SAFBIAN Ch 70

Chapter 70

‘Now I just have to pack and get ready to leave.’

Besides, just in time, Haban had even prepared new accessories and clothes for me. There were so many accessories, they filled three small trays, which made me feel strangely reassured.

Dori relaxed his body and looked up at the ceiling.

But seeing him lying down as if he had collapsed, Haewon seemed to misunderstand something, and, fuming, rolled up his sleeves and stormed out.

“I’ll go check. Just wait here for a moment.”

The room instantly became quiet.

The moment it did, Dori flipped over and got up, heading toward the largest display cabinet. He used his front paws to pull open the drawers on either side at the bottom shelf, revealing items wrapped in golden silk cloths.

One was the jewelry he had received from Haban before and had a nightmare about, and the other was the new set of accessories he had just been given. At first, he thought to keep them all in one bundle, but in case of a worst-case scenario—losing them or having them stolen—he divided them into two.

He didn’t know which set was more valuable, but the earlier one had a variety of items like hairpins and norigae, while the new one mostly consisted of round-shaped items like necklaces and bracelets, none of which had any sharp edges protruding.

‘Heh.’

Dori opened his mouth.

‘With this much, I could really buy a house and a field.’

Haewon had scolded him for storing such valuable accessories in cloth bundles, saying their quality might be compromised and insisting that Dori let him keep them, but Dori had firmly refused.

In a desperate escape, how would he manage to grab everything from each box one by one? This way was much more convenient. Once he turned into a human, he could just carry one in each hand.

‘But the problem is how to get these out of the room.’

Dori scratched his nose with his paw.

For now, the best option was to carry them out in his fox form, but he could only hold one at a time in his mouth, so it worried him. If he left even one behind, he’d surely regret it so much it would make him sick.

‘Let’s find a way. I’ll sneak out again tonight and check.’

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching. Dori quickly shut the drawers and turned around.

“There was no one outside. But anyway, come here, fox.”

Haewon was holding something bundled in his arms.

Dori, as if trying to hide what he had just done, pawed at the floor in front of the drawers and then walked over to Haewon. Midway, he realized he had unconsciously acted like a real fox and felt embarrassed.

He paced around Haewon’s feet, then hopped up onto the table via the stairs.

‘…Huh?’

Two rolls of silk in different colors were laid side by side on the table. Haewon unfolded each one and asked,

“Which one do you like better?”

What does that mean?

Dori tilted his head.

“Actually, Attendant Kim and Lady Jang got into a fight while trying to make your blanket, each insisting on using the fabric they chose. I was shocked because they’re usually so solemn, but now they’re not even talking to each other.”

Didn’t they already send a blanket yesterday?

Regardless, Dori pressed both pieces of silk with his front paws.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant. Just choose one. …Though, I suppose a fox like you wouldn’t know any better.”

“Kang.”

Truthfully, he liked the white silk more. It resembled his fur color, and the silver threads woven through it were quite lovely. But he still felt a bit attached to the red fabric.

‘Can’t I use the white one and give the red one to Haban?’

Dori brought his head close, almost burying his nose into the fabric.

“No. We have to return that one.”

As always, Haewon’s default response was “No,” and Dori, ignoring him, scratched his ear with his hind paw and carefully examined the fabric.

…Indeed, it would suit Haban very well.

With distinct features, jet-black hair and eyes, Haban looked good in any color, but Dori had never seen him in red before.

“Enough playing around, get down.”

Haewon scooped up the fox that had been stepping all over the precious fabric and set him down on the cushion.

Seated there, Dori yawned widely with his long tongue out and watched Haewon continue what he was doing.

He unrolled the ends just enough to show, then rolled them back up and instructed a court servant to take them somewhere. He now seemed more familiar with these tasks than his actual job as a royal physician.

‘Once I’m gone, Haewon will be able to focus solely on his medical studies again.’

And he won’t have to die like in the original story.

Lost in thought, Dori unconsciously extended his claws and scratched the floor. Did Haban know that the things he gave him were being used as tools to escape?

‘Anyway, even if I disappear, Haban will be fine.’

…Huh?

Suddenly, something stung inside his chest.

‘What’s this?’

Was it just in his head?

Dori tilted his head and pressed his paw against his chest.

Then, the day passed both slowly and quickly. Sitting by the window, staring outside, Dori finally jumped onto the bed as the sky turned crimson and gradually darkened.

“Going to sleep already? You haven’t even had your snack yet.”

Haewon rustled a paper bundle filled with snacks. Dori curled his body and buried his face in his tail fur.

“That’s unusual.”

Murmuring in confusion, Haewon covered him with a blanket and left the room. Dori held his breath the whole time. The lump under the blanket didn’t budge at all.

When night finally fell, Dori’s eyes snapped open. He perked his ears, listening carefully to see if anyone was nearby.

‘No one?’

Instead of footsteps, he only heard the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

Dori quietly sat up and blinked. As he moved, the blanket, like the night sky, slipped off his snow-white fur.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he immediately began the task he had planned.

Leaping off the bed, the fox moved swiftly. He opened one of the drawers in the display cabinet and pulled out a heavy bundle with his mouth.

Clatter. A small sound escaped as he dropped the bundle on the floor, making him freeze in alarm.

‘Phew.’

He picked up the bundle again and climbed onto the chair by the window, nudging the window slightly with his paw. Creeeak—an irritating creak made his heart pound with worry that someone might wake up.

Peeking through the crack, he saw no one and, reassured, squeezed his head and body out.

Swoosh.

His body cleared the window with ease.

Landing gracefully, the fox crouched low. Flattening his belly to the ground, he slinked forward just as patrolling guards passed by.

“…Huh?”

“What is it?”

“I thought I heard something just now.”

One of the guards turned around to check. Dori barely managed to duck into the building’s shadow and hid the bundle in his mouth with his front paws.

“At this hour? Who would be wandering around? Probably just your imagination.”

“…You think so?”

“Come on, let’s go.”

The other guard urged the reluctant one forward.

Dori waited until their footsteps completely faded before getting up and running again. Thanks to memorizing the route well, he quickly reached the spot he had scouted during the day.

A large tree between two big rocks.

He first circled behind the rocks. The tree had unusually low-hanging branches and thick leaves.

Peeking under, he found broken stone debris. Someone had deliberately widened a cracked section of the outer wall.

For a fox, it was easy to crawl through; as a human, it would be a tight squeeze—but it was enough.

Dori pulled his head out and looked around.

The space behind the rock was good for hiding but not for moving around. He found a better spot, gently set down the bundle he carried, and pressed it with his paw.

‘Alright, here.’

The soil felt soft—just right.

Dori dug vigorously with his front paws. The packed dirt crumbled into fine, loose soil.

Once the hole was big enough, he pushed the bundle inside and covered it back with dirt.

The shaded spot was seldom visited, according to Haewon, so there was little chance it would be discovered.

Then, Dori retraced his steps. When he returned to his room, everything was as it had been, quiet and undisturbed.

Behind the folding screen, poof! He transformed into a human and thoroughly washed himself. If Haewon noticed dirt from the night, he might grow suspicious.

Using the remaining water, he even cleaned the footprints leading from the window, then transformed back into a fox and climbed into bed.

Heh.

Everything had gone so smoothly, it made his time trapped in the palace seem laughable. Dori let out a contented chuckle—kang kang—and fell asleep, dreaming of tomorrow.

The next day.

“…Kaeng!”

The moment he opened his eyes, Dori was startled to see Haban’s handsome face right in front of him and jumped up in fright.

“Why do you react like that when you see me? As if you have something to feel guilty about.”

“Ka, kaang…”

Dori, who indeed had a lot to feel guilty about, stammered a vague excuse as if he didn’t.

“I’m just joking.”

Haban said he had only come by to see him and told him to go back to sleep, but Dori was so flustered it felt like his paws were sweating. This must be why people—no, foxes—can’t live with a guilty conscience.

And so, the next day, and the day after that too.

Every night, Dori carried the remaining bundles of accessories and clothes to bury them. And oddly, every morning, he woke up to see Haban’s face again.

Then finally, on the fourth day.

“I’ll be busy this evening and won’t be able to stop by. Since we can’t have dinner together, eat and sleep early.”

‘Huh?’

Haban said this just before leaving after lunch. Dori, lying on his stomach on the bed, suddenly jumped down.

‘So… this is the last time I’ll see Haban?’

He thought there would at least be one more chance, but the farewell came abruptly.

Dori, though he had jumped down instantly, hesitated to approach Haban.

But then, unexpectedly, Haban turned back before leaving the room and widened his eyes.

“Are you seeing me off?”

Gesturing to his attendant to wait outside, Haban came back and gently stroked the fox’s head.

His hands, likely callused from wear and tear, should have felt rough—but the touch was soft.

‘This strange feeling again…’

Today, Dori felt that Haban’s gaze, as he looked down at him, was especially heavy and deep.

At the deepest hour of the night.

The palace was silent. While everyone slept, creak—the window opened and a small shadow slipped through.

Tap tap.

It landed with small footsteps, paused to listen, then slinked away, sticking to the wall. Wherever it passed, the low trees rustled their leaves softly.

As the clouds parted from the moon, the figure was revealed—a snow-white fox, clutching a sparkling bracelet in its mouth.