In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 24

EPISODE 24

As the sound of the wind swirling around the carriage wheels mixed with various noises, a tall fortress wall at the end of the road welcomed the carriage they had arrived in, set against the backdrop of the wide river visible in the distance. The territory of Eispain, which occupied the southern border, was known as Rite, a city located at the southernmost point and regarded as a hub of trade.

To the south of the city, a large river flowing from west to east meandered leisurely between the Yurite Sanskria duchy and Rite.

“Hm, maybe it’s better to find the guild?”

Instead of sightseeing the bustling city, Cordelia and Noah huddled together inside the slowly moving carriage, pondering their destination. The interior was quite dark except for the sunlight streaming through the gap in the drawn curtains.

“But even with all the precautions… it’s legally prohibited. It won’t be easy to find a wizard, even if we try.”

“Paying extra might attract people willing to take some risks.”

“I don’t think the kind of information we need can be easily found in ordinary information guilds.”

“That’s why they assigned soldiers to us.”

For protection rather than surveillance. It wasn’t too hard to guess her sister’s intentions.

“Since they promised to send someone to help us in Rite, we might be able to get assistance from that person. Let’s go to the inn we were promised and meet them first.”

“Who is it?”

“They didn’t say. But they said we’d recognize them right away. Do you know anyone?”

Cordelia, tilting her head, opened the lid of her seat and took out her neatly folded brown robe, draping it over her shoulders. Noah also checked his violet cloak and pulled up his hood.

Cordelia smirked, saying it looked like they were plotting something. Her ability to enjoy even serious situations was quite characteristic of her.

“Oh, if anything happens, use this card to use my name. This is our family’s jurisdiction. It should work most of the time.”

That must be why her sister sent her here. Despite everything, Cordelia was still the youngest of the Weichen family. Though it could be seen as overprotective, considering the recent troubles, Cordelia understood Jerania’s feelings well.

“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t let the family know?”

“As long as our bodies aren’t discovered, it’ll be fine. This is our father’s territory, so it’s still better.”

“The previous Duke?”

“Yes, he’s still very vigorous. He retired because he had no further interest in politics. Although, it means Rick is more antagonistic towards me.”

Cordelia, pouting and grumbling, suddenly thrust her face towards Noah. Seeing Noah flinch, Cordelia grinned.

“Why are you so surprised when it’s your own face?”

“Anyone would be startled if someone’s face suddenly came close. And you’re too close.”

Cordelia, smiling with a mischievous glint in her eyes, said to Noah, who was asking what was going on.

“We’re both not quite ourselves, so it’s pretty tiring.”

“Right…?”

“In fairy tales, a kiss is often portrayed as a cure-all. Maybe we should give it a try at least once.”

“If we meet Priestess Lyneth in three days at the earliest, it might not be a bad idea to wait patiently.”

Noah lightly defended himself against Cordelia’s flirtation, and just then the carriage came to a halt. Knowing it was time to go, Cordelia hid her disappointment and opened the door. Once outside, she held out her hand to Noah.

“Here, hold on and get out.”

Noah, who was watching Cordelia’s polite gesture, placed his hand gently in hers and stepped down onto the ground. As Noah entered the inn accompanied by soldiers, his expression seemed a bit troubled.

After securing a room at the inn, Cordelia and Noah headed into the city. True to its nature as a trading city, the cacophony of unfamiliar languages mixed with the common language, Hiren.

“There are quite a few soldiers, probably because it’s near the duchy.”

Cordelia whispered, noting the guards who had just brushed past them. This was already the third time she had noticed.

“It’s an extraterritorial jurisdiction. There are also quite a few pickpockets, so be careful.”

In a city like Rite, which attracts people from various countries, there are three courts, whereas usually, a city of similar size would have only one. This was due to the city’s constant stream of incidents and accidents.

“You talk as if you’ve been here before.”

“I have been here before.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, a client lives in this city. It wasn’t a portrait but a request for a landscape of the city, so it couldn’t be handled in the capital.”

“Really? You can come all the way here for that?”

“His Majesty the King granted permission for soldiers to accompany me outside the capital. Even so, either my mother or I have to stay at the estate…”

Even so, it seemed quite an extraordinary condition for dealing with a traitor’s family. Noticing Noah’s subtle addition, Cordelia pondered.

“It’s a privilege, but it’s more like a sort of trade.”

“Trade?”

“It wasn’t my doing.”

Seeing Noah give an ambiguous answer, Cordelia recalled a fact she had forgotten. However, it seemed too rude to ask directly, so she chose to remain silent.

As they entered what seemed to be a marketplace, the noise increased exponentially. As they walked through the crowded area, Cordelia firmly grasped Noah’s hand.

“Hold on tight, or we might get separated.”

Given a reason he couldn’t refuse, Noah’s hand, holding on to hers firmly, brought Cordelia a sense of satisfaction. As she wiggled her fingers and intertwined them with his, Noah complied without resistance.

She had never thought her hands were small, but holding Noah’s hand made them seem unusually tiny.

Ah, she wishes she could return to her original body and hold hands like this.

Cordelia, who was already gulping down soup with no intention of sharing any bread, dismissed the hawkers approaching her with a firm hand. Though some people tried to approach Noah as well, their reactions were noticeably less enthusiastic compared to the way they interacted with Cordelia.

Cordelia glanced sideways at Noah. She always found it curious how his eyes showed no hint of material desire. Seeing his calm, almost detached expression was strikingly different from her nature of living according to her desires. It felt like even with the same face, the contents were entirely different.

“By the way, you paint, don’t you? Since we’re in the market, is there anything you’d like to get?”

Cordelia had forgotten the basic way to win favor was through material offerings. When she asked the question as neutrally as possible, Noah pondered deeply.

“Something I’d like? Well… I do need to buy a new brush. The brushes used for oil painting are difficult to maintain.”

“Why?”

“You have to wash the brush with oil. Did you notice a smell of oil in the room when our bodies were swapped?”

There was indeed a strong odor. Cordelia wrinkled her brow at the thought.

“Since it’s troublesome for the nose in a confined space, I always keep the windows open. Although not all paints are like that…”

As Noah started to explain, he realized it was risky to dwell on what he had painted. He had better move on from this topic.

“What about paints?”

Fortunately, Cordelia didn’t seem overly concerned about that part.

“Pigments? They’re generally quite expensive, so it’s hard to buy them in such a market. Even if you find them, it’s difficult to get good quality.”

“Really expensive?”

“Some pigments are made from ground gemstones. For example, do you know lapis lazuli? Only the pigment made from that gemstone gives a vivid blue color, much like your eyes…”

Noah’s last remark was drowned out by the sudden increase in surrounding noise. Realizing his mistake, he closed his mouth. Cordelia, puzzled by his sudden change, raised her voice.

“What? What did you say?!”

“…It’s nothing!”

Noah, who was awkwardly bowing his head, noticed a pair of shoes quickly approaching him. He tried to dodge, but the person was too fast.

“Ah!”

He collided so hard that he staggered, but Cordelia quickly grabbed his arm. The large man, who appeared to be a wealthy merchant judging by his attire, shouted angrily.

“Where are your eyes?!”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, you were the one who ran into us first!”

Cordelia shouted proudly, cutting off Noah’s meek apology. The man wasn’t even looking this way. He was trying to avoid her.

Although the large figure in the robe might have slightly intimidated him, the man didn’t back down and kept shouting. Soldiers were behind him.

“You should have moved out of the way!”

“What’s the big deal in a crowded place? If your body was only half as slim as it is now, you would have passed by just fine!”

“What did you say?! I’m a trusted subordinate of Count Elan! How dare a country bumpkin raise their voice at me!”

The man’s voice grew even more arrogant as he scrutinized Cordelia. His hairstyle, which covered his face, made him look somewhat rustic as if he had just come from the countryside.

“Oh, calling someone a country bumpkin, huh? I guess raising your voice over something you don’t want to apologize for is a city dweller’s trait?”

Finding it amusing how he raised his voice as soon as he saw someone he perceived as weaker, Cordelia openly mocked him. Her tightly clenched right hand was trembling slightly.

The man’s anger was visibly provoked, and his thick eyebrows twitched with fury. By now, onlookers were watching from a distance, but none stepped forward to intervene.

“Excuse me.”

A clear, ringing voice cut through the escalating tension. Noah, who had taken a few steps forward, addressed the man calmly.

“It seems unnecessary to argue over a mere collision. How about we end this here? And since you claim to be a subordinate of Count Elan, I don’t think he would be pleased with such a commotion. Am I wrong?”

The man, momentarily startled by Noah’s familiarity with the situation, blinked in confusion.

“Wh-what nonsense are you spouting?”

“I’m just stating the facts. If you insist on making a fuss, I won’t stop you.”

As the man finally took a closer look at Noah, he swallowed hard. The calm and elegant woman, given her tone and attire, was unmistakably of high nobility.

Clearly of high rank.

“However, you seem busy… I’m not sure if you have the time for this.”

Noting the letter in the man’s hand, he turned away with a dissatisfied expression and resumed his path. Noah, who had restrained Cordelia from confronting the man further, calmed her down.

“What’s with people like that?! Of course, there are many like him!”

“Anyway, it’s over now. Don’t let it bother you too much.”

Noah’s indifferent tone helped soothe Cordelia’s agitation. As the crowd’s attention dispersed, Cordelia took a deep breath.

“Noah, why are you so calm? Aren’t you angry? You used to be…”

Even though he was of higher status than the man, why is he so calm when he’s dismissing him?

Cordelia’s trailing words were understood by Noah, who let out a light laugh.

“Have you forgotten my profession? I’ve seen people like that plenty of times.”

He had encountered even more insulting remarks and had occasionally been subjected to mild temptations when his identity was revealed. Many people looked down on painters as a lowly profession, considering it acceptable to treat them with disdain.

“And besides, I don’t want to waste my emotions on someone I might not even meet again.”

Seeing Noah look up at her with a genuinely thoughtful expression rather than trying to persuade her, Cordelia was left speechless. Although his hand that held hers was warm, she felt a cold chill in a corner of her heart. A certain premonition brushed through Cordelia’s mind.

Perhaps Noah was even more cold-hearted than she had thought.