To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 107

“That’s not it!”

Ian shouted angrily, frustrated by the word “kiss.” Aisha hit him with a cold glare and said,

“Why do you look like that? Why? Oh are you upset because I’m blaming you?”

“That’s not it! I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding”

“Right. You’re right. It’s not all your fault. I share some blame too.”

“Aisha!”

When Aisha ignored his words, Ian gripped her arm more tightly and raised his voice again. But this time, Aisha didn’t hold back. She lifted both her arms and slammed them down, shaking off Ian’s hand.

“If only I hadn’t been so stupid all the time! If only I hadn’t blindly liked you so much, even hurting my own family in the process”

Aisha’s voice slowly quieted, and tears began to well up. Ian saw the tears gathering in her gray-blue eyes and reached out his hand. He didn’t want to see her cry. He had once thought her tears were beautiful but when he looked deeper, it always made him uncomfortable and hurt inside.

“Maybe it wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

Aisha didn’t let him wipe her tears. She stepped back, avoiding his hand, and quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

“Damn it!”

Ian cursed silently as he watched her grow more distant. Of course, all of his anger was aimed at himself.

“Aisha.”

Ian took a deep breath and called her name in a voice filled with anxiety. Aisha, eyeing him warily, prepared to take another step back in case he moved closer again. Seeing her act like that, Ian looked filled with guilt and dropped to his knees, moving closer to her feet. His well-pressed trousers were stained by the garden grass.

“Everything before was my fault. The way I treated you, the rumors you were right. It was all because of me.”

“From now on, I’ll keep asking for your forgiveness until you’re no longer angry. If you want, I’ll kneel as many times as it takes. I promise it won’t happen again. But…”

“But don’t avoid me. If you do, our relationship will only break apart.”

Ian’s voice was sincere, but the end was selfish just like his nature. Even while kneeling, he insisted she couldn’t avoid him. Aisha called his name.

“Ian.”

“I told you earlier. I don’t want your apology.”

“To be honest, I don’t even care if you kneel or say sorry now. I can’t hear or see any of it. You should have apologized back when I begged you to explain, when I pleaded again and again. Not now.”

“For now or maybe forever I don’t want to see you. So please, just leave me alone. Right now, I don’t want to I don’t want to run into you.”

Ian kept his head down on his knees. So Aisha could only see his shining blonde hair, not his expression.

“Then how long should I wait?”

Soon after she finished speaking, Ian asked in a small, chilling voice. Aisha instinctively flinched at his icy tone.

“Three days? A week? Or a month? If you don’t give me a time, do I have to keep watching this happen?”

Ian suddenly grabbed Aisha’s hand tightly. His much larger hand gripped hers hard, making her let out a small cry. But Ian ignored it and lifted his head sharply, speaking in a voice heavy with obsession.

“I can’t take it. Seeing you laugh with other men, dance with them I can’t stand it.”

“You only look at me. No you should only look at me. You said you’d love me forever, remember? You said it yourself, Aisha.”

Under the beautiful lemon tree, their memories were ruined. Feeling real fear, Aisha moved quickly. But Ian didn’t let her go. Holding her hand, he stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Ah!”

Aisha screamed as her body was suddenly pulled back. But a strong wind blew just in time, swallowing her voice and carrying it past the bushes. Even in the cold, sweat formed on her back. Struggling in Ian’s hold, Aisha raised her free hand high.

Slap.

“Don’t treat me like that!”

The sharp sound of her slap cut through the air, and her trembling voice struck Ian’s ears. He slowly turned his head to look at Aisha, who was trying desperately to break free from his arms. Even after being slapped, his expression didn’t change at all. Aisha was disturbed by how unaffected he looked, but she didn’t hold back her words.

“I regret ever loving you, Ian! I hate it!”

Ian, who had kept a strangely calm expression until now, finally broke down at those words. She regretted loving him. That couldn’t be true. Shocked, he tried to hug her tighter, but her push was stronger, and he stumbled backward.

“Aisha.”

Just as Ian reached out again, afraid she’d run from him, their eyes met. The eyes that once looked at him with blind love now held anger, contempt and clear hatred. Ian felt the strength leave his body. Then, without thinking, driven by frustration, he let out the words boiling inside him.

“So what? Are you really are you really saying we should break off the engagement?”

He had seen Aisha tremble at that word many times. Ian hoped saying it would prove she still loved him. But it was a mistake. It had only worked in the past certainly not now, and not even when he visited her at the count’s estate that morning.

Realizing his mistake, Ian shut his mouth halfway. But the word “breakup” had already echoed in Aisha’s ears.

“Why did you stop talking?”

“Never mind. You don’t need to say more. I understand you clearly.”

As expected, Aisha’s face showed no fear in fact, she looked relieved. She stepped closer to Ian. This time, he was the one to step back.

“I didn’t know how I truly felt either”

“Don’t say it.”

“But seeing you today made me sure.”

“I said stop talking.”

The large man shrinking away from a much smaller woman might have looked pathetic or maybe even pitiful. But Aisha had endured too much from Ian to feel pity. That’s why she gripped her invisible sword tightly and stabbed it into him without hesitation.

“Yes, Ian. I don’t care anymore.”

“What did you just say?”

“You’re smart. So why are you pretending not to understand?”

“I’m saying I’m fine with breaking off our engagement.”

Aisha, slightly out of breath, finally said the word herself. Ian’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe what she said. He staggered like all strength had left his body.

For such a large man, the pale look on his face made him seem like he might collapse at any moment. But Aisha didn’t hesitate. She stepped closer, pressing the blade already in his heart even deeper.

“There’s no need to wait long. I’ll tell my father tomorrow.”

How had she even gotten away from that place? Aisha trembled as she walked quickly.

‘I’m scared.’

She truly meant it when she said she’d break off the engagement tomorrow. But her voice had been a little too sharp pushed by her emotions. Ian’s reaction right after scared her.

The look he gave her made her hair stand on end. Even before that, his eyes had been full of obsession. But after she said the word “breakup,” his expression changed completely.

His blue eyes, once like jewels, had lost all their light. They gleamed eerily in the darkness. It didn’t feel like she was facing a person. No it felt like a monster waiting to devour her whole.

The strange silence between them made it hard to breathe. Aisha couldn’t speak. She stayed frozen. Her legs only moved when they started aching from standing too still. Stepping back hesitantly, she finally turned her back to Ian, still on his knees, and ran.

‘Almost there.’

Thanks to her fast pace, she soon reached her destination. As she neared the hall, she heard cheerful music and voices blending together. She stopped and looked at the light pouring out from the hall, trying to calm her racing breath.

Tap.

Just as she was fixing her hair and dress, someone put a hand on her shoulder from behind.

“Ah!”

“Whoa! You scared me!”

Aisha, still on edge, let out a small scream and turned around. The person behind her was also startled and looked at her with wide eyes.

“D-Daniel.”

Aisha sighed in relief after seeing his dark hair so different from Ian’s blond and his familiar face. But her heart was still pounding, and her face looked pale.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Daniel asked worriedly. He had already been concerned when Aisha suddenly disappeared while they were dancing. Luckily, he found her quickly. Otherwise, he would have caused a scene looking for her, royal ball or not.

Support