The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Not understanding the meaning, Laria blinked and stood still as Zenox’s hand withdrew.

“You might get bored if you stay here.”

Laria turned her head to follow him and found her family standing right behind her.

Judging by the way they were avoiding eye contact, it seemed they had been giving Zenox hostile looks.

“Let’s leave quickly.”

Laria grabbed Zenox’s arm and climbed into the carriage.

Only then did the harsh gazes of her family members leave him.

Sitting across from Zenox in the carriage, Laria naturally recalled the recent events when they had also sat facing each other.

It was hard to forget that moment.

She concealed her nervousness and glanced at Zenox sneakily. However, Zenox didn’t bring up the past conversation at all. It seemed like he was letting it slide.

‘I need to be careful not to make any mistakes.’

They were going to be together all day, so she needed to stay focused.

No one spoke, and the carriage continued in silence. Maybe because the carriage was so large and luxurious, no wheel sounds could be heard.

The silence was unbearable, and Laria spoke up first.

“I’ll give you the promissory note from last time.”

“What promissory note are you talking about?”

“The money I sold you for.”

It sounded a bit strange, but it wasn’t incorrect. After all, Zenox had been sold as a wolf cub.

“Oh, I see.” Only now did Zenox understand what Laria meant, and he chuckled. “No need for that.”

“Should I keep it then? It’s the price for your body…”

“It’s too little for my body. Would you like me to add more?”

Was it enough just for that? Zenox asked. With 150 million, she could buy several good-quality gems and still have some left.

“If I charge you as much as your body is worth, the Krassium family might go bankrupt, so I’ll decline.”

Zenox chuckled briefly. Laria couldn’t understand what was so funny.

“You value my body more than I thought.”

“Well…”

Zenox was the head of the Krassium family, after all.

Not only was he the Grand Duke of the capital, but most of the northern Empire was also the Krassium family’s territory.

“For that matter, you took care of the wolf pup quite well.”

The events of giving various orders to the wolf cub quickly passed by.

Had he been thinking about it all this time?

Fortunately, Zenox didn’t seem upset. He just watched Laria quietly as she gulped down the promissory note and her cheeks turned red.

‘Should I ask or not?’

If she wanted to ask, she had to bring up the conversation they had that day.

After much consideration, Laria finally asked:

“Did you investigate the mastermind?”

Through Zenox’s guess, they might even be able to find out who was using the forbidden sorcery.

“Of course, he denied it.”

“Without evidence, that’s expected.”

If it turned out the banned magic was used, it would be a serious crime.

The moment Laria lifted the brainwashing magic from the mansion, the evidence might have been destroyed.

“Still, you know who it is, so be careful.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course. Banned magic is very dangerous.”

Zenox rubbed his chin.

“Even if I go into an enemy camp alone, no one will worry.”

But no matter how powerful he was, in the end he was just a beastman. Even though he wasn’t a god, there was no guarantee that he would never get hurt.

“Others may not be, but I’m worried.”

Zenox, who was staring at Laria, turned his head.

The imperial palace had suddenly become much closer.

Laria had been chatting with Zenox as if nothing had happened, and for a moment, she forgot where they were going.

“I should act like a lover, right?”

Up to now, the only time she had acted like a lover was in front of her family.

Could she deceive so many people? Especially the aristocrats who would watch her closely.

“Just standing next to me will make people think we’re lovers.”

“…Isn’t that an exaggeration?”

Zenox just shrugged instead of answering.

When the carriage stopped, Zenox got out first and extended his hand.

Escorted by him, Laria got out of the carriage and stared at the banquet hall building as if mesmerized.

Music and laughter spilled out from the building. Although it was evening, the inside of the building was filled with bright light, making it look like midday.

Laria felt a bit nervous and hunched her shoulders. Zenox stood close to her and suddenly bumped his arm into hers, surprising her.

The sudden closeness made her lift her head.

Zenox whispered:

“I’ll retract what I said earlier. We should at least clasp arms to look like lovers.”

Right, no one would believe they were lovers just by standing next to each other.

Laria relaxed her arm and leaned against Zenox slightly. At least they were together, which was fortunate.

With their arms clasped, Laria felt a breeze between their bodies, and she raised her head, realizing how close the palace was.

Nobles and other high-ranking aristocrats would also attend, so her attention might not fade quickly.

As they were about to enter the banquet hall, Zenox shattered Laria’s casual thoughts.

“You will be the star of today’s banquet.”

* * *

“I heard that Grand Duke Krassium is attending.”

When someone brought up the topic, people stared at him with eyes that said they were too late. It had been a long time since that conversation had taken place, but even now, the talk about the Grand Duke was still ongoing.

“Is this your first time attending a banquet?”

In the end, the young man repeated the story that he had probably told dozens of times before.

“Since the previous Grand Duke and Duchess passed away, this is the first time attending.”

“Really… that’s quite intimidating.”

The rumors surrounding the Grand Duke were famous enough for even the beggars on the street to know. The young man glanced around the banquet hall.

“Thus, the atmosphere is like this.”

The long-awaited imperial palace banquet was tinged with unease instead of excitement.

Everyone tried to hide their nervousness beneath their smiles and laughter, but it was palpable. Some kept glancing at the entrance, unsure when the Grand Duke would arrive, ready to flee as soon as he did.

“I’m a herbivorous beastman… I might faint when I see the Grand Duke.”

“Carnivores would be the same.”

The man shrugged, saying that the race didn’t really matter.

“I heard he looks very strange. Is it true?”

“I haven’t seen him, so I don’t know. There aren’t many who have seen him since he stayed in the capital for a long time.”

The Grand Duke of Krassium was famous for rarely leaving his residence.

Although there had been more witnesses recently, everyone had hoped he would stay home as usual. Meeting the Grand Duke on the street would be a disaster.

In the midst of their ongoing questions, a middle-aged man with a mustache cleared his throat.

“Why is he attending this banquet?”

“Isn’t he His Majesty’s nephew? Since this is a gathering of all the nobles in the capital, he couldn’t miss it this time.”

The man hinted that the purpose of today’s palace banquet was related to the Grand Duke of Krassium.

“Is it because of a marriage?”

“Your news is slow. The engagement announcement was made quite some time ago. Perhaps they will announce the engagement at the banquet tonight.”

The middle-aged man cleared his throat when he looked at him asking if he was from the countryside.

The aristocrats not from the capital had climbed up from the unknown regions, so they were behind on the latest news. They had dressed in their best attire to look like capital nobles, but it seemed they had given themselves away.

The man thought he should keep his mouth shut.

The others who had been eavesdropping on their conversation began to gather.

As the ladies intervened, the man’s face turned bright red.

“What’s the other party’s name?”

“It’s probably… Laria Rohan, isn’t it?”

“Rohan family? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Still, they’re a Count family with a mansion in the capital.”

“But it seems like an ordinary household. Why would they want to marry the Grand Duke?”

The assembled noblewomen sighed.

They were more curious about the Grand Duke’s prospective fiance than the Grand Duke himself.

Seeing them discussing it, the middle-aged man who had been asking questions earlier licked his lips as if he already knew.

“It’s obvious even without looking. They probably sold the daughter to fix their finances.”