Chapter 68
How much time had passed?
With his head bowed low and his lips pale from being bitten, Ian shook his head and muttered softly.
“…No.”
His sunken voice was so faint it was nearly drowned out by the sound of the fountain. Yet even that seemed to take all his strength. He let out a deep breath before finally dragging his feet toward the palace gate.
“Aisha!”
“Oh my!”
Daniel burst into the greenhouse, calling out to his sister. Startled by his sudden entrance, Marie—who had been trimming flowers with Aisha—dropped her scissors with a yelp.
“…Daniel?”
Though she didn’t cry out like Marie, Aisha was just as surprised. She blinked at her brother, clearly bewildered by his unexpected intrusion. But Daniel didn’t pause—he marched forward and yelled without preamble.
“What’s going on with you? Why are you acting like this?”
“…Marie. Could you give us a moment?”
Noticing Daniel’s unusual demeanor, Aisha calmly set down the pale pink ranunculus in her hands and asked Marie to step out. Marie nodded quickly and exited the greenhouse.
“Aisha.”
As soon as Marie left, Daniel spoke her name in a pressing tone. Aisha, picking up the flower she had just set down, replied indifferently.
“What do you mean?”
“You—!”
“Daniel. If you come in yelling like this, what do you expect me to say?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know!”
When Aisha remained nonchalant, placing the flowers in a vase, Daniel raised his voice. Startled by the sudden outburst beside her, Aisha finally turned to him, frowning.
“Whew…”
Meeting his sister’s eyes, Daniel realized he had lost his temper. He sighed and tried to calm down, though his frustration hadn’t yet faded. With a heavy movement, he plopped down in the seat Marie had occupied earlier, shoving the flower vase to the side.
“That bastard Ian danced with that illegitimate girl from the first day, and then you… you spent the entire Founding Festival walking around with Mother like nothing was wrong…”
“…”
“You’ve already heard the rumors, haven’t you? About that bastard and the illegitimate girl.”
“…Yeah. I heard.”
Aisha nodded faintly at Daniel’s accusing words. The scandal between Ian and Helen—it was impossible not to hear about it. Since the first night of the festival, people had whispered behind closed doors, and some even loud enough for her to hear directly.
“Then why are you just standing there doing nothing?!”
Infuriated by her calm response, Daniel shouted again. He had tried to stay composed, but seeing his sister act unaffected made his blood boil.
“Go rip Ian’s hair out, or that girl’s at least… No, I know you won’t do that… Ugh, what is going on with you?”
“…”
“You’re not crying like before, or moping around either…”
“If I did, wouldn’t you just get angry again?”
“Hey! That would still be more normal than this.”
Daniel was deeply worried about how much Aisha had changed since the Founding Festival. She no longer cried over Ian’s reckless actions or fell ill because of them. But that only made him more uneasy.
“Honestly, I’m glad you’re not crying or sick because of that jerk. But are you really okay?”
At first, Daniel had felt a strange sense of relief, even joy, thinking Aisha had finally fallen out of love with Ian. But after a few days passed… and then a week… that initial feeling had faded, replaced by concern.
“To be honest… I’m more worried about how you are right now. Do you even realize what you look like?”
Outwardly, Aisha seemed fine. She ate regularly, her complexion had improved, she went on walks, and even smiled and spoke with others. But Daniel, who had known Aisha all her life, saw something fragile just beneath her surface.
“You look like one of those.”
Daniel pointed at the dried roses hanging on the greenhouse wall. They were beautifully preserved—an expert’s work—but lifeless all the same. To Daniel, his sister looked just like those brittle roses.
“At least before, you used to express your emotions. You cried, you broke down. Did anyone ever blame you for it?”
“You always…”
“That’s not the point. Just be honest with me. Are you really okay?”
“…”
“If not, then just call off the engagement. Should I go tell Father right now?”
For the first time, a flicker crossed Aisha’s eyes at the word “engagement.” Daniel, noticing it with a trained knight’s gaze, pressed the point.
“Well? Want to break it off?”
“…Is breaking an engagement something so trivial to you?”
Aisha’s soft response carried a clear denial. Daniel muttered with a sigh, his voice low and weary.
“You’re not okay at all.”
His words struck Aisha like thunder. She’d tried to act like she didn’t care, but Daniel’s words had confirmed what she feared: she still had feelings for Ian. She bit her lip and lowered her head. Daniel glanced at her, then abruptly stood and extended a hand.
“Get up.”
Aisha looked up at him, confused. Daniel clicked his tongue and added,
“With your personality, you wouldn’t have confronted Ian or demanded an apology. You probably haven’t even seen him lately, have you?”
Aisha’s face paled. She didn’t want to go. What was the point? She hadn’t even been able to choose a breakup—she doubted she’d be able to demand an apology now. She would just return hurt, with nothing to show for it.
“Come on. You should at least confront your fiancé’s rudeness.”
“No. I don’t want to go…”
“You’re not calling off the engagement, either. So what, are you just going to keep suffering in silence?”
Aisha didn’t answer. Daniel sighed inwardly and spoke again, his voice firm.
“You know your passive behavior is what allowed Ian’s selfishness to fester, right? You’ve always backed down, always been submissive. That’s why things between you two ended up like this.”
“…”
“Compromise isn’t always the answer. Avoiding things isn’t either.”
“…”
“If you’re not going to break it off, then face him head-on. Yell at him, scream, pull his hair—whatever it takes to get it out of your system and protect your pride. Got it?”
He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he grabbed Aisha’s wrist and pulled her to her feet. This time, Aisha didn’t resist.
The carriage stopped, and the door opened.
Ian climbed the marble steps leading to the entrance, not making eye contact with James or any of the servants who had come to greet him.
What happened at the palace? The mistress said to receive all guests politely, especially those accompanied by the Grand Madam…
James fidgeted behind his master, concerned. He had to inform Diane and Sophia that they had visitors, but Ian’s expression made it difficult to speak.
“…Master.”
Only after Ian had entered his study and a servant had tidied his coat did James manage to speak. Ian, just settling at his desk, gestured for him to speak while spreading out a piece of paper—the letter he had meant to send to Aisha before leaving for the palace.
“The Grand Madam has guests.”
Ian’s body stiffened. He had been about to reach for the pen, but now he pulled his hand back and looked at James.
“Who?”
He still didn’t know his grandmother’s exact intentions. Even though she’d already processed the papers related to the Rachia Desert, Ian couldn’t afford to let down his guard. He had ordered James to monitor her carefully and investigate her actions in the Dotome Kingdom.
“Lady Helen has arrived. Technically, she came as a guest of both the Grand Madam and Lady Sophia.”
James swallowed hard under Ian’s sharp gaze and answered quickly. The moment he finished speaking, Ian slammed his fist on the desk. If his grandmother had merely invited a suspicious guest, he wouldn’t have reacted this strongly.
“What the hell is she doing in my house… Ha.”
Between his tangled relationship with Aisha, the emperor’s pressure regarding Helen, and his own conflicted emotions, Ian could no longer tolerate Helen.
“Where is she now?”
“She’s in the Grand Madam’s drawing room.”
Ian sprang to his feet and demanded Helen’s location. As James replied, Ian started walking immediately.
“Show me the way.”
The private drawing room, with its deep green wallpaper, was decorated tastefully to match the Grand Madams’ preferences. The furnishings were elegant and comfortable, the sunlight perfect.
The scene inside—with the two noblewomen and the two young ladies laughing together—looked like something out of a painting. The Grand Madam appeared graceful and kind, and the young noblewomen were strikingly beautiful.
“You’re truly amazing. I could never even imagine such a thing.”
—A woman doing business among men. Shameless. Clearly takes after her mother, who whored herself around. If I weren’t trying to drive a wedge between Ian and that Pardner girl, I wouldn’t even acknowledge this woman, let alone invite her here.
Despite the refined appearances, not all was as it seemed. Diane smiled graciously and spoke warmly, but inside, she was filled with scorn and mockery. There was a clear motive behind her and Sophia inviting Helen here and treating her so kindly.
“Thank you for your kind words, Madam. Next time, I’ll bring a sapphire from my workshop as a gift. It would suit your elegant self perfectly.”
Bragging at your age, are you? And from a backwater kingdom, no less. You don’t even have real royal blood—no one even knows who your father was.
Helen was no different. She silently looked down on Diane, who had no real power in the Empire or the House of Lloyd. Still, she believed that gaining Diane and Sophia’s support was the key to getting closer to Ian.
