Adrian’s gaze stealthily drifted to the side. Had that one understood this conversation? If he were an ordinary beast it would be one thing, but this fox was different. There had been more than a few times when he showed eyes that seemed to understand human speech.
Fortunately, the fox was currently absorbed in the most important thing in the world. Crouched before his food bowl, he was preoccupied with swallowing finely chopped meat pieces. Seeing his pink tongue moving swiftly to lick the bottom of the bowl, it seemed he hadn’t heard after all.
However, Adrian’s worries didn’t end there. Rather, an even more troublesome problem weighed on his mind.
How should I feed that medicine today?
Yesterday’s disaster was vivid.
Though he’d cleverly hidden it in the meat, the fox spat it out immediately after taking just one bite. That gaze filled with betrayal at that moment! In the end, Adrian had to hold down the struggling fox and forcibly push in the medicine, and the price was harsh. The fox ignored him all day. That anger had only dissipated after nearly a full day had passed.
Yet today, he had to repeat the exact same thing again.
If he forcibly fed the medicine, this time it definitely wouldn’t end in one day. He’d probably hole up in a corner of the room for several days at least. But he couldn’t skip the medicine either. It was better to be hated than for this fur ball to be sick.
Adrian swallowed a deep sigh and accepted the medicine packet. The rustling of the paper touching his fingertips felt especially heavy.
‘Another battle ahead.’
A vivid scene was already unfolding in his mind. The fox curled up tight in the deepest corner under the bed, in the dust-filled darkness. And himself kneeling and prostrating before him, pathetically pleading, “Please, just eat it once. Okay? It’s for your health.”
The Emperor of a nation, no less.
‘How on earth did it come to this because of one small beast?’
Recalling the skirmishes that would repeat for the next three days, his appetite completely disappeared. He no longer wanted the warm bread or freshly baked bacon the servant who brought breakfast had prepared. Even the headache that had subsided for a while seemed to throb sharply at his temples again.
It was when Adrian was frowning and holding the medicine packet in his hand.
The head maid, who’d been silently watching that sight, carefully took a step closer. Having guarded the palace for many years, she seemed to have immediately figured out what the Emperor was troubled about.
“Your Majesty.”
Her voice gently broke the silence.
“If you’re pondering how to feed the fox the medicine… would it be acceptable for me to present one solution?”
A solution?
At that single word, Adrian’s eyes changed. He turned his head almost reflexively and looked straight at the head maid. A thin light of hope dwelt in his eyes.
“Speak.”
“How about mixing the medicine powder into honey? Even animals with the most sensitive sense of smell won’t notice. Nothing masks bitter taste and scent better than sweet honey.”
Adrian’s eyes momentarily expanded and sparkled. Like someone discovering light in darkness, his expression brightened.
That’s right. That was it. Sweet things were best for neutralizing bitterness.
“Bring it immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Once permission fell, the head maid immediately had another maid bring a small jar containing top-grade acacia honey. Adrian scooped up plenty of sticky honey on a silver spoon and carefully sprinkled medicine powder on top of it. The bitter medicine powder completely disappeared into the honey’s rich sweetness and sticky texture.
“Fox.”
Waeng?
When he called gently, the fox who’d finished eating and was licking his mouth raised his head with curious eyes. When a spoon full of honey sparkling golden like Adrian’s eyes approached right before his nose, the fox’s nose began moving busily.
What’s this?
A sweet yet deep fragrance stimulated the tip of his nose.
“……!”
This is… honey!
The fox, who’d been about to rush over at any moment, suddenly hesitated.
Adrian thought he’d detected the scent of medicine hidden in the honey. But that wasn’t it. It was from when the fox had set foot on this unfamiliar land not long ago.
What spread before the fox who’d first arrived in this country aboard a trade ship wasn’t vast, peaceful nature. It was a chaotic, complicated village bustling with humans in unfamiliar attire.
Dropped there knowing nothing, the fox hid and survived by scrounging through garbage piles for leftover food scraps. However, even that wasn’t easy. His shabby shelter was stolen by fiercer-than-expected field mice, and he had to wander from place to place avoiding brooms wielded by people who mistook him for a diseased stray dog.
Then he finally discovered a forest.
He’d expected it would be better than living in the human village. But reality differed from expectations. There were already other animals who’d each established their territories, and no one welcomed the unfamiliar fox.
Eventually, after wandering in the forest for days unable to eat anything, a sweet fragrance somehow seeped to the fox’s nose. Following that scent, what the fox discovered was a beehive fallen on the ground. From it with its countless small holes, liquid sparkling in the sunlight was gradually seeping out.
The fox, suffering from starvation for days, rushed over frantically, but before tasting even a drop of that sweet honey, he was attacked by an angry swarm of bees and had to be chased away miserably after being stung all over his body.
Surely this doesn’t have those terrifying bees, right…?
The fox carefully examined the honey jar Adrian held out. There were no places riddled with holes, nor bees with sharp needles on their rear ends.
After a moment’s hesitation, he let down his guard and carefully stuck out the tip of his pink tongue to lick the honey slightly. At that moment, both eyes widened as if engulfed in surprise and ecstasy.
My goodness, it was this delicious!
It was a sweet, marvelous taste different from meat. Only now did he understand the bees’ fury. The fox himself wouldn’t stand idle if someone tried to steal his food either.
Lick, lick, lick!
The tiny tongue began moving fiercely across the spoon. In an instant, the spoon became clean as if licked. As if that wasn’t enough, the fox even licked Adrian’s hand while whining pitifully for more.
“I know, I know. Wait. I’ll give you more.”
At the sight of the fox ready to sell even his soul for the sweet taste, unaware bitter medicine was mixed in, Adrian felt relieved. I should have fed it this way from the start. It was a solution so simple that yesterday’s suffering over one pill felt futile.
When he scooped another spoonful, the guy completely captivated by the honey taste rushed over. He ate so hastily that sticky honey ended up all over the black fur around his nose tip and muzzle.
“How sloppy.”
Adrian clicked his tongue lightly. If he didn’t wipe it off, he’d definitely go around covered in dust while still sticky. Already knowing through experience that this small life form extremely disliked water, he instructed a maid to bring a towel dampened with warm water while withdrawing the spoon that had already become clean.
“Alright, that’s all for today.”
“Kking…?”
At Adrian’s words, wistful regret seeped into the fox’s blue eyes. Soon the fox began circling his legs and sneakily rubbing his body. Wordless affection asking for more.
Is this a pig or a fox?
Did he want to eat more even after eating that much? It was simply amazing how so much food could fit in this tiny body.
Was it because he lived in the wild?
He’d heard that when animals who lived outside first encounter proper food, they eat without control due to fear of hunger, but he couldn’t tell if this small fur ball was like that for that reason or if he simply had a large stomach compared to his size.
Adrian put away the spoon and jar while firmly cutting him off.
“Eating too many sweet things is bad for your body. I’ll give you more tomorrow, so endure it today.”
The fox made a short “Ing” sound with regret and licked around his mouth, but didn’t beg for more. He seemed to trust that he’d keep his promise.
“Good boy.”
At the praise given because the sight of him enduring without throwing a tantrum was admirable, the fox pricked up one ear and looked up at him. As if pleased to be praised, he showed his tail swishing back and forth.
Adrian lifted that fox and seated him on his lap. Just then, a maid brought a warm wet towel. Seeing the Emperor kneel on one knee on the floor trying to wipe the fox himself, she hastily spoke.
“Your Majesty. We will do it.”
“No, it’s fine. Withdraw.”
The maids exchanged glances among themselves, then quietly left the office.
“Now, let’s wipe you off.”
In the space now left with just himself and the fox, he began carefully wiping the honey stuck around the fox’s mouth.
The fox at first seemed to find the hands touching his body bothersome and twisted his body, but soon seemed to like the warmth of the warm towel and docilely entrusted his body. He even attempted to stick out his small tongue to lick after smelling the sweet honey scent wafting from that towel.
Seeing him obsess over honey to that extent, Adrian momentarily worried whether mixing honey into the medicine had truly been the right choice.
