SAFBIAN Ch 65

Chapter 65

 

“Whii— Whii—.”

 

The merchants hurriedly drove the oxen forward. Only after the carts, fully loaded with goods, had completely entered the imperial palace did the soldiers begin to push the massive iron gates shut.

 

Then, thud! The door closed with a heavy sound, and only after that did the inspection of the cargo commence.

 

The cloth coverings were lifted, and the lids of the boxes were all opened. The soldiers, more tense than usual, thoroughly checked every crevice of the carts and boxes.

 

Standing behind them, observing the situation, were Court Lady Jang and Chamberlain Kim.

 

“There’s nothing unusual, Your Ladyship.”

 

A palace maid who had been monitoring the inspection ran over quickly.

 

At those words, the merchants who had been waiting on one side let out a sigh of relief. Had anything suspicious been found among the goods brought into the palace, none of them would have left this place alive.

 

These merchants were from the Ho  Trading Company, known for dealing in especially lavish and beautiful items.

 

“By the way, has your younger sibling who ran away not returned yet?”

 

Now that the tension had eased, one of the merchants nudged the other and asked. His hair was strikingly red.

 

“My mother has been very worried. I feel quite heavy-hearted.”

 

“Oh dear… Still, it’s been quite some time since he became a seongho, so he should have no trouble with shapeshifting. I bet he’s just out having fun somewhere before he returns.”

 

Among the red foxes living in the village, some of the younger ones, overcome with youthful restlessness, would occasionally sneak down to human settlements.

 

However, unlike those foxes who had lived among humans and adapted, the ones fresh from the wild retained their instincts, making it risky—they could easily expose their true identities.

 

The red fox sighed deeply, worried for his younger sibling who hadn’t made a peep.

 

The Ho  Trading Company was composed of disguised red foxes and a few humans, but for important deliveries to the imperial palace, only red foxes were allowed to participate.

 

And the leader, the red fox who had entered the imperial palace representing the Ho Trading Company, was none other than Wonwoo.

 

Hoo…

 

Ever since entering the imperial palace, his heart had felt at ease. His heart no longer pounded with inexplicable anxiety, and the veins that had threatened to burst from his skin had calmed.

 

His partner—Dori—was somewhere nearby.

 

With a shadowed gaze, Wonwoo stared not at the iron gate through which they had entered, but at the thick wooden gate on the opposite side.

 

Soldiers stood firmly guarding both sides.

 

‘They weren’t there before, were they?’

 

Wonwoo had recently begun formally learning the business of the trading company.

 

The other foxes of the company had assumed that, as the heir, he would eventually return to the village and become an elder, and thus were surprised.

 

Moreover, for him to live so long separated from his partner—

 

Seeing Hori, who never left the village, and Wonwoo, who never left the trading company, rumors began to circulate that the two had not formed a bond after all.

 

But Wonwoo paid no attention to any of it, entirely focused on rescuing Dori, who had been captured and brought to the imperial palace.

 

At that moment, Court Lady Jang and Chamberlain Kim passed right by him.

 

“Make sure you choose carefully among the fine goods.”

 

“Do you think I’m you?”

 

“My, can’t you just listen and let it go!”

 

As Chamberlain Kim strode ahead, Court Lady Jang clicked her tongue. Still, her pace quickened, as this was an important task.

 

Silks and leathers.

 

Hairpins and norigae.

 

Necklaces and rings, and so on.

 

Their eyes scanned each luxurious item meticulously.

 

“How about this one?”

 

Chamberlain Kim took the half-moon comb that Court Lady Jang had picked up and examined it again.

 

The closely set teeth were firm, and the rounded back was finished neatly, making it fit perfectly in the hand. Moreover, the yellow amber embedded in the center—

 

‘Its color is just like a fox’s eye.’

 

He called over a palace maid holding a wide tray. Immediately, the half-moon comb—perfect for grooming a fox’s fur—was placed atop the thick red cloth.

 

After selecting a few more items with care, Chamberlain Kim turned to the layered fabrics.

 

‘Still, why did His Majesty order garments in a size that wouldn’t even fit his own body?’

 

Not long ago, the Emperor had commanded that garments be made to fit the body of a certain palace attendant. A few were hastily made, but Haban still seemed unsatisfied.

 

Thus, Chamberlain Kim summoned the trading company to the palace. He had specifically chosen the Ho Trading Company because they dealt in unique fabrics imported from foreign lands.

 

Chamberlain Kim expertly picked out even those made by removing certain fiber components to create patterns, as well as sheer fabrics that shimmered with transparency.

 

And then finally—

 

“Isn’t that fabric too flashy?”

 

Court Lady Jang tried to stop him as he selected material to make a new blanket for the fox.

 

“Even so, such vibrant silk suits white fur, don’t you think?”

 

“Hm… That’s true, but His Majesty usually prefers this kind of fabric…”

 

Servants could’ve simply confirmed the goods pre-checked by others, yet the two had come out personally to choose. The other palace maids peeked over with curious eyes.

 

“I told you—you can trust my judgment.”

 

Confidently, Chamberlain Kim hugged a bolt of silk to his chest. It was a beautiful fabric with a red base and golden powder scattered faintly across its surface.

 

Court Lady Jang, however, touched the white silk interwoven with silver threads with some regret. It so closely resembled fox fur, she couldn’t quite let it go.

 

“Come to think of it, why not just make both?”

 

“Well… you’re right, aren’t you?”

 

“Goodness, we wasted all that time for nothing. Let’s finish checking the rest.”

 

This conversation drifted into the ears of Wonwoo, who was leaning crookedly nearby. Unaware that the listener was a beastman, the two continued picking out ribbons to tie to the white fox’s tail.

 

‘…White fur?’

 

Snap.

 

Wonwoo’s long, slanted brown eyes narrowed sharply at the pair. His canines protruded, digging into his tightly clenched lips.

 

As the metallic taste of blood spread in his mouth, he barely suppressed the long ears and tail threatening to burst forth and calmed his rising fury.

 

—

 

“Aren’t foxes supposed to be sensitive creatures? You didn’t even notice me come close.”

 

Dori recoiled in surprise.

 

‘…How did he show up without making a sound?’

 

Convinced it wasn’t just because he’d been too focused on eating, Dori looked around in bewilderment.

 

Belatedly perking his ears, he sensed one more person moving in the distance. Meanwhile, Yungak took a step closer.

 

His pink hair tilted diagonally into view.

 

“You must’ve been really hungry. You were so focused on eating, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

 

‘Then just walk away! Why do you always show up like this!?’

 

Dori’s heart was still pounding from the fright. Irritated, his nose twitched in protest.

 

“Someone must’ve brought food here. At first I thought you were just picking up scraps off the ground.”

 

‘Who cares what I’m eating! Why do you have to come over and talk to me!’

 

Yungak glanced down at the plate, now nothing but oily residue, then smiled softly again.

 

“Yap!”

 

‘What the—!’

 

Dori fluffed up his fur in agitation.

 

As he shook his now-bushy tail in annoyance, Yungak propped his chin with one hand and pointed to the bottom of Dori’s muzzle with the other.

 

“You got grease on your mouth.”

 

…Tch.

 

Dori instinctively wiped his mouth. But it was no more than rubbing his paw across his muzzle like brushing through fur.

 

This only spread the grease more widely, making the area around his mouth even shinier. His front paws, already blackened and grimy from roaming the palace, now clumped with grease-soaked fur.

 

Seeing this, Yungak’s eyes first widened, then narrowed.

 

“Whoever brought it should’ve chopped it up into smaller pieces.”

 

As he reached out toward the fox, Dori flinched and turned his head away. But as if he’d expected it, Yungak managed to grab his jaw.

 

Once he pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping the glossy area around Dori’s mouth, the fox stayed still.

 

He moved on to the grease-covered front paws. As he gently cleaned them, Dori’s mouth parted slightly, and a pink tongue peeked out.

 

Seeing that the fox no longer resisted, Yungak softly patted his head.

 

“Yap.”

 

Uncomfortable with the unfamiliar touch, Dori whimpered quietly. Then, with a sinuous movement from head to tail, his snow-white body slipped free.

 

He took a step away from Yungak, yawned with his mouth stretched wide, and began walking away with unhurried steps.

 

Yungak, watching with a faint chuckle, curled his fingers into a fist. The fur that had slipped between them was incredibly white and fine.

 

So much so that he felt an overwhelming,

 

urge to possess it.

 

Afterward, Dori walked along the wall, swishing his tail as if to drive something away. Laughter sounded behind him.

 

“…Yap.”

 

“What? Do you want something?”

 

‘…Haah.’

 

Yungak was incredibly annoying. He kept talking—asking if Dori wanted to eat something tasty in his quarters, or if he wanted to play some fun game.

 

Dori tried his best to ignore him, focusing only on surveying his surroundings.

 

If there had been a hole in a busy area, it would’ve been discovered long ago. It was more likely to be in a quiet, seldom-passed location like this.

 

But then—

 

‘Why does he keep following me…….’

 

Dori swished his tail in frustration.

 

Indeed, since earlier, whenever he moved, Yungak moved. When he stopped, Yungak stopped too.

 

At this point, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

 

“…Yap.”

 

Dori turned around and barked softly, signaling him to stop following. This was a rare opportunity—if he barked too loudly and someone came running, it would all be for nothing.

 

“Oh? So you can bark? You were so quiet, I thought you couldn’t make a sound.”

 

But instead, Yungak’s eyes sparkled even more. He quickly closed the distance between them with a few strides.

 

Flinch.

 

Dori tensed his hind legs and lowered his body, ready to leap away at any moment. Yungak’s eyes narrowed as if measuring the fox, then curved into a smile.

 

‘Let’s just go back for today. That man is annoying, and if I go too far, I might forget the path.’

 

Just as Dori turned around, something suddenly caught his eye.

 

‘That, that’s—could it be……!’

 

Dori’s eyes widened in astonishment.