Episode 7
Laria suddenly felt her fur bristle — even though she was in human form.
“He said he caught the tail… Don’t tell me… Did he find out?”
She tried her best to stay calm and asked,
“…Did you find some kind of clue?”
“I’m going to check now,” Zenox replied.
He didn’t seem to want to explain further and went quiet.
Laria was dying of curiosity, but asking too much would definitely make him suspicious.
“But I didn’t leave any clues…”
Since turning back into a human, she had only met Zenox three times — including today.
She went over everything carefully in her mind, but nothing seemed suspicious.
Just because she was part of the white fox tribe didn’t mean she could be “Hayangi.”
Even though her tribe was rare, there were still hundreds of them.
And no beast-man in this era could fully transform into an animal — that was supposed to be impossible.
Not even her family knew she had that ability.
“Maybe I can dig a little?”
She was still deciding how to ask when Zenox suddenly changed the topic.
“Is the carriage uncomfortable?”
“No, not at all. It’s actually the best one I’ve ever ridden.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Zenox gave a faint smile and told her to let him know if she needed anything.
Laria stared at him quietly.
He was very different from how he acted during their awkward blind date.
“He must have been in a bad mood that day…”
But to her, this gentle side of Zenox was more familiar.
Back when she was living with him as a fox, he had always been kind and caring — just like now.
“Honestly… he was kind of a pushover.”
He was the kind of guy who got anxious if he couldn’t give everything he had.
If he had more friends, he probably would’ve gone broke trying to help them all.
Luckily, Zenox almost never left his house.
All he did was read books, garden, and play with Laria.
“If people saw him heating up milk in the middle of the night, they’d faint.”
That milk had tasted so good back then.
It didn’t taste the same now.
Laria suddenly smiled, remembering how she used to sneak into the kitchen with him when the servants weren’t watching.
She felt a sharp stare brush her cheek.
Turning her head, she saw Zenox staring straight at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just… I think this is the first time I’ve seen you smile.”
Really?
Now that she thought about it, every time they met, it had been so sudden that she hadn’t managed her expressions well.
She probably just looked startled and confused every time.
Outside the carriage, the golden royal capital was getting closer.
Under the sunlight, the grand palace sparkled.
Laria stared at it, mesmerized, and whispered without realizing,
“I hope nothing weird happens today.”
Zenox paused, then answered calmly,
“Nothing will happen. I’ll explain everything to His Highness first.”
That was a relief.
As she let out a silent sigh, Zenox looked down slightly.
“I must be keeping you from your busy schedule. I’m sorry.”
“Busy?” Laria thought. “Not really…”
But Zenox added,
“You said you were too busy with wedding plans to help me before.”
Oh, right.
She had used that excuse when he first asked for help finding Hayangi.
“Yes. If I wasn’t preparing for the wedding, I definitely would’ve helped.”
She spoke with fake regret, pretending to feel bad.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it on my own,” Zenox replied with a strange smile.
Laria had a weird feeling in her gut, but just nodded.
The palace that once seemed far away was now right in front of them.
Its grand, mountain-like presence glowed gold under the afternoon sun.
The outside was beautiful — but what really caught Laria’s attention was the magical barrier surrounding the entire palace.
Only people with magical sight could barely see it — but to Laria, it was crystal clear.
Like any curious fox, she stared at the barrier as if she wanted to rip it apart and study it.
“How many gems would it take to keep a barrier this big running?”
It would require a powerful mage to set up a barrier that covered the entire palace.
Because of it, no magic could be used inside the royal grounds.
A bit inconvenient — but better than risking an assassination.
The carriage stopped just outside the palace gates.
The inspection didn’t take long.
Once the guards saw Zenox’s face, they turned pale and opened the gates immediately.
And as soon as the carriage entered the palace…
Boom — Laria felt a strange thump inside her chest, like a drum echoing through her body.
“What was that?”
She had visited the palace a few times before, but she had never felt anything like this.
It was as if her body was resonating with the palace.
“…”
At that exact moment, Zenox narrowed his eyes and stared at her.
Their eyes met, and he quickly softened his expression, acting like nothing had happened.
The carriage stopped again, and Zenox hopped out.
He helped Laria down as well.
A man who looked like a royal attendant came over.
“I’ll guide you. Please follow me.”
Laria and Zenox walked down the hallway behind him.
Portraits of past emperors and royal family members lined the walls.
“The royal family… weren’t they from the Golden Elk tribe?”
They all had big antlers rising from their heads — very impressive.
Eventually, the attendant stopped and opened a door.
Inside was a handsome man with shining blond hair.
This was Ishuel Frandel, Crown Prince of the Frandel Empire.
“Welcome,” he said with a warm smile.
“May the supreme light shine upon Frandel. I, Laria Rohan, greet the Crown Prince.”
She bowed respectfully.
Ishuel looked curious — like he’d been dying to meet her.
“So you’re Laria Rohan.”
He murmured softly to himself,
“You don’t look like Herdin…”
That was strange.
Laria thought they did look alike — she always got told that when she went out with her sister Herdin.
“Shall we sit down and talk?”
Just as Ishuel was about to call for tea, a servant rushed in and whispered something in his ear.
Ishuel frowned slightly, then turned to Zenox.
“Zenox, His Majesty is asking for you.”
“…Right now?”
“He says to come immediately…”
Ishuel glanced at Laria.
“Zenox is leaving?!”
Laria almost wanted to shout, “No!”
She had come all this way depending on him — and now she’d have to face the Crown Prince alone.
“I’ll be back soon,” Zenox said awkwardly, standing up.
Laria forced a tight smile and nodded.
“Okay… see you soon.”
Once Zenox left, Laria secretly pinched her palm.
Even in a tiger’s den, if you kept your wits, you could survive.
Now alone, Ishuel spoke first.
“Sorry for calling you so suddenly. I was in a rush and forgot to be polite.”
“Not at all, Your Highness. I’m honored that you called me.”
She replied with perfect manners.
Ishuel smiled warmly — the way a parent might smile at a respectful daughter-in-law.
That gave Laria a bad feeling.
“The reason I called you both here is because I thought it was time to set the date.”
“…Date for what?”
She asked with worry in her voice.
Ishuel looked at her as if it was obvious.
“The wedding date, of course.”
Laria’s mouth dropped open.
Wedding?!
“And what kind of wedding gift would you like?”
Before she could even process what he said, Ishuel kept talking excitedly.
“Should we hold the ceremony at the Crassium estate? Or maybe the royal palace would be better.”
He looked more excited than the bride or groom — as if it was his wedding.
“Weddings take a long time to prepare, so we should get started right away.”
Laria finally snapped out of her daze when he started talking about what flowers to use in the bouquet.
She didn’t know how this had happened, but she needed to tell him the truth.
That she and Zenox weren’t in a relationship — and never would be.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry but—”
“Oh! His Majesty already knows. He was so happy when I told him.”
Laria’s mind went completely blank.
Ishuel didn’t seem to notice her pale face and tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“He said he’s writing personal letters to every noble family — they should be arriving soon.”
“Letters? No way… Don’t tell me they’re about the wedding!”
She still had a tiny bit of hope.
But Ishuel crushed it with a cheerful smile.
“His Majesty is so happy about your wedding that he’s writing the letters himself!”
