Adrian worried about the fox, but the veterinarian answered in a carefree voice. It was just relaxing because it had grown accustomed to this place.
Perhaps those words weren’t wrong. The fox was certainly adapting to this space.
The maids who had been wary at first now acted unconcerned. The fox sprawled out sleeping on the bed, shedding fur whether they moved about or not, and even sat on the sofa leisurely watching them clean. It had come to regard them not as frightening beings, but as good humans who brought food.
That didn’t mean the fox had completely let down its guard against humans. Especially with Kael, things remained as cold as ever.
Kael also had no intention of bonding with the fox. Believing that the Emperor would soon return the beast to the mountains now that its wound had fully healed, he kept his distance.
Today too, after morning passed and the morning hours were nearly over, the fox slowly opened its eyes. It was around the time the clock hands pointed to 12.
The fox opened its mouth wide and yawned at length. With a face still bearing traces of sleep, it buried its nose in Adrian’s pillow and rubbed around, then suddenly felt the empty warmth of the space beside it and opened its eyes.
Adrian wasn’t there.
In the past, it would have been incredibly anxious waking up alone on the bed. But now, hearing the presence from the very next room, it stretched out fully, then leisurely headed to the adjacent room.
“You’re awake?”
At the sound of the door opening, Adrian, who had been looking over documents, raised his head. The fox standing at the threshold was still drowsy, slowly closing and opening its eyes repeatedly. Adrian, who had worried at first seeing this state, now regarded it as nothing serious. He knew this listless appearance was only temporary.
“Shall we eat?”
That one word was enough.
As Adrian expected, the fox that had been about to nod off again at the doorway responded to the word ‘eat.’
The fox fully opened its half-closed eyes and looked at Adrian with eyes that had regained vitality and sparkled. Seeing the fluffy tail wag like a feather duster, Adrian called a maid to prepare a meal. Shortly after, the maids brought in food.
Today’s lunch was lamb. The fox devoured it in one go. However, as if wanting something more, it approached Adrian’s feet.
Those bright, sparkling eyes held something desperate. This time it wasn’t asking for meat. It was asking for the honey on the bookshelf that the fox’s paws couldn’t reach.
Ever since he had mixed honey with medicine to make it eat, the fox had come to love honey as much as meat. After finishing meals, it would regularly demand honey, and each time Adrian would allow it just a little.
“You want honey.”
“Kang!”
The fox’s tail wagged even more vigorously than before. Adrian finished his meal early, rose from his seat, and went to the bookshelf. When he took out the honey jar stored at the very top, the fox spun round and round on the floor as if it had been waiting. It couldn’t hide its joy at being able to eat honey.
Could it really be that happy?
Even as Adrian thought about what to do if it got cavities later, his hand had already scooped out a spoonful of honey and handed it to the fox. The fox grinned and ate it.
After filling its belly with meat and honey, the fox’s condition changed from the morning.
Regaining vitality as if it had never lacked energy, the fox excitedly roamed between the bedroom and study. The maids were exhausted cleaning up the places the fox had ransacked, and the Emperor was drained from calming the excited fox. He found himself newly missing the fox’s obedient state from before meals.
“Stay still.”
That day too, Adrian barely managed to catch the fox rampaging through the bedroom as usual and brought it to the study. Then he sat down at his desk, placed the fox on his lap, and began gently stroking it.
Just placing it on his lap and stroking it a few times would quickly make the fox docile. It would clearly fall asleep soon. Then Adrian would finally be able to concentrate on work. However, just before the fox departed for dreamland, a knock rang out.
“Come in.”
The door opened carefully and a maid entered. On the tray she held was a teacup with hot steam rising from it.
“Your Majesty, I’ve brought tea.”
At those words, the fox raised its head and twitched its nose, beginning to search for the source of the new smell.
The maid placed the teacup within Adrian’s easy reach, avoiding the fox’s interested gaze. Fragrant steam rose, spreading a subtle sweet scent. As if that aroma stimulated the fox’s curiosity, it peered at the steaming teacup with sparkling eyes. The warm air tickled its nose.
I wonder if it’s delicious?
Unable to hide its curiosity, the fox raised its front paw and placed it on the edge of the teacup. At that moment, a large hand suddenly appeared and blocked the paw. The teacup was soon led by its owner’s hand to the far side of the desk, beyond even nose’s reach.
The fox snorted briefly as if trying hard to hide its displeasure. Then it withdrew the front paw it had placed on the desk. It was a distance that could easily be reached if it wanted to. But even though it had only touched it slightly, the fact that it was moved far away as if committing some great wrong hurt its feelings.
What’s so special about that brown water anyway? The fox turned its head as if it had never been interested in the first place. However, soon a clinking sound rang out, its two ears twitched following the sound, and the fox’s head turned back without realizing it. Adrian had his lips against that teacup.
If the Emperor was drinking it, it must surely be delicious.
The fox settled on his lap and gently rubbed its small head under the Emperor’s chin.
“Nng, kkyung.”
Blue eyes looked up at him. The sapphire-like gaze was drenched in pleading and expectation. Me too, I want to drink too.
Adrian looked down at the fox tickling under his chin. Brilliant blue eyes sparkling with curiosity were persistently gazing back and forth between the teacup and his face. That gaze held desperation, hope, and child-like innocence.
“You want to drink?”
The answer was immediate. Its tail cheerfully beat against Adrian’s thigh, fluttering its fur. Its nose sniffed exploring the scent in the air, and its snout stretched out in a straight line toward the teacup. Words weren’t necessary. Those movements were the complete answer.
One corner of Adrian’s mouth rose.
“No.”
With that single word, the teacup moved away again. Far away, to a distance that short legs could never reach. The fox’s gaze longingly followed the teacup. Regret rippled in its blue eyes.
Aww. But I want to try it too…
Everything he ate was always delicious. That tea he was drinking now would surely be fragrant and sweet too. Yet he was being cruel, enjoying it alone without giving even a sip. How unfair.
The fox took a stance as if it would escape from his lap at any moment and run to the teacup. However, unexpectedly, the fox took its gaze off the teacup, curled its small body into a ball, buried its head deep in Adrian’s stomach, and closed its eyes.
Adrian’s eyebrow rose slightly. What was this? To retreat so obediently. Normally it would have whimpered and burst out complaints. It would have wailed at being teased, and protested with all its might, tapping his hand with its front paws.
At this unexpected compliance, a strange sense of disappointment brushed one side of his chest, but Adrian shook his head and turned his gaze to the documents.
Now was the opportunity. He had to finish as much work as possible while the fox was being good.
Adrian picked up his pen again. With the fox being docile, work efficiency returned to normal. In the study, only the rustling of turning pages and the sound of the pen nib scratching parchment rang out thinly. Time passed in the stillness.
After a while, his throat was parched. Adrian pulled the teacup forward again. The tea had already cooled to lukewarm. It was the moment he was about to bring it to his lips.
The fox he thought was asleep moved like lightning. Raising its head, the fox was one step faster than Adrian, sticking its small snout into the teacup. Its pink tongue shot out and lapped up the brown liquid.
At that moment, the fox’s entire body trembled. Its tiny face contorted. Its eyes narrowed and its ears folded back. Its nose twitched, then it stuck out its tongue and made a strange sound.
“Blegh.”
What on earth is this taste?
It wasn’t sweet like honey, nor savory like meat. What filled its mouth was bitterness, astringency, and an indescribable grassy smell. The taste that seized its tongue tip was unfamiliar and unpleasant.
Ptoo, ptoo, ptooey—it wanted to spit it out, but it was already too late. It had already gone down its throat. Wiping its snout with its front paws to shake off the astringent taste, the fox looked up at Adrian in disbelief.
Why would you drink something this strange?
Adrian smiled around his eyes watching that reaction. It was tea without caffeine, so there was no harm to the fox. So without scolding it, he lightly touched with his fingertip the bridge of the fox’s nose, which was twitching and frowning heavily.
“Who told you to steal and drink it?”
The fox didn’t even pretend to listen and snorted dismissively. Feeling annoyed that it had stolen something tasteless for no reason made it even more irritated. It turned its paws, deliberately showing its back, and buried its face in its fluffy tail.
