SAFBIAN Ch 144

Chapter 144

The movements of the hand brushing off the soil slowed progressively. It felt as though the heart was cooling rapidly.

Haban moved only his pitch-black eyes to confirm Dori curled up beside him. What was he trying to ask? Could it be that something had come to mind?

Whether aware or not of Haban’s feelings, Dori lowered his eyelashes with an air of aloofness and aimlessly poked the earth with his fingers.

“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

“Uh… well, it’s just that…”

When Haban asked, Dori hesitated, seeming to expect a particular answer. Sure enough, Dori kept glancing at Haban, biting his lip, his trembling mouth betraying his uncertainty.

This made Haban’s heart anxious as well.

The flower head in his hand broke apart, the stem twisted, and juice dripped, but neither noticed.

Just as Haban’s patience reached its limit, barely a candle’s flicker left, Dori murmured,

“Besides the Lantern Festival… I think there was something else I wanted to do with you, but I can’t remember…”

…Ah.

He bit his tongue so hard that a faint metallic taste spread in his mouth.

Still, Dori neither whimpered in pain as usual nor spoke. Instead, he waited silently for Haban’s answer, his toes curling tightly.

‘Hmm.’

Haban hesitated at the reply he returned.

Though he wanted to fulfill Dori’s wish to see the Lantern Festival, an uneasy feeling nagged him. He could not risk slipping and revealing anything more, and found it difficult to mention any memory or word.

“Well…”

Haban deflected with feigned ignorance.

Dori blinked, his expression complicated and sullen. His fingers poked the ground faster and faster in frustration.

Haban discarded the damaged flower and kept only the rest. After handing the pristine white flower with the root to Jipyeong, he took Dori’s hand, signaling to stop. The gentle face looked up at Haban quietly.

“That should be enough; no need to dig further.”

“…Ah, right.”

Perhaps forgetting their original purpose, Dori nodded. His pale, delicate hands were now messy with soil. When Haban brought a sleeve to wipe his palms, Dori shyly pulled his hands back.

“You can wash when you get home.”

“But if Lady Jang catches me before then, she won’t stop nagging.”

Recalling having been scolded several times for the same reason, Dori grew obedient.

Dori feared Lady Jang more than even the emperor himself. In his previous life, though trembling in fear, he had always answered back to Haban but curled his tail and hid whenever palace servants appeared. Of course, Haban had dealt with that strictly upon learning the truth. His lips tightened in memory.

But Dori, lost in other thoughts, remained unaware of Haban’s expression. As Haban lifted him and took his hand, his mind was crowded.

Why did Haban recall the conversations with the original ‘Dori’ as if they had occurred with him?

‘How could Haban possibly know those things? It can’t be.’

Was this another intervention by the original story?

…If so, why?

‘Or maybe just coincidence?’

Perhaps Haban misheard someone else’s words and thought they were his own.

‘Ahh….’

Thinking of the elegant figure clinging to Haban and acting spoiled made him uneasy. Everything felt too complicated and dizzying; his head felt about to burst.

‘Does Haban truly… like me?’

Dori pursed his lips in frustration.

They had to talk some more now. Swallowing dry saliva, Dori slowed his pace again.

“Want me to carry you?”

Hearing what sounded like a coquettish plea, Haban’s voice softened with amusement.

“Oh, no?”

Honestly, Dori was tempted—all the more so because this might be his only chance to be carried by the emperor’s back. Still, knowing their guards followed behind, he lacked the courage to climb up.

Hiding his disappointment, Dori slid one hand between Haban’s sturdy fingers and gently rocked back and forth.

“I’d like to walk a little longer.”

“…If you say so.”

Haban turned direction lightly, meaning to circle the house before going in.

Though Jipyeong sighed quietly, unwilling to voice complaints, Dori ignored him. In the crisp autumn night, insects sang clearly and purely.

When they had circled about halfway, Dori counted quietly up to three inwardly, murmuring so only Haban could hear,

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

Despite the late hour, Haban’s gaze was gentle and alert.

Walking closely side by side, their hands tightly clasped, Haban looked down at him with tender affection, so sweet it lingered on Dori’s lips like honey.

Dori took a deep breath.

“…Say, how would you feel if someone else entered my body?”

Haban’s expression twisted oddly, as if hearing something strange.

“Is that even possible?”

Dori wasn’t speaking in his sleep, right? Haban answered playfully, yet Dori felt a faint surge of irritation—he was serious!

“Even if that happened, wouldn’t you care who I am?”

“That’s a hurtful thing to say.”

The smile vanished from Haban’s face; his eyes sharpened and lips curled cold. Feeling stabbed, Dori edged closer to his side.

“Then just give me a proper answer. Just suppose it’s possible.”

“You’re even trying to find faults now.”

The cozy little house ahead grew nearer. Lady Jang came out to the gate eagerly waiting for them.

Haban stopped briefly, then stood facing Dori. His flawless pale skin and snow-white hair framed steady golden eyes that shimmered like waves.

Yes, that was right.

The Dori of the former life had increasingly looked away, avoiding Haban whenever eye contact was possible, but now, the current Dori would come running at any glance and tilt his head as if to call him.

Though they were identical in appearance, their personalities were completely different, and yet Haban never doubted that the Dori before him was anyone but himself.

The memories from childhood, when the previous life’s punishment came daily through dreams, flashed back.

At first, nothing was recalled, but gradually, the dreams grew clearer, ultimately showing the moment of his death.

When Dori died, living like an empty shell with no will, dying miserably despite praying to the Fox Orb, Haban tightly gripped a gem the size he had seen in the dream.

That gem, hidden in the display case, emitted clear blue light like the dream until Haban became an adult and seated himself on the throne.

One day, after a strange dream,

Upon waking, Haban found the whole room bathed in blue light from the display case.

When he opened the display case, the light stretched out and vanished. Since then, the Fox Orb had remained dull gray.

It was as if the orb had fulfilled its role by bringing Dori to him.

Recalling this brought a surge of emotion, and Haban gently pressed his lips to Dori’s forehead.

“Whatever form you take, I will recognize you, so there is no need to worry.”

Upon hearing this, Dori gave a faint smile.

During the sleep-disrupted chaos, foxes dashed in all directions trying to extinguish the fire.

Even the young foxes combined their efforts to carry water, but the flames only grew stronger. The fire spread faster than they could contain it, so eventually, they resigned themselves to despair.

“Alas, alas.”

Sobs of despair echoed everywhere. Eventually, the fire consumed the entire village and only died down as the morning dew settled.

“Is anyone hurt?”

Though the village had long been established, life remained more precious than anything. One of the elder nohos was the first to gather his senses and check on the fox villagers’ safety.

Then, to the great surprise of the red foxes, everyone suddenly fell silent and exchanged glances.

Three important foxes from the village were missing.

Wonwoo, Hori, and the elder. The red foxes’ hackles rose.

“What happened here?”

“L-let’s go see!”

With the village in ruins, someone had to take charge immediately. One of the first nohos to regain composure stepped forward.

The grand wooden gate of the elder’s mansion was reduced to blackened posts after burning away. Beyond them lay only the ruins of several buildings.

“T-there!”

One fox suddenly pointed.

Hori lay collapsed in the yard. Half of her clothes were burned, and severe wounds marked every exposed patch of skin.

“Ah, what should we do…”

The foxes clicked their tongues sadly. Her hair and face were badly damaged, but that was secondary; now unconscious, she was yet to endure the agony of waking.

The problem was, with the entire village burned, even the only apothecary had been reduced to ashes along with its supplies and bandages. Injured foxes who had been helping to fight the fire cried with despair.

“At least we should look for the elder.”

Just as someone cautiously spoke, the roof of the largest remaining building at the elder’s mansion collapsed with a loud crash.

“C-careful! Careful!”

“Ahhh!”

Foxes dodged falling rubble, stunned into silence, blinking in disbelief.

That was where the elder’s room should have been.

Soon after, the red foxes, wiping their tears, began sifting through the ashes.

“F-found…! Here, sniff!”

“The elder!”

“Waaah! What can we do? The elder…”

Foxes who found the body collapsed in grief, sobbing uncontrollably. Though only ashes remained, desperate signs of struggling beneath a blanket were still visible.

Footnotes:

1. Noho (노호) — Elder foxes in the village, considered wise and experienced. 
2. Banryeo (반려) — Mate or bonded partner, spiritually significant in folklore contexts. 
3. Fox Orb — A mystical gem symbolizing a spiritual or magical bond, significant to the characters’ bond and fate. 
4. Apothecary — In this world, a place where medicinal herbs and bandages are kept and prepared.