SAFBIAN Ch 24

Chapter 24

Hop—Haban, seeing the fox stretch its paw toward the plate, set down his chopsticks and stood up.

“Come here.”

“Kyain!”

The fox, digging its claws into the floor, was dragged away, its eyes fixed unwaveringly on the table.

Haban was indifferent.

To men or women, to flowers or beasts—he gave no attention to any of them.

The Emperor was young, incredibly beautiful, and wielded absolute power, but the only people he kept close were the captain of the guards, Jipyeong, Chancellor Geumhu, and the palace attendants who served him at close range.

Such was Haban, who brought a fox into the quarters beside his own.

Had it been a delicate young man to warm his bed at night with a sweet smile, or a woman to bear a royal heir and secure the succession, it would not have been so bewildering.

Jipyeong thought this was far from an ordinary matter.

“Your Majesty.”

“……”

Haban passed by without replying, an expression of annoyance on his face. Yet Jipyeong did not give up and followed behind.

“Are you truly keeping that fox by your bedchamber?”

“It’s already there.”

The fox had been locked in a cage in a small room connected to Haban’s bedchamber.

No matter how white its fur was, or how skittish it seemed—so much so that the court physician Woo had advised placing it somewhere people’s voices wouldn’t reach—this behavior from Haban was deeply troubling to Jipyeong.

“Your Majesty! It’s a beast of unknown origin!”

“You just called it a fox yourself.”

“It only looks like one, but something about it feels off. Its whole body is pure white, from head to tail, but its eyes are gold. We’ve never seen anything like it. White animals are said to be auspicious, but this one feels too eerie.”

The two passed through a long corridor and exited the building.

The Emperor’s quarters lay at the heart of the imperial palace, surrounded by high walls enclosing several annexes and a grand square structure.

It was impossible to see inside from the outside, and the Emperor’s bedchamber was nestled in its deepest recesses.

Jipyeong’s anxiety only grew, imagining what rumors might leak beyond those walls.

“Who knows. Maybe it really is a spirit beast.”

Haban scoffed. But he never gave the order to send the fox away.

That afternoon.

Court Lady Jang had just been about to relay the order to prepare the Emperor’s meal when Secretary Kim, standing crab-wise beside her, jabbed her in the side with something. The younger servants nearby turned red in the cheeks, murmuring in surprise.

What kind of absurdity was this from the morning? Court Lady Jang bit into her wrinkled cheek and glared sharply.

“It’s… it’s not from me. His Majesty gave this order directly.”

He had meant to deliver it quietly, but in his haste, he realized only belatedly what he’d done. Secretary Kim hurried to deny responsibility and awkwardly hunched his shoulders as he held out a piece of paper.

The square-folded paper bore Haban’s unmistakable handwriting. Sending the young servants ahead, Court Lady Jang took the note and squinted at it with aging eyes.

『 When grilling meat, season with salt but not to the point of being salty. 』

『 For stir-fries, use red pepper powder but make sure it’s not spicy. 』

『 As for oil……. 』

『 ……. ……. 』

『 ……. 』

Court Lady Jang blinked, thinking she must have read it wrong.

“What in the world is this? You’re sure this came from His Majesty?”

She called out to Secretary Kim, who had tried to slip away pretending ignorance.

“I mean, how do you season with salt and yet make it not salty? And use chili powder but make it not spicy? Here, you read it.”

“To be honest… I have no idea either.”

Ahem. Secretary Kim gave an awkward cough and a sheepish smile.

Twice a month, wagons loaded with large bundles arrived at the Red Fox Village. Nestled high in the mountains, it was unreachable to ordinary humans, but the merchant group’s leader was a red fox, so it was possible.

Of course, the ones pulling the wagons were all red foxes too.

“Mother! Have you been well? What about Father?”

“We’ve just been in the village, of course we’re well. The kitchen’s in an uproar trying to feed you. How about you? Is learning the trade hard?”

“I’m still managing. But I don’t see Hoyeon?”

“That damn rascal! I told him to weed the field, and he ran off just like that!”

Foxes who hadn’t been to the village in a while reunited with family and friends, holding hands and throwing their arms around shoulders. While some caught up, others busily unloaded cargo.

“Get moving, come on. What’s taking so long?”

“Did you open the storage?”

“If not, just stack them in front first. We’ll sort them later anyway.”

In the noisy bustle, Wonwoo’s eyes searched busily for someone.

Where?

Where are you?

He grew irritated with things constantly blocking his view.

He was so close to snapping and shoving everything aside—just as his frustration was peaking, the cluster of foxes clinging together near a cart scattered with their loads, revealing a fox with a white band tied around his forehead.

The band with a star on it marked someone especially skilled in intelligence work, even among the wide range of specialties in the merchant group.

‘Over there.’

The fox with the white band gestured with his eyes toward the outskirts of the village. Two foxes quietly slipped away, stepping softly over the mountain.

“This should be far enough. No one followed. You can stop now.”

Eager for news, Wonwoo was the first to stop. The white-banded fox, Bisol, scanned the area once more before turning his body.

The two faced each other in a place surrounded like a wall by trees.

“Dori?”

Wonwoo couldn’t wait any longer and asked. He had been using the merchant group’s extensive information network, which branched throughout the entire empire, to search for Dori.

If he had just stood watch at the corridor instead of entering the bridal chamber, he could have caught him immediately.

A fox who couldn’t even grab a trinket properly had gone outside the village alone—what condition could he be in now? Likely hungry and filthy, his paws and tail matted, hiding from humans and shivering somewhere.

Or maybe he hadn’t made it far and was just hiding at the mountain’s base?

‘Surely he’s come to his senses by now.’

But Wonwoo’s hope was soon crushed.

“Sorry. I couldn’t find him.”

Bisol shook his head heavily, a dark look on his face.

“That can’t be!”

Wonwoo growled under his breath.

There was only one path out of the Red Fox Village. The alternative was to cross the mountain in the opposite direction, but the area below was a human hunting ground—no one ever used that path. Every fox in the village knew that.

As Wonwoo’s expression hardened ominously, the intimidated Bisol offered a timid excuse.

“He didn’t take the path. It looks like he climbed the mountain. There must’ve been tracks for a while, but we started searching too late, and everything got erased.”

That idiot!

Wonwoo barely stopped himself from yelling. The mountain housing the Red Fox Village was taller and more treacherous than others. There were cliffs and dangerous trails everywhere. And he climbed it, without a shred of fear!

“You’re sure?”

Bisol looked around, then pointed to a notch in one of the trees.

“You know how easy it is to get lost here. We mark the trees like this and recognize the signs—that’s how we find our way.”

“The mountain’s other side?”

Wonwoo pressed again.

“What are you talking about? He wouldn’t be crazy enough to go that way. It’s been a human hunting ground for ages. That boy’s not stupid. No way he went there.”

Bisol’s tone turned firm as he denied it.

No fox would risk running into arrows flying from who knows where. He then recalled something and added thoughtfully.

“Besides, these days, the human Emperor has stationed soldiers all along the entrance. He wouldn’t have been able to cross over. He’s probably hiding somewhere on the mountain.”

“No. He’s not here.”

Wonwoo’s reply was resolute.

If his mate were nearby, the mark would have reacted. He didn’t know the exact range, but one thing was certain—he would feel it instinctively.

“How can you know that?”

Bisol asked, puzzled.

But to explain, Wonwoo would have to admit that he’d formed a one-sided bond with Dori. He clamped his mouth shut.

Damn it, fuck!

He thought a bit of investigating would lead him to him quickly, but he’d run off with nothing but the fur on his back.

As he narrowed his brows, thinking of what to do next, he realized quite a bit of time had passed since they left the village.

He sighed briefly and ruffled his hair.

“When I return, connect me with Mother.”

“……What? What are you planning! You know she’s already secretly helping you!”

“As long as it’s not Father, it’ll be fine.”

“My heart’s going to stop! You’ve only been married to Hori for a year—has it even been two? You’re a newlywed! Your mate is over there!”

“I’ll handle that myself, so stop saying pointless things and just deliver the message!”

Thud! Wonwoo slammed his fist into a tree trunk.

His vertically slit pupils gleamed, and his fangs sharpened again and again. He looked wild, like he might cast off his disguise and tear into a throat at any moment.

“Calm down. You’re too worked up right now.”

Seeing Wonwoo’s unstable state, Bisol quickly took a step back. Among red foxes, Wonwoo was large and powerful. He couldn’t win a fight against him in their true forms.

“I still have time before I return to the merchant group, so I’ll think more about it. Anyway, you cool your head too.”