The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Upon hearing Semela’s demand for a divorce, Theodore’s face turned pale.

He looked like he might faint any second.

‘What is happening?’

It was as shocking for Laria.

Announcing her engagement only to hear about her parents’ intention to divorce!

Could this be a joke? But Semela’s face was cold.

“Ho-ho-honey… It’s me, your cute fox!”

Tears streaming down, Theodore tried to grab Semela, but she fiercely shook off his hand.

“Don’t touch me. It’s disgusting.”

The cold rejection left Theodore stunned.

He’d never seen this side of Semela.

Unable to control his emotions, fox ears popped out of Theodore’s head. Without realizing that his tail also appeared, he began to sob uncontrollably.

Herdin, who was also in shock, quickly shook Theodore.

“Where is the antidote?”

However, Theodore seemed not to hear.

“My wife… hates me…”

“Father, wake up!”

Watching the chaos, Laria asked Herdin:

“Antidote for what?”

Herdin looked defeated.

Seeing this, Laria realized there was something going on that only the three of them knew.

Poison wasn’t likely as Semela, being of snake lineage, could detoxify herself.

So…

“Did mother possibly consume some kind of enchantment potion?”

Sighing, Herdin glanced at Zenox.

“I’m sorry, but could you excuse us for a moment?”

Zenox, who had been staring intently at Herdin, stood up.

“I’ll be outside.”

Herdin instructed the butler to guide Zenox to another room.

Left in the parlor were the cold Semela, semi-conscious Theodore, and the siblings. With a visibly exhausted face, Herdin massaged his temples.

Despite Zenox’s departure, Herdin remained silent, so Laria folded her arms.

“Mother suddenly wanting a divorce from father is nonsense.”

Just yesterday, they were so affectionate with each other.

She remembered her mother playfully pinching her father’s cheeks, calling him her ‘cute fox’. Now suddenly, a divorce?

“What kind of potion is it?”

Laria’s attitude showed she knew about the potion being administered, which made Herdin swallow hard. The conclusion was that rather than taking the blame alone, it was better to push it to the parents.

“A potion that makes you dislike the one you love.”

It was so absurd that words couldn’t describe the situation.

“Why did you…”

Suddenly, she remembered her mother who acted suspicious earlier. Semela recommended a cookie to Zenox, and after he ate it, his condition seemed strange.

“Did you put the potion in the cookie?”

Herdin avoided her gaze, maybe feeling guilty.

That’s when she realized what had happened.

“Are you insane?”

“Father said it’s good for health.”

At Herdin’s attitude, implying it wasn’t poison, Laria wanted to shake him by the collar.

That’s why they never told Zenox to break up! They planned to make them separate by feeding him the potion.

She was touched because she thought they respected her opinion…

When she looked at him with eyes trembling in betrayal, Herdin hastily tried to explain.

“Mother suggested it. Father made the potion. I had no choice. What could I do?”

“We’ll discuss that later.”

Herdin closed his mouth, sensing the full brunt of Laria’s anger. She was less scary when she yelled.

“I’ll leave the mansion this evening. Just so you know.”

Semela, looking determined about the divorce, stood up.

Laria and Herdin still looked at their noisy parents. The father, who should make the antidote, was too busy consoling his wife.

If they continued this way, they might see divorce papers by tomorrow.

“We should have made an antidote.”

Herdin exclaimed, regretfully.

They hadn’t anticipated this situation and hadn’t prepared an antidote. Given the state of the father, it wasn’t the right time to make one. Plus, Herdin couldn’t make it. Although he could make a near-cure-all, he had no talent as a sorcerer to make such a potion.

That’s when Laria stood up and said,

“I know how to make the antidote.”

* * *

Laria first sought Zenox’s understanding.

“There’s an issue, it’s best if you leave for today.”

“If it won’t take long, I’ll wait. I have something to say.”

Something to say?

She was momentarily confused but soon realized.

Zenox must’ve guessed the situation as she had caused a scene in front of him.

“…I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

Laria headed to the herb garden behind the mansion. The Count who ran a herbal shop planted rare herbs here. Thanks to this, she used to come visit from time to time.

Laria came into the workshop, picking up some grass to use as an ingredient.

“Love candle, scorpion tail, rainbow seashell…”

Laria lined up the ingredients on her desk and immediately started mixing them.

Fortunately, she knew the recipe.

In fact, the family didn’t know she could make potions. After becoming a sorcerer, she lived normally at home. So, Herdin was surprised when she said she could make the antidote.

“A potion that makes you dislike the one you love.”

The family might think the potion didn’t affect Zenox, but the reality was different.

Zenox didn’t love Laria. They had pretended to be lovers for various reasons, so love was unlikely. That’s why the potion had no effect.

It was only natural… But why was she sad?

Even if Zenox loved Whitie, that affection didn’t reach Laria.

In fact, it was Laria herself who didn’t return to him after leaving the mansion, so there was absolutely no reason to feel this way.

‘I guess I liked Zenox more than I thought.’

They had been close for half a year, so it was enough time for emotions to grow. Of course, she didn’t like him rationally.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Laria chanted the spell necessary for the antidote.

The potion had to contain magic.

Potions that deal with emotions were tricky, so there was no choice but to use expensive jewels.

She used a treasured ruby as a component and divided the antidote into two bottles. The potions didn’t work on him, but she was thinking of giving Xenox an antidote just in case.

She also took a bottle of the dream potion she made for Zenox.

After leaving the workshop, Laria gave Semela the antidote. Semela, who acted as if she was leaving the house at any moment, blinked as if waking from a dream.

“Honey?”

Seeing her exhausted husband, Theodore, who seemed to have been crying, she looked startled.

“My cutie, were you surprised when I said I wanted a divorce?”

“Uuh…”

Theodore, who had been holding Semela tightly so that she couldn’t go anywhere, burst into tears again.

Laria left the room, looking at the couple who seemed like lovers reuniting after 10 years.

It was time to talk to Zenox.

‘I should apologize first.’

Even if she wasn’t directly involved, her family had done something they shouldn’t have. She also intended to formally ask her family to apologize later.

Laria hurriedly moved her steps and entered another waiting room where Zenox was expected to be waiting.

However, what greeted Laria wasn’t Zenox… it was a baby wolf with thick fur.

“It seems there’s been a slight problem.”

To top it all off, he even talked!