn’t exactly stop someone in the middle of the night to ask for directions!

As Cordelia pondered how to gauge the direction of the mansion, a chill ran down her spine, prompting her to look to the side.  

“Who goes there?”  

“Now I can finally address you.”  

From the pitch-black darkness, three figures emerged, cloaked in black with hoods pulled low. They looked suspicious enough for Cordelia to instinctively take a step back. Just then, the one at the front pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

The blue moonlight illuminated a long scar etched across the man’s cheek.  

Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee, followed by the others. Cordelia, still in shock, stared at them as the man spoke in a serious tone.  

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Your Highness.”