SAFBIAN Ch 45

Chapter 45

 

TW(Noncon)

 

In reality, even spending money on a bottle of soju felt like a waste. He would rather use that money to buy ramen and bread to fill his hungry stomach.

Sometimes, the older men he worked with would offer him drinks, but he always refused out of fear. He’d once seen a liquor bottle flying over someone’s head during a drinking session after a construction job had wrapped up.

“Just one sip.”

Dori quietly stood up. He slowly closed the distance by nudging the cushion forward with his foot, but Haban didn’t turn his gaze.

When there was only about a single step left between them, Dori tilted his head, and a firm arm wrapped tightly around his torso.

“I told you, it’s not yours.”

“…Ka-ang.”

Dori smacked his lips regretfully.

“Next time.”

Haban made the fox sit on his thigh and pressed down on the crown of his head.

The fox tried to wriggle his head free to no avail, then curled up his fluffy tail and tucked himself into a ball. Yawning with a soft “Haaam,” he buried his face and now looked as flat as a puff of cotton.

‘Right, we never even shared a drink together.’

Confirming that the fox had calmed down, Haban reached into his memories.

‘He’ liked sweet things and would light up at the mere scent of fruit wine.

‘Why is it that the more I remember, the more I think of things I never gave him?’

Haban slowly stroked the fox’s head. The snow-white fur flattened and rose again with each touch. The texture was silky soft.

As he gently brushed down the back of the fox’s head and neck, his grip slowly tightened. Haban looked down at the fox with a chilling gaze.

‘If I threaten him like this, will he finally show himself?’

The little fox’s neck was so slender that it looked like it could snap with a single twist. Pressing down a bit should be easy.

Wouldn’t it be faster to choke the answer out of him than to wait and watch like this?

A dark desire filled Haban’s eyes.

“Keeang.”

But as the fox whined uncomfortably, Haban’s grip loosened.

Clicking his tongue, Haban silently watched the fox scurry away.

His trembling tail tucked between his legs, his once-glossy golden eyes now red. Dori licked his nose anxiously, crouched low to the ground, and kept a wary posture.

Instead of coaxing him, Haban gave a quiet warning.

“Don’t be stubborn for long. My patience doesn’t last.”

Whether the fox understood or not, Haban meant it sincerely.

Shouldn’t the emperor of a nation be busy handling state affairs? Dori thought. As expected, reality was different from imagination.

‘Well, I guess I haven’t seen everything.’

When he left the orphanage, the government support money wasn’t even enough to get a place to live. So instead of renting a room, he deposited all his money in the bank except for daily expenses, and moved into a factory dormitory where room and board were provided.

He had to save every bit he could, so on his days off, he stayed in and watched television instead of going out.

What he enjoyed most weren’t variety shows, but dramas—especially historical ones, rich with extravagant costumes and intense battle scenes.

In those shows, the king always rose at dawn to receive morning greetings, held meetings with his ministers from early morning, and worked tirelessly late into the night for the sake of his people.

So, he assumed Haban would be the same.

He never imagined he’d spend the entire day simply watching over a fox. More specifically, that he’d install a cage next to his office desk and keep him confined inside.

Dori darted his eyes around before settling his rear down. It hadn’t even been that long since he’d lived comfortably, but already the cold floor felt unbearably hard.

“Kang!”

“….”

Dori voiced his displeasure, but when Haban silently looked down at him, he scooted to the edge of the cage.

Then, the contemptuous gaze that had swept over the fox disappeared.

“Hwoong, Hwoo-woong…”

‘Why are you locking me up again…?’

After all that trouble preparing a luxurious room for him. Not only did he get thrown back into the cage, but it had to be right beside Haban?

At mealtime, Haewon placed a bowl into the cage, but Dori had no appetite and didn’t touch it. At this rate, he couldn’t even breathe properly. Dori turned his head away, dejected.

At that moment, Haban kicked the cage with a thud.

“Ka-ang!”

Startled, Dori jumped inside the cage and barked. His rear lifted off the floor, and his fluffy tail stood high in the air.

Haban furrowed his brow mischievously.

Again.

He kept calling him “you,” only to glare fiercely when Dori turned around, and he’d kick the cage without warning whenever he felt like it.

It felt like he was deliberately provoking him, as if trying to get something out of him—but Dori had no idea what, and it was frustrating beyond words.

‘Say something! Just say it already!’

Dori pounded the floor with his front paw. Of course, the iron floor didn’t so much as scratch.

Haban, watching him, narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Seems you really don’t like being locked up again.”

‘You think?’

Dori was dumbfounded.

Rustle, the sound of paper flipping. Geumhu was reading a scroll next to them, unfazed by the tension.

Chamberlain Kim silently poured tea. Housekeeper Jippyeong stood behind Haban, guarding him despite technically being Dori’s bodyguard. There was no ally here.

Dori looked up at Haban again.

“Why not just be honest already?”

‘About what, exactly?!’

“No point dragging it out with silence—it won’t do you any good.”

Feeling wrongly accused, Dori pointedly snorted. He could at least say what he wanted instead of acting like he held all the answers and just drying the fox out with cryptic looks.

Dori scratched the floor with his claws—screech—and Haban’s gaze instantly turned sharp.

…Flinch.

Dori twitched.

Last time he was locked up and refused to comply, he broke a claw. Sure, claws grow back quickly, but Haban’s lethal glare had been terrifying, and Dori found himself reflexively trying to explain.

Not that it was much of an explanation—the only thing that came out of his mouth was more barking and growling. Still, Haban said something as useless as those claws wasn’t worth keeping and tried to pull them all out.

Remembering that, Dori lifted his rounded front paw and gave it a deliberate shake.

‘See? Claws are retracted!’

Haban set his brush down and rested his chin on his hand.

The fox, watching cautiously, lowered his head and lapped at the water dish. His eyes never left Haban as his bright red tongue flicked in and out, soaking the fur under his chin.

“You’re hopeless.”

“Ka-ang…?”

When Haban scolded him, the fox wiped his damp mouth with a paw and lifted his head.

“That’s enough, Your Majesty. The more Your Majesty dawdles like this, the more work I end up with.”

As expected, only Geumhu ever said what needed to be said to Haban. Dori perked up his ears.

“Prime Minister.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I, your ever-loyal minister, have been reviewing this mountain of petitions in your stead.”

“Do you ever shut that mouth of yours?”

“If I’ve ever stayed silent till now, I wonder who it was that did all the talking instead?”

The gaze that had been fixed entirely on the fox shifted.

It was cold and sharp enough to cut, but Geumhu met it with perfect composure as he pushed forward a tray piled with scrolls.

“Cut it in half.”

“That’s not possible. Your Majesty is scheduled to leave the palace soon.”

Geumhu replied firmly.

Haban glared at the impudent minister and reluctantly flicked his hand. Chamberlain Kim lifted the tray and brought it to the emperor’s desk. There had to be more than a dozen documents.

Dori pretended not to care, curling his tail under his paw while eavesdropping on the conversation. His mind was racing to recall the original story.

‘Leaving the palace? Haban?’

Was that ever in the book?

The novel mostly focused on scenes where the main character, Dori, suffered.

After a few chapters, Dori would be pinned under Haban. Then a few more, and Dori would be straddling Haban’s abdomen.

[“N-No.”

Dori shook his head furiously, his white hair scattering around him.

He clung to a tree pillar with both arms, one leg held in place, looking so vulgar that he feared someone might walk by and see.

Haban had removed only his lower garments and was now probing the opening with a finger.

“You say no, but you’re even tighter than usual. Seems like you’re enjoying it.”

“…!”

The tightly shut folds spread open instantly.

It happened so fast, Dori’s eyes widened in shock, his body stiffening. His insides trembled as they tried to push out what had just barely been forced in.

Then, the thick finger began to stir recklessly inside him.

“Uuh, huu… haak!”

His arms kept slipping off the tree as Haban’s rough movements continued. Dori rubbed his forehead against the trunk, groaning.

The finger pressed, scraped, and spread the delicate inner walls. Soon it circled the rim in a lewd spiral.

Thrust. It went so deep, it was hard to believe it was just a finger. Dori’s thighs quivered.

“You seem to understand ‘spread your legs’ easily enough. Since the path is already worn in, you might as well swallow what you’re given.”

Once the stiff area had loosened slightly, Haban rammed his finger all the way in and stirred aggressively. The entrance, by now somewhat accustomed, sucked it in with a wet slurp.

“Ahhk!”

Finally, the calloused fingertip struck that sensitive spot, rubbing and pressing it repeatedly. The rougher his motions, the more Dori’s own length stiffened in response.]