TYWAUOM 58

Chapter 58

“…You… look really handsome today.”

As Ian stared at her with a stiff expression, Aisha, feeling awkward, avoided his gaze and offered a compliment. It wasn’t just empty words—Ian genuinely looked better than usual. Especially in his deep navy formal attire, his golden hair stood out even more, making him resemble a sun god from myth.

But despite the compliment, Ian didn’t respond. He merely continued to fix his gaze on Aisha. His intense stare felt almost like it was piercing through her, prompting Aisha to reach out toward him.

“…What about me? How do I look?”

When her hand tugged lightly at his sleeve, Ian finally came to his senses. He felt heat rising through his whole body and moistened his dry mouth.

‘You…’

He almost blurted out how beautiful she looked. But irritated by his own instinctive admiration for her, Ian suppressed the words.

“You look nice,” he said gruffly, forcing his tone to remain indifferent.

Though a hint of disappointment flickered across Aisha’s face at his dry response, she soon smiled softly at him, as if thanking him nonetheless.

‘Damn it…’

As her gentle eyes curved and formed a smile, Ian’s heart pounded uncontrollably. In the end, he pulled away from her grasp and quickly turned around.

“…It’s time. Let’s go out now.”

He had no idea what expression Aisha was making behind him. All he could worry about was whether the heat on his face would cool down before they stepped outside.

✧ ✧ ✧

A pair of blue gemstones sparkled under the light. With the officiant and guests watching, Ian and Aisha exchanged engagement rings.

“With this, their engagement is now official. May you both continue to uphold trust and respect for each other until marriage.”

The ceremony ended quickly. With the officiant’s blessings and the ring exchange complete, all that remained was a musical performance for the guests and a lavish luncheon.

“Congratulations!”

“Best wishes to you both!”

After Ian and Aisha bowed politely one last time and stepped down from the platform hand-in-hand, the guests stood and offered their applause and warm congratulations. Amid the clapping, Ian and Aisha approached the table at the front where their families were seated.

As the two took their seats, musicians climbed onto the platform and began their performance. At the same time, servants started serving the carefully prepared meal. The guests’ eyes widened at the exquisite cuisine, and they clinked their colorful glasses together in delight.

Laughter could be heard from all around, fitting for such a joyous occasion. However, the mood at Ian and Aisha’s table was oddly tense. Though the guests wore cheerful expressions, the family members looked rather stiff.

Daniel openly glared at Ian, while Edward and Marissa wore only the barest polite smiles. Sophia cast anxious glances toward Arthur, who remained expressionless.

Only Graham and Diane looked fittingly celebratory. Graham gazed at the couple with emotional eyes, while Diane observed her grandson and his bride-to-be with a kindly smile.

“I always thought the two of you suited each other since childhood, but seeing you now, all grown up and engaged, it brings me such joy.”

When Graham raised his glass and spoke, Diane nodded and raised hers in agreement. Normally, the two had been rivals over being the guardian of Ian and his sister, but today, they shared a rare moment of goodwill.

As the elders of both families toasted, the others followed. Soon, the gentle clink of glasses rang out, and the rosy wine shimmered in the transparent cups.

Aisha, who was a lightweight, quickly felt the effects of just one drink. As the tension left her body slightly, she relaxed her shoulders and turned to look beside her.

Unlike her, Ian hadn’t changed a bit. Seeing his cold expression made Aisha’s brows drop slightly.

‘…It’s disheartening.’

Only after the meal began did Aisha spot Helen. Though Helen had been smiling throughout the ceremony, her lips always seemed to lower whenever she looked toward Ian and Aisha.

‘She’s staring at Ian.’

Aisha shifted her gaze from Ian to the distant figure of Helen. Sensing the gaze, Helen looked directly at Aisha with a bold, smirking smile full of ridicule and confidence. A surge of anger welled up inside Aisha.

But the intense emotion passed quickly. Aisha turned her eyes back to her plate.

‘…I’ll think about it later. What can I do here anyway?’

A wave of lethargy, something that had been creeping in for some time now, settled over her once again. In truth, Aisha was growing weary of reacting to Ian’s indifference.

Like how tears eventually run dry, her sorrow had lessened by the day. Even her anger had mysteriously faded. All that remained was an empty desire to sleep without thought and a growing sense of futility.

She slowly picked up her fork and knife and placed a well-roasted asparagus into her mouth, chewing without any particular emotion. Ian, meanwhile, stole glances at her from the side, only to turn away with dissatisfaction.

Beautiful music, a picture-perfect setting, the cheerful sounds of the guests—everything about the engagement ceremony was perfect.

Yet, Ian and Aisha did not look happy.

✧ ✧ ✧

After the luncheon, both families and guests scattered—some to rest, others to gather in small groups for tea and snacks. Sophia had been accompanying Diane but, as soon as her grandmother excused herself for a break, she set off in search of Arthur.

Fortunately, she managed to catch him walking alone to a quiet corner. She followed quietly and, once they were away from others, called out to him.

“Arthur!”

Arthur already knew she was following him. He had something to say to Sophia and had intentionally walked to a secluded area. He gestured toward a nearby room with his eyes.

“It’s been… a while.”

“Yes, it has.”

Once inside, Arthur deliberately avoided her eyes. He feared that if he met those clear green eyes that stared only at him, he’d weaken. He brushed his bangs down to cover his eyes.

When he still wouldn’t look at her, Sophia bit her lip and stepped toward him.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“…”

“I missed you so much.”

At her honest confession, Arthur clenched his hands. But he had made up his mind after much thought. Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, he reopened them. The coldness in his black pupils made Sophia’s gaze tremble with anxiety.

“Sophia, I have something to tell you.”

“What kind of talk needs this kind of mood, huh?”

Sophia forced a smile, but despite her effort, Arthur’s eyes remained firm. He sighed deeply, scraped his shoes against the floor a couple of times, then tilted his head slightly and spoke.

“…Let’s break up.”

“…What?”

Sophia’s eyes widened to their limit. Shaking hands trembling uncontrollably, she stepped directly in front of him. Her long, neatly styled blonde hair fluttered uncertainly in the breeze. Even as she placed a hand over his chest with trembling fingers, Arthur didn’t meet her gaze.

“Y-You’re breaking up with me? Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Her voice trembled as much as her hands, full of desperation. But Arthur responded with a firm tone and a slight nod. Sophia looked up at the much taller Arthur in disbelief. Her green eyes welled with tears as Arthur finally turned his face away with a deep sigh.

“That thing you did to Aisha—I could somehow forgive that if I tried really hard. But standing by your side afterward… continuing to date you while my own sister suffered—I can’t forgive myself for that.”

“…”

“So it’s hard for me. That’s why… let’s end this here.”

Arthur had decided to stay at the academy, away from his family, hoping to escape his tormenting guilt. But the more he ran, the more the guilt grew—like a snowball. Only after suffering from insomnia and nearly getting into an accident at the academy did he come to this firm decision.

“T-Then…”

Sophia’s stunned face slowly contorted. She bowed her head for a moment before raising her tear-streaked face again.

“So in the end, because of Aisha, you’re…”

“It’s not because of Aisha.”

As soon as she blamed Aisha, Arthur forcefully pushed her away. While he could understand the origin of Sophia’s feelings toward Aisha, the growing hostility was something he neither understood nor wanted to accept.

“You can’t blame Aisha for everything that goes wrong in your life. The more you do, the more miserable and tormented you’ll become.”

“But everything that goes wrong always has Aisha involved! It’s you, it’s my brother—everything falls apart once she’s involved!”

In a frenzy, Sophia shook her head and rushed at Arthur. But as she tried to cling to him, he pushed her away.

“I don’t want to hear that anymore. I’m leaving.”

Unable to overpower him, Sophia fell back and collapsed onto the ground. Arthur looked down at her tearful, disheveled form with hesitation, but eventually bit down hard on his lip and turned away.

“You… Arthur, if you leave like that…”

“…”

“I’ll kill myself!”

Before he could take five steps, her sharp scream struck his back. The words—“I’ll kill myself”—startled Arthur, and he turned around.

As soon as he did, Sophia’s eyes filled with fleeting relief. She reached toward her hair, searching, then pulled out a ruby hairpin from the left side.

“Waaah… I—I’ll die!”