Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 11: Curiosity Kills the Fox

Standing for a long time in front of the cherry tree, already bare of its fruit in the late summer, Dohwi suddenly turned his head to the side.

He seemed to be tracking her movements, looking at the spot where the deer bones were buried. Then he abruptly turned around.

Startled, Sohwa quickly retreated from the door and crawled into the silk bedding.

Thud, thud.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her pull the blanket over her head, holding her breath.

“Sohwa, are you asleep?”

Receiving no response, Dohwi stood there for a moment, then put down what he was holding and slid open the door to enter the bedroom.

Pretending to sleep on her side, the tense Sohwa felt something trickle down her face, unsure if it was sweat or snot.

She vowed not to open her eyes, but the cold touch on her cheek made her shiver.

“So cute....”

Dohwi’s body temperature was much lower than hers.

Though the touch on her cheek was soft, like a human hand, Sohwa couldn’t help but imagine a large paw with terrifying claws.

“I hope she isn’t having any nightmares today....”

Dohwi whispered with a worried tone, gently stroking the hair beside her ear.

However, his tender voice ironically sent chills down her spine.

「Yip, yip, yap, yap!」

The earlier cry of the dying male fox echoed in her ears.

The gentle touch on her cheek kept morphing into the paw of a tiger in her mind’s eye. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

When would he leave? Only a few minutes had passed since Dohwi sat besides her, but it felt like an eternity to Sohwa. Sweat poured down her entire body.

Dohwi took his time stroking Sohwa’s earlobes and hair, every gentle touch filled with great affection, before he finally left.

The sound of his footsteps leaving the bedroom grew distant, and only then did Sohwa finally exhale the breath she had been holding.

A sense of unease, unlike anything she had felt before, overwhelmed her.

What had always been a safe haven now felt unsafe.

Although she had never seen Dohwi transform into a tiger, there were too many strange signs that she just couldn’t ignore.

Not just the deer bones, but also his mysterious nocturnal activities raised her suspicions.

The most terrifying part was the horrifying cry of the fox.

The pitiful screams of the dying fox felt like a premonition of her own future.

Hearing no sound of the guest room door opening, Sohwa cautiously peeked through the hole in the paper door. She saw Dohwi burying something under the cherry tree.

He wasn’t meticulously hiding it but casually tossing something into a shallow hole and covering it loosely with dirt.

Having finished his task, Dohwi stood up and dusted off his hands. The sound of his large hands clapping broke the early morning silence.

Sohwa crawled back to the bedding and, under the covers, found herself lost in anxious thoughts.

‘Could it be more deer bones?’

But judging by the sound and the vague shape in the dim light, it wasn’t animal bones.

Perhaps leftover meat?

‘I shouldn’t be curious... Sometimes, curiosity can kill the fox.’

Curiosity kills the fox.

Repeating the phrase in her head, Sohwa tried to force herself to sleep.

Tossing and turning, she suddenly realized that her legs were wet.

* * *

Before the rooster crowed, Sohwa quickly rose, carrying the wet bedding to the bathhouse.

Wetting the bed at her age was beyond embarrassing; her face flushed with shame.

And to add salt to the injury, It would be even more embarrassing if she got caught!

She had to wash the bedding before Dohwi found out, fearing the humiliation if discovered.

In her haste, she was frantically drawing cold water with a basin when a long hand reached out from behind her.

“Another nightmare?”

“EEK!!”

Dohwi effortlessly caught Sohwa as she nearly fell back in surprise, while letting out a low, playful chuckle.

“Be careful.”

The voice that came from right above her head made Sohwa flinch and close her eyes.

Today, Dohwi’s deep and mellow voice seemed to linger in her ears, or soul, even more.

Fearing about getting caught wetting her blanket, Sohwa clutched the wet bedding and stumbled to her feet.

But unfortunately for Sohwa, it seemed that Dohwi already knew what was going on.

“Where are your undergarments?”

“I-I’ll handle it.”

“You know I won’t let you put your hands in freezing cold water like this?”

With a concerned expression, Dohwi glanced between the cotton blanket and Sohwa’s face, clicking his tongue.

“Bring your undergarments too.”

“Are you crazy? No!”

Although Dohwi usually did the laundry, there was no way she would let him wash her soiled undergarments.

Besides, she hadn’t even changed out of them yet.

Dohwi gently took the blanket from her and urged her.

“Go change, before I undress you myself.”

Startled by Dohwi’s bold statement, Sohwa rushed to her bedroom, quickly changed her clothes, and hid the wet undergarments deep in the wardrobe.

Even if Dohwi did most of her laundry, there was no way in hell she was going to let him see this.

After hanging the blanket out in the yard, Dohwi brought in the breakfast table. The smell of cooking oil made her stomach growl.

The table was set with thinly fried zucchini, plump quail roasted in oil, sweet potato vines seasoned with perilla seeds, white rice, and a bowl of clam miso soup with herbs.

The bountiful early autumn meal made her mouth water.

Especially the roasted quail, sweet and tender, was Sohwa’s favorite dish.