SAFBIAN Ch 170

Chapter 170 (Extra 2.3)

Dori’s face flushed a deep red as exhaustion overcame him, and he fell asleep.

Curled up as if nesting into Haban’s embrace, he slowly closed his eyes. Lying on his side, fanning gently, Haban gazed down at him lost in thought.

“It seems that His Majesty is very fatigued. How about the two of you take a trip to the summer palace? If you avoid the peak heat, I believe His Majesty will quickly regain his strength.”

After consulting with the physician, the prime minister unexpectedly recommended to Haban a visit to the summer palace.

Not long ago, Geumhu had stubbornly insisted on a long rest to recover from his hardships, but suddenly changed his mind. Perhaps it was because of the reliable partner currently supporting him at home.

Recently, Haban had lifted Jipyeong’s house arrest. However, he could not return him immediately to the position of captain of the guards. Diplomats repeatedly appealed that the punishment for someone who endangered the emperor was too lenient.

Since Dori was already staying by his side, leaving the empress’s position vacant and sparking plenty of gossip, Haban had no choice but to postpone the guard captain’s return. Instead, Jipyeong received secret orders:

Protect the prime minister’s safety.

Many still regarded Geumhu with disdain, especially after Haban’s awakening.

Though the shadows dispatched by Haban efficiently dealt with assassins invading the palace walls nightly, it was difficult to still quell Geumhu’s concealed anxiety.

Geumhu was both the empire’s prime minister and a longtime companion. That was why Haban sent Jipyeong to guard him.

That favor was returning.

As the season shifted into summer, the days became suddenly hot. Each time Dori transformed into a fox, he struggled more with the heat. Of course, anyone wearing such a heavy fur coat in summer would suffer.

Haban often glanced out the window of his office during affairs of state to see fluffy white fur strewn carelessly in the tree’s shade.

As the sun moved, altering shadows, the neatly groomed fur tangled or not, the fox crawled along the ground, sometimes sprawling with legs spread to reveal the soft belly, only to be caught and scolded by Haban. Rolling his round golden eyes around and uttering “kuuuu,” his complaints went largely unremarked.

Thinking of Dori, a whisper of a confession came to mind.

“Haban.”

As if after long hesitation and resolution, Dori climbed into his lap. When he asked to borrow an ear, Haban gently leaned his shoulder.

After a quick glance around to check for eavesdroppers, Dori pressed his lips close to Haban’s ear like a child carefully hiding a secret.

“You know, the fox clan…”

Why did he hesitate so long to say this?

The words stretched out like taffy, slow and deliberate, hard to gather letter by letter.

“My lifelong mate…”

When Haban heard these secret words, he straightened his upper body.

Most people did not understand the origin of beastmen. Even Haban knew only that they could freely change between animal and human forms.

Humans were born with a fixed gender, dividing roles: a man sowed seed, and a woman carried it.

But for the fox clan, it was said that choosing a mate transcended species and gender. One chose freely whom the heart directed, and the will toward that mate etched a bond.

Looking into Dori’s eyes, who nodded as if confirming, it was because of this he had avoided close contact—fearing that since he was a white fox, not a red one, the bond might be unilaterally etched on Haban.

After some serious thought, Dori concluded he would never bond with another fox anyway and never leave Haban, so mutual etching was unnecessary.

However, cross-species bonding was said to be extremely difficult and unlikely; he hoped Haban wouldn’t expect too much, though he left his ending vague.

Unable to resist, Dori showered Haban with kisses.

“A mate.”

Haban’s murmur made Dori flinch, reacting unconsciously though not awake.

Was it instinct coded in the beastman’s nature? Stroking the back burrowing into his embrace and patting his shoulder, Dori calmed. Shifting in sleep, he turned on his side.

A strand of hair slipped down his neck. On the exposed skin was a clear bite mark left by Haban.

The indented flesh prickled. It was said that when the mark merged perfectly with the skin through the blood, the mate’s bond was sealed.

The mate’s bond—

A special connection transcending species and gender.

Haban had never forgotten this truth since hearing it from Dori. Each time they mingled bodies, he waited for Dori’s peak excitement, biting his neck with all his might as Dori climaxed.

And today, finally, light appeared. At the moment a round circle formed, he thought they would succeed. But the light soon fluttered and disappeared.

“Do not rush. There is plenty of time.”

Haban carefully traced the bite mark, careful not to wake Dori. The one destined to be Dori’s mate was only himself.

Wonwoo was dead. The moment the arrow was shot, as the target fled without time to confirm the hit, shadow assassins and soldiers chased and captured him.

However, he was not killed immediately. Attempting to assassinate the emperor was a capital crime. All involved deserved punishment.

The empire’s third-largest Fox Guild was dragged away, including laborers’ families. What happened thereafter was unknown.

The Fox Guild’s name was erased, a great crime wiping it from mention, becoming a complete void.

In principle, the entire red fox clan that Haban had already sent to labor camps should have been exterminated, but a few young foxes born recently were spared. Still, Dori would never hear about this.

At this moment, Wonwoo was alive.

After awakening from a long sleep, Haban quietly asked Jipyeong and Seohon about him and learned he had been imprisoned, left alive. They delayed his execution until Haban awoke; although not tortured, he gradually died.

That was the backlash of being separated from his mate, and investigations showed he was unilaterally bonded to Dori.

“…Humans, mere humans…!”

One night, when Dori was put to sleep early, Haban ignored warnings and visited the prison himself.

The large red fox, wounded and growling, struggled but fought to regain human form.

“Dori is… my mate…!”

Wonwoo growled, grinding his teeth, but immediately choked as blood surged up his throat.

Being closer to his mate than when outside the palace, he briefly recovered, but over time his body, unable to reach Dori, deteriorated.

All that remained was an obsessive attachment born from their one-sided bond, slowly fading with his fading life.

“…How dreadful.”

Leaving those words, Haban turned away.

Seeing ruined Wonwoo mirrored his own foolish past—greed, regret, longing, and, ultimately, despair.

Haban left no trace of him. He intended to keep this a secret from Dori, of course.

But on the night Wonwoo was quietly disposed of,

“…Where did you go earlier today?”

Dori, unable to sleep despite shut eyes, asked in a subdued voice. Haban hesitated briefly. He could conceal the truth, but could no longer lie to Dori.

Haban chose a suitable reply:

“…I finished some necessary business.”

That was all. Dori didn’t ask more and pulled the blanket up. Yet, even in the dark with lights out, the blanket stirred faintly.

Sniffling, muffled sobs escaped, and Haban wrapped his arms gently around the bulging blanket.

In quiet sniffles, Dori slowly began to reveal his heart.

Though unilateral, the bond promised lifelong partnership.

Dori had actually laid down for a nap when suddenly something inside him snapped, as if a ring around his heart broke.

…Wonwoo had died.

No one told him, but he just knew. The emotions at that moment were hard to describe.

If only he had forgotten the past, pure resentment alone would remain, giving relief.

He felt guilt for twisting the destiny of the red fox clan, who should have lived peacefully with Hori through marriage. That was also why he hadn’t asked Haban about their fate.

“Did everyone… sob… die?”

Though much was left unsaid, Haban understood everything. He was grateful for Geumhu’s mercy in sparing a few young red foxes.

“Not all were punished. The innocent were spared.”

If Dori heard that all who had tormented him were dead, he would be hurt. He should believe that his father Jangno and Hori lived well somewhere.

Haban never lied but that was not the whole truth.

Dori’s crying quieted as if relieved. Instead of pulling the blanket down to show Dori’s face, Haban slipped his hand inside to hold the small back of Dori’s hand. Gradually, Dori surrendered to sleep.

“…Mhm.”

The sound of stirring in his arms brought Haban back from his thoughts. His skin was still warm and flushed. Haban clicked his tongue softly and frowned.