In Order To Meet You, Beloved

“What?!”

Unlike Cordelia’s playful tone, Noah’s response sounded slightly taken aback. Cordelia felt a bit uneasy even though she believed there was no ill intention. Well, who cares about his impression?

“Well, it’s not like that at all. How could you be so…?”

“What’s with that attitude? Am I that inadequate?”

“Inadequate? No! It’s more than enough… No, that’s not it.”

Noah’s face grew warmer as he rambled on. Looking at Cordelia, who was observing him with a slightly embarrassed expression on her reddened face, Noah stuttered.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, when my face turns red, it’s this kind of feeling, I guess.”

“….Excuse me?”

“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it.”

Cordelia clapped her hands. She couldn’t even utter the words that she had been thinking about referencing the novel.

She knew better than anyone how she appeared to others. She carried the impression of being elegant yet carefree, but even that was just a glimpse of her personality.

She had never shown more to those she had dated. The desire for them to understand everything about her was a form of pride. Since no one could fully comprehend another person, it was better to bury the parts that couldn’t be understood in the abyss.

It was a lesson learned from over a decade of experience.

…Yet sometimes, why did the fact that it was frustrating weighs on her?

“Come on, don’t just stand there, please help me. We need to draw the magic circle.”

Linus’ deep voice shattered the subtle current that flowed between them. Cordelia extended her lips in a mock pout as if she found it regrettable, and Noah silently expressed his gratitude to her.

As they followed her instructions to move the carpet in the center and clear the sofas and tables, Linus pulled out a white piece of chalk and drew a large circle on the floor. Even amid that, Cordelia discreetly slipped outside and hid the paper she had been holding in her arms in her room.

Upon returning, Noah and Linus were engaged in a conversation. While Noah avoided eye contact with her, Linus wore a rather serious expression. When asked what was going on, she simply shook her head, indicating that it wasn’t the right time to speak yet.

Pouting and puffing up her cheeks in frustration, she retorted to Linus, who was scrunching her face and Cordelia retorted that she didn’t know what cute was because she wasn’t cute herself.

That day, Noah learned for the first time that a person could convey a hit through just their gaze.

After overcoming various obstacles, Linus finished her preparations and firmly closed and locked the door. She then positioned Cordelia and Noah within separate circles.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a magic circle used for minimizing recoil and for combined defensive purposes. To sever magic like this, you’d have to expend quite a bit of energy, and it would be quite problematic to be detected like before.”

Using magic from outside was generally prohibited without permission, unless in cases of dire danger. Of course, not everyone followed these rules to the letter, but getting caught made avoiding punishment difficult.

“Now, extend your hands…”

Following the incantation Linus was reciting, a gentle breeze began to blow from the outside of the circle. The surrounding furniture started to shiver, and even the hat that was holding Noah’s attention firmly was dislodged by the wind and moved along with it.

Upon seeing the white thread extending from the fingertips of the two, Linus’ pupils widened.

The red energy that flowed from Linus’ hands gathered into one, forming the shape of a small pair of scissors. She held the thread with a calm demeanor, her gaze focused on it, and then slowly opened the scissors to cut the thread.

At that moment, the wind ceased, and like a puppet with its strings cut, Cordelia and Noah lost their balance. Intense pain, as if their entire bodies were struck, immediately engulfed them. It was a sensation as if the world was turning upside down.

Noah almost stumbled but managed to regain his balance, while Cordelia clutched her throat and coughed, her body wracked with dizziness.

“Wh-whoa… Ugh… Ugh!”

Cordelia’s legs gave way, and as she was about to collapse to the floor, Noah hastily supported her by her shoulders.

“Are you okay, Cordelia?!”

“Gah… I think I’m… dying…”

Somehow, it feels worse than the hangover she had after dealing with her Father and the Grand Duke… Cordelia murmured weakly. When she noticed the hand tightly holding onto her, she opened her eyes slightly.

Wow, his hand is really big.

Looking at the muscular and strong hand with prominent tendons, Cordelia slowly raised her gaze. A remarkably handsome face was looking down at her with concern.

They were so close that even the fallen fringe couldn’t completely obscure the contours of his face. Delicately extended eyelashes, gently arched eyebrows, a sleek and high nose, and even plump red lips.

It was completely different from what she had seen in the mirror. Amidst the dizziness, Cordelia blinked her eyes slowly at the dazzling sensation. It was unbelievable.

How could someone be so perfectly aligned with her taste?

If she were a painter or a sculptor, she might have asked him to be her immediate model. Of course, even now, inspiration was surging wildly within her.

Until just a moment ago, it felt like she was floating in a dream, but now that the realization of an actual person hit her, it felt strangely unfamiliar. The queasiness gradually subsided.

Under the persistent gaze, Noah managed to muster a casual smile. 

“Can you stand on your own…?”

Wait, that face… she can see it.

As she reassured him it was okay and managed to rise to her feet, her glossy golden hair, elegant fingers, and familiar eye level all felt remarkably close once again. Cordelia beamed with joy.

“We’re back! Oh?!”

Cordelia, who had been examining her palm, suddenly grabbed Noah’s hand. Without noticing Noah, whose ears were reddening at the touch, Cordelia extended both their palms toward Linus with a bright smile.

“Looks like a line got erased, Linus.”

One of the lines on the hexastar had disappeared. Linus, who noticed that there were now only five lines remaining within the circle, crossed her arms.

As expected, she thought so.

“Unfortunately, the magic hasn’t been lifted.”

“What?”

“From what I can see, it seems that each time the connection is broken, a line disappears. It’s just a guess though.”

With those words, Linus gently stepped on the chalk-drawn magic circle, erasing it with her foot.

“So, does that mean our bodies can switch again? At least five times?”

“Most likely. The two of you are strongly bound by some magic. Unless we address the fundamental cause, you should return to normal. Even if that’s not the case, there’s a possibility of switching again under certain conditions.”

“What kind of conditions? What on earth could that be?”

“Now we have to find out. I’m not entirely confident either. I’ll have to go back and do some research.”

“I’ll appreciate your efforts, Priest.”

Looking up at Noah’s face, who politely bowed his head, Cordelia admired him once again.

Wow, the more she looks, the more handsome he is. How do humans look like that?

“It’s okay. We’ll figure something out. It might be a bit awkward.”

After picking up the fallen hat from the ground and dusting it off, Cordelia put it back on Noah’s head and casually added, 

“Oh, and by the way. It’s great that our bodies are back, but we should explore other solutions. This is too confusing; I can’t stand it.”

Not just her insides, but her whole body had twisted as if it had been hit, yet Cordelia pretended to shake it off. Linus lightly clicked her tongue.

“Exactly, I told you the recoil would be significant.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this intense!”

Noah, who had experienced the same agony, also looked at Cordelia with concern. He hid his trembling hands behind his back and spoke calmly.

“It seems like our bodies are under quite a strain. Could you please explore other methods if possible?”

“Of course, I’m considering that. This is just a temporary solution. I will firmly accept the cost of labor.”

“Linus, can you reveal the finances like that?”

Linus sniffed as if she found Cordelia’s comment incredulous.

“It’s just about receiving fair compensation for labor. The temple wouldn’t even give me additional allowances despite them feasting on their wealth. Those darn deities. They don’t even take responsibility for putting food on my table.”

“Well, the temple’s main income is from offerings, isn’t it…”

“Let’s set aside the trivial matters and focus on the necessary amount.”

Cordelia accepted the amount Linus suggested with an air of nonchalance, but Noah cautiously voiced his opinion.

“I do have quite a bit of money myself. Can I contribute to cover the costs for this matter?”

Cordelia chuckled and extended her hand.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Besides, I’ve got plenty of money anyway.”

“Regardless of Cordelia’s wealth, considering that I am the cause of the problem, I think it’s right for me to shoulder this burden.”

Transparent and beautifully blue eyes, reminiscent of a deer, looked earnestly at Cordelia. She had just been gazing for a moment, seemingly entranced, but when she snapped back to reality, she realized she was nodding along with her head, taking in her surprised reaction.

Men are scary. Cordelia answered with a sense of inevitability, having come to a realization.

“Yeah, okay. Instead, let’s go to the dressing room later. No, it’s better to call someone to help us fit the clothes.”

“What?”

“Just in case we switch bodies again. I also want to wear clothes that suit my taste, but I can’t ask you to buy them for me, can I?”

No matter what he wears, he would look handsome, but beautiful clothes complement a handsome face. She would have to contact the tailor she often called. She was quite certain that seeing this face would boost their enthusiasm as well.

As good as he was, he wasn’t a weirdo who wouldn’t take on a client unless he liked them, and since he occasionally dressed his exes, he was a familiar face.

Except for the fact that he’d always ask her if she’d broken up with a man already, their tastes were very much in sync, so they were still in contact with each other. The thought of someone who would be excited to tell her that this would be a good match for her was already very appealing.

While she hid the growing wicked delight and pretended to be innocent, Noah responded with a puzzled expression, 

“Yes, but… What if our bodies switch again?”

“For that, we might need to have a proper discussion, even if just to prepare.”

Their personalities, speech patterns, and professions were worlds apart. While both were involved in creative pursuits, their domains were vastly different. They needed to align their words to some extent if they wanted to keep others from noticing.

Cordelia, lost in thought for a moment, voiced a thought that had crossed her mind, 

“There are plenty of rooms here. Would you consider just staying here with me?”