Since he hadn’t heard the sound of the door opening, the fox was definitely hiding somewhere in this room.
He looked around every corner of the room and suddenly lowered his gaze. The moment he peered into the shadowy space beneath the bed, he spotted something like two small marbles shining through the darkness.
There he is.
He walked toward the bed. As expected, in the deepest part under the bed, in the darkness, two blue flames were burning fiercely. A clear warning not to come closer. He wasn’t just sulking—he seemed genuinely angry.
The heart that had been opened with difficulty had shut tight again because of the medicine. The wariness had become deeper and more solid than before, making the moments he’d so carefully approached seem meaningless.
What should I do about this?
Adrian briefly pondered how he could resolve that tightly closed, sulky heart. Then, as if something occurred to him, he turned and headed back to the office. As he moved away, the blue eyes hidden in the darkness wavered ever so slightly.
A moment later, Adrian returned holding a small plate. On it were only delicious pieces of steak with no medicine mixed in. He set the plate down at a slight distance from the bed.
“Come out here. If you’re done being angry, eat this. I promised I’d give you delicious meat if you ate the medicine earlier, remember? Now you should come out and receive your reward.”
Perhaps because he’d often gone hungry, the fox had consistently shown himself crumbling in front of food. Adrian thought that no matter how sulky he was, he’d surely give in to the temptation of food this time.
However, it was contrary to his expectations. The fur ball didn’t even glance at the plate on the floor, made a small sound like snorting “Hmph,” and hid himself even deeper into the darkness without regret.
Adrian’s lips closed tightly. No one in the Empire had ever dared reject his goodwill in this manner. Yet right now, this fur ball had blatantly trampled on his sincerity. Though dumbfounded, he strangely wasn’t angry. Rather, a sense of helplessness dominated him.
“It was all for your sake. The wound will heal faster if you take the medicine.”
Reasoning with the fox, he patiently waited once again for the small rebel to walk out from the darkness on his own. However, the fur ball didn’t budge. Though it couldn’t be helped, it seemed to have come across as a tremendous betrayal to him.
“Fine. I was wrong.”
How many times was he apologizing to this fox now? His voice was so soft it sounded awkward even to his own ears.
“So won’t you please come out now?”
There was still no response from under the bed. Adrian lowered his body further, almost crawling as he reached his arm under the bed. When he extended his hand toward the fox hiding in the darkness, the fox turned away to avoid him.
He didn’t give up and tried once more. This time more carefully, he gently stroked just the tip of the tail that had emerged. His body flinched and trembled for a moment, then quickly tucked his tail inside.
A clear rejection.
What a difficult creature. Very much so.
Seeing no sign that the fox’s mood would soften, Adrian finally withdrew the hand he’d extended into the darkness. Spending more energy dealing with this small stubborn one was futile. He had a full load of meetings and work waiting for him. He couldn’t focus only on this fox indefinitely.
He’d have to hope time would resolve it.
After one last look at the shadowed space beneath the bed, Adrian silently turned away.
The sound of the door closing echoed with a click.
The fox held even his breath and pricked up his ears. Only after Adrian’s footsteps had completely faded did he quietly exhale the breath he’d been holding.
Bad human. How could you do this to me?
His eyes grew hot from the injustice and hurt. The fox rubbed around his eyes with his front paws and wiped away tears. When the anger in his heart wouldn’t subside, he pushed his body deeper into the most secluded spot under the bed.
Hmph, I’ll never go out. I’ll live here for the rest of my life.
However, as time passed, the boiling anger gradually cooled. When the blazing flames of emotion were extinguished, that empty space was filled with a loneliness like cold ashes.
The fox very cautiously stuck his head out from under the bed. In the empty room, a plate of meat sat on the floor. Though no warm steam rose from it anymore, the fox’s developed sense of smell could still detect the delicious scent from afar.
‘…Still won’t eat it.’
It was still vivid. He clearly remembered that terrible, bitter taste hidden behind the delicious aroma. That one surely had medicine mixed in too.
The fox deliberately turned his head, pretending indifference. However, once he’d become conscious of it, the aroma persistently circled the tip of his nose.
Wild instinct whispered desperately. That he should eat when he could. That if he missed this moment, he didn’t know when the next meal would come.
Pride and survival instinct clashed violently, but ultimately the latter won.
The fox cautiously crawled out and circled near the plate, sniffing. There was no scent of medicine at all. Carefully, he took a piece of meat in his mouth. Instead of bitterness, he felt the rich flavor and juices of the meat. As if reassured, the fox quickly returned to his hideout under the bed with the meat in his mouth. The soft sound of chewing echoed quietly in the darkness.
Having devoured one piece in an instant, the fox smacked his lips regretfully with a smack. The meat had disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I want to eat more….
There were still chunks of meat remaining on the plate. That scent seeped even into the darkness, tickling the fox’s nose.
They say you’ll be punished by heaven if you waste food.
The betrayer was hateful, but the food was innocent. So this couldn’t be helped. Having finished rationalizing, the fox stealthily stuck his face out from under the bed again. After cautiously approaching the plate while watching his surroundings, he snatched a piece of meat and headed back to his original spot like lightning.
After this covert meal repeated several times, the fox’s wariness eased. Now he came out from under the bed openly and began leisurely savoring the meat. Finally, even the last piece disappeared into the fox’s belly and the plate was completely emptied.
At that moment, a satisfying fullness washed over him. The fox lay down lazily on the floor with his bulging belly. Of course, the anger he’d harbored toward the Emperor hadn’t completely dissipated. But with a full stomach, he didn’t feel as devastated as if the world was ending like earlier.
The fox meticulously licked his face as if washing with his front paws. After cleaning the grease around his mouth, drowsy sleepiness rushed over him.
Soon the fox dozed off, then began wandering in search of a comfortable place. The floor was too cold, and the sofa was far. The fox, who’d squirmed up onto the bed, unknowingly curled up in a spot deeply imbued with his scent.
He fell into sweet sleep, forgetting his resentment toward Adrian.
***
Meanwhile, in the palace conference room, a different kind of war was unfolding.
The high-ranking nobles who led the Empire sat around a massive round table engaged in heated debate.
“Magical beast appearances are rapidly increasing throughout the eastern region. To make matters worse, successive poor harvests have compounded the problem, making public sentiment extremely turbulent. Complaints are erupting from all over. If the Imperial family would provide emergency financial support, it would be of great help in managing this crisis.”
When Duke Eisen’s earnest appeal ended, Marquis Valerius, with graying white hair, shook his head with a displeased expression.
“I heard there aren’t even that many magical beasts, and that the Imperial family already distributed relief grain for the eastern region alone last year—is Imperial support really necessary? If it’s just that level of problem, I’d think the eastern region’s own military strength and finances could sufficiently resolve it.”
“Because the Marquis only stays in the capital, you don’t properly understand the eastern situation. Reality isn’t that simple. Imperial support is desperately needed right now. If that’s not possible, then let us collect more taxes from the people!”
At his desperate voice, the conference room briefly quieted, then a viscount interjected.
“I understand the eastern region’s taxes are already much higher than other regions? With magical beast damage compounded by poor harvests, and raising taxes on top of that… would the eastern people really stand for it?”
“That’s…!”
The duke closed his mouth, unable to continue. Because the viscount’s point had struck precisely. He too knew well how dangerous it was to demand more from people who’d already reached their limit.
Just then, Count Lucadel, who’d maintained silence until now, quietly spoke.
“Then how about we discuss reforming the tax system?”
At his suggestion, the conference hall stirred.
“Currently, not only the eastern region but even the northern people are starving due to the weather. The north is even teeming with magical beasts that are incomparably more numerous and stronger than elsewhere. In this situation, we cannot collect more taxes from ordinary citizens. Instead, we should expand taxation on nobles who own large estates.”
“Tax the nobility? That would shake the very foundation of the Empire! Even the late Emperor said noble property was sacrosanct!”
At that assertion, the marquis who’d just been opposing the duke shouted at the count. To this, Lucadel calmly raised his voice in rebuttal.
“If we stubbornly cling to tradition, the Empire will collapse. Will you only come to your senses when magical beasts attack right up to the palace gates and all the people are suffering from famine?”
“When tradition crumbles, so does the Empire!”
“So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if the people die as they are?”
“If the Imperial family would just provide support, it would be resolved—why should we bear the burden just because we own large estates? Then let’s also expand taxation on the nouveau riche! Aren’t they the ones making huge profits from recent business ventures?”
At those words, the nouveau riche nobles who’d been watching from across the river jumped up indignantly.
“What? Why are you suddenly dragging us into this!”
The conference hall instantly divided into old nobility, nouveau riche, and neutrals. Heated voices flew back and forth, and the situation even escalated to bundles of documents flying through the air, but the Emperor at the head seat didn’t budge.
The Emperor must be agonizing over making the wisest judgment while watching their fierce debate. Everyone thought so.
However, at that moment, Adrian’s mind was filled with completely different thoughts.
‘…I wonder if he’s still under the bed.’
Awesome
Shocking to see that these people actually have brains