The clear blue eyes were breathtaking. Their color, as deep and vivid as a bottomless lake, had a mesmerizing quality that captured the gaze at once.

Even Aisha, as she walked, found herself under the spell of those blue eyes. The moment she met that boundless blue, she stopped in her tracks without even realizing it.

“Ah…”

The soft exclamation that slipped from her red lips revealed her temperament—subdued, yet not so quiet that it went unheard. The man escorting Aisha called out to her.

“Aisha?”

Despite the concern in his voice, Aisha didn’t answer. Her gaze remained fixed. Her pale blue eyes were locked on something above the entrance they were about to pass through. There, a mural of an angel looked down.

Following her line of sight, the man let out a laugh, half in disbelief.

“It’s the Angel of Judgement, Gastio.” Who would paint something like that above the door of a nightclub? Only in an age obsessed with appearances.”

Dazzling golden hair, those captivating blue eyes, and a pair of wings—drawn over three hundred years ago, the angelic youth embodied a culture that worshipped beauty above all else, chasing after its very limits.

“They say Gastio was the most beautiful of all the angels.”

Aisha replied slowly, her gaze never leaving the mural. She seemed entranced by the angel’s striking blue eyes, yet her body had gone rigid, as if nervous.

“You haven’t gone out in ages… and now you’re falling for some flat painting of a guy?”

The man shrugged, poking her lightly on the cheek. Only then did Aisha turn to look at him. Her sky-blue eyes, tinged with gray, shimmered with a quiet calm.

“That’s not it. I just…”

“Just?”

“…It’s a little scary.”

“What?”

His voice rose at the end, as if seeking understanding. Aisha began to explain, but then she laughed dryly, shook her head, and turned away.

“It’s nothing. Let’s just go in, Oppa.”

“Hey, you…”

“We’re late. Come on, let’s go, okay?”

“Seriously, all you ever do is call me cute and spout nonsense… Are you trying to be like Edward?”

“Edward doesn’t say weird things. Maybe you’re just a little slow, that’s all?”

“Oh, you little—!”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Really. So let’s just go in, alright?”

“If it weren’t for Mother and Father, I’d really…”

Aisha laughed as she clung to her brother’s arm, raising his fist in mock threat, and glanced up. The angel was still there—still beautiful, and… still frightening.

The Angel of Judgment, Gastio, aimed a shimmering silver arrow downward, his jewel-like eyes piercingly bright. For a split second, Aisha imagined that cold arrow flying straight at her, right into her heart.

‘Of all days, why am I…’

Amused by her own silly thoughts, Aisha gave a quiet laugh and straightened her posture. Taking that as a signal, her brother handed their invitation to the attendant at the door and murmured softly,

“You must be happy. You’re finally going to see the one you missed so much.”

“Daniel!”

The moment her brother’s name escaped her lips, Aisha’s small hand went flying. Daniel cleared his throat, straightening up. The attendant, who’d been watching the siblings’ banter, struggled not to laugh as he opened the door for them.

With a heavy clunk, the doors swung wide, and at once, the siblings composed themselves. Their entrance was quiet, but the moment they appeared, heads turned from all around the hall.

“You can tell the moment you step inside—we’re not exactly welcome tonight.”

Most eyes were simply curious, but here and there Aisha could feel a trace of hostility. Sensing it too, Daniel muttered under his breath and led Aisha further into the hall, a small crease forming between his brows.

Unlike her brother, Aisha barely noticed the stares. No, it was more that she didn’t have the luxury to care. Her pale blue eyes were already searching the room, focused on a single purpose. Watching her, Daniel whispered,

“Aisha, you’re being way too obvious.”

“But it’s been six months… Where is he?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. No wonder people gossip. Do you even know what they’re saying? That the orphaned youngest is using her childhood connection as an excuse to go after the Marquis of Lloyd…”

“Ah!”

Daniel never finished. Aisha had suddenly stopped in her tracks, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

The man who made Aisha freeze was almost impossibly handsome. His hair shone like pure, molten gold; his eyes were a striking blue, as if the summer sky itself had been set in his gaze. And with those god-given looks and that perfect figure, he could have stepped straight out of the mural of the angel Gastio.

A shy, luminous smile lit up Aisha’s face, revealing the joy and relief she was unable to hide. But it only lasted a moment. Her radiant expression faded as soon as the man turned towards her and felt her gaze.

His sharp, silver-arrow stare shot straight for her heart. Aisha’s hands flew to her chest as if to stop her heart from falling out.

The man who had spotted her stood utterly expressionless. His elegant features were frozen, his winter-blue eyes as cold as frost, showing no hint of welcome beneath their slightly furrowed brows.

Startled by his cold reaction, which was much worse than she’d imagined, Aisha met his gaze with trembling eyes. The moment their eyes met, the man turned away. Time seemed to slow as Aisha watched, certain until the end that his eyes remained completely indifferent.

“…That bastard.”

A faint grinding sound came from beside her. Recognising the signs of her brother’s anger, Aisha came to her senses and reached for Daniel’s arm. She forced a faint smile and lowered her eyes.

“I’m alright, oppa. Really, so—”

“Hey! Did you not just see the way he treated you? And who’s that woman with him? He ignores your letter, but he can show up here on another woman’s arm—”

“Stop.”

“…”

“Please, Daniel. Just stop.”

Aisha interrupted her brother and glanced back at the man. Only then did she notice the stunning beauty standing next to him, wearing an eye-catching emerald dress and sporting striking crimson hair. It was strange that she hadn’t noticed her sooner.

Her gaze slid from the woman’s elaborately made-up face to her hand, resting naturally on the man’s arm in a sheer lace glove. Seeing the gentle crease in his sleeve, Aisha reflexively bit the inside of her lip.

[Ian. I heard you’ve returned. I know you must be tired from your long journey, but the thought of lights coming back on at the Lloyd estate left me so excited, I just had to write. If you’re able… would you come with me to the charity ball you said you’d attend? I’ll be waiting for your reply.]

The days she’d spent waiting for a reply to her letter suddenly tasted bitter. Swallowing that bitterness, Aisha murmured,

“There’s no rule that says you have to answer every letter. And who Ian chooses to come with… that’s his business, not mine. It’s not… it’s not for me to interfere.”

“Hey! You and that jerk, you’ve been—”

Daniel, losing his temper at Aisha’s words, started to protest. But the moment he saw her profile, he fell silent again. The side of his sister’s face, cast down, was shadowed by a pain she couldn’t quite hide.

“Oppa, I just want to rest. The carriage ride was long, and my head hurts.”

“Damn it… Fine. Let’s go to the lounge.”

Guided by Daniel, Aisha moved quietly to the edge of the hall. All the while, a pair of piercing blue eyes followed her every step without wavering.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

“I said I’m fine, so please, stop. Okay?”

“I kept quiet before, but Aisha, it’s because you’ve kept quiet that he thinks he can treat you however he wants. It’s not just you he looks down on, either. When did he start thinking he could treat our entire family like this? It’s one thing to repay kindness with indifference, but this is something else entirely. Has he forgotten everything from before?”

No sooner had they drawn the curtain across the makeshift lounge at the edge of the hall than Daniel burst out in anger. The veins in his hands stood out more than usual as he ran his fingers through his neatly combed black hair. Aisha, sitting quietly on the sofa, tried to calm her agitated brother.

“You said it yourself earlier, oppa. We’re probably just gatecrashers here. And everyone around Ian is the same—it would have been hard for him to just come up and say hello first.”

“So you’re saying it’s fine that he’s ignoring you, walking around arm-in-arm with some other woman, just to keep those Levantus Duke lapdogs happy? Aisha, you and Ian are supposed to be engaged!”

At the mention of engagement, Aisha’s expression dimmed. Clutching the handkerchief in her hands, she murmured softly,

“…But we’re not, not yet.”

“Hey!”

“It’s true. There’s been talk of an engagement between me and Ian, yes… But we’re not really engaged. Not yet. So please, Daniel, don’t be so harsh on him.”

“You… you really—!”

Daniel, who had been pacing, stopped dead at his sister’s words defending Ian. But, as always, that was as far as he could go. Ever since they were children, his little sister had been completely taken with Ian, and she simply couldn’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of him.

“Hah… If I talk to you any longer, my head’s going to explode. I’ll go look for Arthur, so just stay here and rest for a bit.”

Arthur was Aisha’s twin brother and was expected to arrive at the ball a little later than them. Aisha nodded silently, and Daniel gave her a sidelong glance.

Her lips were pressed stubbornly together. Frustrated, Daniel tugged at his cravat and roughly threw open the curtain covering the entrance. The cloth rustled loudly as he stormed out.