In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 30

EPISODE 30

“Is there another issue?”

At Raymond’s casual remark, the two stopped in their tracks. While Noah stared at him silently, Cordelia was already speaking.

“What do you mean?”

“Kion mentioned it. He said he saw something quite interesting.”

That robed wizard, huh?

“I’m not sure.”

Noah nonchalantly feigned ignorance. Opening up hastily would only bring more harm than good.

“In that case, Lady, could you please remove those gloves for a moment?”

The red gaze was fixed on the black gloves Noah was wearing.

“That’s an odd request.”

“I’m just curious why you wouldn’t remove your gloves even while eating.”

When Noah was pointed out for not removing his gloves even when serving grapes to Cordelia, he fell silent for a moment. Raymond pressed on.

“I don’t think it’s a difficult task.”

“Then you must also know that I don’t necessarily have to comply with your request.”

“Is there something you’re hiding? Something you don’t want to reveal?”

“Are you interpreting too much from a mere piece of clothing?”

The conversation continued, oddly diverging from the main topic. Noah’s mouth, which had been tightly closed, opened again, tinged with irritation.

“Then, if I remove these, will that be the end of your business with me? I can go back now, right?”

“Of course.”

“Why does Lady…”

“It’s fine.”

The woman who had stepped forward to stop the man cautiously removed the gloves. She handed them to the person standing beside her and motioned towards Raymond.

“Is this acceptable?”

“… Hmph.”

The woman’s hands were pristine, without a speck of dust. The back of her hand and palm were so delicate that they seemed untouched by hardship.

The woman, who had looked at Raymond with an indifferent gaze, quietly reiterated.

“If it’s done, can we leave now? You promised, didn’t you?”

The blue eyes emphasizing the promise shone coldly. However, Raymond’s gaze was fixed on the person standing beside her.

Though his eyes were completely covered, making it hard to read his expression, it was not difficult to discern the slight smirk forming on his lips. It might have been deliberate.

Even though Raymond felt tricked, he waved his hand lightly. Soon, the two figures disappeared from his view.

“So, what do you think?”

With a quiet call, the robed figure slowly emerged from behind the pillar. He answered softly.

“The power of magic is definitely in effect. It’s clear that those two are bound by something.”

“Hmm.”

Raymond, who had been stroking his chin thoughtfully, said with satisfaction.

“Make sure to send a message to the duchy.”

“Are you planning to delay your return?”

“No. We need to start heading back soon. If we delay further, there will be objections from the royal side.”

“Understood. Then what should I…”

“What do you think?”

Surprised by Raymond’s response, he briefly showed a shocked expression before bowing his head and answering.

“I will carry out the orders, Your Excellency.”

***

As soon as the two of them emerged from the space, they walked briskly to distance themselves as much as possible from the building in sight. Being in the city center, it was not difficult to blend into the crowd.

When they returned to their lodgings, they quickly had someone prepare washing water and a basin. Two basins, one with warm water and the other with cold, were placed at their feet.

After securely locking the door, they finally felt at ease and faced each other. They both burst into laughter simultaneously.

“Did you see that guy’s expression earlier? He looked so flustered.”

“You were watching that?”

“Of course I was. Ah, that feels so good!”

They threw off the gloves they had been wearing. The white gloves scattered carelessly on the floor and the neatly folded black gloves on the nightstand created a strange contrast.

“Would you like to wash your hands first? Oh, no. I should wash first since it’s Cordelia’s body right now.”

“Do as you please. It doesn’t matter.”

After tying his hair back, Noah carefully dipped his right hand into the water. The transparent water gradually turned a light peach color.

“Do you think we weren’t discovered?”

“He seemed completely unaware.”

“Thankfully, we applied the paint and left. It was a close call.”

“It’s not easy to distinguish from a distance.”

As Noah scrubbed the back of his hand with soap, the layers of oil paint he had applied began to reveal his original skin. The faintly visible circles and pentacles reminded him of a seal.

“I would have been in trouble if Lady Cordelia hadn’t told me.”

“Well, I didn’t come up with the method. That was you.”

‘The wizard might have suspected that we’re under a spell.’

When Cordelia decided to accept the invitation, she had brought up the issue with a serious face.

‘But what if? Lyneth said that the patterns couldn’t be hidden.’

Even if they wore gloves, there might be a situation where they would have to remove them. Since Lyneth said these symbols were magic circles, another wizard might notice something.

Wasn’t the previous wizard able to recognize the threads she had thought were well hidden?

‘… It’s not impossible.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes, it’s just a temporary measure.’

Thus, Noah obtained some paint, mixed it to match their skin tones, and applied it to the back of his hand. After the paint dried and he put the gloves back on, it was time to leave.

“It’s not good for the skin, so it’s not a method we can use repeatedly.”

Seeing Cordelia’s continued worry that they might be caught, Noah suggested it, though he didn’t want to use it more than once. The paint quality wasn’t good as it was hastily bought at the market.

“You have many talents. Thanks to you, we safely overcame the crisis!”

After scrubbing with soap and dipping his hands in warm water, Noah rinsed his hands several times in cold water until all the paint was washed away.

“What if there’s a mark left on your skin?”

Noah worriedly examines the back of his hand.

Cordelia quickly sat down and said with feigned nonchalance.

“Oh, it’s fine. My skin isn’t delicate enough to be damaged by doing this just once.”

She suddenly looked down at her hands, or rather, Noah’s hands. Unlike the soft and delicate appearance of his face, his hands were calloused, rough in texture, and bore the marks of many years.

Noah was particularly talkative when discussing his profession. During their carriage ride, he shared various small incidents from the guild out of boredom, which were quite intriguing.

He seemed especially pleased when talking about his colleagues. Cordelia found herself a bit envious.

While Noah was drying his hands with a towel, Cordelia picked up the soap and stared at the slightly opaque basin.

“Shall we change the water?”

“No, it should be enough. Is this how it’s done?”

“Oh, spread it a little wider. I’ll help.”

Noah took Cordelia’s hands in both of his and vigorously scrubbed them with soap. The strong pressure applied to her large hands was quite painful. Cordelia let out a half-genuine whine.

“Ouch, that hurts!”

“Oh, does it hurt?”

Noah, startled, looked up at Cordelia. His face, which was looking at her while kneeling, was very delicate and beautiful.

Of course, it’s her face.

Yet, there was a strange feeling, perhaps because she knew the core was different. The flushed face with a hint of redness below the eyes looked incredibly endearing.

“Cordelia?”

“It’s okay. I can endure it.”

Unable to overcome the awkward atmosphere, Cordelia blurted out anything. She must be going mad. Thinking such things while looking at her own face!

Of course, she is somewhat pretty.

“Just hang in there a little longer; it’s better to get it clean.”

Even as he spoke, Noah’s touch became noticeably softer than before. After a long time of washing and rinsing away the paint, they finally finished.

As she separated from Noah, Cordelia felt the tension that had been present in her shoulders ease. She dried her hands with a soft towel and hung it on the bedpost where she was sitting.

“By the way, was it okay to say that?”

“What?”

“That he wasn’t your taste…”

It seemed he was still troubled by what he had said to Raymond. Cordelia shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Noah, who was standing there blankly.

“They need to hear that much to understand. From the way he talks, it seems like he has some kind of relationship with my father, so saying that much shouldn’t cause any trouble.”

“But…”

“Since my family name is Weichen, it’s just something to laugh off. Accepting such a proposal in that situation might make us appear more approachable. Our family’s influence is strong enough.”

Noah, whose lips had been twitching for a while, forced himself to hold his drooping head and said.

“You’re a remarkable person. You could have had a good match.”

Isn’t it rare in the kingdom to find someone with such conditions? Unlike Noah, who seemed regretful, Cordelia spoke nonchalantly with her arms crossed.

“I’m not interested in people who don’t respect me.”

She had met many people who pretended to respect her but acted arbitrarily. Even with conditions far inferior to hers, they dared to behave as if any kindness given would be eternal.

“Why should I show courtesy to someone who doesn’t even acknowledge that I value them openly?”

Cordelia extended her hand to Noah, who hesitated before placing his palm against hers. As she tightly gripped his hand, Cordelia smiled and pulled him closer.

Noah, who was willingly drawn in, stood in front of Cordelia. Not knowing where to look, his eyes darted around, and Cordelia spoke to him in an unusually gentle manner.

“And don’t worry about my suitors. I’m already tired of the countless portraits arriving as marriage proposals.”

The actual number was likely as she had described, considering Rick had probably sifted through and filtered them. Surely, even if the man were thoughtless, he wouldn’t propose her to just any family. With her beauty, intelligence, and background!

“Yes. I mean, I haven’t paid much attention. So, um…”

Seeing Noah fumbling for words, Cordelia felt an unnecessary dryness in her mouth.

“So, Noah. You know…”

What do you think of me?

Just as she was about to ask that question, there was a knock on the door. The pleasant atmosphere shattered as a deep voice called from the other side of the door.

“Are you two inside?”

“Oh, wait a moment!”

Seeing Noah quickly retreat from her grip as soon as he heard the voice, Cordelia clicked her tongue in annoyance.

When she opened the door, as expected, Tyrain stood there. The expression on Tyrain’s face as he glanced at both Cordelia and Noah was intriguing. Following him into the hallway, Cordelia whispered.

“Have you found the wizard?”

“Not yet. But we have a pleasant guest.”

“A guest?”

Noah, following behind Cordelia, tilted his head in confusion. Tyrain, who was leading the way, opened the door to a larger room at the end of the corridor.

The spacious interior revealed itself, and the person standing in the center turned their head. The moment Cordelia saw the red hair, brown eyes, and slightly irritable expression, she cheerfully exclaimed.

“It’s Lyneth!”