In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 77
EPISODE 77
“Could it be related to the magic placed on Mr. Epherman?”
At first, she thought she must have misheard. After a moment of daze, once she grasped the situation, Cordelia turned her head slowly, neither too fast nor too slow, and looked at Benjamin.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Cordelia used her calmest and most composed voice. She remembered the warning she had received earlier about not being discovered in the temple. Lyneth’s voice, asking if she wanted to be dissected, echoed in her mind.
The sound of her swallowing was surprisingly clear.
“No, well. To clarify, it’s not something I intended to report to the temple.”
Who would believe that? He’s a priest too!
“You seem to be filled with suspicion in your gaze. Well, if that’s the case, there’s no helping it. I’ll gladly report this fact to the higher-ups…”
“Wait a minute!”
Cordelia tightly grabbed the man’s cloak as he tried to retreat, pretending to be upset. Wait, and strictly speaking, isn’t this man the one who should be receiving reports rather than making them? She realized this but Benjamin, with a mischievous smile, continued.
“I sense a faint magical aura from Mr. Epherman. It seems that some magic was used to cover something up. It’s such a small amount that most wizards wouldn’t even notice. Even among priests in the temple, it’s rare to handle magical energy this well.”
Seeing Benjamin explain smoothly how he figured it out, Cordelia narrowed her eyes. She retracted her previous thought that he seemed unkempt. Whatever else, he didn’t seem like someone who had never dealt with a snake or two.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Lyneth Sandria is away on business and has left the temple for now. There is no telling when she will return.”
With such a kind and straightforward answer, Cordelia blinked. Given that he knew she was looking for Lyneth, it seemed he had been watching her since the earlier encounter with the priests.
“Therefore, it would be best if Mr. Epherman did not visit the temple for a while. You may not be aware, but you are quite well-known here, particularly by your appearance.”
Given his size, it’s no wonder he stands out. Cordelia thought blandly and asked again.
“Where did she go? Is it some sort of business trip?”
“Something like that.”
He didn’t offer any more details, and Cordelia didn’t press further.
There were more pressing matters at hand.
“Will there be any disciplinary action taken against Lyneth… the priestess?”
“Since I’m getting older, you see, my memory tends to slip a bit. I’m at the point where even the breakfast menu from a week ago is becoming a blur.”
Despite his comments about being lenient, Cordelia’s guarded expression did not relax.
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
Magic falls under the jurisdiction of the temple. Using magic from the outside is a matter of discipline. More importantly, are they going to hide the fact that some magic was cast on her? The head of the Sandria Temple, which is renowned as both the center of royal magic and for its exclusivity, is offering to cover this up?
“Well, if you have to insist… should I say it’s because I owe a debt?”
“Debt?”
“To the person who recommended you.”
Cordelia immediately thought of Tyrain May. He wouldn’t leave Noah in danger, after all. Still, how far did his connections stretch? Cordelia inwardly marveled.
“The magical barrier of the temple is under my jurisdiction. There is no one here who handles the barrier as well as I do. You needn’t worry about anyone overhearing.”
But that means she can’t escape.
“It seems you had a matter with Priestess Lyneth. If it’s something she can handle, I should be able to handle it as well.”
Even with his offer of help, Cordelia paused before speaking, carefully choosing her words.
“Is it okay to refuse?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll decline. I appreciate the gesture, though.”
Benjamin touched his chin at the sight of Cordelia bowing her head in greeting, not letting her guard down until the very end.
“You are quite suspicious. But it’s understandable.”
Is this going to be it?
“Then would you like to have a meal together? I think everyone would enjoy it.”
“No, I’d rather just go home…”
“After I went through the trouble of showing you the murals, you don’t even want to face me? That’s a bit disappointing. I thought we had become quite close over the past year.”
Seeing Benjamin’s eyes droop in mock disappointment, Cordelia was genuinely at her wit’s end. No, she doesn’t know him that well!
If she says she’s not Noah here, it will be a huge problem.
Cordelia glanced subtly at the murals. The man in the mural, who was glaring at the old man with his hands clasped, looked exactly like the man in front of her. It made sense since they were the same person, but—
The mural looked so serious and impressive, but why did reality look like this?
“I’ll show you something interesting if you follow me.”
As if seeing through Cordelia’s dilemma, Benjamin smiled. Cordelia’s eyes briefly sparkled.
“Something interesting?”
“Yes.”
Cordelia pondered for a moment. The indecision didn’t last long this time either.
“Alright.”
Let’s see what’s so interesting.
***
One of the group stood up abruptly. It was a man wearing a white outer garment made of sparkling fabric.
Unlike the delighted man, Jasmine drew a line with utmost politeness.
“Hello, Viscount Rossiand.”
“Lady Jasmine. It’s nice to see a familiar face after such a long time.”
“Didn’t we already meet at the last reading group meeting?”
Noah quickly scanned the faces of those sitting at the table upon hearing this. Including the man standing, there were five men and one woman.
Are these the people Cordelia met at the book club?
“What is that bouquet?”
“…I received it.”
“By the way, I heard that the young lord from Count Francis’ family is pursuing the lady.”
One of the men, a bespectacled man with black hair, Baron Eland, interjected into their conversation.
“Are you talking about that pale-faced young master? He does look delicate.”
“I heard he doesn’t know how to handle a sword.”
“He seems like the type who would make several women cry. The ladies should be careful around him.”
“That’s right. It seems that not only Lady Jasmine but other women too have rumors circulating about them.”
“Well, to chase after honey, you need to be quite diligent, I suppose.”
While the men laughed loudly at what they thought was a fitting metaphor, Jasmine and Noah’s expressions grew increasingly somber. They exchanged a silent glance, indicating it was time to leave, and Jasmine spoke on their behalf.
“We should be going now. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time.”
“Already leaving? Why don’t you stay and chat with us?”
“It’s alright. I’m rather shy around new people.”
As Jasmine flatly refused, Noah, seemingly recalling something, whispered something into Jasmine’s ear. Despite looking puzzled, Jasmine provided Noah with the name he wanted to hear. Noah then turned to the group at the table.
“Excuse me, Lady Emilia. Will you be staying there?”
Noah’s gaze was fixed on the only woman among the men he had been concerned about. The woman with black hair, a somewhat pale complexion, and green eyes tinged with brown reminded him of someone he knew well.
That’s why he addressed her. In case she wanted to use it as an excuse to leave.
However, the woman’s reaction when Noah called her was somewhat strange. Her face lost more color, and she seemed to have realized something shocking, then her color returned, now slightly more flushed than before.
“Yes, please take care.”
Her tone was as cold as if she had been insulted. Noah did not ask further and turned to follow Jasmine.
As they retraced their steps, with the mansion on their right and an open view on their left, Jasmine murmured in frustration.
“Oh, this is so annoying. How did we end up running into those people again? Today is just not my day.”
Her harsh words were in stark contrast to her calm demeanor. Then she sharply turned to look at Noah.
“By the way, why did you ask that woman such a question earlier?”
“She looked troubled….”
“What’s troubling about it? She must be mingling with those men by her own choice. She didn’t say a word when we had our argument at the reading group. It’s quite cowardly.”
As Jasmine continued to grumble softly, she waved her hand lightly. Noah started a serious internal debate on whether fanning someone was something Cordelia would do.
“Lady Cordelia, I’m thirsty. Shall we go inside?”
“Go ahead. I’ll wait here.”
Unable to adjust to the dazzling brightness inside the mansion, Jasmine mumbled, and then, understanding, lifted her skirt. With a cheerful stride, she said she would be back soon and headed off. Noah watched her retreating figure with a smile and then suddenly turned his gaze toward the distant mountains.
The mansion was situated at quite a high altitude, providing a good view of the city. The warm sunlight covered the clustered buildings, and a cool breeze blew toward him, causing his hair, braided into a single strand, to flutter gently.
So peaceful.
While Noah was absentmindedly looking down, he suddenly froze. He saw someone moving among the parked carriages, their face obscured by a deep red hat.
Who could that be? What are they doing?
To get closer to the carriages, Noah took a step onto the stairs. At that moment, something touched his back.
What?
A strong force pushed him, and his body was lifted into the air. The sensation of floating, like feathers drifting slowly, seemed to stretch out time as he tumbled down the stairs.
He crashed into something solid yet fluffy, and a powerful shock overwhelmed him. Noah lost consciousness.