To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 122

“Speak.”

The man’s lips curled into a long smile, glowing ominously beneath the red lamp hanging overhead.

“This wasn’t part of your original request, but since you’ve paid generously, I’ll share this as a bonus service.”

“Do you know about the relationship between the Marchioness and Count Parden, her close friend? They were very close. To be precise, they used to be close.”

Cliff’s unfocused eyes gradually sharpened as the man continued speaking. And the moment the man finished and stood up, Cliff, like a wounded beast betrayed to the core, let out a strange, guttural growl from deep in his throat, his face contorted in rage.

But even at the sound of that painful cry, no one in the room reacted. Not even the informant from the intelligence guild who had delivered the crushing truth looked back.

“Please pay the remaining balance.”

The man from the guild smiled at someone waiting outside the door. Then, the one who had brought Cliff to this place handed over a heavy pouch and said,

“Tell His Grace that things are going well.”

Graham and Marissa couldn’t say a word. A secret buried for over ten years had finally come to light, and the fallout had swept through their lives like a storm.

“Turn your face this way.”

After a long silence, Marissa spoke to her husband lying on the bed. Graham, who had been sitting slumped against the bed’s headboard, finally raised his head at her words.

“Marissa, I…”

“First, let’s put on the medicine. It’s all rubbed off already.”

Marissa interrupted her husband’s pained words and opened the lid of the ointment jar. Graham looked terrible. One eye was badly bruised, and there was swelling all over his body. Though hidden under his clothes, his body was covered in more bruises and injuries.

“Don’t let the children see you like this for a while. They’ll be scared.”

“You’re right.”

Graham flinched under Marissa’s touch but made no sound. He gritted his teeth as if this pain was nothing something he deserved. But the moment her hand finished applying the medicine, tears began to fall silently from the grown man’s eyes.

“I… I ruined everything. Because I didn’t speak up… ah.”

Marissa’s expression stayed calm as she listened, but inside, she was just as torn up. She, too, had been a part of keeping Daphne’s secret.

Still… to beat someone like this!

Even as guilt tugged at her, anger rose at the sight of her beaten husband. What Graham had endured from Cliff wasn’t just a beating it was a savage assault. The doctor had said that if it had gone on much longer, he could have suffered permanent damage, or worse.

“Cliff… that bastard must be suffering terribly. Damn it.”

Graham never said a word about his own pain. He just kept blaming himself. Marissa let out several deep sighs, and finally spoke to comfort him in a quiet voice.

“Let’s go ask for forgiveness once you’re better. For now the Marquis needs some time too.”

Rumble… Thunder rolled in the distance. Though it had faded, Aisha still covered her ears and buried her face in her father’s chest.

“I’m scared.”

“It’s okay now. The thunder ran far away.”

“Really?”

“Of course, sweetheart.”

Aisha had run into her father’s arms in the middle of the night, too scared to sleep. Graham, who hadn’t even tried to go to bed due to his worries, found momentary peace as he comforted her.

“Daddy.”

“Yes?”

“When will Ian come back? That uncle hasn’t been around either. Did you and the uncle have a fight?”

Aisha glanced up at her father, then cautiously asked about Ian and Cliff. Graham, already troubled by thoughts of Cliff, stiffened and went silent.

More than two months had passed since the beating, but his friend still refused to see him. Though Graham had tried to visit, Cliff remained unreachable except occasionally at the royal court, where he now stood with the old noble faction, openly treating Graham as an enemy and attacking him at every turn.

“No… It’s not like that. They’re just busy, that’s all.”

Graham barely answered. But Aisha sensed the odd tone in his voice and stopped asking.

“Aisha, go back to bed now.”

“But the thunder’s still…”

“Go on.”

Marisssa, who had been sitting nearby, stood up and firmly told Aisha to return to bed. Though she wanted to protest, Aisha backed down when she saw her mother’s stern face. Still, as she walked away with a maid, she kept glancing back, reluctant to leave her father’s side. Graham smiled and waved every time she turned around.

Once Aisha was gone, silence fell over the couple. Marissa listened to the rain outside and didn’t speak until nearly thirty minutes had passed.

“Graham, let’s go to bed. It’s late.”

Graham silently nodded and stood. Marissa followed. But just as they were about to leave, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Their butler appeared, looking flustered.

“What is it?”

“Sir… you have a visitor.”

“At this hour?”

Graham and Marissa exchanged puzzled looks. The butler hesitated before finally naming the visitor. As soon as they heard the name, the couple looked at each other and hurried downstairs.

When they reached the drawing room, they saw someone sitting on the couch, shoulders hunched and soaked to the bone. Graham stepped in first. At the sound of footsteps, the person turned around.

Wet, lemon-colored hair clung pitifully to her face. But Graham stopped in place, unsure what to do. Then, the visitor Daphne suddenly stood and rushed toward him, dripping water with every step.

“Graham!”

She threw herself into his arms and sobbed. Graham stood there awkwardly, caught off guard, and slowly pushed her away. Marissa watched the scene, a slight frown on her face, and stepped between them.

Daphne, now separated from Graham by Marissa, glanced nervously at her, then looked back at Graham. She reached out, grabbing the sleeve of his coat, and pleaded through her tears.

“Please… sob… help me, Graham.”

The situation at the Marquis’ estate, as Daphne described, was dire. Cliff had fallen deep into alcohol and gambling, using up every penny the family had at hand. On top of that, he had recklessly expanded his business, forcing Daphne to sell off all the jewelry except the few pieces that must not be touched, just to pay for daily expenses and the staff’s wages.

“I’m against this, Graham.”

“We need to face the Marquis and fix things directly. Solving it through Daphne could make things worse.”

“But Marissa, you saw those demands too. We don’t have time. If we don’t pay off the debt now, the problem will grow, and the family could fall apart.”

Though they agreed to help the Marquis family, Graham and Marissa disagreed on how and when.

“Let’s just put out the immediate fire first. We can handle this much ourselves.”

“Fine. If that’s your decision, I’ll go along this time.”

In the end, Marissa backed down. The debts were serious and couldn’t be delayed.

“But Graham, know this. This probably won’t be the end.”

Even as she agreed, Marissa predicted it. This wouldn’t end with just one payment.

“Alcohol is bad enough, but gambling… You know how that ends. If we’re not careful, we’ll get dragged in too.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Don’t thank me. I’m doing this because I feel uneasy too.”

The real problem was Cliff’s addiction. Since they couldn’t reach him, they didn’t know exactly how deep he was in, but the fact that he hadn’t tried to fix anything made it clear it was serious.

“Cliff, that fool. All because of drinking. What is he even thinking?”

Still, the couple didn’t consider anything beyond alcohol and gambling. Because to them, anything more illegal was unthinkable.

“See? I told you it was true.”

Cliff couldn’t even recognize the man whispering in his ear. The strange liquor he’d drunk earlier still clouded his vision.

The more confused his mind became, the clearer the man’s voice sounded. And in the distance, what Cliff saw confirmed the man’s words.

“They haven’t said anything, but rumors are already spreading like wildfire.”

Because of Cliff’s debts, Daphne and the Graham couple had met frequently. No matter how careful they were, they couldn’t avoid every curious eye. Sometimes, to seek comfort, Daphne even met Graham in public places like ballrooms. When this happened more than once, gossipmongers twisted the truth into something malicious.

“They say your wife and Count Parden are more than just friends.”

The snake-like man whispered the fabricated scandal into Cliff’s ear. Cliff clenched his fists as he watched Daphne and Graham speak seriously in the distance. His pale fists shook with tension. Unaware she was being watched, Daphne nodded to Graham’s words and began sobbing.

Even from far away, it was clear how broken she looked. Anyone would’ve comforted her in that state—especially an old flame. And, just as expected, Graham hesitated briefly, then gently patted her shoulder.

“They really do seem close. Well, I suppose that’s how first loves are.”

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