To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 20

The two of them walked down the marble steps, passed through thick hedges, and moved under an arch covered in summer flowers. They arrived at a corner of the garden where flowers bloomed in abundance. Unlike the colonnade, this place was hidden behind trees and bushes, making it feel private. On top of that, the flowers in the center glowed like luminous pearls, creating a closed yet romantic atmosphere.

“Isn’t it beautiful? This garden is famous even in the palace. It looks even better when it’s dark.”

“Yeah. It’s really beautiful.”

Aisha nodded and gasped in awe at Ian’s words. Each tiny flower that made up the flower clusters seemed to glow under the moonlight, and the sight took her breath away.

“We used to spend a lot of time here alone when we were kids. It’s hard to make time like that these days… I miss those days.”

Ian’s hand rested on Aisha’s shoulder. She turned her head at the feel of his touch. Ian looked as if he were reminiscing about the past, his gaze softened.

“We didn’t know anything back then. We were just happy.”

His words stopped, and then he continued. For a moment, his eyes flashed coldly. The smile on his lips was cool like the tip of an arrow, but the darkness of night already hid Aisha’s unclear eyes. She thought he was just recalling old memories and relaxed her shoulders.

They stood there quietly, gazing at the glowing flowers. But the emotions on their faces were clearly different.

A gentle breeze blew between them. While watching the gently swaying flowers, Ian noticed some people hiding in the shadows of the bushes in the distance. A faint, dark smile formed on his lips.

“Did you enjoy it more?”

“Huh?”

“I mean the dance. I didn’t expect you to enjoy it enough to dance four times in a row.”

Aisha couldn’t find the words to reply. It wasn’t because she was flustered by the hint of disappointment in his tone. It was because she suddenly remembered the look on Ian’s face when she danced with Prince Jared.

‘Something’s wrong.’

A sense of doubt rose within Aisha at Ian’s unusually kind behavior. No rather, what she had been suppressing had finally burst.

Ian had been so cold at the Marquis Lloyd’s house. He had clearly meant it when he said they should keep their distance. And for the past few years, he had only grown more distant.

‘Now that I think about it, things have felt strange since the banquet started. Did he really call me here just to show me the garden?’

Sure, he had been kind a few times before, but only on the surface his words were always harsh. He had never been this consistently gentle in both word and action.

Aisha’s reason screamed at her to be careful, warning her that something was off.

“You should give me a chance too. Actually, I was going to ask you to dance earlier, but His Highness, the Second Prince, beat me to it.”

But standing in front of Ian, who bowed and reached out his hand, Aisha’s sense and intelligence crumbled like a sandcastle. As always, her love for Ian swallowed everything. She stared at his outstretched hand and forcefully pushed away her growing doubts.

Though there was no music, the two began to dance, holding hands in the garden. Ian led her flawlessly. But something about his perfect control made Aisha feel uneasy. His hand on her waist, the gentle yet firm way he guided her steps without music—none of it had a single flaw.

And yet, dancing with Ian felt more uncomfortable than dancing casually with her brothers or even the first time she danced with Prince Jared, a complete stranger.

“Ah!”

Unable to focus, Aisha stepped on a small pebble and twisted her foot. Ian quickly caught her as she stumbled and pulled her into his arms, whispering,

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Her heart was racing. Was it because she nearly fell or because she was in Ian’s arms? Aisha figured it was probably both. She straightened up and stepped away from him. Even though she had confessed her feelings to Ian a long time ago, she was still shy about showing him her blushing face.

“Aisha, are you uncomfortable being with me?”

Ian asked, pretending not to notice her obvious expression. He knew Aisha Parden could never truly be uncomfortable around him. But to make things go smoothly, he needed her soft heart to bend completely to his will.

“Huh?”

“Like I said earlier, I was sensitive at the marquis’ house. But if you’re still this uncomfortable, I’m really hurt.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just”

“You were smiling so brightly in front of His Highness. Do you like him?”

As expected, Aisha looked on the verge of breaking down. Her pale blue eyes filled with sorrow and frustration. Ian’s manipulation made her tremble, afraid that he didn’t believe in her love.

‘Foolish girl.’

Ian had no doubt about Aisha’s feelings. The idea that she didn’t love him? Impossible. That’s why he agreed to this bet so easily. He wasn’t stupid enough to gamble on uncertainty.

Still, something was strange. He was about to win the vineyard’s entire harvest for years with just a few words, yet he didn’t feel happy. Suddenly, he had the urge to drag out those hiding behind the bushes and throw the watch at them, declaring the bet over.

“Ian.”

Just as he frowned at his own thoughts, Aisha grabbed his hand, her eyes wet with tears.

“I—I only love you. You know that. I’ve always loved you. Ever since back then, I’ve only had feelings for you.”

Her tearful eyes and trembling voice irritated Ian even more. Thinking that she might be the reason he wanted to end the bet made him sick. Unable to hide his disgust, Ian roughly shook off her hand.

“I don’t believe you. You were way too close with His Highness. Everyone was whispering about it I heard it clearly.”

“No! It’s not like that. I Please believe me, Ian.”

Aisha looked desperate, shaking her head. She reached for Ian’s hand again but paused, instinctively checking his expression.

Ian waited a moment to heighten her anxiety. He had heard her confession now he needed just one more thing.

“Fine, Aisha. I’ll believe you. Then what you said before still counts, right?”

Aisha looked confused, trying hard to remember what he meant. Ian found her puzzled look somewhat pathetic, but oddly a little cute. He looked at her pale lips and continued.

“Remember when you said that if I was happy, you were happy too? That my happiness was your happiness.”

Aisha blinked in surprise. She had said that—after dancing with him in the Parden garden. It was a night like this too. The moon had been bright, and flowers were blooming everywhere. The lemon tree above them had been full of leaves. Overwhelmed with emotion, Aisha brought her hand to her chest.

“Yes, Ian. If you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”

“Really? Then could you make me happy right now?”

Ian smiled wide at her answer. His smile scattered under the moonlight, so beautiful that Aisha blankly asked in return:

“What should I do?”

His red lips curved into a deeper smile. Ian leaned forward slightly, brushed Aisha’s lower lip with his long fingers, and whispered in her ear.

“Kiss me, Aisha.”

It was a sudden and unexpected request. Confused, Aisha pursed her lips and accidentally touched Ian’s finger. Surprised, she opened her mouth slightly. Ian, not caring that his finger was wet, gently brushed her lips again and looked into her eyes.

‘This isn’t right.’

Feeling deeply uncomfortable, Aisha took a step back. Ian silently followed. Realizing it was pointless to move away, Aisha stopped and looked up at him.

‘This isn’t how it should be.’

It wasn’t their first kiss. They had touched lips a long time ago. It had been like a child’s game, a light touch—but even back then, her racing heart had told her it was something more. It had felt too intimate to be just a game.

But even though it wasn’t her first kiss, she felt uneasy. The kiss she remembered as a precious memory was nothing like this. That one had come naturally after confirming their feelings, with warm eye contact. That was the only kind of kiss Aisha knew.

“Why? Don’t want to?”

Ian finally spoke after a long silence. His gentle voice held subtle pressure. Aisha looked up at him silently, asking him with her eyes—why was he doing this?

Her gaze was filled with fear and confusion. Knowing she was scared, Ian deliberately hardened his expression. Seeing the sudden change, Aisha stiffened and couldn’t hide her anxiety.

“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”

It sounded like he was giving her a choice but it wasn’t really. His sighing voice made Aisha’s eyes waver. She felt like he’d hate her if she didn’t do what he wanted. He had already grown distant over the years. If this made things worse, she didn’t know what she’d do.

“I can do it.”

Cornered, Aisha had only one option. Her hand trembled as she grabbed Ian’s sleeve. And she repeated to herself: Ian likes me. That’s why he’s asking for this. Wasn’t he shy and blushing when we kissed before? He even stuttered. The affection in his eyes had been clear, and even at a young age, Aisha had recognized it.

Of course, her judgment went against all common sense and reason. But she had no choice. Even if it was wrong, she was more afraid of being hated by Ian.

“I can do it. Ian.”

She forced a shaky smile, pressing her fingers tightly to his sleeve. But she couldn’t stop her voice from trembling with tears.

Support To the One Who’s Only Cold to Me