chapter 6
“What?! Of course, I hate that!”
Cordelia folded her arms and protested, but he only turned back to her with an indifferent expression and nodded.
“That’s why I’m saying we should keep it a secret. There are some lunatics among the temple’s mages who don’t care about methods when it comes to satisfying their curiosity. Even though Abyss has forbidden such acts entirely now… well, who knows? Considering your status as a noblewoman, they probably won’t dare act recklessly, but you never know.”
Thinking of the head of the Grand Temple, famous for his strict nature, Rines let out a sigh.
Sure, considering the recent scandal, no one would want to fall from grace already… but that didn’t mean they could go around broadcasting this.
“I know it’s not something I can tell anyone anyway. But what do I do now? If this really is magic, how do I undo it?”
As Cordelia’s face began to crumple into near tears, Rines, who had been staring at her in silence, wiggled his fingers. Her bangs folded neatly, and her hat floated into the air before settling gently on top of her head—his trademark telekinesis.
“First, we need to find the person who took your body for a walk.”
Even as Rines spoke, treating her body like some mere object, Cordelia’s eyes sparkled brightly.
“You’ll come with me?”
“…Leaving you alone sounds dangerous, so let’s go with that.”
Her wide, round eyes staring up at him were like a puppy’s. Throwing on a cloak, Rines took Cordelia with him as they stepped out of the Grand Temple, his expression grim and determined.
Meanwhile, Noah was very, very flustered.
In a lavish and beautiful room, he stood blankly staring into a mirror. No matter how he looked at it—left, right—it was definitely someone else’s face staring back at him.
And not just anyone, but the very person he had always wanted to see.
“…Is this a dream?”
He grabbed a few strands of hair and gave them a light tug. The sharp pain on his scalp made him immediately let go. The moment the reality sank in, a shiver ran down his spine.
Noah carefully looked over his body. Slender legs like those of a deer, glimpsed beneath a white chemise, long golden hair falling into his vision now and then, and the elegant facial features reflected in the mirror—all of it undeniably belonged to someone he knew.
He was right, and that was the real problem. Why was he wearing this person’s face?
“What happened?”
This couldn’t be real.
As he stared blankly at the beautiful woman in the mirror, Noah soon confronted the most pressing question.
Wait. If I’m in this body… where did the original owner go?
“Did she go into my body? I hope she didn’t just vanish…”
That would be less than ideal, but the alternative wasn’t much better. Either way, Noah pressed his fingers to his temples, as gently as possible, because this wasn’t his body. The perfectly straight nose was familiar yet strangely new.
“First… maybe I should go home and check? No, that might look suspicious…”
Someone might misunderstand. Muttering to himself, Noah glanced down at his body—dressed only in a single white chemise that revealed every curve—and grimaced.
So, to go out, I need to get dressed first.
“…This is a duke’s household, so of course there’s a maid, right?”
He desperately hoped Cordelia was the type to let her maid help her dress. Most noblewomen did, but Cordelia was so independent he wasn’t sure.
He rang the bell, and soon the door opened to reveal a red-haired maid. Noah swallowed hard without meaning to.
“My lady?”
“I… want to change clothes.”
“Ah, yes! Which dress would you like to wear?”
Thank goodness.
When the maid opened the closet doors, an entire room filled with elegant dresses came into view. Noah slowly stepped inside and looked around. Every single dress was gorgeous and extravagant, which only made him more worried.
If I go out wearing something like this with Cordelia’s face, I’ll attract way too much attention. Hesitating, he cautiously asked:
“Um… do you have anything a commoner might wear?”
Something lighter than those heavy dresses would be better. He worried it might sound odd, but the maid obediently retrieved a brown dress from the innermost part of the wardrobe.
“Will this do?”
“Ah, yeah.”
As the maid approached, he shut his eyes tightly. The chemise was removed, replaced by linen undergarments and then the rough cotton dress. It felt so strange—his completely different figure—that he struggled to calm his embarrassment.
“My lady, why are your eyes squeezed shut?”
“I-I’m just sleepy.”
“Ah, did you have trouble sleeping again?”
Again?
What? Trouble sleeping? Does she have health issues? Noah’s heart sank. Peeking, he saw the maid fastening a belt around his waist while chatting cheerfully.
“I told you to stop drinking! You were worried about hangovers yourself, remember?”
Drinking?
“Is this because of the recent breakup? Don’t worry! Another handsome, wonderful man will come along who suits your tastes!”
…So she liked someone?
“You should’ve handled it better in the first place. Men are all the same—completely untrustworthy!”
Listening to the maid spill such intimate details made Noah unsure whether to laugh or cry. He really didn’t want to know all this.
“Anyway, didn’t you say you had no plans today? Where are you going?”
“…Just getting some fresh air.”
“Great idea! Every time I suggest it, you never even step outside your room—but now you’ve finally changed your mind!”
The maid had no idea that Cordelia usually poured her heartbreak and anger into writing whenever she ended a relationship. Noah, despite being an avid fan of Lawrence Blanc, didn’t know this either.
Ah… so she really liked him that much.
Of course, Noah misunderstood even further. While forcing a bright expression, he let the maid drape a purple cloak over his shoulders.
“Be careful not to show your clothes when you go out. You know it’ll be big trouble if the duke hears, right?”
“N-no problem. You know me.”
He mimicked Cordelia’s confident tone while sneaking a glance at the maid. Luckily, she noticed nothing and simply ushered him out.
“Lady Cordelia! Going out? Have a nice time!”
“Are you eating breakfast first? The chef promised to make all your favorites today!”
“My lady, the carriage is ready.”
“Oh, my lady, the flowers are blooming beautifully today—would you like to take one?”
From the hallway to the front door, everyone greeted him warmly. To put it kindly, the atmosphere was lively; unkindly, it was noisy. Compared to the quiet of his own home, it was almost surreal.
Though his own life had been noisy once, that was long ago. Still, he didn’t dislike this brightness. Cordelia truly belonged in such a place—radiant, vibrant, like sunlight always shining down on her.
He awkwardly climbed into the prepared carriage. Better to ride partway, get off, and walk to his mansion. The less anyone saw, the better.
Leaning his face against the window, Noah stared at the blurry pale reflection, reminding himself this wasn’t a dream. Outside, the scenery rushed by in a blur.
With the hood pulled low, he approached the wall surrounding his home. Maybe because his viewpoint was lower than usual, the wall looked higher than ever.
He stood there for a long moment, staring up at the second-floor room he used. Thanks to the open curtains, he could check if anyone was inside.
After confirming there was no sign of life, he finally stepped back.
If Cordelia hadn’t vanished into thin air, then she must have gone out—probably in his body. Which meant his suspicion was correct: Cordelia had possessed him.
The real problem was why.
Recalling everything before he fell asleep, an image flashed through his mind.
A couple of nights ago, after finishing his schedule, he was about to head home when he saw an old, frail woman sitting on the roadside. Her appearance was so shabby even beggars avoided her.
Noah hesitated, then approached. Through the hood shadowing her face, her eyes shone unnaturally bright.
‘If it’s okay…’
He offered her the bread he’d bought. He could eat dinner at home anyway.
The old woman devoured it in one go, then thanked him repeatedly before handing him a small crystal orb. It was so dusty it didn’t look remotely valuable.
‘A token of thanks…’
‘Oh, what’s this?’
‘It grants wishes. They say it’ll fulfill one earnest desire.’
‘Ah… thank you.’
Honestly, he hadn’t believed her, but refusing the gesture felt rude, so he accepted it and placed it on his table at home. Before sleeping, he’d idly fiddled with it, murmuring:
‘A wish, huh…’
Something had briefly crossed his mind then. Remembering it now made Noah’s face burn. He rubbed at his cheeks furiously.
“Wait, wait.”
Could that little thought really count as a wish? Even so, wasn’t this development way too absurd?
“No way. Seriously?”
He wanted to check if the crystal was still in his room, but he couldn’t climb the wall or go inside. They’d never let him in—and if he was caught, it’d be disastrous. All he could do was pace outside and think.
But if his guess was right, there was still a problem:
How could such an interpretation of his wish result in him taking over this woman’s body?
“Then… finding the original owner of that crystal is the first step.”
Muttering quietly, Noah turned and headed down an alley toward the city. He’d already sent the Weitzen family’s carriage back, so he needed to hire another.
“Hey, miss.”
Someone called after him, but Noah didn’t look back, just kept walking. Moments later, a hand gripped his shoulder hard.
He turned to see a man slightly taller than him grinning slyly.
“When someone calls you, you should answer.”
“…Let go.”
Noah tried to shake him off, but what should have been easy was now impossible. The smooth arm in his vision reminded him—this wasn’t his body.
If I’d known the strength gap would be this bad, I would’ve taken a different route. Too late now. Noah racked his brain for a solution.
“I’m in a hurry. Please let go.”
He tried to stay polite as usual, but the man started dragging him toward a dark alley.
“Come on. My buddies are over there—we’ll have fun.”
Noah snorted inwardly. This area was close to the slums, crawling with people involved in crime—mostly human trafficking. The kingdom was trying to crack down, but there were limits.
More importantly, this wasn’t his body. He couldn’t let it get hurt. Though he disliked using violence, he made a quick decision.
“A pretty lady like you? It’s been a while since—urk!”
While the man was distracted talking, Noah kicked him hard in the groin.
Leaving the groaning man behind, he bolted. A furious shout echoed after him:
“Stop right there!”
As if anyone would.
Dodging through alleys, Noah finally reached the city without getting caught. Thankfully, he knew these streets well.
But running so hard had knocked back his hood, exposing his face. He hurried to pull it up again—when someone called out to him.
“Hey! Isn’t that you, Codi?”
