To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 57

“You… look really cool today.”

Aisha awkwardly gave the compliment while avoiding Ian’s eyes, who stared at her with a stiff expression. It wasn’t just a polite remark—Ian genuinely looked much better than usual. Especially with his deep navy uniform making his golden hair stand out even more, he looked like a sun god from a myth.

However, Ian didn’t react to the compliment at all. He just kept his intense gaze fixed on Aisha, a gaze so sharp it felt like it pierced through her. Aisha reached out her hand toward Ian.

“How do I look?”

Ian finally snapped out of it when she grabbed his sleeve and gently shook it. He felt heat rising through his whole body and wet his dry lips.

‘Someone like you…’

He almost blurted out that she was beautiful. But Ian, annoyed at how captivated he was by Aisha, forced himself to swallow the words.

“You look fine.”

Ian spoke in a blunt voice, trying hard to hide his emotions. Aisha looked a little disappointed by his answer, but then smiled softly at him as if to say thank you.

‘Damn it…’

As her bright face lit up with a small smile and her eyes curved gently, Ian couldn’t stop his heart from racing. In the end, he pulled Aisha’s hand off his sleeve and quickly turned away.

“It’s time. Let’s go.”

Ian didn’t know what kind of face Aisha was making behind him. He was just worried the heat in his face wouldn’t cool down before he stepped outside.

A pair of blue gems sparkled brightly. With the host and guests watching, Ian and Aisha exchanged engagement rings.

“With this, the two are now officially engaged. I hope you both maintain respect and trust until the wedding.”

The ceremony ended quickly. With the host’s speech and ring exchange done, all that was left was the music performance and a well-prepared lunch for the guests to enjoy.

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations.”

After Ian and Aisha bowed one last time and stepped down from the stage holding hands, the guests stood up and clapped, offering warm words. They walked toward the table where both families were seated, just in front of the stage.

As soon as they sat down, musicians went up to perform. Servants brought out the food prepared for the banquet, and the guests widened their eyes at the luxurious dishes, clinking their glasses filled with colorful drinks.

Laughter echoed all around on this happy day. But the mood at Ian and Aisha’s table felt strange. Even though the guests were smiling, the expressions of both families were somewhat stiff.

Daniel openly glared at Ian, and Edward and Marissa showed only the faintest smiles. Sophia kept glancing nervously at Arthur, and Arthur’s face was completely blank.

The only ones who looked like they belonged at an engagement party were Graham and Diane. Graham watched Ian and Aisha sitting side by side with emotional eyes, while Diane looked at her grandson and his partner with a gentle smile.

“I always thought you two matched well since you were young. Seeing you get engaged now makes me so happy.”

When Graham raised his glass and said that, Diane nodded and lifted hers too. Although Graham and Diane had once fought over who would be guardian to Ian and his sister, they both showed kind expressions today.

When the elders of both families raised their glasses, the rest followed. A clear clinking sound rang out, and the light pink liquor turned translucent.

Aisha, who had a low alcohol tolerance, felt the effects after just one glass. With some of her tension gone, she relaxed her shoulders and glanced to the side.

Ian, unlike her, showed no change at all. His cold expression made Aisha’s eyebrows lower slightly.

‘It makes me sad.’

Only after the banquet began did Aisha notice Helen. Though she kept smiling throughout the engagement ceremony, whenever she looked at Aisha and Ian, the corners of her lips fell naturally.

‘She’s looking at Ian.’

Aisha looked away from Ian and turned toward Helen sitting in the distance. Helen quickly noticed Aisha’s gaze and met her eyes directly. She smiled brightly, but the confidence and mockery behind it were clear. A sudden wave of anger rose inside Aisha.

But the emotion passed quickly. Aisha soon looked down at her plate.

‘…I’ll think about it later. There’s nothing I can do here.’

That same feeling of helplessness, which had been weighing on Aisha for some time, returned. Lately, she found it harder and harder to react to Ian’s behavior with emotion.

Just like tears eventually run dry, her crying had stopped. The anger that once surged inside her now disappeared before it could rise. All that remained was the desire to sleep without thinking and a deep emptiness.

She slowly picked up her fork and knife, cut the perfectly roasted asparagus, and chewed it without feeling anything. Ian, watching her from the side, turned his head as if he didn’t like what he saw.

Beautiful music, a picture-perfect setting, and guests’ laughter filled the air. It was a flawless engagement ceremony. But Ian and Aisha didn’t look happy at all.

After the banquet, the guests and both families either went to rest or gathered in small groups for tea. Sophia, who had been with Diane, quickly left when her grandmother said she would go rest and went to find Arthur.

Luckily, she spotted Arthur heading off to be alone. Quietly following him, Sophia called out once they were far from the crowd.

“Arthur!”

Arthur already knew Sophia had been following him. Wanting to talk to her, he had purposely gone somewhere quiet. He pointed to a nearby room and signaled her to come in.

“It’s been… a while.”

“Yes, it has.”

Inside the room, Arthur avoided Sophia’s gaze. He knew that if he looked into her green eyes, which were focused only on him, he might weaken. He brushed his bangs to the side to cover his eyes. When he didn’t meet her gaze, Sophia bit her lip and stepped closer.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“I missed you so much.”

Her honest words made Arthur clench his hand. But this was something he had thought about for a long time. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them. The cold light in his dark eyes made Sophia’s eyes tremble with fear.

“Sophia, I have something to say.”

“Why are you talking like this? Huh?”

Sophia forced a smile. But even with her effort, Arthur’s black eyes remained cold. He sighed deeply, scratched the floor with the tip of his shoe, and turned his head slightly.

“Let’s break up.”

“What?”

Sophia’s eyes widened as far as they could. She stood right in front of Arthur, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Her long, beautifully styled blonde hair swayed uneasily in the breeze. Arthur didn’t lift his head, even when she placed her shaking hand on his chest.

“Are you saying you want to break up? Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Her voice trembled as much as her hands. But Arthur answered firmly and nodded slightly. Sophia looked up at Arthur, who was much taller than her, in disbelief. Tears welled up in her green eyes as Arthur turned his head away with a deep sigh.

“What you did to Aisha last time Let’s say I can forgive that. But the fact that I stood by your side back then I hate myself for that. I hate that I was still dating you even though something like that happened to my sister.”

“That’s why it’s too hard. So let’s end it here.”

Arthur, who had decided to stay at the academy away from his family, wanted to escape the guilt that haunted him. But the more he avoided it, the heavier it grew like a snowball rolling downhill. After developing insomnia and almost getting hurt at the academy from wandering around dazed, Arthur finally made a firm decision.

“That can’t be…”

Sophia, who had been stunned by his words, slowly twisted her face. She looked down briefly, then raised her tearful face.

“In the end, you’re leaving me because of Aisha too, aren’t you?”

“It’s not because of Aisha.”

When she dragged Aisha into it, Arthur firmly pushed Sophia away. He could understand where her feelings toward Aisha came from, but her growing hostility was something he couldn’t accept—no, didn’t want to accept.

“You can’t blame Aisha for every problem in your life. If you do that, you’ll only make yourself more miserable.”

“But Aisha is part of every problem I have! My brother, you it all falls apart whenever Aisha shows up in my life!”

Sophia, now emotional, shook her head and ran toward Arthur. But when she tried to throw herself into his arms, he pushed her away.

“I don’t want to hear this anymore. I’m leaving.”

Sophia couldn’t resist Arthur’s strength and fell backward, sitting on the ground. Arthur looked at her, now crying in a mess, with troubled eyes for a moment. But then he bit down on his lip and turned around.

“You… Arthur! If you walk away like that!”

“I’ll just die!”

Before he could take five steps, a sharp scream hit his back. Startled by the mention of death, Arthur turned around.

Seeing Arthur look back, Sophia showed a flicker of relief in her tearful eyes. She reached up and touched her hair, pulling out a ruby hairpin on her left side.

“Haaah… I’ll die! I really will!”

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