To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 83

“Aisha do you think she could give up on me?”

Ian finally managed to speak. But the words he uttered after such a long silence were worse than saying nothing. Graham, seemingly baffled, gave a hollow laugh and put down the glass of liquor he was about to drink.

“Of course Aisha liked you a lot, so she’ll cry a lot too. For days, no maybe months, even years, she’ll be in pain. But that’s still less painful than living with someone who doesn’t love her. So it’s fine. Just be honest with me. Do you not have any feelings for Aisha anymore?”

Graham’s sharp tone made Ian quickly shake his head. Then, stumbling over his words, he began to open up.

“No. That’s not it. I… Aisha… I’ve always…”

The red flush on his face wasn’t just from the alcohol. His voice trailed off as he lowered his head. It was enough to make anyone feel awkward watching, but Graham patiently waited for Ian to finish on his own.

“liked her. I still do.”

Who knows how much time passed. Ian’s stiff shoulders slowly dropped as if the emotions he had long avoided were falling away.

‘I really… like her… Aisha…’

Even Ian seemed shocked by his own words. His eyes widened as he breathed heavily, like someone who had just run a long distance. Graham silently held out a glass. Ian didn’t refuse and drank it all in one go. The drink had a strong kick, and as soon as it hit, his head spun and his vision blurred. In the haze, he saw Aisha’s image.

‘Aisha…’

When you don’t understand something, it’s hard to know how much it matters. But now that Ian had admitted his feelings for Aisha to someone else, he finally understood what he’d been afraid of. And just how strong that fear had been the one that had made him run away from Parden.

‘I have to see her. I need to meet her, explain everything, and clear up the misunderstandings.’

Ian lifted his head suddenly. Without even fixing his messy appearance, he turned to Graham and pleaded.

“Sir. I came here today to see Aisha. I know it’s late, but I have to see her. Aisha”

“It’s not about the time, Ian. It’s only natural that she doesn’t want to see you. I’m angry at you for what happened too. Imagine how she must feel. It’s better to give it some time”

“No. I have to explain today. No, I need to apologize today.”

“Please, just this once, help me.”

Graham was so surprised by Ian’s expression that he couldn’t help but open his mouth slightly. After a while, he let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“Just this once, I’ll help you.”

Color returned to Ian’s face, which had been filled with despair. Seeing his expression, Graham felt both bitter and relieved. He stood up and called for a servant.

“Bring Aisha here.”

The servant quickly bowed and ran off. Ian stared at the door anxiously, even worrying that the servant might walk too slowly and not deliver Graham’s order properly.

“I’ll get going. Talk things out with Aisha.”

Graham looked at Ian, who hadn’t even glanced his way, staring nervously at the door. Then he got up. Ian hesitated awkwardly and stood up too.

“It’s fine. Stay seated.”

Graham waved at Ian to sit back down and walked toward the door. Ian, feeling awkward at Graham’s words, turned his head away.

‘That…’

As Ian turned, he noticed a small hourglass on a shelf. It was so tiny, and the decorations around it so flashy, that it was easy to miss. But once he saw it, Ian’s eyes widened, then turned cold.

‘Ian. That was a graduation gift from Graham to your father. See the acacia leaf engraved there? Acacia means friendship that’s what he said. Anyway, your father always had a soft side, like a girl…’

‘Cliff! Watch your words in front of the children!’

That memory from childhood came rushing back. Ian turned his head again. He saw Graham reaching for the doorknob. Then, staring at Graham’s back, Ian suddenly blurted out:

“…Sir. You first met my father at the academy, right?”

His voice had changed. Gone was the nervousness it was calm, almost cold. Graham turned around with a puzzled look.

A chill ran down Graham’s back when he saw Ian’s face. There was no emotion in Ian’s eyes. That strange, eerie feeling Graham had earlier, when Ian asked why he treated him so kindly, returned and wrapped around his legs.

“Yes, I’ve known your father since our academy days.”

Graham replied with a hint of discomfort. Ian nodded. Then, after a moment of thought, asked another question.

“Then, sir… when did you meet my mother?”

Graham’s eyes widened slightly at Ian’s second question. His heart pounded with dread as he carefully answered.

“Your mother… I met her after she married your father.”

‘He’s lying.’

Ian stared at the door the Earl of Parden had exited through and muttered to himself. The shocked expression, the way he scanned Ian’s face to see what he might know… the earl had clearly been caught off guard. Ian clenched his teeth, remembering Graham’s reaction. He had asked to test a suspicion, but the result was the opposite of what he hoped for.

“I won’t give up.”

Ian spoke out loud to strengthen his wavering resolve. But even that didn’t completely clear the unease in his chest.

‘Ian. I’ll protect you and your sister.’

Even if the Earl of Parden was his enemy, the kindness he had shown Ian didn’t just disappear. That’s why Ian, even now, kept putting off his revenge, using the excuse that he needed more evidence.

‘Aisha.’

And now, a new problem had arisen. Now that he had admitted his feelings for Aisha, he didn’t know what to do about her.

‘She was just a child back then. She didn’t know anything. I saw it myself. So I shouldn’t blame her.’

Excluding her from his revenge was easy. They had shared so many memories. Giving her forgiveness was natural for Ian. But was it really possible to only take revenge on the Earl of Parden and no one else?

Ian shook his head. If only Aisha had a bad relationship with her family, it would be easier. But she was deeply bonded with them. So close that Ian had once felt jealous.

‘No. Aisha loves me. So even if she suffers, she’ll choose me.’

Ian tried to convince himself. But that forced relief didn’t last more than a few seconds. After nodding a few times, his face hardened and he clenched his fists tightly.

‘What if I give up now? Go back to living like I knew nothing…?’

The thought of giving up crossed his mind. But maybe in the beginning now, it was too late. The cause of death listed in the investigation report. The strangled neck. The broken bones. The body with no intact parts left. Just thinking about it made his blood run cold.

Knock knock.

Just as Ian was frozen, caught in his thoughts, someone knocked on the door. Then came the sound of the door opening.

Ian jumped up from his seat. At the same time, Aisha walked into the drawing room with her hair down and dressed in light clothes.

Aisha’s expression was as plain as her simple clothes and loose hair. Her blue-gray eyes showed no emotion, and her lips were tightly shut. Ian swallowed hard as he looked at her.

‘As expected…’

While Ian was clearly nervous, Aisha looked calm. She had expected this. When her father summoned her in the middle of the night, she figured Ian must be here. So on her way to the drawing room, she had already prepared herself, inside and out.

‘Father! Mother! Please come here for a moment. Edward! You too!’

Yesterday afternoon, as soon as Daniel got home, he gathered everyone except Arthur, who was at the academy. Then he told them everything that had happened at Marquis Lloyd’s estate. For once, Aisha didn’t interrupt her brother or defend Ian. She simply sat quietly with her hands folded.

‘I can’t let this humiliation continue! Aisha must break off the engagement!’

‘Daniel is right. This can’t go on.’

‘I agree with the children, Graham.’

The family took Daniel’s words seriously. Neither Marissa nor Edward stopped him. Instead, they supported him and even brought up the idea of ending the engagement.

‘This isn’t something we can decide in haste. We need time. We can’t let emotions control us.’

But there was one person who didn’t agree to the breakup. The head of the Parden family and the one with the strongest voice. Graham didn’t defend Ian, but he showed reluctance about ending the engagement.

‘Daniel, you said it yourself. Ian and that woman hmm. Anyway, something seemed off about their behavior. So maybe we should take more time to think.’

‘I don’t care! Whatever the reason, Ian still kissed that illegitimate girl. If I’d known you’d react like this, I wouldn’t have told you!’

‘Watch your tone. I’ve always told you just shouting doesn’t solve everything.’

‘Damn it! Don’t try to silence me with those words again! Hah… Whose father are you, anyway? If you care so much about Ian and Sophia, just go live with them! Stop making us feel this filthy emotion every time!’

‘You…!’

Daniel finally said the one thing Graham hated most questioning whose father he really was. Graham shot up, raising his hand as if to strike Daniel.

‘Please, calm down, Father. Daniel! Go upstairs, now.’

Thankfully, Edward stepped in quickly, stopping a physical fight between father and son. But the atmosphere had already turned cold and hostile, and the sudden family meeting ended in chaos.

Support To the One Who’s Only Cold to Me