Chapter 99: Cross (2) (2/2)
‘It’s firm.’
His muscles were well-honed and firm, and not the bulging kind.
It was almost at the level of Lord Gaël – No, his was less than Gaël’s, but anyway, his bulky body couldn’t make her speak or even joke about him being nothing but skin and bones.
‘Something, I need to say something, but I can’t.’
In the first place, it was difficult for her to say anything because Gaël’s gaze was on her.
Adelia couldn’t say anything because there was nothing bad she could say about Jude.
And Jude did not miss the current situation.
While Adelia was struggling in embarrassment and Cordelia was out of breath from her own struggle, Jude dug into that gap.
He grabbed her.
Jude took a step forward and held the shoulder of Cordelia who was standing as if to protect him.
He pulled her towards himself, and Cordelia who found herself in Jude’s arms was suddenly embarrassed in a different sense than before.
‘Ju-Jude?’
Cordelia had already been accustomed to being hugged or carried by Jude.
But it was strange.
She didn’t care until now whether he hugged or carried her, but she was feeling strange now.
Ba-thump, ba-thump.
Her heart suddenly began to beat faster.
As she looked up at Jude, her cheeks burned red in a different sense than before.
‘W-what is this. It’s strange.’
Cordelia unknowingly became calm as she kept her head down, while Jude tightly hugged Cordelia and then opened his mouth.
“Lady Adelia.”
Adelia reacted to her name being called.
Jude faced her blue eyes that stared straight at him before he said without any hesitation.
“Cordelia and I are in love with each other.”
There was a twitch.
It was Cordelia.
She had flinched before she reflexively raised her head to look at Jude and tried to shout with her gaze.
‘W-who! You and me?’
‘You and I. Just accept it for now. Adelia is watching, so act natural, okay? It would be easier if you give up.’
‘Uwuwuwu…’
Cordelia quieted down as she bowed her head again, but in Adelia and Gaël’s eyes, Cordelia’s appearance seemed to be her shy affirmation.
“It was definitely wrong for us to go on a honeymoon trip. Yes, it was my fault too. Cordelia did nothing wrong. She was just following my unreasonable desire to spend a little more time alone with her.”
Adelia looked slightly dispirited at Jude’s desperate-sounding words, and Cordelia raised her head again.
Because his words had taken a strange turn.
“N-no! It’s not Jude’s fault! I’m the one who said that we should go! Yes, yes! It’s because I’ve been begging him that I wanted some time alone with him. I even left a letter, right?”
She had decided to protect Jude from Adelia, but she couldn’t let it all be Jude’s fault.
In fact, there was no need for Cordelia to do this due to the current atmosphere, but as her face became heated because of the series of events, it became difficult for her to think normally.
Either way, Cordelia’s declaration was effective.
A boy and girl who were begging that they should be punished instead of the other and insisting that that it was their own fault and not the other.
Anyone could obviously tell that they were in love with each other to the point that they would resort to lies.
“Uuugh…”
Adelia groaned before she deeply sighed in the end.
She had really wanted to crush Jude, but now that she had come this far, she couldn’t do it.
What could she do when Cordelia said that she really loved him?
And in fact, Adelia understood it.
The fact that she couldn’t do much when they actually meet each other.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Just then.
Gaël who had been silent until now, cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention. He then stepped forward and stood next to Adelia.
He didn’t use his hand like how Jude hugged Cordelia in his arms, but he simply stood next to Adelia.
Adelia looked captivated and felt reassured at his support, but in the eyes of Jude and Cordelia who were watching the two, the thought that ‘maybe’ came into their minds.
“Jude, and Lady Cordelia.”
“Yes, brother.”
“Yes, brother-in-law.”
Jude and Cordelia quickly responded.
Gaël smiled at being called ‘brother-in-law’ before he said.
“I’ve learned in many ways about the activities of you two while on the way here. I could also see with my own eyes how much the two of you care and love each other.”
At Gaël’s words, Jude nodded but Cordelia was mentally shaking her head to the sides.
‘No, it’s not like that.’
Her reason had somewhat returned, so her reaction was a subconscious opposition.
But anyway, she was just mentally shaking her head in denial.
Gaël warmly exchanged glances with Jude before he took a deep breath. He then spoke with a rather stern face unlike before.
“But the actions of you two were clearly wrong. The disrespect you inflicted on Count Hræsvelgr was so great that it might be hard to be forgiven. You should know well that it also greatly hurt Lord Lucas who considered you two as his friends, right?”
When Lucas was mentioned, both Jude and Cordelia had apologetic faces.
And Gaël was pleased with their reaction.
“That’s not all. Because of your actions, our Bayer family and even the Chase family were struck with bad rumors.”
Because there were groups of people who criticized and ridiculed the families on how they educated their children.
Shame and guilt spread on Jude and Cordelia’s faces after they felt sorry, and Gaël’s expression became even more strict.
“Of course, we should listen to your circumstances, but apart from that, there are many things that have happened because of what you two have done. And the responsibility for all that lies on you two.”
Gaël wasn’t angry.
He didn’t even raise his voice.
But Gaël’s words had some weight.
“Let’s assume responsibility when we return. Instead of running away or avoiding it, you two should fix what you have done. Do you understand?”
“Yes, brother.”
“Yes, brother-in-law.”
When Jude and Cordelia obediently replied, a smile spread on the strict Gaël’s face again.
Having reverted to his usual expression, he affectionately looked at Jude and Cordelia who stood side by side before he spoke.
“I am relieved though. Both of you are safe. I was very worried.”
It was a carrot after a stick.
No, he wasn’t such a calculative person.
Gaël’s pure heart deeply moved the two, especially Cordelia.
And one more person.
‘As expected, he’s nice. He’s the right person.’
A smile spread over Adelia’s face as she gazed at Gaël’s profile.
Her face loosened and she smiled as if she was looking at Cordelia.
“Lady Adelia.”
“Yes?”
“Erm… Lady Adelia?”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
Adelia flinched in surprise and she straightened her posture, making Gaël smile before he said to Jude and Cordelia again.
“Lady Adelia was very worried about the safety of you two. To the point where her emotions became intense. So how about thanking her properly?”
Adelia and the two had been at odds as soon as they met each other.
At Gaël’s words, Cordelia opened her mouth first.
“U-unnie. Thank you. And I’m sorry.”
“Sorry and thank you.”
Adelia felt awkward when Cordelia and Jude bowed to her, but she was happy at the same time.
She would have never heard of this if only she herself had come.
“Because you were very worried.”
As Gaël smiled and said in a low voice, Adelia’s lips curled up and she slightly nodded.
And upon seeing her cheeks evidently changing color though it was light, Jude and Cordelia reacted.
‘Wait a minute, is this perhaps that?’
‘Perhaps?’
Jude and Cordelia’s eyes narrowed, and Cordelia opened her mouth again this time.
“Unnie.”
Just one word.
But because of her guilty conscience, Adelia flinched at that word and said in a fluster.
“I-it’s nothing! There’s nothing between Lord Gaël and me! I-isn’t that right, Lord Gaël?”
Her actions only made their suspicions deepen rather than stopping it. At the same time, her reaction proved that Adelia had the blood of Count Chase like Cordelia.
And at this moment, Gaël also proved that he was a man of Count Bayer, who had the same blood as Jude.
“Is there…nothing between us?”
Adelia flinched at his unexpected remark.
No, why is he suddenly saying that?
I don’t hate it, uh, I certainly don’t hate it.
“N-no, that…”
Adelia’s face turned red, and her heart was pounding so hard that she stuttered and couldn’t speak properly. And upon seeing that, the warmth in Jude and Cordelia’s eyes subsided.
‘I see, so it was like that.’
‘Hehehe.’
Their eyes had cooled down in the same way, but their reactions were a little different.
Jude felt like he was really like his brother, while Cordelia was still going ‘hehehe.’
“Anyway, instead of standing and talking like this, let’s go inside and talk. I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”
Gaël didn’t push ahead. He stealthily retreated and smoothly resolved the situation.
“Let’s go, Lady Adelia.”
“Yes, Lord Gaël.”
With her shyness being twice than usual, Adelia answered and cleared her throat before she walked with Gaël, while Jude watched the two and struggled in holding back his laughter before he stepped forward. Or more like, he tried to step forward.
‘Jude.’
‘Yes?’
‘Can you let me go now that it’s over?’
‘No, not yet. Adelia can still see us.’
Adelia could obviously see them, but she was so embarrassed, shy, and so on, that it was questionable if she could see them properly.
‘Hehehe.’
‘Anyway, let’s go. You’ll get used to it.’
Jude walked while holding Cordelia on her shoulder, and Cordelia moved along with him.
Thus, the two couples left the place.
Even though they were together from the beginning to the end, the fifth party felt like an outcast as it got up from its seat and brushed its butt.
“If they’re going to be like this, why did they have to call me? Right?”
The fifth party was Violent Avalanche.
Complaining as it vented its thoughts to no one, the wild god looked in the direction Jude and Cordelia were heading.
After it shrugged its shoulders, the bear cub began walking like a toddler.