SAFBIAN Ch 81

Chapter 81

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Me?”

Dori quickly straightened his shoulders, pretending it wasn’t so.

Then he remembered—there had been another time when Haban asked a terrifying question after he laughed at something without much thought.

‘Have you perhaps already formed a bond?’

‘……?’

‘Yes. You’d best continue to be careful from now on.’

‘……!’

It felt like a warning—that if he smiled, he might be kissed. Even now, days later, it still lingered in his mind.

Dori hurriedly covered his mouth as if wiping it with a cloth and pressed down tightly on his lips.

Seeing that, Haban pushed aside the empty teacup he had finished and leaned in closer.

Because they were sitting side by side to share food, there wasn’t much space to move away. His breath came out in nervous huffs, and it felt like his ears and tail might pop out at any moment.

“That’s the face you make when you’re about to lie again.”

The moment Dori heard Haban’s words, he instinctively touched his own cheek. …Could it be that obvious?

“No, really? Why would I lie to Haban?”

He denied it with feigned composure, but his golden eyes rolled anxiously. He was instinctively avoiding Haban’s gaze.

He couldn’t very well say to his face that he was a scumbag. And besides, explaining he was the third son of a conglomerate would be even harder.

“Then give me your hand. I need to confirm it.”

Without thinking, Dori extended his hand. Haban instructed him to place his fingertips on his palm and then gently enclosed Dori’s hand with his other one.

How long did they stay like that?

Dori suddenly felt strange. This… didn’t feel like he was confirming anything—it just felt like they were holding hands.

“…Um, until when?”

“It’s enough now.”

When their hands parted, there wasn’t a hint of regret. On the contrary, even the closeness between them seemed to vanish. Had Haban truly had no intentions? Was Dori the only one who had misunderstood? Hastily withdrawing his arms behind him, he hesitated and asked:

“What did you confirm?”

“I was taking your pulse. Judging by how fast it was beating, you’re definitely lying. But then, why do you look so disappointed?”

“Who—who does!”

“Your face turned red, as if you were expecting something. As if you had some indecent thoughts.”

Perhaps Haban meant it as a joke, because he ended the conversation by saying he should wash up and stood.

Just for a moment, Dori had truly thought of a kiss. Blinking in fluster, he scrambled up after Haban.

To clear the table, one had to call in the palace attendants. Each time, it was a hassle for Dori to transform into a fox and back into a human to dress again, so he would always hide on the bed.

After everyone had left, Haban drew back the curtain that had been shielding the view and opened a small door connected to the quarters. Through the slightly opened gap, Dori could see water flowing from above, filling a bath.

‘To think I didn’t even know that was a bath.’

When Haban closed the door again, Dori sat at the edge of the bed with a sour expression.

They had been so busy in the early days after moving into the new palace. He had been desperately searching for escape routes and wandering outside the quarters whenever he opened his eyes. Add to that Haewon’s distress after failing the exam—nobody had explained anything, so he hadn’t known the bath was right next door.

Why did the door have to be so elaborately embossed, anyway?

‘If I had known earlier, I could’ve bathed more comfortably in there.’

Of course, he could still bathe using the buckets the palace attendants left behind, like he did in the previous palace. But still, he would never forget the shock when Haban had opened that door.

‘But wait—can you really take a pulse with just your fingertips?’

Tilting his head, Dori subconsciously began picking at the blanket with his fingernails. The wait was tedious.

Eventually, Haban opened the door and came out.

It had taken longer than usual, and from inside came a sudden chill.

Since the water was drawn up from deep underground using the palace’s plumbing system, both hot and cold water were always available in the bath.

‘Why on earth did he use cold water like that…?’

As Dori stared with wide eyes, he suddenly realized Haban had wrapped a long cloth around his waist. He quickly turned his head. The bulge below… It seemed he now understood why Haban had taken so long.

Chuckling lowly, Haban passed by Dori and walked to the window. Where his personal chair had been removed, there was now a square platform carved with intricate camellia patterns along the railings.

Seating himself atop it, Haban gestured.

“Isn’t it time you lay down? Come here.”

Dressed in a sleeping robe, Haban sat by the window and beckoned. Dori hesitated, glancing over his attire.

As the days grew hotter, Haban’s sleepwear had also changed. He now wore inner pants and a large, loose outer robe.

The problem was, it was quite revealing. The fabric was so thin it showed his skin, and it clung tightly to his form.

On top of that, Haban hadn’t even tied the garment—he had simply draped it over himself. With his muscular chest and abdomen exposed, leaning there slightly sideways, Dori swallowed hard.

“…I’m fine here.”

Instinctively, his bottom scooted back.

“If you don’t want to, I won’t do anything. So come.”

…So if he didn’t dislike it, then he would do something?

As Haban waited patiently, Dori reluctantly climbed down from the bed, tightened his clothes even more, and crept over to the window. He deliberately sat on the cushion placed farthest away.

With a smile on his lips, Haban pulled the cushion—and Dori—closer.

“Eeek!”

Sliding across the smooth floor in an instant, Dori tumbled forward and landed on Haban’s chest before quickly pulling away.

Gripping his front lapels tightly, Dori narrowed his eyes.

“What a pity. You used to jump right into my lap.”

“That was when I was a fox.”

“And it’s no different now that it’s still you.”

“…….”

It made him feel like some shameless creature who rubbed his butt on others’ knees.

Sitting properly on the cushion, Dori chose to remain silent. At the same time, Haban draped a blanket over his shoulders and opened the window.

Ssshhhhhh.

The wind rustled the leaves as it passed through the branches. The sound of them brushing against each other was pleasant. A fragrant scent of grass wafted in through the open window.

The once sharp, piercing air had softened completely. Somewhere, the chirping of insects could be heard.

His tension gradually eased, and his upright posture relaxed. Eventually, Dori leaned an elbow on the short tea table and rested his chin on his hand.

“Hey, Haban.”

“What is it?”

“I… how long am I allowed to stay here?”

“…….”

It was something he’d been wondering about but hadn’t been able to ask. Dori lowered his gaze, unable to meet Haban’s eyes.

When he was first dragged to the imperial palace, Dori had thought that if his human form was discovered, Haban would turn on him like in the original story—at best, he’d be harshly punished, at worst, killed. Just looking at Wonwoo from the fox village, things had turned out even worse than the original.

So to Dori, Haban was naturally dangerous, and the imperial palace was somewhere to escape. No matter how fine the food or how precious the ornaments, a part of him had always been uneasy.

But once he was discovered, he hadn’t felt so at ease since possessing this body.

Far from being persecuted, he had been assigned kinder attendants, and at night, Haban even stayed in the quarters so Dori could live in his human form. Although, to Dori, Haban’s presence was the most uncomfortable part.

In any case, Dori was being cautious about what to do next. So before making any further plans, he wanted to hear Haban’s answer.

“Since I have nowhere to go, I’d like some warning before I get kicked out. It would help me prepare myself.”

“…Why would that happen. You can stay as long as you want.”

“But what if you change your mind?”

Dori glanced up. Haban met his eyes and smiled faintly.

“Is that what you were worried about? The emperor’s word is as good as gold. I will never go back on it, so don’t worry.”

“You must be cold,” Haban added as he pulled the blanket up to Dori’s neck. Watching him, Dori impulsively said,

“Can I tell Hong and Cheong, and Haewon too?”

By saying he would reveal that he was a white fox who could transform into a human, Dori was also saying he had decided to stay longer in the palace. Not that Haban would know that.

“That you’re a fox?”

“Yeah. It’s frustrating always having to wait for you. And it doesn’t feel good to keep lying…”

“You hid your identity from me for quite a while.”

Was he offended? Haban’s voice grew stiff. Even his thick, handsome eyebrows slanted slightly.

Dori fell silent and shifted his eyes guiltily.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

“…Do as you wish. Since we’re on the topic, it’d be good to let Jipyeong and Geumhu know too.”

Surprisingly, Haban gave his permission easily. Dori instantly brightened and scooted closer to him.

Then Haban asked,

“By the way, I did what you wanted. Is there nothing for me in return?”

“…Huh?”

A firm arm slipped around his waist and pulled him in. In an instant, Dori found himself sitting on Haban’s lap, face to face.

He was so stunned that his mouth opened, but no sound came out. Reflexively grabbing onto Haban’s robe, Dori just blinked furiously.

“…What should I give you?”

“Who knows. That’s for you to figure out.”

As he spoke, Haban gazed down at Dori’s lips. No matter how much gold or silver he had, nothing could compare to them.

Nervous, Dori licked his lips with his tongue. As a fox, he used to lick his nose, and perhaps because he had lived as a fox for so long, he still carried some of those habits even in human form.

“If I don’t… will you not let me?”

“You said you wanted to. I’ll allow it all. But still, I’d like to receive something in return.”

Even in his lap, he looked just like he had as a fox. Frozen stiff, glancing nervously around—it felt like his ears and tail were still there.

Just like how he used to playfully grab the fox’s snout, Haban cupped Dori’s cheek. Then he gently ran his thumb over Dori’s lower lip, now reddened and moist from where he had bitten it earlier.

That’s when it happened.

Lick.

Out of habit, Dori stuck out his tongue—and ended up licking Haban’s thumb.

“I-I didn’t mean to…!”