SAFBIAN Ch 32

Chapter 32

 

The earlier wound was no coincidence. At that moment, Dori, recalling the woman’s presence, let out a loud yelp, “Kyaeng!”

“What’s the matter?”

“N-Nothing, Your Majesty. I think it’s just that foxes hate water.”

Yes, a person’s nature doesn’t change so easily. Haban wasn’t the problem; first, he had to get this woman away.

“Kyaeng! Kyaeng!”

Dori cried even louder, as if he were deeply wronged. While the woman was flustered, the fox slipped from her grasp and jumped into Haban’s arms.

The fox clung to the emperor’s precious robes. Tears dangled at the ends of his eyes.

The emperor, who caught the fox instinctively, looked down at him.

‘Here, here! Look at this!’

Dori deliberately lifted one leg and leaned his head against Haban’s chest. Due to his thick fur, the faint mark left by her nails couldn’t possibly be seen.

But since Dori was exaggeratingly shaking his paw, everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.

“Y-Your Majesty! It’s not what you think…!”

The woman, her face pale as a sheet, threw herself onto the floor.

“How dare you lay a hand on His Majesty’s possession!”

In place of the silent Haban, Chief Court Lady Jang blocked the woman who was trying to kneel and plead.

“No, Madam! I swear I’m innocent! Didn’t you all just see the fox acting spoiled? Please, someone say something!”

The woman’s pleading figure looked pitiful, but the atmosphere around her was cold.

Partly because they feared bringing the emperor’s wrath upon themselves, but more so due to her usual conduct.

Despite being a palace maid like them, she always flaunted her family background. Everyone knew she had stepped forward earlier just to catch the emperor’s eye.

The other court ladies exchanged glances with satisfied looks.

“Madam, please listen to me! It’s just, that fox…!”

As her shrill cries pierced the air, Chief Court Lady Jang frowned and gestured with her eyes to those around her. To avoid further disturbing the emperor’s mood, the woman was soon silenced and restrained by the other court ladies.

“She offends the eye. Take her away.”

Haban turned while still holding the fox, as if not wishing to show such disgraceful sights.

‘Why?’

Dori hadn’t expected this to work.

His golden round eyes widened in surprise as he stared up at Haban.

The letters were blurry. Geumhu blinked his tired eyes briefly and resumed reading the memorial before setting it down to his left.

‘What time is it now?’

He had been seated since the pitch-black dawn, and now the sun was high in the sky. Probably more than five or six hours had passed.

He gently massaged his sore neck and shoulders, tilting his head side to side. The cracking sounds made him wonder if he was headed for the grave.

“Haa… it never ends.”

Including the one he just put down, he’d read about half.

Looking at the stack remaining, he felt daunted. Even if he reviewed this much in a day, by the next morning the same amount would be piled on his desk again.

Geumhu slumped into his chair and stared at the ceiling.

‘When was the last time I went home?’

As he thought about it, it had been several days. Though he could wash and sleep at the palace, the elderly couple pacing at the front gate, worried about their only son, weighed on his mind.

This was all the emperor’s fault.

Geumhu’s cheek twitched.

Rumors still spread throughout the empire. That the tyrant emperor tormented his ministers daily, indulged in drink and pleasures, and lived in decadence.

Of course, half of it was true.

While he was away under the pretense of hunting, he lured his ministers into complacency and then used shadow assassins to uncover their crimes. Thanks to that, corrupt officials were either killed or driven out.

But to distort the incidents and spread them deliberately?

‘Leave it be. For now, I’ll wait and see what he’s plotting.’

Haban had intentionally fanned the flames of the rumors.

He avoided court meetings, claiming laziness, and pushed all the administrative work onto Geumhu. Because the emperor was absent every day, the chancellor was being worn down.

‘In any case, I’ll have to finish everything by today.’

Geumhu rubbed his weary face with his palm, then straightened his back. The longer he delayed, the more the people would suffer from the administrative backlog.

But still—was this really the right thing?

Looking at the memorials that required the emperor’s seal, rage surged inside him.

“So! When exactly does he plan to attend to state affairs!”

Geumhu finally burst out his resentment. Losing control of his temper, he shoved all the documents off the desk.

As the scrolls tumbled down with a crash, the door flung open.

“Huh?”

Jippyeong flinched as he stepped in.

A messy office and an angry face.

Meeting Geumhu’s piercing gaze that seemed to ask what he was just standing there for, Jippyeong nodded knowingly and shut the door.

Seeing him gathering the scrolls, Geumhu scoffed.

“Where is His Majesty?”

“Still inside.”

“Then what are you doing here? Not attending him?”

“He ordered everyone to leave.”

Jippyeong stacked the scrolls back on the desk and half-sat on the edge. As he folded his arms and looked slightly down, his long finger poked Geumhu.

“You blockhead, what are you saying? You’re the exception, captain of the royal guards.”

Geumhu scoffed, asking if Jippyeong’s brain was made of muscle too.

Just one more person sharing the large desk made it feel cramped. Jippyeong’s large, muscular body was the reason.

“This time, I’m included too. I think he wanted you to see this—see you working. No one else can witness the emperor’s seal being affixed.”

“And yet he doesn’t even show his shadow?”

Jippyeong shrugged silently. The muscles along his neck twitched naturally.

As if Geumhu wasn’t already annoyed. His own pale arms looked scrawny compared to Jippyeong’s sun-deprived but thick forearms.

Geumhu ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“This is driving me mad. He already suspects who it is, doesn’t he? How long is he going to watch and wait?”

“Until he finds irrefutable proof. He needs undeniable evidence with no room for escape.”

“Does he really have to go that far?”

Jippyeong’s expression darkened.

“Maybe… he wants to believe. For now.”

Geumhu shut his lips that had been ready to argue. As he irritably picked up another memorial, Jippyeong smirked and added:

“Oh right, His Majesty will have Seoheon for a while.”

“Why? What about you?”

“Well… I’ve been assigned to guard the fox.”

“…What?”

“His Majesty’s orders.”

“You stupid bastard!”

The captain of the guards leaving the emperor’s side?!

Hearing Jippyeong deliver such crucial news so casually, Geumhu threw a scroll right at his face.

The soaked body was quite small.

“Tsk.”

At the sound of someone clicking their tongue, the fox flinched and twitched its ears.

It sat at a distance, turned toward the wall, glancing sideways in this direction. When their eyes met, it quickly pretended to groom itself. Insolent little thing.

Haban rested his chin on his hand and chuckled.

“I told you to come here.”

“Hng…”

“Don’t grumble. Come eat this.”

“Kang!”

The fox barked as if to say it had enough. With its back turned and tiny body heaving, it seemed truly upset.

Haban leaned back comfortably and crossed his legs, then muttered the words the fox had been pretending not to hear.

“Didn’t feel like there was anything under the fur…”

“Kang! Kaang!”

The fox immediately turned around.

“Kang! Kang! Kang!”

It stomped its front paws and raised its tail stiffly—so defiant. What was it sulking about, just because he had washed between its legs with his hands? For some reason, the snowy ears looked tinged red.

Looking annoyed, Haban picked up a plum and tossed it.

The plum rolled swiftly and stopped right in front of the fox. Despite acting like a victim of a grave injustice just moments before, the fox stared down at the plum with quivering eyes.

‘It must be hungry. It used a lot of energy during the bath.’

If only it had behaved, it would’ve been over quickly.

The tub was prepared because the fox seemed to enjoy water. Every day, it begged the maids for water buckets, and at night, it splashed with its paws—of course Haban had heard.

‘That a fox would behave so human-like…’

Watching the fox hesitate over a single plum, Haban rubbed his chin.

‘A fox that can transform into a human isn’t common.’

Its size and length were clearly different from “his,” but the appearance was exactly the same—raising doubts.

Suin.(shapeshifter)

In another sense, beasts capable of taking on human form.

There were various kinds, but most of the empire’s citizens didn’t even know they existed. Not only were they skilled at humanizing, but they were few in number and lived hidden in packs.

If he hadn’t picked up “his” stray from such a pack, he would’ve never known.

While Haban was lost in thought, the fox, after much internal struggle, swiftly snatched up the plum and sat facing the wall again. Slurp, slurp—its head bowed as it focused on nibbling the fruit. Its tail wagged eagerly.

‘Next time, I should remove the pit beforehand.’

What if it chokes?

Tsk.

Haban clicked his tongue again and looked down at the book in front of him. But thanks to that wicked little fox, not a single word entered his head.