Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 36: My Precious Tiger

“No, no... Please, no....”

In his haste, he transformed into his human form and fumbled with trembling hands to untie the wire. That short moment felt like an eternity.

‘What if she dies? What if my fox dies....’

Sohwa was so precious to him that he never even dared to entertain the mere thought of losing her.

The horrifying idea that he might have just lost her made him feel like all the blood in his body was evaporating.

At this very moment, Sohwa was the only thing he could see and think about.

He hadn’t even confessed his love to her properly. He hadn’t thanked her for taking him in. He had been sulking all the time because she wouldn’t accept him!

‘You stupid little fox! You should’ve just acted like the cowardly fox you were... Why did you do this... What made you do this....’

Fortunately, Sohwa still had a faint pulse, but she could only cough and had trouble breathing properly. Her eyes remained closed, and it was clear she was on the brink of death.

‘This is not how I intended to use it, but....’

Dohwi grabbed the fox by the scruff and opened her snout with his other hand. He then opened his mouth as if to breathe life into her, revealing a bright red orb between his lips.

It was an orb he had seized from an Imoogi.

The orb slid into Sohwa’s mouth. Dohwi immediately closed her snout and rubbed her neck and belly. Eventually, Sohwa was barely able to swallow the shiny red orb.

Now, Sohwa’s fate was up to the heavens. Dohwi, now transformed back into his tiger form, gently carried Sohwa in his mouth and began running towards their precious home.

The journey back was arduous, and every step felt like an eternity for the heart-broken tiger.

* * *

Sohwa did not come to her senses easily. She was bedridden for ten whole days, painfully spitting out nonsense even in her sleep, which made Dohwi’s heart ache even more.

“No... I can’t... I can’t live... Without him... I can’t....”

Who, exactly, can’t you live without? Dohwi was curious and annoyed by who Sohwa was so worried about.

Was it that stinky raccoon? Or the fox he had killed? Or that deceitful Imoogi?

Adding to his frustration, she kept repeating that she couldn’t live without ‘someone’, which only made Dohwi more anxious.

He doubted whether the orb was effective, or if he had been deceived by the Imoogi. Or perhaps, being an orb made by a mere 300-year-old youngster, its potency was insufficient to bring back a single fox to life.

The ten days of waiting for Sohwa to open her eyes felt like an eternity. During that time, Dohwi felt like he was going through repeated cycles of being drenched in cold water and then thrown into a pot of boiling water.

During the day, he held Sohwa’s hand tightly, begging her to stay alive, and at night, he would recall what had happened to her and rampage through the human village in boiling anger.

The villagers, terrified by the ferocious tiger attacks, eventually abandoned the village, leaving behind only ominous rumors.

“Dohwi... Dohwi....”

Sometimes she called his name so desperately that Dohwi wished he could enter her dreams and tell her he was there. He didn’t mind staying in that dream forever as long as he could be with Sohwa.

“Dohwi....”

When she miraculously opened her eyes, he bowed to the gods. The once arrogant tiger had turned over a new leaf.

“Can you answer me if you’re there....”

Though her vision was blurry, Sohwa instinctively knew the owner of the warm hand that was holding hers so tightly, as if he would never let go again.

“I’m here, Sohwa. I’ve been here all along.”

Dohwi changed the wet cloth on her forehead while gently brushing back her damp hair. Her pale, chapped lips quivered and cautiously opened again.

“I... Cherish you.”

Dohwi’s hand froze. Thinking he had misheard, he leaned closer, bringing his ear to her lips.

“Can you... say that again?”

That very moment, Sohwa struggled to open her eyes. She raised her trembling hand to touch his dark hair, which, though not as soft as hers, felt gentle and smooth.

After stroking Dohwi’s hair for a while, Sohwa slowly spoke.

“You are... my precious tiger. You always have been, from the beginning... and you still are.”

Overwhelmed by her heartfelt confession, Dohwi felt a lump in his throat. If this was true, he had been receiving Sohwa’s affection for the past 20 years.

He felt deeply ashamed of his past self, who had once thought of devouring such a kind, cute, and innocent fox.

As he fondled her soft hand in remorse, Dohwi spoke, trying to hide his emotions.

“What were you thinking, Sohwa, confronting a hunter? What could you possibly do with that fragile body?”