To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 79

Ian looked quietly down at Aisha, who was out of breath, still holding onto his sleeve. Her tear-filled eyes were quite a sight. He coldly pushed her hand away and spoke with a blunt voice.

“Do I have an obligation to tell you that?”

“Huh?”

“That’s enough I’m busy getting ready for a trip, so leave.”

The way he waved his hand looked like he was trying to shoo away a bothersome insect. Aisha stood frozen, shocked by Ian’s cold words and annoyed attitude. Seeing her still standing there, Ian sighed deeply and met her eyes again.

“And since this is a vacation, I don’t want to receive letters every day. I’m not interested in reading your silly chatter all the way over there.”

Aisha had looked up at Ian with a tiny bit of hope, but tears suddenly spilled from her eyes. Seeing the tears fall, Ian felt the good mood he had earlier perhaps even pleasure drop instantly.

He turned toward Aisha, then gave an order to James, who stood awkwardly nearby.

“See the young lady off. From the looks of it, it’d be best if she went home early.”

Warm weather all year round, luxury villas owned by noble families along the blue coast, relaxed people scattered across the sandy beach, and exotic goods not even seen in the capital. There was a reason the southern resort city of Rivad, just below the large southern city of Haran, was the most desired vacation spot for noble ladies.

But in this beautiful resort city, Ian had been shut in his office since dawn, buried in documents. Nearly three hours passed. Ian hadn’t even turned his head once as he worked, until the sound of someone knocking made him finally stretch his stiff neck.

“Come in.”

As soon as he spoke, a servant opened the door and entered. Bowing respectfully, he handed Ian a stack of letters.

“These arrived today.”

Ian may have traveled, but he didn’t have time to relax. Since this trip had a purpose, there was actually more work than in the capital. Dozens of letters had arrived about estate inspections, investigation reports, and matters from various places in the capital.

Ian checked each recipient’s name, one by one, as if looking for something. The servant standing in front of him tilted his head slightly at Ian’s persistent gaze.

“Is this all?”

After checking every letter, Ian asked after a brief pause. The servant nodded, sensing that Ian must be expecting a particular letter.

“Yes, sir. That’s everything for today. Were you waiting for a specific one?”

“No.”

Ian replied in a curt voice before the servant could finish. His voice sounded displeased, which made the servant nervous. Ian briefly gave him a cold glance, rubbed his forehead, and gave a command.

“Alright. You can go now.”

The servant left quickly, almost like he was running away. Even the soft sound of the closing door made Ian grimace. He slumped back in his chair, letting his body relax.

Outside the window, the sapphire-colored sea and golden sand stretched out beautifully. A beach that would draw anyone’s eyes. But Ian didn’t even glance at it. He simply lifted his head slightly and looked up.

It was still early morning, and the sky was a pale color, not yet bright like midday.

“I told her not to send anything, and she really didn’t”

Staring at the sky, Ian murmured to himself, thinking of someone. Then he closed his mouth and turned back to the desk. For some reason, the mountain of documents looked oddly comforting. He quickly picked up a pen and grabbed a paper.

The scratching sound of the pen on the paper filled the quiet room. But compared to before the servant had brought the letters, Ian’s handwriting was noticeably messier.

Ian saw Aisha’s blue-gray eyes grow wide as she looked at him and Helen, then slowly return to normal. If that was all, it wouldn’t have made his heart sink like this. But as Aisha’s eyes returned to normal, the emotions in them vanished completely.

Ian held his breath, staring at her. Sensing his gaze, Aisha looked directly at him. Their eyes met in the air. Aisha parted her lips, as if about to say something, then stopped. She turned away from Ian without a word. Her movement was natural not too fast, not too slow.

“Aisha!”

Ian forgot others were around as he called out and rushed forward. He moved so quickly it was almost like a well-trained knight.

“Wait. Just wait a second.”

But it wasn’t enough. The distance was greater than it looked, and Ian couldn’t catch her. He pushed past Diane and Sophia, reaching out his hand.

Her slender wrist seemed close enough to grab. Just a hand’s width away close enough to touch. Relief filled Ian’s face. But just before his fingers reached her, a strong force pushed him back.

Thud.

“You bastard. You’re not even worth hitting.”

Ian staggered but didn’t fall. He tried to chase Aisha again, but Daniel, standing firmly, blocked his path.

“You’ve got it wrong.”

Holding back his anger, Ian spoke to Daniel. But Daniel just scoffed.

“What do you mean ‘wrong’? I saw you kissing that woman with my own eyes Ugh!”

Ian’s patience snapped. He shoved Daniel hard and ran after Aisha. For some reason, she had stopped walking. When she saw Ian rushing toward her, her face hardened, and she tried to walk again.

“It’s not what you think.”

But this time, Ian grabbed her wrist first. He pulled her toward him and shook his head. Aisha refused to meet his eyes. She tried to pull away but gave up quickly and turned her head to the side.

“Listen to me. I can explain. What happened was”

“You jerk!”

Ian’s voice trembled slightly as he began to explain. But Daniel, who had caught up, pulled Ian’s hand off his sister’s wrist.

“Stay out of this, Daniel!”

When Aisha disappeared behind her brother, Ian raised his voice. Seeing Ian lose control, Daniel gave an exasperated laugh and clenched his fist.

“Let’s just go home, big brother.”

A small hand grabbed Daniel’s clenched fist tightly. The tense atmosphere eased as Daniel lowered his hand. He glared at Ian for a moment, then turned away.

“Aisha. Please listen…”

“Get your hands off me, you bastard.”

As the siblings began walking away, Ian tried to grab Aisha’s shoulder. But again, Daniel stopped him. Even after being pushed away, Ian didn’t give up and continued to follow. Seeing this, Aisha sighed and stopped. Without turning around, she spoke to Ian.

“If you have something to say, say it another time. I’m not in the mood to talk to you today.”

Her voice was neither angry nor sad. Just a bit tired otherwise, it held no emotion.

And yet, something felt strange. As soon as he heard her voice, Ian lost the strength to chase her. He lowered his hand and stood still, staring at her small back. Aisha turned her head slightly but never looked at him. Her steps were steady and composed. Soon, the siblings disappeared behind a neatly trimmed hedge.

Once Aisha was completely out of sight, Ian stood still and covered his eyes with one hand. His trembling hand showed that he was feeling not just shock but fear.

“Ah…”

His mind went blank. Even with his eyes covered, Aisha’s face lingered in his thoughts. Ian let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.

Inside the rattling carriage, Daniel was struggling with his thoughts.

‘That bastard probably didn’t do it on purpose’

He hadn’t said anything in front of Ian, but what he saw had looked odd. Ian’s expression had been full of shock and anger, while Helen had looked pleased. And everything that had led up to that moment felt off.

‘Still doesn’t matter. Bottom line is, I saw that bastard kissing that girl, whether it was her lips or her face.’

Daniel shook his head roughly and sighed. Then he looked at Aisha sitting across from him and pressed his lips into a firm line. She hadn’t said a single word since getting into the carriage. Looking at his pale-faced sister, Daniel was reminded of the dried flowers decorating the conservatory wall. He bit his lip, then spoke.

“I don’t know how this will sound, but about earlier. I don’t think Ian did that on purpose.”

“His posture, his expression and more than anything, something felt strange from the moment that old man took us there. So, I just think”

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