The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

The librarian hurriedly approached Laria.

“I can’t believe it’s still here…”

Muttering to himself, the librarian looked around nervously before reaching out to Laria.

“Give it to me.”

What’s with that reaction so suddenly?

She couldn’t understand the librarian’s attitude, as if she had touched a banned book.

When Laria didn’t hand over the book, the librarian spoke again.

“It must be disposed of immediately.”

“The book? Why?”

There was nothing special about the seemingly ordinary book, except for her father’s name in the borrower’s list.

The librarian responded with an odd expression to Laria’s reaction.

“Because that name shouldn’t be associated with the Sorcery Office.”

Could it be… Is my father’s name the problem? For a moment, Laria’s mind went blank.

Before she could react, the librarian reached out and took the book from her. Just before leaving, the librarian offered some advice.

“If you want to stay associated with the Sorcery Office, don’t mention that name.”

“…Please tell me why.”

The librarian gave her a look as if to say, ‘Don’t you know?’

“Well, it was a long time ago, so if you’re young, you might not know…”

The librarian muttered to himself.

“That person was a notorious criminal who attempted to destroy the Sorcery Office using forbidden magic.”

Laria froze in place.

The librarian who finished his work quickly turned around.

The librarian, muttering to himself, walked away quickly. In his place, Laria stood rooted to the spot, gazing at the librarian’s retreating figure.

Theodore has lived as a simple businessman running an herbal shop.

And that was even before Laria was born.

Of course, she thought he lived a life without any connection to the Sorcery Office like herself… but a notorious criminal?

‘This can’t be true.’

Theodore Rohan, her father, couldn’t possibly be involved in anything like that.

There must be some misunderstanding.

‘I should ask Father.’

She was certain that hearing the exact story from the person involved was the most reliable way.

However, it had been several days since the banquet, and Theodore hadn’t said a word.

She tried to wait for him to speak first, but…

Laria, feeling frustrated, only chewed her lips.

‘For now… let’s start by finding clues about the fox orb.’

There wasn’t much time.

Laria gathered all the books about the fox orb. However, they weren’t significantly different from the ones available outside.

‘I thought the Sorcery Office would have more accurate information.’

Laria raised her head and checked the third floor. A sign on the tightly sealed door read ‘No Entry.’

‘Rare books are probably kept separately.’

Laria looked around and then consumed a potion to conceal her appearance. Her figure vanished almost instantly.

When she arrived on the third floor and touched the door, as expected, there was a magical seal on it.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too complicated. When she activated the dispelling spell, the seal on the door disintegrated into pieces and reassembled itself.

Finally, with a soft click, the door opened. Laria quietly entered and, using magic, returned the door to its original state.

Her actions were so swift that no one would notice.

Inside, a large hall with twelve doors greeted her. Each door emitted a different magical energy, indicating that they were sealed with various spells. 

‘I don’t have time to check them one by one…’

Laria closed her eyes and recited the spells.

As she did, all twelve doors swung open simultaneously. Eleven remained dark, while one emitted light, signifying a single illuminated chamber.

Laria walked toward the only bright door. As soon as she entered, she felt layer upon layer of barriers. From defensive barriers to those preventing sound from escaping…

Why would they go to such lengths to hide something?

Laria examined the towering shelves in the pitch-black room.

As expected, it seemed to be a place for storing books prohibited from leaving the library.

Laria quickly searched through the shelves, taking out all the books related to the fox orb and reading them. The contents were much more detailed than the books available outside.

While skimming through, she came across some useful information. 

‘The fox orb was created by separating magical power, huh?’

There was once a sorcerer of the white fox clan with immense magical power. They extracted their own magical power and sealed it into the orb, giving birth to the fox orb. 

‘Then, could I do that too?’

Of course, the first challenge was to find a way to separate magical power.

Deep in thought, Laria suddenly had a question. 

‘But why did they have to make it into an orb?’

If it wasn’t meant to be given to someone else, there would have been no need for it.

While trying to find more clues in the books, she heard footsteps in the distance. Laria froze, pressing herself against the bookshelf. The sound of approaching footsteps grew nearer. 

“How prepared are you?”

An unfamiliar voice inquired.

Laria’s fingertips twitched as she heard the voice. She cautiously peeked around the corner and saw Marquis Harshir and another middle-aged man walking in her direction. 

“About half done.” 

“Only that much?” 

When the Marquis clicked his tongue in frustration, the man shrugged.

Pausing for a moment, Marquis Harshir stared at the man with a hint of annoyance in his expression. 

“Regardless, we must proceed without delay.”

“…”

“If we fail again, he won’t let it slide.”

Marquis Harshir’s voice trembled slightly. The tense atmosphere in their conversation revealed a deeper layer of fear.

Laria strained to catch every word.

“You can do it without me checking, right?”

“Yes…”

When the man with his head lowered answered softly, the Marquis twisted his lips as if he was displeased.

“I guess I have no choice, since I have to take care of the Grand Duke’s part.”

Laria reflexively covered her mouth. She almost lost her breath.

“This might be the last chance.”

As expected, the person who used the curse on Krassium Mansion was Marquis Hashir. Now her doubt turned into certainty.

“Collect as much fresh blood as possible.”

Marquis Harshir continued. Laria’s heart sank as she heard his words.

This confirmed that the Marquis was once again planning to use brainwashing magic on Zenox.

The man nodded, and a sense of dread filled Laria. 

‘I have to inform Zenox.’

It seemed like Marquis Hashir was planning to brainwash Zenox again.

The Marquis patted the shoulder of the man who was silent for a while.

“Your daughter’s name is… Did you say Luden? It seems like she and Sienna are getting along well.”

“…”

“I will do my best to receive lessons from advanced sorcerers.”

Instead of flogging, the tone was more like throwing a carrot. 

“Then I’ll trust you alone.” 

With that, the Marquis left, leaving only the man called Ort alone.

Ort, who had been standing still, kicked the bookshelf with his foot.

“Damn it! How long do I have to play this damn role?”

The anger that he hadn’t been able to express in front of the Marquis finally erupted. 

“My daughter’s name is Lunel.” 

It was a name she had heard somewhere before. Laria carefully searched her memories. 

‘Ah!’

It was the same name as the woman who had been arguing with her at the fox clan gathering, sticking close to Sienna.

Looking closely, the man’s hair color was similar to Lunel’s.

After ranting for a while, he muttered to himself:

“If only that white fox cub hadn’t swallowed the orb.”

Laria almost instinctively sat down.

No one, not even Zenox, knew that she had swallowed the fox orb. She had no choice but to swallow it to escape from the intruder. And the intruder had witnessed it all.

-Damn it! The orb…!

The intruder reached out to grab Laria.

To avoid the man’s hand, Laria threw herself out the window, and after that, her memory was hazy.

That’s why only two people knew that Whitie had swallowed the fox orb: Laria herself and the intruder who had broken into the Krassium Mansion.

So, the man was the one who had infiltrated the mansion. In other words, he was the one who had used forbidden magic to enter the mansion.