In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 6

EPISODE 6

Noah, catching his breath as he waited for the carriage, turned his head. A neatly dressed man had just disembarked from the carriage and was approaching him.

Who is he? Is he someone Cordelia knows?

“It’s you. I was right.”

It had been quite a while since Noah had looked up at someone, so he stared at him awkwardly. The man’s face was impeccably groomed, and his well-tailored clothes and the coat of arms on the carriage suggested he was of noble descent.

Given Cordelia’s connections, it was no surprise that he was a noble. Noah made a mental note of the coat of arms on the carriage.

“I’ve been troubled by the fact that we didn’t have a proper conversation, but it seems that you and I are destined to meet.”

Unlike the man who smiled gently, Noah felt uneasy even before starting the conversation.

Who does he think he is, pretending to be so familiar?

Although he had a vague idea, Noah was taken aback and stared at the man with a blank expression.

“I don’t know who you are.”

“Oh dear. I knew you were cold, but I didn’t realize you’d pretend not to know your lover.”

“Pretend not to know? We’re already separated, aren’t we?”

When Noah pointed out the fact he had heard from a maid, a vein popped up on the man’s forehead. His previously soft expression briefly turned harsh before returning to normal.

The man sighed as Noah looked on with curiosity at the change.

“I understand that you’re very angry with me. But isn’t it too much to not even give me a chance to make amends?”

“…I don’t think this is something to discuss on the street.”

Even if they had separated, it wasn’t Noah’s place to interfere. He didn’t fully understand the reason for their breakup, and even if Cordelia had lingering feelings, it was right for him to come back and resolve things directly.

To avoid complicating the situation further, Noah tried to back away, but a firm hand grabbed his wrist.

“Ugh!”

“Are you trying to avoid me again?”

Despite the pleading tone of the voice, the hand like a leech tightened on Noah’s delicate skin. He felt a mixture of incredulity and frustration, having never experienced anything like this before.

Why do people feel the need to forcibly hold onto someone if they want to talk?

Seeing the stubborn man, Noah was angry but tried to hide it as he attempted to free his wrist.

“Why don’t you let go of my hand?”

“Then let’s go to my carriage and finish our conversation.”

Noah anxiously rolled his eyes at the hand that gripped his wrist tightly. The grip was so strong it felt like it might leave marks on his soft skin. More than the pain, he was unsettled by the fact that her body was being handled so roughly.

What should he do? If this goes on, he might be dragged away. Is it alright to let this happen? Since he’s a noble, causing him any harm could lead to issues between families. He has to find a way to avoid causing problems…

“Wait a moment!”

With a cheerful voice, someone’s arm wrapped around Noah’s neck. Startled by the voice, Noah accidentally ended up in the embrace of the person standing behind him, thanks to the man letting go of his wrist.

“Sorry, but could you stop? This lovely lady here is my girlfriend.”

Noah lost his words the moment he turned around to refute this absurd claim. The feeling of seeing a familiar yet unfamiliar face, one he saw every morning, looking down at him with a smile, was disorienting.

Even so, his heart pounded loudly, reverberating through his entire body. The smile was so similar to the one he knew.

“Right, Cordy?”

Seeing the nickname and the winking smile reminded him of when he first met her.

“Oh, why have you come so late? I’ve been waiting forever.”

Imitating a sassy tone, Noah tightly gripped the arm wrapped around his shoulders. Although he tried to appear calm, it was hard to hide his excitement, so he lowered his gaze slightly.

Not knowing how to interpret this attitude, the man shouted harshly at Cordelia.

“Who do you think you are, daring to…”

Seeing his attire and assuming he was a commoner, Edward, who had lost all decorum, glared at Cordelia, who smiled back at him.

“Yes, he’s a much more handsome boyfriend compared to you. Do you have anything else to say?”

Cordelia’s cheeky response made Edward’s face turn red with anger. He was mumbling with his mouth open but eventually turned his gaze away from Cordelia and focused on Noah.

“I didn’t expect your tastes to have become so terrible.”

It seemed that Edward had no intention of speaking with commoners. Disappointed by Edward’s stubbornness in maintaining his pride, Cordelia smiled even more broadly without showing her frustration.

Instead of Noah, Cordelia answered smoothly.

“You finally found your place. I’m now questioning whether behaving so poorly after a breakup is a noble virtue.”

A small laugh erupted among the spectators, though it quickly faded under Edward’s fierce glare.

“Well, if you have any complaints, should I throw my gloves at you?”

The young man who appeared suddenly and boldly spoke had noticeable muscles. Though his attire was that of a commoner, his noble demeanor and speech made him appear aristocratic. Edward, his face flushed red, struggled to respond.

If it were just that man, it might have been easier to handle, but with Cordelia by his side, it was difficult to call the constabulary to remove him. The man’s unrestrained behavior also created unease.

If he were of high rank, the situation could become troublesome. Considering Cordelia Weichen’s background, it was unlikely she would be dating a commoner. It was not something to judge solely by appearance.

Tsking quietly, Edward eventually turned away. As he walked away with a proper gait, the gazes that had been directed towards them also dispersed.

Only then did Noah carefully remove the arm still holding him and turn around. It was quite unfamiliar to face his own face so directly, and he also realized his voice was much lower than he had thought.

“Oh, I was pretty cool, weren’t I?”

Noah almost laughed involuntarily at the familiar, self-assured tone demanding praise.

“Really, Cordelia?”

As he whispered, Cordelia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? You know my name?”

“The servants used to call you that.”

Noah hastily added, and fortunately, Cordelia didn’t seem suspicious.

“Ah, I see. I suppose that makes sense if you were at our mansion.”

As expected, she doesn’t remember. Noah relaxed his shoulders a bit.

“Sorry about introducing you as my lover by mistake. It turns out that saying you have a new lover is the best excuse when these kinds of problems arise.”

“That’s alright. But for now, maybe we should move?”

People around them were still glancing over. Noticing the looks, Cordelia nodded.

“Right, let’s go!”

As they entered a nearby alley, Lyneth, who had been waiting quietly, greeted them. Lyneth, who had been checking the barrier around the alley, subtly flicked her fingers.

“Did you manage to resolve things well?”

“Of course!”

Cordelia answered energetically, leaving out the part about almost having to duel. She was sure Edward would never accept that, but she knew she’d hear complaints about lacking a sense of urgency.

“By the way, how did you find me?”

Cordelia scratched her cheek, explaining to Noah, who looked up at her in confusion.

“Oh, well…”

When Cordelia and Lyneth arrived at the Duke’s residence, the carriage had already returned. However, seeing the tightly drawn curtains, Cordelia was certain that the other party had not yet returned.

“When I first woke up, the curtains weren’t drawn on the window. Thanks to that, I woke up early, but… It seemed like you didn’t like being stuffy.”

He hadn’t even drawn curtains on the workshop windows. Although objects sensitive to light were kept in the shadows, it wasn’t a coincidence. Cordelia, who usually avoided displaying her space by drawing curtains, had this habit because of her secretive profession as a writer and the stalkers who followed her.

“So, what should we do? Wait here until he returns?”

“No, just a moment.”

Cordelia, deep in thought, spoke up.

“He was supposed to go to the market today.”

“The market?”

“He might have gone there. Waiting here without doing anything feels suspicious.”

Sure enough, she felt a few eyes on them from the Duke’s residence. The soldiers guarding the mansion were watching them intently.

They’re still working hard even though their master isn’t around. She’ll have to make sure to give the butler a bonus later. Cordelia thought to herself as Lyneth whispered.

“What are you talking about? Usually, it’s most reliable to wait in one spot for these things.”

“My gut feeling says otherwise! Let’s go check it out.”

“Ugh… if you end up wasting your time, don’t blame me.”

Grumbling softly, Lyneth led Cordelia to the downtown area near the mansion where Cordelia had woken up. Following Lyneth, who was usually lenient with her people, Cordelia couldn’t help but smile.

She was surprised to find the person she had been aiming for right after they got off at what looked like a carriage stop.

As soon as she saw herself struggling with her ex, Cordelia jumped out before Lyneth could even react. She quickly handled the situation, displaying remarkable decisiveness.

“Well, it’s fortunate we ran into you like this! By the way, why were you so quiet earlier?”

Wondering if he had almost been dragged away, Cordelia asked Noah, who responded quietly.

“It’s a matter between you and that person, so I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. I was thinking about how to refuse politely.”

With a calm response and a clear gaze, Noah’s demeanor seemed quite different from what Cordelia expected, even though it was her own face. Cordelia exchanged glances with Lyneth and spoke up.

“What’s your name?”

“…Noah Epherman.”

“Ah, so you’re the one. Lyneth’s intuition was right.”

At that moment, Cordelia realized that the person inhabiting her body was exactly the ideal type she had been looking for. She then asked another question.

“By the way, how old are you?”

“Huh? I just turned twenty-four.”

He was four years younger than her. It was more ordinary than she had anticipated, but he certainly seemed mature for his age. Nodding to herself, Cordelia continued to think carefully.

Stay calm. She needs to leave a good impression. It’s not because of personal interest, absolutely not!

“I’m Cordelia Weichen.”

With a soft smile often used in social circles, Cordelia extended her hand. Lyneth, who was nearby, furrowed her brow slightly at the display. Regardless, Cordelia continued with a touch of affectation, extending her hand for a handshake.

“Although I’m not sure how this happened… Anyway, it seems we’ll be in the same boat until this issue is resolved. I look forward to working with you.”

Noah, gazing at the hand extended towards him, carefully took it.

“Likewise, I look forward to…”

At that moment, as their hands touched, a bright light began to shine from their palms.