Toxic Marriage - Chapter 5.2

Chapter 5.2

“How is that possible… Master is waiting for Miss Freya inside, having prepared a dinner for you.”

The man who hadn’t even come out to greet her prepared a dinner for her?

Freya had a bad feeling about that, but she couldn’t stand there like this all day.

“Wait a moment. The knight can’t accompany you inside.”

As Freya said to go inside, Erik stopped Risyr. His face crumpled.

“I am Freya’s escort knight.”

“Yes, I know. And the person Miss Freya is going to meet now is the one who will be her husband.”

No wife goes to see her husband with an escort knight carrying a sword. Erik was picking on that point.

“He never came to see Miss Freya. It was an unusual start from the beginning, so am I supposed to trust him and let her go alone?”

“If you decide that you’re going, I won’t stop you. But I’m warning you that it’s definitely not a good choice.”

Erik narrowed his eyes as he said those meaningful words.

“In that case, letting Miss Freya go alone is even more…”

“It’s fine, Risyr. I’ll go alone. The person who will become my certainly husband won’t kill me.”

The conflict ended with Freya’s mediation.

Although Risyr seemed reluctant to accept Freya’s decision due to the ominous atmosphere in the castle, he could not refuse his master’s words.

The expression on Erik’s face melted as the dispute came to an end.

“Miss Lindberg, please follow me. As for the escort knight, the maid will show you where you can unpack your luggage.”

***

The atmosphere inside the castle was even more desolate and serene than outside. For a castle of this size, there must have been quite a few people managing it, but even the sound of footsteps could hardly be heard.

‘I don’t think the castle’s finances are so tight that they can’t employ a few people.’

Her guesses naturally flowed back to what the margrave was hiding.

Then, Freya spotted a large painting of a silver-horned deer hanging in the middle of the castle’s corridor.

Does he like animals…?

It was an unusual sight. Normally, it was a place where portraits of the heads of the household were hung.

It was strange, but it was a relief if the margrave was an animal lover. How could someone who likes animals be a bad person? If he hung a deer painting on the spot where his ancestors’ portraits would be hung, it was clear that he was not an ordinary animal lover.

However, her relaxed heart tightened again when she thought of her destination, which she couldn’t see no matter how much she had already walked.

“Just how much longer do we have to go?”

“We’re almost there.”

Freya wanted to ask Erik what the margrave was really hiding by hiding himself like this, but she didn’t think he would answer honestly even if she asked, so she quickly gave up.

After that, he opened several doors, and Freya entered the higher and deeper part of the castle.

“Master is inside.”

Even though the words she had been waiting for had finally come, she was not happy at all.

When she heard that her husband was standing beyond this door, she imagined the truly vicious man from the rumors appearing in front of her.

At the same time, Freya felt a little sorry for having cursed at the fanatics. She had dismissed it as ridiculous nonsense, but now, she was thinking about it.

“I’ll be waiting outside.”

Erik left Freya at the door as if his mission had been completed.

Gulp. The sound of her swallowing dry echoed loudly in the empty hallway.

Freya put her hand on the doorknob. Her heart was beating fast, to the point that it wouldn’t be strange if it broke today.

Click.

The doorknob turned downwards smoothly, and the door opened. Freya slowly walked inside, unable to even feel the cold air that enveloped her.

As the servant had said, the food was neatly laid out on a long table, covered with a silver cloche.

And a man was sitting alone at the end of the long table, chin resting loosely on his hand.

Fenrir Niflheim.

He was the man surrounded by the many rumors. The Margrave of Niflheim.