Tail’s Curse Chapter 42

Wayne, who had departed a day earlier, was waving his arms energetically as he came out to greet them. 

 

Beside him, Sir Pierrot sighed and offered a polite bow, a sight that had become familiar.

 

“Hello, Sir Wayne, Sir Pierrot.”

 

“You’ve finally come to Katisha! Welcome.”

 

With a playful wink, Wayne handed over a bouquet. 

 

Cordelia, touched, accepted it happily. When she buried her nose in the lush white roses, a subtle and sweet fragrance, like morning dew, filled her lungs. Such an enchanting scent.

 

When Cordelia blushed and murmured her thanks, Wayne playfully mimicked a courtly bow. 

 

Watching from the side, Noah crookedly pulled at the hem of his coat before snatching the bouquet away and tossing it to his secretary, Jason.

 

“Spring is coming soon, and pollen isn’t good for the lungs. Especially for someone with weak lungs.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Cordelia’s hand, left empty, flinched in regret, but Noah reached out and gently patted her round head as if to console her, whispering,

 

“I’ll show you an entire rose garden, so don’t be disappointed.”

 

“If it really belongs to you, that is.”

 

The sound of footsteps echoed. 

 

A tall man in a long coat approached, followed by aides and bodyguards dressed in black. 

 

Noah sighed loudly, as if for everyone to hear.

 

“Brother.”

 

“Noah.”

 

Cordelia was startled when she saw him—silver hair that gleamed like polished metal, pale skin, and a strikingly handsome face with a sharp, cold impression. 

 

At first glance, he seemed completely different, yet in his features she found glimpses that overlapped with Noah.

 

What shocked her even more was how that stern face softened into the warmth of spring sunlight the instant he looked at Noah. 

 

It was a gaze of unmistakable affection. 

 

And yet, he let out a dissatisfied sigh.

 

“You’re only arriving now? Without even a word of contact.”

 

“Whether I say it or not, you’d know anyway.”

 

Noah replied indifferently, yet when his brother came forward and embraced him, he returned the hug half-heartedly and patted his shoulder. 

 

Watching this exchange of affection, Cordelia felt a strange, unfamiliar emotion as she witnessed the brothers’ reunion.

 

Isaac Tudor raised an eyebrow slightly, but with a tender touch, he gently smoothed the hair of his sulky younger brother. 

 

Noah endured it for a moment before brushing the hand away, and Isaac, as though used to it, continued without showing the least bit of disappointment.

 

“I heard from Mother when I spoke to her yesterday. She was delighted to hear your voice after so long. At least you did something decent for once.”

 

“Sometimes I have to be filial.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

The long eyebrows that had drawn a stern line across his refined face curved gently, and dimples appeared on his cheek. 

 

That smiling expression was exactly the same as Noah’s when he occasionally teased her, and Cordelia found herself staring blankly at him until their eyes met.

 

From the calm and knowing way he looked her over, Cordelia sensed that he already knew about her and perhaps had been paying attention to her from the very beginning.

 

“You must be Miss Cordelia Marguerite.”

 

“Ah. You know me?”

 

“Of course. Right now, you are the brightest star in our family.”

 

Isaac gave a small chuckle, turned toward Cordelia, and extended his hand.

 

“I am Noah’s brother, Isaac Tudor. Even if my younger brother has acted rudely toward you, he is not bad to the core, so please forgive him.”

 

“Oh, I know. I know he isn’t a bad person.”

 

Unsure whether to take his hand with one or both of hers, she quickly chose a proper handshake and replied. 

 

Isaac raised an eyebrow, then glanced back at Noah, who stood with his arms crossed, chuckling quietly.

 

Cordelia had no idea what in her answer could be strange or amusing. Isaac tilted his head slightly in a curious way and asked,

 

“Not bad, you say. Could it be that you’ve fallen for that fellow’s face?”

 

“What? No, not at all. Sir Noah has been very kind to me.”

 

Cordelia quickly waved her hands, trying to explain, and at her genuine manner Isaac smiled softly and withdrew his hand.

 

“Is that so? It seems my brother is quite fond of you, Miss Cordelia. He even treats me, his own elder brother, without any respect.”

 

Despite his cold exterior, his voice was gentle, and the surrounding air carried the elegance of a swan. 

 

Truly, he was both similar to and different from Noah. She remembered hearing they were twins.

 

“How about dinner? We’re headed to the same place anyway, so I suppose it’s a pointless question.”

 

“What are you talking about? I’m busy. I’m going to the Kai Mansion. It’ll just be a storm of nagging—why would I go there?”

 

“What do you mean, there? Tudor House is our home.”

 

Clicking his tongue with disapproval, Isaac Tudor corrected him and then turned to Cordelia with a courteous tone.

 

“The white rose garden of the Tudors is a famous sight in Katisha. My brother’s Kai Mansion has risen trees as well, but they’re still young and can’t compare. What do you think? Wouldn’t you like to see it?”

 

“Stop coaxing her like a child.”

 

Noah spoke irritably, but Isaac only grinned, as if he had already chosen his target to tease. 

 

At that moment, Wayne cut in as well.

 

“I was planning to go for dinner too. It seems the family will gather—why don’t we all just go together? Everyone’s curious about Miss Cordelia.”

 

“She’s tired. She just arrived today, don’t bother her.”

 

At Noah’s annoyed words, Isaac’s eyes instead lit up with interest.

 

“So it’s her fatigue that matters, not yours? You act as if Miss Cordelia were a fragile glass cup.”

 

“You’re the one who told me to behave like a gentleman. I did what you asked, so what exactly do you want from me now?”

 

“Well, of course. But when you’re annoyed, you just say so—you don’t usually use someone else as an excuse, do you? Thanks to that, I’ve become even more curious about Miss Cordelia.”

 

Noah clicked his tongue instead of answering. 

 

When his gaze shifted to Sir Pierrot, the man hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. 

 

Noah let out a long sigh.

 

“Miss Cordelia. Is the Tudor White Rose included in your Katisha bucket list?”

 

Cordelia felt the steady gaze of the man standing behind her, looking down at her, and thought for a moment.

 

Oddly enough, while watching their back-and-forth, the feeling that kept rising in her heart was this: if she wanted it, Noah might just change his plans once, even if it annoyed him. 

 

And that thought was wonderfully sweet… intoxicating. 

 

Strange and profound, like biting into a big piece of cotton candy. She swallowed hard and nodded. In truth, it wasn’t so much about wanting to see the famous white rose garden, but rather the stronger desire to see how Noah would respond.

 

If I say I want to see it, will you grant my wish?

 

Though Noah acted as if he really didn’t want to, in the end, he silently held out his hand.

 

That gesture meant he would grant her wish, and that unspoken generosity was the finest escort Cordelia had ever received in her life.

 

Her first day in Katisha had begun.

 

🫧

 

A few days before their departure to Katisha.

 

“The causes of sleepwalking vary. In common cases, it’s due to side effects from medication, psychological stress, or when a sleep disorder develops and worsens.”

 

“Are you saying she ended up like this because I tormented her?”

 

At Noah’s question, Sir Pierrot shook his head with a sigh. 

 

They were in the study right next to Cordelia’s bedroom, discussing her sudden strange symptoms while she slept. 

 

Still in his nightclothes with only a robe thrown over them, Sir Pierrot had rushed over with disheveled hair and lingering traces of a hangover, and he shook his head.

 

“That could be a possibility… but in fact, one of the most significant causes of sleepwalking is family history. If someone in the family suffers from it, the likelihood of developing it increases tenfold. Genetic factors cannot be ignored.”

 

“Did you look into her family history?”

 

“I heard that respiratory issues have run through her family for generations.”

 

“If a mermaid were dragged out of the sea and forced to live on land, of course she’d find it hard to breathe.”

 

Noah muttered to himself. Sir Pierrot, accustomed to scientific reasoning, assumed he was only speaking in half-metaphorical jest.

 

 After all, Noah Tudor, who had once studied medicine, was known as a rational man who treated anything unrealistic with cynicism.

 

“When I examined Miss Cordelia’s health, I never heard any mention of sleep disorders. That likely means there were no such symptoms before.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Noah rubbed his chin.

 

“So this is the first occurrence?”

 

“Most likely. None of the household staff knew of it before this.”

 

Was it fortunate that he had been the first to discover it? 

 

If that innocent woman had wandered around in that state at night and happened to run into some stranger, it could have led to quite an unfortunate incident. 

 

Even he himself had nearly misunderstood.