The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Laria, who had been making potions in her workshop, read the letter brought by a crow.

“You couldn’t find it.”

She hadn’t really expected anything different.

Someone who openly used forbidden magic at the auction house was unlikely to be easily found. As expected, it was revealed that the person had assumed someone else’s identity.

This person was capable of brainwashing as well, so there was little hope of tracking them down.

Laria sighed in disappointment and read the letter again.

[I recently witnessed something suspicious while spying on Marquis Hashir. It seems he is receiving offerings for forbidden magic. I will investigate further.]

It seemed that Solike had sensed something.

Laria put down the letter and thought for a moment.

‘A sacrifice…’

A large amount of blood is needed when handling forbidden magic, but the caster’s fatigue has its limits.

It is said that in the past, sorcerers who were crazy because of forbidden magic would kidnap people and draw their blood.

If Marquis Hashir continued to deal with this magic, he would be receiving blood and bodies from somewhere.

Laria marked the letter with a circle to indicate her agreement.

She attached the letter to the crow’s leg again and gave it a snack. After devouring the snack in one bite, the crow quietly flew away.

As she watched the retreating bird, Laria let out a sigh. 

‘When will I be rid of this?’

Just a little bit of doubt, and Zenox had barged in again.

The image of Zenox, whom she had met during the bank robbery incident a few days ago, kept replaying in her mind. 

-The young lady is Whitie.

He must have known something to say that, right?

It was a question that would never come up in normal circumstances.

She wanted to ask why he suspected her of being Whitie, but she kept it to herself. The more she talked, the more suspicious she would become. 

“I should avoid meeting him for a while.” 

At least until she found out the reason why Zenox was suspicious.

It would be strange if she avoided him too openly… At least she could not contact him first.

Zenox hadn’t asked to meet again either. 

‘But he must have figured out who was behind the brainwashing.’

She hadn’t told him who it was, but she was relieved that he seemed to know. 

“Is it… a relief?” 

It was probably better than not knowing anything.

Muttering to herself as her thoughts flowed, Laria began to prepare the ingredients again. When she looked at the pile of love candles piled up on one side, she couldn’t help but sigh. 

“Why is there suddenly such a demand for Love Potions?” 

Recently, through Solike, she had received numerous orders for love potions. Although they were called love potions, they were actually potions that made the person taking them appear more attractive to their crush.

Was it because it was the season for romance, or were debutantes in the social scene getting ready? 

“It’s still a bit early for the social season.” 

Anyway, it was an opportunity to make some money, so she had to make them.

Laria processed the ingredients to the point where her hands were soaked in dew. Now it was time to put them in the cauldron, but her servant came looking for her.

“Miss, an invitation has arrived from the imperial palace!”

In the servant’s hand was a shiny gold envelope. 

Laria, who wiped her hands on a handkerchief, took the envelope. She tore it open carelessly and unfolded the letter, and her eyes fell on the elegant handwriting. 

“A banquet at the imperial palace?” 

“There have been rumors for a while that a banquet would be held at the palace.” 

The servant seemed to know what was going on, unlike Laria. She had been so busy lately that she hadn’t paid attention to what was happening.

A banquet… She rarely attended such events even when she received an invitation. 

“I heard that it’s one of the largest receptions in the past few years.” 

Hearing that, she felt even less inclined to go.

As a curious fox, she used to enjoy attending banquets when she was younger.

But she had become increasingly uncomfortable as she heard more and more unpleasant things.

‘Do I really have to go…?’

Although her name, ‘Laria Rohan’, was written on the invitation, did she really have to attend? While she was hesitating, the servant discreetly handed her another letter.

“Actually, a letter from His Excellency the Grand Duke also arrived…” 

Laria checked another letter handed to her by her servant.

The letter contained a message suggesting that they attend the banquet together.

Zenox must have known about the reception being held. If Zenox had received an invitation, she had no choice but to go.

Now that the news of their relationship had spread, she didn’t know what kind of rumors would circulate if he went alone.

She had just made up her mind to avoid Zenox when this happened!

In a situation that she couldn’t help but feel was either a coincidence or fate, Laria felt desperate. 

“I’ll write the reply myself…” 

“Yes, then I’ll go prepare.” 

“Prepare? Prepare for what?” 

She rarely went out, so what was she preparing for? Laria looked puzzled as she watched the servant.

“Prepare to attend the banquet.”

“…There are still ten days left, right?”

What on earth are you going to do?

Laria looked at the servant’s back, shaking with anxiety.

There, time flowed swiftly, and the day of the banquet arrived.

During this time, Laria had exchanged a few letters with Zenox.

[I will come to pick you up on the day of the banquet.]

Even family members who had no particular interest in the reception had expressed their intention to attend when they heard that Laria would be there.

It was still dark outside.

Laria woke up three hours earlier than usual and was led to a bathtub.

She dozed off, and the servants took care of her, bathing and drying her hair. By the time she finally regained her senses, her makeup was already done.

“Oh my, what am I going to do? Our young lady is the most beautiful.”

“Everyone will be staring at her.”

“Grand Duke Krassium will fall in love twice.”

“Even if it’s just a joke, don’t say such scary things.”

“I’m sorry…”

Laria blinked her eyes at the servants’ chatter.

She looked into the mirror and saw that her own reflection seemed unfamiliar. She had left her natural self untouched, but the accentuated features made her look quite different, even to herself.

“You did the makeup well.”

“You look beautiful, miss.”

“You rarely put on makeup, miss.”

Laria didn’t see the need for makeup when she was just at home.

Once her makeup and hair were done, the process of dressing her in clothes began. The wardrobe was full of dresses that Zenox had cleaned out for her last time. She even had a few custom-made dresses sent to her.

“Your skin is so flawless that it’s hard to choose.”

“I hate to admit it, but the Grand Duke has a good eye.”

In the end, the dress chosen by the servants was a light blue gown, which was brighter than her eye color but complemented her fair skin.

Finally, she wore the earrings and necklace that Zenox had gifted her.

‘By now, it feels like I don’t have any belongings.’

Laria wondered when Zenox’s gifts had taken over her dressing room. She hadn’t noticed since she rarely dressed up.

When all the preparations were complete, the family members who had prepared for the outing arrived first.

“Laria…!”

Theodore covered his mouth in astonishment, while Semela stared at Laria’s appearance with wide eyes.

In contrast, Herdin stood beside them with a grumpy expression.

“Who are you dressing up for?”

“Exactly! What are we going to do if you’re this pretty?”

Theodore, who had been restless, was in tears. Because it was something she had been hearing since dawn, Laria responded lifelessly to their comments.

“It’s my first reception with His Excellency, so I thought I’d dress up.”

The expressions of the three people changed dramatically.

They had heard about the incident where the Grand Duke rescued Laria from being taken hostage at the bank not too long ago. While this incident had somewhat improved the Grand Duke’s reputation, their faces now showed concern.

Semela, who had trembled with anxiety, looked at her husband and son.

Overthrow the Grand Duke.

They exchanged glances secretly behind Laria’s back.

“…The Grand Duke is waiting downstairs.”

Semela reluctantly shared the information.

“Thank you. I’ll go with His Excellency, so I’ll see you at the banquet hall!”

As she descended the stairs, Laria took several deep breaths.

The thought of going to the banquet with Zenox in one carriage made her feel uneasy, but she had no choice. They needed to have a conversation before entering the reception.

When she reached the front entrance, she saw a figure.

However, his appearance was still unfamiliar.

Zenox was dressed in a neat suit with a light chain, showing off his slim yet well-defined body. His dark suit and contrasting armor were particularly striking.

His usually tousled hair was combed neatly to one side, revealing a smooth forehead. His somewhat remaining boyish charm had completely disappeared, and he appeared as a grown young man.

Zenox sensed her gaze and slowly turned his head.

Laria had expected him to greet her first, but he just slightly parted his lips without saying a word.

It seemed like it had been a long time since she had seen his face so surprised.

In his place, who was surprised in silence, Laria greeted him first.

“Good afternoon? Thank you for coming to pick me up.”

“Did you dress up with what I gave you?”

Instead of a greeting, Zenox asked a different question. Unable to understand the intent of the question, Laria tilted her head.

“Is it strange?”

Zenox, who had an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, approached Laria, tidying up her disheveled hair and whispered

“…This isn’t bad either.”