[BotB] Chapter 26

"Alright, alright. Let's return to 'our home,' okay?" Dohwi coaxed. 

He couldn't understand why she had mentioned finding another female to bear his children and create a happy family. What had made her so angry? 

"Stay still," Dohwi said softly, intending to treat her gently. He had wanted to caress her gently like cotton and lap at her tenderly, as one would savor a ripe persimmon. 

"If you had just been well-behaved from the start, things would have been better. Look at the state you're in now." 

He disliked seeing her cower in fear. That's why he licked her meticulously, from head to toe. Although he usually took on a human form, Sohwa had to become accustomed to his true tiger form as well. 

She would need to carry his offspring and raise them well until they could return to the soil together, for a lifetime, a long and enduring time by his side. Though she may not find him as endearing as he found her, at the very least, she shouldn't be quivering in fear right in front of him. 

"Did you buy a cage initially for this purpose?" he asked. 

"Of course not," Sohwa replied. 

Initially, he wanted to raise a beautiful bird known for singing well. Being fond of birds, he thought she would be pleased if he provided her with a small and cute bird like himself. 

While buying the leash, he had not been entirely without ulterior motives... 

"Don't even think of leaving me and running away anymore. It's pointless and will only cause you loss. You understand now, right?" 

He found her flattened and caged form rather endearing. 

Dohwi, transformed into a human, tapped the bars, and Sohwa responded with a growl, showing her teeth as if she might bite him at any moment. Her angry look was also endearing to him. 

"Don't worry. Your job is to be happy with me." 

Although she was still terrified of him, Dohwi was confident that he would make Sohwa happy, happier than any other fox in the world. 

"There is a sacred pearl with the Imugi," he informed her. "With that pearl, even creatures of different kinds like us can have children." 

He had learned from a golden eagle, which commutes to and from Mount Kunlun, that the pearl, imbued with mystical power, was effective for a barren couple like them. One must accumulate virtue with a pure body and mind for the pearl to be completed, an object even the long-cultivated immortals desired. 

With that pearl, Sohwa would be able to bear his children. 

Dohwi smiled joyously. He happened to know the Imugi that had dropped the pearl while attempting to ascend to the heavens. He had never dreamed that creature would be of help to him. 

"I'll retrieve it for you. Your wish is to have children, isn't it?" he said. 

Sure enough, her left ear perked up at his words. 

"It seems you are indeed interested. It excites me," he said with a mischievous smile. 

"Let's go home, Sohwa. I promise to get the pearl before your next estrus." 

Although he regretted not having the pearl now, Sohwa still needed time. She had to prepare mentally and practice to accommodate him in her delicate human form. He had heard that she needed to be caressed and lapped extensively so that she wouldn't faint from the shock. 

Dohwi had never tried it before, but he felt confident, especially since Sohwa was his partner.

06. That's Not What That Place Is

Sohwa let out a thin sigh from her lips as she submerged her body in the bathtub. Despite the hot, fragrant water that seemed enough to melt her overworked muscles from running on the slippery roads, her mind was filled with worries.

'What does Dohwi want to do with me?' she pondered. Could they really have children and form a happy family despite being of different species? Could Dohwi truly become her husband? 

'What if one day he gets hungry and suddenly wants to eat me?' she worried. 

Everything was confusing. Sohwa, sitting up and hugging her legs, buried her head in her knees, feeling exhausted. The cool air made her exposed neck and shoulders feel chilly, but at the moment she needed somewhere to lean. 

Closing her eyes, she tried to push away thoughts of the formidable tiger that was likely waiting for her in the bedroom. Overwhelmed by physical and mental fatigue, she quickly became drowsy. 

That's when it happened. Just as she was dozing off, warm water was carefully poured onto her shoulder. Startled, Sohwa opened her eyes wide and lifted her head. 

"...Dohwi?" 

Why had he come into the bathroom? Although he had come in a few times before to add hot water, now that circumstances had changed, she couldn't help but feel tense.