The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

A vivid light seeped into the golden eyes.

Zenox, taken aback, took a step back.

“Why have you come here?”

His expression, which had been frozen, now emitted a cold voice.

“Go back to the capital immediately.”

At first listen, it seemed so cold that it might even appear indifferent, as if he had no emotions towards Laria.

“I can’t go back.”

A subtle crack appeared in Zenox’s expression, which seemed like it wouldn’t budge at all.

“Is there a problem with the magic, perhaps?”

Beneath the calm voice, there was concern for Laria. Laria was convinced of it.

Zenox wasn’t pushing her away because he disliked her. His words and actions were all prioritizing Laria’s safety.

Laria, with lowered head, spoke up.

“Now that we know we’re nothing to each other…”

Since breaking the contract, Laria couldn’t find the words to define their relationship. They couldn’t even remain friends.

But still…

“I came because I was worried about you.”

Zenox couldn’t say anything.

Suppressing the emotions about to burst out, Zenox, in a sinking voice, asked:

“Did you hear anything?”

“I heard from Solike. You’re looking for a way to lift the curse, right?”

“Like a light-mouthed crow.”

Laria frowned at Zenox’s muttering.

“Why did you ask Solike instead of me?”

“…Isn’t that shameless?”

Zenox had lied to Laria all this time. He hadn’t even apologized, and now, he was seeking help because he needed it.

It felt like he was acting shamelessly.

He didn’t want Laria to hate him any more than she already might.

Moreover, his condition had worsened dramatically recently.

He suppressed the madness by contacting Laria instead of the fox orb, and this separation had lasted longer than ever before.

The suppressed madness was now rapidly consuming Zenox’s mind.

Seizures and memory lapses had become more frequent.

Meeting Laria in this state could lead to unpredictable actions.

So, he endured…

But once Laria was right in front of him, his determination crumbled quickly, making him wonder how he could have survived without seeing her until now.

My beloved fox.

Although he must have been resented a lot, Laria had come all the way here for Zenox.

In this regard, nothing had changed since the time he had Whitie by his side.

Every time, Zenox was the one saved.

“…”

Zenox’s fingertip trembled. The impulse to pull her into an embrace immediately arose, but he barely restrained it.

Previously, there was the excuse of being fake lovers, but now they had no relationship at all.

Zenox, holding back his desired words, offered a belated apology.

“If you were hurt because of me… I’m sorry.”

It was his first time seeking forgiveness from someone, so his throat felt dry. He lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked into Laria’s eyes.

“At first, I approached it with the intention of finding Whitie through the young lady.”

Laria’s gaze sank, but she no longer wanted to lie.

However, she wasn’t sure if she should reveal herself as Whitie.

While hesitating for a moment, Zenox remembered the last question Laria had asked.

-Then, why did you maintain the contract with me?

Now he knew the answer to that question, but he hesitated. Although Laria came to see him first, it was a quick surrender to reveal his feelings so openly.

After a while of hesitation, instead of expressing his sincerity, Zenox circumvented the answer.

“Well, later on, spending time with the young lady became enjoyable… I guess I didn’t want to let go of this relationship.”

Listening silently, Laria was momentarily stunned by the unexpected answer.

Was the past few months with Zenox meaningful enough for him not to want to terminate the contract?

Without even making excuses, she thought she had gotten rid of all the lingering feelings.

‘This will make me expect things again.’

If she poured out her emotions like pouring water from a bucket, they would come back like a lake.

Not to mention growing, they would overflow…

Worried that her feelings towards him might become evident just by breathing, Laria answered as impassively as possible.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t resent it… but now, it’s okay.”

Laria felt she didn’t have the right to forgive Zenox.

Because he was also the one who was fooled by her lies.

Laria, who had tied up the conversation with reassurance, brought up the main topic.

“Please tell me the situation first.”

Even though the lover’s contract had ended, they still had a common goal. They had to stop Marquis Hashir and Rubenta.

Zenox nodded and told her why he returned to the North, explaining what had happened.

He urgently summoned the elders and stripped Rubenta of her proxy status.

While calmly explaining, Zenox hesitated for a moment.

After pondering, he confessed:

“I tried to kill my uncle.”

Not knowing what reaction to expect, Laria simply nodded silently.

Zenox continued, relieved:

“But I couldn’t… and I realized at that moment that I was under a forbidden spell.”

Zenox revealed everything he had felt.

When he attempted to kill his uncle, a whisper echoed in his mind, as if it were his own thought.

As if he was being manipulated to think, ‘You must not kill Rubenta.’

“Do you happen to remember when you started feeling that way?”

“Probably before I met the young lady.”

Even last time when Rubenta came to the mansion in the capital, he felt strangely alien emotions.

Then, he suspected that Rubenta might have attempted to brainwash him during the incident at the mansion…

This time, the suspicion had turned out to be true.

Rubenta had already placed a brainwashing spell on Zenox that prevented him from killing him.

‘It must have been at least a few months ago.’

Laria’s expression became serious.

If it hadn’t been too long since the brainwashing, she could have somehow undone it, but enough time had passed for the magic to firmly take root.

Forcibly removing it could cause problems in Zenox’s mind.

“You imprisoned Rubenta Krassium, right?”

“…Did you hear?”

“When I rented the carriage.”

Laria fell into thought for a moment.

‘I should tell my father first and seek advice.’

Since he was waiting in the carriage, she could ask him directly.

As she was about to return to the carriage, Zenox grabbed her.

“Are you going to… go back right away?”

Laria, who had stopped, turned to look at Zenox.

His lowered eyelashes made his appearance particularly pitiful. Perhaps due to the bruised face, he seemed even more lonely.

“It’s getting late.”

Zenox mentioned the time even though he knew Laria could return immediately with magic.

“It’s cold in the North in the evening… So, go in the morning.”

The voice filled with lingering emotions made Laria hesitate.

During her days as Whitie, when Laria found out about Zenox’s identity, she had tried to escape.

They had encountered each other in the corridor while she was escaping from the mansion… Even then, Zenox had said something similar.

-It’s too late now. It’s cold and dark, so in the morning… Leave in the morning.

Several years had passed, but Zenox hadn’t changed.

And Laria, too, was just like back then.

His wavering expression revealed his vulnerability to her.

“In fact, my parents came with me.”

“Ah,” Zenox’s mouth slightly opened in surprise.

Perhaps because the situation was unexpected, his golden eyes rolled around.

Seeing his reaction, Laria chuckled quietly.

“May I inform my parents and officially visit in a little while?”

Now that she had sneaked in secretly, she wanted to make a proper visit through the front entrance.

Zenox’s face lit up after hearing the positive answer.

“I’ll prepare a guest room.”

Since her parents would share a room… Oh, right.

Remembering Tigur belatedly, Laria added:

“Sir Tigur guided me here.”

She praised him for coming comfortably thanks to him, but the corners of Zenox’s mouth hardened slightly.

Laria hesitated as he seemed strangely displeased.

‘Even though Zenox is his Master, Tigur brought me here without any notice…’

She had hoped he wouldn’t scold him since she had come with a purpose.

Trying to defend Tigur, Laria was about to speak, but Zenox, in a low voice, asked:

“Since when have you become close enough to call him by his name?”