SAFBIAN Ch 34

Chapter 34

 

On the way to the elder’s room, a red fox, brushing off dust as it entered, made him stop in his tracks. It was one of the village foxes known to be particularly loyal to the elder.

Wonwoo frowned slightly before quickly smoothing out his expression.

“Are you done already?”

“Oh, no way. Not yet. We decided to postpone it to the afternoon since we thought we’d eat lunch first.”

“Everyone must be tired. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”

“Don’t say that. Everyone in the village knows you work the hardest. You’re not only taking care of the elder’s affairs but also nursing him.”

Several sturdy red foxes were helping divert the waterway in the valley. Wonwoo was guarding the estate under the pretext of caring for the sick elder.

“It’s nothing. It’s only natural that I do it.”

“Still, that’s not right. Is that the elder’s medicine?”

The red fox glanced at the white medicine bowl and asked. Wonwoo smiled calmly as he answered.

“Yes. I’m worried since he doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”

“I heard you’ve been picking herbs from the mountain yourself? The elder will surely recover soon, seeing how devoted you are. Here, give it to me. Looks like you haven’t had lunch yet either. Go eat something.”

“It’s fine. You must be tired from all the work. Please rest a little.”

Wonwoo subtly turned his body to prevent the tray from being taken.

He was worried the careless fox might spill it. Brewing the medicine wasn’t hard, but he didn’t want to risk having to prepare the poison again.

The red fox smiled fondly, his eyes narrowing with warmth.

“You must be short on time with your newlywed life and Horie and all, and yet you’re still helping out. Thanks again. Please take good care of the elder.”

Saying he’d try to take a short nap, the red fox walked off. Wonwoo waited until he was completely out of sight before knocking on the door.

“Elder, it’s Wonwoo.”

A brief cough sounded from inside.

When he opened the door and entered, the elder was leaning against a long pillow, barely gasping for breath. For a fox who had briefly collapsed as if unconscious, his hollow cheeks and dark eye bags were unsettling.

Wonwoo set down the tray beside the elder, hiding his cold gaze.

The days were getting longer. Dori, sitting on the windowsill and looking out, jumped up onto the desk.

Normally, there would have been a scroll there that Haban was reading. His claws made a soft tapping sound against the surface.

‘Hmm.’

Dori tilted his head curiously.

Haban had been busy lately. At some point, Geumhu had come with a sour expression and told him something. After that, Haban had given her a well-dried sweet potato as a treat for the fox.

Because of the grimace Haban made when Dori immediately jumped down from his lap at the sight of the sweet potato, Dori had been avoiding both Geumhu and Haban lately.

‘Seriously, such jealousy.’

Dori giggled to himself.

He didn’t think Haban acted like that just because of the treat. After all, the beef served three times a day was more expensive than that.

‘His temper is the worst.’

But contrary to his inward complaints, Dori wagged his tail. He was always thirsty for affection from anyone.

Thinking of Haban made him feel good, so Dori flopped onto his back.

Anyway.

‘Now’s the perfect time to plan an escape.’

Dori sat up, snapping back to focus.

Life in the palace was better than expected. There was always plenty to eat, and the bed was warm.

‘And unlike the red fox village, no one beats me here, no one scolds me for sleeping in.’

The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he was. At this rate, staying as a fox for the rest of the possession might not be so bad.

The only problem was that everything depended on Haban’s favor.

For now, it was fine. But once the emperor lost interest, who knew what his fate would be? In the worst case, as Haban had once joked, his fur might be peeled off entirely.

‘Don’t get it twisted. This won’t last.’

The book was written around Dori’s misfortune. One shocking betrayal was enough—Wonwoo’s was plenty.

Dori licked the sugar from the corner of his mouth.

It was the remains of a rice cake he had eaten as a snack. It had been grilled to a golden brown, coated with honey, then rolled in sugar. It was delicious. After eating two long pieces, his belly was full and round.

‘Did I… gain weight?’

Dori pressed his lower belly with his front paw. It bounced back with a strange resilience.

‘No way.’

Dori chose to ignore the truth. After all, no matter what he looked like, he was still his favorite, ‘Dori,’ and that meant he was always cute.

His mind, which had wandered for a moment, returned to the main issue.

‘Still, the best plan is independence.’

A life without Wonwoo’s threats or Haban’s watchful eyes. Of course, there wouldn’t be such fine food or bedding, but there would be freedom.

Dori began listing what he needed to leave the palace.

First, money.

‘Absolutely essential. No exceptions!’

Even if there was a chance of dying and returning to reality, he didn’t want to die of starvation or exposure in this world.

Since he had entered the novel anyway and vowed to lay a path of flowers for his fox self, he should at least prepare a humble thatched house, if not a grand tile-roofed mansion.

Anyway, this time, he’d rob Haban’s wallet if he had to.

Next were clothes and shoes.

‘Haban doesn’t know Dori’s human face.’

When escaping the palace, he had to transform into a human instead of fleeing as a fox. For that, he needed clothes and shoes. Running around the palace naked would be even more dangerous than being a fox.

‘I should find a dog hole too.’

Somewhere in the palace, there had to be a hole mentioned in the novel that Dori used to escape.

He didn’t know the location yet, since he hadn’t been able to leave the room, but if he wandered around under the pretense of a walk, he was bound to find it.

Lastly, a village to settle in.

‘Hmm.’

This was the hardest part.

Dori absentmindedly tried to cross his arms. Then, noticing his stubby front paws getting in the way, he looked down at them. Their rounded ends seemed to mock him.

‘Ugh.’

Dori approached the corner of the desk. The paper, brush, inkstone, and ink stick were neatly arranged.

Writing things down on paper was the best way to plan.

‘But with these paws…….’

Dori looked back and forth between his snow-white front paws and the brush, then sighed again. It might be faster to just stamp his paw in the ink and write that way.

Of course, even grinding the ink with these paws was impossible.

Dori whined in frustration.

“Fox, what is it? Do you need something?”

At that moment, Haewon, who had been weighing herbs on a scale, turned around.

Dori quickly pointed at the inkstone.

“Kyah!”

‘That!’

Haewon replied indifferently.

“That’s not for eating.”

“Kaaang!”

‘I know that already!’

Dori jumped down and grabbed Haewon’s pant leg with his teeth. He was trying to pull him toward the desk, but the sudden tug made Haewon stagger, spilling the herbs he was holding.

“You…!”

“Kyaaa!”

Dori quickly fled to the top of the desk. The tapping sound of his claws against the scratched surface went unnoticed amid the chaos.

Haewon stood up, brushing off the herbs clinging to his clothes.

“You caused trouble again, didn’t you…….”

His eyes seemed to flash with fury.

‘It wasn’t me, it was you…….’

Dori growled softly and crouched low, stretching out his hind legs.

Then, just as he nudged something in his way—

“Please, no!”

Haewon screamed.

Thud! Crash!

Startled by the heavy noise, Dori looked back.

One of the four treasures of the study had disappeared. Dori peeked over the edge. The large inkstone had half-sunk into the small drawer chest beside the desk.

…This is bad.

Dori immediately fled the scene and hid under the chair. The long cloth hanging down from the cushion draped over his white body.

“His Majesty’s inkstone…! Gasp! That expensive drawer…! That’s worth two whole houses…….”

Haewon’s scream was nothing short of dramatic.

The guards drew their swords at the sound of footsteps.

It wasn’t a threatening aura laced with killing intent. Still, their instincts made them wary, while Haban continued walking as if already knowing who the presence belonged to.

“Brother!”

The voice calling out was bright and cheerful.

When there was no response, the figure followed after him, jumping up to peek over the blue-tiled roof again and again.

Hearing yet another “Brother!”, Haban finally stopped in his tracks. He turned his head toward the wall, and there clinging to the ledge with labored breath was his only younger brother, Yungak.

“You finally looked at me!”

“What pathetic antics are these?”

When Haban stopped and turned to face him, the smile on Yungak’s face brightened despite his effort.

Sharp features, soft appearance. With his pink curly hair, Yungak looked nothing like Haban, who inherited the cold, austere looks of past emperors—he resembled their affectionate father, Jeokbi, instead.

“I came because I wanted to see you, but as you know, I’m not allowed inside your quarters. So I waited for you to pass by.”

“You already snuck over the palace walls last night. What’s so difficult about it now?”

“……Even if I said it’s my first time this month, you wouldn’t believe me, would you?”