Chapter 14
Ian suddenly remembered the time he ran into Aisha at the restaurant a few days ago. No truthfully, Aisha had not left his mind since that day. Even though he had entered with another woman on his arm, her pale face hadn’t changed…
“She trembled at a whisper, but still acted proud…”
He had easily cracked the mask she wore, but it had still irritated him. How could she sit there acting so calm and composed like she was above it all? But when he remembered her pale hand trembling as she dropped her fork and how her small back had shivered, some of his annoyance faded.
But thinking about the rumors going around that their engagement had been called off—brought his mood down again. He had already told Aisha directly that he wouldn’t marry her, so he could have said the same to others easily. Yet for some reason, Ian didn’t want to say it out loud.
As Ian pressed his lips tightly together, the man who first brought it up swallowed nervously. He was genuinely curious. Had Aisha Parden really fooled around with other men? With that innocent-looking face? And if she had, how had Ian found out? Like the whispers said maybe he had caught her naked in bed with several men…
“I heard a rumor that Aisha Parden”
Just as the man couldn’t hold back his dirty curiosity and began to speak, Vincent, who had been sitting quietly in the back, suddenly stood up. He had downed a few more drinks, and his eyes now looked as dull as a dead fish’s.
“Ian, if you’re not going to marry that girl Aisha Parden can I have a little fun with her?”
Vincent had also heard the rumors about Aisha through his fiancée. Whether true or not, he found them amusing. Imagining Ian’s face twisted in frustration made him all the more convinced that the rumor had to be real.
“What an unlucky bastard. His almost-fiancée got around with a bunch of guys. That’s gotten sting. And judging by his face, he still has some feelings for her”
Thinking he’d found the perfect chance to mock Ian, Vincent’s eyes gleamed as he opened his mouth. The stench of alcohol poured out like a toxic cloud. People nearby frowned and turned away, but Vincent didn’t care.
“She’s from a family not even a hundred years old. Barely counts as a noble. But that pretty face isn’t common. With skin that white, I bet she’s even paler under the dress. I’d love to grab her and turn that skin red.”
What came out of Vincent’s mouth was far worse than the smell of alcohol. Some tried to ignore the disgusting words, but others listened with perverse interest. Aisha Parden, with her soft colors and delicate appearance, was especially attractive to that kind of filthy talk.
“Besides, that slim waist and those full breasts. Girls like that are perfect in bed. Grab her by that soft hair, throw her on the bed, push her down from behind”
As it seemed people were listening closely, Vincent got more excited and kept going. But that was as far as he got. He didn’t get the chance to spew anything more vile.
Ian’s cold blue eyes were now fixed on him, burning like ice.
“Your empty head doesn’t know its place, and your filthy mouth stinks because of it.”
“What? What the hell did you just say?”
Vincent’s face hardened at the open insult. But Ian, unfazed, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and pretended to block his nose. His open disgust made the others cough awkwardly.
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to shut that stinking mouth? I thought maybe you were just slow, but looks like your head’s just for decoration.”
“Y-You!”
Even as a thin vein bulged on Vincent’s temple, Ian’s cold insults flowed smoothly from his lips, half-covered by the sky-blue handkerchief. Enraged, Vincent grabbed a glass in front of him and raised it high. The half-full drink sloshed over the rim. He looked like he might throw it any moment but Ian didn’t even blink.
Crossing his legs, Ian let out a dry laugh and went on mockingly.
“Empty-headed, useless, and even smells bad. Not like you’re nice to look at either. Might as well throw you away.”
Vincent’s hand holding the glass was shaking with anger, but in the end, he didn’t throw it. As soon as Ian locked eyes with him, he felt a wave of fear. What would happen if he actually threw that glass?
Ian was not the forgiving type. Back in the academy, a student named Robert had punched him while drunk—and got expelled for it. The guy still couldn’t show his face in the capital. If that was how things ended back then, now that Ian held even more power, it’d be far worse.
Vincent bit his lip and slowly lowered the glass. People sitting nearby sneered as they watched him back down. He had already been humiliated—but Ian wasn’t done yet. He carefully wrapped the glass in his handkerchief and continued.
“Let’s be honest here. Like you said, Aisha Parden’s family hasn’t been nobility for even a hundred years. They got their title from money. But what about you? What’s your family like, Vincent?”
The Valto family, Vincent’s, wasn’t a particularly good one, even if you tried to hype it up. They didn’t hold a high title, had no long history, and weren’t wealthy. If you had to choose between the Pardens and the Valtos, everyone here would choose the Pardens.
“You—don’t compare us like that!”
Vincent knew his family wasn’t as good as Aisha’s in reality. But he just couldn’t accept it emotionally. How dare you compare us to them?! Furious, he yelled back.
“The Valto family is noble and historic! Two hundred years ago, my ancestor earned his title in the Battle of Nazenta! And now you compare us to some merchant family”
“Two hundred years”
Ian’s comment was followed by sighs around the room. Two hundred years—sure, it wasn’t nothing. But it wasn’t enough to brag about heritage, especially in front of someone like the Marquis Lloyd, whose family had existed since the empire’s founding.
“Now that I think about it, your family’s kept its title without even owning land for almost a hundred years, hasn’t it? Meanwhile, even before they became nobles, the Pardens owned half the land in the Lotus region.”
Right now, the Valto family didn’t even own a small estate. Vincent’s great-grandfather had gambled everything away including their territory. A noble house with no land and a low title was hardly taken seriously.
That final blow pushed Vincent to his feet.
“You bastard!”
“According to you, your father is the proud head of a noble family. But isn’t your older brother the one who’ll inherit the title?”
Even as Vincent’s face flushed red, Ian didn’t stop. Like a predator backing its prey into a corner, Ian kept pressing on. Some in the group exchanged uneasy glances.
“There are no other titles in your family, no wealth like the Pardens, and nothing for the third son to inherit”
“So in the near future, you’ll be a landless noble with nothing but your fiancée’s dowry.”
“And yet you talk badly about your fiancée in front of everyone? What if someone here tells her and you end up dumped? Then you’ll really have no future.”
Under his bright blond hair, Ian’s red lips spoke sharply, one word after another. Vincent’s face turned ashen, pasty gray. He was already swaying on his feet, and someone whispered that maybe it was time to stop him.
But Ian, who had drunk just enough to loosen his tongue, wasn’t going to stop. He was usually quiet practically mute but now he looked ready to destroy.
“And you dare talk about ‘having fun’ with Aisha Parden? Even if she treated you like a toy, you’d be lucky. From what I know, she has quite a bit of her own wealth. She could toss a few gold coins to a toy. Oh? Is that what you’re after? Acting proud while secretly hoping for it?”
“You—You bastard! You damn bastard! I’ve had enough!”
CRASH!
“W-Wait! Stop him!”
“Vincent!”
“Get over here! You think you’re better than me?”
With a loud crash, a bottle tipped over, spilling wine. Vincent lunged over the table toward Ian, but the others held him back.
“Let me go! I’ll beat that bastard to death! Let go! I said let go!”
Ian stood from the couch, laughing as he looked down at Vincent struggling in their grip. But when Ian stood up, Vincent froze.
Ian was seven inches taller. He looked down calmly and spoke in a low voice.
“Try it—if you can.”
“W-What?”
“I said stop barking and either hit me or shut up.”
Only cold ice remained in Ian’s blue eyes. Vincent, overwhelmed by fear, hiccupped.
“I—I… hic…”
“Why do you keep yapping if you’re not going to do anything?”
Vincent twitched and hiccupped pathetically. Ian looked down at him with deep disgust, picked up a glass from the edge of the table, and pointed to the edge of his pants with his eyes.
“More importantly what are you going to do about this?”
Because of the bottle Vincent knocked over, the edge of Ian’s pants and his shoes were slightly wet with wine. It was something that could happen at a drinking party, but Ian acted like it was a serious problem.
