To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 73

When Ian entered the academy, he asked Count Parden to stop all financial support. He was over seventeen now. Since he had inherited the marquis title, he no longer wanted to hold out his hand for help.

However, life at the academy without support was not easy. The academy was mostly filled with children from wealthy noble families, but there were also those who entered through special admission so-called geniuses. Some of these geniuses were commoners, and their families usually couldn’t afford the academy tuition. So, they relied on scholarships.

Even among nobles, those who had no titles to inherit worked hard to succeed. Since academic performance at the academy became a key measure in noble bureaucratic society, it was often their only hope.

Ian didn’t belong to either group, but he desperately needed a scholarship. After saying he would stand on his own, he couldn’t allow himself to fail out of pride. So, he always gave his best. In every subject, he ranked within the top five. Some called him a genius, but Ian disliked that term because he was always working hard.

‘Even if I have to stay up all night, I need to review at least this much.’

Ian drank a cup of water and focused on his book again. But maybe because he had seen a letter earlier, his broken focus didn’t return easily. Annoyed, he took out his pocket watch to check the time. But instead of helping, the watch shattered his concentration even more.

‘Aisha…’

The watch, adorned with twelve diamonds, was clearly a luxury item. Ian flipped it over and saw the message Aisha had left for him. He let out a short laugh before his smile faded.

‘To give me something like this…’

He felt pathetic just receiving such gifts from Aisha. But the wall of reality was too high he had no way of making a large amount of money right now. People who didn’t know the situation would be surprised to hear that Ian worried about money. But the current financial state of House Lloyd was far below its name value.

After inheriting the title, Ian thoroughly examined House Lloyd. He realized there were serious problems. The mansion, lands, and family heirlooms were intact. But assets that could be used immediately were almost nonexistent. Even the wages of the few remaining servants were being paid by House Parden.

‘So, it really was that bad.’

Ian sighed at the miserable state of his family’s finances, but he wasn’t shocked. He had seen his parents the former Marquis and Marchioness Lloyd argue about money several times before they died. If anything, he was relieved that the most important family assets remained intact. The mansion, land, and heirlooms the pillars of the household were still there.

But at the same time, he felt rushed. Depending on House Parden continuously was both burdensome and shameful. Recently, even Sophia had caused a major financial issue for some reason. Count Parden seemed to have handled it without telling Ian, but Edward wrote him a letter to inform him. The amount mentioned in Edward’s letter was more than ten times Ian’s yearly tuition.

Ian especially hated feeling like he wasn’t worthy of Aisha, in addition to the debt he felt toward House Parden. When he was young, he thought it was enough just to cherish her, but the world wasn’t that kind.

‘Someday… I’ll earn enough to buy her things like this just for fun.’

He made a promise while holding the watch, but for some reason, it didn’t boost his spirits. He shook his head and picked up his pen again to focus. But as soon as he grabbed the pen, red blood dripped onto the book.

“Ugh!”

Ian quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pinched his nose. His nosebleeds were becoming more frequent and heavier. Seeing the red made him dizzy. Realizing his body couldn’t take more studying, he got up from his desk in frustration.

Once the bleeding stopped, Ian lay down on his bed. Closing his eyes, he tried to calculate how long he could rest and let out a tired sigh.

Still, even though he was exhausted, sleep didn’t come easily. Wandering in the dark, Ian muttered without realizing.

“Can I really do it?”

“Graduation representative, Ian Lloyd. Please come forward.”

The academy graduation ceremony. It was a grand event, attended by the children of high-ranking nobles and elite families. Sophia and the Parden family also came to celebrate Ian’s graduation. Everyone, except one person, looked proudly at Ian as he stood on stage as the representative.

“I told you Ian’s crazy determined.”

“Daniel, come on. At least give him a proper compliment.”

“That was a compliment. But what’s up with her?”

Seeing Sophia crying instead of smiling on this happy day, Daniel shrugged. No matter what he said, Sophia kept sniffling. Aisha tried to approach her to ask why she was crying but stopped when Sophia pushed her hand away.

Only Arthur knew why Sophia was crying. With Ian’s graduation, Arthur’s enrollment ceremony was also near. Arthur whispered to her not to cry. Sophia stopped, but her eyes were still red and swollen.

“With this, the graduation ceremony ends. We wish our academy graduates a future full of happiness!”

The ceremony finally ended after two hours. Graduates gathered with their families. Ian, who had been on stage the whole time, did the same. He headed toward the Parden family and Sophia.

“What are you doing? Don’t just stand there come here, Ian!”

As Ian walked through the crowd, he suddenly stopped. Daniel, frustrated, waved for him to come, but Ian didn’t move at all.

“Ian?”

Worry appeared on Aisha’s face. Only when he saw her smile disappear did Ian start moving again. Aisha was the first to run up to him.

“Congratulations, Ian!”

Ignoring everyone’s stares, Aisha threw herself into Ian’s arms. Marissa frowned at the sight, Count Parden cleared his throat, and Daniel tried to pull Aisha away. Edward just smiled, and Sophia pouted as she poked Arthur in the side. Arthur quietly stepped away, pretending not to notice.

“Congratulations.”

“Congrats, Ian.”

“Congratulations, brother.”

In the end, everyone congratulated Ian. He received a bouquet and thanked Aisha for coming first, then expressed his gratitude to Count and Countess Parden. Sophia seemed upset that Ian didn’t address her first, but Ian was still angry about the huge financial mess she had caused four years ago.

“To Ian’s graduation!”

After the ceremony, House Parden hosted a lavish dinner party. Count Parden gave each servant a gold coin and praised Ian while drinking nonstop. His excitement even exceeded when Edward had graduated as representative. Marissa gave him a slight glare but soon joined the celebration.

“Hey, drink another one! The guest of honor has to drink!”

As the party continued, more people got drunk. Once the Parden couple left, using their intoxication as an excuse, Daniel who had been drinking like a wild horse started hiccupping.

“Daniel, you drank more than Ian. Stop acting up and go sleep.”

“Aw, come on, Ed! Why are you still sober? And why is the room spinning?”

Edward offered Ian a drink while helping Daniel, who looked like he’d be crawling soon. Aisha gave Daniel a disapproving look, then leaned in to whisper to Ian. Ian followed her lead and walked away. Sophia, who was with Arthur, gave them a sharp glare, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t stop her brother from leaving her side.

“Now we can be together. I’m so happy.”

Out in the garden, Aisha whispered while enjoying the breeze. She had only drunk two glasses, but her cheeks were already flushed.

“Ian, you’re happy too, right?”

“Yeah.”

Ian replied a bit late. Even in her tipsy state, Aisha sensed something was off. She turned her head toward Ian.

Ian, also facing forward and feeling the breeze, turned when he felt her gaze. His face, slightly smiling under his blonde hair, was as gentle as always. Aisha scolded herself for being anxious over nothing and asked what she had been curious about.

“Back at the ceremony why did you suddenly stop walking?”

Ian’s eyes wavered slightly at her question. There were two reasons. One, Aisha looked especially beautiful and radiant that day her smile as she looked at him was breathtaking. And the other reason

‘Can I really protect her like that?’

Ian had been unsure of himself for some time. Even though he graduated top of the class and as the student representative, he felt strangely powerless when thinking about the future. And what worried him the most when he doubted himself was Aisha.

In every way, Aisha belonged in House Parden. Loving and caring parents, older brothers who would die for her, and a life without any hardships

Whenever Ian thought about that, he felt like he had so little to offer. Even if he was the head of a prestigious family what could he actually do right now? Could someone like him truly make Aisha happy?

The tiny sense of defeat that had taken root in his heart during his school years had grown and hollowed out part of him. But he couldn’t let Aisha see that. Ian forced a smile and leaned in to kiss her forehead. He pressed his lips gently on her white forehead and said:

“Just… because you were so beautiful. I couldn’t help but stop and admire you.”

Not knowing what Ian was truly thinking, Aisha smiled, her cheeks blushing even more. Her pure, flawless smile made Ian feel a tightness in his throat again but he didn’t let it show.

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