SAFBIAN Ch 153

Chapter 153

But no matter how resolved, the fear of death was overwhelming.

He still hesitated. Though he prepared himself by recalling the scenes from his dreams and tossed restlessly all last night to steel his resolve, the fear of dying remained.

“Why are you trembling so much?”

Haban asked, surprised. Holding his hand, he could feel Dori’s shivering.

“If you’re not well, you should have said so. We can return to the palace later. Let’s go back now, and cancel the departure immediately.”

“It’s not that…”

Dori hastily pulled Haban’s arm to stop him and took a deep breath. He knew he must not hesitate any longer. This might be the only chance to confide or else the opportunity would never come again.

His lips finally parted.

“Haban, I have something to say.”

At that moment,

“Your Majesty, the villagers wish to pay their respects. What shall we do?”

A guard keeping watch at the door hurried to Haban.

The murmuring outside were villagers who had come to see off the honored guest.

Of course, they could not dare appear before the emperor. However, since the emperor occasionally held audiences to hear the troubles of his people, the villagers had come, hoping for such an opportunity.

They knew their efforts might seem insignificant and felt uneasy standing by silently, fearing reprisal for not properly bidding farewell to such a high guest.

Though the feelings were unintentional on this side, the gulf of status between them was real. But when Haban looked down at Dori, who seemed too timid to move, he intended to decline, only to see Dori grasp his hand tightly.

“Let them come, Haban.”

In the original story, the villagers did not appear.

Alone inside the house stood Dori, with Haban facing off at the door, soldiers behind him.

So Moran could sneak a shot at Haban in a vulnerable moment, but with guards now surrounding the wall, that would be impossible.

This was one of the details the original story had deliberately twisted.

‘If I flee… Haban will die.’

With a resolute face, Dori watched the villagers entering the room.

“I hope your stay has been comfortable.”

An elderly man stepped forward, saying he was the village head.

Behind him, villagers hunched their shoulders and bent low, bowing so deeply their heads nearly touched the ground, faces hidden.

“Rest well and do not worry as you leave.”

“Thank you. Please visit us again whenever you can. This is a gift from our village.”

As the elder stepped aside, two small children toddled forward, carrying a wreath.

It must have been hard to find flowers in this season, but the round wreath woven by their tiny hands was delicate and beautiful.

“For me? Th-thank you.”

Dori, stunned, released Haban’s hand and accepted the wreath.

Perhaps emboldened by this, the villagers displayed gifts respectfully. Expensive items were politely declined, leaving only heartfelt offerings neatly stacked on a table.

Contrary to worries, things seemed calm without incident.

“…Ah!”

One villager dropped a small sword sheath, apparently prepared as a gift for Dori.

Though leather was easier to acquire in a mountain village, the tanning and finishing craftsmanship was remarkable.

Something felt suspicious. Haban studied the man’s face.

“I’ll pick that up.”

Dori bent reflexively to help.

Then—shing!—a gleaming blade swept past his nose. A man had quickly drawn a small dagger from the sheath and lunged at Haban.

Ching!

Haban drew his sword just in time to block, ushering Dori behind him.

“Lady Jang!”

Hearing Haban’s shout, Lady Jang calmly moved to separate Dori from the attackers. Dori, almost tripping, forced strength in trembling legs.

He was utterly disoriented. The man with the dagger aimed precisely at Haban’s chest but was blocked by a guard’s sword coming from another angle.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Haban stepped back and wrapped an arm around Dori’s shoulder.

‘…A sword?’

Dori’s golden pupils flickered anxiously.

In the original story, the projectile aimed at Haban was definitely an arrow, but now it seemed to have turned into a sword.

‘Then… I have to be stabbed?’

His face paled. The twin flashing blades were chilling before him.

He had once seen in the kitchen a blade sharpened on a whetstone piercing a chunk of raw red meat.

Would this sword pierce him the same way? Perhaps the blood that spilled from that meat would pour from his own body.

His eyes stung.

‘I-can do it. No, I must.’

Dori clenched his fists, hesitated with his feet. Though he was clearly walking forward, he also felt as if someone was pulling him back, telling him to run.

…I don’t want to, either. …I’m scared.

‘…But if not me, Haban will die.’

Sniffling, Dori fought to hold back tears.

“Bring a rope! Restrain him!”

The guards, momentarily startled, quickly moved to seize the man.

It felt like an eternity to Dori but only a moment to others.

“N-no! Stop!”

While Dori hesitated, the man was caught, disarmed, and forced to his knees.

Thud. Jipyeong grabbed the man’s hair and slammed his forehead to the ground in the yard.

“Don’t look.”

Haban covered Dori’s eyes, but the mingled scent of blood and death in the air couldn’t be concealed.

Shivering.

Dori clicked his jaw unknowingly.

While some subdued the man, other guards rounded up all the villagers. Not knowing who might be an accomplice, they were to be taken for confession.

Children who brought wreaths wept and called for their parents amid the restrained adults.

‘…What have I done? It’s all my fault.’

Dori dropped the wreath in his hands.

Because his altering of the original story endangered innocent villagers and children, his face darkened as the child’s mournful cries echoed.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo was spying inside the house from a tree.

His ears and tail, extended for heightened senses beyond his human form, twitched in tune with his emotions.

“Get away!”

The emperor held his mate’s hand, stroked his shoulder, pressed a kiss on his forehead.

Blue flames burned in Wonwoo’s angry eyes.

Claws dug into his palm, causing blood to drip from the bow grip.

Why didn’t he resist?

Dori smiled brightly, freely welcoming human touch and even approaching first.

The fox beastman’s mate was everything in the world. Watching his mate enchanted by a human, tail wagging, tore at Wonwoo’s heart.

“…”

Wonwoo pulled the bowstring hard.

As promised, Iyeok caused a disturbance among the villagers to distract them.

Knowing Dori recognized his face, Wonwoo avoided showing himself to the villagers. Iyeok carried out the scheme, risking his life.

Iyeok was determined to kill the emperor. Without the emperor’s death, freeing Dori was impossible, which Wonwoo agreed with.

Following the plan, Wonwoo only needed to shoot an arrow at the human emperor. As the emperor was struck and everyone panicked, he intended to transform into a fox and flee with Dori.

However, the arrow was aimed at Dori, not the emperor.

‘How did you…!’

Anger and jealousy. Years of longing for his mate’s presence blazed into blackened rage.

The only way to break free from the lifelong branded bond was one:

The death of the mate.

He released the arrow, which swiftly flew toward its target.

The guards dragged the man tied with rope to confine him. His limp body left a long bloodstain in the yard that followed his movements as if his bones were broken.

‘He looks familiar.’

Haban gently soothed Dori’s trembling back and searched his memories. Suddenly, he recalled seeing Yungak standing across from a similar-looking man at the palace.

“Wait. I need to see this.”

Haban approached to inspect the man. As Dori’s body lost warmth, he unwittingly raised his head.

At that moment,

Whizz!

The sharp whistle of an arrow pierced the air.