The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

After accidentally destroying the roof during her magical practice, Laria continued her training in the forest.

She was unsure whether practicing at the mansion would result in the building being demolished.

Deep in the forest, Laria stood in the center of a spacious clearing and cast a spell.

Water pillars shot up from the ground, creating a waterstorm. The water droplets that scattered in all directions formed various shapes in mid-air – circles, squares, triangles, and even star shapes.

“Wow!”

A cheer came from behind as the water droplets fell in response to the applause.

Laria quickly turned around to see a group of men sitting on a large log, eagerly watching her performance.

“How long are you going to keep doing this?” 

Rodit, who had followed her as a guard, scratched his cheek at her complaint.

“But it’s fascinating.”

Tigur, sitting next to him, replied:

“I’ve never seen magic up close like this, and it’s truly amazing.”

“Please don’t mind us!” Rodit said cheerfully.

However, Laria sighed inwardly, feeling uncomfortable with the spectators.

They clapped and cheered even though she hadn’t done anything extraordinary.

‘It’s a bit embarrassing.’

Laria was about to turn away when she glanced at Tigur.

Every time Laria practiced magic in the forest, Tigur was always present, almost as if attending a class.

At first, it was perplexing, but Laria had grown used to it.

Whenever she looked at Tigur, an urge to ask about Zenox would surface.

Did he receive any messages? When would he return from the North?

However, fearing that once she started asking, she would be unable to stop, Laria resisted the temptation.

Putting aside her lingering feelings, Laria tried to focus on her practice again. At that moment, Rodit suddenly stood up.

“Miss, have a snack!” 

Rodit opened a large bundle, revealing cookies with lemon jam, peach-filled pie, and bite-sized sandwiches.

Captivated by the sweet aroma, Laria unknowingly picked up a cookie. The crispy, slightly crunchy texture, along with the soft and rich lemon jam, spread throughout her mouth.

“It’s delicious…!”

It was a taste that made her burst out in exclamation.

“Did you buy these?”

 Rodit proudly pointed to himself.

“No, I made them!”

“You?”

Laria’s eyes widened in surprise. Rodit explained with a bashful smile:

“I wanted to do something helpful for you…” 

Despite being one of the skilled knights in Rohan Mansion, he had recently struggled with his role. Instead of protecting Laria, he found himself being protected. Since then, Rodit had dedicated himself to rigorous training.

However, Laria no longer seemed to need his protection.

Seeing Rodit in the midst of his melancholy, Laria spoke a few words:

-If a situation arises where I can’t use magic, I believe you will save me.

Those words gave Rodit strength again.

It was he whom the strong young lady trusted. Upon contemplation, Rodit realized that it was much better for the lady to trust in his strength rather than appearing weak.

Finding peace of mind, Rodit decided to create a new hobby instead of pushing himself too hard in training. It was during this pursuit that he unexpectedly discovered a talent.

“These are really delicious. The best cookies I’ve ever tasted.”

“Really?” 

Unable to contain his joy, Rodit’s tail wagged vigorously from side to side like an excited puppy.

Encouraged by Laria’s praise, Rodit offered snacks to Tigur and the other knights. 

“Since I brought plenty, everyone, please enjoy!” 

As they nibbled on the treats, the knights expressed their admiration.

“Is pie supposed to be this delicious?” 

“You could open a shop with these skills.” 

“Rodit, you truly are amazing.” 

“Genius!”

With compliments pouring in, Rodit’s shoulders straightened with pride.

It seemed as if they were all on an impromptu picnic. In the cheerful atmosphere, Laria found herself smiling without realizing it.

Suddenly, everyone stopped talking and looked at her. 

“…?” 

Wondering why, Laria blinked, and Rodit muttered to himself as if speaking to no one in particular. 

“It’s been a while since I saw the young lady’s smile…”

Indeed, she hadn’t smiled much lately. Since parting ways with Zenox, she had been living without energy.

Though she hadn’t completely sorted out her feelings, things seemed a bit… better.

At least Laria wasn’t tormented all day by thoughts of Zenox.

“It seems I smiled because of the delicious food. But how did you make these?” 

Laria laughed, steering the conversation away.

Thanks to Rodit’s simplicity, the atmosphere quickly relaxed.

After such aimless training, Laria returned home. She considered taking a short break when Solike’s crow tapped on her window. 

[Visit required] 

Checking the note, Laria headed straight to the information store. 

“It’s been a while.”

Solike greeted her first.

Though they had gone to Brioschel together, various circumstances had prevented them from meeting since. Nevertheless, they had exchanged letters, so it felt like they had just met yesterday. 

“I spread the invitation cards as you requested, using your name.” 

Solike chuckled, saying that the guests were quite intrigued. Laria was actively recruiting as many spectators as possible for her duel with Sienna.

Due to her limited connections, she had sought Solike’s help. But why does he look so pleased? 

“Did you bet money on it?” 

“Of course.”

The casual reply prompted a surprised, awkward laugh from Laria. 

“What are the odds?” 

“Over a hundred times.” 

In public opinion, anyone who thought Laria would win was close to losing everything.

After all, Laria, who had recently manifested as a sorceress, had never showcased her magic in front of people. In contrast, Sienna was the daughter of the head of the Sorcery Office, and she was the most anticipated talent. 

“Can I bet on myself too?”

Considering boosting her assets a bit, Laria had a sudden realization. She had already spent all her money buying gems.

“Can you lend me some money?”

“Sorry, but I already bet my entire fortune on you.”

What a ruthless guy.

Whether he believed in her to the point of wagering his entire fortune or not was a matter of gratitude or resentment.

Still, Laria wasn’t resentful; she knew that Solike generously donated most of his earnings to the orphanage.

‘He’s a good guy.’

While she was praising him in her thoughts, Solike spoke up again.

“Sienna contacted me again today.”

“…Really?”

“I just told her that you retired. It shouldn’t matter, right?”

“Good job.”

Even after the commission was over, Sienna had consistently tried to reach out to Liri, but Laria had never responded.

Anyway, through this upcoming duel, Sienna would find out Laria’s true identity, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

‘I don’t even know how much Sienna knows about Marquis Hashir.’

On the surface, it seemed like she didn’t know anything about the forbidden magic, but maybe she really didn’t know.

“Oh, I also heard some gossip about the Grand Duke.”

At the sudden change of topic, Laria involuntarily flinched.

Rumors were circulating discreetly that they had separated because of the Crown Prince. However, neither of them had officially announced anything.

Solike, who had heard the news faster than anyone, immediately asked what had happened.

Since she had already mentioned breaking up with Zenox, Laria didn’t expect Solike to suddenly bring up Zenox’s story.

In front of someone who had experienced heartbreak, discussing her past relationship seemed inappropriate.

As Laria’s eyes sharpened, Solike continued speaking.

“He’s asking for a way to lift a curse.”

Unexpectedly, Laria was stunned by these words.

‘Asking for a way to lift a curse…?’

Could it be that Marquis Hashir had cast a brainwashing spell on Zenox? But Solike had been keeping a close eye on the Marquis…

Laria, raising her head abruptly, asked:

“Has His Excellency personally come to see you?”

“No, a messenger brought the letter. Probably sent from a distance.”

In that case, Zenox was still staying in the North.

‘What on earth is happening?’

If Solike, who wasn’t even a sorcerer, was asked about it, it must have been something urgent.

Despite thinking that she had somewhat sorted out her feelings for Zenox, it turned out not to be the case. The emotions she thought she had dismissed were still piled up in a corner, not letting go of anything.

Feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of losing her mind, Laria could see that she hadn’t truly let go. Without discarding a single emotion, everything erupted within her at once.

She wanted to check if Zenox was okay right away.

Laria bid Solike a sudden farewell.

“I’m going.”

“Huh? Already?”

Before Solike could say anything, Laria used teleportation magic.

The destination wasn’t her bedroom but outside Rohan Mansion.

Tigur, who was on guard outside the mansion, gasped loudly when he saw Laria suddenly appear.

Facing the surprised Tigur, Laria spoke:

“Please come with me to the North.”