In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 19

EPISODE 19

A handsome man with a refined face scowled while lightly gripping the wrist of the man who had tried to assault Noah. He was strikingly good-looking, with jet-black hair and cold blue eyes, making it hard to forget him after just one glance.

The previously chaotic atmosphere settled instantly with his appearance. Facing the wary glances around him, the man said decisively.

“Everyone, get back to what you were doing.”

With those words, he tightened his grip on the troublemaker’s wrist. As the pain sobered him up, the once-flushed man turned pale when the man whispered something to him.

The man, Liam, who had been watching the situation from a distance, turned to Noah.

“Are you okay?”

One of the men who had been mingling with the crowd watched them with interest. Although he had laughed for the first time and was willing to help Noah, he withdrew his step as soon as he saw Liam, observing the situation from a distance.

The man stood still for a long time, gazing at Noah. The emotions in his steady gaze sparkled brightly like droplets of water catching the sunlight.

“What’s this? I thought I wouldn’t see you today since Calia left first?”

Returning to the table where he and Noah had originally stayed, Liam raised one eyebrow in curiosity. Except for Liam, no one was at the table, as everyone knew he was not fond of people.

‘Liam might be a bit of a pain, but he’s reliable. Oh, there are probably rumors about what’s between him and me, but just ignore them. I have no interest in having an affair with a married man.’

“Why are you so down? That’s not like you.”

Liam Gracia, the Duke who governed the Selva domain, and Cordelia’s childhood friend. Despite the considerable distance between their domains, they didn’t have much interaction.

Although he hadn’t mentioned it to Cordelia, Noah had also seen him before. It was about ten years ago when he served as the current queen’s bodyguard.

Having trained as a knight from a young age, his well-defined physique and the youthful face of his early twenties had become sharp and hardened as he reached his thirties.

Overall, he had a cool, handsome demeanor, but his smile softened that atmosphere considerably.

Though he shared similar hair and eye colors, he was worlds apart from Noah. It was astonishing that someone as remarkable as Liam had shown interest in someone like him.

Noah forced a cheerfulness into his voice and exaggerated his response.

“What do you mean I’m down? It’s just that I’m feeling a bit off today.”

“What’s this? The ever-energetic you, suddenly like this?”

Liam called over a nearby servant holding a tray. Taking a glass of opaque white liquor, he handed it to Noah.

“Drink this and perk up. You like Plache, right?”

Noah, who had been looking at the glass handed to him, shook his head. While Plache was sweet compared to other liquors, it was also quite strong.

“Not today.”

“What? You’re refusing a drink?”

Liam, wide-eyed, suddenly looked up at the sky. Noah asked in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“I was checking if the sun rose in the west today.”

Liam’s teasing response quickly shifted as he braced himself for an incoming playful attack, only to end up looking puzzled when he saw Noah standing still.

“Did something happen? Why are you so quiet today?”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, seeing this sharp voice, you must be the Cordelia Weichen I knew, right?”

Noah playfully stepped on Liam’s foot. Despite being reassured that he was fine, Noah was anxious and tried to step lightly. Liam, pretending to be in pain, laughed softly.

Their casual conversation and straightforward attitude, yet the familiarity between them, was evident. Although it was clear that Liam had no romantic feelings toward Cordelia, Noah began to understand a bit why people who had been close to Cordelia had been wary of him.

“So, who is that child…?”

Noah’s gaze shifted to the boy clinging to Liam’s leg. The child, with jet-black hair and perhaps around three or four years old, looked up with a wary expression.

“I thought it was time to bring him along. This is Mikhail Gracia, my son. Mikhail, this is a friend of mine. Let’s say hello.”

Despite Liam’s encouragement, the boy named Mikhail clung more tightly to his father’s garment, keeping his mouth firmly shut. Liam gave a sheepish smile and patted Mikhail’s head.

“Sorry, he’s a bit shy. Haha… Actually, I wanted to come with Mildred, but she caught a cold.”

Liam’s eyes softened when he mentioned his wife’s name, revealing his affection for her. If a simple cold was enough to make him delay his travels, it meant either he was extremely devoted to his wife or her health was not good. In Liam’s case, it was both.

“That sounds tough.”

“She’ll be fine after some rest. She was worrying about me even as I left, clinging to my collar. It was so sweet that I didn’t want to leave. I don’t know why she clings to my collar instead of just holding my hand. It’s cute.”

His smile, reflecting his fondness for his wife, was striking. Noah quietly recalled what Cordelia had said.

‘He’s not a bad guy, but really, he… has this so-called ‘unfortunate’ trait. It’s getting worse with age, which is a bit annoying. Other than that, he’s fine. Just humor him a bit, or you might end up stuck with him for hours.’

True to her words, Liam’s conversation was entirely focused on his family. As he comforted his whining son with one arm while chatting, Noah found himself caught up in the conversation for quite a while.

Although there were positive aspects, being with Liam meant that no one else approached. Seeing the men eyeing each other but not daring to approach made Noah realize why Cordelia had advised him to stick close to Liam.

“By the way, it seems like you and your sister have a connection. I noticed that Queen Jerania doesn’t look so well today either.”

“Queen… my sister?”

“She usually seems healthy, but she did have a severe illness back then.”

Liam’s expression was quite serious, but the sight of him gently patting Mikhail’s back, who had fallen asleep in his arms, made it look almost comical. While Cordelia would have laughed without hesitation, Noah simply responded by watching him quietly.

At that moment.

“Good day.”

At the soft and respectful voice, Noah turned to see an elderly man in formal attire bowing towards Cordelia and Liam.

“Are you Lady Cordelia Weichen?”

“Yes, I am, but…”

“I am Andres Lissen. Since a distinguished guest is seeking you, please follow me.”

Given his formal attire and the decorations he wore, he seemed to be a high-ranking servant. It was unlikely he would act without a royal command. After exchanging puzzled glances with Liam, Noah calmly replied.

“Lead the way.”

***

Cordelia nearly stumbled as she failed to notice the approaching person, but she managed to correct her path in time to avoid a collision. However, the person she nearly bumped into was so startled by her sudden appearance that he fell on his bottom.

“Ugh!”

The burly middle-aged man pointed an accusing finger at Cordelia.

“Where are your eyes?”

“I apologize. I’ll be on my way.”

“Stop!”

Cordelia, who had quickly apologized and was trying to leave, was bewildered as servants blocked her path. Looking back, the man was fuming as he spoke.

“Your clumsiness made my clothes dirty. How will you compensate for this?”

“Well… I didn’t push you or cause you to fall. It doesn’t seem to be my responsibility.”

Although she only presented a reasonable argument, the man smirked and asked.

“Is that so?”

“No, he pushed the Viscount!”

The servants all answered in unison, and Cordelia was left speechless. Was it really necessary to accuse an innocent person like this?

“What’s going on?”

At that moment, a clear, melodious voice was heard, and everyone’s gaze turned to the back of Cordelia. Turning her head, she saw a familiar face.

“Queen Jerania!”

Following Jerania were her attendant maids. Amidst the noise of the nobleman shouting and the bowing people, Cordelia stood there, stunned. Instead of pointing out the rudeness, Jerania asked again.

“What is this nonsense, surrounding one person like this, Viscount Velocen?”

“This person suddenly came out of nowhere and pushed me, causing my important attire to get dirty. I was holding him accountable for that.”

Unlike the visibly flustered nobleman, Cordelia remained perfectly composed. Jerania now turned to Cordelia for an answer.

“Is that true?”

“No. I indeed hurried out, but I did not collide with anyone. The man was startled by me and fell to the floor.”

As Cordelia answered calmly, Jerania’s gaze shifted to the nobleman. With her green eyes narrowing, the nobleman stumbled over his words, trying to make excuses.

“Ah, no, this person is lying to avoid punishment…!”

“I will handle this matter. You may leave now.”

As Jerania cut him off decisively, the nobleman, with his face reddened, had nothing more to say and walked away with his servants. Only then did Jerania turn back to Cordelia.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, um… I’m fine. Thank you.”

Even as she bowed her head, Cordelia sneaked a glance at Jerania. Seeing a family member who didn’t recognize her was an odd feeling. She wanted to speak to her, but she was sure it would raise suspicion.

Oh, she still wanted to wish her a happy birthday, though.

Having avoided the crisis, Cordelia considered leaving, but when she saw the box in Jerania’s hand, she remembered her purpose for attending the event and exclaimed.

“Oh, that…!”

She quickly clamped her mouth shut, but she had already attracted enough attention. Jerania, who had been scanning Cordelia with a puzzled expression, now looked sharply at her.

“You, stay right there.”

“What?”

Jerania stepped forward and pushed aside Cordelia’s bangs. As her vision cleared and she met Jerania’s eyes directly, Cordelia could only be astonished.

‘Sister?’

“How… how are you here…?”

Jerania stared at her with a look of shock. It was rare to see Jerania with such a stunned expression. From what she said, it seemed she knew Noah.

But how?

Before Jerania could say more, Cordelia desperately grabbed Jerania’s arm and leaned in to whisper.

“Sister, it’s me, Cordelia. I know the identity of Laurence Blanc.”

At these words, Jerania’s expression changed instantly. She silenced the maidservants with a mere gesture and whispered back.

“Let’s move somewhere else.”