Chapter 320 – AS YOU PLEASE (1)
The tomb of Solari’s champion, Gallus, was not far from the Shadow Forest.
If one headed northwest along the outskirts of the Shadow Forest, one could find a basin called the ‘Tomb of the Star’, which as its name implied, was created by the fall of a large meteorite a long time ago.
It was between the Zainan Gorge and the Shadow Forest.
Jude flew while riding the Phantom Steed, and suddenly looked up the night sky.
A night with a white moon.
It was a half moon and not a full moon, but there were so many stars in the sky.
‘A sea of stars.’
Alexei was both a chess master and a book lover.
He liked to give explanations of things that no one asked about from time to time, and among those that he spoke often were stories about the stars.
‘Obviously, the constellations here are different.’
Come to think of it, what about the constellations in Pleiades?
Jude himself was not very interested in the stars before he remembered the memories of his previous life. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was a symbol of weakness back then as the cold night air was like a poison to his previous self.
Still, there were a few things he knew.
Like the stories of constellations that Maja read by his bedside when he was young.
The positions of the stars that he learned from looking at the night sky through the window.
“What are you thinking about?”
At the sweet voice coming from behind, Jude suddenly had a mischievous smile and said.
“I thought of Maja.”
She did not see his eyes, but she knew.
Cordelia pouted and glowered at him.
Jude thought that he would see her cute side if he teased her for being jealous, but he held back from doing that. Instead, he gently moved his hand that was on Cordelia’s waist towards her back, and brought up something else.
“Have you ever seen a star?”
“I’m seeing it right now.”
“No, not with your eyes. Something like an astronomical telescope.”
“Are you talking about…our past lives?”
“Yes… so have you seen it?”
“No. I’ve never actually seen a telescope. What about you, Jude?”
“I have.”
When he was with Alexei, he had viewed the stars through a telescope for reconnaissance.
After his retirement, he bought an expensive astronomical telescope and put it in his room.
“I couldn’t see the stars very well in Seoul.”
“I lived in Seoul.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I lived in Seoul.”
The two rarely talked about their past lives.
As the memories of their present lives grew stronger as time pa.s.sed, the memories of their past lives lessened, but it was because of the memories that were painful to recall or think about.
‘Like our parents.’
Jude himself was fine with that.
He was actually an orphan and Alexei who was like a father to him in his past life had already pa.s.sed away.
But not for Cordelia.
She had parents.
Friends.
Perhaps a brother or sister.
What happened to them all?
They had checked the rankings together in the chatroom, chatted a bit, and logged out.
It ended there.
The memories of their past lives were cut off there.
What followed was their present lives after being reborn in Pleiades that continued until now.
Why were their memories cut off?
Did Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yoo Hee die then?
And if they died, how did they die?
There were several possibilities.
For example, perhaps the world was destroyed, so it was not only Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yoo Hee who died.
Or that their lives continued after that, but they could only remember up to a certain point of their memories.
He had a lot of hypotheses, but did not spoke of it.
He did not want to give Cordelia a hard time.
“By the way, Jude.”
“Yes, Cordelia.”
Cordelia wiggled her fingers and leaned a little more. Today, for some reason, she continued to talk about things they normally did not talk about.
“Where were you in Seoul?”
“Are you talking about the neighborhood?”
“Yes, I used to live in Sang-am. The Sang-am Neighborhood of the Mapo District. Do you where that is?”
“I know. It’s impossible to not know. There are a lot of broadcasting stations there, right?”
“You know? Have you been there?”
“Yes. I did…”
“You did?”
“Because I lived there.”
“Huh?”
“I lived there. In Sang-am.”
At Jude’s words, Cordelia’s eyes widened and then blinked.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Wow, seriously? We lived in the same neighborhood?”
“Sang-am Neighborhood is big.”
“It is big. I see, I see.”
Cordelia’s body shook in her excitement, and she asked again as she hugged Jude.
“Hey, where did you live then? Like the name of your apartment.”
“Why are you asking?”
“I’m curious. Maybe we’re neighbors?”
“…XYZ Apartments.”
“Woah.”
“Why?”
“Well, I lived in XYZ Apartments.”
Jude stopped the Phantom Steed. He unconsciously twisted his body to see Cordelia clinging to him.
“Which apartment complex?”
“The third one.”
“Crazy.”
Jude let out a curse – no, an exclamation. He could not help it.
“What? Don’t tell me…”
Jude did not answer Cordelia’s question, but it was obvious at this point.
Cordelia hugged Jude a little tighter to calm her heart that had somehow began to pound.
Her heart pounded more wildly, but that was still fine. She then said in a slightly shaky voice.
“Hey, Jude. Shall we stop at this point?”
“You don’t want to talk about the floor?”
“Y-you want to talk about it?”
Jude felt a strong temptation at her cautious question, but he endured it for now.
Because it seemed like they would fully know each other’s past lives if they talked about the floor number.
‘However…’
Was there a reason for them to not talk about it?
He was afraid that Cordelia would suffer from thinking too strongly about her past life, but other than that…
“I lived in 306. What about you?”
Cordelia spoke again.
At her confession that suddenly came, Jude laughed.
“I.. I think I know who you are.”
“M-me too.”
People who lived in the same building were bound to meet each other several times, whether they liked it or not.
Combining the fragments of the stories of their past lives, it was not difficult to find out who among them was each other.
“Seriously… Our relationship seems to be fated.”
“I agree.”
It seemed like they were not just related in the game.
They had actually been neighbors in their past lives.
It was fate.
The two were fated to meet again.
“I thought that he was a… cool and handsome oppa.”
Cordelia murmured a bit, and Jude slightly narrowed his brows.
“You did?”
“I mean… he was indeed cool and handsome… but I didn’t think that he had a childish personality that would tell people that… they were bad at games.”
“Hey, I thought you were a really nice and pretty girl. That you were quiet?”
“Well, it’s not wrong though? I was a nice and pretty girl. Wasn’t I pretty?”
When Cordelia brazenly asked back, Jude did not know what expression to make.
So he tried to counterattack as soon as he could.
“I didn’t know you liked to say ‘f*ck.’”
“Hey, f*ck is…”
“Yes, it’s an exclamation, right?”
Jude winked and Cordelia briefly inflated her cheeks before hugging him again.
“By the way, Jude.”
“Yes, Cordelia.”
“Because our past lives are in the past, I will not call you oppa.”
They were of the same age now after their reincarnation.
“Yeah, I’d feel strange to hear you call me oppa. I prefer the present.”
“Really? You serious? Hm? Jude-oppa?”
It was an incomparably cute attack.
Therefore, Jude tried to turn away from Cordelia, but the excited Cordelia acted cutely several more times.
“It’s been a long time.”
“What long time?”
“Well, I mean… Just the two of us alone.”
They had exchanged facts about their past lives, that they were neighbors, but it did not feel like it was something new.
They had already been in Pleiades for 18 years, and been together for more than a year since they recalled their past life memories.
Perhaps that was why they recalled the more recent events than the distant past of 18 years.
The first time they ran away together and traveled to the north.
The story of the time they entered the wild lands and wandered all over the place.
“You’re right. We’re always with someone since we came to the empire.”
It had been a long time since the two had been completely alone in a trip.
And after this was over, they probably would not have the time to be alone for a while.
The war was about to seriously start.
“War… in the end, it’s going to happen.”
A civil war between the emperor and chancellor’s factions.
It was not like a small local war.
It was a huge war where the lives of tens of thousands were at stake, and perhaps the entire empire would be affected by the scourge of war.
“Still, it’s a lot better than the original. We’ll make things better for the future.”
“Yeah.”
Cordelia silently nodded. Instead of thinking about something more depressing, she sniffed Jude’s scent and looked down their feet.
“Jude.”
“Yes, Cordelia.”
“Shall we take a rest over there?”
It was late at night and there was a perfect place down there.
Listening to her excuses that followed, Jude looked down. He could see a small and half-destroyed temple on a moonlit hill.
“Ah, that place.”
He had actually seen that place for the first time, but he knew it due to Legend of Heroes 2.
‘A temple of the Eros denomination?’
A denomination that used to worship as their G.o.ddess the now-deceased archangel of love, Eros.
“Then shall we rest over there?”
“Yes, let’s take a rest there.”
It was not a big deal as it was something they had always done while traveling, but both of their voices trembled a little.
Or rather, there was an awkward tone.
‘Let’s take a rest.’
Jude recited a strange spell in his mind and directed the Phantom Steed towards the temple.
***
“Well, this is good. It’s clean.”
A lot of dust had gathered since the temple had been neglected for a long time, but Jude and Cordelia had magic.
They had cleaned the place with a spell and dried it using magic, so the old place became clean.
“There’s a bathroom, though it’s small. Let’s wash up after we eat.”
After finding a bathtub which seemed to have been used by the clergy of the Eros denomination, Jude set up their sleeping place.
‘Since we’ve come to a place with a roof…’
Instead of opening the Cozy 1-pyeong, Jude took out several leather skins from the s.p.a.ce expansion bag and laid it down on the floor. He also took out a cushion and blankets.
He lighted a bunch of candles here and there to make the place look good.
Darkness and stillness heavily dominated the place.
Only the starlight shining through the windows and the faint light from the candles illuminated the room.
Jude unconsciously gulped and lit a fire a little further away from the bed, placing a pot over it.
It was to prepare for dinner.
“Jude.”
“Yes, Cordelia.”
“Would you like to eat ramyeon today?”
There’s no Netflix though.
Jude tilted his head a bit at the last words Cordelia softly murmured, but he soon expressed his agreement.
“Okay, let’s eat that today. I’ll see how good you are.”
Because Hong Yoo Hee used to eat ramyeon every day.
Jude took out the hand-pulled noodles he made himself and various other ingredients, laying it all down on the ground.
“Can I leave it to you?”
“Yes, yes, leave it to me. I will surprise you.”
Cordelia laughed ‘hehehe’ and immediately began making ramyeon. She seemed to be working hard in controlling the water.
‘What’s next… ah, she’s just putting it all in.’
Still, it was a ramyeon Cordelia made.
Jude’s heart was somehow pounding as he sat still and watched Cordelia cook.
“It’s done.”
Five minutes had pa.s.sed. Cordelia placed the ramyeon into the bowls and turned to Jude with a satisfied face. Jude raised the chopsticks and said.
“Shall we eat then?”
Cordelia gulped instead of replying to Jude. Her shoulders were stiff from her slight nervousness.
And he began eating.
Cordelia swallowed hard again, and Jude admitted it.
“Delicious.”
“It is, right? It’s delicious, right? It’s really delicious, right?”
“Yes, it’s delicious. Very delicious.”
“Hehe, I told you, right? I’m really good. I’m really good at cooking ramyeon.”
“Yes, so you should eat too. The ramyeon will get soggy.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s eat together.”
Cordelia puffed up her chest in her delight, and began to eat her share of ramyeon.
And a few minutes later.
After they ate all the ramyeon and cleaned the dishes, Jude and Cordelia looked at each other again.
There was an awkwardness in between them.
No, there was a strange tension in between them.
“Well…”
“Uh…”
“You go first.”
“No, you speak first.”
“Uh… s-shall we wash up? Uh… no. Not wash. I will wash up first. No. You wash up first. Yes, you wash up first.”
“I-is that so?”
It was an everyday conversation.
Words they always spoke.
But Cordelia was blushing while Jude cleared his throat for no reason.
“Ahem, ahem. I’ll go first then.”
“Uh, yes. You go first.”
While Cordelia twisted her hair with her fingers, Jude got up in an awkward motion and left the room in a hurry.
And 10 minutes later.
“Your turn.”
“Eh? EEEH?”
Jude who had just washed up was only wearing pants.
In other words, he had taken off his top and revealed his firm chest, broad shoulders, and sleek waist with his awesome abs.
And his hair was slightly wet.
Cordelia blankly stared at Jude without realizing it, but soon got up and left the room.
And another 30 minutes later.
Jude was anxiously worried on what was taking her so long, wondering if something had happened to her, but soon swallowed hard.
A red-faced Cordelia walked in as she wiped her wet hair with a towel.
Her hair was wet despite the fact that she could just use magic to dry it.
No, that was not what mattered.
What mattered was that Cordelia was fitted in light pink comfy pajamas.
“T-the water’s good, right?”
“Yes, it was good.”
In fact, there was no need to ask that since their bath water had always been made from magic.
But Jude and Cordelia said so, agreeing with each other.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Cordelia coughed for no reason and sat down next to Jude. Perhaps because she had just taken a bath, the scent of her shampoo mixed in with her own body smell, giving off a sweet scent.
And there were the heart sounds.
Because it was quiet and the two were superhumans, they could clearly hear each other’s heartbeats.
Cordelia turned her eyes after several deep breaths.
She did not know it when she entered, but now that she was somehow aware of her surroundings, she saw the paintings and sculptures of Eros, the archangel of love, all over the place.
And at some point.
Cordelia flinched.
Because Jude’s hand overlapped hers.
Like always, his hands were big.
Before she could do anything about it, Jude’s hand took full control of hers. He tightly clasped her fingers to prevent it from moving.
And she gulped again.
Cordelia swallowed down before exhaling and gently turning her head.
She saw Jude.
Like Cordelia herself, his face was red and had a slightly awkward expression, but his green eyes were different. Instead of its usual mysterious look, it was filled with strong desire.
The two naturally exchanged a kiss.
It started with a light kiss, and then a deep one before eventually going deeper.
Jude’s big hand hugged her waist this time, and another hand went up a little higher.
Cordelia let out a hot breath. Feeling her body heat up, she focused on Jude’s touch.
Jude touched Cordelia’s neck and collarbone. When he moved his hand to the side while holding her pajama’s collar, her loose pajamas slipped, revealing her white shoulders.
The two eventually fell down.
Cordelia’s reddish-pink hair spread out on the white blanket, and Jude’s shadow covered Cordelia.
Cordelia knew.
That they would not stop here today.
That she did not want it to stop.
So she stretched out her hand.
She gently caressed Jude’s cheek, waiting for his answer with a little hesitation.
Continue.
Don’t stop.
She did not have to put it into words.
Jude’s hands continued.
More than half of her pajamas were removed, revealing her white and beautiful body under the dim candlelight.
Jude roughly breathed.
Cordelia was a little terrified of his appearance that seemed to ditch his usual reason, but she soon smiled.
Because he was her Jude.
Because he was the one she loved very much.
“Jude.”
She said in a small voice. Caressing the cheek of Jude who flinched, she continued speaking in a slightly lower voice than before, a shy and trembling voice.
“I’ve never done it before… so I don’t know.”
So.
Because I don’t know.
“I’ll leave it to you. You may… do whatever you want.”
Do as you please.
Cordelia lightly bit her lips. She was so embarra.s.sed of what she had said and wanted to hide somewhere.
Her face had seriously heated up.
But it was the same for Jude.
With a completely red face, he swallowed hard and raised his upper body.
Instead of saying something, he relaxed his waist.
Cordelia quickly closed her eyes. No, she did not need to close it, but she did it unknowingly.
She flinched again when she heard the sound of falling clothes. She mustered up her courage and gently opened her eyes.
Jude was standing.
And below it was something truly big…
“Huh?”
Wait a second. Wait, wait.
What is that? It’s different from what I saw in the book. Is that real? Seriously real?
But Cordelia’s embarra.s.sment did not last long. An even greater embarra.s.sment filled her head.
“I will not hold back.”
Cordelia swallowed her breath at the resolute whisper in her ears. She tried to say something, but it was no longer possible.
Jude’s lips met her lips.
He made her say nothing anymore.