Tail’s Curse Chapter 45

Am I upset? Because he didn’t show any concern for me? She blinked and asked herself.

 

Many people already knew who Cordelia was and were curious about her. 

 

Even before truly meeting her, they had already made up their minds about what kind of person she was. 

 

They had expectations, and on the other hand, some already disliked her—just like Miss Langham did when they had crossed paths not long ago.

 

The goodwill and hostility, even ones Cordelia herself wasn’t aware of, would only continue to grow. And this man had probably already foreseen that. 

 

Simply by having her at his side, his influence was bound to ripple through her life.

 

Noah was waiting for her answer. Cordelia spoke slowly.

 

“I don’t think I have the right to feel disappointed.”

 

Her calm reply was rather wise. 

 

It was appropriate. It didn’t cross any lines, and it preserved her pride and dignity. 

 

But Noah didn’t let it slide.

 

“So you were disappointed, after all.”

 

Why?

 

“Maybe I should be more considerate next time.”

 

The sweet offer, spoken like a serpent’s temptation, was alluring. 

 

Until now, Noah Tudor had never refused Cordelia, whether it was something big or small. Even without her asking, there were already many things he had done for her. 

 

Perhaps, unknowingly, Cordelia had grown used to and complacent in all that unearned kindness. He likely knew that, too. 

 

And yet, he let it be. He left her alone.

 

With no certainty or promise in return.

 

Of course, he did. There was no reason he had to go that far.

 

Looking at his beautiful, tender yet sly face as if testing him, Cordelia hesitated, then asked carefully.

 

“Do you need a misunderstanding, too, Sir Noah?”

 

Borrowing Count Dufort’s advice, her question made Noah let out a short, amused snort.

 

“You think I’d need something like that?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t really know anything. I just thought… if you ever need it, you can use me.”

 

“…”

 

The faint smile faded from the man’s face, leaving it cold and emotionless, like that of a merciless angel. He looked icy and desolate. Though he didn’t raise his voice, Cordelia felt that he was upset. 

 

Even as his usual mischievous and cynical expression returned, she couldn’t shake the impression.

 

“Miss Cordelia is truly generous. Even considerate toward her creditor.”

 

“…”

 

“If every debtor were like you, I’d be the richest man in the world. Don’t you think?”

 

His voice was gentle and sweet enough to melt, yet his sarcasm was sharp like a cold thorn. 

 

Cordelia, unable to read his true feelings, grew flustered. 

 

Sometimes, it was incredibly difficult to grasp this man’s mood.

 

He could be delighted for no apparent reason, act spitefully and mean, then suddenly turn kind and generous—only to become sharp and cruel in the next breath. 

 

He was like a fickle sea. 

 

And for Cordelia, who had only just set sail into the world, enduring such fierce waves was too much. Just struggling not to be swept away by him was already exhausting.

 

By nature, Cordelia was highly conscious of others, but when it came to actual social interaction, she was awkward and slow to catch on. She was the complete opposite of Noah Tudor—who, despite seeming indifferent, was instinctively sharp, sensitive, and always keenly aware of others.

 

She didn’t understand why he was angry. 

 

Tensed up, Cordelia nervously bit her lip. 

 

When he openly frowned, she stopped picking at her nails and quickly hid her stinging hand behind her back to avoid his eyes. He let out a short sigh, almost like a lament.

 

“I really don’t know what I’m doing with a child.”

 

The sigh felt like it pierced right through her. 

 

Cordelia lowered her head, feeling a wave of gloom. She felt inexplicably sorrowful.

 

As Noah looked down at her with her drooping eyebrows, he gave a short, dry laugh, then pushed himself off the door frame and walked forward. 

 

His shoes, for the first time, crossed the threshold into her space.

 

“Do you like the room?”

 

To be honest, she hadn’t really taken a good look, but she nodded anyway. With her head lowered, all he could see were her long lashes and the curve of her chin. 

 

Unbelievable… 

 

Letting out another sigh, Noah teased her.

 

“How can you know whether you like it or not when you’re just staring at the floor?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You sure know how to answer.”

 

‘Lift your head.’

 

At his gentle coaxing, she flinched slightly and lifted her eyes to see his handsome face tinged with a faint smile. 

 

Cordelia quickly tried to read his mood. He seemed a bit more at ease than before. 

 

Relieved, she poked her head out like a turtle, and he chuckled again.

 

Cordelia didn’t know why he was smiling again. She was just grateful he wasn’t angry anymore.

 

“Aren’t you hungry? Want something sweet and soft?”

 

Noah gently guided her small frame into a plush armchair padded with soft cushions, then crouched in front of her, one knee raised to meet her gaze. 

 

The way he asked, like soothing a child, Cordelia interpreted as his own way of apologizing.

 

She nodded, fidgeting with her fingers. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but the thought of being filled with something sweet he gave her made her feel like she would be more at ease.

 

Noah glanced at her small hand, as delicate as a fallen pink petal, and asked,

 

“Do you usually bite your nails like a habit?”

 

Cordelia, who had unconsciously started fidgeting with her nails again, was startled and quickly tried to lower her hand. 

 

But under his steady gaze, she hesitated, then nodded after first shaking her head.

 

“Why? Are you scared?”

 

Thinking he meant himself, she shook her head. She didn’t like it when Noah got angry, but she wasn’t afraid of him. 

 

He gave her a look urging her to answer, and after a moment of hesitation, she replied with difficulty.

 

“Just… just because.”

 

“Just because what? Are you that hungry that you’ve started eating yourself?”

 

Cordelia had eaten well, but when Noah teasingly made a dry remark, she gently shook her head.

 

“I don’t know either. I always find myself picking at them before I even realize it.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you do that much.”

 

Since meeting Noah, her life had been relatively stress-free, and her hands had remained unscathed. 

 

Unlike the time when she lived with her family, her fingertips bled almost daily. 

 

After a brief thought, Noah said,

 

“I must’ve made you anxious.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m sorry. I acted out for no reason because of my awful personality.”

 

The quiet apology caught her by surprise. His composed face was carefully observing her. 

 

One side of her chest felt hot. She quickly shook her head.

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

“This doesn’t look like nothing.”

 

As he lifted her small hand, there was blood at the fingertips. 

 

Noah had witnessed her anxiously biting at her hands to the point of trembling with wide, panicked eyes. The memory left a bitter taste, but he didn’t show it on his face.

 

This girl reacted sensitively to every tiny expression of his emotions. He had thought her attentiveness was cute and amusing, but it wasn’t only that.

 

Noah toyed gently with her hand, which looked like it had stopped growing, with five delicate strands like baby coral. 

 

It felt pleasant to the touch. Her fingers were short and thin, while her palm was plump. She really did feel like a baby. 

 

Even the torn, reddened flesh with a bead of blood looked like red pomegranate seeds.

 

“Um, Sir Noah…”

 

As she hesitated and tried to pull her hand away, unsure of what to do, he didn’t let go. 

 

The soft white tips of her fingers had turned slightly pink, as if tinted with flower dye. 

 

They even smelled nice.

 

Without realizing it, Noah, who had been focused solely on what he held in his hand, forgetting even his original intent to inspect the wound, bent down as if to kiss the back of her hand. 

 

He pulled her wrist close to his nose. She flinched and tried to pull away, but he forced her closer. 

 

His lips brushed against her skin. 

 

‘Ah––’

 

Both of them let out a silent gasp. 

 

From her sweat-dampened skin came a sweet, fresh citrus scent, like bergamot—a fragrance so enticing he wanted to take a bite.

 

Seeing no reason to resist the impulse, he lightly bared his teeth and bit down. 

 

A short, startled cry burst from above him—more surprise than pain. 

 

Even her scream was delicate, like the chirping of a bird.

 

Chuckling inwardly, he gently stroked the skin with his lower lip before sucking lightly with his upper lip. The sensation of her sweet flesh filling his mouth lifted his mood. 

 

As she struggled to break free, he held her firmly in place. 

 

A wet, muffled sound echoed as her flesh was drawn into his mouth. He swirled his hot tongue over her skin, and she shuddered.

 

‘Ah, fuck. He wanted to devour her whole.’

 

The memory of the woman’s pale skin glimpsed through her thin clothes as she wandered the mansion like a sleepwalker invaded his thoughts. 

 

It had looked so soft, so pliant. 

 

Had he not noticed anything amiss, Noah Tudor would have dragged her into his bedroom without hesitation.

 

He would have stripped away those butterfly-wing-like garments, stuffed that soft, white flesh into his mouth, sucked, and forced his burning desire deep inside her—tasting, shaking, taking her as he pleased. 

 

That day, he had undeniably felt that urge—to covet her, to defile her.

 

It had been so long since he’d felt such lust that he didn’t even think to restrain himself.