In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 55

EPISODE 55

“It’s been a while.”

Tyrain took off his hat, knelt on one knee, and greeted politely. Noah, thinking that such excessive formalities were unnecessary, helped him up.

“Why did you call me?”

Hadn’t they agreed to pretend not to know each other in the guild? With a puzzled look, Noah asked, and Tyrain’s smile deepened.

“As I always say, you can just call me Tyrain.”

To his absurd statement, Noah gave the same response as always.

“It’s fine.”

At his gesture to quickly state the reason, Tyrain answered courteously.

“It’s nothing much. I just saw a familiar face and thought I’d exchange some greetings.”

Noah remained silent, and after a brief hesitation, Tyrain added a bit more.

“You seem to be quite busy.”

“I have been.”

“You have a habit of escaping to work when you have a lot on your mind, don’t you?”

“I tend to overthink, so it’s true. Please don’t worry about it.”

Unlike before, when he used to chatter away, Tyrain’s lips, now tight, stared steadily at his nephew, who had grown into a man of many secrets.

“You seem to have a lot of worries.”

“Who doesn’t have worries?”

“Is it really necessary to deny your feelings to that extent?”

“I don’t think it’s a problem.”

Stubborn to the point of death, Tyrain opened his heavily closed mouth and spoke.

“I thought I told you to resent me.”

Rejecting someone who offers an easier path is always a difficult task. Nonetheless, Noah’s answer remained unchanged.

“I am Ian, but I am also Noah.”

The somewhat cold tone of the voice brought reality into focus.

“You can’t have everything. As you know well, Uncle. That’s why you didn’t abandon your family.”

He hadn’t understood before, but now he did. He was more fastidious than he appeared, not wanting to leave anything that could become a problem.

‘Was it really necessary to go that far, uncle?’

There had been a time when he cautiously asked this question. Though Tyrain no longer acted as warmly as before, the gaze he held remained kind.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, if you had just stayed as you were… things with my mother might not have become so strained and could have been resolved smoothly. Why did you choose such a difficult path?’

‘Hmm, I know it might sound cold…’

The man, awkwardly scratching his head, calmly began to speak.

‘I didn’t want to take anything from that family. I thought it was something that couldn’t be compromised.’

Despite the soft tone, the content was quite cold. The term ‘that family’ marked a clear boundary, proving that the man was no longer a Borderoa.

‘I know it’s contradictory. You don’t need to try to understand me. There’s no need for that. It’s just how it was.’

From his entry into the prince’s service to the downfall of the family, he never made excuses for his actions. Even so, there is something naturally understood along the way.

It was never easy for him to choose this path.

Yet, rather than becoming the head of the family and solving everything easily, he chose to discard everything built on denial, even abandoning the family name and inviting ridicule from everyone.

At least he acted like a knight until the end. Because he was so consistent, he couldn’t help but resent him.

“I won’t ask for anything. I won’t in the future either. How could I, in my position?”

Noah, who spoke as if making a vow, made one final request.

“Don’t slack off in keeping an eye on me. Once this situation is over, there won’t be any more entanglements, but if ever Lady Cordelia and I get involved, it would be troublesome.”

Just as things are now is enough. Noah no longer wished for anything more.

…Perhaps.

“Is that truly your honest feeling?”

“Yes.”

When he answered without hesitation, the deep smile on Tyrain’s face gradually faded. The unadorned expression became clouded with sadness.

“I didn’t mean to make you learn resignation like this.”

He neither knelt nor bowed his head. Stiff as a statue, he barely managed to express his words.

“Ian. Please do not forgive me. Just as Aileen will never forgive me. Whenever you wish, use my guilt to achieve what you want.”

“Isn’t that a dangerous statement?”

“My loyalty is to His Majesty the King, but I have never forgotten you and Aileen.”

His kind and gentle sister lost her smile after entering the palace. She endured the role of queen with a constantly faint smile on her face.

It was probably because of this blind obsession with the child born to her.

Tyrain always cared for Ian, but he was truly relieved that Ian bore no resemblance to the late king. Otherwise, there might have been moments when feelings that could be hurtful were revealed unknowingly.

He didn’t want this good child to bear the traces of his own anger.

“You don’t need to worry. Even knowing this, His Majesty the King chose me.”

“He remains the same. So, he shows such leniency towards me, who could be the seed of rebellion.”

Noah recalled his half-brother, who would be far away in the palace. Even the smile he had seen long ago, reflecting on it now, seemed to be nothing more than his desire.

“I know my older brother is a kind person. I also know that my family pushed him to that extent. I’ve never forgotten it even once.”

That is the original sin of having been born into the Borderoa bloodline.

“Uncle, I won’t forgive you. But I won’t resent you either. Just bear it. Haven’t you already prepared yourself for everything?”

Walking along parallel lines allows one to stand in the same place. Aren’t both of them well aware of that fact?

“If you really feel sorry, please help persuade Lady Cordelia. I don’t ask for anything more than that.”

Tyrain, who had been quietly watching Noah lie so calmly, murmured, as if recalling something.

“I don’t think that lady will step down easily…”

“Uncle.”

“Yes, Ian. I understand.”

The serious atmosphere lightened considerably. Noah addressed the question that had been on his mind.

“By the way, why did you come here?”

“Oh, I had a matter to discuss with Perron.”

“What happened?”

“Well… since you’re Ian, I suppose it’s fine to tell you.”

What kind of secret is he about to reveal?

“I’m investigating a missing persons case.”

“A missing persons case?”

“It’s called a missing persons case, but it’s a murder case. It’s been kept secret, but some of the victims’ bodies have already been found.”

Tyrain’s voice lowered significantly from just a moment ago.

“One of the victims was part of this guild. The others are already out searching, and I’m gathering clues. Isn’t that what connections are for?”

He decided to keep the fact that he met with that small priestess a secret for now. It wasn’t an important detail, and it was best to refrain from discussing the investigation team’s composition.

“Hasn’t something similar happened before?”

“Ah… it’s quite different from that case. The victims are identified.”

“Who are they?”

“They only target young and beautiful women.”

Noah’s shoulders tensed slightly.

“What’s even more absurd is that they decorate the area around the bodies with flowers and vines. Only fresh ones, apparently picked just a day before.”

Some of the bodies had vines wrapped around their necks, and others had been adorned with thorny crowns, bleeding from their mouths with closed eyes. Though not silk, they were dressed in fine fabrics and even had perfume applied.

The body recently discovered had its eyes wide open and arms extended. Tyrain gently closed the woman’s eyes.

The clear intention behind these acts was even more revolting.

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Even if it’s just murder, the fact that someone would go to such lengths, like some kind of artist, is absurd.”

“Indeed… it’s quite peculiar.”

“This might be a bit of a difficult question, but… Ian, do you have any guesses about this person’s psychological state?”

Since the perpetrator seemed to have some kind of artistic temperament, there might be something to uncover about them.

While he was accustomed to admiring art normally, dealing with a lunatic like this was a first, so he needed some advice. Noah would surely be better than someone completely inexperienced like him, despite his nature of being kind and unable to speak loudly even when interacting with people.

After a brief explanation, Noah pondered and then spoke.

“If I had to guess, it might be someone intoxicated by their own self.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Many use women as subjects in art. But usually, even if people think about committing evil acts, they only remain thoughts; they don’t go to such extreme lengths.”

Though the nobility often regard commoners as less than human, the victims in this case are not confined by social class. Even those seen as similar to themselves are subject to such ruthless behavior. It’s dangerous to be caught in such acts.

“It seems meticulous but also highly perfectionist, and therefore, filled with confidence.”

Noah, who had been resting his chin on his hand in contemplation, spoke up.

“I suspect that empathy is greatly diminished in this person. I find it frightening just to think about hitting someone. But to derive pleasure from others’ suffering in the name of so-called art…”

The sound or sensation of the impact, the fear conveyed through screams, the moment when the struggling victim’s breath fades away—just imagining it is truly chilling. Perhaps they even enjoy it.

“Since they have successfully avoided detection so far, they will likely become bolder. They might even make mistakes along the way.”

However, waiting for that might lead to more victims. Tyrain’s expression suggested he was concerned about this.

“How often do victims appear?”

“Once a month. The latest victim was discovered four days ago. So far, there have been a total of nine victims.”

There was still some time left.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, due to this person’s artistic obsession, the locations where the bodies are found are generally quite distinctive.”

“Really?”

“They tend to choose places with a lot of grass and trees, and scenic beauty. The fact that the locations have not extended beyond the metropolitan area suggests that the perpetrator is likely someone residing in the capital or at least someone who can access noble circles…”

“It might be one of the nobles staying in the capital for the social season.”

For there to be such a lack of traces, it’s unlikely to be a solo crime. There is a high possibility that the perpetrator holds a status that allows access to places frequented by the nobility.

He hopes it’s not the children of very prestigious families. If so, even if the perpetrator is found, the complications would be immense. Though he doesn’t plan to weigh the severity of the punishment, avoiding disputes would be impossible.

“No matter how I think about it, there seem to be too many tragedies in the world.”

All the victims were young people with bright futures. How did they come to experience such horrors? Tyrain silently observed a moment of reflection.

“…If you need any help, please let me know anytime. I will do my utmost to assist.”

As Noah tried to push the face that came to mind out of his thoughts, he offered words of encouragement.