In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 64

EPISODE 64

She made an effort to speak kindly, but Jasmine remained silent. Cordelia held back the urge to snap as she normally would and spoke gently.

“Look, I get that you don’t like me, but isn’t it polite to answer when someone asks you a question?”

“It’s not that I don’t like you.”

Liar!

“Then why do you keep glaring at me? What’s that about?”

The words came out in a naturally sharp tone. Jasmine tilted her head as if she didn’t know what Cordelia was talking about.

“I’ve never glared at you.”

“Then what do you call staring at me every time we meet at the ball?”

“Well, I didn’t… exactly.”

When Cordelia glared at her, Jasmine reluctantly admitted it. Then she glanced at Elisa, and Cordelia had a sudden instinct flash through her mind.

“Wait a minute, Lady Jasmine, have you also read The Lady of Pranda?”

Cordelia grabbed Jasmine’s hand eagerly as she asked. Jasmine pursed her lips hesitantly as if Cordelia’s sparkling eyes were overwhelming.

“Well, yes. It was quite popular, wasn’t it?”

Jasmine’s cold face turned to one of embarrassment as she begrudgingly admitted it. With both Elisa and Owen’s curious eyes on her, she found herself in a bit of a dilemma. It was surprising that Jasmine didn’t immediately pull away from Cordelia’s grasp, despite looking so uncomfortable. There was a subtle, refreshing scent, reminiscent of grass.

“So, why are you here?”

“I was just a little curious.”

“You barely attend the balls, though?”

Faced with the sharp question, Jasmine’s eyes darted around nervously. She clammed up at the unfavorable inquiry. Instead of pushing further, Cordelia let go of Jasmine’s hand and leaned back.

“Do you like reading romance novels?”

“Well…”

“I like them. What about you, Viscount Owen?”

“Of course, I do. There are many authors I admire, though it’s rather disappointing that so few accept my invitations.”

The old man then turned to Elisa, apologizing as if he finally understood why after extending his invitation. Elisa graciously accepted the apology, saying it was her choice.

“So, Lady Elisa, why did you decide to attend?”

“Please, just call me Elisa. I was a bit bored, and I was curious to see what these so-called noblemen interested in this genre were like.”

“That’s pretty bold, though.”

“I didn’t think anyone here would have read my work anyway. And I was right.”

Elisa shrugged lightly, though there was a hint of bitterness in her expression.

“What kind of novels do you like, Lady Cordelia?”

“Well, I like quite a few. Recently, I enjoyed Holiday of Delona, Voice of the Fairy, oh! And Portrait of the Elegant Jessica too. The male lead in that one was my type…”

As she excitedly talked, Cordelia paused at the sound of a cough. When she turned her head, she saw Jasmine sitting with a composed expression, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything.

Her face remained calm, but if not for the redness under the hair she brushed aside, it would have been a flawless act.

Hmm. Cordelia’s eyes narrowed. Now that she thought about it, something similar had happened earlier. Cordelia subtly closed the distance and suddenly thrust her face in front of Jasmine.

“Ahh!”

Jasmine screamed and clung to the sofa, while Cordelia, smiling slyly, continued her relentless questioning.

“Lady Jasmine, do you happen to like Troy Clarence’s novels?”

Troy Clarence. Cordelia referred to him as the ‘expert on gentle male protagonists,’ known for always writing upright and tender male leads, no matter how much he changed other elements of his stories.

Lovely You and Portrait of the Elegant Jessica were among his works.

Some might say his stories were repetitive, but Cordelia didn’t think that was fair. After all, the core narratives were all different, and honestly, who would go to a bakery to buy meat?

Feigning an innocent tone, she asked the question, and Jasmine, after trying to turn her head away, gave up and calmly responded.

“What about you, Lady Cordelia?”

“Didn’t I ask you first?”

“…Yes, I do like them.”

“Me too, I like them.”

Seeing Jasmine eyeing her suspiciously, Cordelia asked in an indignant tone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just didn’t expect you to like such soft, sweet romances.”

“What? What kind of image do you have of me?”

“Well… you seem like someone who would have a very intense, fiery love.”

“Fiery? It always fizzles out before it gets a chance to burn.”

“True, most of your relationships do seem to end within three months.”

Feeling like she was being insulted while just sitting there, Cordelia wrinkled her nose slightly. She withdrew from Jasmine’s gaze and crossed her arms lightly.

“Is it so wrong to like love stories? People just aren’t as honest about it as I am.”

Cordelia raised her head confidently, and Elisa asked her a serious question.

“Do people ever tell you that you’re a bit unusual?”

Hearing that, Cordelia furrowed her brows even more, but her face was so beautiful that even this expression was picturesque. Elisa let out a quiet sigh of admiration.

“I thought I had seen beautiful people before, but seeing you, Lady Cordelia, I realize this is what true beauty looks like.”

“Really?”

“Since the moment you walked in, no one could take their eyes off you. You have this aura that makes it seem like men would flock to you even if you did nothing.”

“Well… something like that.”

Though her answer was indifferent, it didn’t feel cold. The more Elisa observed her, the more intrigued she became, and she asked another question.

“From what you’ve mentioned, you seem to like romance quite a lot.”

“Yes. I’ve read a lot of them…”

And written them too.

Cordelia hesitated to say that part, feeling a bit embarrassed, so she stopped there. Elisa nodded in agreement.

“That’s what I mean. You seem like someone who would be incredibly popular, so why are you so into romance?”

After thinking for a moment, Cordelia finally answered.

“Human relationships ultimately start from attachment.”

She had been interested in stories since she was a child. After all, growing up in Callisto Castle, she was surrounded by many people, and naturally, as she wandered around the castle, she overheard various stories, whether she wanted to or not.

Reading books was enjoyable, but the stories exchanged between people felt much more vivid. Once, she had hidden in a corner to keep listening to the servants gossiping and had accidentally fallen asleep, causing quite a stir in the castle.

“Isn’t the pinnacle of that attachment the love between two people? A unique relationship where only the two of them exist in each other’s world. I find it fascinating to explore that.”

That’s why she liked love stories and admired people who loved passionately. As she got older, she realized more and more how difficult it was to like someone so purely, without any calculations.

And it’s hard enough when it’s one-sided, let alone mutual.

Cordelia smiled bashfully.

“And I want to meet someone who can think of me that way.”

She admired her sister for that reason and was a bit envious, too. Despite all her efforts, things never worked out, yet her sister managed to find destiny through an arranged marriage.

‘Cordelia, don’t be too romantic.’

Her sister Jeranias’ words suddenly came to mind.

‘Emotions are surprisingly simple. I respect your ideal type, but if you cling too tightly to it, you might miss out on something simple and real.’

Usually, her sister would just stay silent with a troubled expression, but sometimes she would voice her concerns like that. It was especially comforting to hear such words when she was down after a breakup.

“You don’t seem like it, but you’re quite pure.”

That dry remark quickly dragged Cordelia out of her emotional reverie. Ugh! She pouted and glared at Jasmine, the owner of the voice.

“Are you mocking me?”

“No, I think it’s impressive. I know most people in society tend to put on a facade, but I’m surprised to find you’re even more adorable than I imagined.”

To give such a compliment in such a dry tone was a skill in itself. Jasmine, who had been looking into Cordelia’s now deflated face, cleared her throat, as if about to say something embarrassing.

“The truth is…”

***

“No way. This can’t be real.”

All the way home in the carriage, Cordelia kept mumbling that sentence. That was the thirty-eighth time. But seriously, this couldn’t be real.

Jasmine, a noble lady, was actually Troy Clarence?

‘No? Really? You’re not joking?’

She had imagined someone with a cute and gentle demeanor, not this strict, enigmatic personality. When Cordelia was too shocked to close her mouth, Jasmine, looking a bit embarrassed, lightly chided her.

‘Why are you so surprised? It’s kind of insulting.’

‘Insulting? Honestly, you don’t exactly seem like the type who’s interested in love.’

‘Well, I won’t argue with that.’

‘Then wait, why did you keep glaring at me?’

‘Because when I look at you, I get ideas for my stories…’

So, it was just staring, but why did it feel so intimidating?

Cordelia was too stunned to speak, but she remained silent, knowing she was guilty of looking at a few people with similar thoughts in her head. Finally, she sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

‘If I don’t speak up now, that would be too cowardly of me, right?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m in a similar position to you, Lady Jasmine.’

‘Pardon?’

It was a necessary step. The atmosphere was one of everyone revealing their secrets; she couldn’t be the only one holding back.

More importantly, she had thought about it during their heated discussions in the reading group. It was strangely reassuring. To have someone who stood in the same place as her, someone with whom she could talk about the same stories. She had longed for such a companion.

She had the sense that these people, of all people, would only be surprised if she shared her secret and nothing more.

As soon as she revealed her secret, three pairs of astonished eyes were fixed on her. Elisa even jumped up from her seat, stood before Cordelia, and clasped her hands tightly. With a face full of excitement, the most she had shown all day, Elisa spoke.

‘This is incredible! I adore your work! Especially your latest one, it’s just my style…’

Receiving such an enthusiastic confession of admiration, the group spent quite some time chatting, getting to know each other better. By the time they noticed, it was already dark outside. Occasionally, the light from the night watchmen passed by the carriage window, illuminating the interior.

‘If you’re ever interested, please do visit again.’

The old man who bid her farewell had a gentle smile on his lips. He had no children, and since the death of his only wife, he had been living joyfully by supporting a few others.

His only reason, he said, was that when he died, he wanted to have many stories to share with his wife when they met again.

‘If I have the time.’

Elisa mentioned she would be staying as a guest at Viscount Owen’s mansion for a while. Remembering the way her eyes sparkled as she urged Cordelia to write to her later brought a smile to her face.

It had been an exhilarating and pleasant day—actually, scratch that. It was just pleasant! Perhaps it was because she had never been able to talk so freely with people on her side before. Cordelia entered the mansion’s front gate, feeling elated.

“I’m home, Rosa.”

“Welcome back, Lady Cordelia! Ah, you have a guest.”

“A guest? At this hour?”

“Well… they’re in the drawing room right now.”

Who could it be, with Rosa looking so concerned? Cordelia handed her coat to Rosa and walked toward the drawing room, pushing the door open with a flourish.

“What on earth took you so long to get home?”

“Ah.”

The moment she saw the guest waving at her from the sofa, Cordelia’s eyes widened. That incredibly handsome face was unmistakable.

“Liam!”