To the One Who's Only Cold to Me - Chapter 99

Aisha immediately ordered the maid to bring her a pen and paper. Noticing her mistress’s pale face, the maid quickly fetched them. Aisha scribbled a short reply, saying she would go with her brothers, just as Ian had once done. Compared to how she used to spend over an hour just choosing the right greeting, considering the paper’s material, color, and even scent, her attitude now was completely different—careless, even unrecognizable.

Handing the letter to the maid, she said,

“Deliver this to the Marquis’s residence.”

Before the maid even took her first step, Aisha was already climbing the stairs. Edward, who had been reading the letter his younger sister wrote, snapped out of his thoughts and quickly followed her.

In silence, the siblings climbed the stairs. As the second-floor hallway came into view, Edward hesitated—should he go to his room or try to talk to his sister?

“Ah”

Just as they reached the second floor, Aisha, walking half a step ahead, stumbled. Edward’s eyes widened in shock as he quickly caught her.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing. Just for a moment”

Aisha waved her hand as if to say she was fine, but with her body slightly bent and one hand on her stomach, her pale face said otherwise. Edward looked up, ready to call a physician.

But Aisha straightened up, stopping him. After a few short breaths, her color returned, and she seemed more lively. However, Edward’s worried face didn’t ease.

“You know, brother. I usually end up bedridden around this time of year.”

“Don’t worry too much. At least I’m not in bed. That’s something, right?”

“Call the physician as soon as you get to your room. Got it?”

“Got it. I’ll call right away. So relax a little, okay?”

Only after Aisha promised several times that she would call the physician did Edward finally ease his expression. Watching him carefully, Aisha quickly changed the subject before he could scold her more.

“By the way, isn’t Sister coming soon?”

“Yeah. She said she’d arrive in a week.”

“That’s nice.”

At the mention of his wife, Aileen, Edward’s face stiffened again. But unlike before, his cheeks turned slightly red.

“You’re blushing, aren’t you?”

“Aisha.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Just smile, alright?”

Aisha teased him with a playful smile. Edward, scolded by his much younger sister, finally reached her room and quickly said,

“I have work to do, so I’ll go. Call the physician and rest.”

As her brother turned to leave almost like he was fleeing, Aisha smiled silently. But once she entered the room and closed the door, that smile faded, disappearing completely.

‘Who’s really worried about whom?’

Edward and Aileen married based purely on conditions. When Aisha was younger, she had been shocked that her brother was marrying a woman he had met only a few times and without any feelings. She worried for months.

But contrary to her fears, Edward built a strong bond with his wife. Despite marrying for convenience, their feelings grew, and even while apart for years, their trust deepened. Aisha never said it out loud, but she knew her brother eagerly awaited Aileen’s letters every two weeks.

And compared to that, what about her and Ian? Aisha felt foolish. Their relationship had started with shining emotions that seemed eternal. But far from eternal, it had crumbled so much that they couldn’t even be compared to Edward and his wife.

‘How stupid.’

Cursing herself, Aisha suddenly remembered something and went over to her vanity. From a drawer, she pulled out a clean but old handkerchief. With blue sage flowers beautifully embroidered, it was the one she had given to Ian and the one he had thrown away, which she had picked up.

‘I’ve got plenty of handkerchiefs like that. And now it’s worn out. I don’t keep shabby things. You used it last—so throw it away yourself.’

Aisha moved to touch the now-thin fabric but stopped. The pale blue flowers were still beautiful, but they no longer stirred her heart like they used to.

She placed the handkerchief on the vanity, then searched the drawer again. This time, she found a plain pair of pearl earrings. Slightly bent, she rolled them in her hand and then placed them on the embroidered handkerchief.

Wrapping the earrings in the handkerchief, she walked over to the fireplace. The fire crackled warmly.

After a moment of hesitation, she threw the bundle into the flames. The handkerchief burned immediately, and the earrings vanished between the logs.

As the emptiness in her hands settled in, Aisha felt a dull ache in her chest. But she didn’t shed a single tear. She stood silently, watching the fire for a long time before slowly turning away.

‘Ian, I hate seeing you. I don’t even want to think about you!’

A sharp voice, cold as ice, echoed in his ears. Ian felt dizzy as Aisha’s voice rang in his head. He reached out toward her.

But something was wrong. Though he thought she was close, she was just out of reach. Thinking he hadn’t moved enough, Ian stepped forward. But no matter how much he walked or ran he couldn’t reach her.

While chasing her for a long time, Aisha suddenly turned her back to him. Her sleeves fluttered, her movement precise. Without even a hint of hesitation, she turned away. Desperate, Ian lunged forward.

Her long hair brushed just near his fingertips but just before he could touch it…

“Haa!”

he opened his eyes.

‘A dream.’

Leaning back in his chair, Ian breathed heavily and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He was briefly relieved that it was just a dream but anxiety quickly returned.

His hands trembling, he yanked open a drawer, took out a cigar from a box, and grabbed a half-filled glass of amber liquor from the desk.

“Haa”

He drank through the cigar smoke, and the strong alcohol numbed his anxiety, if only slightly. Determined to blur his thoughts, Ian kept drinking and smoking.

But it had its limits. At some point, his foggy mind cleared again. Unable to bear it, he stubbed out the cigar and shoved the glass away in frustration.

With a clatter, the drink spilled, soaking the documents on his desk. Important ones, at that. Ian stared blankly at the spreading liquor, gritting his teeth.

“This time, I plan to attend the banquet with my family.”

The letter was neatly written, but it lacked the warmth of the past. That one sentence was all that was written.

Ian had expected rejection. But when he read Aisha’s reply, he became completely numb, unable to decide anything whether to deal with Count Parden, or how to handle the business he had started.

He stared at the letter until the ink blurred from the spilled liquor. Only then did he come to his senses, push the documents aside, and call for a servant to bring a cloth to clean the desk.

‘There’s too much to do. Get a grip.’

Wiping the desk himself, Ian tried to calm down. But the anxiety still choked him.

‘Tea, maybe Right. The tea Sophia gave me wasn’t bad.’

Just as he decided he couldn’t drink anymore, he remembered the tea his younger sister, Sophia, had brought. It had a clean, subtle scent, and just like she said, it cleared his head.

The thought of it made him crave the tea. Ian called the servant waiting outside and told him to fetch tea from Sophia. Before long, Sophia herself arrived with two teacups.

“I heard you wanted tea, so I came to give it to you personally.”

Though an uninvited guest, the tea’s fragrance was soothing. Ian gave in and offered her a seat.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”

The maid who came with Sophia set the tea down and left the room. Outside, at the end of the hall, someone holding the empty tray smiled widely as they quietly closed the door.

The banquet welcoming the Astar Kingdom delegation was planned to be more grand than other such events. One reason was the crown prince’s visit, but more than that, it was the golden singing lark they brought a gift that thoroughly pleased the emperor.

‘I thought there wouldn’t be any big banquets after the founding festival I guess I’ll need a new dress.’

‘They say Astar’s men are quite handsome, don’t they? I’m curious.’

‘Try to catch the crown prince’s eye. It could help your spice business so much.’

Guests welcomed the larger banquet. But for the palace workers and those preparing the event, the sudden expansion was like a disaster.

“Where are we supposed to get the extra budget if they suddenly make it this big?!”

Crown Prince William was one of the victims whose workload increased. He usually managed most affairs in place of his father, except major matters. Now, he was frowning at the expense reports, eyes bloodshot from reading them.

“He’s clearly lost his mind. How much gold did that one bird cost? You could make a hundred of those for this budget.”

“We should at least increase the taxes on the Astar Kingdom merchants… Ha…”

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