To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 96

Graham listened quietly to his wife’s outburst, but at her final words, his face looked as if he’d been struck. A heavy sigh came from him as he lowered his head.

“Marissa.”

After staring at the ground for a long time, Graham finally looked up and called his wife. His face was deeply twisted with sorrow and self-blame. He moved his lips and slowly nodded as he spoke.

“You’re right. If it’s a misunderstanding like you said, then it’s a big problem. And you’ve never been wrong about these things before. But even though he’s grown, this is about his parents’ deaths. It could deeply hurt Ian.”

“I’ll tell Ian about Cliff and Renee. But… I just need a bit more time to figure out how to bring it up…”

Marisa, who had softened a little at her husband’s agreement, immediately frowned again when he asked for time. As her expression darkened, Graham instinctively waved his hands slightly, trying to explain himself.

“I don’t mean anything else by it. I just want to avoid hurting him too much. It won’t take long, I promise. I’ll tell him within this month. Alright?”

Seeing her husband fumble nervously, Marissa’s furrowed brow slowly eased. Eventually, she let out a deep sigh and glared sharply at him.

“Graham. I care about Ian and Sophia. I care about their children too. But like I said before, the most important people to me are our children. And you. You are my family.”

“If anyone touches my family, I’ll tear them apart. Ian’s no exception. So do what you said handle it within this month. If you don’t, I’ll tell Ian myself. Understood?”

“Aisha.”

“Father?”

Aisha quickly wiped her eyes as she ran into her father in the hallway, where she thought no one would be. The tears disappeared with one wipe, but her red, swollen eyes were still obvious. Graham approached her with concern.

“Weren’t you out with your brother? Why are you alone?”

“I happened to come back first. Edward is probably still with the Crown Prince.”

After meeting Ian, Aisha had sent Edward, who came to her worried, back to Iskan. Ian’s sudden proposal had given her a reason to step away, but not for her brother.

“If you have time, shall we talk for a bit? It’s been a while since we had a father-daughter talk.”

Graham held out his arm as he looked at her gently. Aisha glanced at her father’s face, then quietly nodded and linked her arm with his.

They arrived at a small greenhouse. Graham led Aisha to a marble bench in front of a large-leafed plant and laid down a handkerchief for her to sit.

“It’s warm here, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

After that short exchange, they sat in silence for a while. Aisha realized her father was waiting for her to speak first. She hesitated, then finally opened her mouth.

“Father.”

At her voice, Graham turned his head, as if he had been waiting. Aisha looked down, avoiding his eyes, and after a long pause, she spoke from the heart.

“What do you think about Ian and me breaking off the engagement?”

Graham’s face stiffened instantly. He had never imagined hearing the word “breakup” from Aisha. During the last incident, his wife and sons had all talked about ending the engagement, but Aisha had stayed silent. She hadn’t protested like before, but he never thought she would bring it up herself.

‘Foolish boy.’

Graham clicked his tongue inwardly at Ian. Just how much had he hurt her? The daughter he knew loved Ian like a sunflower facing the sun. Her feelings were so deep and blind that even Graham, who supported their relationship, sometimes worried.

“Is it because of what happened before? That woman, Helen, and Ian?”

“It’s not just that.”

“I’ve thought about this before, a few times.”

Aisha’s voice trembled as she clutched her sleeve tightly. Her hands turned pale from the pressure, and so did her voice.

“It’s too hard.”

“I don’t think I can love Ian like I used to. It’s hard to even look at him. I’m scared.”

“I don’t want to keep getting hurt. I’m tired of being anxious all the time.”

Maybe because it was her father the one who had always been kind to her Aisha began pouring out her feelings.

“Why does Ian treat me like that? Why does he do that?”

“I don’t understand him. He says he doesn’t like me, but then gives me hope, then hurts me again. No, it’s my fault. I keep getting dragged along. I’m the problem…”

Her voice began to crack as tears welled up. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to suppress the growing pain. She had tried to sort through her feelings, but once the wall broke, everything spilled out.

“Still… still… sob…”

Aisha suddenly burst into tears. Crying like a child in front of her father embarrassed her, but she couldn’t stop.

Graham quietly embraced her. His lips were tightly shut, his expression filled with anger at Ian and sorrow for his daughter. Aisha cried in his arms for a long time.

“Are you alright now?”

“Yes.”

Her tears finally stopped after her handkerchief was soaked through. She stepped back from her father’s arms, wiped her face with her sleeve, and spoke in a calmer but slightly cold voice.

“It doesn’t matter anymore if Ian is sincere or not. I just want peace.”

“I spent a few days not thinking about Ian, and it wasn’t bad. I thought something terrible would happen if he disappeared from my life but it didn’t.”

Graham gently stroked her hair, listening quietly. But inside, he was conflicted.

“I’m sorry. I’ve always done things my own way.”

“Aisha. Do as you wish. But”

Graham had just recently found out about the misunderstanding Ian had about him. And he believed that misunderstanding might be connected to the problem between Ian and Aisha. That made things complicated.

“Could you give it one month?”

After a long silence, Graham finally spoke. Seeing his daughter cry made him want to call off the engagement immediately, but he couldn’t help recalling the face of his late friend Ian’s father. That softened his resolve.

Aisha looked puzzled at her father’s request for a one-month deadline. Graham avoided her eyes and mumbled.

“I think I may have gotten in the way between you two.”

“You, Father? What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry. It’s not something I can tell you.”

She felt frustrated for a moment, but quickly nodded. If her father was speaking this seriously, he must have a good reason.

“I’m not trying to defend what Ian did. But if the reason for your troubles is something I caused I would feel awful.”

When Aisha nodded quietly, Graham felt even guiltier. As he tried to explain, she gently held his hand.

“It’s okay.”

Her small, warm smile made Graham tear up slightly. He held her hand back and said in a slightly trembling voice,

“I said a month  but if you’re sure before then, do what you feel is right.”

“Huh?”

“When you make a real decision, you don’t ask others. You just do it.”

Those words hit Aisha hard. He was right. If she had truly decided to end it, she wouldn’t have asked she would’ve just said so.

“Whatever you decide, I’ll be on your side.”

Her face darkened again, and Graham gave her a gentle, reassuring look. It was clear she was blaming herself. That made him regret giving her the one-month deadline even more.

“Even between Ian and me?”

“Of course, I care about Ian too. But Aisha, you cried.”

“That alone is enough for me to be on your side. Always.”

The dark room was elegantly decorated with golden candlesticks and silver ornaments. The deep red wallpaper gave it an eerie touch, but the furniture was so refined that anyone seeing it for the first time would be impressed.

Even the chair in the corner of the room was no different. With its soft, curved legs and red velvet seat, and ivory armrests, it radiated elegance.

“Ugh…! Kgh…! Cough!”

But the man tied to that chair was far from elegant. His once-fine clothes were torn and ragged, and his hair was a mess. His limbs, tied to the chair’s armrests and legs, trembled pitifully. Oddly, thick cloths had been placed around his wrists and ankles to prevent the ropes from cutting into his skin.

“Ghh… grk…”

The man’s strange groans filled the room. No wonder his face was covered with several layers of wet cloth, making it impossible to breathe. His hands and feet twitched like those of someone having a seizure.

Despite the disturbing sounds, the middle-aged man sitting calmly on the long couch in the center of the room looked peaceful, as if he didn’t hear a thing. He slowly sipped his tea and studied the chessboard on the table in front of him.

“Your Grace.”

A man with dark brown hair, standing next to the nobleman, finally spoke in response to the groans from the corner. But the Duke of Levantus merely raised a hand slightly, signaling him to be quiet. His full attention remained on the chessboard.

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