CHAPTER 111……………………………………………
Before the beautiful face that could only be described as that of a true beauty, the three of them simultaneously lost their words. It wasn’t as though they had never seen attractive people before, but this was the first time someone had seemed elegant simply by being seen.
They suddenly realized that when someone’s looks were extraordinary enough, even standing still could exude overwhelming presence.
Unlike their racing thoughts, none of them showed any particular reaction, and Cordelia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Ah, sorry. Maybe I was too casual for a first meeting?”
Her tone—like someone who had never spoken politely in her life—made the three of them exchange quick glances.
“N-no, please, speak however is comfortable for you.”
Tropa finally managed to find her voice, and Avery and Laura quickly nodded beside her. Seeing their flustered faces, Noah gave them an apologetic look.
He’d expected this might happen.
“Th-this person is—”
“Call me Codi! I’ve heard a lot about you from Noah!”
“Wait a second, don’t tell me this is the person you said you’d introduce us to…”
“That’s right.”
At the short answer, all three exhaled the breaths they’d been holding. After excusing themselves to the smiling Cordelia, they pulled Noah toward the wall. Avery glanced back at Cordelia and whispered.
“What on earth happened?”
“Good question. What did happen?”
Even as they gave him a look that clearly said What nonsense are you talking about?, Noah had nothing more to say. Thinking back on the whirlwind of the past few months just made him feel nostalgic.
“I mean, just look at her. She clearly isn’t of an ordinary background. You can see from her face alone that she was raised like nobility!”
“She is from a noble family. But she’s not as difficult as she looks, so don’t worry.”
Laura, who had been listening quietly, immediately objected.
“How are we not supposed to worry?”
“Yeah, impossible.”
There was a saying among craftsmen: if you want to live a long life, stay out of noble affairs. Noah had heard that plenty of times himself.
“Sorry, maybe I should’ve talked to you about this beforehand?”
“Forget it. I kind of wanted to meet her anyway. I was wondering which slick noble managed to seduce my poor, innocent friend…”
Avery trailed off as she gave Noah a once-over. Laura spoke gently.
“But seriously, why would someone like her be with you? It’s not like she’s lacking suitors.”
“Hmm… she says she likes my face.”
Noah had answered without thinking, but the three of them suddenly looked even more serious. Avery whispered in a near-silent voice.
“She’s not just playing with you, is she?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“You don’t know that! She’s a noble! Do you really think someone like her would be serious about one of us? Remember Monica from our workshop? Some noble jerk tried to make her his mistress. She had to quit and move back to the countryside.”
“Right. You’re not just going to get used and thrown away, are you?”
“And nobles always marry within their rank. Does her family even know about you?”
Their concern was understandable, and Noah took a moment before answering.
“She is a bit unusual… but she’s not like that. Her family already knows about me. So far, it hasn’t been a huge issue.”
“Oh, so she’s that high up, huh?”
“What are you all whispering about?”
The four of them turned around at once. Cordelia, apparently bored, was tapping her foot on the floor and cleared her throat behind a hand.
“I totally get why you’d feel awkward, but… should we move somewhere else? We’re drawing a lot of eyes.”
Realizing the tense atmosphere, Cordelia stood still, waiting for a reply. Noah quickly went to her side, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and pulled her hood up. His friends widened their eyes at the sight of usually reserved Noah being so openly affectionate.
“Where would you like to go?”
Even his gentle tone made them stare—Since when were you like this?
Ignoring their piercing looks, Noah spoke softly, and Cordelia beamed.
“Where you all work! If it’s not too much trouble. I’ve always wanted to see it.”
“Would that be okay?”
When Noah asked, Avery, Tropa, and Laura replied in turn, caught off guard.
“I don’t mind.”
“Uh, well… my place is a forge, so it’s hot, and kind of dangerous for visitors…”
“I’m fine with it. Just looking around is no big deal.”
Even as approval and concern mixed, Cordelia’s smile never wavered. With her face partially hidden by the hood, she seemed less intimidating now. Though they still couldn’t quite understand why a noblewoman wanted to see their workplaces, she seemed sincere enough.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Cordelia took the lead energetically, only to freeze mid-step.
“…Wait, where are we going?”
Her embarrassed question made everyone bite their lips to hold back laughter. Representing the group’s effort not to laugh, Noah covered his mouth with a hand.
“Laura’s workshop is the closest, so let’s start there. Everyone okay with that?”
After checking their nods, Noah held out his hand to Cordelia, who took it happily and skipped along beside him.
“She’s from a noble family, sure—but she’s not as difficult as she looks, so don’t worry.”
It didn’t take long for the others to understand exactly what Noah had meant by that.
“What’s that?”
“That’s a loom. We use it to spin thread and weave fabric.”
“Wow, everyone’s hands move so fast! It’s like they’re flying. That’s amazing!”
“Laura’s one of the most skilled in this workshop.”
“Jealous! I’m terrible at embroidery and stuff like that.”
Contrary to her elegant looks, which suggested she couldn’t stand dirt or disorder, Cordelia was lively, curious, and never once complained.
She even whispered quietly so as not to disturb the workers. Most nobles moved around with attendants and made a big show of things, but she had refused that kind of attention entirely, saying it was bothersome.
The workers at the door recognized Laura and called out.
“Hey, Laura! Didn’t you say you were taking the day off?”
“Someone I know wanted to see where I work.”
“Oh? Interested in this kind of thing?”
“Then try to recruit her—we’re dying for extra hands right now!”
Laughter filled the room, but the rhythmic sound of shuttles and looms never stopped. Cordelia watched the threads interweave with fascination.
“Sadly, I already have a job, so that might be difficult!”
Her bright, easy response made the workers laugh.
“Wow, got some lungs on you, huh?”
“Working at another workshop, then? Fair enough.”
“Just make sure to read the contracts carefully! The bosses are all crooks trying to rip you off!”
Hearing their frank talk, the three who knew her real identity glanced at her nervously.
“Got it! I’ll keep that in mind—there really are too many shady employers out there!”
Her cheerful tone was so natural that it reflected her sunny personality perfectly. Even with the hood on, her striking features should have drawn attention, but somehow, no one in the workshop seemed to notice. Had they not seen her unveiled face earlier, her friends might have doubted it themselves.
After plenty of “sightseeing,” the group followed Avery to the jewelry workshop where he worked.
Unlike the textile one, this workshop was quiet—almost reverent. Since working with gemstones required intense concentration, most of the artisans were calm and meticulous by nature.
Cordelia didn’t interrupt with questions, instead peeking curiously over their shoulders. She marveled at the delicate cutting of gems, her eyes sparkling as she watched them being set one by one. When she looked back at the group as if to ask Isn’t this amazing?, her expression alone spoke volumes.
Even in the silence, her animated face seemed to chatter endlessly, and it was surprisingly endearing.
“Everyone’s working so hard. I don’t think I could stay that quiet for so long.”
Once they’d stepped outside, Cordelia let out a soft sigh of admiration. Avery, walking behind her, replied evenly.
“When you’re focused, you stop thinking about things like that. One moment, you’re working—and suddenly, the finished piece is right there.”
“Ah, I think I kind of get that. I’m the same way when I’m working—no thoughts, just flow.”
“Working? You have a job?”
“I told you I do.”
Avery blinked, doubtful.
“But aren’t you… a noble?”
“It is considered proper for nobles not to work, but not all of us live by that rule.”
Cordelia grumbled lightly, making everyone chuckle. Tropa naturally picked up the thread of conversation.
“What kind of work do you do?”
“Oh, something… complicated. Gives me a headache sometimes. I often wonder why I even started it.”
“That’s how work always is. I think the same thing when I’m hammering metal all day.”
“Well, it has its rewarding parts, and it’s kind of fun, so I manage. I’m not very good with my hands, so I really admire people who are—like Noah, or you guys.”
Cordelia sighed softly, and Laura offered comfort.
“From what I saw earlier, you seem really enthusiastic. Maybe you’d actually be good at it if you learned.”
Cordelia shook her head firmly.
“No way. When I was little, I learned embroidery, and the woman teaching me apparently said to my father—”
“Huh?”
“‘My lord… I believe your daughter may have talents better suited to other fields.’ In other words, I was hopeless and should give up!”
Even after a year of lessons, to hear that had stung—but Cordelia wasn’t the type to cling to what clearly wasn’t her strength.
“I was also curious about your master,” she said, turning to Noah. “What kind of person is he?”
“Hmm…”
Noah hesitated, so the others filled in one by one.
“Boisterous and witty.”
“Extremely strict and particular about his craft.”
“Bit of a wanderer—rarely stays in one place, treats everyone the same, whether guild leader or apprentice.”
“…A bit of an eccentric,” Noah added after some thought.
At that, all three of his friends stopped walking—and burst out laughing in unison.
