Knock knock.
A cautious knocking sound shattered the peace.
“Your Majesty, it’s Kael.”
“Come in.”
The door opened and Kael entered. Seeing Adrian sitting on the bed, Kael’s eyes widened.
“Your Majesty, are you all right?”
“Yes. I slept very well.”
At those words, Kael’s eyes grew even wider. Slept well? Had Theodor’s divine power been this effective? Or had he secretly trained alone without Kael knowing? Either way, it didn’t matter. The Emperor’s condition had improved noticeably, which was nothing but good news.
Adrian stood up from his seat while holding the fox. His stiff muscles screamed, but it wasn’t an unpleasant pain.
“What time is it?”
“A full day has already passed. Shall I have breakfast prepared?”
Only then did Adrian realize his stomach was empty. For the past few days, everything had tasted like sand and he’d barely managed to swallow water, yet hadn’t felt hungry—but now he felt ravenous.
“I’m hungry.”
“I’ll prepare it right away. Shall I bring up some soft porridge, or…”
“No. Meat would be good. A portion for this one too.”
Adrian gestured with his chin toward the fox in his arms. The fox perked up its ears at the word ‘meat.’
“And honey too. Plenty of it.”
The fox’s eyes sparkled. Honey! Its stomach had been feeling upset, and sweet honey seemed like it would soothe the uncomfortable feeling. Adrian lightly tapped the fox’s nose.
“This is a reward. For coming back, thank you.”
The fox tapped Adrian’s arm with its front paw and whined impatiently as if demanding it quickly. At that sight, a faint smile appeared on Adrian’s lips.
“If you want, I can give you more. Not just honey—everything you want, I can give you everything.”
He meant it. Only after losing the fox had he been forced to admit it. The fact that he could no longer let this fox go. He could no longer sleep without the fox. Just the thought of the fox disappearing easily shook his daily life. He had vowed not to give his affection, yet he had already given away too much.
“So, never disappear from my sight again.”
Adrian’s thumb slowly rubbed the fox’s ear. Though it was a command, the end of it had crumbled into something close to a plea.
“Because I can’t sleep without you.”
The fox stopped licking Adrian’s finger and raised its head. Deep, sunken golden eyes held its reflection. That gaze was so intense and heavy that the fox momentarily held its breath.
It wasn’t simply the eyes of an owner looking at a pet. Nor were they the eyes of a parent watching a child left at the water’s edge. It was like… the desperation of someone holding onto a lifeline.
The fox didn’t avoid that gaze and leaned its cheek against Adrian’s palm. The rough texture of his palm felt good.
‘Yes. I won’t go. If you tell me to sleep, I’ll sleep. If you tell me to stay, I’ll stay.’
The fox wrapped its tail around Adrian’s wrist.
The meal was quiet but lively. Adrian seated the fox on the chair across from him at the table. Normally he would have put it down on the floor to eat, but today was special. He cut well-roasted pheasant meat into small pieces and placed them on the fox’s plate.
The fox hastily swallowed the meat. Perhaps having used a lot of energy digesting the bad energy, it was starving.
As expected, the meat Adrian gives is the most delicious.
The fox stuffed meat into its mouth until its cheeks were bursting and chewed. As the juices filled its mouth, the unpleasant bitter taste seemed to gradually fade.
Adrian also continued his meal slowly. The plate that normally wouldn’t even be half-emptied was completely cleared. Watching this, the maids stepped carefully, afraid that this peace might be broken.
As the meal was nearly finished, Kael brought a small jar. When he opened the lid, a strong sweet scent wafted out. The fox stopped wiping its lips with its tongue and raised its head sharply. Adrian scooped up a spoonful of honey and brought it to the fox’s mouth.
“Here. The honey you wanted. Eat to your heart’s content.”
The fox stuck out its tongue without hesitation. The sticky, sweet liquid wrapped around its tongue. Yes, this taste. The maddeningly sweet and fantastic taste of honey. It was sweet enough to make its head tingle, but right now this stimulation was desperately needed. The fox sucked up the honey as if it would eat the spoon too.
“Eat slowly. No one’s going to steal it from you.”
Adrian scooped another spoonful of honey and offered it to the fox. Normally he would have stopped here saying it was enough, but he gave the fox more honey than usual. It was because he hoped the fox wouldn’t cause a commotion again due to lack of honey. He didn’t want to lose the fox ever again.
That’s when it happened. The fox’s body that had been swallowing honey suddenly stiffened. A gurgling sound came from deep in its stomach, and a pain like its insides were twisting passed through.
‘Ugh…’
The fox furrowed its brow and curled up its belly. It wasn’t a simple stomachache. The black energy it had swallowed earlier seemed to be colliding inside as it mixed with the honey. The orb whirred and generated heat.
“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere? Did you eat too fast?”
Adrian noticed the fox’s abnormality and put down the spoon, lifted the fox, placed it on his lap, and stroked its back. As the warm touch reached it, the pain seemed to subside a little. The fox entrusted its body to Adrian’s hand and panted.
‘No, I’m fine. I’m just digesting it.’
The fox tried to wag its tail forcibly to avoid worrying him, but couldn’t hide its weakness. Adrian’s eyes narrowed. He carefully felt the fox’s belly. It was puffed up full, but wasn’t hard or excessively hot.
“Should I call a physician?”
The fox shook its head. No. If a physician examined it and discovered that it was sick from eating Adrian’s curse, Adrian would surely try to distance himself. That was unacceptable.
“You don’t want that? Then it would be better to call Theodor.”
The fox shook its head once more. There was no need to call Theodor either. It was only because it had absorbed far more curses than before; it would gradually improve with time. The fox playfully bit Adrian’s finger lightly to indicate it was fine, looking at Adrian who was watching it with worried eyes.
“Ying! Ang!”
“…You’re acting like a child who hates going to the hospital.”
Adrian didn’t withdraw his suspicious gaze, but seeing the fox moving actively, he let out a sigh.
“All right. You might just be tired. Let’s lie down today without doing anything.”
Adrian carried the fox and headed to the bedroom. He laid the fox next to the pillow and lay down beside it himself. The fox curled its body into a ball. It could feel Adrian’s gaze. He quietly watched over the fox.
“I had them search the entire forest.”
Adrian spoke quietly.
“They dug up wolf dens, collected every trap there was. I had them search not just the forest but the entire capital. But they didn’t find a single strand of fur.”
He reached out and fiddled with the fox’s ear. The black ear trembled.
“I was very worried about you. That you…”
He couldn’t continue and closed his mouth. A moment of silence flowed.
“That you might have died.”
Death.
Does the weight that word carries press down heavily even on a beast?
The end of Adrian’s voice cracked microscopically. The fox stopped its tail that had been swishing pleasantly. He had been afraid that the fox might truly disappear, or die and cease to exist.
The fox raised its front paw and tapped Adrian’s cheek.
I didn’t die. I’m right here.
As it rubbed his cheek comfortingly, Adrian grasped the fox’s paw and pressed it deeper against his own cheek. His warmth transmitted through the palm was hotter than usual. Relief seemed to rise as heat.
“Yes. You’re here.”
Adrian pulled the fox close as if giving it an arm pillow and laid it down. Leaning his back against the headboard, he pulled up the blanket and covered the fox up to its neck. It looked as if he were putting a person to bed. Inside the blanket was warm and cozy. Adrian’s scent permeating the sheets tickled its nose. But the fox couldn’t feel completely comfortable.
Gurgle.
The sound of thunder rumbled in its stomach again. The black smoke it had swallowed earlier was churning inside its stomach. It had tried to suppress it with honey and meat, but fundamentally it was foreign matter that was difficult to digest. The vibration of the orb whirring and spinning fiercely was transmitted through its ribs.
Did I eat too much?
Originally it should have been left to absorb slowly and naturally, but perhaps because it had swallowed a vast amount all at once thinking it needed to save Adrian, the fox orb seemed unable to exert its full power.
“Your belly must be very full. You got greedy.”
Unaware of this fact, Adrian patted the fox’s belly over the blanket. His tone was reproachful but his touch was affectionate. The warmth of his palm rubbing its belly in rolling motions penetrated through its skin. That warmth loosened its knotted insides somewhat.
The fox narrowed its eyes while entrusting its body to Adrian’s touch. Its stomach feeling bloated was true. But rather than unpleasant pain, it was closer to the feeling of overeating. The heavy energy filling its stomach spread to its limbs, making its joints feel languid. The orb must be breaking down the black energy into small pieces and purifying it.
‘I’m sleepy…’
Its eyelids became heavy as a thousand pounds. Adrian kept talking to it, but that voice gradually became muffled like hearing underwater.
“Let’s go out to the garden tomorrow. We’ll also go near the fountain you liked…”
Adrian seemed determined not to stop talking until the fox fell asleep. Like someone afraid the fox might disappear again if silence flowed, he constantly tried to confirm the fox’s presence.
Instead of answering, the fox burrowed into Adrian’s waist. Then it curled up with its forehead against his firm abs. Adrian’s heartbeat pounding regularly drummed against its ear.
Thump, thump, thump.
That sound was a lullaby, and at the same time proof of being alive.
You don’t hurt anymore, right?
Even in its drowsiness, the fox checked Adrian’s body. The black smoke it had seen yesterday was nowhere to be seen.
I ate it all.
A sense of pride washed over it. The fox fell into a deep sleep with a faint smile on its lips.
