To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 39

“Is this engagement really the right thing to do?”

Aisha muttered without realizing it and quickly closed her mouth in surprise.

‘I feel uneasy. It was a sudden thought.’

Turning her body, Aisha lay on her side and pulled the blanket over her head. Her tightly closed eyes and stillness showed she was determined not to think about anything.

Knock knock.

But the knocking on the door disturbed her. Without moving from under the blanket, Aisha called out toward the door.

“Marie, I want to be alone”

“It’s me.”

“Daniel?”

Realizing it wasn’t Marie but Daniel, Aisha lowered the blanket. At the same time, the door burst open without waiting for permission.

“I’m coming in.”

“Then why even say it when you’re already inside?”

“What’s the big deal? You weren’t going to say no anyway, right?”

“How would you know? I might have said no.”

Even with her sharp tone, Daniel just laughed. He sat down carelessly on the bed and playfully messed up Aisha’s hair.

“Look at you, full of energy again. Just a little while ago in the carriage, you were crying and saying sorry because you missed me.”

Aisha threw a small cushion at him. It was true, and she felt embarrassed. But when her brother, who had avoided her and even left the house, was the one to break the silence first she felt incredibly relieved. On the way home, she had cried and clung to him like a child, not seeing him for so long.

“Well, still, it’s good to see you like this.”

Catching the cushion easily, Daniel pulled at her cheek. Aisha didn’t look happy, but he hadn’t felt this glad in a long time.

‘She yelled at that guy. There’s still hope after all!’

It was the first time Daniel had seen Aisha raise her voice at Ian. Oddly enough, he found the scene moving.

Thinking of his sister yelling at Ian, Daniel grinned to himself. Aisha looked at him suspiciously.

“You seem happy. Did something good happen?”

“No, not to me. But”

Daniel took a letter from his inner pocket and waved it in front of Aisha. The luxurious envelope was decorated with gold leaf and had a soft scent. Curious, Aisha snatched it from his hand.

“Something did happen to you.”

The letter was addressed to Aisha. But oddly, the seal had already been broken. Aisha glared at Daniel, knowing he had read it. But even with her accusing eyes, he just smiled and motioned for her to read it.

“Your Highness! You mustn’t! The Crown Prince is in the middle of an important meeting!”

The attendant clung to Jared, trying to stop him, but it was useless. Jared brushed past everyone and pushed open the heavy wooden doors all at once.

Bang.

“So, about that issue Jared?”

William, who was deep in a tax discussion with officials, looked up, surprised to see his brother. It was so unthinkable for that stubborn man to interrupt a meeting that William even glanced outside, wondering if the sun had risen on the wrong side.

While William looked out the window, Jared strode up to the table. The officials stared in shock at the unexpected entrance, but Jared, burning with anger, had eyes only for his wretched brother.

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know!”

“Oh dear, Your Highness”

Jared was about to shout when the attendant threw himself forward, gesturing to the people around them. Only then did Jared realize how many people were present. Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath and held back his rage.

“Hah… Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

His voice, ground between clenched teeth, sent chills down spines. The officials around the table flinched. One particularly imaginative official even worried this might be the beginning of a royal feud. What if it turned into a power struggle like in other countries?

“What? Got something to say?”

But William, who was the target of Jared’s fury, remained calm. The officials, impressed by his composure, looked at him with new respect.

“I’m busy, so talk fast.”

From the lack of surprise in William’s eyes, Jared knew—he knew why I’m here. Jared’s voice grew colder as he addressed Edward.

“I need a moment of your time. Right now.”

The tax meeting took a break. Left alone in the room with William, Jared slammed a letter onto the table the moment the last official stepped out and the door closed.

“This was you, wasn’t it? You sent this?”

“What is it?”

William casually scanned the letter and tilted his head, pretending not to know. His innocent act only made Jared glare harder.

“Lady Aisha sent me a letter. She said it was in reply to one I sent her. What do you think of that?”

“Well, if you sent her a letter, of course she replied. What’s strange about that?”

“Don’t play dumb! I never sent her anything. But she sent a reply. That can only mean one thing someone pretended to be me and sent her a letter. And who else but you would pull something like this?”

Jared’s guess was spot on. William had indeed sent the letter pretending to be Jared. But he didn’t admit it right away. Instead, he shrugged, looking amused by his brother.

“Maybe it was Catherine. Or maybe just a prank”

“Brother!”

Jared shouted loud enough for people outside to hear. William, covering his ears, finally nodded.

“Alright, alright. I confess. It was me.”

He even raised his hand like a child caught misbehaving. Jared stared at him with disbelief, silently demanding an explanation.

“I was worried. Ever since I heard Lady Aisha was getting engaged, you’ve locked yourself in your quarters, swinging that sword all day. I even heard you’re skipping meals. As your brother, how could I just sit by?”

William’s shameless response made Jared’s face turn red. Jared had decided to suffer his heartbreak in silence so why interfere? And how was this helping, by sending a letter to a soon-to-be-engaged woman?

Jared grabbed William by the collar.

“What did you write to her? What did you”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t read her reply yet?”

William glanced at the envelope on the desk. The seal bearing the Parden family crest was still intact.

“My God. You idiot! You came storming in here without even reading it? I thought you were mad because she turned you down!”

William brushed off Jared’s hands and held his forehead. Jared, flushed with anger, suddenly went pale.

“Turned me down? What are you talking about?! What did you do, exactly?”

“Ugh… Just read the letter already, you idiot.”

“What did you even write”

“Give it here!”

Seeing Jared just clutch the envelope, frozen in fear, William snatched it from him. He tore open the seal and unfolded the letter.

“Hmm Lady Aisha has pretty handwriting. It’s neat and easy to Hey!”

Snapping out of it, Jared snatched the letter back. His hands shook as he read it.

“Your Highness’s invitation to accompany you as your partner to the ball at the Marquis of Litman’s estate I would be honored. As for the details”

Jared’s eyes widened at the line below the usual formal greetings.

Partner? With who?

“What’s this? It worked! I wasn’t sure it would, but it did! Is there really something going on between Lady Aisha and Marquis Lloyd, like the rumors say?”

“What is this This is”

“It’s written right there. She agreed to go with you to the ball at the Marquis of Litman’s estate. You’ve been swinging a sword so much you forgot how to read?”

William stood up and peeked at the letter over Jared’s shoulder, looking exasperated. But Jared was too shocked to notice.

“This… This can’t happen. Lady Aisha is getting engaged to Marquis Lloyd next month. If I go with her as her partner, people will start gossiping. She probably only said yes because I’m a prince”

“I don’t think so.”

William shook his head. He put an arm around Jared and whispered into his ear.

“About Marquis Lloyd Rumor has it, he’s been seeing another woman lately.”

Jared’s eyes grew wide, and he looked at his brother.

Clicking his tongue, William looked at Jared like he was hopeless.

“You may not care about politics, but you’re still a prince. You should pay attention to things. Don’t you know who the marquis has been seen with lately?”

“Our famous little sister.”

At the word sister, Jared’s expression turned dark. William wasn’t talking about Catherine.

“The only sister I have is Catherine.”

“Don’t you recognize the surname ‘Fitz’? Like it or not, that girl is Father’s acknowledged child.”

“She’s an illegitimate child who doesn’t even have royal status…”

His words were sharp, full of disapproval and anger. Helen Fitz. That name explained why Jared had always felt distant from his father.

“This is the prince’s little sister. Isn’t she adorable? Please be good to your sister, Your Highness.”

He remembered the woman who had dared to call Father’s illegitimate child his sister. He had been young, but it left a bitter memory. Especially since his mother, the Empress Karna, had been about to give birth to Catherine at the time.

He recalled the loud arguments between his parents, and the time he spent away from Father, living with his mother at the villa. Jared frowned, as if trying to erase the memory.

Then, with a harsh voice, he asked:

“So it’s true? The marquis is spending time with that illegitimate girl?”

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