The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

The teacup was placed on the table with a clink.

Not even the sound of breathing could be heard while the butler poured the tea.

This was the first time teatime had felt so suffocating.

Laria, who had only been rolling her eyes around, alternated between looking at her mother seated next to her and Zenox across the table. At this point, she felt like she wanted to faint like her father had.

‘Is Father okay?’

Laria thought of Count Rohan, who would be lying in the bed in the next room.

When the Count heard the news of Laria’s marriage in the foyer, he fainted on the spot.

Zenox eventually got off the carriage because of the commotion…

-I apologize for my sudden visit. I’m Zenox Krassium.

Zenox’s sudden appearance caused the commotion to grow out of control. And so they ended up having a three-way confrontation under the guise of teatime.

Laria sneakily looked at the Countess.

She appeared calm to others, but Laria knew.

Her mother was extremely angry.

‘She didn’t poison the tea, did she…?’

The Countess, a snake beastman from the North Sea, was well-versed in poisons.

Laria was scared she might discreetly kill Zenox, who was susceptible to thousands of poisons she could handle.

Breaking the seemingly never-ending silence was the Countess.

“Would you care to explain what’s going on?”

Her tone was soft, but her voice was laced with ice.

It sounded like if they didn’t give her an acceptable answer right away, she would kill them.

‘I should’ve pre-discussed what to say earlier…’

Laria and Zenox locked eyes for a moment.

Their gazes briefly entangled, and Zenox gave a small smile.

Laria felt a little relieved by that reassuring smile.

“The letter from His Majesty was also unknown to us.”

“So you’re saying this is all a misunderstanding?”

“Yes, I think it’s too early to have a wedding ceremony.”

The Countess, relieved by Zenox’s denial, was frozen by what followed.

“What are you saying…?”

“I’ve been officially seeing Lady Rohan.”

Laria was so surprised that her mouth hung open.

Even she almost fell for the natural lie, wondering, ‘Did we really do that?’

Unlike Laria, who couldn’t maintain her composure, Zenox calmly continued.

“I think marriage is still premature; we’re planning on getting engaged first.”

“Laria.”

The Countess turned her head and looked straight at Laria.

“Are you being threatened by the Grand Duke?”

Even if she was actually being threatened, asking in front of him was questionable.

It was obvious that her mother was furious from head to toe.

Both their gazes were fixed on Laria.

The only way to resolve this situation without causing a rift with the imperial family was this.

Now that they had crossed the point of no return, she had no choice but to go along with Zenox.

“As His Excellency said.”

“What?”

“We… are in love with each other.”

Once she had decided to lie, the words flowed easily.

Remembering the diamond mine she would gain after divorce, she even managed a natural smile.

“You love each other?”

The Countess’s eyes narrowed as she mumbled to herself.

“You’re in love after having known each other for barely two weeks?”

In situations like these, one had to push ahead shamelessly.

“It was love at first sight.”

“What part of him made you fall in love?”

The Countess’s eyes seemed to swear at her.

Zenox, on the other hand, blinked nonchalantly as if he was used to such treatment.

‘He seems humble and decent to me.’

Laria, who had been staring at Zenox, finally averted her gaze.

Her mother still seemed skeptical.

Well, it was understandable since there were many bad rumors about him.

The first time Laria met Zenox, she thought he was crazy. It was only after living with him that she realized he wasn’t a bad person.

Now, it seemed she had to speak of his virtues.

Wealth and status obviously wouldn’t convince her mother…

Laria thought of Zenox as she had observed him while being in her fox form.

That’s when the words naturally came out.

“He’s gentle.”

She remembered the time she lived with Zenox.

He always adjusted to her level, because she was a fox.

“He’s very considerate.”

One day she went out for a walk in the garden and it suddenly rained. Zenox shielded her, getting completely wet himself, ensuring not a drop of water touched Laria’s fur.

“We communicate so well.”

When Laria spread her paws, he brought milk, and when she rolled her feet, he prepared for a walk.

The Countess’s face increasingly wrinkled, as if asking who on earth she was talking about.

Only Zenox, seated across, looked at Laria with a peculiar gaze.

However, lost in thought, Laria didn’t notice their expressions.

The more she looked back, the stranger she felt.

She had quite liked Zenox back then.

Even after returning to her human form, she had hoped they could be friends.

Laria murmured without realizing:

“That’s why I grew fond of him.”

* * *

Upon returning to her bedroom, Laria changed clothes and lay down on the bed.

Staring at the ceiling, the day’s events passed through her mind. So many things had happened, yet the day wasn’t even over; it felt like a dream.

The previous confrontation ended ambiguously.

The Countess stared at Laria for a long time and, when the Count regained his senses, suggested they resume their conversation later.

Laria wanted to talk with Zenox for a bit, but couldn’t due to the Countess sending him away immediately.

They would have to meet again to align their narratives.

They had to decide on engagement terms too.

‘I knew she would dislike it, but…’

Including Herdin, why did everyone see Zenox as such a bad guy?

‘If I hadn’t experienced it firsthand, I would have misunderstood him too.’

She probably would’ve believed all the rumors.

However, Laria knew aspects of Zenox that others didn’t.

Closing her eyes, she naturally recalled their first meeting.

* * *

The day she transformed into a fox, Laria was kidnapped by an unidentified assailant near the lakeside.

No matter how much she resisted, he wouldn’t let her go.

After several attempts, Laria gave up.

The beast transformation wouldn’t last, and she would revert in a couple of hours. Generally, even beastmen couldn’t maintain their tails or ears all day.

Laria eventually fell asleep, feeling warmth in the man’s grasp, and when she woke up, she was in a mansion.

“Master… why have you brought a fox?”

A butler-like figure looked confusedly between Laria and the man.

With a blank face, the man replied:

“I found her.”

He handed Laria, as one would an item, to the butler:

“Just put her somewhere.”

And then he disappeared.

Those left behind blinked in confusion. Laria internally shouted.

‘Madman! Why did you bring me here if this was your plan!’

It would’ve been less infuriating if he had said he found her cute.

“For the master to bring an animal home… this is a first.”

The butler murmured, holding Laria as if she might break.

He seemed unsure how to handle a baby fox.

Laria bristled her claws, wanting to escape.

“First… we should name her.”

The butler, who had been staring intently at Laria, finally spoke.

“Fluffy.”

Laria was so shocked, she relaxed her claws.

That’s a name?

“Her ears are pointed, so maybe Pointy… seems fine too.”

Is he serious?

Yet the butler seemed sincere.

Choosing between the two, he said confidently,

“Shall we go bathe, Miss Fluffy?”

Having received the terrible name ‘Fluffy’, Laria was taken straight to the bathroom.

The embarrassment of being washed from ears to tail in front of others was unbearable.

Out of embarrassment, she wished to be out of the bathroom and cried.

All she could muster was a fox’s yelp.

Laria had somewhat given up.

After all, she would soon return to her human form, so she decided to endure until then.

However, even after a day, Laria didn’t revert to her human form.