In Order To Meet You, Beloved

“No… I’m just wondering when my sister will arrive.”

“Jerania? Yeah, why is she so late? I wonder if Aira and Janis got into some kind of trouble.”

Calia’s gaze fell on the box Noah was holding tightly. When she saw the box with delicate patterns embossed on it, Calia broke into a gentle smile.

“Is that a gift for Jerania? You could just send it to the servants’ quarters; they’ll receive it just fine.”

“But it feels better to give it to her in person.”

“That’s true.”

While Noah was tense, fearing he might be found out, Calia was incredibly relaxed. In her warm voice that contrasted with her previous teasing, affection for Cordelia was evident.

“I heard you fought with Rick.”

“With whom?”

“It’s Rick. I just ran into him. What’s the deal, huh? He told you to marry already?”

“Yeah. Did he say the same to you?”

“For now. I think he’d pretty much given up. You seem more approachable than me, at least for now. Once people find out about the fortune you’ve built from your novels, they won’t even think about it.”

“Oh… right.”

Noah’s eyes widened at the unexpected information. Calia interpreted his surprised expression as annoyance and patted Cordelia’s shoulder as if to encourage her.

“Anyway, I’ll talk with Rick first. By the way, where are you staying?”

“That’s… uh.”

As Noah was about to answer, there was a commotion outside. Seeing a group of people through the door, Calia stood up from her seat.

“It looks like today’s protagonist has arrived. Come on, let’s go.”

Noah hesitated for a moment before cautiously taking Calia’s extended hand and rising from his seat. Finally noticing the navy blue gloves Noah was wearing, Calia asked curiously.

“You’ve got gloves on for a change. Ah, it makes sense. You don’t need to wear the ring now, so I guess that’s why.”

“…… Where the hell do you get that stuff?”

“You know where. You’re in the palm of my hand.”

Playfully, Calia lightly pushed Noah’s forehead with her finger. Turning around and leading the way, Noah followed her slowly.

The hand holding the wooden box was trembling with tension.

“Jerania should be inside the banquet hall, right?”

Dressed as a servant, Cordelia blended in among the bustling servants, a pouch hanging from her waist containing a box that looked exactly like the one Noah had.

‘Oh, my goodness. I’ve handed over the wrong thing!’

About an hour ago, Cordelia had been astonished when she checked the box in her room. The gift she had prepared for Jerania was a pretty bracelet made of interwoven emeralds, a piece commissioned to her favorite craftsman months ago.

However, the problem arose because she had also ordered another bracelet made of sapphire at that time. The two jewelry pieces were similar in appearance, and only after the messenger had left and a considerable amount of time had passed did Cordelia realize that she had swapped the boxes.

And it wasn’t as if she could simply label it as a gift mix-up; these were items deliberately prepared as a pair to be shared with the King. She had gone to the trouble of preparing a meaningful gift, only to end up in such a predicament!

After pacing around her room for a while, Cordelia concluded and glanced into the mirror. Her bangs covered her eyes, making it hard to see her face. Clues were rising one by one in her mind.

Having an item to prove her identity, entering the palace shouldn’t be too difficult. Noah, when he lets his hair down, looked quite ordinary.

So, maybe she could meet Noah somehow, exchange the gifts, and return. Once the decision was made, the action was given. Just waiting around was getting boring anyway, so this turned out to be a fortunate incident.

The palace, as always, was vast. Big and full of people. Noah’s height was substantial, so she didn’t get jostled around much, but the restricted field of view was more uncomfortable than she anticipated.

Does Noah endure this discomfort every time? When she gets back this time, she must suggest that he trims his bangs. At least it seemed like her vision wasn’t particularly good. Yeah, it was all for the sake of health. She wasn’t unhappy about her handsome face being obscured or anything!

Subtly surveying her surroundings, Cordelia slipped between the buildings she could see. Walking this way would lead her straight to the garden.

The weather was fantastic, and her steps were light. Feeling so good, she was almost unconsciously about to hum a tune.

“Drop it!”

An alarmed voice rang out in her ears. Cordelia unintentionally turned in the direction of the sound.

As Calia had anticipated, the King was standing in the center of the banquet hall. With his tall and imposing stature, hair as golden as sunlight, blue eyes reminiscent of the autumn sky, and distinct facial features, he had been hailed as the kingdom’s most handsome man since his days as a crown prince. Crossing thirty, he seemed to shine even more with his good looks.

Next to him stood today’s protagonist, Queen Jerania, with her brown hair. If compared to the resplendent King Franz, she might seem rather modest, but Jerania was an elegantly composed beauty. Her bright green eyes recognized Calia and Noah as they approached.

“Welcome.”

A gentle and affectionate voice greeted the two as they approached. Following Jerania’s gesture, the people standing nearby subtly stepped back. Their group paused at a distance where the conversation would not be overheard, even if they lowered their voices.

Instead of her stern husband, Jerania playfully replied, 

“I don’t know why it’s so hard to see your face these days.”

“It just turned out that way.”

Knowing they had to maintain formality, Jerania continued to speak casually, and Calia responded kindly.

From behind Calia, Jerania gestured for Noah to come closer. As they got closer, close enough for a whisper, Jerania firmly took Noah’s hand.

“Why do you look so awkward? Is something hurting?”

In a gentle, murmuring voice, Noah grew even more stiff. He avoided looking directly at the king and was hesitating to speak, but then he quickly extended the box he was holding.

“This! It’s a gift!”

“You’re giving it to me personally this year too? Thank you.”

Smiling gently, Jerania accepted the wooden box, and Noah hurriedly added:

“Open it later. You’ll definitely like it… No, you’ll like it.”

As Noah rambled on, Jerania’s gaze held a sense of curiosity. However, before she could voice her thoughts, something heavy attached itself to Noah’s leg.

When Noah looked down, he found two well-dressed children holding onto the hem of his dress with both hands, looking up at him.

“Cordy!”

“It’s Cordy! Cordy’s here!”

Janis, a platinum-haired boy who greatly resembled his father, and Aira, a girl with reddish-brown hair, both trembled with excitement as they looked up at Noah.

Noah’s eyes twitched for a moment as he looked at the children. Unsure how to react, he recalled Cordelia’s advice and reached out to the kids. After offering a slight bow, he gently patted their heads and whispered cheerfully.

“Long time no see, you two! Have you been well?”

“Aira’s been well!”

“I’ve been doing well too.” 

Aira, who was bright and cheerful, and Janis, who was calm and dignified, were siblings with contrasting personalities, but they both liked Cordelia very much. One significant reason for this was that there were hardly any relatives who could play with the children and entertain them as much as Cordelia could.

Even just considering the side of their father, the king, there were no royals left in the palace. This was because King Franz, the current king, had banished all the royals eight years ago when he ascended to the throne. Having experienced the tumultuous times when royals over the age of thirty disrupted the palace with power struggles, he was not particularly lenient. He had been even more ruthless due to the overlapping of rebellions at the time.

So, the only family left was the Weichen lineage on their mother’s side. However, Calia and Frederick, who had a calm temperament, couldn’t respond and play with the children as much as they wanted, making their presence somewhat lacking. It was natural for the lively and cheerful Cordelia to capture the children’s attention.

Of course, Cordelia also loved her niece and nephew very much, so it didn’t matter. 

Noah, who had been watching the children discreetly, reached out and gently hugged Aira. It was because he had heard that Aira liked this kind of affection. It was apparent that she had passed the age of five now; her body felt solid. He didn’t even realize that he felt that way because it was Cordelia’s body.

“Kyaa!”

Janis stared at Aira, who had nestled into Noah’s arms, with a startled expression. Noah smiled mischievously and extended his hand.

“I’m not strong enough to hold you both right now, so Janis, would you like to hold my hand?”

“Sure.”

While speaking calmly, Noah chuckled as Janis firmly grasped his hand. After setting Aira down, Noah looked at Jerania.

“Sister, happy birthday.”

As he spoke the words Cordelia had requested him to say, Jerania looked puzzled but smiled back.

“Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday every year. I’m glad I could see you again this year.”

“Me too! I’m really glad.”

The green eyes that gazed at Noah as he spoke with sincerity twitched with curiosity.

“Cordy, is there something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You seem tense for some reason. Isn’t there something else you want to say?”

In response to her astute observation, cold sweat trickled down the back of Noah. Of course, his expression remained nonchalant.

“Ah, I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night, so I’m a bit tired.”

“You? What happened that…?”

Staring at him with a look that seemed to question what monumental event could have occurred to cause such an experience, Jerania and Calia made Noah marvel once again at Cordelia’s positive nature.

“Yeah, so I’m planning to stay a bit longer and then head back.”

“Okay.”

“Well, you must have those days too.”

Around this point, one might expect a response like, “What’s it matter to you!” However, Cordelia didn’t show any particular reaction. The two sisters exchanged glances without a word.

‘What’s going on with her?’

‘Let’s have a conversation later, sis.’

Just as Calia was about to start a sentence, Noah, with a resolute expression, made a preemptive move.

“Sis.”

“What?”

“I’m hungry.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll go grab something to eat. See you.”

With a serious expression, Noah blurted out nonsense and quickly left his seat. This was one of the secret cards Cordelia had told him to use when in a hurry.

Even though he wondered if it was okay to say something so out of context, seeing the strangely understanding looks from the people around him left him somewhat bewildered. How could such an excuse work, given how he had lived so recklessly up until now?

Thinking that far, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Even finding such a thing charming, perhaps he truly had gone mad. To hide his snickering laughter, Noah pressed his lips together.

Stepping out of the door into the garden, he felt the sun’s bright rays pouring down on his head. Among the nobles in the garden, Noah mingled and contemplated.

He had delivered the gift, so he could probably head back now. He didn’t want to run into Duke Weichen either. Where should he go next?

Lost in thought as he walked, someone grabbed Noah’s shoulder. An expression of curiosity appeared on Noah’s face as he turned to look at the person.