To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 40

“Yeah. Quite often. It’s insulting.”

William stopped acting sly and revealed a bit of his true feelings. By nature, he didn’t show displeasure as openly as Jared. But in truth, he disliked his father’s illegitimate daughter even more than Jared did.

He pulled his arm off Jared’s shoulder and ran a hand through his red hair. His deep navy eyes flashed as he spoke in a low, sharp voice.

“How dare he while our mother and siblings are still around help that girl gain a foothold?”

William was displeased that Helen had naturally found her place in Caesar Empire’s noble society by appearing with Ian. He’d even heard she was starting a business using Caesar’s name subtly. While he could understand their father turning a blind eye since she was still his daughter it made no sense to him why their mother hadn’t kicked Helen out. Either way, William had no intention of tolerating Helen. Nor Ian, who helped her.

“Brother You didn’t use Lady Aisha on purpose, did you?”

Jared looked at William with a mix of worry and suspicion. William burst into laughter and patted his brother’s back.

“I may be the crown prince, but I’m not so heartless that I’d use my brother’s crush. Don’t worry.”

“Anyway, whatever the reason, Lady Aisha agreed to go with you, didn’t she? It’s a good opportunity. Go. While you’re at it, meet some people too.”

“But if something goes wrong, it could harm her reputation”

“In this situation, going with her might actually help more. From what I know, Aisha’s currently the subject of mockery.”

At William’s words, Jared twitched slightly. William clicked his tongue at the tear mole beneath Jared’s eye that seemed to move with his blinking.

“You’re really clueless about the girl you like, huh?”

“Just say it. What happened this time?”

“You know Count Garrot had his first child recently, right? There was a fuss on both sides because the count and his wife decided to move to their territory with the baby. Marquis Gamel even came to me begging to stop his son from resigning from his government post…”

“Anyway, apparently, Marquis Lloyd showed up with that illegitimate daughter, Helen Fitz. And Lady Aisha attended that banquet alone, without a partner. Imagine being a noble lady attending a banquet alone while her fiancé came with another woman. People will obviously talk.”

“That bastard.”

Jared muttered a curse toward Ian. Aisha didn’t deserve to be treated that way. As he clenched his jaw in anger, William grinned and added fuel to the fire.

“Lady Aisha was already whispered about for not receiving the marquis’s attention. So this incident was a real blow. They might pretend to feel sorry for her up front, but behind her back, they’re tearing her down. And her father is Count Parden, right? The nobles under Duke Levantus won’t just stay quiet. They’re probably enjoying every bit of this scandal.”

Jared shot up from his seat, knocking his chair back. It almost fell over but was caught by William.

“Where are you going?”

William yelled after grabbing the tipping chair. Jared was already at the door of the meeting room.

“To get my suit fitted.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut right after his short reply. Left alone, William shrugged and leaned back in his chair to rest.

But just as he was about to close his eyes, the same door reopened and a group of refreshed officials entered, one after another.

“Damn it.”

William grimaced at the piles of documents they were carrying. Still, what could he do? He was the crown prince. Stretching his arms, he sat up and addressed the officials.

“Well then, let’s begin again. Lord Walpoth, I’d like to hear your opinion this time.”

The banquet held at the Marquis of Litman’s estate was to celebrate his youngest son, Damian, becoming a knight at the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t a major event like a wedding, and the marquis wasn’t particularly wealthy, so the scale of the banquet was modest. Still, nobles were desperate for an invitation.

The reason was simple. Many powerful figures were attending. Prince Jared, Duke Levantus, and even Marquis Lotuban, the Minister of Finance, were all said to be coming, regardless of faction, to congratulate the marquis’s youngest son.

“The marquis must be quite remarkable. It’s rare to see all these people gathered in one place.”

The reason these powerful individuals were heading to the Litman estate was the marquis’s honor. Though he now looked like an ordinary old man, twenty years ago, the Marquis of Litman had been a national hero of the Caesar Empire. In his youth, he had led over a hundred naval battles, including the famous Litman Sea Battle, to victory.

“Congratulations, Marquis. Congratulations to Sir Damian. I remember seeing him playing with a wooden sword when he was little. Now I guess I’ll see him often at the palace.”

“Thank you. A lifelong wish of mine has come true. His older brothers only ever used their brains, so I worried a lot. But this boy chose the path of a knight and fulfilled my wish.”

The marquis, who usually kept a stern face and upright posture, slapped his youngest son on the shoulder with pride. His laughter was hearty, and his joy was clear. Damian, still with a youthful face, blushed at his father’s praise but didn’t seem to dislike it. He shook hands with the guests who congratulated him.

“It’s rare to see Duke Levantus at an event like this.”

“The Marquis of Litman is a living legend, acknowledged even by His Majesty. A great man indeed.”

With so many high-ranking guests, ordinary nobles hardly drew any attention. But soon, a couple entered that caught everyone’s eyes.

“Look over there again”

“Weren’t those two also at Baron Walpoth banquet recently?”

The stars of the moment were Ian Lloyd, Marquis Lloyd’s son, and Helen Fitz, who had become the talk of the social scene.

“Oh my, it’s so packed in here. There’s hardly room to step.”

Helen, her red hair pinned high and decorated with white feathers, scanned the banquet hall with a proud look. She fanned herself and turned to the side, clearly displeased.

“Don’t you agree, Ian?”

“It’s rude not to answer your partner. Especially since today is our last time being partners. Cheer up, Ian.”

Ian’s face remained cold as he slightly frowned. Without even looking at Helen, he replied while staring ahead.

“Lady Helen. I never gave you permission to use my name.”

“Oh, how cruel. Don’t be like that. We’ve been out together more than once, haven’t we?”

She laughed and playfully tapped his shoulder with her fan. But Ian didn’t react at all.

Truthfully, Ian was in a foul mood. Ever since Aisha told him not to follow her, he hadn’t seen even a strand of her hair. Normally, she might not approach directly, but she would still hover nearby, reading his mood. This time was different.

How long is she going to sulk?

Ian had sent Aisha a letter afterward, inviting her to the Litman banquet. He didn’t include an apology or explanation, but he felt that sending the letter first was already enough of a concession. However, Aisha never replied.

He was so annoyed that he brought Helen instead. Helen had been dying to attend this banquet, and she couldn’t hide her joy when Ian asked her. But upon arrival, she seemed disappointed by the banquet’s size. Ian didn’t care either way.

Looks like she didn’t come.

From afar, Ian spotted Edward and Daniel Parden. The Count and Countess of Parden were said to be away on a short trip, so it seemed only those two had come. Confirming that Aisha wasn’t here made him feel oddly relieved.

Ian looked toward Edward and Daniel with softer eyes. Then he locked eyes with Daniel, who smiled brightly. Usually, Daniel would glare at him or act like he was about to pounce. This was strange.

Edward also turned to look at Ian. He didn’t smile as openly, but Ian noticed the slight upward curl of his lips.

Ian raised an eyebrow. He guessed that Daniel had told his brother about Aisha yelling at him that day.

His teeth clenched involuntarily as his anger toward Aisha grew. She’d made a joke of him to her brothers. Even if she sent a letter now, he had no plans to see her until the engagement was finalized.

If she keeps running to her brothers every time something happens what about when we’re married and living together?

As that thought crossed his mind, Ian paused in shock. Helen looked at him curiously, but he didn’t notice.

Married? With her?

To Ian, his engagement to Aisha was merely part of his plan. Graham Parden thinking of him, Ian knew there was little chance they’d actually marry. There was no hard evidence yet, but the stack of documents in his third drawer told him that the suspicion was close to certainty.

Ian’s lips tightened coldly. He pushed aside the turmoil in his heart. Daniel was still smiling at him.

But Ian wasn’t annoyed anymore. The more he thought about it, it wasn’t him people would laugh at.

He knew what people were whispering: the man engaged to Aisha Parden had arrived with another woman one who was already the subject of gossip. He used to find that annoying, but now, it didn’t bother him at all.

He knew full well: in matters like these, it would be Aisha whose name was truly stained.

Support To the One Who’s Only Cold to Me