SAFBIAN Ch 79

Chapter 79

 

Hoyeon instinctively realized that the other was also a red fox. Even so, she brusquely slapped away the hand that had grabbed hers, as if telling them to let go. Ever since her tongue had been cut out by Yungak, she felt a severe aversion to being touched by anyone.

At that moment, her eyes met Wonwoo’s.

‘Damn it. Don’t look at me like that, with those pitying eyes! It pisses me off!’

Hurt pride made Hoyeon’s pupils slit vertically.

At that, Wonwoo calmly raised both hands, gesturing that he meant no harm and asking her to calm down.

Despite having rejected him rather fiercely, when Wonwoo said nothing and began securing the door, Hoyeon turned her back on him and seated herself first at the round table. As if prepared in advance, she took a cooled teacup and gulped it down.

It was tea made from herbs that foxes liked — not humans — and the moment she drank it, memories of her beloved red fox village surfaced inevitably.

‘Everyone must be…’

Just how worried must they be about her?

While she was lost in thought, Wonwoo firmly locked the door, brought over writing materials, and placed them in front of her, saying,

“Your situation is truly unfortunate.”

“……”

“That’s why trusting humans is foolish.”

Hoyeon’s gaze shot up toward him, burning blue with rage. It was only natural for hatred toward humans to surge after having her perfectly fine tongue severed and being rendered mute.

Once Wonwoo sat opposite her, Hoyeon refilled her teacup and drained it again.

“It must’ve been hard for you to come. Thanks for keeping your promise.”

‘Promise, huh. You just decided on your own and left.’

Hoyeon lifted the corners of her lips in a scoffing smile.

Back when the Ho (狐) Trading Guild entered the imperial palace, she had snuck in to see someone despite being worried about angering Yungak — because she was concerned about a sibling who worked at the guild. She had wondered if that person had come too, and in her anxious curiosity, she had run there without much forethought.

How had her family been doing since she vanished? Had her mother lost sleep worrying about her?

With such a restless heart she had rushed there, but the one she met instead was Wonwoo, who was being groomed as the guild’s successor.

“…You, how are you even here?”

‘That’s my line.’

She had been the surprised one. Hadn’t he married Hori and settled in the village?

Hoyeon had dragged Wonwoo into a secluded spot. At first, he had been flustered upon realizing she couldn’t speak, but when the time came to part, he had arbitrarily set the date and begged her to come. He had even threatened to tell her family if she didn’t, so she couldn’t ignore him.

Yungak, who desired Dori, and Wonwoo, who claimed to be looking for Dori.

Hoyeon had wanted to just tell Yungak that the white fox was actually a beast-man. Given his personality — he had cut out her tongue just because he liked her — if he found out the white fox had deceived him, he might tear her to pieces. Her wrath toward humans had redirected toward Dori.

But after weighing the two options again and again, Hoyeon ultimately chose Wonwoo. As much as she wanted Dori out of her sight immediately, she was more worried about the red fox village, which had reportedly lost a sacred relic.

Hoyeon gave a small nod to indicate she would keep listening.

“Everyone in the village has been really worried about you. You’re not completely unharmed, but… I’m glad I found you.”

At those words, Hoyeon unfolded a sheet of paper, poured water into the inkstone, and ground ink. After a while, once the ink was ready, she dipped her brush and began to write.

『Don’t forget that we agreed not to tell anyone in the village you saw me.』

“Of course.”

『…So, why did you call me?』

“Like I said before, the loss of the sacred relic has everyone in the village on edge. Even the elder is in a difficult position.”

『And?』

“Could you help us?”

Hoyeon paused with the brush in her hand and quietly stared at Wonwoo. Had he ever been this involved in village matters before?

True, Wonwoo had a good reputation in the village. He had looks, a pleasant personality, and generous spending habits, thanks to having wealthy parents who ran a large trading guild.

And yet, something about him now felt off.

『What power do I have? I’m just another palace maid among countless others.』

“That’s enough. It’s not a hard task. Just help Dori get out of the palace.”

『You only say that because you don’t know anything.』

Hoyeon felt like a fool for ever thinking Wonwoo was smart.

Sure, there was a village elder who served as the head of the red foxes. But the emperor of the Empire was on an entirely different scale — the ruler of a vast land.

To compare the elder’s residence, which one could visit anytime, with the imperial palace guarded by countless soldiers? If she got caught, she’d be the only one to die. Ever since she recklessly acted smart and ended up with an irreparable wound, Hoyeon had become cautious.

“I saw the tightened security when I went to the palace last time. But up to the areas we can access, it wasn’t that bad.”

Of course. The guards were there to protect the foxes in the first place.

“Isn’t there some way?”

『First of all, just entering the palace where that girl stays is impossible.』

“…Palace?”

『Yeah. She must’ve wagged her tail real hard for the human emperor — he gave her clothes, jewels, all sorts of precious things. I hear she even moved into a new palace. Even the human servants in the imperial palace mock her, calling her a fox concubine.』

Truthfully, it was closer to envy than mockery, but Hoyeon refused to believe that was genuine.

The smile on Wonwoo’s face slowly faded.

“…What do you mean by that?”

『Just what I said. The emperor dotes on her like a concubine. They even sleep in the same bed. Doesn’t seem like she’s just living as a fox. Who knows what she turns into at night and does in that bed?』

That filthy white fox bitch. Absolutely shameless.

Breathing hard, Hoyeon scribbled furiously on the paper. In the meantime, she failed to notice Wonwoo’s momentary flash of fury, with sharp fangs and nails extending briefly.

By the time she looked up, he had returned to normal, calmly staring at the paper.

“Then what should we do? Dori is probably the only one who knows where the sacred relic is.”

『Even if we manage to smuggle her out, do you think she’ll talk? She probably stole it on purpose to harm the village.』

“We can’t just wait until something bad happens to the village. Who knows what might happen? I’m just trying to do something — anything.”

『…I’ll try to meet her if I get the chance. No promises, though.』

“You’ll do that? I’ll look for other ways too, so for now, I’m counting on you.”

After briefly asking about her family’s well-being and thinking through a few possibilities, Hoyeon left the place without much to show for it. She told Wonwoo she’d contact him and hurried back toward the palace.

“Proceed.”

When Hoyeon presented her pass, the guard examined it carefully and opened the gate. It was not the grand main gate of the imperial palace, but a small side gate used by palace workers, located on a quiet path.

…Phew.

Hoyeon sighed in relief as she stepped forward. The identity she had been given by that old man when entering the palace turned out to be incredibly useful.

She had been sent to the palace under the pretense of vying for Haban’s concubine position, but even after failing her objective, the old man allowed her to keep her identity. Since she resided in the palace of Yungak — the only imperial descendant besides the emperor — it was likely done just in case.

Thanks to that, Hoyeon, who had recently gone out of the palace claiming she was looking for jewels favored by the white fox, pressed the bundle she’d prepared tightly to her side.

‘Looks like they didn’t get suspicious. Good.’

It seemed even Yungak had bought the excuse.

Hoyeon quickened her pace.

But just as she let her guard down—

‘…!’

A hand shot out from the shadows and dragged Hoyeon away.

The delegation from the Kingdom of Jin (眞) had arrived at the imperial palace.

Haban had been receiving detailed reports of their every move ever since they crossed the border a few days earlier — where they stayed, when they departed, and now, the day they entered the imperial capital.

“You’ve come a long way. Welcome.”

As Haban received the delegation’s formal greeting, the ministers lined below the throne exchanged furtive glances. The emperor, who often delegated major state affairs to Prime Minister Geumhu, had come out personally — truly remarkable!

Once the emperor gave permission for everyone to rise, they all stood, and their eyes naturally gravitated toward the woman confidently standing at the head of the delegation.

“The will of the King of Jin has already been granted. Please stay as long as you wish.”

The woman’s brilliant blue eyes gleamed. She was Bihyeong — the living jewel beloved by the King of Jin.

After the official greeting ended, Haban was the first to rise. As the delegation walked down the corridor led by an attendant, a court eunuch discreetly approached the princess of Jin and whispered something to her.

“His Majesty awaits you.”

With a slightly worried glance toward those around her, Bihyeong gave a small nod to show she was fine and followed the eunuch.

Creak.

As the door opened, inside sat the emperor at his desk, the prime minister reviewing scrolls beside him, and a man standing guard behind the emperor’s chair.

“Apologies for the trouble of calling you separately.”

Bihyeong straightened her back, tense as the door closed behind her.

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

“I thought you might have something to say to me in private.”

He meant: Wasn’t the border dispute just a pretext for some other hidden agenda?

Bihyeong recalled the words of the king before she left for the Empire.

‘The Empire is mighty. We still don’t have the strength to oppose it. So, Bihyeong, there’s something I want you to do for the sake of Jin.’

Seduce the emperor of the Empire.

When she first heard that absurd demand, she thought the king had gone mad.