Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 97: The Master

Sohwa had been the one to declare they would sleep separately.

That cunning fox was undoubtedly plotting revenge for the previous night.

He’d even gone as far as to prepare an orb in anticipation of the coming winter—only for this bolt out of the blue.

It was a petty, sly, and infuriatingly clever act—all too typical of a fox.

* * *

It had been several days since they began sleeping apart.

Sohwa stayed in the servant quarters with the women, lying on the fainting cushion each evening and falling asleep almost instantly until morning.

‘Oh, I miss Dohwi so much....’

Naturally, she hadn’t seen her husband’s face, as he only returned late at night.

Sohwa found herself longing for her handsome husband.

Just a few days of separation felt like years.

She wondered if she should quietly sneak back to the main bedroom, but her pride—small as a bird’s egg—wouldn’t allow it.

Not only did Dohwi fail to apologize, but he also left her to sleep apart as if it didn’t matter at all.

Actually, fixing his temper was just an excuse.

After all, it wasn’t as though she could undo the way she had raised him.

She had only insisted on separate rooms to delay his rut.

But now, with Dohwi acting as if he didn’t miss her at all, Sohwa was starting to feel a little annoyed.

“Could it be....”

Was it because of Lady Beomhui?

Could Dohwi have fallen completely for that magnificent White Tiger?

‘No, that can’t be.’

As incorrigible as he could be, Dohwi wasn’t the kind of beast who would fool around with another woman.

But the presence of the formidable White Tiger as a rival was enough to unsettle Sohwa.

‘I want to be stronger too.’

Her eyes, like clusters of black grapes, gleamed with determination.

She was already famous, but she wanted to become even more so—an unrivaled fox who could dominate the heavens and the earth.

She would become a creature greater than the White Tiger herself!

Resolving to grow stronger, Sohwa retrieved the folding fan she had hidden in her chamber pot.

To her, the gumiho’s fan was more than just a mere object—it was a talisman, a source of hope and strength.

‘With this fan....’

Perhaps she could become a gumiho too.

Whenever she looked at the nine tails depicted on the man in the fan’s painting, a sense of belief and hope filled her.

She envisioned herself mastering the art of teleportation, conjuring dazzling illusions, and flitting across mountains with ease—a mysterious and majestic gumiho named Sohwa!

The mere thought left her feeling exhilarated.

To calm her racing heart, she carefully tucked the fan away and stepped outside.

“Ma’am....”

“Ah-ah! I told you not to follow me!”

At Sohwa’s sharp cry, Woongsik shrank back.

Sohwa was still upset that Woongsik had called her a ball of fluff.

Unable to follow her, he stood in place, anxiously stomping his feet as he watched her retreating figure.

“Stay home and think about what you’ve done!”

After issuing her command, Sohwa headed toward the valley of dogwood trees.

Even with sumptuous meals awaiting her at every meal, foxes couldn’t help but crave wild snacks.

She wanted to check how much the fruits had ripened, even though only a few days had passed since her last visit.

“Hm?”

Bounding along in her fox form toward the valley, Sohwa suddenly stopped in her tracks.

‘It feels like someone’s been watching me.’

Whipping around, she searched for the source.

The light, nimble sound of footsteps trailing her had abruptly stopped.

“Who’s there?”

She called out bravely, but there was no reply.

Only a few birds, startled by her voice, fluttered into the sky.

Sohwa quickly dismissed her suspicion.

‘It’s probably just Woongsik.’

For such a large creature, trying to sneak around would be a challenge.

She felt a twinge of guilt for scolding him so harshly earlier.

Woongsik was loyal and dependable—enough to outshine a certain tiger she knew.

She decided to reward him later with one of the precious candies she had tucked away.

“Hmph.”

Knowing that a large bear had her back gave her a little extra confidence.

Sohwa began roaming the valley of dogwood trees as if it were her own backyard.

She even practiced scratching her claws against tree trunks, just as Dohwi often did.

While absorbed in her attempts to mark the tree, Sohwa failed to notice someone approaching her.

“Are you looking for a woodcutter?”

The soft, melodic voice floated out from behind a large tree.

It was the man in the Bangsangsi mask.

‘The gumiho!’

Startled, Sohwa immediately ran toward him.

“Master.”

“Master...?”

“Please, accept my respects.”

Sohwa clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.

The expression hidden beneath the man’s mask was impossible to read.

“I beg forgiveness for my earlier rudeness, Master. This foolish girl dared to speak out of turn, failing to recognize your esteemed presence. Please, pardon my ignorance.”

“Well now.”

The man murmured, scratching his chin as if intrigued.