SAFBIAN Ch 16

Chapter 16

 

Somehow, the imprint that bounced off due to Dori’s resistance took root only in him. Because of that, Wonwoo had to writhe in inexplicable thirst and desire the entire time the bridal chamber was closed.

It was all because of the mate’s imprint. A one-sided, incomplete mark.

Bang!

Wonwoo threw the door open roughly, panting heavily.

“Dori, Dori!”

The room was chilly. The window was tightly shut, and coldness seeped from the walls and floor. There wasn’t a trace of anyone having lived there.

Anyone could tell the room had been abandoned for quite some time.

Wonwoo’s mouth felt parched as if scorched. He immediately turned around and searched every corner of the elder’s residence.

“Don’t joke around and come out now. I won’t be mad.”

The soft coaxing voice gradually turned sinister. The red foxes working at the residence tilted their heads curiously as they passed by, wondering what was going on, but he had no time to care.

‘Damn it, damn it!’

No matter how hard he searched, the white fox was nowhere to be seen. He checked the storage where Dori often hid, between the jars, even under the porch.

In the end, Wonwoo shifted forms in the backyard leading to the mountains. A red fox with rich sunset-colored fur dashed up the steep path.

Tap.

At last, Wonwoo reached the rock where Dori had last stood. He bared his teeth fiercely, looking down on the village.

‘So you really ran away.’

As soon as he admitted it, a painful groan leaked from the beast’s clenched mouth. The area from his neck down to his shoulders and back burned like it had been seared with a branding iron.

The imprint was searching, yearning for its mate.

“Ghh!”

Unable to endure any longer, Wonwoo staggered and dropped to his knees. How much longer could he withstand this pain?

‘I must find Dori no matter what.’

Unless death tore them apart, a mate’s imprint would never break. The only option left was to bring Dori back.

Clenching his teeth, a dangerous glint flashed in Wonwoo’s eyes.

‘Is someone talking about me?’

His ears were unbearably itchy. Dori scratched his ears with a hind paw and then pressed the cushion with his front paws as if by habit.

When one part puffed up more than the rest, he gleefully slapped it with his tail. He had learned this as a way to pass the idle hours while spacing out in boredom.

The soft fabric stuffed full of cotton kept rising and falling unevenly. It was a surprisingly noisy affair. Haban slowly pressed his forehead as he watched.

Then, flinching, the fox glanced at him briefly before nonchalantly resumed pressing and slapping the cushion.

Squish, slap!

It wasn’t loud, which somehow made it more irritating.

Maybe it was the growing suspicion that this fox might be “his,” but the racket felt like a protest: how long are you planning to keep me locked up here?

With fingers interlaced, Haban stared at the fox. His darkened eyes carefully inspected the cage the fox was confined in.

Just a few steps of space around the central cushion. For the emperor’s safety, the size had been reduced and the bars tightened compared to before.

‘Could it be too cramped for him to transform into a human? Well, even curled up, he’d barely fit in human form.’

Haban slowly stood. The fox, who had been wagging his tail excitedly, suddenly jumped up from the cushion and became alert.

Dori rolled his eyes.

…Maybe he’d acted up too much?

‘Should’ve toned it down.’

He’d caused a ruckus on purpose, hoping to annoy him. If he wasn’t going to let him out, he’d at least hoped to be kicked out of the office.

But now that Haban was looming over him, it was only natural to get nervous. Their eyes met, and his tail fur bristled in fright.

But then something strange happened. With a look like he might hit him, Haban instead unfastened the collar. And kindly opened the iron cage door.

‘What’s with him?’

It couldn’t be that he’d heard Dori’s internal curses.

Dori, still wary, stepped out of the cage and began wandering around the room. He sniffed at the corners, glanced back, hid under the chair, then crawled back out.

While he poked his snout under a cabinet with jars larger than his head, Haban was already seated at the desk working.

Hooh.

Dori made a round ‘o’ with his mouth. Of course, being a fox, it didn’t look much different to others.

‘Maybe I really could escape?’

But after a few days, he had learned the truth. Haban would never let him go that easily.

Dori snorted. When he was let out freely inside the room, that wretched Haban would stay and watch. And whenever he tried to leave the room, he’d be shoved back into the cage without fail. There was simply no way out.

Moreover, there was another problem: after staying in fox form for so long, he was starting to act more and more like an actual fox.

‘At this rate, I’m going to forget how to walk on two legs!’

Dori unconsciously scratched the padded floor with his claws—tap, tap, tap. When he came to his senses, he saw that his claws had torn through the threads, leaving ragged patches.

‘This must be… expensive.’

What should he do?

After a moment of hesitation, Dori stealthily lay down, covering the damage with his belly fur.

‘Feels like I’ve waited long enough now.’

Then, Haban slowly reached down and stroked the fox at his feet.

The fox, who would normally have darted away, unexpectedly let him touch his head. With ears laid flat, he looked so docile—like he truly belonged to him. No sign of a wild animal’s wariness remained.

As Haban slowly rubbed between his brows, the fox opened his mouth in a faint grin. Haban waited until the fox’s tail calmed down, then asked,

“Do you know how to turn into a human?”

Naturally, the fox didn’t reply. He just tilted his head and licked his nose.

Haban tapped the corner of the desk with his long, handsome fingers. Leaning back in his chair, he continued watching the fox.

“Ka, kaaang…”

‘W-what was that?’

Meanwhile, Dori tried his best to act nonchalant so as not to reveal his startled heart. It didn’t seem like Haban had said it knowing the truth, but why did he ask that all of a sudden?

‘C-could it be…’

Did he notice something?

His bottom twitched, reflecting his discomfort. He wanted to run away from here, but unfortunately, the fluff under his belly had puffed up so much that he couldn’t take even a single step to the side.

‘No, it was probably just something he said without thinking.’

Dori blinked his round eyes. Then he noticed something sparkling from the swaying sleeve.

‘Wow! Doesn’t that bother him to wear something like that?’

It was the bracelet on Haban’s wrist. It was a ring-shaped clasp split in the middle, and at a glance, it was thick and obviously heavy.

Haban must have noticed Dori’s eyes following the bracelet, because he changed the topic.

“You seem to like this. If you turn into a human, I’ll give it to you.”

‘…Really?’

Dori hesitated for a brief moment.

Honestly, he wavered a bit. If it was a bracelet worn by the emperor, it must be extremely valuable.

‘In novels, things like that are worth entire mansions.’

But what was the original Dori like? Just for looking human, he was despised, and even in this very office, he had endlessly suffered under Haban.

‘No way!’

Soon, Dori scrunched his nose. Watching that expression, Haban’s face also turned cold.

“If you’re that useless, then I might as well skin you and make use of your pelt.”

“Kang! Kang! Kang!”

‘Why is the conclusion always so extreme?!’

Hearing Haban’s threat, Dori faltered this time out of genuine fear.

‘Yeah. Who knows what might happen. Better than dying.’

The longer he deliberated, the more his tail fluttered. But Haban, already out of patience, stood up first.

This one’s no good.

It had already been ten days since the fox woke up. He should’ve just searched the mountain in that time. The more he thought of the wasted days, the more the fury surged.

Haban grabbed the fox by the scruff of the neck.

‘Is he really going to kill me? W-Wait! Haban, wait! I actually…!’

Dori kicked his feet, resisting as he was dragged back toward the cage. He tried to look pitiful, shaking his head and looking up, but Haban was merciless.

Creeeak, bang! Click!

After that, Dori didn’t see Haban for quite some time.

The emperor suddenly locked himself in his office. All winter, he had gone hunting every day, so what happened now that spring had come?

Thanks to that, the chancellor—who had been suffering from a mountain of work and the pressure from the nobles—was smiling like a flower. The once-relaxed nobles now kept their nerves sharp.

The only one who remained the same was the emperor’s younger brother, Yoon Gak.

Even yesterday, after a night of drinking, a man had clung to him saying not to go, but Yoon Gak still spent the night outside the palace. It was past noon when he finally returned.

His coat was draped lazily over his shoulders, and with his garment ties undone, he looked rather sloppy heading back to his quarters. Clearly still hungover, he shuffled forward with eyes on the ground, when someone stopped in front of him.

“Hm?”

This damned popularity. Was it another court lady shyly trying to confess her feelings?

Yoon Gak, a notorious playboy who welcomed all women and refused no men, shook his head to clear his blurry vision.

“Big bro~?”

“You’ve lost your senses. Can’t even stand straight?”

Ah, crap! Of all people to run into in this state!

Yoon Gak met eyes with the owner of the black leather shoes and hastily raked back his messy hair. He halfheartedly dusted off his clothes, pretending to smooth out the wrinkles. Then, he respectfully placed his hands over his stomach.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

Haban, receiving the bow, folded his arms loosely.

“Where are you coming from this time?”

“I was at Yu Sirang’s house, discussing scholarly matters. I meant to have just one drink as accompaniment, but somehow ended up overindulging and needed a short rest—before I knew it, the time had passed.”