Chapter 277

EPISODE 277 – INTERLUDE (2)

It was a night with a half moon.

Stars that seemed to fall down at any moment when you looked up filled the sky, and the night sea reflecting the twinkling stars was blue and beautiful instead of dark and terrifying.

Cordelia sat still and looked up the sky. She turned her gaze to the side and her eyes sparkled more than the stars she saw in the night sky.

Jude was looking up the sky.

He frankly looked so handsome that her heart felt like it was about to burst.

‘It’s a foul, a foul.’

She wondered when he grew taller again. He seemed to be in the 185-190 cm range. When they stood side by side, she could only see his shoulders and not his head if she looked straight.

So Cordelia had to raise her head. Slightly biting her lips, she looked at Jude’s side profile with bated breath.

For some reason, their hair was wet.

His disheveled bluish black hair was dripping wet, so his white skin stood out even more.

A sharp nose, soft lips, and a sculpturally perfect chin.

But there was something else that Cordelia liked the most.

His eyes that were gazing at the sky.

It looked really beautiful and not because of the filter in her eyes.

That green light diffusing into the darkness as if it was melting was like a mysterious magic.

Cordelia lightly pressed down her pounding chest and stretched out her other hand to grab Jude’s sleeve.

She could have held his hand, but somehow, she wanted to pull his sleeve.

One brief pull.

And another.

She timidly pulled it, so he couldn’t help but react.

Jude who was staring at the night sky turned his head and looked at Cordelia.

Green eyes.

Cordelia bit her lips again for no reason and averted her gaze. She thought that she would turn strange if she kept looking at him.

But it was already too late.

Her heart was pounding. It was the normal heartbeat sounds at first, but she couldn’t hear any other sounds around her except for her pounding heart now.

What if Jude hears it too?

It was at that moment. Jude moved his hand. He held her hand that was holding his sleeve, and Cordelia was unsure of what to do with Jude’s big hand. A little wiggling was all that she could do.

“Cordelia.”

At his call in a low voice, Cordelia lightly trembled again.

Strangely, she felt her body tremble just from hearing his voice.

The beating of her heart grew louder and faster.

Even without looking in the mirror, she could tell that her face had turned red. Because her face had become so warm that it was clear that it was red.

Her neck, cheeks, and ears.

No, her entire body.

“Cordelia.”

Jude called her again.

Cordelia plucked up her courage and raised her head at the sweet voice that tickled her ears.

She looked at Jude again, and a wind from somewhere coolly brushed the nape of her neck.

‘It feels amazing.’

It was the moment she thought unconsciously.

Jude’s big hand drew near and touched her dripping wet hair as it went along her ear.

It didn’t stop there as it rested on her hot cheeks.

Jude’s hands were cold.

It was because he was born with extreme Yin energy, but Cordelia liked Jude’s hand regardless. As she silently rested her cheek on his palm, her body seemed to melt. So without realizing it, she raised her hand and placed it over Jude’s hand that was holding her cheek.

Jude laughed.

He smiled and kissed her forehead, passed over the bridge of her nose and placed his lips on the tip of her nose.

She was embarrassed.

It was endlessly embarrassing, but her body oddly didn’t move.

It just wanted to stay still like this.

“Cordelia.”

His third call.

Cordelia gently closed her eyes, and Jude kissed her lips. He passed through her jawline and over her neck, lightly licking her protruding clavicle with the tip of his tongue.

She felt like she was being burned.

It was hot, fierce, and agonizing.

Cordelia slightly opened her eyes again. Led by Jude’s hand, she laid down on her back. Unknowingly, she sent him a nervous look.

“Jude.”

Jude responded to her call. He also gazed at her nervously.

The exhilarating thrill.

Their pounding hearts.

And strangely enough, their pouring sweat.

“Huh?”

With a dazed sound, Cordelia opened her eyes.

Her cheeks felt hot and moist.

“Ah?”

She let out another dazed sound and the seconds passed.

Having opened her eyes, Cordelia quickly raised her upper body and wiped the saliva all over her face.

“Ah, no.”

The drool from her lips covered the book pages.

There were also obscene illustrations drawn next to the words that seemed to be so embarrassing that Maja would faint if she had seen it, but it was now drenched with her drool.

“Ueueue.”

Once Cordelia wiped off her drool, she created a slightly warm heat on her palms.

She could naturally let it dry, but it would be a problem if others saw the book, so she quickly did that with magic.

‘A dream.’

A dream that always ended in the same place.

A dream that strangely didn’t go beyond a certain line.

Why?

Why does it always end up getting cut off there?

What kind of dream will unfold if the scene continues?

“Ahem, ahem… Ahem, ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia quickly covered her face with both hands after briefly imagining it. Her cheeks and neck were so red that it was hard to breathe.

‘L-lewd demon, no. Get out.’

She quietly muttered to herself before she shook her head a few times and quickly put the book in a box hidden under the bed.

‘I have to be careful next time.’

Thank goodness that I woke up alone. I would have died from embarrassment if Maja had woken me up.

“Ueueue.”

In fact, this had been a rare – no, a frequent occurrence these days.

‘It’s all because of Kajsa and Scarlet.’

It’s because of the books they gave me.

So it’s not my fault.

I read it over and over again, but after all, it’s their fault and not mine.

‘Ahem, ahem, that’s right. The really bad one is Jude.’

Because they had always been together every day and then he disappeared.

It had been three months since they arrived at their fief.

Cassius, who built a workshop from one of the ruins of the Black Horn Guild, had detained Jude there for three months.

Jude was actually staying there for smelting rather than confinement, but it was true that they hadn’t met too.

According to a letter that came every 3 days, it seemed like his Sword Origin was being smelted into Awakening Myth-rank dragon equipment while he was receiving training from Kamael at the same time.

He couldn’t move his body properly, but he could still do Qi energy training to some extent.

What Kamael was teaching him was the Twelve Snowflake Sword Art.

The extreme Yin martial art that was in contrast to the extreme Yang martial art, Supreme Sun Divine Art, was a familiar name for Cordelia who had played as Kamael from the first to the third episodes of Legend of Heroes.

“I miss Jude…”

Cordelia unconsciously spoke out loud, pouting her lips several times before she stood up.

Usually, she would be depressed and in low spirits, but it was different today.

“Hehehe.”

Because they would meet soon.

After 3 months, she would be able to meet and kiss – no, she would be able to face Jude.

“Ohmigosh, ohmigosh… Ahem, ahem… ohmigosh.”

Cordelia was so excited that her shoulders moved up and down, and she reopened the letter on the desk.

On the white and pretty stationery were short and simple but very impactful sentences written in elegant letters.

The marriage of her older sister, Adelia, and her future brother-in-law, Gaël.

The big event was less than a month away.

The couple’s wedding was to be held in the north – that is, their hometown of Bailon which was also Jude and Cordelia’s hometown.

“Hehe, hehehe.”

Cordelia giggled as she recalled her older sister’s face and suddenly blushed again.

Because she remembered the ‘next’ that their fathers had said.

“Ahem, ahem… ahem, ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia folded the wedding invitation and left the room after fixing her clothes, but ended up facing Maja.

“M-Maja?”

When Cordelia was startled as if she had been caught stealing, Maja narrowed her brows a bit before she took a step forward and had a small sigh.

“Lady Cordelia, your cheeks are a mess.”

“Eh? Oh, yes. Sorry.”

Cordelia turned red in embarrassment as Maja pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the letters that stuck at Cordelia’s cheeks.

Her face had clearly gone red because of what she read, but Maja pretended to not have seen the letters on her cheeks like a skilled maid. Maja would only make the both of them embarrassed if she said anything.

“Still… do it in moderation, okay? It’s better to do it in moderation.”

“Huh? W-what do you mean?”

Cordelia panicked and stuttered, but Maja spoke no more. She had already conveyed what needed to be said.

Maja Tantalotte.

She was Jude’s exclusive maid, but left the Bayer territory and moved to the August Bayer and August Chase territory for residency and work.

Up until now, she had been Jude’s exclusive maid, but her status here was different.

Because she had become the housekeeper of a powerful count household.

“What about Dahlia?”

“She’s on patrol. She said that she’ll be back before lunch, so she’ll be back soon.”

Dahlia was Cordelia’s escort knight, and she also moved to August Bayer – no, to Countess August Chase’s territory.

Her position was Knight Commander who led the territory’s knights.

‘It’s technically nepotism.’

Dahlia was qualified and skilled anyway.

In fact, it was a newly established order of knights, so they couldn’t help but hire those whom they personally knew.

“By the way, Maja, it’s tomorrow, right? Tomorrow.”

“Yes, that is correct. It’s tomorrow.”

At Maja’s reply, Cordelia was very happy.

Because she would finally be able to meet Jude tomorrow after 3 months.

“Ohmigosh, ohmigosh… Ahem, ahem… ohmigosh.”

As Cordelia unconsciously moved her shoulders up and down in happiness again, Maja had a complex and strange expression, but eventually smiled a bit.

Besides Cordelia looking cute, Maja herself was very excited about tomorrow.

They would have to leave for Bailon to attend the wedding.

Cordelia would definitely not be going alone, so Jude would be with her.

‘I should also show the results of my training.’

Because I seriously read a lot of books.

‘N-no. Not that.’

Cordelia criticized herself and cleared away the thoughts that begun to fill her head. She then recalled the witch’s face.

The Witch of the West Forest stayed with her for around a month before leaving.

Because of what she learned from the witch, Cordelia had become much stronger than 3 months ago.

‘From now on, it’s offense time.’

Cordelia had gotten stronger, and Jude must have also gotten stronger.

Up until now, they had been wandering around to prevent the events that would occur in the Sälen Kingdom, so their battles were mostly defensive in a way.

But it would be different from now on.

In order to prevent the Great Summons from taking place, as well as stopping the 7 Major Calamities, they would need to move more aggressively.

Like robbing the branches of the demonic followers, or launching a preemptive attack in advance.

‘The best defense is a good offense.’

Cordelia clenched her fist and nodded her head. Afterwards, she began to review the various tasks of their territory.

Thanks to Count Bayer and Count Chase’s skillful assistance, the fief was running smoothly on its own, but confirmation was still necessary.

After completing the paperwork with the help of Dahlia and Maja, Cordelia trained alone.

She then ate dinner with Dahlia and Maja, and did this and that before going to bed.

For a moment, the box under her bed came to her mind, but Cordelia shook her head.

Because she had to sleep early today.

‘B-because…’

Because the real Jude will arrive tomorrow.

Not the Jude in my dreams but the real Jude.

“Ueueue.”

Her face immediately blushed when she recalled Jude’s face.

There’s a saying ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ but it seems like that’s all a lie. I haven’t seen him for 3 months, but it only made me miss him more and more.

‘Okay, okay. I’ve decided.’

I just have to meet him.

And when I meet him…

Cordelia’s lips squirmed and she covered herself with the blanket all the way to the top of her head. Some sounds similar to kisses were heard before she tried to sleep.

And the next morning.

Cordelia had stayed up all night instead of sleeping. After having breakfast, she got on the carriage.

In her mind, she wanted to run and fly by herself, but she had to go with Maja and Dahlia.

“Are you that happy?”

When Dahlia asked as she closed the carriage door, Maja silently grinned while Cordelia nodded. She spoke frankly because she was in front of the two and not anyone else.

“Yes, I’m happy. Really happy.”

I miss him so much.

Dahlia and Maja smiled again.

And after a while, the wheels of the carriage began to roll in response to the pounding of Cordelia’s heart.