SAFBIAN Ch 93

Chapter 93

Dori absentmindedly pressed down on the court attendant’s uniform with his front paw.

“Yelp!”

Ack! That stings!

Startled, he looked closer and found a thin, tiny needle stuck between the folds of the garment. Had one of the court staff left their sewing behind on the windowsill and forgotten about it?

Well, the weather had been unbearably hot—almost too much to work indoors.

And here I thought…

Dori had mistaken it for a warning from the original story, and his guarded heart finally relaxed.

But something felt strange. Why was he getting so sleepy?

His body felt heavy, as though he could fall asleep at any moment. His vision blurred.

Swaying like someone drunk or drugged with sleep, Dori soon collapsed onto the floor with a thud. Soft, steady breaths escaped the now-sleeping fox.

Afterward, nothing moved. Dori remained asleep, completely still—until a stranger appeared.

The visitor carried the collapsed fox to the bed and gathered the court uniform scattered on the floor, the actions so smooth and natural it seemed rehearsed. Not a hint of haste—utterly calm.

To avoid losing the needle, the person pressed it into the sleeve, then carefully rolled the garment with the other sleeve to avoid being pricked, and just before leaving the room, turned to glance back at the sleeping fox.

Puff, puff…

The fox exhaled evenly, looking completely at peace, unaware of the intruder.

Once the figure left and the door shut behind them, the room regained its former tranquility. Dori remained deeply asleep until nightfall, not waking even once.

The next day—

Haban clicked his tongue softly. For some reason, the fox lay curled up weakly. He had even allowed the fox to reveal his identity as he wished, but now he seemed to be spending even more time in fox form.

Why did he look so glum, as if burdened by some worry? Haban tried to return his gaze to the book he was reading, but the words didn’t register.

Meanwhile, Dori truly was troubled. He lay curled up, gnawing absentmindedly on the fur of his tail before falling back into deep thought again and again.

It bothers me not remembering anything before I fell asleep…

He was sure he’d dozed off on the floor, yet when he woke, he was on the bed.

He could’ve assumed that Hong or someone else had moved him. But he couldn’t remember how he had even fallen asleep. What nagged at him most was that just before drifting off, he had been examining the court uniform.

The problem is that it seems to have nothing to do with the original story.

Had he woken up outside the palace, he might’ve assumed events were unfolding as in the source.

But no matter how much he brooded, it seemed clear that waking up well-rested with a sleek, shiny coat had absolutely no connection to the original plot.

Pfft, Dori snorted in annoyance.

“Dori.”

At the sound of his name, the fox lifted his head slightly, only to bury his snout back into his tail. Flattening his ears, he let out a soft, uneasy whimper.

Yesterday, he had napped so deeply that no amount of shaking could wake him. Judging by how he had groggily rubbed his eyes just before Haban arrived, the heat must’ve drained his energy.

No wonder he’s hot like that.

Compared to the cold winter months when his coat thickened even more, his fur now was lighter—but still, like a ball stuffed with cotton, it couldn’t possibly be cool.

Haban waved his hand, sending the attendants outside.

Once those who had been nervously hovering around the fox left the bedchamber, Haban scooped up the round, curled-up ball of fur into his arms.

“Are you planning to stay like this all day?”

“…Ka-ang.”

Dori hadn’t intended to sulk. But if danger arose, it was faster to flee in fox form, so he stayed this way just in case.

That Haban didn’t understand this made Dori feel a little bitter.

“What about that walk you were so eager to take?”

“…Kka-ang?”

But a walk with Haban was different.

On his own, he had to stay in fox form to wander the palace. But with Haban, he could transform into human form and walk beside him.

It was a tempting offer, and Dori’s ears perked up, twitching of their own accord.

“There should be iced tea ready too.”

“…Sniff.”

“And didn’t you say your favorite snacks would be there…?”

Haban trailed off as if pretending to think.

Sure enough, Dori’s long ears stood upright, his tail swaying gently. Then, true to form, he squirmed in Haban’s arms and hid behind the folding screen.

When he reemerged, he was in human form and dressed—his face visibly bright. He had clearly rushed, not bothering to adjust his clothes properly; the fabric slipped from his shoulder. Without a word, Haban tidied the loose cloth and tied the knot tightly.

“Let’s go.”

The sun had finally begun to set, and the heat had eased. Haban set off with Dori toward the back garden.

But—

Why is he acting like that?

Sneaking glances behind him even while walking normally, Dori kept checking his surroundings. No one else was following them, so the only footsteps were theirs—yet Dori’s actions made him look as if he were being chased.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing, just a weird feeling…”

Tsk.

Had he noticed the shadow tailing them?

Foxes, unlike humans, were highly sensitive to even the smallest disturbances. It was frustrating. Haban made up his mind—he’d summon Seohon tomorrow and order him to keep his distance for the time being.

It irritated him to see Dori scanning his surroundings with such anxious eyes.

Surprisingly, the day passed without incident.

Whether it had all been coincidence or not, no one left court uniforms lying around again, and there were no sudden waves of sleepiness.

Even so, the smallest rustle still startled Dori, and any sense of someone nearby sent him scrambling for cover. Still, the walks he took alone had become a little lighter on the heart.

Swish, swish.

Tail swaying, he walked until he saw the entrance to the rear garden, then broke into a swift trot.

But there was already a group ahead, out for a walk.

Jipyeong?

Dori tilted his head.

“Shall we go that way instead, Lord Fox?”

Cheong, who had hurried after him, also spotted the pair and straightened his posture, puffing out his chest. Then, suddenly, he tried to lead Dori in a different direction.

Why?

Looking up at him in silent question, Dori’s eyes met Cheong’s, who quickly grasped what he meant and shot a sharp glare at the man and woman walking side by side.

“Pay them no mind. No matter what anyone says, His Majesty cherishes you the most. No matter how hard she tries, he won’t spare her a glance.”

Aha.

It was her—the princess from the Kingdom of Jin, Bihyeong.

Dori twitched his ear once as he watched Cheong pout with a frustrated expression.

Sometimes, he overheard Hong or Cheong chatting by the windows with other court staff. The gossip was mostly about the Emperor’s impending marriage.

It wasn’t mockery disguised as concern like the older maidens before, but they still sighed together, wondering what would happen if His Majesty forgot about Dori.

Still, perhaps because they all lived in the same palace, Dori had grown fond of them over time. Hearing concern from others—aside from Hong, Cheong, and Haewon—felt strangely ticklish and sweet.

But the princess is supposed to marry Jipyeong, isn’t she?

Haban had said so. There were important reasons, and they were letting the public believe otherwise to manipulate perceptions.

As Dori rolled his eyes thoughtfully, he suddenly darted toward Jipyeong and Bihyeong.

“Eek! Lord Fox!”

Cheong yelped and hiked up his robes to chase after him in a panic. Dori dashed up to the pair in a flash and barked once at Jipyeong.

“Yap!”

“Oh my! How fascinating. So this is the fox.”

Even before the flustered Jipyeong could react, Bihyeong welcomed Dori first.

Though Jipyeong tried to stop her from approaching the loose beast, she was already crouched before him.

“Hello.”

Her outfit was clearly different from those in the Empire. Instead of the long, layered garments worn here, she wore only a single piece of thin fabric that clung to her form.

It was much more practical. Dori’s mouth fell open slightly. During sweltering days like these, even two or three layers of clothes felt unbearably heavy. If only Imperial fashion were that light and comfortable.

While Bihyeong petted his head, Dori’s eyes wandered wistfully over her clothes.

“If you don’t want to be bitten, you’d best pull your hand back.”

“Ah!”

Startled by Haban’s voice, Bihyeong quickly stood. Wrongly accused, Dori spun around and barked.

“Yap! Yap!”

When did I ever!

It’s not like he hadn’t tried warning them by thumping their arm to let go. But they always held on until the very end, pushing him past his limit. How many times had he nearly suffocated before they’d let go?

Snorting, Dori scrunched his nose in protest.

Seeing her forced to retreat by Jipyeong, who feared for her safety, Dori’s white tail smacked the ground in irritation.

Geumhu felt equally annoyed by Jipyeong’s overly cautious behavior. But since he couldn’t show it openly, he redirected his frustration at the fox.

“So you’re a male too, and you like women? Couldn’t take your eyes off her, huh?”

…What?

Dori widened his eyes at Gumhu, then turned to look at Haban.

No, that’s not it!

He shook his head furiously, but Haban’s jaw tensed. The soft eyes that had just been smiling at him now looked cold and rigid.

Looking up at him from below, Dori shrank back nervously and took a few steps away—only to be scooped up before he could get far, his legs kicking helplessly in the air.

“Whatever I was about to say can wait.”

With the fox in his arms, Haban spun around before anyone could stop him and strode off without hesitation.