Tail’s Curse Chapter 40

Along the walking path, tall wild grasses and elegant deep green trees swayed refreshingly, embracing the sea breeze, their rich blue scent mingling with the cool fragrance emanating from the man beside her. 

 

Unconsciously, her nose tingled where he had brushed it earlier.

 

Glancing up at him, she saw him staring straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

 

“Miss Cordelia.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Just a word of caution…”

 

His brow furrowed as he spoke. 

 

Following his gaze, Cordelia turned her head and blinked in surprise.

 

The other person also seemed slightly startled but soon smoothed his expression into a practiced smile and greeted them.

 

“Well, look who it is. Didn’t expect to see Noah here.”

 

“Same here. Why don’t you just keep walking?”

 

“That wouldn’t do. How rude would it be to just pass by like this?”

 

Mikael grinned brightly as he approached, while Noah looked as though he was considering kicking him in the stomach right then and there. 

 

Cordelia exhaled sharply at the unwelcome guest’s appearance but, sensing Noah’s mood, instinctively tightened her grip on his hand.

 

Having grown up exposed to constant violence and harsh words, she disliked unnecessary conflict. 

 

As her small hand clung to his, Noah glanced expressionlessly at her tense forehead before turning back to the man in front of them. Mikael wasn’t alone.

 

“Say hello. This is my fiancée-to-be, Georgiana Langham. I don’t think her face is unfamiliar to you.”

 

The woman on Mikael’s arm was a petite lady with glossy, voluminous chestnut hair. Her slightly downturned eyes, small thin lips, and round face gave her the gentle appearance of a deer.

 

Though not strikingly beautiful, her slender, graceful figure, cautious gestures, and charmingly coy smile made her undeniably attractive—the kind of woman who would likely be popular with men.

 

“Yeah. Unfortunately, it is.”

 

He smiled languidly, his expression dry and unreadable—whether he was being sarcastic or making a slightly mean-spirited joke was unclear. 

 

In response to Noah’s brief greeting, the woman opposite him also smiled sweetly and spoke.

 

“Hello, Sir Noah Tudor. What luck to meet the Empire’s hero here—it’s an honor.”

 

“Yes. I suppose so.”

 

His indifferent reply, as if telling her to take it as an honor, made Cordelia stare at him in disbelief at his audacity. 

 

But he simply looked back at her with a ‘What now?’ expression.

 

Unlike Cordelia, who was inwardly shocked, the woman instead giggled shyly, as if she had just heard a delightful joke.

 

“You’re as mischievous as ever.”

 

Amid the laughing woman and the two men forcing stiff smiles, Cordelia was utterly confused. 

 

What was this? Was this kind of humor popular among Katisha’s people? 

 

Regardless of the tense atmosphere, Georgiana maintained a pretty smile, innocently tapping her lips with a finger—a gesture meant to draw attention.

 

“But what an interesting group you have here? Where has Miss Sasha Ander gone, and who is this new lady with you?”

 

Huh? 

 

For a moment, Cordelia sensed something familiar flicker in the smiling woman’s gaze and pursed her lips. This stranger clearly didn’t think highly of her. 

 

If nothing else, Cordelia was sharp as a ghost when it came to detecting malice and negativity directed at her.

 

But soon, the woman smiled at her warmly and cutely, leaving Cordelia confused—had she imagined it?

 

“My, what a cruel and wicked gentleman you are. Sasha would be so disappointed.”

 

She was referring to the scandal between Noah and Sasha. 

 

Given how casually she called Sasha by name and took her side, she seemed quite close to Sasha Ander.

 

Ah, so you misunderstood what happened and are playing the role of a friend now? 

 

Just then, Georgiana subtly reached out and brushed the edge of Noah’s sleeve. 

 

As her small hand grazed his skin like a fleeting touch, Noah’s eyebrows rose. The moment she saw that scene, she instantly understood why Georgiana had been glaring at her.

Unless Cordelia was mistaken, it was clear that Georgiana had a romantic interest in Noah. 

 

Wait a minute—wasn’t she supposedly his prospective fiancée?

 

Flustered, she glanced at Mikael, only to find him smiling faintly as he watched his own fiancée flirt with another man, as if enjoying a spectacle from afar. 

 

Like a mischievous child tossing a snake over someone’s fence and laughing. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort.

 

Noah let out a soft, amused chuckle and fixed his gaze on Cordelia. She swallowed dryly and looked back at him. She didn’t know what was going on, but she was somehow being dragged into this absurd, wordplay-filled conflict.

 

“This is my guest, Miss Cordelia. She’s been providing me with some much-needed advice.”

 

“Advice, you say?”

 

Georgiana made a strange face. Cordelia wanted to ask the same. 

 

Noah effortlessly framed his creditor as if she were some esteemed professor he had personally invited.

 

“Yes. And isn’t Miss Ander’s friend the Lady of Langham? I don’t understand why you’re looking for your friend here.”

 

He dusted off the part of his sleeve she had touched, as if brushing off invisible dirt, then tilted his head slightly, looking down at her with a gaze full of disdain. His beautiful amber eyes were brimming with contempt.

 

Though Miss Georgiana simply smiled, that flawless smile couldn’t hide the unmistakable trace of humiliation beneath it.

 

Cordelia had never seen someone whose eyes and mouth seemed so disconnected. 

 

The Devillier couple had certainly displayed the noble demeanor of concealing their true feelings beneath cultured manners, but they were never this mask-like. 

 

Even when cold, they still carried a human scent.

 

Georgiana, her spirits wilted, lowered her eyes, and spoke in a hushed, delicate whisper.

 

“I must apologize. Though it didn’t work out for Sasha, I suppose I got my hopes up alone, thinking there might be good news. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. Ah, might I know your family name? Calling you by your given name upon first meeting would be improper, no?”

 

“Ah, well…”

 

“If you know it’s improper, then don’t do it. Seeing how persistent you are, I wonder if it’s intentional.”

 

Cordelia, flustered by the sudden shift to friendly attention, was about to respond—thinking an exchange of names was customary—when Noah cut in with such brazen arrogance that it left her stunned.

 

He made no effort to hide his irritation and annoyance, nor did he seem to consider it a problem.

 

This time, Georgiana seemed completely speechless. Only after her expression completely crumbled did Mikael step in to speak. 

 

Despite his scolding tone, his face was filled with amusement—an oddly bizarre sight.

 

“Noah. You’re being too harsh on the lady. It’s not like she said anything wrong.”

 

“Her words weren’t the issue. The problem is the petty intent behind them—not genuine courtesy or kindness, but sizing people up, playing hierarchy games, and looking for gossip to spread. Isn’t that right, Miss Langham? Quite a few of my miscellaneous scandals, as I recall, originated from your lips.”

 

The criticism was brutally sharp, without hesitation. 

 

Georgiana, whether flustered or humiliated, turned pale, her lips trembling as she forced a smile, but ultimately failed.

 

For some reason, her eyes seemed to glare at me, and Cordelia was taken aback, but Noah clicked his fingers sharply, like commanding a dog, keeping the other’s gaze fixed on him.

 

“Where else are you glaring? Do I seem like an easier target?”

 

“…Please stop with the rude remarks. There seems to be a misunderstanding…”

 

“If it’s a misunderstanding, then good. That would mean there’s no one like you, killing people with words.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Jenny Blanco.”

 

Once again, Georgiana was left speechless. Cold eyes watched her as her lips quivered.

 

“Should I say more?”

 

“…”

 

“How strange. Just because something isn’t visible doesn’t mean it’s not a crime. Yet someone can spend their whole life spewing disgusting words, committing murder, and never face prison or the gallows.”

 

Pale as a ghost, she tried to retort, but Noah ignored her and turned his gaze to Mikael, who was still grinning.

 

“Congratulations on the engagement. You two suit each other.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Don’t thank me. It wasn’t a compliment.”

 

Mikael let out a snort. 

 

As Cordelia passed by his snickering figure, he greeted her with a peculiar smile.

 

“See you soon in Katisha, Miss Cordelia.”

 

In advance, welcome to Katisha. It was a somewhat sarcastic and chilly greeting. 

 

But how did he know I’d be going to Katisha? 

 

Cordelia, at a loss for words, instinctively glanced at them, but Noah’s large hand cupped her cheek and turned her forward.

 

“Eyes ahead. Look straight.”