The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

As soon as she spoke, she regretted it.

She had been avoiding the topic, but she brought it up as if she was possessed by a ghost.

It also felt as if she’d awkwardly changed the subject.

Laria looked down at Zenox, trying to hide her anxiety.

It was hard to read his expression since he was in a beast form, but one thing was clear.

The moment she asked the question, Zenox’ mood completely sank.

After a long silence, Zenox replied slowly:

“Because I need to.”

Even though she expected this answer, hearing it directly from him made it hard for her to take lightly.

‘So he’s looking for me because of the fox orb.’

Why had she been hoping for something different?

‘Did I think he missed Whitie and wanted to see her?’

She felt so foolish.

For a brief moment, she had hoped she was special to him, which now felt embarrassingly naive.

To Zenox, Whitie was just a fox that had stolen something and run away.

They had only spent half a year together after all.

Laria pretended to understand and said:

“I see.”

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

Asking any more might just increase her guilt.

She hadn’t returned the fox orb, even though he’d been searching for it so desperately.

Laria changed the subject without hesitation.

“It’s late. Shall we sleep?”

Fortunately, Zenox seemed tired too and agreed.

As she was about to lie down, she remembered the elixir she had prepared for Zenox.

It was a potion that brought pleasant dreams.

She had made it when she heard he had trouble sleeping. But she wasn’t sure if it would work while he was in his wolf pup form.

‘I’ll give it to him next time.’

Finally, Laria placed Zenox on a soft cushion and turned off the lamp.

The light that filled the room vanished abruptly.

“Have sweet dreams.”

“…You too, young lady.”

Only after hearing his deep voice did Laria finally close her eyes.

She felt so exhausted that she thought she would sleep soundly.

Soon, regular breathing could be heard.

In the pitch darkness, golden eyes shone brightly like the moon.

“P”

Zenox listened to the quiet breathing.

His senses were sharp enough to tell if someone was really asleep just by their breathing.

Zenox jumped off the chair and headed towards the bed.

The bed was so high that he wouldn’t be able to climb it without help.

However, with a single leap, he made it.

At first, walking was awkward, but after a few tries, he got used to it.

Still, it was far less convenient than a human body. The only advantage was that he could see clearly even in the dark.

Zenox looked down at the sleeping Laria.

Moonlight illuminated her face, giving it a pale glow.

She looked so peaceful that if not for her breathing, she could be mistaken for being dead. Her soft cheeks, long eyelashes, and delicate nose – Zenox took in every detail as he bent closer, her breath brushing his fur.

He remembered what she had said earlier,

–Why are you looking for the fox?

Why was he looking for Whitie?

He examined Laria’s face to understand her intentions behind the question.

She appeared calm, but she couldn’t hide her nervousness completely.

Perhaps she suspected his motives.

-Because I need to.

He had so much to say, but he condensed it all into that one phrase.

Ever since Whitie disappeared, Zenox’s life had crumbled.

A single pillar had been removed, but the entire structure had collapsed.

At first, everyone said he would find Whitie.

But now, no one expected to.

Some say time heals, but why did it feel so suffocating to Zenox?

Time could never be a cure, but rather a slow poison.

He needed Whitie to survive.

That was why he was looking for her.

“…”

Zenox shifted his gaze to Laria’s silver hair, illuminated by the moonlight.

He wondered what thoughts were inside that head, what secrets she hid…

This might be a chance to find out.

Although turning into a wolf pup was unexpected, it was an ideal opportunity. He could now explore the Rohan mansion himself.

Zenox believed that Laria might be keeping Whitie.

Who wouldn’t want to secretly keep such a cute fox?

That’s why, when Laria had left her room earlier, he had searched it for any clues related to Whitie. He had found nothing, but he had days ahead to search.

Zenox slowly got up, intending to return before dawn.

Just as he was about to leave the bed, he heard,

“Hmm.”

A voice from beside him froze Zenox in place.

Did he wake her up?

He wanted to check, but suddenly, an outstretched arm reached out and grabbed Zenox, pulling him along.

In an instant, Zenox found himself embraced by Laria, unable to even catch his breath.

Fortunately, Laria’s breathing became stable again.

…It feels like he might wake her up if he moves.

He was wrapped quite tightly, making it difficult to break free from her embrace. Zenox had to wait for Laria to release him.

With his body relaxed, Zenox lowered his tail in annoyance. It felt like a waste of time to just let time pass like this. Unable to do anything, he naturally began to focus on other things.

Regular breathing, faintly heard heartbeat. Everything came from Laria.

As he lay in Laria’s arms, he couldn’t help but feel his body gradually growing lethargic, whether it was because of the warmth emanating from her or the sound of her breathing.

His once-alert mind had somehow become fuzzy and unfocused.

It felt like he had entered a cozy nest where no threats could reach.

A sudden drowsiness washed over him like a tidal wave.

He tried to keep his eyes open to resist sleep, but his eyelids felt heavy, as if weighted down by lead.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. That’s why he was feeling so drowsy.

-Have sweet dreams.

Laria’s greeting echoed in his mind.

In the end, Zenox couldn’t overcome the drowsiness and fell asleep in the warmth of Laria’s embrace.

* * *

Zenox began to dream. It wasn’t the usual nightmares but memories from the past.

A few years ago, Zenox had visited the capital for the first time in a long while. It was because of the Emperor’s order to show his face.

On his way back after meeting the Emperor, he had a seizure.

He was well aware of the madness that plagued him. Whenever he lost consciousness, he would always wake up to a gruesome scene.

The problem was that this place wasn’t a battlefield but the capital itself.

Before he could unleash a bloodbath, he fled like a hunted man into the forest.

As he ventured deeper into the forest, he was greeted by the filtered sunlight and the earthy scent that wafted in from all directions.

Fortunately, the seizure symptoms didn’t worsen. To be prepared for any unexpected situation, Zenox decided to stay in the forest a little longer.

He wandered around for quite some time, but he didn’t sense any animals nearby. Even the birds perched on branches had flown away, leaving only empty twigs.

His keen senses usually kept agile creatures out of Zenox’s vicinity, but he was experiencing nothing like that.

After walking for who knows how long, a lake came into view in the distance. The sunlit lake sparkled like a giant mirror.

Zenox headed towards the lakeside.

There, he saw a figure reflected on the surface of the water, a man with a blank expression.

Under his eyes were shadows, and his jawline had become sharper due to not eating properly.

Zenox examined his facial features closely and was taken aback.

There were streaks of blood on his cheeks.

Gradually, the area covered in blood expanded until his whole face was smeared with it.

Zenox closed and opened his eyes, and a pale face with a blank expression stared back at him. It seemed like he was even seeing hallucinations.

“I might have really gone mad…”

It felt like he had become one of those people who had lost their minds, as the saying goes.

With a mocking smile, Zenox slowly turned away.

But in the distance, a white figure was rushing towards him.

The dehydrated creature, running to the lake without drinking any water, was busy inspecting its reflection from all angles.

It didn’t seem to sense Zenox’s presence at all.

Curious about a creature that didn’t run away, Zenox approached.

By the time he regained his senses, he had already grabbed the creature by the scruff of its neck.

“Kyu!”

The creature made a sharp sound.

Zenox hesitated for a moment, then looked at the animal more closely.

“…A fox cub.”

It appeared to be a young fox, not very old. That explained why it hadn’t ventured into Zenox’s territory—unless it had lost its mother.

Zenox, feeling an unfamiliar sensation, placed the little fox in his arms and decided to return to the mansion.

It was his first encounter with Whitie.