In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 123

EPISODE 123

“Excuse me?”

Once the words were out, there was no taking them back. Cordelia took a deep breath as if trying to shake off her overwhelming feelings.

“So, what will you do when people come to say they want to put you back where you belong?”

Only then did Noah’s expression harden as he finally understood the context. It was a relief that it was dark; if his face had been visible, the courage he’d mustered would have diminished.

“If it’s where I belong…”

Noah’s voice grew small, like a candle about to be snuffed out by a gust of wind. Cordelia, pulling him closer as he slightly trembled, sighed.

“Last night, people in black robes came to see you. Before I returned to the mansion. They seemed to know you. They called the leader Hamel.”

At the mention of the name Hamel, Cordelia could hear Noah’s sharp intake of breath. His hand gripped her arm tightly, trembling slightly as if clinging to a lifeline.

So they know each other. Cordelia carefully articulated the words swirling in her mind.

“I couldn’t see their faces in the dark, but I remember that the name Hamel belonged to Count Elerand, who was reported dead. If I’m mistaken, I’m sorry.”

“…That’s right.”

“I didn’t give them a definite answer, but I said to meet again in a week. I promised to create an opportunity somehow. I’m sorry for making plans without consulting you.”

“No, it’s fine.”

They had to meet at least once… Noah’s words trailed off unusually. The grip on her arm tightened. The strength was so powerful it was painful, but Cordelia didn’t show it.

“You must have been very flustered.”

“A bit? But there was one good thing. I almost got lost, but I made it home safely. I can’t spend the night outside this winter, can I? I don’t want to freeze to death!”

As she tried to lighten the mood with a joke, a weak laugh escaped him. Cordelia gazed into his blue eyes as if believing she could discern his thoughts.

Noah’s lips moved slightly.

“Did you keep thinking about saying this all day?”

“Yeah. I felt I couldn’t keep it hidden for long. I thought about waiting a bit longer to tell you… Luckily, I was able to speak up now.”

How far should she go with this? As she pondered the limits, Cordelia gently brushed back the golden strands of hair that had fallen across Noah’s eyes. The sensation of his noticeably shorter hair slipping through her fingers was quite peculiar.

“To be a bit more honest, I debated whether to tell my sister too.”

It was a matter of defying the royal family, so could she treat it as just an issue between her and Noah? That thought had crossed her mind.

But now that she had spoken, her mind felt surprisingly clear.

“You could have.”

Before she could process the sudden response, Noah smiled bitterly.

“This isn’t just my issue.”

It was solely because of that possibility that he found himself in this confined position. No matter how much he pretended to be harmless, the world around him didn’t flow that way. It was already remarkable that the royal family—no, his brother—had granted him this much freedom.

And no matter how much he struggled, he inevitably became a threat to him. He couldn’t completely abandon them.

“No, this is your matter. Since it’s something I originally couldn’t know, it’s only right that you should know first.”

Once she said it, things became a bit clearer. After speaking firmly, Cordelia hesitated for a moment before adding.

“If you want, I won’t tell anyone. Not even my sister.”

Noah blinked in slight confusion.

“Why not?”

Is this a normal situation? This was a matter that could lead to serious trouble if mishandled. It was surprising and incomprehensible that she wanted to keep it a secret, so when he asked, Cordelia hesitated to answer.

“I’ll tell you if you promise not to feel burdened by it.”

“I promise.”

Cordelia kissed Noah gently on the forehead, following it with a tender whisper.

“I trust you. I thought maybe it would be okay to leave it to you.”

Noah’s gaze slowly traveled over Cordelia’s face. His hand, which had hesitated, finally embraced her tightly. Despite his internal turmoil, his voice was surprisingly firm.

“If that’s the case… for now, can you promise not to tell anyone? I’ll handle this on my end.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Noah looked at Cordelia with a complicated expression as she answered readily. He was relieved that he wasn’t in his original body; otherwise, he might not have been able to control the surge of emotions.

On the other hand, he felt a bit wrong about why their body had changed now. If it hadn’t, maybe…

“Oh, now that I’ve said everything I wanted to say, I feel much better! Wait, is there one more thing?”

At her cheerful exclamation, Noah snapped back to attention. His voice wasn’t particularly high, but somehow it sounded higher due to the excitement.

“What else is left?”

“Hmm, a secret! I’ll tell you in a few days. I want to surprise you a little.”

“I don’t know if there’s anything left that could surprise me.”

“If you don’t get surprised, that’s disappointing too, so you have to pretend at least!”

“I get it.”

As he played along with his partner’s whims, the stormy emotions within him calmed a bit.

“Noah.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t run away.”

At her sudden remark, Noah lifted his head. Meeting her gaze, which appeared calm yet held an underlying anxiety, he replied steadily.

“I won’t run away.”

Not anymore.

* * *

“You two cause trouble the moment you take your eyes off each other.”

Four days later, they received the bracelets as planned and went to Lyneth to switch back their bodies. As they returned to their original forms and caught their breath, Lyneth looked at them as if they were troublemakers. Tsk, she clicked her tongue lightly, her demeanor distinctly unamused.

“Lady, I can’t just let that slide.”

As Cordelia narrowed her eyes, Tyrain stepped forward with a stern expression. Well, he could be somewhat useful at times…

“Even without taking our eyes off them, they still get into trouble. Oh, really, where can we find peace?”

Not anywhere.

Cordelia subtly stepped on Tyrain’s foot. She stomped down hard enough to cause some pain, yet he maintained his cheerful demeanor. Noah shook his head in disbelief, then focused on Lyneth’s words.

“I expected as much, but was she lurking around you? That old hag.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Then it sounds like she doesn’t plan to leave the capital…”

Lyneth, deep in thought, elaborated.

“The question is whether to wait until spring or stir things up again. If you change bodies again this time, you’ll need to endure until we can catch her.”

It was the last time. As Lyneth quietly added this, Cordelia and Noah exchanged glances. Cordelia spoke up on their behalf.

“The event in spring will go as we requested. Now, the bait is crucial…”

“Oh, I think I can manage that.”

Tyrain said, pulling a letter from his pocket and waving it between his fingers.

“What’s that, Uncle?”

“I mentioned before that I’d connect you with a wizard who could solve your magic issues from Soleil. The reply just arrived yesterday.”

“Did they suggest another way?”

Hoping for a positive answer, he was disappointed when Tyrain shook his head.

“No. From what I gathered, their solution is similar to what we already know. However, I believe this person’s abilities could be quite useful.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are skilled in crafting tools.”

“Tools?”

“Yes, magical tools. They mentioned that a deep understanding of magical structures is essential for crafting such tools. So, how about asking them to create something that a wizard would covet?”

It wasn’t a bad idea. Just when he had been pondering what to use as bait, this news was quite encouraging.

“But isn’t that illegal?”

“Strictly speaking, this entire situation violates the royal law.”

Tyrain shrugged nonchalantly, and Cordelia couldn’t help but admire his audacity, unaware of her situation.

“You really are fearless.”

“Well, as long as you all keep quiet, it’s manageable. We are accomplices, after all.”

Sitting there with such shamelessly ominous words, Cordelia glanced at the standing Silkion and smiled instead of frowning.

“Oh, with the King’s right hand as my accomplice, I feel quite important.”

“Right hand? It’s left. If I were treated like a right hand, I’d certainly be done for.”

Shuddering in horror, Tyrain trembled as Cordelia gently patted his shoulder.

“Ask to be promoted to right hand, then?”

“You have a knack for pouring oil on a burning house…”

“I do what I can.”

Lyneth, who had been quietly watching Cordelia shrug her shoulders as if she had received a compliment despite knowing it wasn’t one, finally spoke up.

“I was going to report this, but the restoration of the magic circle is finally complete.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, the experiments have been conducted properly. Now, if we can capture that woman and get a strand of hair or a fingernail from her, everything will be over.”

Cordelia wondered if the emphasis on fingernails was just her imagination. Seeing Lyneth’s somewhat irritated expression, she decided not to ask.

“How did you convince the royal family to approve this proposal, anyway?”