To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 21

Ian forgot to control his expression in front of Aisha, and he also forgot that the fools behind the bushes were signaling him that time was almost up. He straightened his back, which he had bent slightly to meet Aisha’s eyes, and tried to pull his hand away from hers. He had no intention of winning the bet if it meant looking this pathetic. That kind of watch—who cared? He could just throw it away.

But just as Ian tried to step away from Aisha, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her thin arms around his neck. The strength wasn’t much, but the sudden pull caught Ian completely off guard.

“That’s enough—mmph!”

Because they were outside, Aisha’s scent had seemed faint until now but it suddenly became strong. Ian’s eyes widened as he felt the soft, moist touch on his lips.

‘What the—?’

Usually, any physical contact beyond a certain point made him uncomfortable. But for some reason, his lips opened on their own, and his hands moved. Without realizing it, he wrapped his arms around her small waist and traced the thin fabric of her dress across her back.

It felt like he had drunk several bottles of sweet wine—his head went blank. Ian didn’t stop his eyes from closing. He just enjoyed the feel of her hair on his fingertips and craved the unfamiliar sensation, like a man dying of thirst in the desert longing for water.

While their lips were still locked, Ian suddenly remembered Aisha dancing with Prince Jared. At the same time, he grew annoyed at how easily she gave in to kissing him.

‘Tch! So she acts this lightly just from a little pressure?’

She was the one who brought up the engagement first, and now she acted like this? Where was her dignity as a noble lady? If she liked another guy later, would she act this way with him too?

Even though he had been the one to pressure her, Ian tightened his grip on Aisha’s waist out of spite. As he grew rougher and sucked hard on her lower lip, Aisha squirmed in his arms.

Her confused and helpless reaction felt cute and bold at the same time. He resented that she was the one who started this but now tried to back away, so Ian held her chin firmly with one hand and pushed her down using his weight.

Eventually, Aisha stopped resisting and relaxed her body. Holding her limp figure with one arm, Ian continued to explore her lips as much as he pleased. The long kiss seemed endless, and Aisha gasped as if out of breath. Ian finally pulled back, thinking she needed at least a moment to breathe. Their hot and sticky breaths lingered in the narrow space between their lips.

“Haah…”

From just one kiss, Aisha’s face was a mess. Her sky-blue eyes shimmered with tears, and her lips were puffier than usual.

Ian quietly stared at her as she struggled to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling. Then he gently wiped the smeared lip tint from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Tilting his head slightly, he leaned in again.

Seeing him approach after the short break, Aisha’s eyes widened. She thought it was over…

Her flushed face showed both fear and anticipation. With trembling hands, Aisha stared at Ian’s red lips—colored even deeper with her lip tint. The faint smudges at the edges made him look sensual, and Aisha eventually closed her eyes.

There was barely any space left between them. Just as they were about to touch again—so close that they could feel each other’s breath—sudden clapping came from the bushes, and someone burst out.

“That was hot.”

“If we hadn’t stepped in, he would’ve laid her down right here.”

“Thanks for the show. Ian, I enjoyed it.”

Four men appeared from the bushes, clapping. Aisha froze on the spot. The men whistled and grinned mischievously as if they had seen everything.

Aisha realized they were staring at her, scanning her up and down, especially her lips and chest. Her face turned pale. Her hand flailed in the air before grabbing onto Ian beside her like he was a lifeline.

Without a word, Ian moved Aisha behind him. His touch was rough, but with her view blocked, Aisha felt relief. His solid body felt like a wall that could protect her.

“Sorry. But I kept my word—I didn’t interfere. Dennis over there did. I tried to stop him until the end.”

At Albert’s excuse, Ian scowled. Dennis, the man Albert pointed at, turned pale under Ian’s glare. Ian bit his lip and glared at him. He didn’t need to see more to understand. Albert had clearly manipulated everything behind the scenes.

‘Damn it…’

But the biggest problem was Ian himself. He had known those idiots were hiding behind the bushes. He must have lost his mind.

The men fell silent at Ian’s tense expression. But then, a thin voice came from behind Ian.

“I-Ian. What is this…?”

Her trembling voice was full of shock. Ian froze in place, unable to turn around. Anyone with sense could see that he was connected to those men.

‘I have to get out of this…’

Ian didn’t hesitate for long. He chose the best option he could think of—leaving and coming up with an excuse later to hide the bet.

‘I’ll just say I didn’t know anything.’

Even if Aisha demanded answers, he could deny it. Eventually, she’d look at him again with those puppy-dog eyes, forgetting the bad memories like she always did.

But Albert was faster. With a sly grin, he spoke just as Ian turned around.

“Ian, you won this bet. Congratulations.”

Bet? At those words, Aisha’s face turned pasty gray. It was clear now. Ian had known they were hiding in the bushes.

She looked up at him, unable to believe it. Ian clenched his jaw when their eyes met, then turned his head away sharply. Aisha couldn’t see his face—only her blurry vision remained.

“Lady Aisha. Don’t just hide behind Ian. Come out here.”

A disturbing voice rang in her ears. One man stuck his face out to look behind Ian. His grin stretched unnaturally, and Aisha’s vision blurred. Still, his disgusting voice remained clear.

“This lady helped our friend win. Sorry, Miss, but it was just a prank between friends. Ian said Lady Aisha would fall for him no matter what he—”

“Shut up.”

Ian’s low voice dripped with threat. Just one word, but all the men, including Albert, felt a chill down their backs. Albert, who had more to say, shut his mouth without realizing it and stepped back.

“Th-The joke’s over. And it’s getting late. If we stay out too long, our fathers will notice.”

Dennis, who had been pointed out earlier, couldn’t handle the tension and backed down. The others followed, dragging Albert with them.

“Albert, come on, let’s go.”

“Yeah, let’s just go.”

Albert hesitated, met Ian’s eyes, and quickly looked away. His pride was wounded, but pushing further would be dangerous. Swallowing his frustration, he forced a fake smile.

“Fine. Looks like you two have things to talk about. We’ll leave. But make sure to see me tomorrow. You lost the bet—you’ll have to pay up.”

Albert’s parting words were filled with malice. He glanced at the trembling Aisha with disgust before turning around. The others quickly followed him.

Silence fell over the clearing where only Ian and Aisha remained. It wasn’t the sweet silence of a kiss—it was the cold, sharp stillness of broken trust.

Aisha struggled to look at Ian, who refused to meet her eyes. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. She grabbed his hand and asked with difficulty.

“I-Ian.”

“Please… explain. Okay?”

“If you just tell me what’s going on, I… hngh…”

Her shaky voice was heartbreaking. Ian clenched his fists and suddenly raised his head. He knew he had done something unforgivable. Making a bet like that was disgusting and cruel. But just as guilt started to rise, his mind tried to defend itself.

‘This was the whole point, wasn’t it? No need to pity her. She was going to suffer until this ends anyway.’

Part of Ian screamed at him to apologize now. But he ignored it. Instead, he thought of the documents locked in the third drawer of his study. Just like that, the voice of guilt disappeared. In the calm silence of his mind, he spoke coldly.

“You still don’t get it? Or are you pretending not to?”

His sharp tone was the opposite of Aisha’s. With icy eyes, he shook off her hand and stabbed her where it hurt.

“If you want me to explain, fine. I made a bet about you with them. Like you heard, I won. That’s all.”

Aisha was speechless with despair. Her hands, which had been clinging to his sleeve, fell powerlessly.

She didn’t want to believe it—but Ian had confirmed it himself. His sudden change in mood, his sweet words, their first kiss—it was all a lie for the bet.

She tried not to cry, but tears fell anyway. Her shoulders trembled as she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

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