Tail’s Curse Chapter 51

Tracing her fingers over the signature that was slightly smudged in what seemed like excitement, Cordelia quickly suppressed the corners of her lips that had lifted without her knowing. 

 

Sasha Ander wanted to see me! 

 

And she had called her a friend she could trust. 

 

Despite their brief connection, she was moved by the beautiful heart of someone who thought of and cared for her as much as she did in return. She wanted to help in any way she could. 

 

At least listening to her troubles—that much I can do. 

 

Then Cordelia found herself suddenly realizing that this was the first time she’d ever had someone she could call a friend her own age. 

 

Of course, from Sasha’s perspective, she might be just one among countless friends—someone who owed her a debt of gratitude and seemed discreet enough, not too close so it was easy to share secrets—but Cordelia was simply happy beyond measure. 

 

Except for Jonathan, Cordelia had never had any friends until now. 

 

Perhaps that’s why she’d felt so lonely. Hugging her teddy bear, Jeje, with flushed cheeks, Cordelia felt an impulse to share this joyous news with someone, but there was no one at Tudor House right now with whom she could share this small happiness.

 

Naturally, Lord Isaac, the master of the estate, was incredibly busy as the head of the Tudor family, and since that day, they’d only crossed paths occasionally. 

 

It was the same with the others. 

 

Even Wayne, who seemed so easygoing, was apparently occupied with his duties as heir to the Grand Duke’s house. 

 

“Unfortunately, there’s much to handle at a time when we have a guest. My mother is also away traveling with my father, so there’s no lady of the house to look after Miss Cordelia. I apologize.” 

 

Lord Isaac, whom she’d met on her morning walk today, had apologized with a regretful expression, earnestly asking her to tell the butler if she needed anything at all before taking his leave. 

 

Was it an urgent cabinet meeting at the palace he had to attend? Or was it a factory issue for some company? 

 

She couldn’t remember.

 

Everything moved at a dizzying pace in Katisha. For Cordelia, who had spent her entire life on the fringes of the colonies, it was an atmosphere she couldn’t quite adjust to. 

 

And Noah Tudor? 

 

Naturally, he was the busiest person in Katisha. 

 

After going out on their first day here, there had been no sign of his return, and Cordelia—who had waited for him by the window, pretending she wasn’t—crawled into bed with slumped shoulders once the clock struck past midnight. 

 

It felt like a lie that just hours ago she’d been comforted in his embrace. Her heart, slightly wounded by words that might have been warning or advice or mockery, still stung. 

 

Perhaps, in his own way, it had been consideration. 

 

Maybe he was fed up and pitied this affection-starved girl who, shown a little kindness, lost all sense and clung desperately, craving even more tenderness.

Perhaps he found her a little… bothersome. 

 

In any case, he was wise. She might have begged for more—told him he could take anything from her if only he would cherish and care for her more. 

 

‘No. I definitely would have.’

 

She thought she’d lived her life numbly, but now she realized the void inside her had been too starved to even whimper with hunger, never once filled. She needed more—affection poured entirely, solely upon her. She understood now what Noah meant about preferring special treatment. 

 

I would too. If I could choose whose affection to receive. 

 

A heart impoverished and gasping with hunger can’t be satisfied with shallow attention alone. 

 

And so, even though she’d come to Katisha—the place she’d longed for so desperately—Cordelia couldn’t shake this inexplicable sense of emptiness. 

 

“But he said he’ll come home early today! Usually, he stays away for days at a time, so he must be worried about you, miss.” 

 

Jane, who had accompanied her all the way to Katisha, spoke as if to comfort her, but Cordelia only smiled briefly. 

 

Even when she first stayed at the estate in Narath, Cordelia had been alone most of the time. 

 

Yet she hadn’t felt as lonely or uncomfortable as now, as if she were in the wrong place. 

 

The only thing that had changed was her distance from Noah.

 

Looking back, even then, it was only after several days that she’d accidentally run into the busy Noah late at night, talked with him, and went out the next day—Noah had never sought out his debtor first. 

 

Yes, so this wasn’t strange at all… 

 

Yet had she grown a bit closer to him during that time and taken his tenderness for granted simply because he’d looked after her so attentively? 

 

The more she thought about it, the more bitter she felt—as if she’d become far too accustomed to Noah in that brief span of time. 

 

His words were right. 

 

Just because he treats me well doesn’t mean I should lean on him too much. 

 

From now on, I need to maintain a proper distance like an adult without showing it. 

 

She’d resolved this throughout the night, yet Noah—claiming urgent matters—hadn’t shown his face even once for two whole days since arriving in Katisha. 

 

Cordelia, who’d been secretly waiting for him, pretended to be indifferent in front of Jane, who was being more cautious than usual, but her spirits had deflated. 

 

The timing was terribly unfortunate, making her thoughts spiral even more. 

 

Did I whine too much? But apologizing felt awkward, too. 

 

Though only the location had changed to Katisha, she felt like a doll that had outlived its usefulness and been discarded. 

 

Perhaps because her mood had sunk, she even coughed up blood—something she hadn’t done in a while—and skipped a meal. 

 

That said, Noah hadn’t completely neglected Cordelia, who was staying at the main house. 

 

Strictly speaking, she was Noah’s guest, and Tudor House was an unfamiliar place to her. Whether he’d heard about her condition from Jane and Sir Pierrot, a letter was placed by her bedside the next morning.

 

『Eat your meals properly. I’ll be there soon.』

 

And he kept his promise. 

 

That evening, as if it were all a dream, the man who’d been sitting alone at the dining table waiting for her greeted her with a subtle smile and a brief word. 

 

“Have you been well?”

 

Noah Tudor looked as leisurely and flawless as if he’d only stepped out that morning. As if truly nothing had happened at all. 

 

Cordelia stood frozen before slowly approaching him as he extended his hand, beckoning her closer. 

 

Please, let my face show nothing. 

 

“Yes. And you, Lord Noah?” 

 

He smiled faintly toward the quiet girl. 

 

“I’ve been busy.” 

 

‘I know. So busy you didn’t even come home.’ 

 

Praying it wouldn’t sound strange, she asked. 

 

“Where did you sleep?” 

 

“At my estate. It’s close to the office.” 

 

“Ah, I see.” 

 

So he’d been in Katisha the whole time. 

 

Was Katisha really such an enormous city? 

 

A pointless sentiment crossed her mind, but after these few days, seeing someone familiar—however distant—in this strange place brought her unexpected relief. 

 

A brief exchange of pleasantries passed, and Noah listened with remarkably genuine attention as she spoke about the book she’d been reading lately, engaging in conversation. 

 

The meal passed with startling swiftness. 

 

Before she knew it, she was scraping her empty plate with her spoon when Noah pulled out his pocket watch, rose, and grabbed his jacket. 

 

“I need to head out again.”

 

Already? 

 

Despite her thoughts, Cordelia quietly nodded. 

 

Toward that docile face, he reached out casually and brushed her cheek with his fingers. 

 

“We meet after so long, yet I can’t even stay. I’m sorry.” 

 

“It’s fine.” 

 

“If you need anything, just say so. I’ll see you soon.” 

 

And like the wind, he was gone. 

 

Left alone, Cordelia stared blankly at the cleanly emptied table—so different from yesterday—and traced the beautiful wood grain with her fingernail.

 

An hour later, Noah’s secretary Jason, delivered several books related to the one Cordelia had mentioned, along with a hastily scrawled short letter from Noah, then bowed politely and withdrew. 

 

The handwriting was as refreshingly bold, concise, and elegant as his personality.

 

『Recommended reading. Let’s read together. The white roses of evening still remain, don’t they?』

 

She blinked at the words, reminding her of their promise to walk together. 

 

I thought it was just half-joking… 

 

After that, Noah joined Cordelia for a meal once a day—whether morning or evening—or for a brief tea time at the very least, and when even that wasn’t possible, he left short notes reminding her to eat well.

 

『What did you do today?』

 

『What will you do today?』

 

『Did you sleep well?』

 

He would stay for as little as thirty minutes, or at most an hour, before leaving again. 

 

The words asking why he bothered with such trouble, telling him to do whatever was convenient for his schedule, rose to the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them down. 

 

Despite the wariness his cold advice had instilled in her, the loneliness and boredom remained unchanged, and she still appreciated that he cared for her even a little in this unfamiliar place. 

 

It must be his own gentlemanly sense of responsibility.

 

Cordelia, of course, should be grateful. 

 

In such circumstances, she thought it absurd to boast that it seemed she’d made a friend, that this friend had invited her. 

 

As she set down the piece of bread she’d been chewing with that thought, Jane asked in alarm. 

 

“Have you lost your appetite? You’ve left so much food…”