The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

The duel was hastily concluded.

Amidst the commotion, Count Rohan used teleportation magic to return them all to the estate.

Zenox laid Laria, cradled in his arms, upon the bed.

Her face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.

As Zenox gazed at her in a daze, Herdin swiftly checked her pulse. After examining her, he turned and spoke:

“There are no injuries.”

The Count and Countess exhaled sighs of relief.

Yet Zenox remained unresponsive.

Though she bore no wounds, he couldn’t find solace in those words.

The image of Laria, unable to even cry out before collapsing, haunted his mind’s eye.

Zenox continued watching over the unmoving, unconscious Laria.

She hadn’t fainted from sheer exhaustion.

It was evident she had lost consciousness due to sheer, abject terror.

Zenox recalled the time Laria had entered the study at the Grand Duchy estate.

As the scene of the fire had been left untouched, the study bore scorch marks everywhere.

The moment Laria stepped inside, she had suffered a minor seizure.

At the time, he had dismissed it as her harboring some unpleasant fire-related memory…

Now, he was certain.

‘Laria is afraid of fire.’

His turbulent golden eyes darkened somberly.

What had happened the day Laria fled the Krassium Grand Duchy?

He knew a fire had occurred, but he had believed she had escaped unharmed. There had been no trace of Whitie, after all.

Could she have been severely injured?

No visible wounds, yet…

As he studied Laria, Zenox recalled a fact he had overlooked.

-As long as I keep breathing, he’ll save me, so I can’t even kill myself!

That Herdin, whom even Ishel acknowledged as a skilled healer, was Laria’s elder brother.

While physical trauma could be treated, the mind was another matter.

If Laria had been gravely injured in that fire, leaving her terrified of flames to this day…

Zenox felt as if the ground had fallen away beneath his feet.

An indescribable desolation washed over him. He wished he could kill the foolish past self who had dismissed that day so carelessly.

He hadn’t meant to leave Whitie alone and unprotected.

Zenox’s chest rapidly rose and fell, his breaths ragged.

And yet he had felt aggrieved that Laria had withheld the truth from him…

In a slightly trembling voice, Zenox asked:

“Did Laria sustain… severe burn injuries in the past?”

Seeing Herdin’s startled expression, Zenox realized his conjecture was accurate.

A heavy silence permeated the bedchamber.

After a moment’s hesitation, Herdin slowly spoke:

“An unfortunate incident occurred in the past.”

His brow furrowed as if reluctant to broach the subject.

“As a result, she harbors a deep fear of large fires.”

When the missing Laria had finally returned to the Rohan estate, not even a candle could be lit in her presence.

The mere sight of flames would cause her to faint.

For a time, the Rohan estate had remained shrouded in darkness each night.

Gradually, Laria’s condition improved.

She could tolerate the presence of small candles or oil lamps, but larger fires still terrified her.

In winter, the servants would light the fireplaces in advance, extinguishing them just before Laria’s arrival. If that wasn’t feasible, magic would be employed instead.

After Herdin’s brief explanation, Zenox dragged his palm down his face.

It felt as if someone were slowly constricting his throat.

He couldn’t find the words to express this emotion.

The Rohan family silently observed Zenox’s anguished turmoil.

Seeing his tormented state, Semela spoke up.

“Thank you for rescuing Laria.”

Zenox slowly lifted his head.

Though Semela had always regarded him with a cool demeanor, her expression now softened with warmth.

“If not for the Duke’s assistance… we would have regretted it for a lifetime.”

Following her words, Theodore too bowed his head.

His eyes reddened, as if fighting back tears, he parted his lips before firmly sealing them shut once more.

Finally, Herdin offered his gratitude.

“Thank you.”

Though brief, his words carried profound sincerity.

Though they had previously viewed Zenox with disfavor, their gratitude now overshadowed any reservations.

“…”

Yet Zenox found himself unable to respond.

He felt unworthy of their thanks.

It was he who owed them an apology.

For he was the one who had abducted Laria, enabling the circumstances that instilled her fire phobia.

Unable to bring himself to reveal the truth, his lips moved soundlessly until, at last, Laria’s eyes fluttered open.

* * *

She had experienced a long dream.

In it, she had relived the time she spent at the Krassium Grand Duchy estate.

A peaceful, joyful period that ultimately descended into a nightmare.

Having confronted such a large fire after so long, it was no wonder she had dreamt of those days.

Upon opening her eyes, a pristine white ceiling came into view. Blinking slowly as her vision struggled to focus, multiple voices called out to her in rapid succession.

“Laria!”

“Are you alright?”

As her sight finally sharpened, she found her family gathered around her.

‘Zenox…?’

Laria’s gaze fell squarely upon Zenox.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Don’t try to get up just yet.”

Zenox’s presence in her bedchamber initially left her wondering if she had truly awoken.

Yet judging by her family’s reactions, this was indeed reality.

“I’m not in pain, I’m alright.”

Laria sat upright, leaning against the headboard.

“How did the duel conclude?”

“It ended when you collapsed.”

Originally, the judges were meant to evaluate and declare a victor, but with both participants unconscious, it seemed the duel had been abandoned unresolved.

“It was an evident victory for you.”

At Herdin’s emphatic declaration, Laria offered a faint smile.

Herdin, who had been prepared to chastise her inappropriate mirth as a patient, closed his mouth upon realizing her condition.

‘A bit anticlimactic, but it couldn’t be helped.’

Her original plan had been to achieve a flawless victory by utterly dominating the Marquis, thoroughly shattering his cherished reputation to the core.

Yet here they were, both knocked unconscious instead…

Regardless, this duel had undoubtedly cost the Marquis dearly.

For now, Laria would accept this outcome and consult with Solike regarding any further actions.

Laria stole a glance at Zenox, who remained standing wordlessly.

‘Why is he so silent?’

Was it due to her family’s presence?

Sensing Laria’s questioning gaze, Semela grasped Theodore and Herdin’s shoulders.

“Let’s give them some privacy for now.”

The moment her family exited the bedchamber, Laria unleashed the words she had been holding back.

“Did something happen in the North? I grew worried when you didn’t appear even after the duel started.”

“…Why are you worrying about me?”

Laria flinched at the grave, weighty tone of his voice.

Studying Zenox intently, she noted the dark circles under his eyes, suggesting sleepless nights, and his pallid complexion.

But more than that…

His dimmed eyes and shadowed countenance resembled his demeanor from when she had infiltrated the North, so utterly grave.

“You were the one who nearly met disaster.”

At Zenox’s murmured words, Laria recalled the final scene before losing consciousness.

‘Was it Zenox who broke the barrier?’

She vaguely remembered him rushing toward her as the barrier crumbled, just before she lost consciousness.

It seemed he had been greatly alarmed by her abrupt collapse without any explanation.

“I’m alright. There are no injuries…”

“Did you suffer greatly?”

Blinking in confusion at his cryptic question, realization then struck like a physical blow.

‘Surely he doesn’t mean…’

He was inquiring with the premise of her having sustained severe burn injuries in the past.

Yet Zenox should have little knowledge of what had transpired at the Krassium Grand Duchy estate.

Struggling to maintain her composure, Laria asked in return:

“What do you mean?”

“I heard from Lord Herdin.”

Ah, so her brother had informed him.

Her family was aware of her fire phobia.

Herdin had been the one to treat the extensive burns she had suffered.

While he likely didn’t delve into the full details of her disappearance, he must have alluded to an unpleasant fire-related incident from her past.

‘Did I suffer greatly?’

Recalling Zenox’s question, Laria averted her eyes.

She had suffered agonies she never wished to endure again.

The sensation of her flesh burning and melting was seared into her mind, resurfacing like phantom pains even now.

Yet what had tormented Laria most on that day was not the physical pain, but rather…

The fear of never seeing her family again, and the image of Zenox’s devastation upon her death.

The thought of him blaming himself had pained her far more.

Initially intending to reflexively reassure him as she always did, Laria’s lips parted before the words could emerge.

After a long pause, she finally voiced the candor she had never revealed, even to her own family.

“It was agonizing.”

The softly added, ‘Very,’ prompted Zenox to pull Laria into a gentle embrace.

Cautious of aggravating any potential injuries, he cradled her loosely within his arms.

The hands encircling her back trembled slightly.

Burying his face into her shoulder, Zenox exhaled a long, shuddering breath.

Though no sounds of weeping reached her ears, she couldn’t shake the sense that he was crying.

After a momentary stillness, Laria slowly lowered her arms, silently returning his embrace.