The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

After that day, Zenox settled into the Rohan mansion as if he had been a member of the Rohan family all along.

With his retainers following Zenox in droves, the Rohan mansion became bustling with guests after a long time.

Laria glanced at Zenox, who was sitting next to her doing work.

Since the hunting competition, Zenox had been busier than anyone.

Still, he tried not to leave his post and stayed by Laria’s side as much as possible.

Thanks to this, Laria was spending her days comfortably.

Zenox, who had been reading documents, felt her gaze and turned his head. As their eyes met, his eyes crinkled.

“Are you bored?”

At Zenox’s question, Laria shook her head.

Just watching Zenox was entertaining enough.

It had already been a week since she became a fox. Though she had been anxious about not being able to return to her original form, now she wasn’t so worried.

She had Zenox and her family, after all.

Zenox, who had been stroking Laria’s back, glanced at the documents and said:

“Marquis Hashir’s trial has been set.”

Zenox behaved casually without formality when dealing with Whitie, but was respectful when addressing her.

Laria rested her chin on one paw and asked:

“Kyuang?”

“It’s in two weeks.”

Only two weeks left?

‘I’ll have to return before the day of the trial.’

She planned to completely bring down the Marquis at this trial while clearing Theodore’s false charges.

It would be good to have evidence, but since it was too old to find any, she would have to make the Marquis confess directly.

‘I need to meet Ort too.’

As the Marquis’s confidant, he would be suitable as a witness.

Above all, Laria had evidence that Ort had dealt with forbidden magic.

‘Once the trial is over… is our contract over too?’

Zenox’s lie had been exposed and their first contract had been voided.

Then they met again to stop the evil deeds of Marquis Hashir and Rubenta…

They had continued the contract relationship to avoid gossip from meeting constantly while supposedly separated.

Once the trial was over, there would be no need to maintain the contract by pretending to be lovers.

‘I was going to confess, but it’s ruined.’

Originally, she had planned to return the fox orb, reveal the truth, and confess.

She didn’t expect things to get so tangled.

Laria, who had been lying on the bed, sat up.

She thought about reading a book, as staying still only led to overthinking.

Zenox immediately reacted when Laria moved.

“Do you need something?”

“Kyuu.”

Laria raised her front paw and pointed to the desk. Zenox quickly picked Laria up and placed her on it.

Laria, roaming the vast desk, ran towards the book she had been reading.

In doing so, her tail hit a music box placed on the corner.

Just as the music box was about to fall off the desk, Zenox quickly caught it.

“A music box?”

Examining the music box, Zenox asked:

“May I open it?”

“Kyu.”

It won’t open anyway.

Though she had brought it from Lumena Rohan’s study, she still didn’t know how to open it.

It seemed like there was some special condition…

As Zenox pulled on the music box lid, it clicked open as if it had been waiting.

‘Huh?’

It opened?!

Bright light poured out from the music box and enveloped the two of them.

Laria and Zenox, unable to move, were greeted by someone’s memories.

-Lumena.

It was a memory from hundreds of years ago, of Lumena Rohan and her lover.

The scene unfolded as if they had merged with them.

-I love you.

The voice penetrating their ears was vivid.

Laria was startled and looked at the man.

Lumena’s lover was looking at her with an affectionate smile. He looked so happy that even Laria felt strange.

Their memories were full of joyful days.

But the happiness didn’t last long.

Because her lover’s mana overload worsened day by day.

-I might hurt you.

He bid farewell to Lumena.

-Even if I die, I want to die by your side.

Lumena didn’t accept the farewell.

A long period of conflict and persuasion continued between them.

In the end, it was the lover who gave up.

-I’ll cure you.

Lumena tried every method to treat her lover’s mana overload.

Then she discovered that mixing her magical power with her lover’s blood was effective.

Lumena was certain that the fox orb would become a cure to alleviate the mana overload.

-Only one day left.

I hope you won’t be in pain anymore.

Lumena whispered, embracing her lover.

However, on the last day before completion, Lumena was suddenly attacked.

-Why you…

The one who attacked Lumena met his death at the hands of her lover, who appeared belatedly while fleeing with the box containing the fox orb.

As her vision gradually blurred… Lumena’s memories finally cut off.

The scene that unfolded again was her lover’s devastated state.

-Aaaah…!!

Driven mad by Lumena’s death, her lover.

He cried endlessly, holding her corpse, then put Lumena down.

It was the beginning of the war.

“…”

Laria and Zenox, with blank faces, looked at each other simultaneously.

For a moment, it felt as if they had merged with them.

Perhaps because the emotions they felt were transmitted fully, their trembling wouldn’t stop.

Though his final moments weren’t shown, they could vaguely guess.

Perhaps he had followed Lumena in death.

Laria let out a long breath.

It felt like the final puzzle pieces had fallen into place.

To think the cause of the war between the Fox and Wolf clans was Lumena Rohan’s death.

The Fox clan, who had coveted the fox orb, must have found this shameful and concealed not only Lumena Rohan but the entire cause of the war.

‘Lumena Rohan really was my ancestor.’

The space where Lumena stayed was this Rohan mansion.

Though the furniture and wallpaper were different, the structure was the same.

No wonder there were many similarities; it was because they were of the same bloodline.

And as expected, Lumena’s lover was a wolf beastman of the Krassium family.

She had wondered if the fox orb being with the Krassium family meant something, and she was right.

“The fox orb…”

Zenox rarely trailed off.

Though the fox orb had been passed down through generations of the Krassium family, the story behind it hadn’t been transmitted.

He hadn’t even imagined such a hidden tale existed.

Recalling the final memory, Zenox’s fingertips tensed.

Though it was merely reading someone else’s memories, he had felt the emotions as if he had merged with them.

If he too had lost Laria, what would have become of him?

Just imagining it made him feel like the ground was falling away beneath his feet.

As the two were lost in thought for a moment, the music box lid closed on its own.

The remaining light seeped into Laria.

Startled, Zenox hurriedly embraced Laria.

“Kyaang.”

At Laria’s cry, Zenox raised his head.

He examined Laria thoroughly, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.

“…I thought my heart would stop.”

True to his words, Zenox’s heart pounding thump-thump was transmitted to Laria as well.

Laria, who had also frozen in surprise, placed her front paw on Zenox’s shoulder to indicate she was alright.

‘If only I could speak.’

Though Zenox understood her well, it wasn’t the same as speaking directly.

‘Huh?’

Cradled in Zenox’s arms, Laria suddenly felt something strange.

As she struggled in surprise, Zenox loosened his arms.

Quickly jumping down, Laria ran to the dressing room.

As soon as she entered the dressing room, the pure white baby fox disappeared and a silver-haired woman appeared.

‘That was close.’

It was fortunate she could at least feel the precursor symptoms.

‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to return for a while… was it because of the light from the music box earlier?’

Laria, continuing her speculation, took out light indoor clothes from the closet and put them on.

‘Will he be disappointed?’

Since Whitie had suddenly disappeared…

Zenox, who had been with Whitie for the past few days, had looked very happy. To the extent that his smile never faded.

Feeling gloomy, Laria sluggishly buttoned up and left the dressing room.

Then she stopped abruptly.

Zenox was looking at her.

“Laria.”

At his quiet call, her heart skipped a beat.