SAFBIAN Ch 87

Chapter 87

Grasping her waist as if out of breath, she panted for a while, then abruptly declared nonsense.

Where had she picked up such useless talk again?

Hong furrowed his brow.

No wonder she keeps getting scolded by the Royal Head Court Lady, always chasing after rumors instead of doing her duties.

‘…I was just going to shut the window. Why did our eyes have to meet at that moment?’

Hong was already in a sensitive state, what with court ladies constantly peeking around to catch a glimpse of the rare white fox.

Only three people were allowed into the fox’s quarters, except when absolutely necessary. That meant only those three were responsible for caring for the fox.

Among them, Haewon, the royal physician, checked the fox’s nutritional state three times a day and was busy preparing decoctions. And to get the fox to take the medicine, he had to spend all his energy chasing it down, since it would hide the moment it caught the scent of the concoction.

The clever fox was an expert at finding hidden corners within the residence. Moreover, having been granted the largest palace in the imperial grounds, it was no easy task. Every time Haewon returned with the well-hidden fox, his face would be dripping with sweat.

Of course, other than those times, the fox ate and slept well.

‘Our Fox is perfection incarnate!’

It could push open the lid of the ornament box with its pretty snout and even pull open the drawer of the mother-of-pearl cabinet with its fluffy forepaws—a truly smart fox.

Not only that, but it was adorable even when it yawned lazily or stretched its long legs luxuriously.

‘Foxes are supposed to be timid and sensitive by nature.’

Contrary to his concerns, the fox didn’t even nip—making it surprisingly easy to care for. Every time Hong brushed the fox’s fur while it lay belly-down in a sunny spot, he felt that being transferred here had been the luckiest moment of his life.

But who would have thought such deadly cuteness would bring trouble?

Hong cast a subtle sideways glance.

Fingerprints were smudged all over a surface that had been wiped spotless.

…If he ignored it, he might get dragged to a secluded spot and lectured about how “once a senior, always a senior,” and the hierarchical order of the court ladies. That’s what he was trying to avoid.

“I haven’t heard anything.”

Regardless, he couldn’t just drive her away the moment she arrived.

Hong lowered his voice, glancing toward the fox who was nibbling on a snack behind them. Even though it was unlikely the fox could understand human speech, it sometimes seemed like it did, and that made him cautious.

‘…Haban? Getting married?’

But despite Hong’s efforts, the fox lost interest in his snack the moment he heard that and perked his ears toward them.

The older court lady, oblivious, continued her talk.

“You know, the princess from the Kingdom of Jin! It’s her! They say the reason she’s staying in the imperial palace is because of His Majesty!”

“You must be mistaken. She’s here as the head of the diplomatic envoy.”

At first, Dori had been mildly curious, eavesdropping lightly. But before he knew it, he was entirely focused on the conversation.

It was true—even in the original novel, Haban had considered a political marriage with the Jin Kingdom’s princess after receiving advice from Geumhu. Creak, creak—the chewy, sweet yakgwa was slowly being gouged under his claws.

“That’s not all! Even after the Jin envoy returned, she stayed behind in the Empire. What else could that mean? And in the imperial palace, no less!”

“Sis, foreign royalty usually stay in the palace.”

“You’re so dense! They’ve been walking in the rear garden together for days now!”

Thud, roll…

At the sound of something rolling, Hong turned around. The fox looked this way with wide, startled eyes.

Seeing the yakgwa fallen beneath the table, Hong hastily pushed the older court lady’s back.

“I’m busy now. Please leave.”

“Hey! What are you doing? Did you just push me?”

“I said, go.”

Dori stared blankly at the two bickering across the window sill. Unlike his usual calm demeanor, Hong was actively chasing the other court lady out.

“I’m speechless. You think you’re so high and mighty just because of that white fox? You really think a mere animal can continue receiving the Emperor’s favor? Just wait and see. I’ll be entering the Empress’s palace soon!”

The furious older court lady huffed and turned away with a sharp tug of her skirt.

After shutting the window with a snap, Hong turned to find the fox visibly drooping in spirit.

“No, no… His Majesty cherishes you so deeply…”

“That’s right! She’s just jealous and always takes it out on us.”

Hong tried to soothe the fox with gentle strokes, but the fox’s tail remained limp on the floor.

Flattening his ears, the fox refused even his favorite snack and trudged to a corner.

“…Sniff.”

Curled up facing the wall, the fox looked even smaller than usual today.

No appetite.

Pressed by both Hong and Cheong to take another bite, Dori eventually leapt off the table and hid beneath the chair.

“Oh dear… Is he sick? Ugh, this is all because of that woman!”

“I know, right? He’s never eaten this little before. Physician, is our fox all right?”

“…He picked out all the meat and only spit out the vegetables. Looks perfectly fine. Even chewed the jeon thoroughly.”

To Cheong’s worried question, Haewon replied in an exasperated tone. Dori curled his tail tightly and buried his snout in it.

After the two court ladies cleared the table and Haewon finally got him to drink the medicine, Dori, now lying on the bedding, slapped his tail on the ground in irritation.

The room felt too hot today. Dori suddenly got up, jumped off the bedding, and opened the door leading to the bathing room.

Casting a glance at the tiger-shaped fixture, he pressed the wooden plate that controlled the hot and cold water. Cold water gushed out first, and when he stepped on the next plate, warm water slowly began to flow after a short delay.

Just as he was about to dip his paw into the lukewarm water, Dori saw his reflection and—poof!—transformed into a human.

“At this rate, even after this possession ends, I’ll still be crawling on all fours.”

Front paws now felt more natural than hands.

Grumbling, Dori sank into the water, submerging half his body.

To begin with, it wasn’t the news of Haban’s marriage that surprised him. That had already happened in the original story, and Haban ended up with someone else anyway.

In the original, Haban’s domineering nature and unchecked power were emphasized as signs of cruelty, but he wasn’t incompetent.

The story was “angsty” because Haban, the main top, had done many unforgivable things to Dori, the main bottom.

Indeed, Haban had taken Geumhu’s advice and considered marrying the Jin Kingdom’s princess. But in that arc, Dori, who had been ridiculed by court ladies, tried to escape the palace upon learning of it. Haban became enraged, and the marriage was nearly canceled—only for Geumhu and the princess to end up together instead.

‘This is ridiculous, seriously.’

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

‘I finally made up my mind to stay in the palace. Do I need to escape again?’

Splash.

Dori closed his eyes tightly and lay completely underwater. The buoyant sensation and suffocating pressure came all at once.

In truth, what shocked Dori when he overheard Hong and the court lady’s conversation wasn’t Haban’s marriage—he already knew that from the original.

As his breath hit its limit, a small bubble escaped from his mouth.

And just when he couldn’t endure it any longer—

“Puhah!”

Dori surfaced, gasping.

When the door opened, Haban looked down at his feet. The fox usually waited right there, having heard him coming from afar with his excellent hearing.

But today, he was nowhere to be seen.

“I made time to come see him, and instead of my fox, there’s just a giant cotton ball?”

As Haban entered, the door closed behind him.

At his words, the fox glanced at him once, snorted, then uncoiled and climbed up to the window ledge.

“I told you not to climb up there. It’s dangerous.”

For some reason, Dori’s turned back looked resolute. His long, white tail swished with irritation, clearly displeased.

Sensing the fox wouldn’t come when called, Haban quickly scanned the room. A red collar on the table. White fur scattered here and there. A fox that wouldn’t even glance at him.

“Tch.”

Haban pressed his fingers against his furrowed brow in frustration.

Before leaving the office, he had sent a eunuch ahead with a message for Geumhu.

He had meant to say he would be going out with the fox and asked them to prepare. But it seemed a miscommunication led someone to interpret it as “put a collar on the fox.” For those who only knew Dori as a beast, it was probably inevitable.

‘So that’s what it was.’

Realizing the collar had hurt Dori’s feelings, Haban walked toward him. Thankfully, the fox didn’t run away like earlier.

Haban placed both hands on the window ledge, trapping Dori in between. He leaned down, resting his chin on the top of the fox’s head—his warm back pressed against Haban’s chest.

Warmth.

He still had to keep the fox close to believe it was real.

“Hrrng.”

Suddenly, Dori’s back trembled.

“What’s wrong? Are you crying?”

Caught off guard, Haban gently tilted the fox’s chin upward. Though no tears had welled in his eyes, his usually round golden pupils looked droopy and sulky.

“Yip!”

The annoyed fox flailed his forepaws and wriggled free. Then, he darted off, grabbed his clothes, and disappeared behind the folding screen.

Haban debated following but decided to wait.

Soon enough, Dori came out, barely dressed, his face flushed red.

With an indignant tone, he blurted,

“How… how could you do that!”

“What do you mean?”

Haban watched Dori’s every move as he asked. He looked like he was about to rush into his arms but stopped short.

His lips parted for a moment, then clamped shut. He clearly had something to say but was hesitating. The way his eyes darted around as he deliberated made it obvious he wouldn’t speak easily.

Haban took Dori’s hand and gently led him to a chair. Pouring a cup of water, he handed it over. After downing it in one gulp, Dori finally seemed to make up his mind and asked—