Night had fallen.
The lights in the bedroom went out, and thick blackout curtains blocked even the moonlight. In the darkness, only Adrian’s rhythmic breathing could be heard.
The fox remained cradled in Adrian’s embrace. His arm wrapped firmly around the fox’s waist, and his chin rested atop the fox’s head. It was a bit stifling, but tolerable.
The wait was long. The fox held its breath, waiting until Adrian fell into a deep sleep. Eventually, the moment came when Adrian’s heartbeat slowed and his muscles completely relaxed.
That’s when it happened.
Slowly.
Like a snake coiling itself, a dark energy began to gather and emerge from around Adrian’s solar plexus. It was still fainter than when the fox had first seen it. But it was completely different from the faint smoke it had seen during the day. If the daytime version had been like ink endlessly diluted with water, this was like thick, viscous ink that seemed ready to stain one’s hands.
‘There it is.’
The fox’s eyes snapped open like a predator spotting its prey.
This was it. The bad smoke tormenting Adrian.
The fox carefully lifted its head. Very slowly, it raised its body to avoid waking Adrian. Even in the darkness, the fox’s blue eyes didn’t lose sight of its prey. The dark energy wriggled as if alive, trying to cover Adrian’s face. It must be the culprit preventing him from sleeping.
‘No. Get away from there.’
The fox placed its front paws on Adrian’s chest and brought its snout toward his nape where the dark energy gathered most thickly. A fishy smell stung its nose. It was a stench that made its fur instinctively bristle, but the fox didn’t hesitate.
Chomp. Gulp. Swallow.
The sensation on its tongue was cold and slippery. A nauseating feeling, like chewing undercooked innards, rose up its throat.
‘Ugh.’
Swallowing back a dry heave, the fox forced the dark mass down its throat. Wherever its tongue touched, the dark energy came along with it.
With each swallow, its stomach tingled. It felt like ice chunks were dropping into its stomach, then immediately heating up hot as lava.
The orb began spinning like crazy. Whirr, whirr, whirr. It felt like a motor was running inside its chest.
‘Ugh… there’s so much.’
No matter how much it ate, there was no end. Just how much rotten meat was inside Adrian’s body? The fox worked its tongue without a moment to breathe. Its jaw was getting stiff.
Then Adrian’s brow furrowed in his sleep. Whether he was having a nightmare or feeling the weight of the fox pressing on his nape, he turned his head to the side and made a pained sound.
“Mmm…”
His hand unconsciously groped for the fox’s back. His grip on its fur was strong.
‘Ah, it hurts.’
The fox flinched at the pain of its skin being pulled, but it didn’t back away. Instead, it pressed even closer. The dark energy had tried to scatter as Adrian tossed and turned. It couldn’t let it escape.
The fox planted its front paws firmly near Adrian’s collarbone and bit down on the dark smoke trying to flee. A cold energy seeped between its teeth.
Gulp.
It swallowed the largest, densest mass.
In that instant, its head spun.
It was toxic. So toxic that its vision flashed white. Its limbs tingled and it felt like electricity was running all the way to the tip of its tail. It heard a hallucination of the orb creaking as if overloaded.
But seeing him sleeping peacefully without breaking a single drop of cold sweat, the fox couldn’t stop. The fox continued nibbling away for quite some time until the dark smoke was no longer visible at all.
Done.
Finally, the fox collapsed onto Adrian’s chest, breathing heavily. Its stomach felt ready to burst. It was so full that breathing was difficult. A bitter taste vibrated in its mouth and its head felt hazy as if drunk.
This is hard…
The fox stuck out its tongue and panted.
Adrian slept obliviously. Unaware of the battle the fox had waged on top of him, he simply slept deeply, reassured by the fact that the fox was by his side. His hand sought the fox again. This time, instead of gripping tightly, he gently stroked its back.
“……”
A breath like a sigh escaped in his sleep, reaching the fox’s ear. It was warm. The complete opposite of the cold curse it had just swallowed.
The fox surrendered itself to Adrian’s touch. Though its stomach was bloated and its mouth tasted bitter, seeing Adrian’s peaceful face made all the suffering feel worthwhile.
Sleep well.
The fox patted Adrian’s chin with its front paw.
This is all thanks to me. You know? I ate it all.
Of course, Adrian didn’t know. He wasn’t supposed to know, Theodor had said.
The fox felt a little sad. It wanted to be praised by Adrian. It wanted to receive more delicious honey. It wanted to see him happy. But since the fox hated the thought of Adrian pushing it away more than death itself, it kept its mouth firmly shut.
Instead, it decided to reward itself. The fox buried its nose in Adrian’s nape, the warmest spot where the pulse beat strongest. It smelled good. Where the fishy curse smell had disappeared, only Adrian’s characteristic cool and heavy body scent remained.
It liked this smell.
The fox pressed its cheek there and closed its eyes. Its stomach was so full that it didn’t even want to move.
Tomorrow morning when it woke up, its stomach might hurt again. The orb might throw a tantrum again, demanding it transform into a human. But right now, with Adrian’s heartbeat sounding like a lullaby, it decided to postpone its worries.
And so the fox’s secret nighttime treatment came to an end.
***
Several days passed.
Adrian’s complexion had noticeably improved. The shadow of death that had darkened under his eyes had lifted, and his previously pallid, lifeless cheeks now held a faint flush. The sharp, taut nerves had also loosened, and he frequently let things slide quietly when a maid spilled tea or Kael was late organizing documents.
People in the palace whispered of a miracle. They murmured that Priest Theodor’s divine power had finally shown its brilliance, and praise rippled through the corridors that his position as the next pope was as good as secured.
But the real protagonist of that miracle was currently sprawled in the corner of the sofa. The fox was completely buried between the cushions, not budging an inch.
Its stomach was bulging as if ready to burst. It wasn’t simply that it had gotten fat. Because it couldn’t tolerate even the slightest bit of dark smoke and had gobbled up Adrian’s curse every night before fully digesting it, its stomach was always filled to the brim with undigested energy.
‘So heavy…’
Its body felt like a waterlogged comforter. It couldn’t be bothered to even wiggle a toe. In the past, it would have knocked over an inkwell out of boredom, or climbed and hung from the curtains. But now it didn’t want to, nor did it have the energy.
The fox wanted to be helpful. It wanted to be a wonderful savior who cured Adrian’s illness, not a troublemaker who created more work. Besides, the orb was spinning non-stop to break down the massive energy that had entered its stomach, so the fox found even breathing taxing.
Adrian lifted his eyes from his documents and looked toward the sofa. The black furball lying by the window didn’t move at all. Except for its back rising and falling regularly with each breath, it had been in this state for days.
“……”
Adrian set down his pen and rose from his seat. Normally the fox would perk up its ears at the sound of someone approaching, but it only drowsily lifted its eyelids before closing them again.
He crouched in front of the sofa and stroked the fox’s back.
“You’ve been quite docile lately. You used to be unable to stay still for even a moment. Where did that spirit you had when breaking open the honey jar go?”
His tone made it unclear whether he was praising or worrying. Instead of answering, the fox only flicked the tip of its tail slightly.
‘I don’t have any spirit. I’m just full.’
It mumbled internally, but of course it didn’t reach Adrian. Adrian interpreted the fox’s change differently. He seemed to believe that the experience of nearly dying after getting lost in the forest had made this small creature mature.
“I wonder if you’ve matured, or if you’re scared. It’s certainly convenient that you’re not causing trouble… but it’s strange that you’re so quiet.”
Adrian lifted the fox to meet it at eye level. Its drooping body was heavy.
“And you seem to have gotten heavier.”
Adrian’s gaze moved downward.
“Have you gained weight?”
The fox instinctively tried to suck in its stomach. But its bloated belly remained stubbornly in place. Adrian chuckled and poked the fox’s plump belly with his finger.
“I suppose it’s because you’re eating well. Theodor said so. During recovery, eating a lot and sleeping a lot is best.”
Wherever Adrian’s hand touched, a pleasant warmth was transmitted. Right now, there wasn’t a trace of that rotten smell.
‘Because I ate it.’
The fox felt somewhat proud and rubbed its cheek against Adrian’s palm.
That’s when it happened.
Gurrrrgle.
A thunderous sound came from the fox’s stomach. It wasn’t a small, cute sound. It echoed loudly through the study that had been silent.
“……”
Adrian’s hand stopped. The fox froze too. Its face burned with embarrassment. It was fortunate that its face turning red wasn’t visible because of its fur. The fox subtly averted its gaze and feigned ignorance.
“Your digestion seems to be going very well.”
Adrian pretended not to notice and gently rubbed the fox’s belly in circles.
“Should we go out for a walk? You’ve been lying down continuously, so your stomach must feel heavy.”
A walk. At that word, the fox’s eyes sparkled. It had been frustrating being confined indoors for days, only digesting. Getting some fresh air outside seemed like it would settle its churning stomach a bit.
“Kyak!”
The fox wagged its tail as if to say yes.
