In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 33

EPISODE 33

An elegant face, rarely stripped of expression, lingered in her mind for no reason. After a brief silence, Noah spoke up.

“I think Lady Cordelia is a wonderful and admirable person. But I must decline your offer.”

“And the reason?”

From the moment they first met until now, he’s always admired her. He couldn’t possibly say yes, not even as an empty gesture, to the question of whether he could ever dislike her.

“I indeed have feelings for you, but they aren’t the kind that would make me want to pursue a relationship.”

And that’s why, even more so, he didn’t want to add a blemish like himself to her life.

He wasn’t lying, but the dryness in his mouth made him anxious. Noah resisted the urge to close his eyes tightly and kept his gaze fixed on Cordelia’s face, which was right in front of him.

Cordelia’s reaction was quite unexpected.

“Well, that’s fine.”

Cordelia answered coolly, withdrawing her hand from him. He didn’t even have time to feel regret as her touch slipped away.

“Anyway, we’re in this situation, so we’ll have to see each other until the spell is undone.”

Cordelia smiled brightly, folding her eyes into a cheerful expression. She lightly placed her index and middle fingers on her lips and then pressed them firmly against Noah’s. The sensation, a little rough yet soft, was vividly felt on his fingertips.

Noah stared at her blankly, unable to react, and though his face looked quite adorable, Cordelia had no intention of letting it slide. She understood his feelings, but frankly, she found them annoying.

“I’ll work hard in the meantime. You just get ready.”

“What?”

“Get ready to fall for me! I’m not usually like this, but I’ll make an exception and wait for you.”

Of course, she didn’t forget to deliver the final blow.

“Oh, and stop with that nonsense about having no ulterior motives while drawing pictures of me!”

‘What is this, a drawing?’

She had seen it the moment their bodies had swapped again—a picture of herself sitting in the grass. In that calm and beautiful picture, she could feel the surge of passion vividly.

She wasn’t a fool, nor was she oblivious. She could instantly tell how the person who drew this felt about her.

Even though she saw everything, she pretended not to know. Sure, part of it was because it was the day before her sister’s birthday… but the main reason she hadn’t mentioned it was for a moment like this.

One thing was for sure, she had no intention of losing in this game of push and pull!

When she pulled out her hidden ace and struck, Noah’s face turned bright red in an instant. He looked like a roasted sweet potato on fire.

“Th-th-that’s…! It’s not like that! It’s a misunderstanding!”

“Oh, sure. Sure.”

If only he could always be this cute, she thought as she chuckled to herself and stretched.

“Ah, now that I’ve said it, I feel so much better. I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat. There’s a restaurant nearby that smells good. Shall we go?”

“Wow, I was just getting hungry too. Perfect timing. You’re paying, right, Cordelia?”

“Of course.”

“Lady Cordelia!”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what food they have!”

Ignoring Noah, who cried out in desperation, Cordelia nudged Lyneth outside with firm pushes on her back. Tyrain clicked his tongue as he stood beside Noah, who was left standing there in disbelief.

“Wow, that girl is something else. She’s always so intense.”

“Uncle.”

“Hm?”

Noah spun around to look at Tyrain, his eyes reddened, unable to conceal his emotions.

“Why did you just stand there watching? You should have helped me!”

“Well, it was… amusing… I mean, it didn’t seem like the right time to intervene.”

Feigning innocence, Tyrain responded, earning a betrayed look from Noah. Tyrain felt a tiny pang of guilt, but seeing Noah’s still-flushed face, he started to understand why Cordelia looked so pleased.

Despite his size, this kid is just too adorable.

With a large hand, Tyrain ruffled Noah’s hair playfully. Noah glared at him in annoyance.

“You like meat, don’t you?”

“I’m not a kid who can be bribed with that anymore.”

“I heard a rare dye just came in from abroad. I could get it for you.”

“…What color is it?”

“Red and purple.”

Noah was silent for a moment. Tyrain, sensing the thoughts running through his mind, added slyly.

“They’d suit that young lady well, don’t you think?”

“Stop teasing me.”

Noah sighed deeply, his expression troubled. Tyrain’s smile faded as he saw his nephew’s distress.

“Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve already made up my mind. Even so, my answer isn’t going to change.”

“Ian.”

“Let’s stop talking about depressing things and head out, Uncle.”

Noah drew a gentle line, keeping the conversation light. Hiding his complicated feelings, Tyrain put on his mask once more for his nephew’s sake.

“Yes, I’ll follow your lead.”

***

Now that they’d swapped bodies back, it was time to return to the capital. Cordelia felt a tinge of regret, but the refreshing coolness in the air made her think it wouldn’t be a bad time to wrap up the journey. At least, that was her thought until Tyrain brought something up.

“Oh, right. I heard you’re looking for a husband?”

Cordelia’s spoon, which had been lifting a steaming spoonful of stew, paused mid-air.

“Who said that?”

“Who else? The rumors are all over the capital by now.”

Lyneth, who had been quietly nibbling on bread beside her, casually gestured. A barrier that was invisible to the naked eye spread around them. It was a soundproof barrier, just enough to ensure that even if a priest happened to pass by, they wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop.

“The Queen has sent word that you should stay away from the duchy for a while. Suitors are coming in waves.”

“Of course, Rick would push forward without considering my wishes.”

Cordelia frowned deeply as if she had lost her appetite. Noah, who had just polished off his third plate of meat, listened attentively to their conversation. Despite his voracious eating, his table manners were impeccable, with not a single crumb around him.

“Hm. But you can’t keep running forever. Rick’s already started this mess, so you’ll have to clean it up somehow.”

“I suppose so.”

“The chances of him going back on his word now are—”

“Duke Weichen? That’s not going to happen.”

Tyrain shook his head while tearing into the meat still clinging to the bone. Even someone as seasoned in negotiations as he was hesitant to deal with Frederick Weichen. Despite their similar ages, Frederick was so inflexible that Tyrain often found it easier to deal with his father, the former duke.

As Cordelia thought it over, a sly smile slowly spread across her face, one so wicked that it sent shivers down the spines of the others.

“Of course it would be nice there, right?”

“Where?”

“My father’s castle.”

“The former duke?”

“It’s close by, and the location is convenient.”

While Noah was startled, and Lyneth remained indifferent, Tyrain’s eyes lit up with interest.

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Although Isaac Weichen had retired from politics, he was still known as a man unmatched in cunning and strategy. Even though he might act like a toothless tiger, a tiger is still a tiger. In that sense, Roychel Castle, where he resided, was quite a safe place to seek refuge. More importantly, he was the one person Frederick Weichen, who had rapidly expanded his power after inheriting the dukedom, couldn’t stand up to.

“Right? Besides, there’s something I want to ask him.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“It’s something.”

Cordelia didn’t elaborate, as she couldn’t very well tell Tyrain, who was loyal to the king, that her father might be breaking the law. Noah, who likely guessed what was on her mind, silently sipped his water.

“But honestly, my father’s castle can be a bit dull. There’s not much to do besides reading….”

Cordelia’s words trailed off as she blinked in realization. Like a well-oiled machine that suddenly stopped, an unnatural silence fell over the group, and everyone turned to look at her.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“This is bad.”

“What?”

“Something terrible has happened.”

It was as if the resolution of some of her problems had allowed a pressing concern to surface in her mind.

Oh no. The deadline!

She was supposed to have sent the outline of her next novel by now! With everything that had been happening, she had completely forgotten. The real problem was that she hadn’t even started working on it. She could practically see her editor, Luther, gnashing his teeth and clutching a handkerchief in despair.

At the very least, she needed to inform him that she’d be delaying the manuscript. She wanted to write, but with the ongoing uncertainty of when she and Noah might swap bodies again, it would be difficult to focus on her work.

Cordelia’s mind came to a sudden halt. Wait a minute. Hold on.

Just like she had accidentally seen Noah’s drawing, there was a chance he could end up seeing her writing.

No way!

The mere thought filled her with embarrassment. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her profession, but she didn’t want to show such raw, unfiltered expressions of her desires to someone she wanted to impress.

No, there’s no way she can work on her manuscript for now. Yes, postponing it is the best decision!

“Why did your face go from pale to blue and now red? Are you playing with colors?”

“Priest, that’s not—”

“Playing with colors? I’m being serious here!”

“What’s so serious?”

“Well, it’s just something!”

Cordelia replied hastily, avoiding any further explanation. Lyneth looked at her with an expression that said, ‘What on earth are you talking about?’ but chose not to press the matter. Instead, Cordelia turned to Noah.

“By the way, Noah, you’re coming with me too, right? Is that okay?”

“Do as you please. As long as you bring your guards, I have no objections.”

“What about your mother?”

“I’ll send her a separate message. Don’t worry, I can go without any concerns.”

“Noah, are you sure? It’s alright if you come with me?”

Cordelia felt a pang of guilt, worrying that she might be imposing on him, especially since he might have his own schedule. But Noah, who had been nervously fidgeting with his fingers, nodded.

“It’s fine. I’m pretty free right now.”

“But you’re so popular these days. I’ve heard people are desperate to make appointments with you.”

“Even so… as long as I can work, I don’t mind where I am.”

He replied, seemingly indifferent. He placed a bracelet made of wildflowers on the table. Cordelia remembered seeing him pick those flowers while they were walking earlier, but she hadn’t noticed when he had the time to weave them into a bracelet. Perhaps because of his large hands, the bracelet looked particularly small.

“You’re quite good with your hands.”

“When I want to clear my mind, I tend to grab onto something. Here.”

Noah said, fastening the bracelet around Cordelia’s wrist. The colorful petals entwined with the green stems swayed gently with her movements.

“Is this for me?”

“I enjoy making things, but I’m not really interested in wearing them.”

Noah answered nonchalantly. His expression had returned to the same distant look he had when he had pushed her away earlier, but Cordelia simply smiled brightly in response.

“So, despite everything, you do like me, don’t you?”

“Yes, I respect you.”

Noah replied, his voice steady and his eyes as calm as a windless lake. It seemed he had accepted that they would continue to see each other and had resolved to set clear boundaries rather than run away.

Cordelia could see right through his intentions, but she just smiled warmly, as if to say, ‘Let’s see how long you can keep that up.’

Meanwhile, others were watching this exchange. Lyneth leaned slightly towards Tyrain and whispered.

“Is that really okay?”

“Well, I suppose it is. Probably.”

And so, a peaceful moment passed between them.