Chapter 3

Momo carefully hooked her arms around Naze’s neck, a little uneasy as she walked down the long staircase under the smiling gaze of the servants.

Could this guy Naze be taking advantage of her while she was clueless? Momo pouted in dissatisfaction. Earlier, when she didn’t know what to wear, he suddenly appeared to help her pick out clothes-fine, she could accept that. Then he helped her do her hair. Alright, she admitted he was being kind, since she had no idea how to manage such long curls. But he had deftly twisted her hair a few times and styled it into a bohemian side bun, then pinned in the purple rhinestone wheat-ear hairpin she had chosen herself. It looked beautiful.

But now? He insisted that he had fallen several times walking down the castle corridors by himself, so he always carried her down the stairs. Was she really that weak?!

Thinking of this, Momo let out a heavy sigh. Naze lowered his head and saw her face full of resentment, realizing she was lost in thought again. “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking,” I’m thinking why are you taking advantage of me, Momo complained inwardly, but she didn’t dare say it out loud. After all, he was her husband, even if she really wasn’t familiar with him. “I just think this purple rhinestone hairpin is really pretty. Ah, and this black boutonniere is nice too.”

“Momo,” Naze suddenly felt both amused and helpless, and even stumbled a little. “These things aren’t rhinestones. They’re all made of real diamonds.”

“Oh, I see.” Momo awkwardly snuggled closer into Naze’s arms and nodded sheepishly. “Basically, I still don’t have much concept of what it’s like to be rich. My imagination is limited, hehe.”

“Momo, I find you more and more adorable.” Naze couldn’t help but rub his cheek against her forehead. After a few steps and a turn, he slowly set her down. “Alright, we’re at the garage. Which car do you want to take?”

“Ah! So I really do live in the modern world. I thought in 2018 everyone still lived in castles and rode carriages!” Momo turned her head to look at the row of cars lined up in the parking lot, then gasped again and looked pitifully at Naze. “But, like I said, I have no concept. It’s up to you!”

Naze looked at Momo’s playful antics with amusement, reached out to pinch her nose, took her hand, and led her to a silver Mercedes at the end. He opened the door and said, “Let’s take this one. Come on, sit in the back and get some sleep. The road is a bit long.”

“Oh, okay.” Momo nodded obediently, bent down, and sat in the back seat. She found that there was already a pillow and blanket prepared, so she obediently pulled the pillow over, lifted the blanket, and lay down, flashing a pleasing smile. “Is this alright?”

“Mm, good girl.” Naze closed the car door, then got into the driver’s seat in front, started the car, and drove off. Lying in the car, Momo didn’t feel any bumps at all. She couldn’t help but marvel at how nice it was to be rich-even the car was so comfortable. Then her thoughts wandered: even if her hair got messy, Naze would probably fix it quickly. Before long, she fell asleep.

Naze gently turned his head and gazed at Momo’s peaceful smile, half-hidden in the shadows. His handsome face showed a trace of melancholy. When she found out and learned his true identity at the banquet later, what kind of expression would she have? Would she accept it as calmly as before?

He shook his head uncertainly. But even so, he still had to take the gamble, because he dared not, could not, and could not bear to hide it. His Momo could endure any hardship for him, but she absolutely could not accept even the slightest deception-she would lose her trust in him, maybe even leave him for good, and that was a consequence he could not bear.
Having made his decision, Naze gave a wry smile, turned around, and stopped the car that had been automatically circling near the castle. He relaxed into the seat, half-closing his eyes, but a faint blood-red light glimmered in his gaze. Gradually, his whole body began to emit a black radiance-strange yet magnificent. He silently recited a brief incantation, and in an instant, the car vanished into the night.

After a while, the silver sports car appeared out of thin air in the parking lot of a towering, modern Gothic building. No one around showed the slightest sign of surprise; instead, they simply bowed gracefully toward the car as if it were the most natural thing in the world, then returned to their conversations and work.

“Momo, wake up,” Naze opened the car door, his lips gently brushing her cheek before softly half-lifting her. “We’re here.”

Momo blinked awake, staring in a daze for three seconds at the impossibly handsome man so close to her, before realizing he was her so-called husband. “Oh, we’re here. I’ll get up right away.”

She scrambled to sit up, reaching to smooth her hair, but Naze quickly pressed her hand down. “Let me do it.”

Momo felt a little embarrassed, watching him quietly as he tidied her hair and clothes for her, even crouching down at the end to tighten the decorative ribbons on her high heels. She couldn’t help but marvel at her luck: what kind of eyes had she been born with to find such a gentle, considerate husband? Or had she trained him into this?

Naze took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, giving her a reassuring smile before leading her into the banquet hall. Upon entering the arched banquet hall, one encountered an artificial stalactite grotto. Noticing her curiosity, Naze explained that this was the Venus Grotto from the Tannhaeuser Legend, complete with a small waterfall. Momo circled halfway around it and indeed saw the water from the waterfall being channeled into a long, narrow pool beside it. Around the pool were many ivory-colored benches and sofas for guests to rest; quite a few people were already seated there.

Momo was a bit nearsighted, so she had to squint to take in the whole venue. Naze gently patted her hand resting on his arm and led her slowly toward the center of the hall. Along the way, people kept greeting Naze, chatting with him for a few moments, and nodding politely and graciously to her as well.

At first, Momo tried to listen in, but gave up after a couple of minutes. First, her English was terrible; second, it seemed some people weren’t even speaking English-maybe French or German. She couldn’t help but wonder what exactly her all-capable husband did for a living. Was he an antique dealer? That would explain living in a castle, displaying old paintings, and speaking so many languages. Yes, that made sense! The more Momo thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and her mood brightened as she began to openly look around.

But after a while, she started to doubt her own guess. Looking around, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something strange about the place. Everyone here was so attractive. Even though she’d never been abroad before, surely not every foreigner was so beautiful that any random one could be a superstar! Was this actually a Hollywood party?!