SAFBIAN Ch 92

Chapter 92

Unconsciously taking in a breath, Dori instantly felt the fur on his tail stand on end. A wave of nausea surged up from his gut.

This feels… so… off…

As his senses sharpened, the air around him felt different. A prickly aura, sharp like needles, was immensely unpleasant, making his entire body sting.

Suppressing the churning in his stomach, Dori hesitated, stepping backward.

Why was he feeling this way?

It was just like that time—when Wonwoo had tried to forcibly imprint on him.

But no matter how keen a fox’s sense of smell was, it shouldn’t be possible to detect Wonwoo’s scent all the way from the Red Fox village. Not this clearly.

Am I imagining things?

Dori paused, then twitched his nose again.

But the scent that had overwhelmed him like a sudden wave vanished without a trace, leaving him confused. He thought it couldn’t be, yet the unease kept him rooted to the spot.

Then he began sticking his head into the bushes here and there, wondering if perhaps Wonwoo had transformed into a fox and was hiding nearby.

Of course, he found nothing. Not even a single red fox hair like the ones he had seen in the imperial palace—let alone Wonwoo himself.

Right, he married Hori and took her as his mate. He’s probably busy now trying to inherit the elder’s seat.

That’s why, in the original story, he had so coldly abandoned “Dori.” Above all, once imprinting was complete, mates focused solely on each other. By now, Wonwoo had surely erased him from his mind.

…Looks like I was worrying over nothing.

Only then did Dori finally feel at ease.

But he had been out for too long. He had planned to return before anyone noticed, and now he was in a hurry.

Better get moving.

Clang!

Ack!

Too late. Across from him, Haewon had spotted him—his expression terrifying.

…Of all people!

Anyone would’ve been better than him—Hong or Cheong, at least. If he got caught by Haewon, he’d be scolded so harshly it might make his ears bleed. Ever since Haewon found out he was human, his nagging had only intensified.

Dori lowered his body and darted off in another direction.

“Hey, Fox-nim! Just a moment! Stop right there! I said stop! …Hey! Stop, will you! That’s the wrong way!”

Tap tap—the sound of claws scraping the dirt was quickly picked up by Haewon, who began chasing after him, shouting at the top of his lungs.

But it didn’t take long before Haewon began panting heavily. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Dori came to a stop first. Soon, his ears and tail drooped as he trudged behind Haewon with a sullen look.

A short while later—

A shadow stirred at a distance not too close but not too far from where the white fox had stood.

Two figures had been watching everything from the start, hiding behind a building wall as the white fox sniffed at the ground. His sleek fur shimmered brilliantly in the light, making him easy to follow.

Then, suddenly, the tense-looking fox darted away at lightning speed.

Yungak waved his fan as he watched Wonwoo, then let out a soft laugh.

How amusing.

Who would believe that man was simply overjoyed to find a lost pet? That gaze was more like a man burning with longing after finding the lover who had abandoned him and fled.

Before anyone noticed, the fox had disappeared. The court physician chasing after him had vanished as well. Yet Wonwoo stood motionless, eyes fixed on the direction the fox had gone.

It really is strange.

Yungak narrowed his eyes.

No matter how rare a white beast might be, and even if it was a fox never before seen in history, once it became known that the Emperor claimed it as his, anyone would normally be too intimidated to pursue it. In the Empire, even a single blade of grass or drop of water belonged to the Emperor. That was a given.

All the more so for someone like Wonwoo, heir to the Fox Trade Guild. That meant he was more calculating and pragmatic than anyone. Even if the beast had once been his, he should’ve been thinking about offering it to the Emperor and gaining favor—not risking the guild’s future to steal it away.

Yungak, having thought this far, finally turned away. Even though the desire to reclaim the fox blazed in his eyes, Wonwoo wasn’t completely foolish—he was still hesitating.

Afterward, Yungak returned to the palace. As he sat down to drink tea, Wonwoo stood stiffly, his gaze fixed on the floor, his entire body taut with tension.

The Emperor, rather than surrounding himself with desirable women or handsome men, kept a mere beast at his side. And now, there was Wonwoo—claiming to be the fox’s original owner, daring to trespass into the imperial palace and steal what belonged to the Emperor, even risking his life. And then there was himself, intrigued by that white fox despite knowing everything.

He couldn’t understand why everyone was so obsessed over a single fox. Rising from his seat, Yungak came to a halt behind Wonwoo.

“I had heard that there are people with peculiar tastes—those who harbor impure affections toward mere beasts. But I always thought those tales were exaggerated.”

He snapped his fan shut and tilted his head, pressing the folded fan beneath his chin.

At that, bloodshot eyes turned toward him, reacting to the provocation. The whites were laced with red veins.

“…That’s going too far.”

His voice was calm and low, but contrary to his denial, every part of Wonwoo’s body radiated intense emotion toward that fox.

“Too far, huh.”

Yungak, as if to say don’t play dumb, pressed his fan firmly against Wonwoo’s chest. He applied considerable force, but Wonwoo, seemingly unfazed by the pain, only moved his lips.

“I’m simply glad to have found something I thought I had lost.”

“We’re among ourselves here. How about being a little more honest?”

“You promised to return it to me.”

“I still intend to. But seeing the look in your eyes, I can’t help but be curious about your reasons.”

Yungak had rolled in the sheets with people of all ranks and genders more times than he could count. He could tell the emotions hidden beneath a glance or a subtle movement.

“This is the imperial palace. The fox you’re after belongs to the Emperor. If you keep reacting like that every time you see it, it won’t just end in a bit of pain—it’ll cost you your life. I suggest you learn to hide it.”

With that, Yungak glanced at the front of Wonwoo’s now-tight trousers, then pressed his chest again with a firm warning.

“There’ll be a banquet at the palace soon. Lie low until then.”

Wonwoo’s eyes lit up briefly. Whatever he was expecting, it showed plainly on his face.

With a flick of his hand signaling Wonwoo to leave, Yungak returned to his seat. After the door closed behind the departing man, Yungak pulled out a container of Go stones.

Yes, during the commotion of the banquet, they would help the fox and Wonwoo escape from the palace. Of course, midway through, Moran—already lying in wait—would intercept and seize the fox.

Should I let him live, or not.

Even if he did let Wonwoo live, there was still the matter of covering up the crime of stealing the Emperor’s fox. Perhaps he could hand someone else over as a scapegoat and subject Wonwoo to proper “training” under his control.

A shame, really. With that solid build and well-toned muscles, he seemed sturdy enough to handle all sorts of trials without breaking.

Guess I’ll think on it a bit more.

After all, to Yungak, the fox was merely a means to shake the Emperor temporarily—not his ultimate goal.

Click. Click.

As he placed the Go stones one by one, Yungak’s expression turned cold in thought.

There was no one in the Fox Palace who didn’t know that the white fox was its true master.

The weather had grown hot, and Dori lay on the bare floor in his fox form, panting heavily with his tongue hanging out.

Seeing this, Haban reluctantly allowed the window in the sleeping chamber to be left open. His expression made it clear he wasn’t pleased.

Thanks to that, Dori lay sprawled out on the floor, fully enjoying the breeze drifting in—until his eyes snapped open in surprise.

…What’s that? I didn’t see that before.

His golden eyes filled with curiosity as he stared toward the window. It was wide open, and on the ledge lay a strange piece of cloth—something Hong would never have left there.

Hmm.

Dori rolled over and sat up. The room was empty.

It had taken him a few days to get used to the idea that the fox was actually a person. During that time, Haewon, Hong, and Cheong refused to leave his side even for a second.

Unlike before, when they would vanish the moment Emperor Haban showed up, now they lingered until the very end, constantly asking if he needed anything.

Eventually, the mountain of overdue work came crashing down on them. Hong and Cheong were scolded by the head court lady, and Haewon had to face his teacher’s wrath.

It was just when the three of them were finally busy catching up on their neglected duties.

Haewon had gone to fetch medicinal herbs, Hong had left to procure supplies, and Cheong, who had just been changing the flowers in a vase, was nowhere to be seen.

After checking his surroundings, Dori sprang onto the window ledge with a tap.

…Looks like clothing?

Why would clothes be here?

Stretching his neck, Dori peeked outside. The palace guards were naturally stationed beyond the walls, so it made sense they weren’t visible. Even after checking again, there wasn’t a single court attendant passing by today.

Grabbing the cloth in his mouth, Dori leapt back into the room. After laying it on the floor and unfolding it with his front paws, he was shocked—it was an attendant’s uniform.

Why…?

A thought flashed across his mind.

…The original story!

The sequence had changed, but this uniform was what “Dori” had used in his second escape attempt in the original plot.

I told you, I have no intention of leaving!

Why was the story moving on its own?

More importantly—who had brought this outfit here? It might have been the same clothing, but the situation was entirely different from the original story.

A chill ran down his spine.