Chapter 79
Edward, who knew the full circumstances, felt a pang of guilt. He raised his hand to gently pat Aisha’s head and asked,
“Let’s set the banquet aside for now… Aisha, about Ian. How is he outside of formal events?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb. Is he treating you well outside of these kinds of occasions?”
At her brother’s question, Aisha quickly nodded. Then, glancing off toward Ian in the distance, she answered quietly,
“…Yeah. He’s kind. He even apologized for being busy.”
“We’ve been meeting too often lately. Work is piling up, so it’ll be hard to see each other for a while.”
The words Ian had said to her a few days ago echoed in her ears. Aisha pushed down her disappointment, reminding herself that he’d only said that out of concern for her.
“An excuse, huh… Well, he’s got the position he wanted now, so I’m sure he’ll bring up the engagement soon enough.”
Edward muttered with a disapproving look as he studied his sister’s expression. At those unfamiliar words, Aisha raised her head to look at him.
“What do you mean?”
“…You probably didn’t know, but Ian told Father that once he got into the Central Nobles’ Council and settled into his role, he’d start thinking about an engagement.”
“Really?”
The bitterness she’d been barely holding back melted away instantly. As joy bloomed across Aisha’s face, Edward gave a bittersweet smile and gently pinched her cheek.
“You’re that happy, huh?”
Aisha didn’t respond, but the radiant smile on her face said it all. Edward let go, watching her flinch and pull back, and said softly,
“Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters. What more could I want?”
When Ian entered the drawing room, his expression was far from pleasant. He sat down heavily on the couch by the window, glancing toward Aisha, who looked up at him with wide eyes.
“You said you were waiting?”
“…Yeah.”
Sensing his mood, Aisha’s face fell. Ian let out a sigh loud enough for her to hear and dropped into the seat across from her, staring out the window without once meeting her eyes.
…The road must’ve been frozen solid on the way here.
Snow was falling in thick flurries outside. While the servants had cleared the paths inside the marquisate, the outside roads weren’t the same. Watching the snowfall, Ian unconsciously retraced the path Aisha must have taken to get there—then, frowning in irritation, furrowed his brows.
“Ian?”
Aisha’s voice trembled with concern as she noticed his scowl. She shifted, about to rise, but shrank back into her seat when Ian shot her a sharp look.
“…Did something happen? Are you feeling sick?”
“You…”
He wanted to yell. Despite acting cold and distant for the past year and a half, those eyes still looked at him the same way. It was unbearable.
Ian clenched his jaw, glaring at Aisha. But despite the hostility in his gaze, she didn’t return it with fear or hatred—only a hint of worry and sadness as her shoulders shrank in response.
“…Forget it.”
The strength left his jaw, replaced by frustration. Watching her, always so timid, always showing up regardless… even just sitting there irritated him. He held back the urge to storm out and instead called her name in a chilling tone.
“Aisha.”
She smiled faintly in response. The mix of anxiety and hope in her face made Ian scoff, then stiffened his expression as he said,
“Actually, it’s good you came. Since you’re here, could you deliver a message to your uncle? About the engagement. Tell him… now’s not the time.”
“What?”
“I’m still very busy. I don’t have the time or energy for that right now. So please pass that along to him. Got it?”
His face hardened, and he didn’t even bother to ask why she had come. The disappointment and sadness that bloomed across her confused expression were plain to see. Seeing it gave him a strange sense of both satisfaction and discomfort. Finally, not wanting to face her any longer, Ian stood up abruptly.
“Well then, I’ll be going. Like I said, I’m busy. You understand, right?”
As he turned to leave, he heard the sound of Aisha rising behind him—but that was it. She didn’t follow him. She didn’t try to stop him.
Clack.
Ian flung open the drawing room door with a hand full of irritation. Beyond the hallway windows lay a world blanketed in white. Just as he was about to step forward, he paused. A thought he had pushed away earlier resurfaced.
With only the slightest turn of his head, he said to Aisha,
“…The roads are slippery. Wait until the snow stops before you leave.”
The carriage that left the Lloyd estate moved more slowly than usual. As it hadn’t yet reached the main gate, Ian found himself asking inwardly:
Why?
Two years and a few months. He had already detached himself emotionally from the Pardons. At first, he had scoured for proof, telling himself it couldn’t be true. But now, suspicion had hardened into belief.
— Marchioness Lloyd caught in scandal. Who is the other party?
— All Lloyd business assets transferred at once.
— Famed Marquis and Marchioness Lloyd killed in suspicious carriage accident.
— Transfer of ownership agreement for the Levant Mine, previously under Lloyd estate.
Scandals between Count Pardon and his mother. Hidden truths and a trail of evidence that kept surfacing. There was no definitive proof yet, but all the clues pointed in one direction—Count Pardon bore the greatest responsibility for his parents’ deaths.
Is this still not enough?
Duke Levantus, who had helped him gather evidence, had once asked if it wasn’t time for Ian to be certain. Ian had somewhat agreed. But still, he hesitated—because while he had conviction, he lacked proof.
There’s nothing definitive yet. It’s all just speculation.
He knew he was making excuses. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it—to label Count Pardon as his enemy.
Ian, no matter what happens, I’ll protect you and your sister.
Ian, you better treat my sister right.
Ian hyung, how’s the academy?
He used to think his feelings were rooted in attachment—that he felt a connection after growing up alongside the Pardons. But even after emotionally detaching from them, revenge still felt wrong. No—more precisely, every time he imagined taking revenge, someone’s face came to mind, and it made him recoil from the very thought.
Aisha.
Those sky-blue eyes that always looked at him. Eyes that sometimes seemed gray, other times clear and bright like the sky. They were the problem. Watching the carriage finally pass through the gate, Ian pulled a cigar case from his pocket.
He had been smoking for over a year, and by now, the cigars tasted sweet. As he lit one and opened the window to air out the smoke, he saw Aisha’s carriage slowly disappear. Watching it fade into the snowy mist, Ian muttered,
“Aisha… you’re suffocating me.”
But that was really a message to himself. He kept repeating that he no longer found her lovable. That he no longer cherished her. That she was nothing but a tiresome, annoying woman now.
He repeated those words until the cigar burned out. And by the time the flame died, he almost believed it.
But once the ashes scattered in the breeze and the window closed, his heart, as if nothing had happened, returned to its usual place. Ian sank roughly onto the couch, furrowed his brow, and leaned his head back with his eyes closed.
If only I didn’t have to see her…
Suddenly, he thought of leaving. Since joining the Central Nobles’ Council, work had slowed slightly. And he had business in the southern region.
…They said the investigator was found.
That morning, news arrived that the man who had investigated his parents’ case had been located in the south. Ian pulled his hand away from his eyes and snapped his eyes open.
Cool my head. Gather more evidence. Not a bad idea.
He glanced at the empire map hanging on the wall and mentally calculated the time. A month by carriage to reach the southern city. Two months for travel, two more to stay there… A four-month trip formed clearly in his mind.
Ian, now we can be together.
But again, Aisha’s voice intruded. Her words, spoken as she embraced him after graduating from the academy, came back. Ian instinctively recoiled.
Let’s call it six months. Not a bad idea. I can check on the southern territory while I’m at it.
The four-month trip grew into six. Standing up with determination, Ian shouted toward the door,
“Someone out there?”
A servant who had been waiting nearby rushed in at his call. Ian ordered him to summon James, then sat back down.
“You called, Master?”
James entered immediately. As he barely had time to bow, Ian pointed at the map and said,
“I’m thinking of traveling south. Go over everything we’ll need to prepare.”
Ian didn’t tell you? He’s heading south to Ribard, near Harlan. I’m thrilled I won’t have to see his face for six whole months.
It was through Sophia that Aisha finally heard about Ian’s trip. Shocked by the sudden departure in just two days, she rushed to the Lloyd estate without even sending a letter in advance.
When she arrived, the house was already covered in white sheets—clear proof of an extended absence. Ignoring the worried glances from the maids, Aisha ran straight to the second floor.
“Make sure the eastern annex stays locked while I’m gone…”
“Ian!”
Ian was standing in the second-floor hall with James. As soon as Aisha saw him, she called his name and ran toward him. Ian’s face stiffened, but Aisha, unlike usual, didn’t hesitate or read his mood.
“Ian! Six months away from the capital—Is it true? Why didn’t you tell me?”
