Chapter 1

February in Sureton City was wet. It had been drizzling throughout the day, leaving the roads damp. The cold wind brought with it the rain, making Freya Somner shiver. She held an umbrella and curled up while crouching before the entrance to the city hall.

It was already 5:00 pm. Would that person come?

She was worried as she thought about her grandfather, Neil Somner, who lay sick in bed. Had he finished his IV drip? Would he need to use the restroom? Had Thomas Talbot already gone home?

She looked up and scanned the empty streets. The city hall would close for the day at 5:30 pm. She would just grit her teeth and wait for another half an hour, then.

If that person didn't show up, she could blame him and tell Neil and Thomas that he'd stood her up. It wasn't because she didn't want to marry him or anything.

Neil was sick. As a traditional medicine practitioner, he knew his time was running out. Freya was his only concern—she would be alone in the world once he passed.

He'd contacted Thomas, whom he'd saved many years ago. Thomas had promised Neil that he would do everything in his power to help if Neil ever needed it. All Neil had to do was make the call.

Years had passed since then, but the call had miraculously gone through. Thomas had shown up the very next day.

Neil had explained the situation to him and asked Thomas to help care for Freya in the future.

Thomas had generously said, "It's only natural for me to care for her. How about this—I have many grandsons, so I'll have one of them marry Fae as a way of repaying you. That way, she won't be alone."

Neil had agreed, leaving Freya with no room to object. She didn't want to marry—she could take care of herself and was fine alone.

She was currently staying at the dormitory her university had prepared for graduate students. She even had 2,300 dollars a month as financial aid. Eating at the hospital's and university's cafeterias was cheap—she only needed to spend 15 dollars a day on food.

However, Neil had insisted. He felt that it was hard to predict the future, and he would only be able to rest in peace once he saw that marriage certificate. That way, he'd be able to face Freya's parents in the afterlife with no regrets.

Freya's parents had died after falling off a cliff. They'd been searching for a herbal catalyst to save Thomas back in the day.

It had rained that day, just as it had on this day. Freya had seen her parents' corpses entwined with one another, their hands still clutching the herbal catalyst.

After her parents passed away, she and Neil depended on each other for survival. It was on that day that she'd suddenly grown up.

She'd studied hard and skipped grades, sitting for her SATs at 17 years old. Then, she'd gotten into Sureton University's medical faculty, joining the seven-year integrated bachelor's and master's program. She only had two years to go before she could graduate and officially start working.

Things were starting to look good. Then, Neil had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. It was taking his life away.

The screeching of brakes pulled Freya out of her reverie. She looked up at the offroad vehicle before her. It was painted a military green and covered in mud, and the tires were soiled. It was clear the car had ventured through the mountains.

The door opened, blocking the man's face from her view. Still, she'd gotten a glimpse of his chiseled features. His bushy brows, tall nose, and deep-set eyes formed a handsome, honest face.

With the door open, all Freya could see was the army pants enveloping his long legs and the leather boots he wore. It was a cold day, yet he only wore an olive green T-shirt.

He stepped away from the car. Before Freya could take a closer look at his face, he approached her, stopping before her so his boots were level with her eyes.

"Are you Freya Somner?" he asked, his voice deep and somewhat daunting.

"Yeah."

"Let's get married, then."

He turned and headed into the city hall.