The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Rubenta…?

Eventually, the merchant added another word.

“He even threw him into an underground prison.”

Laria froze upon hearing the last sentence.

The merchant, not noticing Laria’s expression due to her dissatisfaction, continued:

“For a long time, he disregarded the North, and now suddenly he returned…”

The merchant cursed Grand Duke Zenox for his unwarranted actions.

Laria finally understood why the carriage merchants had mistreated Tigur.

Grand Duke Zenox’s reputation had hit rock bottom, and there was an implicit uprising against him. Even Tigur, as the Grand Duke’s direct knight, couldn’t avoid the impact.

“Why did the Grand Duke imprison his uncle?”

“I don’t know the details, but… well, his uncle must have been a thorn in his side.”

The merchant didn’t have precise information.

Having gathered enough information, the four barely managed to get a rented carriage.

As soon as they closed the door, Laria turned to Tigur. 

“Did you know about this?”

“I only heard that he needed to return to the North urgently…”

Tigur seemed equally bewildered.

‘I’m sure something happened with Rubenta.’

Zenox obtained evidence of Rubenta’s involvement in the Brioschel incident. It seemed that Grand Duke Zenox had used that as an excuse to strip Rubenta of her proxy position without revealing the truth.

Even though Rubenta was clearly at fault, the situation had spread as if she had been unreasonably expelled.

Quietly, Semela, who had been silent, asked:

“Is something wrong with the Grand Duke?”

“I didn’t know about this situation either.”

Realizing that she had never shared Zenox’s condition with them, Laria contemplated whether she should talk about it.

‘Should I tell them about the forbidden magic?’

The people gathered here were all people Laria trusted.

After thinking about it, Laria opened her mouth.

“His Excellency… He might have been under the prohibited magic.”

The sound of Theodore taking a breath was heard.

Unlike the stiff expression of the Count and Countess Rohan, Tigur didn’t immediately understand. Though unfamiliar with magic, he sensed the tension in the atmosphere and inquired:

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, Marquis Hashir formed an alliance with Rubenta Krassium and used forbidden magic against His Excellency, but I managed to thwart it.”

Laria briefly explained what had happened during her visit to the Krassium mansion.

“That’s…!”

Having heard the general situation, Tigur clenched his fist tightly. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. Unable to hide his emotions, he only managed to compose himself when his eyes met Laria’s.

“…I’m sorry.”

Understanding Tigur’s emotions, Laria just nodded her head.

When she turned away, she noticed that Theodore, who had turned pale, had entered her field of vision.

Since the mention of Marquis Hashir, Theodore hadn’t been in good condition. As one of the people affected by the Marquis’s forbidden magic, he seemed to be struggling.

While she was regretting whether she should have brought it up, Theodore took a deep breath before speaking.

“Do you know what kind of curse it is?”

“…It’s a brainwashing spell.”

Brainwashing was a highly complex and sophisticated form of curse. If it had been a simple forbidden spell, they might have found a way to undo it.

However, even Laria wasn’t familiar with brainwashing spells.

“If it’s been a long time since he was brainwashed, it might be difficult for someone else to undo it.”

Marquis Hashir wasn’t likely to release him.

It would be akin to proving his own guilt.

Theodore questioned with a calm voice, despite his slight trembling.

“What kind of brainwashing was it?”

“…I’ll have to meet His Excellency to find out the details.”

If Zenox had been completely under the spell, he should have turned into a puppet devoid of will by now.

However, given that he had sent a letter to Solike, it seemed he hadn’t been completely ensnared by the magic.

For now, the priority was to meet Zenox and assess the situation.

The carriage, leaving the city, crossed the snowy field. The robust wheels crushed the frozen snow, rolling steadily. The direction in which the carriage moved was toward the snowy mountains visible from anywhere in the North.

No matter how long they drove, there was no sign of getting closer.

“May I cast a spell on the horse?”

Obtaining everyone’s agreement, Laria cast the acceleration spell she had demonstrated at the Sorcery Office.

Suddenly, the horse started running at an unbelievable speed.

“Why, why is this happening!”

From outside, they could hear the startled voice of the coachman. 

ust as the seemingly distant snowy mountains filled their vision, the silhouette of the castle began to appear.

It was finally the Grand Duchy of Krassium. About to enter, soldiers guarding the gate blocked the carriage.

“Stop.”

Laria wordlessly presented her status plate.

The soldier, after checking the status plate, raised his head.

“Are you… His Excellency’s fiance?”

He seemed unaware of their separation.

Laria remained silent; revealing the truth might hinder their entry.

The soldier, interpreting it positively, stepped aside.

“Please enter.”

Safely passing through the gate, Laria took in the scenery through the window.

The Grand Duchy’s main castle was vast beyond her expectations. When all the properties were combined, it might be even larger than the imperial palace.

Finally arriving at the main castle, Laria got off the carriage alone.

A man, most likely the butler, appeared.

“Who are you?”

Whether it was because she came suddenly without any notice, he looked wary.

“Please inform His Excellency that Laria Rohan has arrived.”

“Rohan? Ah…”

Scanning Laria with curiosity, he nodded.

“Please wait a moment.”

The butler, who went inside, returned not long after. Then unexpectedly, he gave an unexpected response.

“He says he won’t meet you.”

…What?

Laria felt like she might have misheard, but the steward clearly issued a refusal.

“Please return.”

Speechless, Laria stared blankly at the steward.

‘Is it because I came here so suddenly?’

Could it be that he didn’t even want to see her face?

Various negative thoughts dragged at Laria’s ankles. Then, her senses snapped back.

‘Do you think I will turn back just like this?’

In the past, she might have accepted it willingly and stepped back, but not now.

‘Don’t I deserve to be worried about you?’

There was a time when Laria, worried about Zenox suffering from a cold, had secretly entered his bedroom. Since she had done it before, she would do the same now.

Pretending to leave, Laria got on the carriage for now.

The three people waiting in the carriage gave her puzzled looks.

“Why are you coming back already?”

“His Excellency says he won’t meet me.”

Semela’s eyes narrowed.

“Are we going back home right away?”

“No. We came all the way here; we can’t go back like this.”

Count and Countess Rohan, who knew Laria’s stubbornness better than anyone, nodded in agreement.

Semela, who had been contemplating, suggested a drastic method.

“What if we put all the servants to sleep and sneak in?”

“…I have a different method in mind.”

It was a spell she had developed during her research, a magic she hadn’t yet attempted.

‘It should be fine at this distance.’

As Laria unfolded the spell, a faint light extended like the tail of a shooting star. The light, which entered the building, began to find a familiar aura.

‘Found.’

Without hesitation, Laria cast a spatial movement spell to the place where the light lingered. 

In the blink of an eye, a strange landscape unfolded before her eyes. Judging by the bed placed conspicuously in the center, it seemed to be a bedroom.

As she searched around to find Zenox, a low and dreamy voice came from behind.

“…Laria?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Laria paused and slowly turned her head. There, she saw Zenox, who seemed to be just waking up, sitting up from his chair.

It had been only about two weeks since they last met. However, the emotions surged as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

“How…”

Unable to believe it, Zenox absentmindedly stared at Laria, not blinking.

Laria was no different, forgetting the words she had intended to say when they met.

‘Your face is a mess.’

Looking like someone who hadn’t slept in days, his eyes were dark below, and his skin seemed rough.

His eyes, which used to be like a clear day, now looked cloudy as if covered by clouds.

Just by looking at him, it was evident that Zenox had reached his limit.

Feeling like tears might come out, Laria bit her lip. As the silence continued, Zenox, who had been staring blankly at Laria, muttered.

“Am I even seeing illusions now?”

Unexpectedly, hearing a voice lacking Zenox’s usual strength, Laria couldn’t help but approach.

Holding his cheeks with both hands, she whispered.

“An illusion? Does it seem like an illusion to you?”

Zenox’s shoulders bounced as if he was struck by lightning.