In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 137

EPISODE 137

“How is that even possible?”  

Indeed, a realist’s answer returned. Cordelia smiled faintly, a bit bitterly.  

“Of course, right?”  

“And honestly, I don’t think we need to wish for that kind of ending.”  

Elisa spoke firmly to Cordelia, who looked at her with a puzzled expression.  

“A happy ending for everyone? Everyone has different perspectives and personalities, so how can that be possible? Such an ending only exists in fairy tales. If everyone in the world could only have positive emotions, then maybe it would be possible.”  

Elisa added sharply, waving her hand lightly.  

“But what if it’s not that kind of ending?”  

“Hmm?”  

“Even if others criticize, if I’m satisfied, can’t I call that a happy ending in itself? That’s what I think.”  

Compared to her earlier statement, this was overly optimistic. Cordelia, caught off guard, hesitated before continuing.  

“What if it leaves a scar?”  

“Scars heal and build immunity, making you less likely to get hurt than before. How can someone live their whole life without getting hurt?”  

She knew this was true in her mind, but she just couldn’t accept it. Cordelia cleared her throat, thinking love was such an irrational feeling.  

“What if I’ve been hurt so much that I don’t want to feel pain anymore? What if it’s so painful that I might cry? Wouldn’t that make me afraid to choose?”  

Elisa’s expression grew more serious than before. She picked up a cushion from beside the sofa and fiddled with it, then said bluntly.  

“Then, you can share that pain with that person.”  

Surprised, Cordelia blinked, and Elisa reiterated.  

“Isn’t that what love is?”  

Her foggy thoughts cleared with that one sentence. Elisa handed a cookie to Cordelia, who tasted the sweet and nutty flavor on her tongue.  

“And even if there’s no perfect ending, the best ending exists. How you accept it is the most important thing.”  

Grateful for her effort to help, Cordelia chewed the cookie and swallowed, expressing her thanks.  

“Thank you. This helped me sort out my thoughts.”  

“Don’t mention it. By the way, I’m looking forward to your next book.”  

Seeing Elisa’s happy face, Cordelia suddenly voiced a thought.  

“Do you really like my work, Lady Elisa? Is there a special reason?”  

Elisa replied with a light laugh.  

“Well, I don’t know. What grand reason could there be for love? I just love it.”  

Cordelia, momentarily stunned, found herself smiling.  

“That’s true.”

* * *

On the lively day of the festival, perhaps due to the previous day’s events, there were more soldiers than usual in the capital’s streets. Soldiers, firmly disciplined, patrolled various parts of the city or supervised the situation with hawk-like vigilance. Thanks to that, the second day of the festival was much more peaceful than the first.

Everyone was either enjoying the festival or spending a leisurely time at home. Meanwhile, a group hidden in the nearby mountains circled the outskirts of the capital and moved toward the north side of the palace. Upon reaching the royal palace, a special unit quickly scaled the wall and began to take down the soldiers standing inside one by one.

The soldiers guarding the door fell without even having a chance to scream, and through the open door, unidentified men surged in. The intruders, now in the relatively empty interior, brandished their swords at the panicking royal army.

“Ahhh!”  

As the palace attendants screamed and scattered, the attackers split into two groups as previously discussed. Hamel headed towards the audience chamber where the king was likely working, while Bennett made his way to the queen’s quarters where she and the children were.

With their numbers being small, they had to use their forces carefully. Taking the queen and her children hostage, as the king favored them, was the easiest way to pressure him. The best method was to capture the king before the soldiers could regroup.

The assassination squad sent the previous night was essentially bait. It was rare to conceive the idea of sending assassins the night before and then attacking in broad daylight. Given their limited manpower, this was the result of careful planning.  

And it seemed to be relatively successful.

They strode through the main palace corridor with reckless confidence. As they rushed forward, they flung open the door to the audience chamber.

That’s when the unexpected happened.  

Thud.  

As soon as the door opened, an arrow shot through the neck of one of the leading soldiers. Before Hamel could process the situation, he saw figures in uniforms armed with swords and shields standing beyond the fallen soldier.

“What, what is happening?!”  

“Raise your shields!”  

Confused soldiers quickly raised their shields at the commander’s command. Immediately, swords danced down toward their heads. Hamel shouted, blocking an incoming sword with his shield.  

“Fall back! Retreat!”

The audience chamber was not a suitable place for a fight. They hesitated and stepped back into the corridor, but upon seeing soldiers rushing in from the left, they turned to the right. The narrow path meant that if they were trapped from both front and back, breaking through the encirclement would be impossible.

“What should we do?! Where in the world is the king?”  

Fortunately, they fought fiercely and managed to carve a path back to the courtyard. One of Hamel’s aides whispered urgently to him. Hamel tried hard not to show his distress.

Where on earth did such forces come from? He couldn’t shake the feeling that they had fallen into a trap.  

“How could they prepare for such an ambush so accurately…? Could it be?”  

It was clear that the king’s side had either guessed their scheme or that information had leaked out. There was no way their response could be this thorough otherwise.

Could it be that the lax security from the night before was a ploy to lower their guard? He felt like the fox that had been caught in its own trick, but Hamel tried to remain calm.  

“I hope His Highness Ian is safe.”

A figure came to mind. He shook off the irreverent thoughts. No, that couldn’t be true.  

How could such a gentle and kind person turn his back on them? Moreover, he probably knew little about their plans.  

“I heard you went out this morning. My aides must have followed you.”  

One of them, Dolores, was likely nearby with soldiers, sneaking in to retrieve Aileen. If all went well, they would have joined without issue, but given how things had escalated, he couldn’t guarantee that anymore.  

“Things have become complicated, but there’s still a chance to make up for it.”  

If necessary, he could smuggle Ian out and help him seek asylum in another country. He did have some influence there, and marrying into a local noble family could also provide an opportunity to rebuild strength.  

However, if his worst fears turned out to be true, it was uncertain whether Ian would act according to their wishes.  

“For now, we can only hope for a fruitful outcome from Lord Bennett. Until then, we must keep those ruffians occupied!”  

But saying what he truly thought would undoubtedly dampen morale. Concealing his inner thoughts, he issued commands, and the soldiers nodded in understanding.  

A sharp tension filled the wide courtyard between the two opposing sides. At that moment, someone pushed through the royal soldiers and stepped forward.  

“Well, well. Long time no see, Hamel.”  

As soon as Hamel recognized the smirking face that brazenly addressed him, his expression hardened, and he clenched his teeth.  

“Tyrain May…!”  

His former lord and the betrayer of the royal family. He had thought he was done being disappointed by this person, but seeing him again in this situation reignited his rage.  

Despite Hamel aiming his sharp sword at him, Tyrain spoke calmly.  

“I never imagined we would meet again like this. I thought dying back then would have been much better. How long do you plan to cling to the glory of the past?”  

“Shut up! You traitor of the family…!”  

“A traitor? As you said, I’m no longer a Borderoa. You all were the ones who betrayed me, weren’t you? Isn’t that right, you rebellious lot?”  

His sly voice coldly pinpointed their positions. The indigo eyes, which gazed steadily at the irretrievably broken ties of old, shone ominously.  

“You’re lucky, though. You get to face me.”  

Jerome really can’t control his strength, you know. Tyrain, still smiling slyly, drew the sword from his waist. Their swords clashed violently.