A Yokel New in Town

"What? No way! I am not going to Veridale to get engaged!"

The clear voice echoed through the opulent parlor of the Northwest mansion. Evangeline Ashford stood her ground, her delicate features set in a stubborn frown. The sprawling estate outside the towering windows stretched across a vast expanse of lush grassland. It resembled a secluded Shangri-La, a breathtaking testament to the wealth of the Ashford family. Anyone who visited sighed in wonder at its magnificence. Yet, inside this gilded cage, a battle of wills raged.

Silas Ashford, her grandfather, sat relaxed in his high-backed leather armchair. He rested his hands on his cane, employing a gentle yet unmovable persistence. "It is not up to you, Evangeline," he stated. "Your engagement was arranged by the Vane family and me quite a few years ago. The pact is set in stone. The five sons of the Vane family are all esteemed gentlemen. All you need to do is travel there and pick one to get engaged to. Do not worry; you will certainly find one to your liking."

Evangeline let out a soft huff and sank back against the velvet sofa. Every inch of her exuded an enchanting charm. She possessed a beauty that could command any room, but right now, all she wanted was autonomy over her own life. She knew Silas well enough to understand his firm mindset; arguing against a contract he had forged would get her nowhere.

A cunning smile touched her lips. "Fine," she negotiated, her tone turning brisk. "I agree to go. But we strike a strict compromise right now. The Vane siblings must be kept in the dark regarding my true identity and my looks."

Silas raised a silver eyebrow, waiting for the rest of her terms.

"Furthermore," Evangeline continued, establishing her hard deadline. "I give this one single year. If I fail to fall in love with any of them within twelve months, I am granted full freedom to leave. By then, I will dictate my own matrimonial future with no interference."

Silas pondered her demands, his weathered fingers tapping rhythmically against the silver head of his cane. He had always admired her fiery spirit. Seeing the unbreakable resolve in his granddaughter's eyes, he acquiesced and nodded. "I accept your terms."

Several days later, the sweltering heat of the Veridale railway station beat down on the bustling pavement. Heatwaves radiated off the concrete, making the air thick and stifling. Amidst the sweating crowds rushing to catch their trains, four strikingly handsome men stood clumped together near the main exit. Their distinct features drew heavy, admiring crowds. Passers-by glued their eyes to the group. Bodyguards worked up a sweat forming a human barricade, pushing back the screaming fans just to carve out a small circle of breathing room. If not for them, many would have rushed forward to demand contact information.

These were the Vane brothers, and they were thoroughly miserable.

Finley, the youngest sibling, tugged at his designer collar and groaned. "It is boiling out here! Why did Grandpa insist we personally retrieve this mysterious girl? Does he really think we have nothing to do?"

Beside him, Caspian adjusted his dark sunglasses and pulled his cap lower. As a massive celebrity who had recently come to prominence as the nation's Prince Charming, he despised public exposure. He scoffed. "The fact that she traveled by train tells you everything. That girl is going to be a country bumpkin."

Raphael let out a loud sigh. "I thought Grandpa was joking when he told me yesterday that one of us would be chosen to be the fiancé of someone from the countryside! I am so envious of Dominic right now. Our eldest brother dodged this humiliating errand under the guise of work."

Lucian, the second eldest, stood rigidly beside them. He maintained a silent but palpable displeasure, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at the station exit.

Suddenly, their collective dread materialized.

A girl marched out of the station doors. She wore a dowdy, flower-embroidered red dress that looked salvaged from a bygone era of terrible fashion. An atrocious, outdated bob haircut framed her face.

She walked straight toward the group. "Hello! You guys must be the Vane siblings, aren't you? I'm Evangeline Ashford."

The brothers recoiled in sheer horror.

This was not the beautiful fairy their grandfather had promised. Instead, they faced a dark-skinned girl sporting an unnatural tan. Thick, drawn-on facial moles dotted her cheeks, and her lips were painted a suffocatingly bright pink Barbie lipstick that clashed with her red dress.

Feigning immediate infatuation, Evangeline batted her eyelashes at them. She let out a giggle. "Wow, Grandpa didn't lie to me after all. You guys are handsome."

Inwardly, she scoffed at their reactions. *Is this the best the mighty Vane family has to offer? Not a single one of these men is good enough to match me.*

Appalled to his core, Finley’s face flushed red. He nearly cursed out loud. Even if she came from the countryside, she shouldn't look this ridiculous. He stepped forward. "How about you turn around and go straight back to the countryside, Miss Ashford?"

Evangeline blinked her eyes in exaggerated confusion. "Huh?"

Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose, holding onto a thin sliver of decorum. He finally intervened, shooting Finley a warning look. "Let's just get into the car and go back first."

The group moved to the VIP pickup zone and piled into the waiting luxury car. Evangeline was seated in the middle row, squished between Lucian and Finley. The agonizing ride began.

Throughout the journey, Evangeline executed a flawless performance of a clueless yokel. She pressed her face against the tinted window, gasping at the passing city blocks. "Oh my goodness! Wow! So that's how tall the buildings in big cities are!"

The lips of the four brothers twitched in unison. They exchanged looks of sheer agony. What was she, a yokel new in town?

Then, shifting her weight, Evangeline caught a glimpse of the metal shining on Lucian's wrist. The plush leather interior of the Maybach felt suffocatingly small as Evangeline leaned over, her elbows digging into the expensive upholstery. She grabbed his arm, pulling it closer. Her clashing pink lips parted as she gawked at the timepiece. "Wow! This watch looks so pretty! It must cost quite a few hundred, doesn't it?"

Silence dropped like an anvil inside the cabin. A few hundred? That custom watch wrapped around Lucian's wrist cost thirty million!

Speechless and horrified, Lucian pulled his arm back. The brothers sat stiffly in their plush seats, praying to whatever higher power would listen that this terrifying woman wouldn't take a fancy to any of them.

The luxury car turned off the busy main road, gliding through the towering gates of the sprawling Vane Manor. Lush gardens stretched out on either side of the wide driveway, leading up to a massive architectural marvel that served as the family's main estate.

Evangeline slapped her hands against the window, letting out another loud gasp. "Wow! Your place sure is huge, isn't it?"

While she praised the massive size of the estate, her mind buzzed with secret disdain. *What a joke. This cramped mansion is not even a tenth the size of my family’s grand estate back in the Northwest.*

Sitting right beside her, Finley’s eye twitched. The suffocating smell of her cheap perfume mixed with that blinding pink lipstick was the final straw. He lost his temper.

"That is enough, you bumpkin!" Finley barked, turning his body to glare at her. "Stop acting like you are going out in the world for the first time! I simply cannot stand your behavior anymore!"

The tension in the car spiked, leaving the immediate dynamic tense and volatile. The heavy silence that followed his outburst spoke volumes. None of the three men beside them offered a single word of defense for the girl. Caspian stared blankly out his window, desperate to be anywhere else. Raphael rubbed his pounding temples as if fighting off a sudden migraine. Lucian kept his cold eyes fixed forward, his jaw tight. They shared Finley's utter inability to stand her, united in their deep disgust and resolute rejection of the woman sitting among them.