Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 63: Two Sons

She had hoped the sturdy tiger would be the older sibling, but alas, the firstborn was a silver fox, just like Sohwa.

‘What should I do?’

Although Sohwa was a proud red fox, she worried about the future of her small firstborn, who resembled her.

Having personally experienced the tough life of a fox, she had hoped her first child would take after Dohwi and be a strong tiger.

She named him Yongbeom, wishing he would be as grand as a dragon and as brave as a tiger....

But it seemed unlikely.

“Yip, yip, Mother, Mother... Please pet me. Love me!”

Every step she took, Yongbeom would block her path, flipping onto his back and flailing his paws.

Sohwa clicked her tongue.

“Yongbeom, could you please let me go down the stairs.”

Despite his grand name, which means ‘dragon and tiger,’ Yongbeom seemed unlikely to fend for himself.

He appeared to have understood his survival strategy early on.

“Please, stroke my soft fur! And my neck too!”

“Yongbeom....”

His plump tail wagged incessantly, thumping on the floor.

‘Tsk tsk, he’s still so young, but where did he learn such foxy behavior?’

Seeing him, Sohwa thought at least he wouldn’t starve to death even when he reached adulthood.

“Please, keep your dignity. Aren’t you ashamed in front of your younger brother?”

“Welcome back, Mother.”

“Yes, Hwibeom. Were you playing well with your brother?”

Born just moments after his brother, the second child was a white tiger with black stripes.

Sohwa worried he might turn out to be as clumsy as her, but thankfully, he inherited Dohwi’s noble and dignified demeanor.

“Yes, my brother has been taking good care of me.”

Hwibeom, with Yongbeom draped over his shoulder, bowed respectfully to his mother.

Seeing this, Sohwa smiled contentedly.

There was nothing to worry about with Hwibeom.

He was kind and gentle, always looking after his fox brother, and Dohwi mentioned that his hunting skills far surpassed his own at that age.

Sohwa had wanted to name her second child beautifully by taking one character from each of their names.

However, upon the suggestion of Cheesan, the golden eagle sage, she changed her plans, finding the previous name too flirtatious for a male.

Hwibeom, meaning ‘beautiful tiger.’

Dohwi took care of Yongbeom and Hwibeom.

Feeding, clothing, and putting them to bed—it was all Dohwi’s responsibility.

Until they were weaned, Sohwa kept them close to her.

But seeing her go so far as to give up even her own food for her children, Dohwi decided to take over their upbringing himself.

「I can’t stand to see you becoming thinner, Sohwa. Especially since you already eat so little.」

At first, it felt like her heart was empty, as if her children had been taken away from her, but Sohwa gradually got used to it.

It was incredibly comfortable not having Yongbeom constantly pestering her for attention!

Feeling a bit guilty towards Dohwi, Sohwa decided to keep a distance from her two sons.

「Then I’ll take care of the outside matters. This great mountain needs a proper guardian. What do you think?」

「Do as you want, Sohwa.」

And so, Sohwa began to roam Mount Taeryong, trying to establish her status as the new great hunter and queen of the mountain.

Yongbeom was naturally foxy, so there wasn’t much for her to teach him, but Hwibeom was different. Since Hwibeom was a tiger, Dohwi had to teach him the basics of hunting. The hunting methods of a fox and a tiger were different in every way, starting from the prey, making it impossible for Sohwa to teach Hwibeom how to hunt.

Instead, Sohwa instilled confidence and courage into her children, making sure that they wouldn’t be shaken anywhere, regardless of the consequences.

When it came to swagger and bluster, she was unmatched.

“To become the master of this great mountain, you must have dignity. Now, watch.”

Sohwa boasted about today’s prey in front of her two sons, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Wow....”

“You’re amazing, mom!”

With her sons marveling at the pheasant, Sohwa proudly puffed out her chest. It wasn’t the first time she presented prey that Woongsik had caught as if she had hunted it herself.

How could a mother be considered a fool who couldn’t hunt in front of her tiger son? It was inevitable.

Leaving the children admiring the pheasant, Sohwa asked the servant sweeping the yard.

“Where is Dohwi?”

“Master went out a little while ago, ma’am.”

‘Just missed him.’

Looking around with a crestfallen gaze, Sohwa was startled by the sight of a doll lying on the main floor.

“What’s the matter, ma’am?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Woongsik glanced at the doll curiously. It was a wooden mandarin duck figurine. The golden eagle sage had sent a pair of them to celebrate the couple’s bond and wish them a lifetime of happiness.

Usually, they were placed side by side facing forward, but today they were facing each other.