Episode 32
The moment she spoke, Laria regretted it.
She had been avoiding the subject all this time, yet now she had brought it up first—as if possessed.
It felt so forced that she grew anxious.
Trying to hide her nerves, Laria looked down at Zenox.
It was hard to read his expression in his wolf pup form, but one thing was clear—
as soon as she asked the question, his whole mood sank.
After a long silence, Zenox finally answered slowly.
“Because I need to.”
It was the answer she had expected. But hearing it from him directly made it impossible to brush aside.
‘So in the end, he’s only looking for me because of the fox bead.’
Of course that was obvious. What had she been hoping for?
‘Did I really think he was searching because he missed Hayang?’
The thought made her feel pathetic.
For a moment, she had believed Hayang might be special to him. But to Zenox, Hayang was nothing more than a fox who had stolen a family heirloom and run away.
And they had only lived together for half a year at most.
Laria forced herself to act normal.
“I see.”
“Don’t you have any other questions?”
She shook her head. Asking more would only make her feel more guilty.
After all, even though he had been desperately searching for the bead, she still hadn’t returned it.
So she quickly changed the subject.
“It’s late. Shall we sleep now?”
Fortunately, Zenox agreed—he sounded tired too.
Just as she was about to lie down, Laria remembered the potion she had prepared for him.
It was a special potion that gave good dreams. She had made it after hearing he couldn’t sleep well.
But now that he was in the form of a wolf pup, she wasn’t sure if she could give it to him.
‘I’ll save it for later.’
At last, she set Zenox gently on a soft cushion and blew out the lamp.
The room went dark, as if the light had been sliced away.
“Have good dreams,” she whispered.
“…You too,” he answered in a low voice.
Only then did Laria close her eyes fully. She was so tired that she thought she could finally sleep well.
Before long, her steady breathing filled the room.
In the darkness, two golden eyes opened like twin moons.
Zenox listened to her quiet breaths. His senses were sharp enough to know when someone was truly asleep.
He leapt down from the chair and padded toward the bed.
For a pup, the bed was impossibly high—but with one powerful jump, he made it up.
Walking had been awkward at first, but after some practice, he had grown used to it.
Still, compared to his human form, this body was inconvenient.
The only benefit was that he could see clearly in the dark, almost as if it were daylight.
Zenox looked down at Laria’s sleeping face.
The moonlight streaming through the window gave her features a faint blue glow.
Her stillness was so complete that if not for the sound of her breathing, she could have been mistaken for dead.
Soft cheeks, long eyelashes, and a small but smooth nose.
As if memorizing every detail, Zenox lowered his head closer.
Her faint breath brushed against his fur.
He remembered her earlier words:
“Why are you searching for the fox, Your Excellency?”
Why did she ask that?
Was she testing him? He hadn’t been sure, so he had chosen his words carefully.
“Because I need to.”
In truth, there was so much more he wanted to say, but it all boiled down to that.
Ever since Hayang disappeared, Zenox’s life had collapsed.
One piece had been removed, yet his whole world fell apart, like a ruined building.
At first, people had said Hayang would surely be found. But now, no one believed it anymore.
Some said time would heal him—but for Zenox, time only crushed him heavier and heavier.
Time was not medicine. It was poison, slowly choking him.
To live, he needed Hayang. That was why he searched.
His gaze drifted to Laria’s white hair glowing in the moonlight.
What was inside that small head? What was she thinking, what secrets was she hiding?
Perhaps now, in this form, he could finally find out.
Though unexpected, becoming a wolf pup gave him the perfect chance. He could explore the Roan mansion freely.
Zenox believed there was a high chance that Laria was hiding Hayang. After all, who wouldn’t want to secretly keep such a cute fox?
That was why, when she had stepped out earlier, he had searched her bedroom.
But he had found nothing.
Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to hide Hayang in such an obvious place.
Still, he had a few days. Tonight, he planned to search the surrounding estate.
Just as he was about to leave the bed, he heard a small murmur.
“Mmm…”
Startled, Zenox froze. Was she awake?
Before he could check, an arm suddenly reached out, pulling him in.
In an instant, Zenox was pressed against Laria’s chest.
He stopped breathing.
But soon, her breathing evened out again—she was still asleep.
…If he moved, she might wake.
And she was holding him so tightly that escaping seemed impossible.
He had no choice but to wait until she let go.
With a flick of his tail, Zenox expressed his irritation. Time was being wasted.
Since he couldn’t move, his attention shifted to something else—the steady sound of her breath, the faint rhythm of her heartbeat.
All of it came from Laria.
Lying still in her arms, Zenox gradually felt drowsy.
It was like sinking into a warm, safe den where nothing could harm him.
Sleep pressed down on him like a heavy tide.
He tried to resist, but his eyelids kept falling.
Normally, he could endure—he was used to insomnia. So why was he so sleepy now?
‘Maybe because I haven’t been resting lately…’
Her words echoed in his mind:
“Have good dreams.”
In the end, Zenox gave in and fell asleep at Laria’s side.
***
Zenox dreamed.
Not the usual nightmares—this time, memories.
It was years ago. Zenox had visited the capital, summoned by the Emperor to show his face.
After meeting the Emperor, on his way back, his madness suddenly flared.
He knew the signs of his illness well. Every time he lost consciousness, he awoke surrounded by carnage.
But this time, he was not on the battlefield—he was in the capital.
Before the bloodshed could begin, he fled into the forest like a hunted man.
Among the trees, the scent of earth and the shade of leaves calmed him.
The symptoms did not worsen, but he decided to stay in the forest just in case.
As he wandered, he noticed something strange. There were no animals. Even the birds had flown away, leaving the branches bare.
Because of the strong wolf blood in him, most creatures instinctively avoided his presence.
After a while, he came upon a lake.
The water shone like glass under the sun, a giant mirror.
Zenox gazed at his reflection—hollow eyes, sharp cheekbones from poor appetite, a face shadowed with exhaustion.
Then he flinched.
Drops of blood appeared on his cheek.
In moments, the blood spread, covering his whole face.
He shut his eyes, then opened them again. The blood was gone—his pale face stared back.
A hallucination.
“Maybe I really am insane…” he muttered bitterly.
But just then, something white came running toward the lake.
A small creature, thirsty, but instead of drinking, it curiously examined its reflection.
It hadn’t even noticed him nearby.
Surprised that it didn’t run away, Zenox stepped closer.
Before he realized it, his hand had grabbed the little animal by the scruff.
“Yip!” it squeaked sharply.
Zenox blinked.
“…A fox kit.”
It was a baby, only recently born.
Its fur was soft, tickling his fingers, warmth spreading into his chest.
The strange sensation unsettled him.
“Did you lose your mother?” he wondered aloud.
That would explain why it had wandered into his territory.
After a moment’s thought, Zenox tucked the tiny fox into his arms and returned to his estate.
That was his first meeting with Hayang.
