To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 5

“Now that I think about it, that dress Miss Aisha was wearing I heard it was from Fidelie’s boutique. Such an expensive gown at a party meant to celebrate a successful charity event.”

As the gossip continued, one noble lady specifically criticized Aisha, who had already left. The woman next to her nudged her sharply.

“You should know when to show off”

The noblewoman turned her head and seemed to suddenly remember someone present. Her face, now pale, was hidden behind a fan in embarrassment.

The person everyone was wary of was Ian. Though he was clearly an old noble as the Marquess of Lloyd, he had close ties to the Count of Parden’s family and there had been many talks of engagement with Aisha, some of which were ongoing.

Ian, with a cold expression and a sharp air about him, stared silently at the noblewoman.

“I-I have something to do Please excuse me first.”

Even though he said nothing, the noblewoman couldn’t bear the pressure and quietly left. After that, the group only whispered in hushed tones.

It was basically an escape. She hadn’t even said goodbye to anyone. The curious and mocking gazes from the ballroom still lingered in her mind.

But her head ached, and her stomach churned it was unbearable. Clutching a handkerchief embroidered with blue sage, Aisha thought of Ian. He had told her to throw it away, but she never could.

“Give me that.”

“Daniel!”

Daniel, who had been quietly watching Aisha, snatched the handkerchief from her. Aisha, who had been staring at it blankly, reached out in surprise. Daniel knew what it was. When she pricked her finger while embroidering it and bled, he had teased her for half a day.

“This kind of thing”

Daniel opened the window, intending to throw the handkerchief out. He didn’t know how it had ended up back with his sister, but seeing her staring at it like a lost puppy made him angry.

“Don’t. Please?”

Just as he opened the carriage window, a trembling voice stopped him. Glancing sideways, he saw his sister’s eyes brimming with tears, her whole body shaking. Swearing silently to himself, Daniel shut the window.

He folded the handkerchief without a word but frowned he couldn’t quite match the corners neatly. After struggling with it for a while, he gave up and folded it roughly.

“I’m sorry, Daniel.”

Aisha apologized as she took the crookedly folded handkerchief, watching him cautiously. Seeing her so deflated, Daniel suddenly wanted to return to the party and drag Ian into a corner to beat him up.

Suppressing his frustration, he spoke in a curt voice.

“What are you sorry for?”

“The party today I begged you to go, but we left in less than an hour People are going to talk.”

“It’s fine. I was going to go anyway Father ordered it. We spent a lot on building the orphanage, so we had to show our faces. Besides, Arthur stayed behind. He’s smart he’ll handle things well.”

Aisha had begged Daniel to attend the charity party, even though he didn’t want to. She’d wanted to see Ian, even just for a moment, and brought the invitation to her most easygoing brother. But now, she felt incredibly guilty that he not only went but left so soon because of her.

“Still… You must’ve been so busy getting ready on short notice.”

That made Daniel angry all over again. Was she always this meek and apologetic around that jerk Ian too? Was something wrong with her as she got older? He sighed.

“Hey! I’m perfect without getting ready, alright? Preparation? Please. Look at this face. I just threw on whatever clothes.”

But, as always, his rough words came wrapped in comfort. No matter how angry he got, Daniel found it hard to be angry at Aisha. His sister was sensitive. Outsiders might say otherwise, but her family knew when it came to Ian, she was incredibly vulnerable and easily hurt.

“Anyway, aren’t you going to tell me the truth? What did that girl Sophia say to make your face look like that? She said something about Ian, didn’t she?”

Worried Aisha had been hurt again, Daniel narrowed his eyes. His clenched fists made her laugh and shake her head.

“Really, it was nothing. You know how Sophia is snappy as ever. I don’t even care anymore.”

“She’s always been like that since we were kids. Tsk.”

“Don’t call her that girl. That’s rude.”

“What else should I call her? You want me to call her a lady?”

“How would you feel if someone called me that girl?”

“That’s different! You’re not—ugh, never mind!”

Daniel turned his head with a huff, making Aisha laugh out loud. She was always grateful for this brother who always took her side.

“Well… thanks for always looking out for me, Daniel.”

“Ugh, stop it. You’re making me cringe.”

When Aisha gently placed her hand on his fist, Daniel twitched his eyebrows and closed his eyes. After tapping her brother’s hand a few more times, she leaned against the seat and looked outside.

It was pitch black beyond the carriage window. Unable to see even a step ahead, the darkness crept over Aisha’s face. She quietly whispered his name in her mind.

“Ian”

“Ian, seriously! Why did you make that face in there? People are going to get the wrong idea.”

As soon as they got into the carriage, Sophia raised her voice. Ian ignored her and tapped on the wall of the carriage as he sat down. As if on cue, the carriage began to move.

“I was so embarrassed.”

Sophia was clearly upset at Ian’s behavior. So what if people criticized Aisha a bit? Why had he stood there silently, making the mood awkward? He could’ve just laughed or nodded. Because he stayed silent, the look on Loretta Fideloy’s face daughter of the Count of Fideloy was just…

“Didn’t you see Miss Loretta about to cry? You chose her as your partner. That was so rude!”

At the name Loretta, Ian raised an eyebrow slightly. Loretta… Right, that was the name of his partner tonight. But now that he’d left the party, he couldn’t even recall her face. Was she blonde or red-haired? One thing he was sure of she wasn’t light brown.

“Loretta Fideloy is the niece of the Duke of Levantus! She’s not a bad match. Couldn’t you be a little nicer?”

“What did you say back there?”

Ian, ignoring Sophia’s rant, finally asked what had been bothering him. Not understanding his question, Sophia looked at him in disbelief and snapped back.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? You didn’t even respond earlier why bring that up now?”

“I asked what you said in there. Sophia.”

His voice cut through hers, cold and sharp. Sophia flinched. Even though he was her brother, when he looked at her like that it sent chills down her spine.

“N-nothing. I just… it had been a while, so I said hello. That’s all.”

Though she believed she’d done nothing wrong, fear made her lie. But once she shrank back, anger returned. Why should she be interrogated by her brother because of that girl?

She stared straight into Ian’s pale blue eyes with her furious green ones.

“Why are you looking at me like that? What do you think I insulted Aisha? Are you that concerned about her?”

At that, a deep line formed on Ian’s brow. He spoke quietly.

“Your voice is too loud. Quiet down.”

It was a warning, but Sophia didn’t stop. She’d held it in at the party, and now her emotions were boiling over.

“You’re always like this! You say you don’t care about Aisha. You said you were tired of being tied to the Pardens. You didn’t even write for six months while traveling wasn’t that your way of cutting ties?”

Sophia had stopped calling him brother a while ago. It felt too undignified, especially compared to how Aisha clung to her own brothers. But in moments of emotion, she found herself saying it again.

“You’re trying to cut off Count Parden too, right? You’re going to side with the Duke of Levantus anyway what’s the point of staying close to the Count?”

“If you feel bad because they helped us before, just throw them some money. They love money anyway.”

It was a laughable comment, considering the Parden family was wealthier than the Lloyds. Even Sophia knew that. But she still said it because she wanted to look down on them, to distance herself from them.

“You should also end all this engagement talk with Aisha! People keep asking me, and I hate saying no. And Aisha, that girl she acts all confident while looking down on me!”

Since Ian wasn’t stopping her, Sophia gained more courage. She started saying everything she’d wanted to about Aisha. She was so worked up her eyes were red, and she didn’t notice how Ian’s eyes darkened every time Aisha’s name was mentioned.

“The best thing would be to get engaged to someone else now. Like Loretta Fideloy. She’s pretty enough, has a good family, and a gentle personality—”

“Sophia.”

Ian finally interrupted her.

She looked up, realizing too late that she had gone too far. But Ian didn’t hesitate.

“Shut your mouth. You’re out of line.”

His cold voice was chilling, and his pale eyes, half-hidden in shadow, were even colder. Sophia trembled and began to cry. It hurt. She was his family why couldn’t she say these things?

“How could you say that? You and I… we’re each other’s only family…”

“Yes. You’re my only sister.”

“Hic…”

“That’s why I’m letting this go. So when I say stop, stop. Got it?”

His voice hadn’t softened, but Sophia sensed that he had calmed slightly. She cried louder on purpose.

“I just… it felt like you were taking Aisha’s side…”

“You have no idea how much that girl looks down on me. She only cries in front of you. In front of me, she glares and acts superior.”

“She didn’t say anything, but even at the party she left without even saying goodbye. Because she knows you won’t say anything, she just…”

Support To the One Who’s Only Cold to Me