To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 22

Ian’s eyebrows shot up instantly at Aisha’s tears. He took a half-step back from her, arms crossed. Then he twitched his lips before throwing out more sharp words.

“Don’t blame me for no reason. You said it yourself. When I’m happy, you’re happy too.”

“I’m in a great mood because I won the bet. I’m getting quite a lot from it. So smile, Aisha. I’m happy, so you should be too, right?”

For someone who claimed to be in a good mood, Ian didn’t look happy at all. He looked like someone being chased by something. Aisha, lost in panic and tears, didn’t notice, but to a third party, Ian’s rushed words were filled with nervousness.

Even though Ian was acting unreasonably, Aisha said nothing. She didn’t even look at him, only letting her tears fall silently to the ground. The large, clear drops carried sorrow in every fall.

When Aisha didn’t respond, Ian turned his head and sighed deeply. His irritation was obvious.

He clicked his tongue and turned back to her. His icy blue eyes held an unknown emotion. He grabbed Aisha’s limp right hand carelessly. When Ian snatched her hand, Aisha shook him off with a sharp reaction.

Smack. The meaning of the rejected hand was clear. Aisha Parden had refused him. Ian’s eyes widened for a moment it had never happened before. He glared at Aisha, who still wouldn’t look at him, and reached for her right hand again. Aisha silently resisted once more, but Ian held on and pulled it forcefully.

“It hurts! I said it hurts!”

As he twisted her thin, delicate wrist like a young bamboo stalk, Aisha cried out sharply. Ian flinched at her scream and loosened his grip. Still, though loosened, his hand remained around her wrist.

With his other hand, Ian reached into his coat and pulled something out. He shoved the item between Aisha’s fingers. As the cold metal and its rough engraving rubbed against her skin, Aisha’s hand naturally opened in pain.

“Take it.”

Realizing what it was, Aisha exhaled harshly. Her broken breaths showed how unwell she was. Just like the handkerchief before, Ian had returned another item to her. It was the watch she had given him as a gift, custom-made with his name engraved by a master artisan. Aisha had used up all the allowance she’d saved for years and even begged her siblings to buy it.

“I always thought it was pathetic, but someone seemed to want it. I guess it’s still worth something.”

When Aisha finally looked at him, unable to avoid his gaze anymore, Ian crooked a smile. He tapped the watch in her open hand and folded her fingers one by one.

“I don’t know if I should thank you since your joy is my joy, but this thing is useless to me. So as a reward, it’s not too bad. Either way, I won thanks to you.”

The pocket watch, now forced into her grip, dug painfully into her palm. Aisha stared at Ian with a shocked face as he said such cruel things.

“I’ll send a bottle of wine to the Parden estate soon too. We should share the joy of getting such fine grapes.”

You’re the one who used a kiss with me as a wager. The one who always crushes me like this… And yet, you keep saying things like that.

Ian still looked like the man she loved. For the first time, Aisha resented her feelings for him. But even if she hated herself, she couldn’t bring herself to hate Ian. And that truth made Aisha feel the most miserable of all.

In the end, the only emotion wounded Aisha could show Ian was sorrow. She looked up at him with tears still flowing freely.

Ian, who had kept a sour face while spitting out cruel words, fell silent at the sight of her new tears. He let go of her hand and stepped back, almost as if pushing her away. He brushed his hair back irritably and turned around.

“I’ll go first. Your face is a mess, so take a walk around the garden before you come back. Or people will start gossiping.”

His cold voice and firm back carried no warmth. Ian walked away on his long legs and disappeared from Aisha’s view.

Once he was gone, Aisha collapsed and buried her face in her hands. And for the first time since becoming an adult, she cried loudly outside her home.

“Why is Father always on that guy’s side! I’m his son no, we’re his kids! Anyone would think Ian is his real child.”

“Daniel, watch your mouth. We’re not at home.”

“What? You agree with him? Aisha went after that guy, and instead of stopping her, he just let her go? What if that jerk makes her cry again? Don’t you agree, Arthur?”

The Parden brothers were gathered in a corner of the hall. More precisely, Edward and Arthur were trying to calm down Daniel, who had fought with their father, Count Parden, and was now acting rough. After barely settling Daniel down, they had been listening to his complaints for nearly thirty minutes.

“Enough already. She already went after him what can we do now? Aisha’s an adult. She’s not the little girl you used to carry around anymore.”

“Hey! Arthur Parden! You’re always fighting with Father, but in moments like this, you take his side?”

“That’s childish. And you call yourself an adult?”

“You brat! Is that how you talk to your older brother?”

“Both of you, stop.”

Seeing the argument was about to escalate, Edward stepped in. When he put on a strict expression, both Arthur and even the usually fiery Daniel fell silent.

“Daniel, go find Aisha. Like you said, I don’t feel right leaving her alone with Ian.”

“Why me? The youngest is here too…”

“No excuses. Just go. Arthur doesn’t know the palace as well as you do. And who was the one ranting about Aisha for the past thirty minutes?”

Unable to argue, Daniel grumbled as he walked off. Once he was gone, Arthur turned to Edward.

“Brother, you have something to say, don’t you?”

Daniel hadn’t noticed, but Edward seemed to have something important to tell Arthur. Seeing that Arthur had caught on quickly, Edward nodded.

“Yes. I held Daniel back on purpose. If I told him about Aisha too soon, he might’ve caused a scene.”

“What is it? What happened?”

“Arthur. You’ve heard those strange rumors about Aisha, haven’t you? They’re too dirty to even say out loud.”

Disgusting rumors about their sister spreading quietly through high society. Arthur’s face stiffened. He had also recently learned about them and was investigating on his own. Thanks to Count Parden’s influence, the rumors hadn’t spread too far yet, but people were whispering that Aisha had been caught in bed with a man by Ian and that the engagement would be broken because of it.

“Do we know who started it?”

Of course, no one dared to speak openly as long as the Parden family stayed silent. Still, they had to find the source and make them pay.

Arthur didn’t even try to hide his anger. But strangely, Edward stayed quiet with a complicated expression. Arthur pressed him.

“Who is it? If you’re hesitating, is it someone we know?”

“Yes.”

“There were too many people talking, so it was hard to track the first one. But before coming to the party today, I confirmed it.”

Arthur remembered his brother stiffening after receiving a letter just before they left the Parden estate. He urged Edward with his eyes. Edward slowly spoke.

“Before I tell you, Arthur, I want to know what would you do to the person who started the rumor?”

“I’d disgrace them just as badly. They should take responsibility for what they said.”

“What? Is it someone from the royal family? Or the Levantus Duke’s side? I didn’t think this would get political”

“It’s neither.”

Edward cut him off with a deep sigh. After a short silence, he said the name in a cold voice.

“Sophia Lloyd.”

Arthur’s mouth opened in disbelief at the unexpected name. Frowning in shock, he looked at Edward, who confirmed it.

“Yes. Ian’s younger sister. She’s the source of the rumor.”

“Why? What reason would she have?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“But you know, don’t you? Sophia’s always had an odd hostility toward Aisha. Maybe she made this up just because she doesn’t like her.”

Everyone in the Parden family knew that Sophia hated Aisha. Arthur lowered his head and ran a hand over his face.

“What are you going to do? If Father finds out Sophia’s involved, he’ll try to cover it up.”

Arthur’s voice trembled slightly. Edward looked directly into his brother’s shaky green eyes.

“I’ll tell Father later. For now, I’m looking for a way to handle this without him.”

“But when he does find out, he’ll be angry. You know he hates being left out of anything involving the Lloyd siblings.”

“I know. But like you said, I think Sophia should be fully responsible for this. And if Father finds out, he’ll definitely try to forgive her. As much as I hate to admit it, Daniel’s right—sometimes Father protects Ian and Sophia more than us.”

After the death of the Lloyd marquis and marchioness in a carriage accident, Count Parden had fiercely protected their children, Ian and Sophia. His support was often excessive, and the Parden brothers especially Daniel had often argued with him about it.

“How many more years does he plan to live in the shadow of his friend’s death?”

Edward muttered bitterly, and Arthur looked up at him. Studying his brother’s face, he finally spoke.

“So for now, we look for a way. I’ll think too, see if there’s a solution. Just keep me in the loop.”

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