SAFBIAN Ch 168

Chapter 168 (Extra 2.1)

Chirp, chirp.

The loud sound of cicadas clinging to a tree trunk and singing incessantly filled the air. Having spent a lonely, long time underground, the cicada was burning its remaining life intensely.

‘Don’t they ever get tired?’

Panting, Dori lay down, tongue hanging out. Lush leaves hung long above his head, but that was all. He couldn’t even feel the coolness of the shade.

‘…It’s hot.’

It was a harsh season for the fox—summer.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“…”

Haban, busy reviewing a mountain of memorial documents piled in his office, had taken some rare time to come out with Dori. He gently patted Dori’s back and asked. Too weak to speak, Dori only twitched his nose in response.

In truth, the empire’s center where the palace stood didn’t have distinct seasons. Winters were comparatively warm, and summers lacked scorching heat—except for very brief episodes of cold or intense heat.

“…Kawung.”

Haban’s warm palm brushed through Dori’s fur as he tried to groom him. Getting no reaction, he persistently bothered him this way. Dori softly whined as if to say, stop it.

“It must be cooler as a human.”

‘Then Haban’d get all fidgety saying it’s hot!’

Better to be in fox form wearing a fur coat; if stuck close, the body heats up, and Haban rubbing below was more dangerous now.

Dori whimpered and lapped water from a bowl. A large ice cube once placed there had already melted halfway.

“If you keep seeking cold, you’ll get a stomachache.”

Unable to bear it, Haban put a small piece of ice in Dori’s mouth. Not wanting it to break from biting, Dori rolled it around his tongue. At least it helped.

Drops fell from the water’s surface. Steam condensed on the ceiling, forming droplets that fell.

“Phew.”

Haban wiped water off his face. Lying in cold water, his arousal slowly subsided and his body cooled.

However, below, his shaft remained fully erect. Unspent desire was tighter than ever.

If he could, he wanted to hold Dori immediately—to grab the soft mounds, spread them apart, dive into pink flesh, and fill the tight inside completely as his own.

Haban nervously rubbed his neck.

“Tsk.”

Although feeding Dori all kinds of healthful foods, his stamina hadn’t improved. Instead, he grew weaker. Just earlier, he had flopped sideways upon entering his quarters, panting hot breaths with his sides rising and falling rapidly.

Though pity stirred seeing his lack of energy even to sit, that sight also aroused desire. Yet when offered a bath, Dori stubbornly shook his ears and refused.

“Maybe I should just put him to sleep today.”

Haban muttered like a sigh.

Of course, he didn’t mean it. Cooling Dori’s body with ice water and coaxing him gently in a cool embrace was his intention.

Haban looked up at the ceiling.

Then,

“A screech.”

A beast’s cry came from outside the door, followed by soft, careful scratching of claws.

Haban tilted his head and glanced toward the door.

‘What could that be about?’

Through a narrow crack beneath the door, a black nose sniffed about then disappeared. Next, a clawed paw padded slowly forward.

Creak.

As the door shifted slightly, a soft, white fox pushed its head in.

It tilted its head as if confirming Haban inside, then fully entered, shaking thoroughly.

Dori’s suspicious behaviors weren’t anything new.

While Haban watched, the white fox stuck close to the wall and stealthily approached one side of the tub. Its broad tail dragged, soaking with water.

The fox, having dropped a bundle it had carried in a corner, sniffed about casually, as if on no mission. Haban’s gaze kept following Dori.

“Keng, keng!”

Finally, Dori snapped angrily, signaling “Stop looking.” Smiling easily, Haban scooped water and brushed back his hair, then leaned back comfortably.

Soon, light footsteps approached.

“Such a naughty one.”

“Can’t you pretend not to notice?” Dori muttered softly.

“Will you come in?”

“No.”

Dori flatly rejected Haban’s quiet invitation, pulling a low chair without a backrest close to sit.

Wearing a thin, slightly transparent long garment, loosely tied at the front but threaded through the arms, seemingly prepared in the bundle he carried.

‘So defenseless like this, even though I held back hard.’

The loose garment revealed pale skin beneath faintly. Flickering light cast deep shadows.

Haban’s gaze trailed diagonally downward, fixated on the white skin and pink protrusions. His eyes deepened.

Splash!

“Ah! Cold!”

Dori slid a hand into the tub to check the water temperature and was startled. His fresh hand tingled slightly.

‘This water is basically ice water.’

Transparent chunks of half-melted ice floated and sparkled on the surface.

If this much ice was left, how much had been added at first? A shiver ran through his body. No matter the summer heat, what if he caught a cold?

Dori quickly turned hot water on. Watching his unruly behavior, Haban chuckled ironically but did not stop him.

Adjusting the temperature to lukewarm, Dori brought a soft cloth prepared for washing. Wetting and rubbing it softened the fabric.

“Give me your arm.”

Dori puckered and extended one hand.

‘So that explains why he barely ate dinner.’

Bath attendant, indeed. What a plan he had concocted for aftercare.

Haban silently extended his arm, watching the small hand twitch impatiently, then took it gently. The cloth began carefully stroking the skin.

It was awkward, naturally. He couldn’t rub hard for fear of scraping the skin, so it felt ticklish. Yet the reason this trivial effort melted his heart was, of course, because it was Dori.

Dori’s lips parted slightly from concentration. Watching his face, Haban draped his other arm over the tub’s edge and slowly tapped the fingertips.

At first, modestly sitting, Dori’s rounded forehead drew attention. His flushed cheeks were lovely, and his slightly parted lips were beautiful.

Wearing thin clothing that revealed all movements, touching himself this way couldn’t help but excite.

Haban felt his stirring arousal, which he had barely suppressed, grow heavy again. Though his own body heated up simply from watching, Dori busily rubbed Haban’s skin without realizing it, which made Haban chuckle in amusement.

What to do about this?

“Dori.”

“Hmm.”

His focused eyes gleamed brightly. Haban was careful not to leave marks on the emperor’s body, thus answers were sparse.

“Look over here.”

Haban flicked the water lightly with his free hand. Startled by the splash, Dori snapped his head up, eyebrows furrowing in displeasure.

“Why?”

“Instead of that, why not help me with something else?”

“Something else? Like what?”

But Dori quickly dropped his sulky stance and looked interested. Curiosity was the nature of a fox.

Haban’s eyes softened kindly.

“Try standing up first.”

“Now?”

Dori stopped what he was doing and awkwardly stood up. The distance between them was a step.

Haban held out his hand, which Dori grabbed without hesitation. Including past lives, they had shared countless embraces, yet the pure, innocent-looking Dori remained utterly unaware of Haban’s dark intentions and complied readily.

Haban wrapped his hand completely around Dori’s, holding it gently up to the wrist. Tonight, his precious white fox would exhaust himself and fall asleep deeply again.

Suddenly, Haban pulled Dori swiftly into the water.

‘…W-what?’

He’s falling!

By the time he realized, it was too late. Dori tightly closed his eyes and held his breath with nose and mouth. Losing balance, his body plunged into the bath.

Splash!

Water spilled and overflowed noisily onto the floor.

“What, what are you doing! That was dangerous… Hup!”

Fortunately, he didn’t swallow water. But drenched, Haban’s kiss rained down on his face before he could catch his breath.

“Here, hup! …Hup, hup!”

Dori had no time to recover. He wiped running water, dodged clingy lips, then got nipped on the tip of his nose and bit on the chin.

“Don’t bite the face!”

That naughty Haban!

Although palace attendants wouldn’t speak of it, they glanced secretly at the marks. Who wouldn’t, with a pale face stamped by clear teeth marks like a seal? Bashfulness made Dori’s cheeks heat every time.

Breathlessly, between relentless biting kisses, Dori exhaled scarce breaths. A hint of reproach lit his gaze toward Haban.

Blurred by wet eyelashes, his vision wavered. Closing and opening his eyes tightly, tears streamed down his cheeks.

Oh no, ha.

Haban swallowed rough words with pressed lips.

He had no intention to continue further here. The lukewarm water had chilled, and in summer, a weakened Dori falling ill would be serious. It was time to stop.

However, his body moved contrary to reason. Instinct overcame him as he wrapped his arms around Dori’s smooth waist.

Haban sat so that Dori was trapped between his legs, his body locked by arms encircling him. Sensing the hard movement below, Dori twitched momentarily, but was already trapped in those arms as a fox.