Chapter 9 (Part 3)

“Darling, a strange bird came by earlier” 

“A bird?” 

Nathaniel asked, still groggy as he tried to sit up.  

Cordelia hurried toward him, her steps quick and light. Her frightened expression seemed to alarm him, and he reached out to embrace her, his arms wrapping around her protectively.  

“What happened? Tell me everything—it’s okay” 

He said soothingly.  

“It was one of those birds that kept coming to you before. The white ones with letters tied to their legs—the carrier pigeons. It looked just like them. But when I got close, it flew away as if it didn’t want me near.” 

“Really? Don’t worry about it too much. Those birds are trained to avoid strangers” 

“Hmm… But there was something odd about that bird” 

“What do you mean? Did something about it bother you?”  

Cordelia hesitated, debating whether to share her suspicions. The bird had seemed to be trying to lure her outside the fence. But if it was a carrier pigeon, it was likely there to deliver a message to Nathaniel, not her. She decided it was probably just her imagination.  

“I don’t know… Its behavior was a little strange. And it didn’t have anything tied to its leg”

It was true. Normally, the carrier pigeons that had flown in before would only flutter near the window, chirping softly. They all had pieces of paper tied to their legs. But the bird Cordelia had seen today was different. 

“It flew to the back door and kept knocking there repeatedly while you were asleep earlier”

“It knocked on the door?” 

Nathaniel asked, his expression puzzled. 

As his face grew more serious, Cordelia started to feel uneasy. She pressed her cheek against his chest, seeking comfort, and continued explaining the situation. 

“If it had knocked once or twice, I might have dismissed it as coincidence and not thought much about it. But that wasn’t the case. It kept knocking—Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.—until I came to the door. It felt strange.” 

“…Cordelia, if that happens again, wake me up immediately, okay? Please don’t go out alone” 

“You were sleeping so soundly at the time… And I did hesitate before opening the door, but I didn’t think it was anything dangerous. If it had been an intruder, Skoll would have reacted, but everything was quiet” 

“Hmm…” 

Despite her reassurances, Nathaniel’s stern expression didn’t soften. After a moment, he spoke again.  

“Skoll can’t detect everything. You never know what might come.”  

“Really? But Skoll is so sensitive” 

“He’s a smart one, sure. But small animals like birds or my subordinates are familiar to him, so he doesn’t see them as threats. They’re allowed to cross the fence.”  

“Allowed?” 

Cordelia thought for a moment, confused by the word, but eventually nodded, deciding there must be a reason behind it.  

“Alright. If anything seems even slightly suspicious, I’ll call you right away” 

“Good. That’s why I became your husband—to protect you, no matter what.”  

“That’s such a comforting thing to hear. It makes me feel safe and reassured”

Cordelia said, her tension easing as his words soothed her.  

Nathaniel’s tone had been serious, but to her, it sounded sweet. Her nerves relaxed, and he seemed relieved—or perhaps amused—by her reaction, letting out a light chuckle.  

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again” 

“Alright” 

The two embraced warmly, their conversation coming to an end. Cordelia believed the matter had been resolved. 

The next day, Nathaniel left the house for a brief outing. He said it was to address the issue with the bird. It seemed he wanted to ensure that no one would approach in such an unusual manner again. Perhaps he was going to speak to the colleague who had sent the carrier pigeon, asking them to stop for Cordelia’s sake.  

After Nathaniel rode off on Skoll, Cordelia was left alone in the house. Then, it happened again.  

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.  

She ran to the back door and flung it open, her heart pounding. The same white bird greeted her.  

This time, Cordelia stepped outside, determined to study the bird more closely. She wanted to remember its appearance and characteristics so she could describe them to Nathaniel later. Although she felt a bit guilty for breaking her promise to him, she believed this was the quickest way to resolve the situation.  

The bird chirped its peculiar peep peep sound, briefly tugged at her clothes as if beckoning her, and then flew toward the fence. Cordelia narrowed her eyes at it, suspicious.  

“So, you’re trying to lure me out. I’m not going. Go back” 

She said firmly.  

Whatever the bird’s intentions were, Nathaniel’s explanation had made it clear that the bird had been trained by someone. If that was the case, there was no need to entertain its behavior—especially since Nathaniel seemed unaware of this particular bird’s actions. 

 Just as Cordelia turned to close the door, she heard a voice from beyond the fence.  

“Cordelia? Could we talk for a moment? Would you mind coming outside?”  

The voice was soft and melodic, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. Cordelia had heard it before.  

It was the voice of the woman who had once told Nathaniel to let Cordelia go—a subordinate of his, perhaps.  

Why was this woman here?  

Cordelia’s heart raced, her chest tightening with anxiety. Her thoughts grew tangled as she considered how she would explain this to Nathaniel.  

How could she tell him that the woman who had confronted him when she was near death had come to visit her?  

If she said. ‘Nathaniel, the subordinate you met when I was choking to death is here.’ 

He would surely be shocked and ask, ‘You weren’t unconscious then?’  

He would realize that she had heard the strange words spoken at that time. Then he would either try to explain them or remain silent, and the atmosphere between them would grow heavy with secrets.  

As Cordelia wrestled with her thoughts, the voice called out again, this time introducing itself.  

“I’m not a suspicious person. I’m one of Nathaniel’s subordinates. I came here because I have something to tell you. You’re alone right now, aren’t you?”  

To me? 

The realization hit Cordelia like a cold splash of water.  

The fact that the woman asked if she was alone meant she had deliberately chosen a time when Nathaniel wasn’t home—or perhaps a time when Cordelia would be awake and alone.  

Who was this person? More importantly, what did she want?  

Her sense of caution heightened instantly. Cordelia tried to calm her racing heart as she stared at the white fence, then spoke to the unseen figure beyond it.  

“Go away. I have nothing to say to you” 

She said firmly.  

Without waiting for a reply, she shut the door and returned inside.  

She was startled by how cold her tone had sounded. Her breathing quickened, and when she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she saw that her face had gone pale.  

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest.  

Something felt off. This time, it wasn’t just an intuitive unease—it was fear.  

Why did this woman scare me so much?  

Cordelia couldn’t understand it. The woman was clearly someone from Nathaniel’s world, someone with no ties to Cordelia’s past. Yet, her presence made Cordelia feel as anxious as Levin’s fiery red hair did.  

Terrified, Cordelia ran straight to the bed, curled up under the blankets, and waited for Nathaniel to return. She closed her eyes tightly, and eventually, she fell asleep. 

***

The woman had made one mistake.  

She assumed Cordelia wouldn’t tell Nathaniel about the encounter.  

In the past, Cordelia might have kept quiet, uncertain about her fragmented memories and suspicious of Nathaniel’s identity. But now, things were different.  

She was married to him, and they had promised to understand and accept everything about each other. There was no reason to hold back anymore.  

So, Cordelia decided, without hesitation, not to keep this a secret.  

When Nathaniel returned home that evening, she immediately told him about what had happened.  

“That bird came back again! While you were away”

Nathaniel frowned and took her hand, leading her to the sofa. He asked her to explain everything in detail.  

Cordelia nodded and began by apologizing. 

“I’m sorry for going outside when you told me not to. I just wanted to take a closer look at the bird” 

She said quickly, trying to justify her actions.  

She then described the bird’s peculiar cries, how it tugged at her clothes, and the woman’s voice she heard beyond the fence.  

“She called me ‘Cordelia.’ She knew my name. Then she asked if I was alone and said she was your subordinate. She wanted me to come out and talk.”  

“What?”  

Nathaniel’s face showed clear surprise.  

Cordelia hesitated for a moment before deciding to reveal something she had been debating whether to share.  

“I’ve been wondering whether I should mention this…”  

“What is it? Please, tell me everything” 

Nathaniel urged her, letting out a sigh and gripping her hand tightly.  

Cordelia squeezed his hand back and continued, knowing that it might hurt him but believing honesty was better than secrecy.  

“Do you remember when I almost died? When that red-haired man was strangling me?”  

Nathaniel’s expression immediately darkened, but he nodded, signaling her to continue.  

“I think I heard that woman’s voice back then.