Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 101: A Tiger’s Den

Truly, a gumiho was the fox among foxes.

Even a silver fox who shared the Mountain Lord’s bed was no match for him.

With a face like his, deceiving clueless, innocent women like her was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

“Hmm...?”

Yet, the hand he grasped was unexpectedly rough.

Though it had seemed soft at a glance, it was firm, like the roots of a tree.

Sensing something amiss, Noksu turned his head—and there stood a man by Sohwa’s side.

Silent and still as a shadow, the mystery man appeared out of nowhere, placing his hand over Sohwa’s as if to protect it.

“Who are you?”

Noksu quickly withdrew his hand.

Meanwhile, Sohwa’s face lit up with joy, like a puppy seeing its owner.

“Dohwi!”

The man called Dohwi was strikingly handsome, though the oppressive aura he exuded left no time to admire his beauty.

“Why are you back so soon? Did you come to see me? Hm? Have you eaten yet?”

The faint smile on his elegant face was unsettling, like that of a madman in the grip of mania.

“What were you about to give him?”

“Oh... Well, that’s....”

‘Oh no. That must be the husband!’

Noksu, caught off guard, glanced between Sohwa and the imposing man.

Dohwi, in turn, slowly scanned Noksu from head to toe.

“You seem to have made a new friend.”

“He’s not a friend. This is my teacher.”

Sohwa interjected.

“He has nine tails! He said that if I trained under him, I could grow tails too.”

“I see. So you’ve been meeting him quite often....”

Dohwi’s polite smile lingered as he added.

“Behind my back.”

“....”

His gaze, sharp as a butcher’s blade, landed on Noksu.

The rumors of his ferocity were clearly not unfounded.

Though Noksu had faced many tigers before, sweat beaded on his forehead under Dohwi’s chilling glare.

The tension in the air was palpable.

“Well, it’s not like that! You’ve been so busy lately. The teacher is just passing through Mount Taeryong. I thought I’d train with him while he’s here, that’s all.”

“Instead of sneaking around like a stray cat....”

“Hey, don’t compare him to a stray cat. he’s a fox!”

“...Why don’t we invite him to stay at our house? The guest room is empty, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

Both foxes turned to him, wide-eyed.

Sohwa stared at Dohwi, utterly speechless.

Was this truly Dohwi, or had a serpent disguised itself as her husband?

His bouts of jealousy were infamous, yet now he was calmly suggesting that another man live under their roof?

And with a faint smile, no less.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to introduce your ‘teacher’ to me?”

“....”

“If he’s your teacher, then he’s my teacher too.”

Both foxes exchanged uneasy glances.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Dohwi.”

He said, extending his hand before anyone else could react.

“I’ve been curious to meet the man who’s been spending time with my little pup.”

“....”

Noksu stared at the outstretched hand.

It was a rotten lifeline—grasping it meant certain death.

But there was no escape.

“Teacher?”

Dohwi smiled leisurely, like a house cat enjoying its prey, and urged him.

With no way out, Noksu reluctantly shook the offered hand.

“...I look forward to your guidance.”

“The pleasure is mine. After all, you’re here to take care of my wife, aren’t you?”

Noksu’s elegant features twisted slightly as Dohwi’s grip crushed his hand, the pressure shooting pain up his arm.

‘I’m doomed....’

Noksu immediately realized that he was about to walk right into a tiger’s den, both figuratively and literally.

‘But I am a gumiho. I won’t be cowed by a mere tiger’s claws.’

As the saying went, even when trapped in the den of a tiger, a sharp mind can help you find a way out.

Noksu steeled himself.

Dohwi glanced down at Sohwa, who was nestled against him, his lips curving into a sinister smile.

“This should be fun.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ll be seeing your esteemed teacher every morning and evening. Isn’t that exciting?”

“....”

“Am I the only one looking forward to it?”

Sohwa stared at her husband as though he were a ghost.

The mountain path was silent, save for the sound of footsteps.

Noksu, caught in the strange tension between the couple, desperately wanted to retreat.

Just as he slowed his pace to slip away unnoticed, Dohwi’s sharp voice rang out.

“Keep up, teacher. The roads can be quite bumpy.”

Having been caught by the keen tiger, Noksu had no choice but to follow, reluctantly stepping deeper into the tiger’s den.

* * *

The home of the Mountain Lord and his wife was nothing short of a palace. freewebnσvel.cѳm

With what seemed like hundreds of servants, the household consisted solely of Sohwa and Dohwi.

‘The size of this guest quarters on its own is bigger than most of the houses I’ve been to....’

The estate was lined with numerous annexes in a square layout—outer guest quarters, large guest quarters, and even detached pavilions.

The largest guesthouse featured a central room flanked by open terraces on either side, perfect for children to play.

However, ever since Yongbeom and Huibeom had left, the guest quarters had remained vacant.

Now, that prolonged silence was broken by the presence of a guest.