(Please read the NOTICE from the translator at the end of the chapter about the future of this project!)

In the early dawn, Horang woke feeling a bit cold. Summer had just passed, so the days were very hot, but the nights were very cold. Especially deep in the forest, the seasons changed quickly and the cold of the night was quite strong.

In a cave without even a blanket, at least he had a house with walls that lessened the cold, but to spend the night without even walls was too cold. Horang tossed and turned, but the cold seeped in, chilling his bones. He couldn’t help it and got up. It looked like in order to sleep he would have to change to his tiger form that fared better in the cold.

With his long fur and thick hide, his tiger form was much better for the cold.

‘Is it already that time of year?’

Horang shuffled to his feet. And like always, stretched as he got to his feet, about to transform into a tiger, but right in front of him, in a corner of the cave he saw something curled up and shivering.

Just about the only things that came into Horang’s cave were small mice. Occasionally a bat or bird would fly in and build their nest, but even those guys didn’t come this far inside. Most of the beasts on the mountain knew Horang’s identity but they didn’t approach him. Although they asked him for help, usually they were a little wary of him. Compared to other mountain lords, he was on the more friendly side with the mountain’s animals, but they could never really become comfortable with him.

In addition, it was a bit large to be one of those small animals.

‘What’s that?’

Even in his drowsy, half-asleep state, he thought it was strange and when he went to look, he saw the hem of silk clothes. Horang’s brow furrowed deeper and stepped closer.

And there — lying all curled up — was the fox. He must have been very cold, the way his curled body was shivering was clearly visible.

‘He didn’t leave?’

Horang thought he surely would have left. It was cold, the night was late, and even demons usually had a source, so returning there to rest prevented strain on the body so Horang thought that he had left. He thought that the fox was just saying that he wouldn’t leave unless Horang agreed to marry him.

But he really didn’t leave.

Up until now, he attributed it to that the fox was just putting in the effort to mock him, but seeing him trembling there like that, it made him wonder why he was going this far.

‘Is he going so far just to mock me?’

The thought that maybe he was sincere suddenly sprung up in Horang’s mind again. Horang immediately shook his head and tried to push away that thought, but an idea didn’t disappear just because one wanted it to. As if it were a drop of ink on paper, the thought bloomed and spread.

Horang considered waking up the fox, but instead he just went over to his worn and shabby house. He went into the house that the fox had roughly stabilized with his demonic force preventing it from collapsing, and he gathered the remaining sticks and branches. He thought it wouldn’t be enough, so he brought over some more firewood and, piling it up a short distance away from the fox, he lit it aflame.

Before long, warmth spread in the vicinity.

“I was also cold, anyways…”

Horang tried to justify to himself that he made the fire for himself, not for the fox. But his eyes glanced over to check if the fox’s expression had relaxed a little… if he wasn’t still cold.

Thankfully, thanks to the heat from the flames, the face that had gone pale white from the cold flushed with color, and his body that had been curled up tightly assumed a more relaxed posture.

“Going through so much trouble just to make fun of me.”

Horang tutted, but at the same time he thought that if the fox was really serious, he felt sorry for him.

He made a request that could never be granted and was thought of as insincere, ignored, and even berated instead of receiving sincerity.

Horang thought he saw himself in the fox and some part of his heart felt pity.

“I must be crazy. What am I thinking?”

‘That’s all it is, a weird prank. They say fox demons are wicked and wily so he might be showing me a pitiful state on purpose.”

Horang shook his head again and he went inside his own soul force that he had spread out.

And lying down, he deliberately kept thinking about how the fox had called him cute just before. As he thought about it over and over again, he became convinced the fox was making fun of him.

It was enough to get hurt by trusting too easily one time. Supposing he thought the fox was sincere and seriously considered his words but the fox was actually just making fun of him, Horang would be hurt deeply. He himself knew it best.

“But… If he’s really sincere, could he think I’m actually cute?”Horang said quietly, then turned to face the other way as he lay.

Like his heart, his soul force also wavered. The fox’s arm touched Horang’s soul force as he moved in his sleep, and the soul force accepted him all too easily. Just like Horang’s wavering heart.

Unbeknownst to the turned-away Horang, as well as the sleeping fox, just like that the fox slept with his hand inside Horang’s soul force for the entire night, and Horang couldn’t help but dream of the fox crying that he was sincere.

“You’re in the way, get lost!”

Horang lashed his tail in the fox’s direction. The old tree had collapsed, and one baby boar was strapped in the den. He thought he should save it, so he was trying to move the fallen tree, but the fox kept on hanging near him.

“You’ll get hurt like that!”

“I told you something like this is fine! Ah, really!”

It was already a week now that Horang had been doing this unwanted cohabitation with the fox. Stubbornly , the fox really wasn’t leaving. Even Horang’s heart was leaning quite a bit towards the idea that the fox seriously wanted to marry him. However, the fox was acting so stubborn that in response he also grew contrary and thought, stubbornly, that the fox was just playing.

“I will try with my demon force, so…!”

“You think I act like a mountain lord for no reason?”

In strength, as well as soul force, Horang was significantly stronger. But whenever Horang tried to do anything, the fox worried like he was some babe abandoned on the waterside and was beside himself.

Horang kept saying it irritated him, but in truth, he didn’t totally hate someone worrying about him. He got angry when he was treated like a child, but it was still one of the reasons Horang tolerated the fox.

But when he got in the way like this when he was working, Horang really got fed up.

“I’ll probably get hurt because of you and your meddling!” Horang shouted out and put more force into his arms.

It was quite an ancient tree, so the weight was considerable. He could use his soul force to deal with it, but Horang didn’t like using his soul force much.

Most mountain lords used their soul force to build extravagant houses, or bewitch people and drink, or even made women to keep around. But a mountain lord’s soul force was the spirit of the mountain. Using it, it was inevitable that the animals that lived here, the trees, the flowers, their vitality would decrease. Perhaps because Horang had been born a beast, he didn’t want that. He was well-fed just consuming enough of the mountain’s energy so that it wouldn’t overflow and cause issues, so he didn’t use his soul force needlessly.

In addition, he had recently used a lot of his soul force to block the fox, so he really didn’t want to use it now.

“Eu-aaaaaht!”

At the sound of Horang’s roar some birds flew off in the distance. And the great fallen tree let out a cracking — u-deuk u-deuk — sound as it moved. The family of boars ran about helter-skelter, and a couple other animals came to watch. The fox also lent some of his strength and grabbed the base and heaved.

The great old tree lifted little by little, and the baby boar struggled at the gap wanting to get out. Horang’s face flushed red with blood, and he strained so much that the blood vessels in his eyes burst. He used all of his strength so he wouldn’t drop the tree.

If he dropped the tree now, the baby boar would die.

It was heavier than he thought. The fox was helping, but it was so heavy that his vision swam. Horang’s arms trembled and shook, but Horang squeezed his dizzy eyes shut and put more strength in his arms. And a second later he felt his arms becoming faintly lighter. When Horang opened his eyes slightly to look beside him, he saw the fox using his demon force to the point that he was shining with white light. The fox looked at Horang and smiled lightly, and Horang barely avoided losing the strength in his arms from the sight of that face and quickly turned his head.

The baby boar safely escaped under the tree. And it soon fled together with its family. And next to that fallen tree, only the collapsed exhausted fox and Horang remained.

Horang, who was huffing and panting heavily, tapped the fox’s shoulder. The fox who was similarly bent over and braced on his knees catching his breath looked at Horang.

“You, is it okay for you to use up so much of your demon power when you don’t even go home?”Horang said, kind of like he was worried, and the fox just smiled even while panting. The fox’s nonsensically smiling face looked good on him, but he looked quite tired so Horang frowned lightly.

“This much is fine. And my power replenishes quickly when I am on this mountain…”

“But wouldn’t it be better at home?”

“This mountain is full of vitality thanks to Horang-nim. I really am okay.”

The fox stood and held up/raised his arms as if he wanted to show he was fine.

‘Is he really okay?’

Horang was a little uneasy, but because he felt like he was really caring too much for the guy who was sticking around to make fun of him, he didn’t ask further. But he covertly grabbed the fox’s arm like he was using it to stand up and shared a little of his soul force. It was different from demonic power, so the amount the fox could receive was very little, but sharing that little bit he felt like it would make him worry less.

The fox’s eyes went wide, and then he smiled prettily, following after Horang while he swished his tail.

Perhaps Horang was embarrassed , as he turned away from the fox’s gaze and went to look at the stump of the old fallen tree, but before he could do that, the fox grabbed Horang’s arm.

“Is Horang-nim alright? You were not hurt or injured anywhere?”

“Am I some kid.. Ah!”

He was embarrassed, and unaccustomed to the voice full of concern. Horang who was about to bluster when the fox grabbed his arm, let out a sound as if hurt. Perhaps it hurt a lot, he couldn’t stifle the sound and his face contorted harshly.

The smiling fox’s expression changed in an instant, and he urgently hiked up Horang’s sleeve.

There he found a wound inflicted by the rough bark scraping him. In addition, he could see wood splinters were embedded everywhere. He wasn’t severely hurt, but the area of the harm was quite large.

“Didn’t I say you might get hurt?”

“I’m a mountain lord! This kind of wound is nothing… Wh, what are you doing!”

The fox was trying to bring his mouth to Horang’s arm, and Horang quickly snatched his arm away. With a falsely stern expression, the fox held out his hand as if to tell Horang to give his arm back.

“I, I said what are you doing!”

“What am I doing, you ask. I am simply treating you? Please give me your arm. If you leave those splinters, your wound might fester and become more severe.”

“I’m a mountain lord; a mountain lord’s wounds will heal on their own. So there’s no need for you to treat me.”

“You are a mountain lord. And a mountain lord is the mountain. Treating you quickly is better for the mountain’s sake. And,also, those splinters might not heal easily even if you are a mountain lord, so wouldn’t it be better if it is treated now?”

“It’s fine! You, again you’re just trying to mock me!”

“Are you saying I have ever mocked Horang-nim?”

“Every day! Without fail you, you… you ask me that!”

“To marry you? Is it still about that? How is that mocking you? Who would marry someone in order to make fun of them?”

Now instead he was the one raising his voice and kicking up a fuss. Horang was the one who was dumbfounded, but he was tutting like he was more baffled. The fox’s shamelessness increased.

Horang hid his arm behind his back wearing an expression like he was dumbfounded, and the fox came one step closer.

“I will make sure it won’t hurt, so don’t act like a child and please give me your arm.”

“Who are you calling a child! You, you think you can say anything you want!”

“Yes, you are not a child. So please give me your arm. I will just treat it for you.”

Then he grabbed Horang’s arm that was hidden behind him and dragged it out forcefully. Horang dawdled and pretended to resist before he gave him his arm.

The shameless fox was cheeky, but he knew that he was caring for him.

Someone worrying for him. It was something Horang didn’t have any defenses against at all.

It felt strange. Horang looked at the fox who was forcefully pulling his arm, then as soon as the fox glanced at him he quickly looked away. The fox let out a quiet laugh and then brought his mouth to Horang’s wound.

“Ah…!”

The sensitive wound that had been scratched. The fox’s lips touched atop it. The comfortable and soft sensation of the fox’s lips was felt so clearly by Horang. From the plush and soft sensation of touching, the lips’ shape, the lips’ heat, and the wetness was all felt.

Horang thought it was like he was directly caressing the fox’s lips with his hand.

It tickled. He could feel the fox’s breath flowing out from between his lips. At the inexplicable prickling feeling of the nape of his neck , Horang shrunk his neck and hunched his shoulders. His ears and tail lowered/drooped, and his toes clenched.

The fox rubbed the wound gently with his lips then sucked lightly on the area where the splinter was stuck. It stung. The part that stung was his arm, but strangely it felt like needles poking him behind his ears so Horang leaned his head slightly.

The fox glanced upwards and locked eyes with Horang. His black eyes seemed to shine with an impish light.

‘What does he mean to make that face in this situation?’

Horang’s cheeks were strangely hot, and he slightly lowered his head.

The fox sucked the sliver out with his lips, and with the ends of his teeth he gently plucked it out. Like that, the fox’s lips swept across Horang’s wound. Horang felt like his heart was pounding from inside his arm.

“Is-isn’t th-that enough…!”

After he removed all the splinters, when the fox’s tongue touched over his wound Horang hurriedly pushed the fox away and hid his arm behind his back.

The sensation of his tongue touching was a lot stranger than just his lips. His heart was beating/racing too wildly and he tried to speak/say something but his breath was coming out unevenly as if panting.

It’s not like he had run up the mountain, but he was out of breath. No, even if Horang ran up the mountain he wouldn’t be this out of breath. If he didn’t forcibly breathe he felt like he would suffocate; how long had it been since he last felt like this? It felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.

“Wouldn’t you like to put some herbs on it?”

“I’m fine! It’s already enough! I, I’m going to look at that fallen tree!”

Horang’s face was red as he hastily walked briskly towards the stump of the tree. And although he looked at the tree, all of his attention was over on the fox.

‘Don’t pay attention to him. I’ll just get tangled up with him.’

Horang quickly hid his arm which felt like the fox’s lips were still touching and focused on inspecting the tree.

The stump which had fallen much cleaner than expected displayed the white inner wood which had been hidden inside the tree.

Such an old, ancient tree was half-like a god in itself.

It was called a sacred tree, and humans even left offerings for the tree and worshipped it as a god. This fallen tree wasn’t such an old tree to be called a sacred tree, but it was a tree that had much age, and it was a tree that had been close to the end of the mountain range, so the fact that it had fallen was a bit troubling.

“Say, does it not seem that this break was too clean?”

“Hm… Sometimes insects will bore inside and it will break like this. You see this line? This is where the bug chewed up the inside and exited, to become its adult form.”

“To say that it fell because of being eaten by insects …”

The fox studied the tree again with a doubtful expression, but Horang, who had seen many fallen trees break cleanly like this because of larvae, didn’t think much of it and stood up.

He had wasted too much time here. He had spent a lot of time just rescuing the boar, but because the fox had insisted on treating him he had wasted even more time. Aside from that, from dragging around the fox, the forest he usually patrolled twice a day he’d been hard-pressed to patrol even once, and if in addition to that, he couldn’t even do that properly. It wouldn’t do.

To Horang, who was a mountain lord, his sense of responsibility for taking care of the mountain was exceptionally strong, this was not something he could tolerate.

This mountain was the territory where he had lived as a tiger beast. This was the place where he had met that special person. And this was also the place that he had come to guard when he became a mountain lord.

If he wanted to patrol the rest of the forest, he had to move quicker.

“Say, Horang-nim, I’ve wanted to say this since before…”

“I’m in a hurry, so tell me later.”

Horang removed the fox’s arm which was holding him and hurriedly left to look over the mountain.

The fox glanced back at the broken old tree and quickly followed after Horang before he got farther away.