In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 129

EPISODE 129

Noah, for a moment, thought he had spoken. As he shifted his gaze to find the source of the voice, a girl walked out from behind the man and stood in front of the four of them with a nonchalant expression. Cordelia widened her eyes.

Who is she?

“Why make things so complicated? Judging by the outfit that lady over there is wearing, it seems like her family has quite a bit of money. But based on that man’s attitude, he doesn’t seem to be of high status. If he’s a nobleman trying to marry into a wealthy family, especially if he’s a knight, the reason is obvious. It’s for money. Now, let’s see… Is it hard to live off the produce from your estate? Or perhaps you’re in debt?”

The girl, who had suddenly barged into the conversation and started saying whatever she wanted, looked the man up and down, inspecting his attire.

“It seems more like the latter. You usually wear your accessories here, don’t you? There’s a mark left.”

The man reflexively moved to cover the slight hole in his chest area with his hand but hesitated. His face flushed red, right down to his neck, at the implication that he might have had to sell off his valuables.

“How dare you! A lowly wench like you—”

As the man was about to grab her by the collar, thinking he’d found an easy target, Noah firmly grabbed his shoulder and shoved him backward. The man staggered back a few steps, and Noah glared down at him.

“Step away. If you continue, I will have no choice but to call the guards.”

Noah’s voice, though calm, was as cold as ice. The man, noticing the murmurs from people around him who had started to look over, was filled with embarrassment.

“I will return another time.”

Leaving those words behind, the man retreated with an air of dignity, but Cordelia and her companions stared after him in disbelief.

At that moment, a cheerful voice cut in.

“As expected, the circumstances of someone like that are obvious. So, did that help?”

The owner of the voice, the girl, was now looking at them with sharp eyes. She wore a worn but well-maintained dress, and her sharp tone matched her cynical expression. Noah instantly remembered her the moment he heard her distinctive way of speaking.

“Ellie. I don’t know if you remember.”

It was the same girl he had met in Devron.

‘I thought I’d never see her again.’

Noah stifled a sigh, thinking about how many surprising things had happened recently.

It was too late to pretend otherwise, and the girl was staring directly at Noah. Besides, he had already taken too long to react.

Just as the strange tension between the two of them began to furrow Cordelia’s brow, Noah spoke at just the right moment.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Pfft, my mother always said never to forget someone who saved your life.”

“I don’t think I did anything that grand.”

“You almost got caught up in that idiot Hans’ mess, so yeah, I owe you my life. But don’t worry, I’m not going to consider the debt paid off just because of this.”

“As I said when we parted, you don’t need to worry about it. By the way, how did you know?”

In response to Noah’s persistent questioning, Ellie shrugged her shoulders and answered.

“At first, I wasn’t sure because of the way you were dressed, but once I heard you speak, I knew. I had thought your accent was unique before, too. I may not look it, but I have a good memory.”

“I see… But how did you end up here?”

“Didn’t you tell us to move?”

“That’s true, but…”

“My mother needs a good doctor, and the best ones are usually in big cities. In this country, there’s no bigger city than the capital besides Devron, right?”

With nothing to say, Noah quietly closed his mouth.

“Wait, Devron?”

Finally, Cordelia asked with a puzzled expression, and Noah whispered to her.

“The people I made the wooden statue for.”

“I see.”

Just from that, Cordelia could roughly piece together the situation. She muttered to herself in disbelief.

So now she’s reunited with someone she met in the past, and Noah is also reuniting with someone he knew?

What in the world is going on? Even in a novel, if coincidences piled up like this, people would call it contrived!

“Are you here for the bookstore?”

“Yes. I’m studying for the academy entrance exam. We’ve come into some money, and my mother’s health has improved, so now I need to figure out how we’re going to live.”

“If you want to join the guild—”

“Oh, no thanks. I’m already sick of sewing, and from what I hear, the guild is pretty harsh on outsiders. Besides, Fairy, you look like the kind of person who only does their job and doesn’t care about connections at all.”

She wasn’t wrong. Feeling embarrassed, Noah rubbed the back of his neck while Cordelia tilted her head in confusion.

“Fairy?”

“Ah, that’s…”

“Sometimes in life, a fairy shows up to grant you a wish, or so they say. Since you never told us your name, we just started calling you ‘Fairy’ among ourselves.”

Noah did his best to ignore the gaze directed at him. If they weren’t standing in the street, he would have already been interrogated by now.

“Wait, so the ‘Fairy’ was you?”

Sophie, whose curiosity was practically shining, exclaimed, causing Noah to hang his head.

“No, that’s not it.”

A big, burly guy like him could hardly be a fairy, could he?

Noah suppressed the urge to explain further, and Cordelia quietly wrapped her arm around his.

“Well, I’ll be off now.”

“Ah, wait a moment!”

Just as Ellie was about to leave after lending a helping hand, Noah awkwardly called out to her.

“Thanks. You helped us wrap things up quickly.”

“It was nothing, really. Oh, and you there.”

“Me?”

Sophie, with her wide eyes, looked back at her, and Ellie nodded.

“That guy from earlier? I’m telling you, he reeks of a con artist. If you ever need help, just contact the Selendad Information Guild. I do some side work there. I’ll give you a discount since we’re acquaintances. Just mention my name, Ellie.”

Ellie made a circle with her fingers and grinned, not even bothering to glance at Cordelia as she conducted her business. With a smile in her voice, Cordelia asked.

“No words for me?”

“You, Noble Lady, probably have much better connections than someone like me.”

Sharp as ever, Ellie was drawing a line, not wanting to get involved with nobility, and Cordelia fully understood. Yes, that’s how it usually is.

“Then, we’ll be on our way. We still have plans. Lady Sophie, how about we have tea at my estate next time?”

“Y-Yes, um, yes…! Yes!”

Sophie stammered in response. Cordelia blew a light kiss toward her, then led Noah into the carriage. Only after it began moving did Cordelia take off her hat and mutter.

“We almost got stuck.”

No, that wouldn’t do. Though the girl was cute, Cordelia didn’t want to share her time with Noah with anyone else.

She does have a hopeless desire to monopolize him.

Reflecting on her own possessiveness, Cordelia tilted her head as she glanced at Noah, who was seated across from her.

“Why do you have that look on your face?”

“What look?”

“You look like something’s bothering you.”

Noah flinched, his shoulder jerking slightly. His averted gaze was a clear sign something was indeed on his mind.

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“Well…”

“Well?”

Cordelia smiled sweetly and leaned forward slightly. As she moved closer to Noah, their faces filled each other’s view.

“Are you not going to tell me?”

Under her soft yet teasing tone, Noah rolled his eyes nervously before finally squeezing them shut and opening them again.

“Promise you won’t laugh.”

“I promise.”

Trying her best to keep a straight face, Cordelia made a solemn promise. Only then did Noah, looking hesitant, start to speak.

“Could you… not do that with anyone else?”

“Do what?”

“The thing with your hand…”

Noah mimicked the gesture slightly before turning his face away, clearly embarrassed. Remembering the kiss she had blown before getting into the carriage, Cordelia suppressed a smile, as she had promised.

“Wait, were you upset about that?”

“Yes. I want to be the only one to see that side of you.”

Cordelia was genuinely surprised by his somewhat serious response. His clear eyes, now slightly shadowed, sparkled as he looked up at her.

“Of course, that’s just how I feel. I’m not trying to control you or anything.”

“No, it’s fine. I… kind of feel the same way…”

For some reason, this moment felt more embarrassing than anything else that had happened today. Clearing her throat, Cordelia composed herself and brought up something that had just come to mind.

“By the way, there’s something you haven’t explained to me yet, Fairy?”

At her mischievous tone, Noah snapped back to attention.

“No, I… I’m sorry. It’s just…”

“What? It’s adorable! How about you say it again?”

Cordelia’s eyes sparkled as she continued teasing Noah for a while longer.

“What a strange day it has been. Meeting someone I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again.”

“Indeed.”

“Is this what they mean when they say even the brushing of sleeves is a kind of fate?”

Cordelia’s voice trailed off, her thoughts drifting to a sudden idea that invaded her mind. Should she say it? Or not? After a moment’s hesitation, she placed her hand over Noah’s, and as if reading her thoughts, he turned his hand over, intertwining their fingers. The warmth in the gesture moved Cordelia’s lips without her realizing it.

“Maybe, just maybe…”

She smiled, her eyes softening.

“Maybe we would’ve met no matter what, even without the forces that brought us together.”

It was a romantic thought, perhaps overly so, but she couldn’t keep it to herself.

“People say that when fate intertwines, it eventually becomes destiny.”

“Destiny?”

Noah asked, his brow lifting slightly.

“Yeah. If you think about it, doesn’t it feel like we’re living in some kind of destiny?”

Cordelia imagined all the other ways their paths might have crossed. Perhaps she could have met him while searching for a portrait artist across the land, or maybe after seeing a mural in a temple and tracking down the artist. Or perhaps, they could have saved each other in moments of crisis, forming a bond out of gratitude.

Whatever the case, once they crossed paths, she was sure they would have been drawn to each other. He knew her first, so maybe he would’ve tried to escape, but she’d only chase after him harder.

“Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t believe in destiny, but…”

Noah gently pulled her hand toward him and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

“If that’s what you wish for, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it existed.”

Cordelia’s lips curled into a smile.

“It does exist.”

She said, with quiet certainty. It must.

* * *

As evening fell, a carriage came to a stop by the side of the road. After stepping out, Noah leaned back into the carriage, leaving a soft kiss on Cordelia’s cheek before he made his way down a winding alley.

Walking deeper into the narrow, twisting streets, Noah came across two figures leaning against a wall. Without giving them so much as a glance, he strode past and soon reached the front gate of his residence.

“Welcome home, young master. Shall I prepare dinner?”

The butler greeted him.

“Just bring me some water to wash with. I’m tired, so I’ll be heading to bed early tonight.”

“As you wish. Rest well.”

Leaving the butler’s words behind, Noah entered his room. He lit the lamp on his desk and finally pulled a small note from his pocket, one that had undoubtedly been slipped to him as he passed through the alley.

His eyes, illuminated by the dim light, darkened as he read its contents.