SAFBIAN Ch 39

Chapter 39

 

A curved lid with a peony drawn on it.

The box, made of oak like Haban’s desk, had been lacquered multiple times to a glossy reddish-black. It was truly beautiful. However, it was made to only open with a key, so its contents couldn’t be seen.

‘How did His Majesty know?’

To have ordered this exact item to be brought.

Whatever the case, Kim Naegwan, who had secured the sought-after object, hastened his steps. He passed through several gates leading to the Emperor’s palace and only paused to catch his breath when he reached Haban’s office.

After receiving permission to enter, he stepped inside and saw Haban rolling up a scroll he had been looking at.

‘What was that? Could it be… a fox?’

Just before it was tied with a string, he thought he glimpsed a curled tail in the drawing. But it was so quick, he wasn’t sure.

‘I’ve been thinking about it too much. I must be seeing things.’

Foxes weren’t the only creatures with tails. Kim Naegwan placed the box and the key on the desk and quietly withdrew from the office.

Haban, who had been silently looking down without a word, opened the box.

“……”

Inside, on a thick layer of cotton and soft fabric, lay a pair of earrings. The large black pearls shone with a subtle luster.

Tap, tap.

Lost in thought, Haban slowly tapped the desk with his fingers. After a long contemplation, his gaze shifted to his wrist.

A bracelet meant to be worn as a pair—one on each wrist—sat alone on one of his arms. The other was no doubt being greedily held by the fox.

Wearing the bracelet today had been a coincidence, but the memory of that day surfaced in Haban’s mind.

The audacious fox who coveted the bracelet even in a dangerous moment.

Haban stood up. He walked slowly to the display cabinets aligned against one wall. One held Dori’s paintings, and another was filled with accessories that reminded him of “what belonged to him.”

The last one…

He opened the second cabinet and pulled out items at random.

Hairpins once stuck into that snowy white hair, rings forcibly slipped onto those long and slender fingers… All were gathered here, things he had collected one by one, clinging to memory the moment he ascended the throne.

Haban’s eyes faintly furrowed.

Back then, he had used the round head of that hairpin to prod the rear hole, and its slender part to block the narrow front. The ring engraved with the royal emblem was heated red and used to leave a mark on the inner thigh.

In truth, he had wanted to gently brush that beautiful hair and place the hairpin himself. He had wanted to slide the ring onto those lovely fingers. But he had realized it all too late.

‘In the end, you’ll never return to your rightful owner.’

A bitter smile played on Haban’s lips.

“Is anyone there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kim Naegwan’s voice replied as though waiting. Haban selected the trinkets he would send to the fox and laid them out on his desk.

‘…Huh?’

Unfamiliar footsteps echoed.

They weren’t Haban’s heavy steps, nor could they belong to Haewon, who was inside the room. Dori abruptly stood up, leaving behind the honey snack he had been licking.

“What is it?”

Haewon turned to look. He was fanning hot potato slices freshly grilled on a wire rack.

“Fox?”

“Kyahng!”

‘Someone’s coming!’

Giving only a short reply to Haewon’s repeated question, Dori quickly jumped onto the bed.

He frantically pawed under the piled pillows and cushions. With practiced movements, the bracelet he had hidden deep inside rolled out.

Meanwhile, the footsteps drew very near.

Knock knock.

“Fox-nim.”

The call was cautious.

The voice was gentle and kind, but Dori immediately grabbed the bracelet with his mouth. Then he dove under the covers and curled up. Ever since Wonu had stolen his bundle, he felt uneasy unless the bracelet was on his person.

Knock knock knock.

“Fox-nim?”

With the bracelet in his mouth, he couldn’t answer.

Hufffff…

‘What’s going on?’

Dori squirmed under the covers, and Haewon sighed and raised his voice on the fox’s behalf.

“Who is it?”

“We are here by His Majesty’s order. May we come in for a moment?”

Haban?

Dori had no choice but to spit out the bracelet and tuck it into his bosom. Then he answered with a sharp “Kyahng!”

Understanding the cue, Haewon lowered all the curtains around the bed. Ever since he received the bracelet, the white fox had grown especially wary of unfamiliar palace attendants.

As the door opened, soft fabrics brushed in with a gentle rustle.

‘What’s this about?’

Dori poked his head out from under the covers.

Judging by the shadows, there were four palace attendants, all holding broad trays. With their long hair let down, they appeared to be court ladies.

“You must be Physician Haewon?”

“…Yes? Yes.”

“These are gifts His Majesty has bestowed upon Fox-nim.”

“Uh, um… What is all this…?”

Flustered, Haewon stammered.

‘Huh? What is it? What’s going on?’

The atmosphere felt odd. The fox’s curiosity stirred rapidly. Dori shoved the bracelet under the bottommost cushion and moved toward the edge of the bed.

The three court ladies placed their trays on the table one by one and left. The last remained to explain in a soft tone. From what Dori caught, it was something about jadeite, quartz, and so on.

As soon as the last court lady left, Dori quickly leapt off the bed and jumped onto the table.

‘He sent this? To me?’

Dori tilted his head.

A necklace made of high-purity purple quartz, black pearl earrings, a large jadeite ring bigger than a thumbnail, and intricately crafted bracelets. There was also a hairpin and a norigae (traditional accessory).

All laid out neatly on a glossy red silk. Even at a glance, they were obviously valuable. However, they didn’t seem appropriate as gifts for a fox.

‘What does this mean?’

Lost in thought, Dori absentmindedly scratched the edge of the tray with a claw.

“Nooo! I told you not to break anything!”

Haewon, who had been cleaning up the fox’s snack, rushed over at the sound. As he tried to remove the tray, Dori pressed down firmly with his paw.

“Kyahng!”

‘I don’t want to!’

The firm refusal made Haewon scratch his head in resignation. The way the fox had jumped to guard the bracelet had already made things clear.

“Fox, do you even know how valuable these are? If you bite or scratch them, they’ll be ruined.”

“Kaang! Kyang! Kyang.”

‘It’s fine! You said they’re mine anyway!’

Dori plopped down on the tray and curled up. His fluffy fur spread out, covering the accessories.

“Sigh. I give up.”

In the end, Haewon raised his hands in surrender.

Even as he moved away to finish cleaning, Dori didn’t budge. Only his golden eyes rolled, tracking Haewon’s movements.

“I’ll be back. Don’t climb onto the window ledge, you’ll get hurt. Especially stay away from the inkstone. Got it?”

After Haewon left with a basket of empty dishes, Dori finally uncurled himself. His clear eyes looked down at the ornaments beneath him.

‘…Mine.’

Dori’s eyes turned faintly red with emotion, more from resignation than greed.

When he had lived in the orphanage, it was normal to share donated items with many others. Even after leaving the orphanage, his poor financial situation hadn’t improved.

He always hesitated before buying food, and even purchasing a single pair of necessary underwear was a cautious decision.

So he never allowed himself to desire things. He especially never expected anyone to give him anything as a gift.

‘It’s the first time. Receiving something like this from someone…’

It felt strange. A warm feeling kept swelling in his chest.

Dori stuck out his tongue and licked the largest jadeite.

It was clearly cold, with the characteristic chill of minerals, and yet it somehow felt warm. A silly smile threatened to break out, and he quickly stood up.

‘Better hide them fast.’

Pop!

Dori leapt off the table and changed form.

He was worried that he might scratch the ornaments while moving them in his fox form. Haewon had gone to brew medicine, so he wouldn’t be back for a while.

‘Ah, again!’

As he gathered the accessories and folded the four corners of the silk, his ears and tail popped out. Partial transformation, due to his still-unskilled shape-shifting. In a panic, Dori hugged the bundle without even tying it and rushed to the bed.

‘For now, there’s no other way.’

What had seemed like a towering pile of cushions when he was a fox looked pitifully small in human form. Dori sighed and stuffed the bundle deep inside along with the bracelet.

‘Done!’

Starting today, he wasn’t going to step off the bed even once.

Pop!

Back in his fox form, Dori rolled happily on top of the covers.

“Alright now. Fox, you know, right? Not a single drop left, okay?”

Haewon gently placed a bowl down. Despite his kind tone, his demand was merciless.

A white medicine bowl filled with a pitch-black liquid that sloshed ominously.

‘This again.’

Dori drooped his tail in dismay. His ears flattened as well.

He had already recovered and felt great—why did he still have to take this? Though the medicine would’ve been unaffordable in the real world, in this moment, he felt like flipping the whole thing over.

‘Should I really just pretend it was an accident?’

Dori stared intently at the medicine bowl.

A white, smooth porcelain surface, reflecting the golden eyes of a fox. It looked like a child about to cause mischief, gleefully excited.

“No.”

Suddenly, a firm voice broke the moment.

“Kyaang?”

Dori froze, one paw slightly raised.