SAFBIAN Ch 64

Chapter 64

With a strong thrust, Jipyeong was pushed back, sliding along the ground.

Whoosh! As the sword traced another arc, the Emperor’s sharp and precise blade—unmatched within the Empire—aimed straight for Jipyeong.

He stepped back in alarm. Since this sparring match was with real swords and not wooden ones, even a moment of carelessness or hesitation could lead to serious injury.

Seeing that the right side was exposed, Haban tilted his sword diagonally and slashed to the side.

“Urk!”

“…Oh dear.”

Though they heard Jipyeong’s cry, the other guards didn’t step forward, claiming they would take his place. They simply watched their captain with sympathetic eyes.

Meanwhile, the fox hidden in the bushes was thrilled.

‘W-Wow! Amazing!’

Already a fan of historical dramas and fantasy novels, Dori’s eyes sparkled.

The sparring match unfolding before his eyes was different from the time when the assassins attacked. Of course, he had missed most of that incident, hiding inside a tent, and during the final attack, he’d been too distracted searching for infiltrators amidst the chaos. Comparing it to this kind of swordplay for training purposes was meaningless.

The large, dramatic movements were captivating.

‘…W-Whoa!’

Within a limited space, the two men seemed to nearly touch before darting away again. In brief intervals, they probed each other, then lunged to strike.

Soon, Jipyeong stepped swiftly around to Haban’s side and brought his sword down, but it was blocked and bounced off. Sighs escaped from here and there—undoubtedly from the guards rooting for Jipyeong.

Haban’s movements were concise and heavy. As he advanced, he knocked aside the opponent’s blade and thrust quickly. Jipyeong struggled desperately to dodge.

‘I wonder if I could learn that too?’

A glimmer passed through Dori’s eyes.

Who knows what hardships lie ahead now that he’s fled the imperial palace? It wouldn’t hurt to know how to defend himself. So, even if only by watching, he should try to learn something.

Of course, there was no way he could master swordsmanship just by watching it once. Still, his gleaming golden eyes darted busily as they followed the quick motions.

After a long bout of sparring, Jipyeong collapsed onto the ground, arms flung wide as he gasped for breath.

Haban clicked his tongue lightly.

“And that’s our captain of the guards?”

“Huff, precisely because—huff—I am the captain, I can last this long.”

Gifted with innate talent and the memories of his previous life, Haban absorbed every lesson in swordsmanship like a sponge. Having once lost what was ‘his’ in a moment, he had trained all the more fiercely.

Still, ever since earlier, that fox hadn’t hidden his whole body or his tail, but had hidden only his torso while leaving his head exposed—what a ridiculous sight.

After taking a few breaths, Haban sheathed his sword. The sight of the fox’s face peeking out from the bushes annoyed him.

He had let it go, assuming it was just watching, but since it had been observing for quite some time now, perhaps he should bring out a cushion for it.

“Come out.”

Dori had been hiding where only Haban’s back was visible. So, he didn’t think those words were directed at him. He assumed it was a summons for the next sparring partner…

“…!”

But Haban, now turned around, was looking directly at him. As their eyes met, Dori jumped up in surprise.

Just as the little fox tried to bolt away—scrambling and panicked—Haban’s cold voice called out.

“Stop.”

…Freeze.

With his excellent hearing, the fox froze in place, burying his head and front paws into the bushes.

As he cautiously lifted one hind leg, Haban strode over and grabbed him by the scruff. The white fox’s fur was dotted with tiny green leaves.

“Nnngh…”

Though Haban hadn’t even said anything yet, the fox already shrank as if caught on a hook, letting out small whimpers.

“How did you manage to get this filthy in just one day?”

Haban’s eyes curved gently. It was a soft expression he didn’t even realize he was wearing.

As Haban suddenly moved, the guards who had turned their heads with him murmured in surprise when they saw the mystical white fox—and Haban’s equally unexpected smile.

However, a single sharp glare from him instantly silenced everyone. The guards tactfully turned away from Haban and the fox, secretly hoping this would help improve their master’s mood.

“Enjoyed the show, did you? So, did you come to see me?”

At Haban’s question, Dori grew sheepish. Haban had been so focused on sparring—how could he have known Dori was watching?

‘I mean, I wasn’t just watching Haban. I was kinda… looking that way…’

The little white paw, flailing awkwardly in the air, accidentally pointed somewhere.

Haban looked in the direction the long, pale leg was stretching toward. There, Jipyeong, who had been lying on the ground, sat up. Unable to rise right away, he rotated his sore arms.

Haban’s expression turned frigid.

‘Uh-oh… Did I do something wrong? Was there some rule against getting up like that?’

Dori shifted his paw slightly to move out of Haban’s line of sight. The tip of his round forepaw now pointed toward the back of some random burly guard.

“…Form ranks.”

Haban murmured softly.

Yet even at that low volume, the guards sprang to their feet like lightning and lined up. Jipyeong stood at the far left end of the row.

“…One.”

The guards, handpicked and trained by Haban since his days as crown prince, began sprinting around the training ground as if being chased by something.

That “one” meant all but one person were to run—only one could be exempt. At the moment, Jipyeong was in the lead.

Unaware of this, Dori instinctively put his paws together politely. Something felt off. A chill crept into his knees… His fur bristled and his tail curled instinctively between his legs.

“Why are you still wandering around? If you’ve played enough, you should’ve gone back inside right away.”

As expected, Haban’s inexplicable scolding came pouring out. Just a moment ago, he hadn’t seemed to be in a bad mood, so where did things take a turn?

At this rate, the little fox’s heart wouldn’t survive.

‘…Just wait and see.’

Vowing again to find that escape hole as soon as possible, Dori flattened his ears and lowered his gaze.

The first thing he saw was the ground, and then his paws floating in midair. Judging by the now-blackened fur and the dirt between his claws, it was inevitable that Haewon would scold him.

“Kyaang.”

With his tail drooping and his eyes shifting nervously, the fox twisted his body hard.

Afraid the fox might get hurt if he dropped him, Haban carefully set him down. As soon as his paws touched the ground—whoosh!—the fox scratched his ears with a hind leg and darted back into the bushes.

Haban let out a slow breath to cool his rising temper. When it came to the fox, even the smallest things triggered his anger. Perhaps it was because his unease and anxiety were all tangled together.

He tightened his grip on the sword.

But unexpectedly, the fox hadn’t gone far. He had simply hidden again in the bushes. Seeing the tip of an ear and a bit of tail sticking out gave Haban a sense of relief.

He stared silently at the place where the fox was hiding, then slowly turned away.

It had been days of checking every corner of the inner palace.

Dori trudged along, exhausted.

‘Maybe I should’ve waited and eaten something before heading out…’

He had wandered around since early morning, and upon returning to his quarters for lunch, he had dozed off deeply on a cushion, missing the meal entirely.

Even after waking up, he didn’t feel particularly hungry and didn’t want to bother Haewon, who was engrossed in her studies. So he’d left again, but now—long after—hunger had finally caught up with him.

Perhaps that’s why his instincts led him toward a building where dinner was being prepared.

Slap. Sticking to the wall of the building, Dori craned his neck.

“Cheonga, are you done yet?”

“Almost. Just finishing up this last batch.”

“Then hurry and come over here. I’ll wash the jar in the meantime.”

“Okay.”

Cheong glanced at Hong, who was busy scrubbing the bottom of a jar taller than her waist, then waved to the white fox who had been watching from a distance.

Snap.

Startled, the fox hid behind the wall, but then peeked out again. He clearly looked hungry—they said the lunch tray had been untouched.

Should I give this?

Cheong hesitated for a moment, then checked the meat pancakes cooling in the basket.

The Emperor’s precious white fox loved these, so they were always served warm at each meal, with extras prepared just in case he showed up unexpectedly.

Glancing around, she saw that everyone was busy and not paying attention to her.

Cheong waved again.

The fox, still unsure, took cautious steps toward her—one at a time—but didn’t come all the way, sniffing the air with twitching nostrils.

Cheong picked up a meat pancake. As the fox’s nose twitched even faster, she quickly tossed it to him before a court lady could notice.

The fox leapt up and caught it mid-air. Even the graceful landing was perfect.

As expected!

Cheong barely managed to stop herself from cheering. The fox, meat pancake in mouth, tilted his head at her curiously.

Go on and eat.

Cheong whispered as softly as she could.

The food was meant for the fox anyway, so giving it to him wasn’t a problem—but tossing it instead of serving it properly on a plate would definitely get her scolded.

Still, as the fluffy white tail disappeared into the distance, she felt oddly satisfied. Then, deciding she couldn’t just leave it at that, she quietly got up.

“Ah, why does my stomach hurt so much? I’ll be right back…”

Using an upset stomach as an excuse, Cheong stepped outside to find the fox. But seeing how wary he looked, she just placed the small plate she’d hidden under her apron in front of him.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared. I just came to give you this.”

As Cheong backed away slowly, the fox stared intently at her.

There was no way he knew how to use a plate. She wanted to take the meat pancake from his mouth and put it on the plate, but the way he crouched low made it seem like he might run, so she gave up and returned to her duties before Hong could scold her.

Meanwhile, Dori waited a bit longer after the servant left. When no one returned, he gently pushed the plate with his paw.

‘This looks like a good spot.’

Finally finding a place where no one passed by, Dori spat the meat pancake onto the plate. If he gobbled it down all at once, he’d end up with an upset stomach and bitter medicine again, just like last time.

Rubbing his paws clean on his fur, the savory scent of the oil made his stomach growl.

‘Whoever it was, they’re really kind.’

So, there were kind people among the palace staff too.

He didn’t know their name, so he couldn’t tell what role they played in the original novel. Most of the court servants weren’t named anyway.

In any case, as he held the pancake down with a paw and tore off small bites, he found it was very mild and tender.

‘Should’ve asked for another one.’

Dori licked the grease from his lips regretfully.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“…Ka-Kyaaa!”

Startled by the gentle voice nearby, Dori nearly spat the meat pancake back out.

At some point, Yungak had crouched down next to him, smiling radiantly.