The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

It felt like goosebumps were rising.

You caught the tail… I hope I wasn’t caught?

Laria pretended to be nonchalant and asked:

“…Did you find any clues?”

“I’m about to check it now.”

Zenox closed his mouth as if he didn’t intend to explain further.

She was dying of curiosity, but pressing him might make her seem suspicious.

‘I don’t remember dropping any hints.’

After returning to human form, including today, she had met Zenox three times.

Upon reflection, nothing seemed off.

It doesn’t make sense to suspect Laria as Whitie just because she’s a white fox. Even if the white foxes are a minority, there would still be at least hundreds of them.

And currently, no one can transform fully into a beast.

The fact that Laria transformed into a fox was a secret not even her family knew.

‘Should I dig a little bit?’

As she pondered how to ask, Zenox changed the topic.

“Is the carriage uncomfortable?”

“It’s fine. It’s the best carriage I’ve ever ridden.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“If there’s anything you need, please let me know immediately,” Zenox said with a faint smile.

Laria just stared at him.

He looked quite different from when he acted cold before.

‘Maybe he was in a bad mood back then.’

But Laria was more familiar with his current appearance. Zenox, when she knew him as a fox, was affectionate and kind, just like now.

‘He was probably… quite gullible back then.’

He seemed so frustrated that he couldn’t give everything he had. If Zenox had many friends, he would’ve given away everything and ended up penniless.

Fortunately, Zenox hardly went outside.

All he did was read, garden, and play with Laria.

‘I bet if others saw Zenox warming milk in the morning, they’d faint.’

The milk she drank back then was so delicious.

And drinking it now doesn’t taste like that.

Recalling the time she and Zenox sneaked into the kitchen, Laria inadvertently smiled.

She felt a piercing gaze on her cheek. Turning her head, she saw Zenox staring intently at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I felt like it’s the first time seeing you smile….”

Really?

Come to think of it, their encounters were always so abrupt that she never had a chance to control her expressions. She must’ve only shown her flustered side.

The view outside the window revealed that they were approaching the imperial palace.

As the sun sparkled over the palace, Laria staring at the shining golden castle, entranced muttered to herself:

“I hope nothing goes wrong today.”

After a brief silence, Zenox replied:

“There shouldn’t be any issues. I’ll speak to His Highness on your behalf.”

That’s a relief.

As she heaved a sigh of relief, Zenox cast his eyes downward.

“I’m sorry for taking up your valuable time.”

Am I that busy? Not really…

Seeing Laria’s confused expression, Zenox added:

“I thought you’d be busy preparing for your wedding.”

Ah, right.

When Zenox asked for her help to find Whitie, she declined because of the wedding preparations.

“Yes, if I weren’t preparing for the wedding, I would’ve helped.”

Laria spoke without real conviction, feigning regret.

“It’s alright. I’ll handle it,” Zenox said with a strange smile.

For some reason, Laria felt uneasy but just nodded.

The palace, which seemed infinitely far away, now loomed before them.

The majestic imperial castle, shining gold in the afternoon sun, was breathtaking. However, what caught Laria’s eye was the barrier surrounding the entire palace.

Only those with magical powers could barely see it, but to Laria’s eyes, it was clear.

True to her curious White Fox tribe nature, Laria keenly observed the palace’s barrier.

‘How many gems would be required to maintain a barrier of this size and power?’

A barrier covering the entire palace must’ve been cast by someone with exceptional skills.

Because of this barrier, no one could use magic inside the palace.

Despite the inconvenience, it’s preferable to the threat of assassination.

The carriage stopped briefly before entering the palace.

The security check was short.

Because the guards who saw Zenox’s face became reflective, they immediately opened the door. And the moment the carriage entered the imperial palace, there was a feeling of a drum beating inside. 

‘What’s this?’ 

She had visited the imperial city several times, but this was the first time she felt like this. It felt like her body was resonating with the imperial city. 

“…”

At that moment, Zenox looked at Laria with narrowed eyes.

When their eyes met, he relaxed his face as if nothing had happened.

The carriage stopped, and Zenox swiftly got off. Laria got off the carriage with his help. And someone who seemed to be a chamberlain approached them. 

“I will guide you. Please follow me.” 

Laria and Zenox followed him down the corridor.

The clean walls were adorned with portraits of former members of the imperial family. 

‘The royals must have been from the Golden Elk tribe?’ 

Their large horns were impressive.

The chamberlain who had stopped suddenly opened the door for them.

As they entered, a man with dazzling blonde hair greeted them. It was Prince Ishel Frandel of the Frandel Empire. 

“Welcome.” 

“May the light of God look upon Frandel. Laria Rohan greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.” 

As soon as she finished her formal greeting, Ishel, who looked curious, smiled brightly. 

“So you are Laria Rohan.” 

Ishel murmured as if speaking to himself. 

“You don’t resemble Herdin.” 

Laria tilted her head internally.

It was because she often heard that she resembled Herdin when they went out together. 

“Shall we sit down and talk?” 

Just as Ishel was about to ask for tea, a servant whispered something into the Crown Prince’s ear. Ishel, with a slightly furrowed brow, spoke to Zenox. 

“Zenox, His Majesty is looking for you.” 

“…Right now?” 

“He says you must come immediately…” 

Ishel glanced at Laria. 

‘Zenox is leaving?’ 

Laria felt like she wanted to shout ‘No’. She had come here trusting only Zenox, and now she had to face the Crown Prince alone. 

“I’ll be back soon.” 

Zenox, with a troubled expression, rose from his seat. Laria nodded with a forced smile. 

“Please return safely.” 

After Zenox left, Laria secretly pinched her palm.

Even if she was entering a tiger’s den, she had to keep her wits about her. When the two were left alone, Ishel started the conversation. 

“Were you surprised by my sudden invitation? I apologize for not being considerate.” 

“No, it’s always an honor to be called by you.” 

Laria replied politely, making Ishel smile like proud in-laws seeing a good daughter-in-law. She already had a bad feeling. 

“So I called both of you because I thought we should set a date soon.” 

“What date are you talking about…?” 

When she asked with an anxious voice, he replied as if surprised. 

“Obviously, the wedding date.” 

Laria was taken aback by the bombshell statement.

A wedding? 

“What would you like as a wedding gift?”

Before she could recover, Ishel bombarded her with questions. 

“Would it be good to have the meal at the Krassium Mansion? Hmm, the imperial palace also seems good.” 

Ishel seemed excited as if he was planning his own wedding. 

“Wedding preparations take time, so we should start right away, right?” 

After listening to various questions, Laria finally snapped out of it when he asked about the flowers for the bouquet.

She had no idea how it had come to this, but she intended to tell him the truth. That she and Zenox weren’t in any relationship and never would be. 

“Your Highness, I’m sorry but…” 

“I told His Majesty about this, and he was delighted.” 

For a moment, everything turned white. Ishel, not noticing Laria’s pale face, made a humming sound and tapped his chin with his index finger. 

“He said he would send a handwritten letter to each family, so it probably has arrived by now.” 

A handwritten letter? Surely not about the wedding news, yes…?

With her clinging to a last hope, Ishel, with an innocent face, drove the final nail into the coffin. 

“His Majesty wrote a handwritten letter himself to congratulate the two of you on your wedding.”