Chapter 15
“C-Clothes… I can… I can pay for the clothes, really… hic.”
“Why would we need compensation between academy friends…”
Vincent, still hiccupping, barely managed to speak. But Ian cut him off with a bright smile, lifting one corner of his mouth slightly.
“Besides, that coat looks pretty expensive. It might be tough for someone in Valto situation to pay for it. How about you just let this go and overlook one of my mistakes next time, Vincent…? Ah, whoops.”
As he continued speaking with a smile, Ian raised his glass above Vincent’s head. The clear glass slowly tilted, and the remaining half of the drink poured directly over Vincent’s head and face.
“W-What is this…”
The strong amber liquor poured into every opening on his face, but Vincent’s eyes flew open, as if the alcohol had sobered him up. Ian turned the glass completely upside down, letting the final drops fall on Vincent’s face, then apologized in a cheerful voice.
“Oops. My mistake.”
“But Ian are you really not thinking about getting engaged? I admit Vincent was rude, but that’s something you could’ve just told us.”
It started not long after Vincent ran out. Once the mood had settled again, one of the others who had quietly been drinking brought up Ian’s engagement again.
“I’m not thinking about any engagement right now.”
Ian replied with clear irritation after a short pause. At first, he thought about brushing it off again like before, but suddenly wondered why he had to. Not getting engaged was already a given. He had already told Aisha with his own mouth, so why hide it?
“Really? But Duke Levantus wants to connect you with his niece, doesn’t he? You’re often seen with Miss Loretta Could it be that you’re not against getting engaged in general just not with Lady Aisha?”
As Ian gave a clear answer, the other man brought up Aisha. Only then did Ian look directly at the speaker. A man with long, droopy eyes—Albert. As Ian looked at him, Albert shrugged slightly and looked around the group before speaking.
“We’re just among ourselves, so let’s be honest. We all know engagements for us don’t usually happen out of love like commoners. We think about benefits, family ties and if those change, so can the partner. Especially for someone like you, Ian your political stance is the same as the Duke’s…”
Just as Albert said, most of the people here were either already engaged or married through family arrangements, not romance. Those who weren’t would likely go through the same someday. As a few nodded in agreement, Albert lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.
“You and the Pardens have a long history, and your father made a promise to Count Parden. If you say now that you won’t marry Aisha, people will criticize you. Maybe you’re dragging it out to avoid the engagement altogether? I’d understand. Anyone in your shoes would probably think the same”
“Do you want to get thrown out like Vincent? It’s annoying. Stay out of my engagement matters.”
When Albert mentioned Aisha again, Ian cut him off sharply. Seeing Ian’s tension, Albert raised his hands playfully in surrender.
“Haha, don’t get angry. Honestly, I don’t care about your engagement. But”
Unlike Vincent, Albert barely stayed within the line. He chuckled and poured more alcohol into Ian’s empty glass. As Ian accepted the drink with a tilted posture, Albert licked his lips before continuing.
“Some of the people here, including myself, and a lot of young men in high society well, we’re interested in Lady Aisha.”
“I’m not trying to say something rude like Vincent did. I’m just saying if you really aren’t planning to marry her, then maybe someone else could get a chance. You have plenty of options, but for people like us, finding a good, I mean, proper lady isn’t so easy.”
Some in the group looked uneasy at Albert’s blunt words, but others nodded slightly in agreement. Aisha Parden despite the rumors, she was the beloved youngest daughter of the Parden family, and with her looks, she wasn’t someone to miss the chance with.
“A chance?”
If he hadn’t been drunk, Ian would’ve ignored them. But under the influence, he laughed bitterly and shook his head.
“That’ll never happen.”
Aisha, engaged to someone other than him? That would never happen, even if the world ended. As Ian spoke, he recalled Aisha’s sky-blue eyes, which had always looked only at him. That silly girl. With eyes like that, she wouldn’t even glance at anyone else.
Even if he got engaged to someone else, there’s no way Aisha Parden would marry another man. If anything, it was more likely she’d end up as his mistress. Ian was utterly convinced of that ridiculous thought.
“Aisha she only has me. You all should know that by now. Have you ever seen Aisha Parden spend time with any man besides her brothers or me?”
His arrogant words made the others burst out laughing. But strangely, Albert didn’t laugh or nod. Instead, he shook his head and spoke seriously.
“Ian, you’re being too arrogant. Let me give you some advice no matter how great you think you are, no woman will tolerate that attitude forever.”
Ian washed down Albert’s serious words with a sip of liquor. He had the nerve to lecture him about Aisha? How ridiculous. And yet something felt off. As the drink slid down his throat, his mood soured fast. To hide it, Ian forced a mocking laugh and told himself it was nonsense.
“You look like you disagree with me. In that case, how about a little bet to make things interesting?”
Albert didn’t seem bothered by Ian’s scorn. Instead, he smiled calmly and made an unexpected suggestion. Ian frowned.
“A bet?”
“You’re so confident about Lady Aisha. I just want to see if that arrogance is actually backed up.”
Ian tilted his chin, signaling for him to continue. Albert’s eyes sparkled as he explained.
“There’s a banquet at the royal palace soon, and I’m sure Lady Aisha will be there. At that banquet, you must get her to confess her love and kiss you first. But no contact with her until then. If you try to charm her in advance, it wouldn’t be a fair bet.”
“If she still confesses and kisses you first despite all that, I’ll admit it. That Ian Lloyd can win her love no matter what attitude he takes.”
Normally, Ian would’ve scoffed at such a childish game. But today, he felt an urge to crush Albert’s smug face. He wanted to prove him wrong. To prove that whatever he did, Aisha Parden would always follow his will.
“Fine. Let’s do it. I’ll take that bet.”
“Really?”
Albert looked surprised at Ian’s immediate acceptance. Ian sneered and asked,
“What are we betting? If it’s something useless, I’m not interested.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll bet the grape harvest for the next three years from my family’s vineyard near the Iota Monastery. You know the one. Small yield, but expensive.”
It was a surprisingly valuable offer worth at least a few months of income for a small territory. The others looked intrigued as the stakes rose.
“Throwing money on the ground.”
“We’ll see about that. What are you betting, Ian?”
Ian thought of something equivalent, but when he looked at Albert, he stopped. He hadn’t said it, but he clearly had something in mind.
“You already have something you want. Just say it.”
“If I win, give me your pocket watch. I saw it earlier. I want it.”
Albert had good taste. The pocket watch Ian had brought that day was small but had twelve high-quality diamonds in it.
‘Now that I think about it this watch’
As Ian fiddled with the watch, he saw something on the back and frowned. Tiny letters were engraved along the bottom edge:
—Even if I’m not beside you, my time is always with you. —Aisha Parden.
He remembered when she had given it to him. Two years into their time at the academy. It hadn’t even been his birthday, but she had sent this watch along with a six-page letter.
‘That was a long time ago. I should get a new one.’
As the memory surfaced, the familiar watch started to look cheap. He used to like how it felt and how its age added charm—but now it just looked old-fashioned. He’d win this bet anyway, so it was a good time to get rid of it. With that thought, Ian nodded slowly.
“Fine. Something like this? I’ll bet it anytime.
“Oh dear, sir”
“Let’s go home.”
Coachman Joseph reached out to support the staggering Ian, but Ian waved him off and climbed into the carriage on his own. He collapsed into the seat, and only then did Joseph look relieved.
Clatter.
Returning to the driver’s seat, Joseph flicked the reins, and the horses began to move slowly. Ian pressed his aching head and frowned at the swaying carriage.
He shouldn’t have accepted all those drinks. He didn’t get drunk easily, but he had definitely overdone it. With a sigh, Ian loosened his cravat and closed his eyes.
As he sat back with his head tilted, fragments of the evening’s conversation floated through his mind. Confession. Aisha. The bet. A kiss Suddenly remembering something, he reached into his pocket. After a bit of rustling, he pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
