Episode 12
Laria looked up from the magic book she was reading.
Even though she was in a closed bedroom, she felt like someone was watching her.
If she opened the door, she was sure one of her family members would be standing there.
Sigh…
She gave a small sigh and put the book down.
It had already been four days since she returned from the imperial palace.
That also meant it had been four days since she told her family she was dating Zenox.
As expected, her family did not approve.
Actually, they hated it.
Just hearing the syllable “Je” was enough to make their eyes flash and shout “Zenox?!”
But strangely, no one told her to break up with him.
They obviously hated it but were holding back, which confused her.
Especially Herdin, who almost exploded when she met Zenox for the first time, even threatening to kill the crown prince.
Now, with everyone on edge, Laria hadn’t been allowed to leave the house in four days.
Every time she tried, someone would rush over and ask where she was going.
Herdin even took a long vacation just to stay home and keep an eye on her.
She thought about sneaking out using teleportation magic—but she was too scared of the consequences.
She knew better than anyone how long her family could stay mad.
“I really need to meet Zenox soon…”
They still needed to discuss things like whether he had spoken with the Emperor, when they’d get engaged, and how long it would last.
But if she said she was going to meet him, someone would definitely follow.
Maybe she could find a good excuse?
She glanced at a stack of boxes in the corner.
They were filled with letters—messages that arrived after the Emperor sent wedding announcements to the noble families.
Most letters were asking if the news was true.
Some included greetings or event invitations.
Not a single one was a pure “Congratulations!”
“Well, it is surprising…”
The famous Grand Duke of Crassium marrying a girl from the barely-known Rohan family?
It made no sense to most people.
Laria hadn’t had the courage to read the letters until now, but she began checking them—hoping to find an invitation she could use as an excuse to go out.
Her eyes paused on one letter.
“A Fox Clan Gathering?”
She looked closer. It was a gathering for young fox beastkin who had debuted into society.
The host was Sienna Hashur, the only daughter of the Marquess of Hashur.
The event was a few days away—still time to RSVP.
Laria thought for a while.
She’d never really attended any fox-related events before.
Even though she was a fox beastkin, she hadn’t been able to use magic.
Magic originally came from the fox tribe, and most foxes could use it from birth.
But once in a while, a fox child was born who couldn’t use magic at all.
Laria was one of those rare cases.
She couldn’t even partially transform, which led people to call her a “mutant.”
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t hurt by that, but thanks to her family avoiding all fox-related events, she didn’t have to deal with those people much.
But now…
“Now I can use magic.”
Thanks to the Crassium family heirloom, she had gained the ability.
And she didn’t try to hide it. The news had spread—people were starting to recognize her as a magic user.
That must’ve been why she was invited.
“If I can make some fellow magic-user friends, that’d be great.”
She made up her mind to go.
So far, she had learned everything by herself. It would be nice to meet others her age and trade information.
They could share where to buy cheap potion ingredients—or even do experiments together.
Feeling more cheerful, she opened her bedroom door.
As expected, her father and Herdin were waiting in the hallway.
Startled, both men quickly coughed and tried to act casual.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I was just walking by,” Herdin said defensively.
Laria didn’t respond right away, then said:
“I’m going to a gathering.”
“What? Where are you going?!”
Before the questions started flying, she held out the invitation.
Their eyes locked onto it.
After reading the top of the invitation, Herdin squinted suspiciously.
“You’re not using this as an excuse to meet the Grand Duke, right?”
“No.”
Laria stared right at him.
“And even if I was meeting my boyfriend, that’s not a crime.”
“…Well, no, but…”
Herdin scowled and nodded reluctantly.
Laria couldn’t help wondering—why did they hate Zenox so much but still not tell her to break up with him?
She shrugged.
“I just want to make some fox friends.”
“…Laria.”
Her father, quiet until now, stepped closer.
Like her, he was also a fox beastkin—but unusually large and fierce-looking.
People often mistook him for a bear when he went outside.
“I’m a fox too… I could be your friend…” he mumbled.
Herdin gave their father an annoyed look.
Because he had inherited more of their mother’s side, Herdin was actually a snake beastkin.
Annoyed, he muttered:
“Why bother with a fox gathering? What a waste of time.”
“Really? Then maybe I’ll just go meet the Grand Duke instead.”
In an instant, their attitudes flipped.
“No! The fox gathering! That’s a great idea!”
“Yes, you should definitely go!”
They really didn’t want her anywhere near Zenox.
As Laria turned to go back to her room and prepare, Herdin added:
“Take a guard with you.”
She didn’t want to, but she agreed.
Later, on the day of the event…
Laria finished getting ready and slowly walked down the stairs.
As she stepped outside, she saw someone running toward her.
“Miss!”
A young man rushed over, looking like a big, excited puppy.
His fluffy golden hair bounced like dandelions, and Laria smiled.
“Why are you running like that?”
“Because it’s been so long since you called for me!”
After she returned from being missing for half a year, her family had assigned her a personal guard.
It was Rodite, a hunting dog beastkin from the plains.
He was the most skilled knight in the Rohan household—even though he was a commoner and two years younger than Laria.
Laria looked up at him—he was a full head taller than her.
It was still surprising to see how much the messy little street kid had grown.
“I’ll protect you today!”
Rodite proudly hit his chest with his fist.
Instead of feeling reassuring, he looked more like a dog ready for a fun walk.
He was so excited, his dog ears popped out.
“That potion you gave me really worked! My fur got super soft—touch it!”
He lowered his head toward her, and Laria hesitantly reached out.
“Wow, it really is soft.”
“Right?!”
It was soft like silk—but also fluffy and addictive to touch.
The fur-softening potion had definitely worked.
His tail swayed happily behind him.
It caught Laria’s eye, but she held back—tails were sensitive.
Instead, she wondered if she should make a potion to double fur growth next time.
She pulled her hand back and said:
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Rodite quickly tucked his ears and tail away and led the way.
They rode a carriage toward the Hashur estate.
It was a long trip, but chatting with Rodite kept things fun.
Finally, the carriage passed through a large gate marked with a rose emblem—the symbol of House Hashur.
The entire garden was filled with roses.
The carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
A butler came out to greet them.
“Welcome. May I have your name?”
“Laria Rohan.”
The butler checked a guest list he was holding.
But after scanning it, he looked up with a confused expression.
“…I’m sorry, but…”
“Your name is not on the list.”
