Tail’s Curse Chapter 52

 

“My throat just feels scratchy.” 

 

“Katisha’s air is murkier than Narath’s. I’ll prepare some hot tea. With plenty of manuka honey, you’ll feel better.” 

 

In truth, her appetite had waned, but Cordelia nodded silently. 

 

I’ll eat a little and take a nap… 

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, she’d been sleeping a lot strangely, given the overflowing time she had. 

 

Even when she opened a book from Noah’s study to read, when she came to her senses, two hours would have slipped by while her eyes were closed. 

 

Perhaps it was because she was in an unfamiliar foreign land. 

 

Sir Pierrot, who had stopped by the estate yesterday to share lunch, said anyone could feel that way as stamina dropped and the season slipped into early summer. 

 

He prescribed more supplements, as he had before. 

 

“I’m glad you’re sleeping well.” 

 

In any case, since meeting Noah, everyone around her had been kind and caring. Better than family. Cordelia blinked her drowsy eyes again, swallowed the white pill with water, and slipped into the warm blankets. 

 

Sleep poured over her. She curled up like a pillbug, hugging Jeje. 

 

‘Yes, this is the best time.’ 

 

And when she opened her eyes, she felt a touch stroking her forehead, and drowsily opened her eyes. 

 

In her blurred vision, golden light like morning sunshine spread abundantly. 

 

Is it morning already? What beautiful sunlight. 

 

The pale sparkle seemed as if dawn’s clear dew had been painted over it. 

 

Feeling pleased, she smiled drowsily, and the warmth that had been tickling the tip of her eyebrow suddenly stopped. 

 

‘What? Touch me more.’

 

As Cordelia rubbed her cheek against it like a whimper, a chuckle sounded from above her head. 

 

“What’s this? Acting cute just because I haven’t seen you for a bit?” 

 

Huh?

 

As she blinked dazedly, long fingers pinched her cheek gently, not enough to hurt. Her mind snapped awake. When she bolted upright like a spring, the man, with his chin propped up, burst into giggles. 

 

Somehow it felt unreal. 

 

Cordelia glanced briefly at the window where twilight had spread, then looked back at his eyes that held a palmful of sunset’s hue. 

 

Noah Tudor looked like a god born from the evening glow. 

 

Too sensual and mature to be called a fairy. For a moment, as if her gaze had been stolen, she stared at him, and he chuckled. 

 

Light spilled across his upturned lips. 

 

“What are you looking at? Am I handsome all of a sudden?” 

 

She gazed silently at his playful smile and nodded. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

This time it was his turn to lose his words. He seemed both surprised and somewhat embarrassed. 

 

Quite unlike him. 

 

“When you’re pathetically shrinking, it’s one thing, but then you’re so forward at times like this.” 

 

Still not fully awake, caught between dream and reality, she couldn’t understand what he was saying. Nor the next words. 

 

“Have you really never dated anyone?” 

 

She had no idea why dating suddenly came up. 

 

Thinking even his frowning face was beautiful, Cordelia blankly shook her head. When his thumb reached out and firmly rubbed her chin, she yielded helplessly. 

 

The reddish eyes facing her narrowed like a fox’s. 

 

“You pretend to be a bear but bewitch and shake people up like a fox. Or should I say you’re like a stray cat?” 

 

It was an unfair accusation. Whether fox or cat, they were all things similar to him, not to her. He himself was the one who loved to seduce people, disturb them, and toy with them. 

 

And in that he felt no responsibility toward his targets, he was even worse. 

 

When Cordelia’s eyes drooped gloomily, Noah smiled crookedly and poked repeatedly at her cheeks, which had filled out more plumply than before. 

 

“Why are you sulking again? I didn’t mean I disliked it.” 

 

Then does he mean he likes it? 

 

“You’ve been napping a lot lately. Can’t sleep at night?” 

 

At his casual question, she shook her head without thinking much. She just sleeps more now. 

 

“Sleepyhead.” 

 

This man…

 

“Well, sleeping well is a good thing. Better than tossing and turning.” 

 

As he murmured softly and stretched out both hands, she awkwardly placed her hands on top. He chuckled again. 

 

Why does this man laugh so much? Really, unnecessarily so. 

 

As she grumbled inwardly, large hands slipped under her arms and lifted her effortlessly like a child, precisely fitting both feet into the slippers placed below the bed. 

 

Well-practiced movements. He shrugged. 

 

“I have many younger cousins.” 

 

Fingers that swept down as if stroking her disheveled, fluffy hair tucked the strands behind her ear. 

 

Were these also just actions ingrained in his body? 

 

“You can’t go downstairs looking like this. You look like a country dog that’s been rolling around. Your hair’s a disaster.” 

 

Maybe he just enjoys teasing. 

 

“Come here.” 

 

Taking her shoulders, he led the bewildered her and sat her in front of the mirror, then stood behind her. 

 

Cordelia stared blankly through the mirror at the tall man holding a brush with a careful expression as he combed her hair. 

 

Each time the silver bristles of the brush and the tips of the man’s long fingers gently rubbed against her tender scalp, the cool sensation left on them seemed to press numbly into her skin like fingerprints. 

 

Shallow yet vivid, leaving behind deep lines. 

 

As if not noticing her staring gaze, he focused intently, gently brushing each strand of silver hair. 

 

After quietly examining the now-neatened silver locks, he tilted his head, and as Noah loosely pulled his silk tie, his eyes met Cordelia’s. 

 

As if it were natural, a crooked smile followed. 

 

“Worth selling.”

 

He had a peculiar way of giving compliments. Cordelia, her drowsiness fading, asked.

“Why are you here so early today?”

“I was worried our little mermaid might be bored.”

“You’re lying.”

 

She thought she’d only said it in her head, but it seemed the words slipped out. 

 

Startled at herself, she heard him chuckle softly, amused.

“It’s true, though. Why do you think I’ve been so busy lately?”

“I don’t know. That sort of thing…”

 

As she muttered quietly, he tilted his head and asked indifferently,

“Are you sulking?”

“No.”

“Sure seems like it. But if you say no, then I’ll take your word for it.”

His magnanimous attitude irked her, and she pressed her lips together tightly. 

 

‘No, I’m not. Really, I’m not.’

 

Noah hummed softly while loosely braiding her hair down, then tied it with one of his own blue ties into a ribbon-like shape. 

 

Playing with the ends of her hair, tied like a mermaid’s tail, he finally smiled in satisfaction.

“Pretty. Now we can go eat.”

“We’re having dinner together?”

“Of course. It’s dinner time, Sleeping Beauty.”

 

Handing her a robe to slip her arms into, he laughed under his breath. 

 

Despite looking like the type who wouldn’t lift a finger and would only order others around, Noah was quite attentive when he wanted to be.

 

Another odd thought crossed her mind. 

 

Would he act like this when he’s in a relationship too? 

 

It suddenly struck her as strange—thinking about Noah and romance—and Cordelia didn’t even realize she was doing the very same thing.

 

Holding her hand, he led her down to the dining room, where a steaming dinner was laid out perfectly on time. 

 

Without even meaning to, she swallowed hard. She heard a laugh from above her head but pretended not to notice.

 

While Noah pulled out her chair, seated her, and even handed her a spoon, Cordelia’s eyes were fixed on the creamy potato soup, tomatoes marinated in olive oil with veal, an assortment of roasted vegetables, golden crispy bread, and cheese. 

 

Suddenly ravenous, her stomach grumbled quietly.

 

While Noah was going to his seat and sitting down, Cordelia, who had been swallowing her saliva so intensely that everyone’s eyes seemed to be fixed on her, only spoke up after he sat down, telling him in a tone that seemed to find him ridiculous to eat quickly, before she finally lowered her eyes demurely and began busily moving her hands again. 

 

Noah watched her eat while only halfheartedly eating his own food.

 

He remembered her sneaking glances while waiting for permission, as if she were a puppy waiting for a treat, and he stifled a laugh inside his mouth. 

 

Anyway, she’s cute.

 

“Now, what should we do first?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Thanks to pushing through the work right after arriving, I have some free time now. Our Miss Cordelia said she wants to sing Katisha, Katisha, and getting all of that done probably won’t take just a day or two.”

 

It almost sounded as if… the reason he had been so busy lately with no time to breathe was just to spend time with Cordelia.

 

Staring blankly at him, Noah tilted his head.

 

“Why? Now that you’re here, you don’t feel like going out?”

 

She shook her head from side to side. She didn’t dare to honestly ask if her assumption was correct. 

 

In fact, she was astonished at herself for feeling a flutter of excitement in one corner of her heart at his suggestion to have fun.