In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 35

EPISODE 35

Cordelia was taken aback by the continuing words.  

“W-What?!”  

“Yes. While the rewards are certainly substantial given the risks… there’s indeed less attention on you now that you’re retired.”  

“Why on earth would His Majesty ask for something like that?”  

When asked in confusion, Isaac slowly touched his chin.  

“Well… I guess His Majesty might prefer to keep his enemies close.”  

“But, isn’t it dangerous?”  

Even if it’s in a remote region of the kingdom, it’s practically the same as allowing some foreign power to gain a foothold.  

“That’s a risk he’s willing to take.”  

With that enigmatic answer, Cordelia leaned back on the sofa and muttered.  

“Sometimes I don’t quite understand him. He’s so different from Noah.”  

Since he was her sister’s husband, she had met him a few times personally. Although he had a strikingly impressive appearance… he came across as blunt and very strict with manners.  

He seemed to have had a more playful side when he was the crown prince, but in some ways, his current demeanor seemed to suit him better.  

“That’s only natural. A flower grown in a greenhouse and a poisonous mushroom grown in the wild can’t be the same.”  

“A poisonous mushroom?”  

“The more toxic it is, the more colorful it tends to be. That’s the kind of king I know.”  

As glamorous as his appearance, he was also cold and cruel. The bloodshed that swept through the palace right after he ascended to the throne was still often talked about among the nobles.  

“He doesn’t seem like a bad person, though.”  

Perhaps because she was engrossed in the conversation, Cordelia didn’t notice the subtle discomfort in Isaac’s words. He grimaced while expressing his sentiments.  

“He’s an exceptionally good ruler for the kingdom.”  

However, it couldn’t be denied that things started running more smoothly in the country after His Majesty took over. Some say it’s thanks to the queen, Cordelia’s sister.  

Cordelia herself believed that. The policies her sister introduced as the queen had significantly changed the lives of the people. Nevertheless, she didn’t think badly of the king. Above all, her sister genuinely loved His Majesty.  

If he were not someone worth it, she wouldn’t have developed feelings for a marriage that was originally a contract. That much she was sure of.  

“…Yes, I guess so.”  

Despite the strangely bitter expression on Isaac’s face, Cordelia didn’t ask any more questions. She now knew that there are things in the world that one must pretend not to know.  

“Anyway, I’ll be staying here for a while.”  

“For how long?”  

“At least three weeks. That should be enough to sort things out.”  

“Sort things out?”  

Feeling an ominous sense creeping up his skin under Cordelia’s penetrating gaze, Isaac noticed her giving a faint smile.  

“There’s something I need my father’s help with.”

***

“You were here?”  

Noah, sitting on a bench in the garden and idly moving a pen across a piece of paper, turned around. Isaac, standing with his hands behind his back, smiled pleasantly at him. Noah quickly stood up, but Isaac gestured as if to say there was no need to fuss.  

“You’re Noah, right?”  

“Yes.”  

“Are you drawing something?”  

“I have a bit of skill, though it might be somewhat clumsy.”  

Seeing his modesty, Isaac cleared his throat softly.  

“Er, this might be an awkward question, but… what is your relationship with Cordelia?”  

Isaac, feeling awkward, continued to fidget with the back of his head, but Noah understood his concern well enough. Considering his appearance, which seemed far from that of a noble, it was understandable that there would be questions about what connection he had with Cordelia. It would be more surprising if there weren’t any questions given that a stranger was so close to the daughter of the family.  

“I owe a debt to Lady Cordelia.”  

“Oh.”  

“Other than that, there’s nothing special between us. There’s nothing to worry about.”  

Noah preemptively answered, but Isaac still stared at his face with suspicion. Despite the partially hidden eyes, the high, straight nose, well-shaped lips, and solid build were all evident.  

“Well, if you say so.”  

Isaac’s demeanor was still straightforward and unpretentious, as expected of a man of influence. Noah smiled slightly, reflecting on a corner of memories that would never return.  

“Your Excellency.”  

Even though he had grown to the point where he now looked down on Isaac, standing before him still felt like returning to his childhood.  

“Thank you for your hospitality. I realize it might be inconvenient.”  

Through his tousled bangs, his clear blue eyes, like a clear sky, peeked out intermittently. His steady gaze seemed to understand everything, causing Isaac to momentarily lose his words.  

Noah smiled wistfully, wearing the face of someone who had already resigned to much.  

“There’s no need to worry about anything. I also wish that Lady Cordelia does not suffer any harm.”  

“Not that…”  

“There are circumstances that require me to stay here for a while, but it won’t be for too long.”  

Noah asked for understanding while waiting, and Isaac looked at him quietly. Despite the long separation, he was unchanged from the person he had known before. To the old acquaintance who had grown into a full-fledged man, Isaac responded quietly.  

“Your Highness.”  

“Please don’t call me that. I am no longer a royal.”  

He said this firmly but then added in a softer tone.  

“Just call me Noah. That’s enough.”  

“Are you sure?”  

“It seems to be the name given by my mother. It could hardly be anything less than noble.”  

Noah, having set aside the pen, paper, and ink bottle, offered sincere words.  

“It was good to see you after so long. I’m glad to see you’re still in good health.”

He was worried that he had retired and come down because of his failing health, but he was glad to see that he was okay. He didn’t want anyone who remembered him to disappear anymore.

Embracing the uneasy feeling in his heart, Isaac lowered his head slightly before Noah could say anything more.

“I’ll be heading inside now.”

As he watched Noah’s broad back turn and walk away, Isaac stared blankly until Noah was far out of sight. Only then did Isaac messily tousle his own hair, which had been neatly arranged, into a state like a bush struck by lightning.

“Oh, oh dear.”

He sighed repeatedly and wiped his face.

“How did I get entangled in such a complicated matter?”

Isaac recalled a letter that had arrived a few days ago. The royal seal on it was already unsettling, but the contents were even more shocking. The fact that his precious youngest and Prince Ian were working together was almost enough to make him faint, and the king’s instructions were enough to make even the usually composed Isaac clutch his neck in frustration. Although it was worded indirectly, the meaning was clear. He set the letter down and muttered lightly.

‘Even though he doesn’t seem like it, he’s weak when it comes to his own people…’

Well, at least it was fortunate that there was a valid reason to do a good deed. Even though there were political complications and a strained relationship with the deceased Marquis, people like Prince Ian, who was kind and unselfish, were rare in the royal palace. It was unthinkable to treat such a person coldly.

However, there was one concern: as he recalled from his own memories, Prince Ian had been quite a handsome young man. He had inherited the queen’s beauty, which was compared to lilies, so if he had grown up as expected, he would have inevitably become a strikingly handsome man resembling the king.

Isaac’s expression grew serious. Adjusting his thick glasses on the bridge of his nose, he worriedly muttered as if he were shouldering all the world’s anxieties.

‘What if he’s Cordelia’s type?’

It would be a disaster. Moreover, he was gentle and well-mannered. Honestly, if not for the background or situation, he would be a perfect candidate for a son-in-law. No, that’s not it!

A tiny bell rang in Isaac’s mind. Forget everything else; if Rick found out about this, it would cause a huge uproar. His own son, who had no flexibility at all. How did he end up like this?

‘There’s no help for it. I’ll have to use the last resort.’

Isaac quickly took out a piece of paper from his desk drawer and dipped a quill pen into the ink. After finishing the letter to Sebastian, who was working at the Duke of the Capital, the sunset had already begun outside. Even as he looked at the landscape he usually liked, his anxiety only grew.

He hadn’t retired just to watch his children’s squabbles in his old age.

Anyway, the king was someone who could even make retired officials work like a whip, Isaac grumbled as he cursed the ruler.

“Should I consider this a blessing or not…?”

Isaac, stroking his bristly chin, wandered through the garden. As he trudged along, the petals of the flowers fluttered miserably in the breeze beneath his feet.

***

“What’s this?”

Meanwhile, as Noah entered the room and started changing clothes, he suddenly turned his head and stopped in surprise. In the large mirror, his broad back was reflected, with a dark stain on his straight left scapula. The curved line, which seemed to form a circle, ended at the base of his neck and around his side, where purplish bruises were scattered, making the sight unpleasant.

An injury?

He slowly reached back to touch it. Even pressing down on the slightly rough skin, he felt no pain at all.

So what could this be?

Although he had some guesses, Noah kept his speculations to himself and put his shirt back on over his head. The white shirt, woven from fine linen, covered his stained back.

He looked down at his right hand. On the back of his hand, where a line had been erased, only four lines remained. Lifting his gaze back to the mirror, Noah muttered to himself as if making a vow.

“It’s still… okay.”

For now.