SAFBIAN Ch 110

Chapter 110

The burlap sack was a mess of dirt and dust. Fortunately, there were no visible bloodstains, but Wonwoo was beginning to worry about Dori inside.

With a leap through the air, Wonwoo transformed back into his human form. In the meantime, the sack began crawling across the floor, as if trying to escape.

‘Damn it.’

Of all directions, it had to be the one toward the sharp tools he had noticed earlier when entering the cabin.

Of course, Dori couldn’t see anything, so he wasn’t scared. The sack kept crawling forward. If it crashed into the table leg where the blades were laid out, it could be dangerous.

Wonwoo blocked the path with one foot.

“Mmph! Ngh!”

Startled, Dori began to cry inside the sack. It was only natural—anyone would be frightened in such a situation.

“It’s me.”

Wonwoo bent down and spoke gently. Hearing his voice, Dori began to squirm inside. It seemed he recognized it.

“Just hold on. I’ll untie you in a second.”

Wonwoo soothed the bulge of the sack where Dori was and reached for the rope tying it shut. It was tied so tightly that it wasn’t easy to undo by hand.

With no other choice, Wonwoo stood up and picked up one of the kitchen knives neatly arranged in a corner of the cabin. Even in the unlit darkness, the bluish gleam of the blade was clearly visible—it had been sharpened thoroughly.

‘As I thought, I don’t like this at all.’

Was this place meant for skinning, perhaps?

Yungak, believing Dori to be just a fox, had said that no one would come to the cabin. So they could use it freely, as they wished. But seeing the surroundings now, Wonwoo was deeply disgusted by the intent.

‘Humans really are…’

Turning back, Wonwoo cut through the rope tying the sack. As soon as the opening loosened, a small head popped out.

Soon after, the white fox tumbled out from within and blinked with startled eyes.

“Dori.”

Wonwoo gently stroked the white fox’s fur. The fur under his hand was softer than any dream.

Grasping the fox by the scruff and lifting his head, Wonwoo pressed a kiss to the muzzle bound with a gag. Dori kept moving his head—he seemed happy.

“Yes, yes. You’ve been through a lot.”

Wonwoo embraced him tightly and buried his face in Dori’s fur. In response, Dori’s claws scratched at him frantically, as if trying to grab hold.

He had finally found him—his mate.

Wonwoo smiled brightly as he held the tightly bound fox in his arms.

‘…Let me go! I said let go!’

While Wonwoo was lost in his delusion, Dori flailed his limbs in horror.

A memory of being forcibly imprinted must have remained somewhere in his unconscious. That unpleasant breath sounded oddly familiar—he never imagined it would be Wonwoo.

During his time in the palace, he had completely forgotten about him. So even when Wonwoo said “It’s me,” Dori didn’t recognize him right away.

That’s why, when the knot loosened, he had poked his head out with the intent to clearly see who had kidnapped him.

And upon seeing Wonwoo’s face, he had been completely shocked.

But the bewildering behavior didn’t stop there.

‘D-Don’t touch me!’

Wonwoo began stroking his body.

All the fur on his body bristled. Dori puffed up his tail and slapped it against Wonwoo’s arm in protest. He wanted to yell, but with the gag on, he couldn’t make a sound.

‘Ugh! What are you doing? Where do you think you’re putting that snout?!’

Then, Wonwoo tilted his chin and tried to kiss him. Perhaps because they were both beastkin, Wonwoo had no hesitation, even when not in human form.

Dori desperately shook his head, but their lips met in no time.

‘Ack! Ugh! Get away from me!’

If only he wasn’t gagged, he would’ve bitten a hole right through him! At the very least, if his legs were free!

The kiss was brief, but even that fleeting contact was unbearable. He wanted to scrub it off immediately.

Still forced into an embrace, Dori tensed his body, trying not to make contact with Wonwoo any more than necessary. He scratched with what little movement he had, demanding distance, but the lunatic only clung to him more tightly, like glue.

“It’s okay now. You can relax. I’ve saved you, Dori.”

‘Saved me?! You stole me, you damn thief!’

Dori’s golden eyes flared with anger.

He had been living well in the imperial palace, and this guy had kidnapped him without permission. Why was he now acting like some kind of hero?

No, what was his reason for doing this?

In the original novel, Wonwoo had little importance and disappeared early on.

Was there a part of the story Dori couldn’t remember?

As he frantically tried to piece things together, he realized his mouth was now free. Wonwoo had removed the gag.

“Yip!”

‘Untie my legs too!’

Whatever else was going on, at least he wasn’t about to be killed. The first priority was to get out of this place. Dori raised his tied legs in protest.

Wonwoo adjusted his grip on the knife and chided him.

“You’re being rude again. Fine. Let’s go home.”

“Yap!”

‘What are you talking about?! If you’re going, go alone!’

“…What?”

Wonwoo’s hands, which had been reaching to untie Dori’s legs, froze. He lifted his gaze slowly, his eyes drifting away from Dori’s paws.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to go back to the village, so I’ve prepared a home a little farther away.”

“……”

“It’s not as big as the Elder’s house, but it’ll be enough for the two of us to live comfortably.”

“……”

As he spoke slowly, Wonwoo didn’t take his eyes off Dori for even a second, as if watching for something.

Dori, still restrained and searching for a chance to escape, didn’t notice how increasingly fierce Wonwoo’s gaze was becoming.

‘Why is he taking so long?’

He needed to untie him quickly so he could bolt for the door. But then again, how was he supposed to return to the palace?

“Yip-yip!”

As Dori glanced toward the door, a sudden strong grip on his leg made him cry out. It felt as though his ankle had snapped.

‘It hurts…’

His already-dirty eyes welled up again with fresh tears.

“You need to listen to me properly.”

Still in human form, Wonwoo’s fangs were bared and his pupils had narrowed to slits as he glared at Dori.

“Whine…”

Dori whimpered in fear and tucked his tail between his legs.

With just a bit less force, still holding Dori’s paw, Wonwoo continued.

“…Originally, I was planning to return to the house I’d prepared and hold a proper wedding ceremony, just the two of us. I already have everything ready.”

He was the only mate Wonwoo had. So while he couldn’t host a grand celebration like Hori’s in the red fox village, he had at least prepared the setting and the candlelight.

“After that, I was planning to mark you—make it official—in the bridal chamber.”

They had been separated for so long. He wanted to complete the bonding in a good place, at a good time. Red foxes showed immense affection for their mates. But stronger than that affection was their blind obsession.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

Snip.

At last, the final rope binding Dori’s legs was cut. But Dori couldn’t move.

“Shift. Now.”

“……”

“If not, I’m fine doing it while you’re still in fox form.”

More terrifying than the knife pointed at his throat was the look in Wonwoo’s eyes.

A chilling atmosphere hung over the imperial palace. It wasn’t because of the endlessly pouring rain.

“How many days has it been?”

“I don’t know. I’m too scared to count.”

“…Shh, both of you be quiet. Do you want the head court lady to hear and scold us again?”

How long had it been since the fox disappeared? Dozens of palace workers had been dragged away, and some of those had been revealed as impostors.

The thought that someone who had worked beside them, laughed with them, had other intentions was horrifying enough—but the fear that they were no longer even alive was worse.

Everyone kept quiet and cast nervous glances at the Fox Palace, where the emperor stayed.

Geumhu passed silently by. More troubling than the whispering courtiers was the urgent request from Chief Eunuch Kim, delivered through a young eunuch.

Haban had led a search party but failed to find the fox. Since then, Chief Kim had stayed by the emperor’s side, just in case.

Splash, splash.

Unbothered by the water pooling on the ground, Geumhu hurried forward. Soon, the entrance to the Fox Palace came into view.

Jippyeong, who had apparently just finished reporting to Haban, was scratching his head with a scowl.

Geumhu quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. A strong stench of blood drifted on the wind. Jippyeong didn’t have a scratch on him—it was clear the blood wasn’t his.

Geumhu approached with a deep frown.

“…Disgusting.”

“You’re here.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t washed?”

“First thing you say after seeing me again is that?”

“Well, why are you standing at the door scratching your head with that face?”

“Who said I was scratching—! Ugh, whatever.”

Jippyeong, who usually snapped back at every jab, almost raised his voice but stopped. Geumhu, after checking the door behind him, stepped closer.

“The fox?”

“If I had found him, I wouldn’t be standing here like this.”

So they still hadn’t found the fox. Then why had Chief Kim asked him to come so urgently? Geumhu’s anxiety grew.

“How’s His Majesty?”

“He hasn’t said a word. Ever since we combed through the entire capital and still came up empty, I’ve had no idea what he’s thinking.”

With a deep sigh, Jippyeong patted Geumhu’s shoulder, saying that if the emperor had summoned him, he’d best go in quickly. Time was short for everyone.

Geumhu watched him giving instructions to the royal guards before stepping over the threshold.

Not a single courtier appeared on his way to the building where the fox had once slept. They had all been taken away. All this chaos over one missing beast—the mood of the palace had completely changed.

At the end of the corridor, Chief Kim was pacing anxiously. The moment their eyes met, Geumhu understood.

Inside that room was not the emperor.

It was him.