Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 99: The Guest and the Tiger

“Now that we’ve exchanged names, it’s only proper to formally greet each other.”

Maintaining eye contact, the man removed his Bangsangsi mask.

A pale and flawless face emerged, with slender eyes, a high nose, and lips as red as peony dye.

His beauty rivaled that of the finest courtesans in the city.

Sohwa was struck silent by the sight, while the man smiled and bowed slightly.

“I am Noksu. I hope this humble teacher can earn your guidance.”

“How am I supposed to guide a teacher?”

Feeling inexplicably irked, Sohwa replied curtly.

Yet, Noksu seemed to find even this response amusing, his manner light and carefree.

“As your teacher, I’ll take responsibility for your tails. In return, I humbly ask you to talk with me from time to time.”

The audacity left Sohwa speechless.

Truly, a gumiho, no matter how distinguished, was still a fox at heart.

Bonus Story Chapter 2-3. The Guest and the Tiger

Woongsik, who had been purposefully wandering around the yard, rushed over when he spotted Sohwa stumbling out. frёeωebɳovel.com

“Did you sleep well, Ma’am?”

“Do I look like someone who slept well to you?”

“Oh dear....”

It was clear that life in the servant quarters didn’t suit her.

Her eyes were hollow and shadowed, as if she’d been possessed by a ghost, and her face had grown gaunt overnight.

“Is your bedding uncomfortable?”

“Uncomfortable? You should try lying on that so-called ‘faint cushion.’ It’s like sleeping on a cloud.”

“Then what is it that’s bothering you, Madam?”

“It’s been days since I’ve seen Dohwi.”

“....”

“Life feels meaningless.”

Her head drooped weakly, and Woongsik felt his heart tear in sympathy.

“Why not move back to the main house starting today?”

“That’s impossible. The only thing I have left is my pride, though it’s as small as a mouse dropping.”

“True.”

“There’s a saying: once you draw your sword, you can’t back down. How could I go back on my word now?”

“Oh, Ma’am....”

“What can I do? I brought this upon myself.”

What was pride worth, anyway?

Woongsik let out a deep sigh of frustration.

Why did his lord allow this little fox to have her way?

Why didn’t he just bundle her up and carry her back to the bedroom?

‘That fearsome tiger is completely at the mercy of this tiny fox.’

Woongsik admired Dohwi’s patience.

Catering to the whims of their unpredictable mistress was harder than plucking stars from the sky.

“Oh, my... I feel so weak without seeing my husband. I have no energy... no strength at all....”

This couldn’t go on.

At this rate, the mistress might truly fall ill.

‘I must inform my lord immediately.’

Clenching his fist, Woongsik glanced at her small, slumped shoulders, his resolve strengthening.

* * *

Easily evading Woongsik, Sohwa was now secretly picking jujubes.

‘Since I have nothing else to offer the teacher, I should at least bring him these.’

Nothing in this world came free.

Everything operated on the principle of equivalent exchange.

Even Sohwa, as naive as she was about worldly matters, understood this well.

There was no way the teacher would teach her how to grow nine tails without expecting something in return, especially not a gumiho as cunning as he was.

He had claimed that all he wanted was someone to talk to, but....

“Hmm, as if I’d ever trust a fox.”

She muttered to herself, nibbling on a jujube.

‘Believing in a fox is as foolish as chasing the wind.’

“Isn’t this the famous elixir of immortality from heaven you’ve been talking about?”

“Good heavens!”

Noksu appeared behind her shoulder, wearing his usual radiant smile.

Since revealing his face, he hadn’t bothered to wear his Bangsangsi mask again.

“You nearly scared the life out of me! Why are you here, teacher?”

“Since my student doesn’t come to find me, I had no choice but to seek her out.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Sohwa found Noksu’s constant chatter exhausting, yet he always seemed to sense her presence the moment she stepped outside.

Clearly, he was bored—why else would he have asked her to keep him company?

“Teacher, you must have too much free time on your hands... or tails, maybe.”

He held a geomungo in his hands, as if he’d come straight from playing a tune.

“Unfortunately, I’m far too busy to chat with you, teacher.”

Having grown accustomed to this younger teacher trailing her, Sohwa began to speak down to him with subtle condescension.

“But I’ll bring you snacks, so please take good care of my tails.”

“Are you really that busy?”

“What do you think? Do you think anyone can just waltz in and become a mountain guardian?”

Sohwa let out a long sigh, only to hear soft laughter behind her.

How dare he laugh?

She shot him a glare, but Noksu bowed politely.

“They say it takes three hundred years of training for a fox to grow nine tails.”

“Goodness, that long?”

“That is the proper way.”

Pressing her fingers to her temple in thought, Sohwa suddenly raised her head.

“Is there a faster way?”

“Of course. There are shortcuts in this world.”