The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Laria was immediately taken into the mansion.

During this time, the servants never took their eyes off Laria, as if afraid she would disappear if they blinked.

Once they entered the mansion, the servants bombarded Laria with questions.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“This is the blanket that Whitie liked.”

“We have cushions here too.”

It was an extravagant and warm welcome, as if they had been held captive somewhere and had just been rescued.

At the same time, their attitude was extremely cautious. They provided only the necessary items, as if trying not to upset Laria in any way.

This was a stark contrast to their previous behavior, where they fawned over her without any reservation.

Laria was puzzled by this change and blinked her eyes in confusion. However, no one spoke up.

The silence became awkward, and Laria couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

“Whimper.”

Startled, the servants looked at her, and their expressions gradually changed as they watched her cry.

“Sob…”

Gradually, the sound of sobbing spread like a contagion, with the tears flowing around them.

“It feels like a dream…”

“It’s really Whitie, right?”

The servants vented their pent-up sorrow as they welcomed Laria with open arms. The mansion quickly turned into a sea of tears.

Laria, who had stiffened up without moving, silently observed the crying servants. 

Sometimes, she had imagined herself returning to Krassium Mansion in Whitie’s form. In her imagination, the servants were surprised at first, then overjoyed and welcoming, or perhaps they scolded her for running away after being treated so well.

Her imagination had been lacking in detail, and none of it seemed to fit.

Verdo, who took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, spoke.

“Exactly… How did you end up coming to Rohan Mansion?”

“…”

“For more than three years… how much you must have suffered.”

Verdot cried, saying she seemed to have lost weight.

Laria thought she looked the same as before, but he just kept his mouth shut.

“Master missed you so much.”

Laria raised her head slightly at Verdo’s words.

It was the first time she had heard about the past three years from someone else’s mouth.

“Master really missed you… I’m glad you’re back now.”

Zenox had a hard time?

She knew that Zenox had been looking for Whitie, spreading pamphlets even after their encounter at the illegal auction.

-Whitie…

She couldn’t forget Zenox’s face at that moment. Looking at that, she thought that maybe he actually missed her.

So she asked Zenox why he was looking for Whitie.

After hearing Zenox’s answer, she concluded that it was because of the fox orb…

‘You weren’t looking for me simply because you needed the fox orb.’

Zenox just wanted to see Whitie again.

“The mansion has remained the same. So that you can get used to it whenever you come back.”

“…”

“Master has never left this place, always waiting for you to return.”

As Verdo continued speaking, Laria lowered her head more and more. She couldn’t bear to look him in the eye.

Tears welled up in her eyes as if ready to fall at any moment.

“So please don’t leave again.”

Laria remained silent in response to Verdo’s plea.

Right now, she had only transformed into a fox for a short while. Once she regained her strength, she would automatically return to her human form.

The person they had been waiting for wasn’t Laria Rohan, but the fox they called Whitie.

Laria couldn’t fulfill their expectations. She felt like a sinner and could only hang her head in silence.

As the atmosphere became increasingly stifling, Laria suddenly felt the weight of their warm gazes.

She had been weeping quietly, but now she lifted her head and looked around.

They were all looking at her with warm, understanding eyes.

Finally, her large pupils filled with tears, and when Laria burst into tears, the servants began to bustle around.

“We’re not scolding you at all!”

Verdo, realizing that the clever fox could understand their words, hastily explained. But the tears wouldn’t stop.

Laria looked at the servants surrounding her.

Even though she had visited the mansion twice before in human form, there were many faces she hadn’t seen then.

The head chef who prepared special meals, the gardener who arranged the fox den, and the servant who played with her as a toy, among others.

“Kyuuu…”

‘I missed you too.’

She had wanted to say it as well.

When she looked at the servants, they seemed to understand as if they could read her mind. The servants who had been crying eventually burst into laughter.

After the tearful reunion, it was already late at night.

Verdo, who strictly guarded Whitie’s sleeping time, dismissed the employees.

Everyone felt disappointed, but they left with smiles, knowing they could meet again tomorrow. As they left the room, their excited voices could be heard belatedly.

“After over three years, it’s clear that it was the painting’s fault.”

“Didn’t I tell you before that a pamphlet painting can’t match the reality!”

The most expensive artist in the capital received unfair curses in the middle of the night. Their voices gradually faded away, and Verdo covered Laria with a blanket.

“The little fox needs to sleep quickly.”

It had been over three and a half years since she disappeared, so she must be at least four years old by now, fully grown.

However, Verdo seemed convinced that Whitie was still a baby, perhaps because her size hadn’t grown much.

“Please wait a little longer. Master will return tomorrow morning.”

Verdot laughed, adding that he was probably staying up all night.

Laria couldn’t muster a smile in return because she was planning to leave this place before Zenox arrived.

“Have sweet dreams.”

Verdo turned off the lights and left the bedroom.

Judging by the fact that he didn’t watch over Laria, it seemed that he didn’t even suspect the idea of her running away. His presence had completely disappeared, and Laria got up.

‘If only I could leave a note or something.’

She wanted to leave a message that she wasn’t running away because she hated them, but she couldn’t, and it was frustrating.

‘I have to leave before Zenox arrives.’

If she happened to run into him, it would be a problem.

In the worst-case scenario, she might return to her human form while he was around.

Laria looked around.

As expected from the residence of the famous Duke Krassium, the decorations and furniture were studded with jewels.

She took out a suitable jewel and put it in her mouth.

As soon as she returned to her human form, she planned to use the space movement spell and go home.

‘It seemed like I quickly turned back to human form normally last time.’

She was wondering whether to leave the mansion or stay in her room.

Even if she ran away and returned to human form, there might be a problem.

Like when she was with Solike, someone might see her.

‘I’m tired.’

She had been suffering from a fever yesterday and had been out all day today, so she was overcome with drowsiness.

Laria tried to stay awake, but it was the perfect time for her to return to her human form.

Tap, tap.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.

Whether it was Verdo or another servant, the footsteps sounded strangely familiar. People had different walking styles, and with her enhanced hearing, Laria could distinguish who it was from their footsteps alone.

The owner of these footsteps… without a doubt, it was Zenox.

‘But they said he would come in the morning!’

Startled, Laria spun around in her room.

When she tried to escape through the window, she found herself on the third floor, and outside the door was Zenox.

‘Please just pass by.’

The footsteps that had been heard from a distance were getting closer and closer.

Finally, the person who made the footsteps stopped right in front of Laria’s bedroom door.

It seemed like he knew exactly where she was.

Laria was so nervous that she almost let out a yelp. However, instead of opening the door right away, there was no sound at all from outside.

‘Why isn’t he coming in?’

Hidden behind the curtain, Laria cautiously peeked her head out. There was no sound of the door opening or even knocking.

However, footsteps didn’t seem to move away either. It felt like Zenox was waiting.

Waiting for Laria to open the door first.

“…”

With the door between them, the two were aware of each other’s presence. They couldn’t see each other’s faces, nor could they sense each other’s sounds or smells.

However, they were certain that they were on the other side.

There was an impulse to open the door right away.

To run to Zenox and just… desperately cry.