[BotB] Chapter 41

'Dear to the heart as the soy sauce jar's last drop.' That's how much he thought he cared. 

But to think that Sohwa loved him deeply enough to risk her life, fearlessly and without hesitation? 

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. There would be no reason to do such a thing for a raccoon. 

After all, it was a life he'd almost lost to hunters. If so, what was wrong with wanting to live a little longer with the tiger he valued more than his own life, even if it meant being eaten by it? 

It was back to the beginning. Sohwa had returned to the time when she first met Dohwi twenty years ago. A life uncertain when death would come – she would have been content with anyone by her side... then the cruel winters wouldn't have been so cold and lonely. 

Sohwa picked up the abandoned tiger on the roadside. 

"Is it really so? That I love you?" 

Dohwi affirmed her suspicion as she pretended to wonder. 

"Now you can't live without me. You won't be able to eat or sleep properly, and even breathing won't feel like living." 

"Oh dear. That's serious." 

Sohwa's face pretended to turn grave. Dohwi knew well how this small fox came up with tricks and tantrums, finding her simply adorable. 

"What should I do then?" 

Sohwa pouted her lips, a technique she employed whenever she wanted to hear something specific. 

"What to do? We'll have to live together forever." 

"Yes, we should do that." 

Sohwa nodded quickly, and Dohwi burst into a refreshing laugh. Even her feigned innocence was endearing, and he realized he was seriously smitten.

08. Cruel Winter

Fortuitously, whether it was due to the efficacy of the Yeouiju, Sohwa fully recovered after just fifteen days. Considering her usual frail health, it was indeed a miraculous recovery. When she was found with wire wrapped around her snout, collapsed, Dohwi had anxiously feared the worst.

It was fortunate that her health had returned, but as the days grew colder, Sohwa's complaints seemed to increase. 

Autumn was nearing its end. The ground had frozen solid overnight with a harsh frost. Sohwa, usually served breakfast in the morning, whined about the cold and once again refused to eat. 

"My body feels like it's frozen, so I couldn't sleep and now I have no appetite." 

"Still, you should eat. You need to eat something to get your strength back." 

For several days, Sohwa had been petulantly refusing to eat properly, so Dohwi decided to cook a sweet red bean porridge, knowing her fondness for sweet things. Yet even with the porridge in front of her, Sohwa was not inclined to eat and remained in a foul mood. 

"What's the use of just eating? It's so cold my lips are turning blue!" 

"That's because you keep the door open." 

"What can I do if it's stuffy?" 

Dohwi had been keeping the hearth warm throughout the nights because Sohwa kept complaining about the cold. However, now she was leaving the door open to sleep because the room was too warm. 

"Getting fully healthy is the priority, Sohwa. You need to eat well and stay warm." 

"Hmph!" 

Sohwa snorted through her nose and barely pretended to sip the porridge before she quickly lay back down. 

"Not eating anymore?" 

"I just don't feel like eating." 

Dohwi looked down at her with a saddened expression and then brought out a persimmon that had been well-kept. 

"Try eating this, Sohwa." 

Dohwi peeled the plump persimmon with its thin skin and scooped out its soft flesh with a small wooden spoon, offering it to Sohwa's lips. She opened her mouth like a baby bird. 

"Is it good?" 

"Yeah, this is delicious. It's sweet and I like it." 

She looked both adorable and annoying as she smacked her lips. 

If only she would eat the meals prepared for her, she would have regained her strength much quicker. 

Despite being offered all sorts of nutritious delicacies, Sohwa hadn't been eating well and was becoming increasingly frail, to the point where even a slight chill would make her cough, and she disliked walking long distances. She stayed inside the house like a snake readying for hibernation. 

Dohwi engraved in his mind that bothering such a Sohwa was worse than disturbing a beast. 

But even his patience reached its limits when provoked by the cunning of a fox. 

"Is there no more?" 

Having finished the persimmon, Sohwa looked up with a hint of longing and then gazed at Dohwi's sticky hand. 

"It must be uncomfortable because it's sticky. Let me wash it for you." 

Sitting cross-legged, Dohwi watched as Sohwa lay down before him, held his large hand, and teasingly ran her tongue over it. 

From the thumb to the forefinger and middle finger, she licked meticulously, cleaning between the fingers and joints, while Dohwi watched her with an intense gaze. The silence was such that only the sound of Sohwa licking could be heard.