In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 75
EPISODE 75
Cordelia’s mind momentarily stalled from the unexpected remark.
“…Pardon?”
She turned to look at him as calmly as possible, but Benjamin’s expression had not changed much from before.
“It’s just that the news has been delayed, and it’s unavoidable to feel worried about it.”
Cordelia’s mind was spinning. How does this person know about Tyrain May? Could he possibly know about Noah and that person’s relationship as well? But if he doesn’t know, asking about it might just stir up trouble.
She hesitated, then firmly shut her mouth and shifted her gaze slightly.
“Well, he doesn’t tell me everything.”
She mumbled evasively and pretended to look around. As they walked, pretending to admire the intricately carved columns depicting scenes from mythology on both sides, a large door appeared ahead.
“Oh, here it is.”
When they were about three steps away from the door, Benjamin reached out his hand, and the heavy door slowly began to open. Before Cordelia could ask if it was magic, a spacious hall unfolded in front of her. As she walked in as if entranced, a large fresco filling the opposite wall came into view.
The mural depicted two opposing sides.
On the left was an old man with flowing white hair, and on the right were a man and a woman dressed in pure white, facing each other. The old man was surrounded by formless black energy represented in intense colors.
He was Sekret, the arch-enemy of Felicier, the god of creation and order. Sekret was a formless evil born solely from humans. It was said that humans, though born from gods, could create all manner of negative emotions that gods themselves did not possess.
An entity born from humans, the chaos of original sin.
When Felicier’s power is strong, peace comes to the world, but when Sekret’s power grows, confusion ensues. Natural disasters occur, people die, and the world deteriorates into ever-worsening chaos.
The mural depicted stormy winds and lightning striking around the figures facing each other. The storm gathered into a typhoon, which eventually subsided, leaving only the parched earth behind.
The old man, backed by the storm, had eyes that were sharp and greedy as if he would cut through everything in the world. The darkness pressing down on his frail shoulders seemed to be the accumulation of all the world’s evil.
The man and woman facing the old man were solemn but not afraid. Their slightly upturned lips, strong and sharp eyes, their outstretched hands without hesitation, and their slightly inclined bodies as if ready to charge at the old man all conveyed these emotions.
The pure white light flowing from the woman’s extended fingertips and the man’s joined hands, as well as the translucent blue figure of the woman enveloping and protecting them from above, were warm.
Everything was so vivid that it felt as though she was being pulled into that space for a moment.
“…Mr. Epherman?”
The distant voice that had seemed faintly calling out now poured into her ears with a rush. The breath that had been stifled as if underwater finally cleared.
Instead of looking at Benjamin, who was asking her what was wrong, Cordelia muttered in a daze.
“…Incredible.”
“Excuse me?”
She could only express admiration. If a sliver of reason hadn’t reminded her that she was in Noah’s body, she might have jumped up from her seat and made a fuss.
Honestly, she wasn’t an art expert. But a good eye for masterpieces doesn’t differentiate between status. Cordelia, with her fingers still tingling, smiled. She understood why the marquis had commissioned him.
Yes, people must envy him after seeing this.
Even just viewing it made her heart ache, and to feel this overwhelming sensation was something else.
Is this what it means to be overwhelmed?
“Are you alright?”
“No, I’m not alright.”
Cordelia, covering her face with both hands and sighing, was patiently waited on by Benjamin. He glanced at the already closed door and then turned back to Cordelia, who was regaining her composure.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yes.”
Cordelia answered half-heartedly, unable to tear her eyes away from the fresco. A mischievous smile appeared on Benjamin’s lips. Although he could be solemn when needed, he fundamentally loved to tease.
How could he get her to look away? He thought of a cunning plan.
And the attempt succeeded brilliantly.
“Could it be related to the magic placed on Mr. Epherman?”
***
A carriage with elegant golden patterns on its curtains entered the large estate. After showing the invitation to the soldier on guard, the carriage stopped next to the other carriages that had already arrived.
Next to the estate, where the carriages were parked closely, was a protruding hill. Avoiding the puddles left by several days of rain, they climbed the stairs that crossed the hill, leading to a mansion.
The mansion, with a red roof, clean beige walls, and windows framed with gold, was far more magnificent than most noble residences.
Noah stepped into the dazzlingly bright mansion. As he entered the central hall, he calmly received the gazes directed at him.
He opened the fan he was holding to cover his face and slowly scanned the interior with just his eyes. Despite his calm appearance, Noah was a bit anxious.
While he had worried about being discovered when he was in his original body, now he was concerned about making mistakes in Cordelia’s body.
Still, it was better than breaking the promise. He didn’t want any issues with Cordelia’s reputation due to his actions.
Who was the person he was supposed to meet? Perhaps it would be best to find the host and at least say hello.
He repeated the name of the host in his mind: Baron Delos.
As the city began to develop, merchants emerged, and wealthy merchants often bought titles from fallen nobility to mingle with the upper class. Baron Delos was one of those nobility with a merchant background, famously interested in the arts. Noah knew of him by name, as even a reclusive guild member couldn’t avoid hearing about prominent clients.
Noah walked slowly toward the center of the hall, focusing on the conversations around him. The nobles’ clothes, hair, and adorned hands sparkled in the light with their movements.
The atmosphere was similar to a banquet he was familiar with, yet there was a subtle difference. The attire had a peculiar feel to it—almost like a painting.
Noble attire is often a display of wealth, but many outfits seemed almost absurdly ostentatious. Many people were wearing masks made of ornaments.
Noah glanced at the dress he was wearing. It was a deep purple with elaborate gold embroidery, and small gems were attached to the hem of the skirt. He stared at the blue sapphire bracelet on his wrist.
The initials engraved on the inside of the bracelet, no matter how he looked at it, seemed to suggest that it was something her mother had made.
Perhaps he should ask her for a favor soon. He had been pondering how to repay her for the mountain of clothes she had given him. This might be an appropriate gesture. What would suit her well? Ruby would be nice, but turquoise might not be bad either…
Suddenly, Noah took a deep breath, feeling a bit embarrassed. It seemed he was too excited. As he gently fanned his slightly flushed cheeks, he shook his head.
“…Huh?”
Amidst the gathered crowd, a woman brushed past. Noah stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of her profile, which was familiar.
That face is definitely…
‘Is this what her face would look like according to the description?’
‘Wow, you draw well. Yes, that’s exactly how she looks.’
A few days ago, after the royal banquet, Cordelia and Noah had briefly shared updates about each other’s recent events. They agreed on the necessity of sorting out important connections for the sake of mutual understanding, under the condition of keeping it secret from others unless necessary.
Noah had shown Cordelia the sketches of the three people he knew from the guild and had drawn portraits based on her descriptions.
One of the sketches Noah had received and drawn came to mind. It was Jasmine Robin, if he remembered correctly. Since she had enjoyed her time at the reading group, it might be her he was supposed to meet.
As Noah was about to follow Jasmine, something caught his eye. He reflexively glanced toward the right diagonal.
A table laden with food had attracted a particularly large crowd. At the center of the lively group, a middle-aged man laughed heartily. As Noah saw the man wearing a hat adorned with lavish jewels and raising his hand covered in numerous rings, he instinctively recognized him as Baron Delos, the owner of the mansion.
Upon realizing this, Noah felt an odd sensation. His gaze shifted beyond the baron’s shoulder.
Behind the baron stood a figure dressed entirely in black. The white mask covering from the eyes to the bridge of the nose reminded him of the plague doctors from historical accounts.
Standing behind the flamboyantly dressed man, the figure was especially conspicuous. It seemed other nobles shared the same curiosity, as there were quite a few furtive glances toward the person.
As Noah was about to naturally turn his head away, the figure slightly raised their head. Their eyes met.