The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Laria, who had been watching as if it were someone else’s business, felt a chill down her spine.

The fox orb, believed to have disappeared long ago, was unexpectedly in the Krassium mansion.

Laria, kidnapped by Zenox, encountered the fox orb at the main vault of the Krassium mansion and swallowed it due to the intruders.

That’s why she had been avoiding Zenox ever since.

She had swallowed the heirloom of the Krassium family.

She wanted to give it back, but no matter what she tried, she couldn’t retrieve it.

It seemed to have digested in her stomach.

‘Ever since then, I’ve been able to handle sorcery.’

Unlike ordinary sorcerers, she needed to use gems.

Listening to their stories, if they found out she swallowed the fox orb, they would likely not hesitate to cut open her belly.

During the time others were buzzing about the fox orb, Sienna, who had remained silent, put down her tea cup and said:

“It’s been missing for a long time, hasn’t it? I wonder if it still exists.”

But her face didn’t seem particularly curious.

Either she wasn’t interested in the fox orb itself, or she already knew where it was.

“Well, Lady Sienna, you’re amazing even without such an orb.”

Lunel, who had been flattering Sienna, casually spat out a compliment.

As if Lunel was the conductor, the others simply nodded in agreement with her compliment.

It’s known that the Marquis Hashir’s family is great, but it was odd to see them trying so hard to please her.

“She entered the Sorcery Office at the youngest age, does she need the fox orb?”

The Sorcery Office was a group of the best sorcerers and had power that even the imperial family couldn’t match. Joining the Sorcery Office was considered the greatest honor for a sorcerer.

Laria, thinking she’d be ignored again, muttered:

“Sorcery Office?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

Lunel gleamed, as if she had caught something.

“It was all the buzz three years ago. Were you perhaps recuperating in some countryside?”

Laria blinked at the implicit ridicule.

I was in the Krassium mansion at that time.

It wasn’t exactly recuperating; it was more like confinement.

Still, entering the Sorcery Office at the youngest age, Sienna must be very talented.

“That’s impressive. You must have worked hard.”

Laria sincerely complimented.

Sienna’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“…I still have a long way to go.”

Lunel next to her hurriedly added praises, saying she joined on her own without any help from Marquis Hashir, who is the head of the Sorcery Office.

‘Ah, so they’re all trying to impress Sienna.’

Realizing it belatedly, Laria nodded.

Sienna subtly changed the topic with a slight smile”

“How’s everyone’s magic training going?”

As if they had been waiting for the question, the fox people began to chatter.

Laria listened intently, curious about others’ abilities as she had studied magic on her own.

‘Considering they’ve organized this gathering, they must be skilled, right?’

As she listened, something seemed off.

“I’ve been practicing spatial teleportation magic. I succeeded in moving to the next room yesterday.”

“That’s impressive. Spatial teleportation magic is tricky.”

The man who claimed to have succeeded in the spatial teleportation magic nodded seriously.

“It takes about 10 minutes to cast.”

Laria reflexively retorted”

“10 minutes… you say?”

Seeing Laria’s surprised face, the man chuckled:

“You praise me so much, I’m embarrassed.”

It wasn’t praise; it was shock.

Taking 10 minutes for spatial teleportation just to move to the next room?

It’d be faster to just walk out the door…

Laria had frequently used spatial teleportation since she became able to wield magic.

She especially used it when visiting information store.

“Well, the spell for spatial teleportation is a bit difficult.”

Difficult? How so?

To wield magic, you needed a magic formula. It’s similar to applying a formula in math. Each spell has a fixed formula, but sorcerers often modify it to their liking.

And Laria had known all the basic formulas even before swallowing the fox orb.

It’s just about memorizing

She had even modified the formula for spatial teleportation, which made the casting much faster.

“Lady Rohan, do you have any particular magic you’re practicing?”

Sienna, who had been quiet, pinpointed Laria with a question.

It seemed like an act of goodwill so that she wouldn’t feel left out. She seemed to suddenly remember something and added with a nod.

“Well, I suppose you’ve been so busy with wedding preparations recently that you wouldn’t have had time to practice.”

All eyes turned to Laria.

Given that nobody looked surprised, it seemed everyone already knew.

‘It must’ve spread because of the congratulatory letter from the Emperor.’

Soon after, they all began to whisper openly, as if expecting her to hear.

“To think she’s marrying someone from the Wolf Clan. And that too, the Grand Duke of Krassium…”

“Who in their right mind would choose such a man for a husband?”

“Those ignorant, brute, stupid ones.”

“It’s the Wolf Clan who always start wars.”

Prejudices spewed forth.

Lunel kept pushing her, treating Laria as if she were a traitor of the Fox Clan.

“A marriage between a fox and a wolf? Haven’t we not forgotten that we went to war with the Wolf Clan in the past?”

A long time ago, a war broke out between the two tribes. The reason for the war and who started it remained unclear.

However, relations have been bad ever since.

Everyone looked at Laria with sharp eyes. As the atmosphere grew tense, Sienna tapped the table with her fan, suggesting they calm down.

“Shouldn’t we avoid having prejudices about the Wolf Clan?”

When Sienna spoke, everyone shut their mouths.

She glanced at Laria and raised her eyebrow.

“But as a fellow fox, I am concerned.”

Sienna’s voice was filled with genuine worry.

“Lady Rohan, do you know the Grand Duke of Krassium is said to be mad?”

Laria sighed internally.

‘I’ll have to explain the situation the next time we meet.’

At first, Laria thought Zenox was mad too, but there turned out to be reasons. After facing a tragic family history and sleepless nights hearing hallucinations, wouldn’t anyone lose their mind?

She felt she should side with him now.

“He seemed perfectly fine when I saw him.”

“Madness can strike at any moment.”

“I’ll overcome it with the power of love.”

Someone spit out their tea in response.

Sienna, who had been composed, looked baffled.

“Why the Grand Duke of Krassium of all people?”

“What’s wrong with the Grand Duke of Krassium?”

He was handsome, fit, and instead of being mad, he had a mine. That diamond mine would be hers in the future.

There were no beings like him in this world, someone so upright and principled.

“…”

Sienna didn’t reply immediately.

Seeing her reaction, Laria smirked.

‘She probably doesn’t want to directly criticize him.’

Sienna had been subtly fueling the gossip while pretending to be neutral.

Suddenly, a man rushed in from afar. It was the butler who had escorted Laria to the garden entrance earlier.

“Miss! The Grand Duke of Krassium is here.”

Clink.

The sound of a tea cup crashing was deafening.

The faces of the foxes went pale.

Even Sienna, who had been calm throughout, jumped to her feet.

“The Grand Duke? Why?”

“That is…”

The butler’s gaze turned to Laria.

“He said he will wait for Lady Laria Rohan.”

He mentioned that the Grand Duke had parked his carriage outside the mansion and that the other guests were too scared to come in. That alone was enough to strike fear into the foxes.

Among the trembling foxes, Laria tilted her head.

‘He came to pick me up?’

Through Rodit, she had sent him a letter saying she would visit the Krassium mansion today.

She didn’t expect him to come where she was.

Seeing a good opportunity to exit, Laria stood.

“I think I should leave now.”

One of the pearls in the pocket was broken. After performing the spell, Laria bid the foxes farewell.

“My lover awaits. It was a pleasant gathering. Farewell.”

Laria disappeared in an instant.

The remaining sorcery power, like a trace, was overwhelmingly strong.

“…My goodness.”

Shock registered on the remaining faces.

Amidst the murmurs, Sienna bit her lower lip, her eyes flashing fiercely.