Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 65: A Game of Chase

“The weather was cold, so I borrowed my brother’s back.”

The sight of him whispering with big, blinking eyes was so endearing that Dohwi patted his head and set him down on the warm floor.

But Yongbeom quickly crawled back to Hwibeom’s head and curled up.

“Just for tonight, father. I’ve heard that the fur of a tiger is the best for keeping warm.”

Hwibeom, oblivious to the fox sitting on his head, continued to sleep soundly, snoring away.

Even if Hwibeom had known, he would have said nothing, as he respected his brother immensely.

Dohwi clicked his tongue lightly, cradled the ‘other’ fox in his sturdy arms, and left the room.

“Mmm... Dohwi?”

Woken by the sudden cold breeze, Sohwa looked up at him.

Dohwi answered with a gentle kiss on her head, stroking her soft fur from ear to back.

“I’m home, honey.”

His playful response made her groan.

“Oh dear....”

The image of the mandarin duck figurines left on the main floor came to mind. The way they faced each other was unmistakably ‘that signal.’

“We promised tonight.”

Sohwa had been avoiding Dohwi at night, using the excuse of being busy with the children. But since Dohwi had been raising the children, it was a poor excuse.

She had tried her best to delay it until the end, but she eventually had to set the date, and the mandarin ducks were the sign.

“Tonight, it’s the last night of the lunar year.”

Dohwi was a passionate man. He was so ardent that he could go on for days if Sohwa didn’t reject him.

Flabbergasted and at a loss, she once asked him.

「Why is that monstrous thing of yours so relentless? Why doesn’t it die down!」

「Maybe because I eat a lot of deer antlers.」

But since the children were born, Dohwi had been forced into abstinence.

Sohwa had suffered greatly giving birth to the brothers. She didn’t recover her health easily even after weaning them.

Seeing her frail, skeletal body, Dohwi couldn’t bring himself to touch her.

After Dohwi started taking care of the children, their days and nights became inverted. He often roamed at night in his true form to teach hunting, while Sohwa played or napped with the children during the day.

Especially Yongbeom, who clung to them around the clock, made it even harder to find time for the couple to enjoy some free time by themselves.

Yongbeom would cling to his mother like a leech when she was around, and when she wasn’t, he would stick to Dohwi. He was indeed adorable but increasingly troublesome.

Moreover, Sohwa had missed her heat cycles, likely due to the maternal bond with her children. freewebnøvel.coɱ

If that was the case, the only way to rekindle their romance is to have the children leave home soon.

“Do you remember when we last made love?”

“Yawn....”

Sohwa pretended not to hear and closed her eyes. Her memory was foggy. It was likely during the daytime when Woongsik had taken the children on an outing....

“Turn back into a human. You promised.”

When prompted, Sohwa lazily yawned again and rested her muzzle on his arm.

“I made a promise...? Hmm... I’m not sure....”

Chuckling, Dohwi whispered softly into the fox’s ear.

“You won’t have any fun teasing me.”

Feeling a sense of danger, Sohwa jumped out of his arms.

“Oh, whatever!”

Then she dashed out of the palace as if fleeing.

“Where are you going?”

Sohwa ran off and disappeared from Dohwi’s sight in an instant.

At the same time, a heated feeling surged within Dohwi. It was the primal instinct of a predator wanting to endlessly chase its escaped prey.

‘Is she inviting me to play a game of chase?’

He was happy to oblige. It had been a while since he had tumbled around with Sohwa, and today was the promised day. A pleased grin spread across Dohwi’s face.

‘She certainly knows how to excite a tiger.’

In one swift movement, Dohwi pushed off the ground and sprinted, following the familiar, lovely scent.

* * *

“Huff, huff....”

How far had she run?

After running for what felt like a long time, Sohwa suddenly found herself near a large valley, where the sound of flowing water filled the air.

‘I was told not to go north.’

Mount Taeryong had become the domain of Sohwa and Dohwi, but there was one rule to follow.

Beyond the vast mountain range to the north lay the territory of an Imoogi.

They said he was a dragon that failed to ascend to the heavens. Dohwi insisted on calling him an Imoogi, but rumors were different.

The servants spoke of him as a massive black dragon with immense magical power. He was said to be a kind beast living quietly in a temple with many great disciples.

But when these words reached Dohwi, he dismissed them with a scoff.

He was merely pretending to be benevolent, but in reality, he was a vicious Imoogi that devoured all his siblings and took over their nest.