To Meet My Lovely You (Chapter 1)
Prologue. Chapter 1. A Day in the Life of a Certain Lady
It was a morning where bright sunlight streamed through the window.
Leaving behind the pleasant weather that would make anyone feel good just by looking at it, a man sat staring blankly at the mirror attached to the bedside table.
Yes, something had felt off ever since he woke up.
Calloused, large hands. A noticeably higher line of sight. And for someone who usually struggled in the mornings, an oddly clear mind.
He brushed away the jet-black hair that covered his eyes, revealing irises as blue and clear as a lake. His delicate, finely carved features were so beautiful they seemed as if a god had sculpted them.
But this was definitely not his face.
Instead of the familiar beautiful face she knew, Cordelia stared at the unfamiliar face of a man she had never seen before. No matter how many times she blinked, reality did not change.
After gazing for a long while at the person in the mirror—herself, yet not herself—Cordelia’s voice trembled.
“T-this is…”
What on earth happened?!
Pretty things are nice. Beautiful things are even better.
“Look, that’s Lady Cordelia!”
They’re pleasing to the eye, after all.
A small gasp of admiration rippled through the ballroom. At the spot where the gazes of young ladies just stepping out of girlhood landed, a woman stood dressed in a sky-blue gown.
Her golden hair curled gently inward, eyes shining blue like a lake, long lashes, and plump crimson lips gave her an air of elegance reminiscent of a masterpiece painting.
There might be people who could pass her without noticing, but no one who saw her could help but look back. There was a reason why she was called the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.
If her older sister, Kallia, was a red rose, then Cordelia was an elegant beauty reminiscent of a golden tulip.
“She’s absolutely stunning…”
As one woman gazed at Cordelia in awe, a friend in the group slyly teased her.
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
“Oh, come on, Jaina, you can’t take your eyes off her either. Honestly, after seeing her today, I think the rumors don’t even capture half her beauty. I heard she hasn’t been active in society lately—guess we got lucky. It would’ve been nice if Lady Kallia had come too…”
The woman sipped her cider as if to say she couldn’t stop her chatterbox friend from babbling like a sparrow.
In truth, it wasn’t just them—most of the people in the ballroom were sneaking glances at Cordelia. They just didn’t dare to openly stare for the sake of propriety.
With that many persistent glances, you’d think she would notice, but Cordelia looked simply bored and lost in thought. The red gemstone bracelet on her pale wrist suited her perfectly.
“Well… she’s beautiful, sure, but… she doesn’t seem all that virtuous.”
Cordelia’s reputation for being involved with men was quite famous in society. There was even a half-joking rumor that every handsome man had dated her at least once, since the number of people who claimed to have courted her easily exceeded ten fingers.
But none of those relationships lasted more than three months.
Some ex-lovers claimed they were the ones who ended things and spread nasty gossip, but few believed them.
After all, Cordelia had never shown even a trace of regret toward any of her former lovers, and she was still the most sought-after woman in society.
“Still, the fact that she’s not married yet… doesn’t that mean there’s something wrong?”
Most of the people gathered looked shocked at the bold remark. A slightly older woman quietly admonished her.
“What are you saying? There are still countless proposals from dukes waiting to enter House Weitzen.”
“Not to mention, she’s currently seeing someone, isn’t she?”
“With money and power like hers, what can’t she do?”
No matter how much someone tried to drag her down, anyone who saw Cordelia even once knew the truth.
Cordelia Weitzen—the youngest daughter of the powerful Weitzen Ducal family—had captivated society with her elegant beauty from the moment she debuted, and even more than ten years later, she still reigned at the height of her popularity.
Men across the room were also stealing glances at her; even her profile as she sipped her drink was flawless.
It was hard to believe she was nearing thirty—she looked so youthful.
“Did you hear? There’s a rumor that Lady Cordelia and Count Nelson broke up.”
“Is that true?”
“Seems likely. They say the Count’s carriage was left waiting outside her home and never allowed in.”
“Oh dear…”
At that moment, a man approached Cordelia. The men fell silent as if on cue.
The man they had just been gossiping about—Edward Nelson. Just past thirty, he had neatly combed hair and a sophisticated, handsome appearance.
Standing together, the two looked like a perfect pair, but their conversation was anything but warm.
“I thought we’d said everything that needed saying.”
Though her face bore a gentle smile, her reply was cold as ice. Edward spoke in a soft voice.
“Cody, I’m sorry about that day.”
“Do you even know what you’re apologizing for?”
“For not respecting your opinion properly. But you were at fault too, weren’t you?”
Cordelia’s eyebrow twitched. So he’d already forgotten the rude assumptions he had made right to her face? She had asked for an apology and correction, and when that went nowhere, she had ended things. Now he had the audacity to act like it was mutual fault? As if politeness could make his words reasonable?
Unaware of her growing irritation, Edward continued smoothly.
“You’re far too careless. You need to be more cautious—”
“Count.”
She cut him off, unable to listen to another word. He looked startled.
Once, she might have simply stepped on his foot under the table, but Cordelia had learned better ways to completely pin someone down as she grew older.
“I’ve returned everything you sent me to your residence. Not a single item was left out—please check for yourself.”
Gone was the affectionate, sweet lover. Her expression was now polite, formal, and utterly devoid of emotion.
Before Edward could even process the look in her eyes—like she was seeing a stranger—Cordelia spoke in a gentle voice that carried merciless words.
“Oh, and you can keep the gifts I gave you. Or throw them away. Your choice.”
With that, she offered a courteous farewell, leaving the stunned man behind. Her steps as she exited the ballroom were light as air.
The weather outside the window was beautifully clear.
Sunlight poured down on the red rooftops of the grand estate.
Near a building that served as both a publishing house and a residence—with the upper three floors for living quarters—a luxurious carriage came to a stop. A woman swept her hair back with a gesture full of irritation.
“Ugh! To hell with romance and novels!”
Storming inside, Cordelia entered the second-floor drawing room and collapsed onto a sofa with a groan.
A gentle-looking man with neatly cropped brown hair placed a steaming cup of tea before her.
“Please calm down, Madam Author. You know your devoted readers are eagerly awaiting your next book.”
“Shut it, Luther! I’m retiring!”
“Yes, yes. I understand how you feel, but you can’t do that.”
No matter what Cordelia said, Luther let her words go in one ear and out the other. Whenever deadlines loomed, she always threatened to retire—it was practically a habit by now.
The youngest daughter of the kingdom’s most powerful family, a celebrated beauty who dominated high society… but Cordelia had another name.
Lawrence Blanc. The most popular romance novelist in the kingdom.
Over ten years ago, she had burst onto the scene like a comet with works like Night of Frey, penning countless bestsellers adored by noblewomen and wealthy ladies. Now, even commoners were among her readership.
That was Cordelia Weitzen’s other identity.
Once she had calmed a bit with tea in hand, Luther cautiously asked:
“How’s the manuscript coming along?”
“Not at all. I keep writing bits and pieces, but nothing sticks.”
Books were once handmade, but since the temple developed a magical printing machine, mass production had revolutionized the industry.
Small publishers flourished as they could now commission the temple to print books, and bookstores multiplied across the kingdom.
Initially, literacy was limited to nobles, wealthy commoners, and monks, so the market was small. But about five years ago, a state-led education policy drastically increased literacy.
Books became cheaper, more people could read, and the market exploded.
Naturally, more writers emerged, and Cordelia belonged to the second wave of this boom.
When she first anonymously submitted her work to publishers, the only one who responded positively was Mason Luther—a decision he later claimed changed his career.
Contrary to skeptics who scoffed at romance novels, Cordelia’s works became sensational hits, making “Lawrence Blanc” one of the kingdom’s most celebrated authors.
From innocent first love to sensual tales, Cordelia could write any flavor of romance with ease. She was undeniably talented…
…though like most writers, she became a nightmare near deadlines. Cordelia sprawled across the table with a groan.
“But seriously, I’m completely out of ideas. What do I do?”
“Why not borrow from one of your old works?”
“No way! Who wants to read the same thing twice? More than anything, I can’t come up with a single cool male lead—aaaagh!”
