TFTVGD 04

Chapter 4…

“Y-You mean a fox is a pet?”

“I just went up to the mountains for a bit to fetch this one.”

“……It has so many tails?”

“Yes. That’s why it seems to have been abandoned by its mother at birth. I took it in.”

“I see…”

For some reason, the guard’s expression looked displeased.

“I didn’t know Your Highness kept pets.”

Was it just me, or did the tone sound slightly strange? It carried a nuance as if he were trying to catch the Duke in a lie.

“Do I have an obligation to tell you?”

I wasn’t the only one who felt it oddly. The Duke also glared coldly at the guard.

“Ah, of course not.”

“Then step aside.”

Startled, the guard stepped back, and the Duke walked past him indifferently. I quickly followed behind.

“Fior. What do you need to raise a fox?”

The Duke glanced at me following behind and then asked the man beside him.

“Are you really going to raise that fox?”

“It’s fate, isn’t it? Not so bad.”

I squinted at their backs and shook my head.

Thinking of taming me—that’s quite bold.

Of course, I’m originally human, but even a fox is a notoriously difficult creature.

Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of the largest castle I had seen outside the city.

A tranquil lake surrounded the castle, with a bridge connecting the land across it.

The Duke glanced back slightly and walked across the bridge, as if signaling me to follow.

“Scared?”

Ha! A thousand-year-old fox afraid of this? The deeds of that villain in the novel were far scarier.

I dashed to the Duke, and he raised the corners of his mouth.

“Brave.”

Hmm. By the way, is he really the villain?

He seemed somewhat different from how he appeared in the novel.

At that moment, the castle gate opened at the end of the bridge, and someone shouted loudly.

“His Grace, Duke Effer Elisia! May Elisia’s eternal blessings be upon His Grace!”

The Duke sighed lightly and shook his head.

“I’ve told them not to do that so many times…”

“If you dislike it, you could simply not go out.”

“You wouldn’t lock me up like this, would you?”

“Well, that’s possible too.”

I followed the grumbling Duke, glancing around.

Everyone’s eyes were on me, amazed that a fox had entered the castle.

It felt strangely unfamiliar to be the center of attention like this.

Meanwhile, I had to tempt the Duke to get the fox orb back when he was alone.

But why did the number of people we met keep increasing?

And the security was so tight.

Guards were stationed when entering the city from the mountains, when entering the castle from the city, and again when approaching the Duke’s residence.

‘When on earth will I get a chance to retrieve the orb?’

What if people were inside when the Duke went into his room?

I worried as I took the first step into the Duke’s residence.

“……?”

This time, a guard immediately grabbed me by the scruff and threw me outside.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The Duke spoke up, angered on my behalf.

‘Exactly! What are you doing!’

I glared at the guard proudly, raising my fur.

The guard stammered, slightly flustered.

“B-But Your Grace… animals are not allowed in the main palace…”

Honestly. I’m the fox that the Duke brought! It’s his castle, so what’s the problem?

“Why catch me so roughly?”

Then Fior, the man who accompanied the Duke, answered.

“How else are we supposed to catch it?”

“You could just talk to it.”

“How would an animal understand words?”

I do understand!

I looked at the Duke, signaling with my eyes to let me in.

The Duke met my gaze and picked me up.

I thought he had understood me.

“Fox, you can’t go in here.”

Clearly, you don’t understand me either.

“I guess I need to make you a new home.”

Ah… this is it.

After a thousand years of endurance, it wasn’t difficult to take a step back and practice patience.

“Know yourself, know your enemy,” I reminded myself, carefully assessing the situation in fox form to avoid repeating mistakes from the past.

I first explored the castle thoroughly, mapping it out.

“Oh my, the fox the Duke brought is wandering all over.”

Not just secretly, but meticulously.

The castle was generally round in shape.

Built on a lake, the castle was encircled by high walls, and three main buildings formed a triangular layout in the center.

Among the three buildings of varying height, there was an ornate fountain, surrounded by rows of beautiful flowers.

The Duke stayed in the building with the highest roof.

That building was guarded and managed only by a select few.

‘Hmm. I definitely can’t get into that building.’

While small openings allowed a creature like me to slip in and out of the outer walls, the Duke’s building was impenetrable.

I listened to what knights and servants said while exploring, searching for a way.

“Oh my, the fox is here.”
“Why?”
“His Grace was looking for it.”
“No way. The Duke actually spoke to it?”

Amidst so many trivial conversations, hearing something as precious as this from the Duke was surprising.

The Duke, living in an impregnable castle, was as reclusive as he seemed.

“At first, he just said ‘There,’ and called me. I thought I’d die of fear.”

It seemed he didn’t speak to anyone outside his close aides.

Perhaps because of his high status, he appeared very upright.

A person close yet untouchable.

The Duke lived quite a regimented life.

I waited another day, analyzing his behavior patterns.

He handled affairs all day, trained before breakfast, and took a light walk after lunch.

‘He’s more mechanical than I expected.’

After his solo walks, he toured the castle with Steward Elaine for various reports.

Since I couldn’t enter the triangular buildings, I stayed in a vacant stable outside.

Effer made a point to visit me there every day.

“Are you eating properly?”
“Yes. I’m eating well.”
“Build a fox enclosure quickly. I’ve heard they’re difficult to raise, so a spacious area is better.”
“Yes. So far, this fox has already broken five flower vases.”

Looks like two haven’t been discovered yet.

Effer smiled briefly, covering his mouth, then cleared his throat and glanced around.

“All right. Understood.”

His expression stiffened again.

‘Typical of a Duke. Very formal.’

He handed me a snack from his pocket.

‘Oh, duck jerky, I see.’

Indeed, even the pet snacks were refined. Soft, juicy, and tender.

I chewed the jerky, lifting my head.

The more I saw his shy smile, the stranger it felt.

‘Is he really the villain?’

It was hard to believe that the cruel character from the novel and this gentle man treating his animal so well were the same person.

By the third day in the castle,

‘Time to reclaim the fox orb.’

The fox orb, almost part of my soul, had left my body and entered a human one.

Without human energy, my stamina noticeably dropped day by day.

I could never tie myself to this fool in marriage.

He was running around looking for his runaway fiancée, after all.

Even after only two days, I could tell he valued his pride highly.

And a woman fleeing before her wedding had shamed the royal family—he wouldn’t just sit idly by.

He couldn’t afford to give his heart to another woman under such circumstances.

I completed my preparations and waited.

The perfect time: after the Duke’s lunch walk. Everyone else was eating, and his guard Fior was left behind—ideal for temptation.

As expected, the Duke emerged alone into the garden.

I immediately transformed into a Korean celebrity with an appearance difficult to dislike.

‘This will at least captivate him.’

I changed into the maid outfit I had prepared, pretending to water the plants.

‘Ha. Clever fox, that’s me.’

Disguising as a maid prevented anyone from ordering me around, stopping a tedious series of tasks.

‘Heh heh. The experience from reading the novel really comes in handy here.’

Feeling proud, I watched as the Duke approached the garden where I stood.

‘The first meeting should be intense, right?’

I timed it perfectly and “accidentally” dropped the watering can.

“Oh my.”

Water spilled slightly onto the Duke’s shoes.

“Apologies, Your Grace.”

I quickly bowed, then lifted my head seductively.

Having only looked up at him as a fox before, seeing him at human eye level felt strange.

“Isn’t it lunchtime?”

I focused my gaze and calmly used my magic.

Nine tails, nine different powers.

The greatest of them all: the ability to seduce.

It stimulated deep instincts, giving the illusion of love, making him captivated by me.

I saw my accumulated energy, shimmering blue from my tails, flowing toward him.

“Hey.”

But as soon as the blue energy reached him, it shattered and bounced away. The Duke still looked at me coldly.

‘Why isn’t it working? This has never happened before.’

I panicked slightly.

‘Ah… I shouldn’t use this much power.’

Still, I poured all my magic into it.

Fortunately, unlike before, the blue energy now enveloped him as the orb first had, gradually seeping in.

‘Got it!’

The Duke looked at me dazedly.

Almost as if touching him would make him instinct-driven, instinctively loyal… a subtle, strange effect.

As his face drew closer,

“Your Grace.”

I quickly reached for his cheek, standing on tiptoe.

When his lips parted slightly, I closed the distance without hesitation.

A kiss—it had been a long time.