In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 21

EPISODE 21

CHAPTER 4. WHAT HAPPENED IN RITE

As soon as the words ended, silence descended upon the room. Unlike the three who seemed to know something, Cordelia, who looked like she was about to go mad with frustration, suddenly stood up.

“What did you just say? Explain it in a way I can understand!”

The three pairs of eyes turned to look at Cordelia, who was confidently shouting with Noah’s face. Franz, with an expressionless face, glanced at Noah.

“No way… did you not say anything?”

“…I thought it was better for her not to know. So I didn’t explain.”

“Are you serious?”

“We’re involved in this relationship against our will. You know it’s better not to know if you can avoid it.”

Despite the situation, Cordelia complained about the king and Noah, who were talking only among themselves.

“Excuse me. I hate this kind of atmosphere. Everyone knows something, but I’m the only one who doesn’t know anything!”

Her voice, which had been elevated with emotion, gradually calmed down.

“If you’re not trying to exclude me, hurry up and tell me. It seems like there’s something I need to know.”

Even though she probably already guessed, Cordelia showed a strong will to hear it from his mouth. Noah could not avoid her gaze any longer. Suppressing the urge to lower his head, he answered calmly.

“Cordelia. I am indeed Noah Epherman, but I have another name.”

“What is it?”

“Ian Borderoa-Linaen.”

“…What?”

His lips hesitated briefly before uttering the royal family name, then he quietly spoke.

“My father was the late King Kendrick Linaen, and my mother was… Aileen Borderoa-Linaen. Although I’ve been stripped of my surname now.”

Upon hearing the name Borderoa, Cordelia’s expression changed. How could she forget the main perpetrators of the rebellion revealed eight years ago, the Borderoa and Dizet families? The king executed all the heads of these families as an example and stripped the entire clan of their noble titles.

The first daughter of Borderoa, the late king’s queen, and the young prince were also stripped of all authority and status and imprisoned.

“Wait, so you’re…”

“We’re brothers. We have different mothers, though.”

The king provided a more direct explanation. Upon hearing this, Cordelia scrutinized the king’s face, almost rudely. Then she bluntly stated.

“…You do look alike.”

Though the king was more glamorous, their overall features were quite similar. Cordelia recalled the face of Queen Aileen from a banquet when she was much younger.

When she overlaid Noah’s face with that memory, it made sense to some extent. She also remembered other facts.

The strict security that seemed like surveillance when their bodies had changed, the desolate interior with almost no servants, Noah saying he couldn’t stay out overnight, and how he tried to stop her from going to the palace.

That mansion was a prison. The vague truth she had sensed now concretely hit her like a blow to the back of her head.

“Since I can’t use my real name… I created a new one. Thanks to your cooperation, I can go out as well. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. I know any excuse is pointless…”

Noah’s frequent bowing and apologizing made Cordelia frown slightly. She strode over to him, grabbed his face with both hands and lifted his head to meet her gaze. His blue eyes, originally her own, were now filled with the man’s face.

“Don’t do that with my face.”

Unlike Noah’s calm lake-like eyes, Cordelia’s eyes burned like flames.

“You are Cordelia Weichen now. You’re always confident and live life knowing your own worth. I won’t allow you to lower your head over something like this!”

Her firm voice held Noah’s head in place. She released her face when he gave a slight nod of understanding, then turned her gaze away from him. The vague anxiety she had felt now coalesced into a concrete form.

Noah.

“Your Highness.”

If everything is resolved, was he planning on never seeing her again?

Why does she feel so betrayed by that thought, considering what they are to each other? Isn’t it absurd to expect anything from someone she’s only known for a week?

Cordelia shook her head, trying to chase away her thoughts.

Yes, it’s all because of this face.

She took out a box containing a bracelet from her bag and handed it to Franz. He took it and looked puzzled.

“What is this?”

“A bribe.”

Cordelia spoke confidently, looking straight at Franz. With Noah’s body, they were almost the same height, making it easy to meet his gaze without discomfort.

Franz did not point out the irreverence of her behavior, and Cordelia responded again.

“As Noah said, I came here on my own. Noah came here because I asked him to. So if you’re going to hold someone accountable for this body entering the palace, it should be me.”

“Cordelia!”

Noah called out urgently, but Cordelia waved him off. She raised her hand to her ear, then stopped and lowered it.

“I’ll give you that. It’s made of a jewel that brings happiness when shared with someone you love. Since you’ve received it, please act like you didn’t see anything.”

Franz shrugged his shoulders, watching Cordelia make such a brazen request with his brother’s face.

“Even without receiving something like this, I was already going to keep quiet about today. There’s no need to ruin a joyful day.”

He handed the box back to Cordelia and added lightly.

“So give this gift to your sister instead of me.”

Cordelia looked surprised at his nonchalant response, then smiled warmly.

“Thank you.”

In the parlor, where only the two of them remained, Jerania glanced at Cordelia, who was sitting quietly.

‘There are many people here right now, so it’s better to wait a bit before going out. Jerania, stay here with the lady. I have something to discuss with this fellow.’

Franz had said, gesturing for Noah to follow him. Cordelia had blocked his way, her eyes full of suspicion directed at the king.

‘You’re not planning to take Noah to prison, are you?’

‘Cordelia!’

‘Prison? Lady, have you forgotten whose body Ian is currently in?’

‘Ah.’

‘Even if I intended to, do you think Duke Weichen would stand for it?’

At the mention of Frederick’s name, Cordelia instinctively frowned. Seeing the genuine distaste on her face, Franz left the room without further comment.

Since the two had disappeared, the atmosphere had remained tense. For Cordelia, who considered sitting still to be the greatest torment, being so silent was out of character! Combined with her expressionless face, she looked truly serious.

Despite her generally positive personality, she couldn’t help but be shocked. Jerania, worried, looked at Cordelia, who turned to her with a solemn face.

“Sister.”

“What?”

“Does this mess up the family tree?”

Such an unexpectedly bizarre question popped out. For once, Jerania couldn’t immediately grasp the context and reflexively asked again.

“What?”

“Actually, he, no, I mean.”

“Call him whatever you want.”

“Right, Noah! The thing is, despite the incident, his face is seriously my type. In a life where I had to settle due to lack of decent faces, I hadn’t seen a beauty like his.”

Her fervent chatter was just like her usual self. Relieved, Jerania agreed for the time being.

“Well, yes. That’s right.”

“No wonder no matter how much I tried, he wouldn’t fall for me. That’s the reason? Really?”

Cordelia suddenly erupted in frustration like a geyser. Although Jerania couldn’t quite follow her sister’s train of thought, she quietly echoed her sentiments.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s his fault.”

“Right? Ah, now I feel better. Knowing the reason, I just have to deal with it now.”

“Well, yes, uh, what?”

Jerania thought she had misheard for a moment. But seeing Cordelia’s mischievous smile, she realized it wasn’t a joke. Despite his drastically different appearance, Noah’s face seemed so familiar that it didn’t feel out of place.

“Cordy, you’re not seriously…”

“You know me, sister. I have to do what I want to be satisfied. I finally found a handsome man I like, and I can’t back down without even making a move. I, Cordelia Weichen, cannot allow it!”

Why does she have to involve her name in such matters?

Cordelia, sensing her sister’s surprise and about to protest, quickly grabbed Jerania’s hand and looked at her with sparkling eyes.

“So, sister. You trust me, right?”

How could she not?

Cordelia’s green eyes were filled with disbelief, but she paid it no mind.

“Honestly, I thought I had quite the imagination. But reality surpasses fiction. If I were to use this as a story material, what would people think? They probably wouldn’t believe it, right?”

“Cordy!”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Jerania grabbed Cordelia’s cheeks and pulled them.

“Ouch, sister…”

“You’re joking even in this situation!”

Cordelia blinked in surprise, not used to her sister scolding her. As soon as she said it hurt, Jerania let go of her cheeks, perhaps because she was in Noah’s body. A sigh escaped Jerania’s usually gentle face.

“Seriously, think about this seriously. I know you’ll handle it, but I can’t help but worry.”

“It’s not like I’m getting married right away. Even if it gets found out, no one will take it seriously because of my reputation with men. They’ll probably just bet on how long this one will last.”

Jerania shook her head at her sister’s self-deprecating words.

“Why say such things? Regardless of the depth of your feelings, you’ve always been serious about your relationships. Both I and our sister know that.”

The affectionate tone made Cordelia’s nose tingle. She wanted to hug her sister, but she restrained herself—after all, she was in someone else’s body.

“Anyway, I know I should think about the future… But I don’t want to hold back just because of that. It would be silly to overreact to something that wasn’t even Noah’s, I mean Ian’s, fault.”

The feeling of facing a guilt-ridden version of herself was more complex than she had imagined. She understood why Noah wore that expression; it was a situation most would avoid. But she didn’t want to do that. Beyond his appearance, she knew he was a genuinely good person.

Despite having chosen to come to the palace herself, he had still tried to take responsibility. How many men around her had shown such responsibility? His over-the-top guilt for something he didn’t even cause was also pitiable.

Cordelia made a resolute statement.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try not to cause any trouble.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Alright, I believe you.”

With nothing more to say, Jerania called for someone to bring the necessary items. As they chatted for a while, the door opened, and Noah poked his head in. When asked what they had talked about, Noah evaded by saying it was the king’s command.

With a gentle smile, Jerania watched as Noah, with a puzzled expression, sat down next to Cordelia. She spread out a map she had prepared on the table.

“Now, let’s come up with a plan.”