chapter 7

It turned out Nicole had been plotting all along, setting up a plan to deal with Keith in advance.

With Nicole gone, Eric could no longer stay there either.

He yanked off his groom's suit, tossed it to the ground, and turned to walk away.

Felicia ran after him, calling out, "Eric, do you really not want to marry me?"

This time, Eric didn't look back.

…

Nicole's POV:

As soon as I arrived in Entogow, bodyguards sent by the Austin family picked me up and drove me to their villa.

Once I was settled, I felt like a small, cautious creature exploring a new environment, carefully trying to get along with everyone.

Luckily, I had studied Entogow's language for a while before coming and could roughly understand what people said.

Even when I didn't understand completely, I could figure out the meaning from their expressions and tone.

In my mind, I had imagined countless times what my fiancé might be like.

The worst-case scenario was that he would be a man nearing sixty.

I resigned myself to the idea, thinking that if it were true, I would tell him bizarre Stuportian stories every night.

But unexpectedly, a week passed, and I still hadn't met the person I was both curious and afraid of.

Several maids took care of me every day. They said that women of the Austin family shouldn't go bare-necked, so they adorned my neck and wrists with local jewelry.

They also prepared some local dishes for me.

It wasn't until I sat down to eat that I realized a few of the dishes on the table were actually Stuport cuisine.

Apparently, worried I couldn't adjust to local food, they had specially hired a chef from Stuport for me.

That day, I told the maid who had been shadowing me that I wanted to take a walk alone.

I promised I wouldn't go far and that she could return to her duties. After she left, I wandered onto the hill behind the villa.

Without realizing it, I got lost.

I stood alone in the thorny field, listening to the birds chirping in the ravine, my heart heavy with fear.

Suddenly, I heard a strange noise.

There shouldn't be tigers or wolves on this hill, right?

I froze, holding my breath, my heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of my chest.

After a moment, the surrounding silence returned.

I dared to turn around and saw an adorable little deer.

In Stuport, I had only ever seen these animals in the zoo.

Seeing its innocent, harmless expression, my heart gradually calmed.

But standing at a crossroads, I had no idea which way to go.

As the sun sank, my anxiety returned.

Suddenly, a man appeared beside me.

Startled, I relied on the Taekwondo I had practiced before coming to Entogow.

I launched a flying kick at his leg and dropped into a fighting stance, ready for his counterattack.

To my surprise, he just rubbed the leg I had kicked, showing no intention to fight back.

Letting my guard down, I finally noticed his face.

He was a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin—like the handsome princes from the fairy tales I read as a child.

All my defenses melted away.

With a face like that, there was no way he could harm me.

Seeing my change in demeanor, he asked a question.

I realized he was saying, "You're from the Stuport? Nicole?"

I was surprised that he could speak Stuportian and even knew my name.

Could he be part of the Austin family?

I'd been here over a week and had never seen him.

I had been here over a week, yet I had never seen him before.

Just then, two maids hurried over, speaking rapidly to him.

I translated their words in my mind. "Mr. Austin, this is her! She is your wife!"

It was only then that I realized the handsome man standing before me—like a prince straight out of a fairy tale—was actually my husband.

"What's your name?" I couldn't help but ask.

He blinked his bright blue eyes and said in broken Stuportian, "Hello! Nicole, my name is Alban Austin."

As he spoke, he reached out a hand toward me.

My eyes widened in shock.

The man standing before me was nothing like the fiancé I had imagined.

In my previous life, less than a month after Felicia went to Entogow for the marriage alliance, she had secretly returned, miserable and humiliated.

Since deciding to go for the marriage alliance myself, I had imagined my fiancé as cold, cruel, and ruthless—someone who would torment me.

The stark contrast between imagination and reality left me in utter disbelief.

Seeing my surprise, a maid walked over and said, "Mrs. Austin, this really is Mr. Austin."

"Alban Austin…" I murmured, repeating his name.

Then I finally asked, "You knew I'd arrived, so why did you deliberately avoid me? Are you dissatisfied with me as your fiancée?"