In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 22

EPISODE 22

A rather rustic brown carriage was moving along a well-kept trail. The cool breeze blowing between the trees carried the smell of the river flowing nearby. Red and yellow leaves gently fell onto the roof of the carriage.

A few men on horseback rode as if escorting the front and rear of the carriage. With a shout from the coachman, the horses picked up speed again.

The carriage’s exterior wasn’t stunning, but it was quite sturdy, barely shaking even on rough roads. It was perfect for travel.

Inside the carriage, there were two people. A man, dressed in a shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a vest, and trousers secured with a rope, was sitting facing the coachman’s seat. Opposite him sat a woman in a yellow dress that reached below her knees.

The man looked out of the window and cheered.

“The scenery is breathtaking!”

“Indeed.”

“The river looks so refreshing… It would be great to jump in and play.”

His low, clear voice was full of excitement. The woman, who had been looking at the lively man affectionately, soon responded.

“Shall we take a break over there then?”

“Shall we? We have plenty of time anyway.”

Following the woman’s instruction, the carriage stopped off the trail. Leaving the plain-clothed soldiers behind, the two headed to the riverbank in front of them.

The clear water flowing gently revealed pebbles and aquatic plants underneath. A fish swimming near the riverbank saw the man and, startled, quickly swam away, wagging its tail.

The man took off his shoes, rolled his trousers up above his knees, and stepped into the water, shivering from the coolness.

“Come over here, Noah!”

“I told you not to call me by my name!”

While the woman recoiled in surprise, the man grinned and splashed water at her. Laughing at her startled retreat, Cordelia looked down at the sensation of something brushing against her leg. A fish was darting away.

“You little thing!”

Noah, who had only taken off his shoes and was sitting on one of the rocks covered by branches with his feet in the water, watched Cordelia, who was now bending over, trying to catch the fish. A gentle smile soon appeared on his face.

Cordelia and Noah were on their way to the Rite estate in the southern part of the kingdom. Rite was one of the regions governed by the Duke of Weichen and was home to one of the largest cities in the south. Its most notable feature was the temple that oversaw the area.

Cordelia, who had failed to catch the fish, plopped down beside Noah. Adjusting her hat to keep it from falling off, Cordelia looked up. Through the leaves tinged a dull red, patches of clear blue sky could be seen.

Cordelia, savoring the cool breeze with her eyes closed, opened her mouth.

“How much longer until we reach Rite?”

“Since we’ve been traveling for over two days straight, we should arrive within half a day at the latest. I think we’ll get there before nightfall.”

“It’s almost October, so the harvest must be over by now, right? The freshly brewed grain liquor there is delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve tasted it. Wine is most famous in the West… My father even coveted that territory a bit because of it. If he weren’t so friendly with the previous duke, there might have been a war over the liquor.”

Cordelia’s father, the late Duke Isaac, was renowned throughout the kingdom as a heavy drinker, a man who couldn’t resist alcohol. There was even a joke that he was so famously upright that if he were offered alcohol as a bribe, he’d hesitate for three seconds before declining.

Noah nodded kindly, looking at the chatty Cordelia.

“It would be good if we didn’t get into trouble with Lyneth.”

Right now, they were in pursuit of Lyneth, on a national inspection tour sent by the Great Temple. This was also suggested by Jerania, who had brought out a map of the kingdom and pointed out their route.

‘The inspection team will probably start from the west, move to the south, and then head east. They don’t get along well with the Gracia family who govern the West, so they won’t stay there long. They should be heading south by now. So, you should go to the Rite estate in the southeast and join the inspector priest there. It seems like you need her power to forcibly change your bodies back.’

‘Why go all the way to Rite? Wouldn’t it be better to ask another priest to sever the connection?’

‘The fewer people who know, the better. Neither of you have any other plans, right? I’ll assign some people to you, so think of it as a vacation.’

‘Question! Even so, why Rite specifically? If we hurry, couldn’t we join them in Devron?’

‘Rite is close to the border with the Yurite Sanskria duchy, so quite a diverse group of people gather there. Sometimes even those not bound by the kingdom’s laws show up.’

By then, the two understood what Jerania meant. She was suggesting that they look for foreign wizards while they were there.

‘As you know, the Grand Temple and the royal family aren’t on the best of terms. His Majesty the King is particularly wary of alliances with the church.’

Jerania wasn’t keen on discussing politics, but she knew she needed to explain at least a little, considering her sister’s stubborn nature.

‘What do you think would happen if it became known that your bodies were changed by magic?’

Her voice was soft as she introduced the topic, but the content was quite serious.

‘In principle, the temple governs and is responsible for magic in this country, but the autonomous territories of Tritan and Cladan apply different laws. Especially since you, Cordelia, are a member of the Weichen family, the family has legitimate grounds to protest against the temple. If I were the temple, to avoid responsibility for this incident, I would suggest that wizards from the autonomous territories were involved. They would resist, and it would turn into a big mess.’

Jerania’s expression darkened slightly, but it passed so quickly that no one noticed.

‘What I mean is, I want to avoid the possibility of such disputes as much as possible. Do you understand?’

Cordelia and Noah could only nod at her calm explanation. Jerania gave a faint smile to Noah, who had Cordelia’s face.

‘I’m glad to see you looking well, Your Highness.’

‘Please, don’t address me like that. I am no longer royalty.’

‘Alright then. May I call you Noah?’

‘Yes? Ah, yes. Please call me Noah.’

Cordelia silently marveled at Jerania’s ability to smoothly navigate the conversation.

Wow, her sister isn’t ordinary either.

‘So, Noah, please take care of my rambunctious sister.’

‘Who are you calling rambunctious!’

She shot a resentful look at Jerania, but Jerania’s face showed relief as if she had finally found a solution. Cordelia was the only one who didn’t notice that Jerania was relieved to see her unchanged sister.

“Don’t worry. Even if we arrive, it will take them three to five days to get there. In the meantime, we can find another way to resolve this situation.”

Cordelia suddenly burst into giggles, and Noah asked, puzzled.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was just imagining her wearing priestly robes and trying to act all solemn among the people.”

“…Wouldn’t she think the same if she saw you elegantly laughing at a banquet?”

“Maybe. No, wait. What do you mean by that, Noah? I always laugh elegantly!”

Noah quickly changed the subject to avoid Cordelia’s playful glare.

“By the way, Cordelia, how did you come to know the priest?”

“It just happened that I helped Lyneth about nine years ago. She was just as bad-tempered back then.”

Cordelia could see through Noah’s evasiveness, but she found it endearing and decided to let it slide. Her wet hands left black marks on the rock.

“She’s very calculating when it comes to gains and losses, but she would risk her life for those she considers her own. It’s not bad to get close to her.”

“But that makes it a one-sided relationship where you benefit and the priest suffers.”

“Oh, come on. Things are not that black and white.”

“Cordelia, do you not mind having me around?”

“Maybe if you were a little less good-looking?”

Cordelia, who had been lightly joking, quickly added when she noticed Noah’s darkening expression.

“I don’t judge people by those things. I only believe in what I’ve seen.”

Even so, the worry didn’t leave Noah’s face. He seemed to make up his mind and opened his mouth to speak.

“Um, just in case I…”

“Lady!”

Before Noah could finish his sentence, a voice calling them made both of them turn to look.

***

Long, elegant fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk. After some contemplation, Franz pulled out a magic mirror from his pocket. Instead of his own reflection, the image of a man with jet-black hair appeared. The man spoke politely.

– Your Majesty, we’ve almost finished the inspection of Cladan. So far, there haven’t been any significant issues. May I now take a break for a while…

“There’s work.”

– Pardon? I must have misheard. Surely, the kind and benevolent king wouldn’t think of working his servant to the bone without a break after a month of relentless travel, would he? Right?!

Franz ignored the man’s silent cursing as usual.

“It’s about Ian.”

– Ian? Has something happened to him?

“Yes. He’s currently with Cordelia Weichen.”

– What?! Why are you suddenly bringing up her name? Don’t tell me that cheerful young lady has completely ensnared him…”

“Stop talking and head to Rite to join them. By the way, is his fringe like that on purpose?”

– Ah, well… yes. It seems he didn’t want to stand out too much.

Both knew who they were talking about without mentioning names. The man added with a bitter smile.

– He decided on it himself. He didn’t want to draw attention. Admittedly, such a face isn’t common.

“He’s being unnecessarily troublesome about something that could be easily hidden. Just cut it. It looks stifling.”

– Are you worried about him?

Ignoring the man’s teasing question, Franz added a few more instructions.

“I’ll tell you the rest when you meet in Rite. Be careful not to draw the temple’s attention.”

– Yes, I will. Your Majesty, you’re so taciturn that it makes it hard to…

Franz flipped the mirror over before the man could finish, leaving the man to stare at his own reflection. Stretching with a lazy, panther-like grace, the man put away the communication mirror.

“Well then.”

Let’s go.