[BotB] Chapter 34

//Last update of the year :)

"I should have done this sooner. Then I would have filled you up with my seed last night." 

The dragon pearl was beneficial for restoring vitality and increasing fertility in its host. He regretted not using it sooner. 

As Sohwa's face turned pale, Dohwi caressed her cheek with a graceful touch and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. 

"Tonight, I will make sure to do it inside you, in the deepest place you have." 

After instructing her to eat when she wanted, he kissed Sohwa on the lips and stood up from his seat. 

The door opened with a strong motion. Sohwa, who had been following Dohwi with her eyes, shouted after him. 

"I don't even have affection for you! How can we become a married couple and have a happy family?" 

"It's okay. I have enough love for both of us," Dohwi said without turning back, just before closing the door. 

"Don't go outside tonight, no matter what noises you hear." 

*** Despite Dohwi's warning, Sohwa ran out of the house immediately. 

Leaving behind a hastily written note that said, 'It's against the order of heaven, we cannot be together, I am a fox and you are a tiger', she did not look back and rushed towards Mount Ihwang. 

'I'll go to the human village. Surely he won't chase me there even if he turns into a tiger.' 

She was so confused that she could barely remember the way to the lower village. Sohwa headed down the path where people were seen. 

Alone now, the vulgar words Dohwi had uttered at the dining table echoed in her head. Sohwa shook her head as if to cast them out. 

'Let's not think about it anymore. We can't be in that kind of relationship!' 

After all, it's well known that for a man and a woman to play the roles of husband and wife, they must truly cherish and care for each other. "I do cherish Dohwi as much as my own body, but it's not affection, is it? 'I'm not sure exactly what affection is, but anyway....' 

That's what I heard, anyway. That guy must be near his heat, unable to distinguish right from wrong. I've never even heard a rumor of a tiger and a fox becoming mates. 

‘I was blinded by the thought of Dohwi frolicking around last night. It can't be, it can't. Just the sight of that hideous club... Oh no, I can't, I can't. Thinking about it again, it was shameful and impossible.’ 

‘Even if I were to understand that weapon, I couldn't marry Dohwi when I don't love him. I'm not sure what exactly love is, but I was certain that my small and precious affection for that guy was not enough to hold the passionate love of a man and a woman. It's like trying to serve a hot soup in a soy sauce dish. Yes, a soy sauce dish. My feelings for that guy are just like a soy sauce dish.’ 

Confused by thoughts of Dohwi, Sohwa managed to reach the marketplace before sunset. The hustle and bustle of people was surprisingly welcome today. 

Sohwa wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around. She wanted to buy some snacks but didn't have a single coin. 

'If Dohwi were here, he would have bought me delicious honey rice cakes.' 

She was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought. The prospect of living without him seemed utterly daunting, even though she had spent more years alone before she met him. 

'I barely scraped by...' 

Especially in winter, there were many days when she was so hungry that her stomach clung to her back. Even the streams would freeze over, making it hard to fill her belly with water. 

If she had roamed the human villages like Dohwi, she wouldn't have starved, but Sohwa didn't know how to procure coins. 

'That raccoon managed to get them easily.' 

In the autumn, it was Hoyoung's job to gather fallen leaves. There seemed to be a mystical way to use them, but Sohwa, who could barely fend for herself, didn't have such skills. 

Dohwi had reliably provided three meals a day and snacks, so now she was at a loss for even a single meal. 

Still, hiding in a human village seemed better than wandering in the mountains. She was looking for a well to quench her thirst when she heard the call. 

"Buy a pibok! It's getting colder, buy a pibok!" 피풍의" (披风) it’s like a snow cloak 

As if calling out to her, a loud voice made Sohwa turn her head automatically. 

"Miss! Beautiful miss! Come over here and take a look!" 

A middle-aged man in a row of stalls along the marketplace waved at her. 

"This is a coat made of dog skin, this one is a soft rabbit skin coat!" 

The man tried to catch Sohwa's attention by showing off various pieces of clothing. Sohwa's face turned pale at the sight of the furs he presented.