The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

A few days ago, Banesion Hashir had Sienna summon Ort.

He resisted coming at first, but when his daughter’s safety was mentioned, he finally came to see Banesion.

“You were the spy!”

Banesion thought all his plans had gone awry because of Ort.

He wanted to wring his neck right then and there, but he still had things to do.

“Spill everything you’ve been hiding.”

At the Marquis’s words, Ort’s eyes grew hazy and his mouth opened involuntarily.

Ort had been under Banesion’s brainwashing spell for a very long time. Banesion, who fundamentally distrusted others, had secretly cast brainwashing spells on his confidants.

Though he couldn’t use magic because of the Imperial Palace barrier, there was no problem manipulating an already existing brainwashing spell.

Under the brainwashing spell, Ort began to spill everything he had kept secret until now.

In the process, Banesion learned one unexpected fact.

“The Grand Duke’s fox swallowed the fox orb?”

Banesion had no idea that Ort had broken into the Krassium Grand Duke’s residence to steal the fox orb.

That alone was shocking enough, but to think the Grand Duke’s fox had swallowed the fox orb.

“This damn bastard!!”

Banesion burst out in anger towards Rubenta, who was already dead.

To promise the fox orb as compensation when he didn’t even have it in his possession, he should never have trusted that wolf.

Banesion cursed profusely for a while before finally regaining his senses.

“…Wait.”

He had seen Laria Rohan transform into a fox in the forest.

She looked exactly like the fox the Grand Duke had been searching for.

Moreover, the time Laria Rohan manifested as a sorcerer was after the incident Ort had mentioned.

“It can’t be.”

Could it be that Laria Rohan was the Grand Duke’s fox, and she manifested as a sorcerer after swallowing the fox orb?

How could that be possible?

If Laria was the Grand Duke’s fox, the Rohan family wouldn’t have stood by idly.

He had heard the Grand Duke had raised the fox for half a year.

Then Laria Rohan should have been missing during that time…

“Ugh.”

An unpleasant headache struck him, and his memory suddenly cut off.

Banesion froze for a moment, then tried to continue his train of thought.

But when the same reaction occurred again, he forcibly inflicted pain on himself to regain his senses.

Banesion realized he was forgetting something.

“Theodore Rohan…”

That bastard must have cast a spell on him.

It was a spell Banesion himself had often used in the past.

Banesion let out a hollow laugh.

It was ridiculous that he hadn’t realized until now that he had been under a spell.

After confirming that Ort was under the same spell, Banesion chuckled darkly.

I can’t be the only one to die.

In the darkness, Banesion’s eyes glowed red.

* * *

On the day of Marquis Hashir’s trial.

A crowd gathered like clouds in front of the courthouse as if a festival was being held.

As it was the trial for the most talked-about case recently, quite a few people had been waiting since dawn.

As the time approached, carriages of nobles attending the trial appeared one after another.

When someone finally stepped out of a carriage, cheers erupted.

“It’s Lady Rohan!”

Someone’s shout rang out.

Laria, suddenly the center of attention, rolled her eyes uncomfortably.

At that moment, she recalled what Solike had said recently.

-They’re gathering because of you.

Did this many people really gather because of me? 

She had dismissed it as a joke when she heard it.

Seeing Laria’s discomfort, Zenox quickly surveyed the surroundings. At his sharp gaze, the cheering crowd instantly fell silent.

Though Zenox’s reputation had improved from before, he was still an object of fear.

Zenox, holding Laria’s hand tightly, whispered:

“Close your eyes if it’s overwhelming.”

“…I’m just a bit awkward.”

Finding Laria’s shyness cute, Zenox smiled softly. Those who saw his face gaped in surprise.

The two entered the building hand in hand.

Far from dispersing, the gazes intensified to the point of burning holes in their cheeks.

Even outrageous remarks could be heard.

“They say Lady Rohan prevented the world from ending.”

“You mean the dark red sky? I even wrote my will then.”

Though she tried to act nonchalant, Laria’s face turned bright red as she could no longer endure.

‘What do they mean I prevented the end of the world…’

Laria’s exploits had been exaggerated to almost the level of a heroic legend.

At most, she had only put out the forest fire and broken the brainwashing spell on Zenox.

As Laria was feeling embarrassed, people tried to approach and speak to her, acting as if they knew her.

However, they retreated hesitantly at a single glance from Zenox.

Only Laria was unaware of this.

Not long after the two sat in the witness stand, the Rohan family arrived.

Laria looked around the courtroom once. The jury seats were completely filled. She had heard that competition for jury seats had been very high.

Ishel and the Emperor were also present, and…

As Laria surveyed her surroundings, her gaze stopped at one place.

Sienna was sitting next to the defendant’s seat.

Judging by her seat, it seemed she intended to defend Marquis Hashir in today’s trial.

Their eyes met briefly, but she only stiffly raised her head without showing any reaction.

Laria also turned her gaze away expressionlessly.

Several other familiar figures could be seen as well.

Nobles and sorcerers she had seen at the hunting competition, and even Samad Lapel, Theodore’s mentor.

As the courtroom doors closed and everyone took their seats, Marquis Hashir was dragged in by knights.

In the meantime, the Marquis seemed to have become a different person.

His gaunt face with protruding cheekbones and graying beard made him look 10 years older.

From what she had heard this morning, the Marquis had attempted to escape on the way to the courthouse. It was fortunate that a spell had been cast on the escort carriage, anticipating such an attempt.

He was a man who never gave up until the end.

As Marquis Hashir sat in the defendant’s seat, Duke Ruder, acting as the judge, opened his mouth.

“We will now begin the trial.”

In a solemn atmosphere, the judge looked down at Marquis Hashir.

“Defendant Banesion Hashir, you have dealt with forbidden magic and cast a brainwashing spell on the Grand Duke of Krassium at Rubenta Krassium’s instigation. Is this correct?”

Marquis Hashir, who had been staring at the floor, slowly raised his head.

Despite his haggard appearance, his eyes gleamed as if oiled.

Instead of answering the judge’s question, he turned around. Marquis Hashir’s gaze was fixed precisely on Theodore.

As the Marquis grinned, Laria felt an instant sense of foreboding.

“I have something to reveal.”

His hoarse voice echoed through the quiet space.

“The person who should be sitting here is not me.”

“Defendant, answer the question you were asked.”

Despite the judge’s curt words, Marquis Hashir didn’t stop rambling.

“I will expose Theodore Rohan’s misdeeds from this seat.”

At those words, the surroundings stirred.

Feeling a chill, Laria glared at Marquis Hashir.

‘Surely not…’

As their eyes met, Marquis Hashir smiled vilely and raised his voice.

“Theodore Rohan is a scoundrel who cast spells on imperial citizens.”

The surroundings grew turbulent at Marquis Hashir’s statement.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you saying Count Rohan cast spells on us?”

As the surroundings grew noisy, Laria immediately looked to Theodore.

Theodore, his complexion pale, looked like he might collapse at any moment. Semela, sitting next to him, gripped his hand tightly, but his trembling only grew.

“He’s spouting nonsense because his time is up.”

“What kind of spell would Count Rohan have used on us?”

As his words were treated as lies, Marquis Hashir grinned as if he had expected this.

“Do you all know what kind of spell Theodore Rohan cast?”

The Marquis continued, looking at the trembling Theodore.

“He erased your memories.”

Laria’s eyes wavered briefly.

The Marquis had discovered the secret they had been hiding all this time.

Though she had anticipated something like this might happen someday, she didn’t expect it to be now.

“I am the head of the Sorcery Office! If you call the sorcerers, I can prove it!”

As he asserted his position confidently, even those who hadn’t believed began to look doubtful.

The judge was about to ignore his statement but then asked Theodore:

“Theodore Rohan. Please answer.”

He just needed to say it wasn’t true.

But when Theodore couldn’t say anything, doubt crept onto the faces of those who had dismissed it as a lie.

“It can’t be…”

“Did he really erase memories?”

Seeing the desired reaction from people, the Marquis’s voice grew louder.

“He mocked the imperial citizens. He arbitrarily erased people’s memories and kept it secret until now.”

Marquis Hashir wore a sneer full of malice.

“I believe this is tantamount to dealing with forbidden magic.”

People swayed by the Marquis’s words poured out criticism. The attention that had been on Marquis Hashir now shifted to Theodore.

As Theodore lowered his head like a criminal, Laria stood up from her seat.

“I would like to speak.”

The commotion ceased.

Amidst piercing gazes, Laria opened her mouth.

“Theodore Rohan, that is, my father, used magic for my sake.”

As Laria admitted this, the courtroom erupted into noise.

When the judge ordered silence, quiet fell.

“What memories did he erase?”

Laria looked around at her family.

Theodore, pale and trembling violently; Semela, her expression stiffly frozen; Herdin, clenching his fists in anger.

Laria blinked slowly towards them.

At her gesture indicating she was alright, her family collapsed in grief.

“The memories of when I went missing.”