The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Under the intense gaze, Laria unconsciously swallowed her breath.

“We’ve been meeting quite often lately…”

“I distinctly remember telling him to quietly follow you without causing any disturbance.”

In response to Zenox’s muttering, Laria urgently spoke up.

“He didn’t cause any trouble. I just got close to my bodyguard knight, and naturally, I started calling him by his name…”

Even with her desperate explanation, Zenox’s narrowed gaze showed no signs of easing.

‘He said the same about Solike.’

Before, he had also made her address Solike as ‘owner’ instead of using his name.

‘I thought he was just irrationally jealous back then, but now I know.’

Zenox was merely like a child who didn’t want to lose his friend.

‘Come to think of it, Zenox doesn’t really have friends…’

Even during her days as Whitie, she never heard any stories about his friends.

“Then, what should I call you?”

“Do you really need to call me anything?”

“There might be occasions when you need to address me.”

Without hesitation, Zenox replied:

“There. Over there. Hey. Isn’t that enough?”

Character…

Even if people called Zenox a personality disruptor, she had defended that his true nature wasn’t bad, but now she seemed on the verge of wavering.

“Anyway, don’t say anything to the knight.”

“…”

“Your Excellency.”

“…”

“Zenox.”

“Alright.”

Laria felt relieved only after hearing Zenox’s delayed confirmation. If Tigur was scolded by Zenox because of her, she would have had no face to show.

“I’ll go see my parents for now.”

She immediately teleported away.

Tigur, who was startled by Laria’s sudden appearance, leaned back dramatically.

‘He looks big, but surprisingly easy to startle…’

In contrast, Count and Countess Rohan greeted Laria with a calm attitude.

“You came faster than expected.”

“Is it resolved?”

Theodore asked, and Laria nodded.

“I couldn’t resolve it, so I came to get advice from father.”

Laria explained the situation that Zenox was facing.

Theodore, with a deeply furrowed brow, let out a sigh.

“Isn’t it most certain that Marquis Hashir should lift the brainwashing himself…”

“It’s impossible.”

With a firm response, Theodore nodded.

“What if someone else is instructed to kill Rubenta Krassium?”

“We don’t know how the curse linked to the Grand Duke will react if he dies.”

There were many problems with the prohibited curse.

Any slight problem with the spell could lead to side effects.

Previously, Zenox had experienced side effects after consuming a potion Theodore had made.

“If there are specific conditions like this time, the possibility of side effects is high.”

Upon hearing Theodore’ answer, Laria fell into silence.

‘Is imprisoning Rubenta Krassium really the best solution?’

Honestly, she wanted to kidnap Marquis Hashir and make him undo the brainwashing.

Seeing Laria’s darkening expression, Theodore placed his hand on the back of her hand.

“For now, let me look for other solutions.”

“Thank you…”

Even though she was reluctant, it was a relief not to be alone. With the help of her father and Solike, they might find a way to resolve the situation.

“Oh, and His Excellency suggested that we stay for a day.”

As soon as the conversation ended, Semela’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Her gaze seemed capable of killing someone with just a look.

Laria hurriedly defended Zenox.

“The nights in the North are very cold. And I’m tired too…”

“Our little fox is tired?”

When Theodore playfully teased, Semela also relaxed her expression and scrutinized Laria.

Seeing Laria’s tired face, Semela let out a light sigh.

“Well, I guess we can’t help it.”

She reluctantly agreed, although her tone suggested otherwise.

From the outside, it would seem like Laria had come barging into the home of her ex-lover.

‘What should I do?’

To undo Zenox’s brainwashing, she might need to continue frequenting this place. Continuing to meet when they had broken up might seem strange to others…

“Maybe… this?”

“What’s this? That ambiguous answer.”

Laria, whose eyes were only rolling, spoke.

“Perhaps we can try to reunite…”

Of course, she didn’t ask for Zenox’s opinion.

Naturally, she expected opposition or a negative reaction, but for some reason, Semela remained quiet. Then, she muttered as if it could be heard but not quite.

“It’s better than kidnapping and keeping him seated.”

Kidnapping? Who?

Not understanding, Laria was bewildered, and Semela gestured with her chin.

“You can go in now, right? You might catch a cold.”

Laria glanced out of the window.

The entrance looked bustling. The dark interior of the castle was now filled with light, and there were servants lined up in the entrance hall.

They got off the carriage headed straight for the entrance.

The butler who had been stern with Laria earlier now greeted them with a polite bow as if he were a different person.

“Welcome to Krassium Grand Duchy.”

Although his face was smiling, there was a cold sweat on his forehead, leaving a strong impression.

Something must have happened during that time.

As they entered, Zenox, who had descended the stairs, greeted Count and Countess Rohan.

“You’ve come.”

“…It’s been a while.”

Semela greeted him with a somewhat cold welcome. Theodore, who was hiding behind them, stepped forward and bowed.

Nevertheless, Zenox seemed less intimidating than before.

“Have you had dinner?”

Everyone was tired, so rest was more important than a meal.

When Semela declined, Zenox gestured to the butler.

“Guide them to the guest room.”

Before following the butler, Semela kissed Laria’s forehead.

“See you tomorrow.”

Normally, she wouldn’t leave Zenox alone with Laria, but perhaps she was showing concern due to the ongoing reunion.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

With that added comment, Laria’s ears turned red.

Foolishness? She hadn’t even kissed him yet!

Theodore waved his hand at Laria, who was feeling unjust inside.

With that, the Count and Countess left first, leaving Laria alone with Zenox.

About to strike up a conversation with him, Laria noticed that Zenox was staring quietly at Tigur. The stiffened Tigur began to sweat coldly.

“You did well.”

Zenox said with a word, and Tigur’s eyes widened.

As if on the verge of tears, Tigur’s lips trembled.

“Now go rest.”

After naturally shooing Tigur away, Zenox turned to look back.

“I’ll guide you to your room.”

Laria followed Zenox up the stairs and started walking through the corridor.

Perhaps due to his nature, it was remarkably large and spacious, unlike the Krassium Grand Duchy.

Even the corridor was wide enough for dozens of people to walk side by side.

‘I can never escape from here.’

However, it wasn’t just spacious.

The castle, with its long history, was filled with various rare collectibles. Paintings and decorations seen only in books were lined up like cobblestones along the streets.

Looking at this, one might wonder if the rumors of it being wealthier than the imperial family were true.

Zenox, who had stopped, opened the door. 

“Use this room for today.” 

It was a room that was overly spacious and comfortable for a single person.

She was about to enter the room after saying thank you, but he added a word. 

“By the way, this is my bedroom.” 

Zenox pointed to the room opposite with his finger.

At least, they should be on different floors, isn’t it too close?

“…Are there no other guest rooms?” 

“There are none.” 

In a castle this large, it was unbelievable. As Laria’s eyes narrowed at this absurd lie, Zenox quickly explained:

“There haven’t been guests, so we didn’t prepare other rooms.” 

Even when he lived in the capital, there were only two occasions when guests visited.

Moreover, one of them was Rubenta.

Having nothing more to say, Laria entered the room. Before closing the door, she grabbed the latch, tilted her head, and gave a greeting. 

“Good night.” 

As soon as she closed the door, a short laughter could be heard from outside.

Standing with her back against the door for a moment, Laria looked at the fireplace in the corner of the room. There seemed to be quite a lot of firewood, and the warmth was enough to feel a bit hot.

Laria hesitated for a moment and extinguished the fire with magic.

Facing such a large fire still felt frightening due to the fire she experienced when escaping from the Grand Duke Krassium’s residence in the past.

Having prepared well, Laria got into bed.

The soft bed and the gentle blanket enveloped her entire body.

Despite being tired and thinking she would fall asleep quickly once she lay down, strangely, her mind was wide awake. 

‘Should I go back home tomorrow?’ 

Will Zenox continue to stay in the North? What should I do in the future?

There were so many things she wanted to say, but she regretted not saying them earlier.

A sense of remorse surged endlessly, driving away drowsiness. Worried that she might stay up all night like this, Laria threw off the blanket. 

‘Shall I take a walk?’ 

But even though it was someone else’s house, wandering around felt a bit intrusive.

After contemplating, Laria got out of bed and started putting on clothes. She planned to walk around nearby corridors after coming out.

Finally opening the door and stepping into the corridor, Laria stopped short.

It was because she met eyes with Zenox, who was just opening the door.

Moreover, he was wearing only a robe for sleepwear. Unconsciously, Laria’s gaze followed his neckline and went down below his chest, revealing his bare chest.

When she saw the exposed chest, her tail popped out with a ‘pop’.