In Order to Meet You, Beloved - Chapter 98

EPISODE 98

Cordelia grabbed a pair of scissors, then roughly removed the hairpins that had held her beautifully braided hair in place. With a clatter, the jeweled hairpins fell to the floor one by one.

The shocking event happened next.

“Lady Cordelia!”

Without hesitation, Cordelia began to cut her own hair with the scissors. Her lush hair, which reached down to her waist, was mercilessly chopped off, falling like autumn leaves under the brutal snipping.

As the stunned gazes of everyone present focused on her, Cordelia threw the severed strands of hair straight into the man’s face. The golden hair fluttered and covered his face before falling to the ground.

“There, satisfied?”

Her voice was icy, and her fierce gaze made her look almost deranged. The roughly cut, uneven ends of her hair were unsightly. When she raised the still-sharp, large scissors again, the man instinctively stepped back and fell over.

Cordelia looked down at the man intently, as if she would stab him if he didn’t speak up.

The graceful woman who had been speaking softly was gone, replaced by someone who appeared completely unhinged. The man realized he was trembling, facing this person who seemed entirely different from before.

“I was wrong.”

When she tried to approach him again, the man cried out in terror.

“About what?”

“I lied to cover up that woman’s crime… And I knew he was dangerous, but I still told you to go to him for support.”

“And?”

“…I also apologize for the remarks I made earlier. They were all due to my foolish mistakes.”

Cordelia, instead of mocking his cowardice, which only responded under threat, spoke in a dry voice.

“Soldiers are waiting outside right now. Say exactly what you just said, unless you want to ruin your entire family.”

Shortly after, soldiers came in and arrested Roy Echelon. Cordelia watched the entire process until Roy, who followed them, disappeared outside, and then she too left the room.

The atmosphere at the banquet was as grim as a funeral. Before the room could become chaotic again, a lighthearted voice echoed through the hall.

“Is there a problem? Let’s continue enjoying the banquet.”

All eyes turned to the person who spoke. Frederick leisurely took a sip of his drink and smiled softly.

“Ah, I’ve been quite irritable lately due to some unpleasant incidents. I trust no one here will speak more than necessary. Surely, none of you want to become part, do you?”

The cold warning that anyone who gossiped about his sister would be sent to the afterlife made everyone hold their breath. Savoring their tense expressions as if they were appetizers, Frederick calmly drank his wine.

He had long known that his sister was far from genteel, but never had he been this astounded. He still thinks she was a ten-year-old child.

He couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all, but still, being alive was something to be thankful for. When he first heard the news, he was so taken aback that he thought he might have been more lenient than he was now. He wasn’t so incompetent that he couldn’t even manage his sister’s reputation.

Even so, he would have to scold her when he got back.

Who would have thought things would escalate to this point? The rumors were one thing, but what was she thinking with her hair? There were more than a few concerns weighing on his mind, but he swallowed his sigh along with his drink.

At least she’s not married, he thought.

* * *

When Noah received the letter from Cordelia, he was genuinely excited. It had been a long time since he had gone out, and he was finally going to meet someone he hadn’t seen in over ten days. Although he was a bit surprised by her sudden request for him to come right away, he figured she had her reasons. With his heart racing, he hurried to get ready.

However, when he arrived at the estate and saw Cordelia, he was taken aback.

“Cordelia…?!”

“Sorry. I must look awful, right?”

It was already evening, so the surroundings were dark, but the moon was bright enough that he could see her face.

Noah had wondered why she was wearing a hood while coming out of her own estate, but as soon as she removed it, he was speechless. The long hair that had once reached her waist was gone, now barely touching her chin, with uneven ends that made it look anything but tidy.

“What happened? How did you… end up like this?”

Had something happened during the time they hadn’t seen each other? Cordelia, noticing the worry on Noah’s face as he hesitated to reach out, gave him a bashful smile.

“It’s not like that. But hey, you cut your hair too?”

The bangs that usually covered Noah’s face were now gone. He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh, I asked my uncle to cut it for me. Does it look good?”

“Yeah, it looks great. You should keep it like this. You look so much better.”

Seeing Cordelia’s beaming smile made Noah feel happier as well, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her hair. Before he could ask, Cordelia spoke first.

“Shall we take a walk?”

“Sure.”

Following Cordelia’s suggestion, the two of them headed to a garden tucked away in a corner of her estate. Leaning against the wall of the building, they both looked up at the night sky, a subtle awkwardness hanging between them.

“How have you been?”

Cordelia finally broke the silence, and Noah quietly answered.

“My body was fine, but my heart felt heavy.”

“Why?”

“Because I missed you, Cordelia.”

As he shyly spoke, Cordelia quickly turned to look at him. The sight of his genuinely happy smile made her heart skip a beat.

Oh no, why does he have to be so cute?

“I, uh, I missed you too.”

Why is this so awkward? Why can’t she come up with something cooler to say? Come on, Cordelia Weichen!

“Are you really okay? I mean, your hair…”

“Hmm? Well, I won’t be attending any banquets for a while, so I might have to wear a wig when I do go out. There will likely be some gossip, after all.”

Lush hair was one of the defining features of a beautiful woman. There was a reason noblewomen went to great lengths to apply fragrant oils and maintain their hair’s condition.  

Cutting off such hair could certainly diminish one’s charm. In fact, before coming here, she had to reassure the anxious servants. While she appreciated their concern, she felt no real attachment to her hair. To her surprise, she felt remarkably calm about it.

“But why did you cut your hair?”

Cordelia asked.

“I thought you might like it better this way…”

“Wasn’t it you who said you’d never cut it?”

Though her words were deliberately curt, Noah replied matter-of-factly.

“Well, I thought if you liked my face, I should make an effort to look my best.”

Though the newfound clarity of vision was still unsettling, Noah figured he’d get used to it. He would just have to be a bit more careful than before.

“By the way, are you really okay with just my face?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, considering your own qualities, doesn’t it seem a bit… lacking to only consider looks?”

“What are you talking about? Looks are the most important thing. If handsome men were more common, do you think I’d be stressing over this?”

Cordelia let out a few deep sighs before clearing her throat and deliberately keeping her gaze fixed on the sky above.

“Honestly, isn’t it only natural for people to appreciate beauty, regardless of gender or age?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Exactly. But when men desire a beautiful woman, everyone understands, yet when I say I want a handsome man, people treat me like I’m shallow.”

She recalled the time when she had just arrived in the capital at sixteen. A man had persistently pursued her, and when she told him he wasn’t her type, he had the nerve to imply that she was being too picky.

It was infuriating. He was only clinging to her because she was pretty, so why wasn’t she allowed to like handsome men? Was that not fair?

Surprisingly, this seemed to be a common sentiment in society, where many pretty women existed, but it was hard to find well-groomed men.

Seriously, could they at least shave properly? And the older men, much older than her—what nerve they had! Where did all the respectable men go? Couldn’t they take a hint when she gave clear signals that she wasn’t interested?

“So I made up my mind back then. My partner must be a handsome man!”

Call it stubbornness if you will, but Cordelia had her reasons.

“Just look at my father. He practically groveled to marry my mother. It’s a story you can’t hear without shedding a tear. On their wedding day, he was so nervous his hands were shaking, but he tried his best not to show it.”

Isaac Weichen’s marriage story was a favorite topic, even for his friend Yuri, who often brought it up as a conversation starter. Isaac’s background and abilities were renowned even in his youth, but his chosen bride was the eldest daughter of a marquis, who had once received a marriage proposal from a foreign royal family.

The fact that Tiella had turned down the chance to become queen and instead chose him was something that people in the kingdom talked about for years.

“I couldn’t stand people who couldn’t even put in that much effort yet kept professing their love to me. If they lack sincerity, they should at least have good looks. Who do they think they are?”

Having grown up watching her father be completely powerless in front of her mother, Cordelia had no intention of choosing a man who was any less than her father. Especially, she had no interest in men who were insecure or had a chip on their shoulder.

“Is there any other woman in this kingdom who can live as freely as I do? That’s why I have to keep living my life exactly as I want. That way, everyone will understand that women can live this way too and remember it clearly.”