In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 80

EPISODE 80

“If it’s the person you’re looking for, it must be under the king’s orders. If someone as close to the king as you are stepping in, it must be a pretty serious matter.”

Cordelia declared with a confident grin as she counted off her points on her fingers.

“Fine, I’ll cooperate. Consider it an honor.”

Tyrain, anticipating this reaction, placed his hand on his forehead as a sudden headache came on.

“Absolutely not!”

“Oh, come on. Don’t you want the information I have? When it comes to social circles, I probably know more than you do.”

That was certainly true. Unlike Calia, who had rarely visited the capital since becoming a countess, Cordelia had always been a dominant figure in the social scene. Though her smiling face almost swayed him, Tyrain firmly shook his head.

“No means no. I can’t involve someone unrelated in this matter.”

Though his stern expression and formal tone reflected his determination to keep public and private matters separate, Cordelia didn’t hesitate to hit the nail on the head.

“Isn’t that strange? Isn’t it the opposite? You’re not involving me because I’m related to Noah.”

Cordelia calmly observed Tyrain, who was at a loss for words.

“I have no intention of getting involved in anything too dangerous. I’ll help as much as I can and then step back.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to just go home now? The person who pushed you might still be at the mansion.”

“That’s why I should stay. It’s mutually beneficial, don’t you think?”

Tyrain could easily guess Cordelia’s true intentions behind her lively words, but he decided to listen quietly.

“Anyway, I still need to find the culprit who pushed me down the stairs. Two heads are better than one, right?”

“So you’re asking me to help you with that? In exchange, you’ll provide information about the person I’m looking for?”

“You’re quick on the uptake.”

Tyrain massaged the back of his neck as he watched Cordelia, who smiled with her chin resting on her hands.

“I’m impressed my nephew has managed to hold out against you for so long.”

Unlike the occasional encounters in social settings, getting to know her like this made him realize just how headstrong and unpredictable she was.

Above all, wasn’t she scared at all? A typical noblewoman would be shocked by the fact that she almost died and would delegate the investigation to her servants rather than take it upon herself.

He couldn’t decide whether to call her independent or a wild, untamed horse. How could she and his nephew be such opposites in personality?

“Noah surprises me too. He’s so sweet, I thought I could easily win him over… but he’s more stubborn than a bull.”

“He’s always been someone who thinks of others before himself.”

Tyrain’s navy blue eyes softened as he spoke about Noah. Cordelia, who had been staring at those eyes that always seemed cold despite his constant smile, finally spoke up.

“By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask since we’re here.”

“What is it?”

“You were the one who suggested that Noah work for painting, weren’t you?”

Noah’s love for drawing was understandable. However, he could easily draw within the mansion. It wasn’t like him to seek fame, nor did it make sense for someone in his situation, being under house arrest, to insist on going outside.

There must have been someone influencing him.

“You once told me that your relationship with Noah resembled the story of Laura and the Lion.”

<Laura and the Lion> was one of the stories included in a collection of fairy tales by a noble-born author, based on folk tales passed down through the kingdom. The story begins with a girl named Laura, abandoned by her parents, who was found by a limping lion.

Instead of eating her, the lion took care of Laura with all his heart and eventually returned her to the village. But Laura’s impoverished parents, intending to kill her, were themselves killed by the lion when he intervened to save her.

Laura, crying and blaming the lion, was given food by the lion once again, and she grew up eating what he brought her. Eventually, she led the lion into a trap, killing him, and the story ended with her crying over his dead body.

The rather unsettling tale was praised for its satire of society and became quite popular. Cordelia remembered reading it once as a child and being horrified, wondering what kind of story it was.

“Do you feel guilty?”

If the lion represented Tyrain May, that was the only way to interpret it.

“With such talent, it’s impossible for Noah not to stand out, which increases the risk of his identity being exposed. If his identity were revealed, you’d be the one most affected. So why go to such lengths?”

Tyrain sighed as if he understood.

“It seems you’ve visited the Great Temple and seen the mural.”

‘Did you visit there, Lord Tyrain?’

Even after Noah and his mother were confined to the mansion, Tyrain would occasionally visit. The pretense of surveillance was convenient at times like these.

Unlike Aileen, who would refuse to meet him whenever she heard he was coming, Noah would at least show his face. Tyrain knew well that even this was due to the boy being wary of the power Tyrain held over his life, so he carefully adjusted the frequency of his visits.

He couldn’t come too often, but he also couldn’t neglect them, as the servants might start to disregard them.

That day, as usual, Tyrain naturally made his way to Noah’s studio on the first floor. According to the butler, Gerald, Noah had been spending most of his time there lately, and it seemed the materials and tools Tyrain had provided were to his liking.

For someone like Tyrain, who was a knight to the core, preparing such things had required a lot of thought. While he knew Aileen’s tastes well enough, making the preparations for Noah on time would have been impossible without Irence’s advice.

Recalling his colleague, who was cold-faced but meticulous and knowledgeable in many areas, Tyrain opened the door to the studio.

And he was shocked by what he saw.

Noah’s head was the first thing Tyrain noticed as he sat on the floor, along with the oversized canvas before him. Bright white sunlight poured into the room through the nearby window.

The canvas, made of coarse linen, was filled with lush greenery. It seemed to depict a garden, with vibrant flowers and trees densely covering the white background. The brushstrokes appeared rough, almost haphazard, yet this roughness created the illusion of leaves and branches swaying in the wind.

In the center of the painting, a solitary table was set, adorned with a teacup, a teapot, and an array of beautifully arranged cookies.

Though there were no people in the scene, three animals wandered near the table: a rabbit wearing a black hat, a squirrel holding a shiny jeweled hairpin, and a white crow with a paintbrush in its beak.

The use of light was nothing short of remarkable. Golden sunlight slanted down from the top right corner of the painting, gently spreading across the objects, creating a mesmerizing glow. The way the sunlight was captured made nature seem so beautifully alive.

But why? Despite the subtle feeling of loneliness the scene evoked, there was an overwhelming warmth to it. Just looking at the painting brought an unexpected sense of comfort. Tyrain had never considered himself a particularly emotional person, yet he was moved.

As if sensing his presence, Noah turned and greeted him, and Tyrain, uncharacteristically, found himself stumbling over his words.

‘This… this painting…’

‘Oh, I just wanted to try painting something on a larger scale, so I used more fabric than usual. Does it look okay? I just finished it.’

‘More than okay…’

The moment he saw it, Tyrain had a single thought.

What a waste.

The fact that he was the only person who would ever see such a painting seemed like a terrible waste. He had always known his nephew liked to draw, but he had never given much thought to the actual extent of his talent.

‘I’m relieved.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I’m relieved that you don’t think the fabric was wasted.’

The boy’s voice was filled with pride as he spoke, his smile causing Tyrain to fall silent. It wasn’t normal for a seventeen-year-old, without any formal training, to produce a painting like this.

With such talent, why does he wear that expression of self-doubt?

‘It’s truly remarkable. If possible, I’d even like to purchase it.’

Even offering praise felt difficult. Tyrain had never been at a loss for words when speaking to others, yet at this moment, his tongue felt heavy and uncooperative.

Noah, with a clear and innocent expression, waved his hand lightly.

‘Oh, it’s alright. If you want it, I’ll just give it to you.’

‘I couldn’t possibly accept that.’

‘What would I do with money anyway? It would only add to my anxiety.’

Noah spoke with the awareness of someone who fully understood the value of his own life. That was why he no longer called Tyrain ‘uncle’ with the same familiarity as before, instead opting for a more formal tone. He refused to possess any wealth, knowing it could only bring trouble.

He wanted to leave no room for doubt, to show that he was harmless.

It was an absurd and cruel irony. That an innocent child should bear the burden of such responsibility.

‘In that case, I wouldn’t call it a favor, but… could I ask you to do something for me?’

‘What is it?’

‘Because my mother spends too much time inside the house, I’d like for her to be able to go out just once, even if she has to be accompanied by soldiers.’

As Noah added that he would stay behind, Tyrain felt his heart sink. Clenching his fists, he fiercely chastised himself. He had already prepared himself for the possibility of their relationship becoming strained, yet the fact that all he could do was hide his overwhelming sense of despair proved how utterly inadequate he was.

He no longer deserved this. Even feeling such emotions was hypocritical. Yet he knew he had to do something, anything. The cost of his choice was painful, and what he found most ridiculous was that, despite everything, he did not regret it.

‘As I promised before, if anything happens, I will take full responsibility. So please, grant his wish.’

Tyrain spent several days in a private audience with His Majesty, pleading his case with paintings in hand. Convincing such a rational man was no easy task.

The one who eventually persuaded the initially opposed king was the queen. Once the queen got involved, the king relented with a look of reluctant acceptance.

‘The estate may be closed off, but it’s safe. If that child is allowed outside, he will surely face more malice than he did even when he was a prince. Are you confident that your intentions and the child’s wishes align?’

Tyrain responded calmly to this sharp observation.

‘Making choices requires experience, Your Majesty. I want to give him as many opportunities as possible.’

‘Opportunities?’

‘Yes.’

The king quietly looked down at him before muttering.

‘How pitifully small-minded you are.’

For a man who rarely judged others, the king’s response was cutting. Tyrain, at a loss for words, could only manage a sheepish smile.

‘I am aware.’

“Well, let’s just say it’s a product of guilt.”

Tyrain concluded, briefly summarizing his complicated feelings with a light shrug of his shoulders.

“Ian resembles his mother a lot.”

Cordelia tilted her head at Tyrain’s seemingly random comment.

“I mean, he has a tough side to him. He only acts so gently because he dislikes hurting others.”

Which is why Tyrain always thought Ian was not suited for the throne. A king’s rule inevitably involves bloodshed, and only someone as cold and calculated as Tyrain’s liege could endure it.

“I like that.”

Cordelia responded simply, her expression neutral as she added.

“How else could you survive in this harsh world without a bit of toughness?”

Her bright smile showed no trace of darkness. As Tyrain observed the expression of someone so confident in herself, he shook his head in disbelief.

“I truly don’t know what gives you such overflowing confidence.”

“That’s because I’m amazing. The problem with Noah is that he’s too humble.”

“True enough.”

“Stop sulking and give me a proper compliment! So, are you going to cooperate?”