To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 87

“This winter, I think pearls will be the trend. Sapphires were all the rage for a while, but since there’s been such an oversupply on the market, the social elite are starting to avoid them. And recently, Princess Catherine’s pearl necklace became a hot topic among the ladies.”

Aisha sat across from Edward, carefully examining the pearls on the table. Wearing magnifying glasses, she rolled a pearl between her fingers, checking for flaws. She looked quite like a professional.

“Really? Then what size do you think is right?”

“Let me see I think pearls about this size will be in fashion. Bigger ones usually go straight to the palace, and if someone wears a larger one, they risk being compared to Her Majesty the Empress or Her Highness the Princess. A compliment might seem disrespectful, and a bad comment is just as bad.”

Edward watched Aisha closely while asking for her opinion. Her eyes sparkled with focus, and her cheeks had a healthy color. No matter how many times he looked, his little sister was just fine more than fine.

‘Why?’

That’s why it felt strange. Edward raised one eyebrow, puzzled by Aisha’s unusual state.

‘Even if a few days have passed, she should be devastated after what happened with Ian and that illegitimate girl.’

The Aisha Edward knew should’ve been curled up in bed, unable to move from the shock. But even after seeing Ian and Helen kiss at the marquis’s residence, Aisha was completely fine. Edward was glad she hadn’t broken down, but he still looked at her with suspicion.

“Sis.”

“Edward!”

“Huh?”

After a long pause, Edward snapped out of his daze when Aisha called him loudly. As soon as he focused, Aisha spoke with determination.

“You said you have to send the list of gemstones to Sister by today, remember? If you keep spacing out, you won’t finish in time.”

The “sister” Aisha referred to was Edward’s wife, Eileen. She was the head of a large trading company and had been away from the capital for years, managing her own business and the family’s.

“Ah Right. You’re right. Let’s keep going.”

Scolded by his sister, Edward picked up the documents and tried to focus again. But his jumbled thoughts got in the way. Eventually, Edward called to Aisha, who was still examining each gem on the table.

“Aisha.”

“Yeah?”

Aisha replied without lifting her gaze. Edward sighed and tapped the table lightly. Only then did Aisha lift her eyes from the ruby and look at him with wide, curious eyes.

“Are you okay?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Edward asked plainly. It was a short question, but they both knew what he meant. Aisha pressed her lips together. Then she gave a small smile and nodded.

“Yeah. I’ve been feeling much better lately.”

“Usually around this time of year, I’m always sick. It’s kind of strange.”

Aisha had been frail since birth and often fell ill when autumn turned into winter. Doctors said her weak body struggled to adjust to the cold.

‘Why do you keep going out! I told you to stay inside! See? You got sick again.’

‘But when it gets colder, I won’t be able to move at all.’

‘Call Ian, then. It’s not like he doesn’t have legs’

‘I can’t. Ian is busy. I’m the one who has to go. You can’t tell a busy person to come and go at your will.’

But was the weather really the only reason she got sick? Edward thought about the past couple of years and was sure it wasn’t.

“It’s not strange. It’s a good thing.”

He stood up and walked over to Aisha. She looked up at him with puzzled eyes. Edward smiled warmly and gently pinched her cheek.

“You look healthy, and I’m glad. Seeing you working hard like this it’s better than seeing you stuck in bed.”

‘Ian might scold you. But Sophia, no matter what happens, you must never tell Ian what the three of us did.’

‘Why? He might not say it, but Ian likes Helen. Wouldn’t it be better to just tell him we were trying to help?’

‘Sophia, don’t you know Ian’s personality? Until he realizes his own feelings and says them himself, he’ll just keep denying it. If he finds out we planned that kiss ahem… well, I didn’t expect Miss Helen to go that far, but still If Ian finds out we planned it, he won’t forgive either of us.’

Standing outside Ian’s office, Sophia bit her nails nervously as she replayed last night’s conversation with her grandmother in her head. The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt. She had only acted with good intentions. Yet here she was, called in like a criminal, standing outside her brother’s office.

‘This this is all Aisha’s fault! If she hadn’t shown up in the first place No, if she hadn’t gotten engaged to Ian, knowing her place, none of this would’ve happened!’

In the end, Sophia blamed the easiest target. But blaming Aisha didn’t change the situation. As she fidgeted in frustration, Ian’s voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Sophia froze. Holding her breath for a moment, she exhaled and slowly pushed the door open.

Clunk.

Inside, Ian stood with his back to her, facing the window. Sophia swallowed hard, staring at his back. After a short pause, she forced her lips to move.

“Ian W-what is this about?”

“You’re seriously asking?”

Ian’s cold voice snapped back. Intimidated, Sophia lowered her head, holding back tears.

‘Grandmother was right. She warned me Ian might scold me over the Helen incident’

Thinking of Diane again, Sophia silently cursed Aisha. But Ian’s presence was too overwhelming, so she stayed quiet. As silence stretched, Ian finally turned around. The moment Sophia met his gaze, her body froze.

“Why did you bring Aisha there? Did you do it on purpose?”

Ian looked directly into his sister’s eyes, demanding answers. Sophia nearly confessed everything out of fear, but then Diane’s advice echoed in her head.

‘Secrets like this are best kept. Not forever but until Ian and Helen are together. Then you can laugh about it. Until then, keep it quiet. Just say it was all a coincidence.’

‘But Ian’s smart. He won’t believe me. Grandmother and I showed up with Aisha he won’t buy that we didn’t know anything’

‘Then do this. Mix truth with lies. Pure lies are easy to catch. Say you brought Aisha there on purpose, but never mention the writing on Lea’s wrist or the herbal perfume. Understand?’

‘But…’

‘And remember—no matter what, you’re Ian’s one and only sister. If he gets too harsh, cry. A brother won’t stay angry if his baby sister starts sobbing.’

Sophia scrunched her face and dropped to the floor, crying like a child.

“I-I didn’t know it would end up like that! Waaah!”

“I was just mad at Aisha sniff… so I brought her there on purpose when I knew you’d be with Helen. Just to make her upset. But I didn’t know you’d actually with Helen”

Ian’s face, which had stayed hard despite her sobs, suddenly twisted with shame. He cut her off before she could finish.

“Enough.”

Hearing someone else talk about nearly kissing Helen was unbearable. He rubbed his aching forehead and gestured for Sophia to get up. Sniffling, she stood up.

“So you’re admitting you brought Aisha and Daniel there on purpose?”

“Yeah.”

Sophia nodded, still watching her brother’s face carefully. Ian stared at her for a long moment, then brought up a name unexpectedly.

“Was it that old woman I mean, Grandmother? Did she tell you to do it? Be honest.”

“N-no. She tried to stop me.”

Sophia’s heart dropped, but she lied without even thinking. Wiping her sweaty hands on her dress, she tried to keep calm. Ian responded in a dull tone.

“I see.”

Through James, Ian already knew Diane was behind it. Seeing how attached Sophia seemed to their grandmother, he began thinking about speeding up his plans.

“Alright. Then tell me why are you like this to Aisha?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I’ve let it slide until now, but the way you treat Aisha especially the gossip incident crosses the line.”

Unlike Diane, Sophia was still a precious family member to Ian. He wanted to give her a chance to change and hoped she and Aisha could get along.

“I know you two haven’t gotten along since childhood. But the way you treat her goes beyond that. It’s not just a simple grudge anymore.”

Ian had always sensed Sophia was the root of their conflict. But until the gossip scandal, he hadn’t realized how serious it was. Afterward, caught up in his denial about Aisha, he overlooked Sophia’s behavior.

Now that he had accepted his feelings and wanted to rebuild his relationship with Aisha, he couldn’t let Sophia continue like this. Taking on a stern, almost fatherly tone, he asked again.

“You’re not getting away with just crying this time. Explain yourself. If you’re honest, I’ll give you one chance.”

Sophia trembled in silence, head bowed. But Ian’s steady gaze finally broke her. She lifted her head and shouted.

“Because… because everyone only looks at her! Even you, Ian! You’re my brother, but even you only look at Aisha!”

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