MDOF | Chapter 2.6

“So, your seal was suddenly broken. Hearing the underworld was in an uproar, I was quite excited, thinking you would come sooner.”

“Didn’t you already set a pretty white snake in my place? I’ve heard some rumors.”

“That snake, compared to a magnificent fox like you, is nothing but a foul-smelling creature.”

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Songje’s elegant fingers traced Yeon’s jawline, applying pressure below his lips. Instead of pulling Yeon’s resisting face towards him, Songje brought his face close, enveloping Yeon’s face with his cold breath.

“Let’s end this game here. Didn’t our relationship end 500 years ago when you didn’t ask for help?”

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Songje stopped at the distance where their noses almost touched upon hearing the cold words.

“I just came to greet the affection I raised, so let’s put an end to this empty greed. Our Yeon ended there.”

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“You’re as cold as the Moon Goddess.”

To Songje’s grumbling, Yeon gave a relaxed smile. Here ends any speck of attachment to this ice castle.

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***

“Did you wake up, baby?”

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“Uh… uh…”

Seonwoo, who had slept soundly without dreaming, jolted upright at the sound of Samsin’s voice. He had clearly fallen asleep with his head on Yeon’s lap, but where Yeon had been, there was only a clump of fur like the one that comes out after brushing Yeon’s fur.

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“The fox stepped out for a bit.”

At the news that Yeon had left, Seonwoo, feeling just as anxious, rolled his eyes around.

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What an arbitrary fox. It was fine until he brought him here, but he didn’t let him sleep, and now he’s gone without a word. Seonwoo felt bitter towards him for not even considering how uncomfortable it might be for him to be left alone with Samsin. If this was going to happen, he might as well have stayed home alone.

“Where did he go?”

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How important could it be to leave someone asleep behind? Seonwoo grumbled, pouting. Although he found Samsin uncomfortable, he couldn’t help but complain with a whiny tone from the unexpected start to his day.

“Hmm… he went to his previous master.”

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“Master?”

The idea of Yeon having a master was hard to imagine, and Seonwoo pouted his lips.

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“Though it’s cheeky, his beauty is outstanding, isn’t it? He was indeed a perfect fox.”

“We don’t use that kind of language these days.”

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His abrupt retort was a reflection of his discomfort. For some reason, he couldn’t stand her treating Yeon like a pet dog.

“Sorry. I’m such an old soul. So, what do you say these days?”

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At the response of ‘companion animal,’ Samsin laughed awkwardly, saying that Yeon would probably hate that word even more.

Yeon would rather be called a pet fox than Songje’s companion. Not knowing the truth, Seonwoo still pouted. Samsin, watching Seonwoo’s disheveled brown hair with warmth, took the opportunity to gaze at Seonwoo again while Yeon was away.

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Her yellow irises could see many things others could not. It was only natural, since human life begins with Samsin. Samsin Halmeoni, with her many responsibilities, also had much power at her disposal. Tracing the blue lifeline visible in her eyes, she looked down at where Seonwoo’s heart was.

The heart, beating strong like that of a child, was encased in layers of shell familiar even to Samsin.

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She knew well what that thick shell was protecting. However, even she did not know why it was in this child’s chest.

Ignoring Seonwoo’s curious gaze, Samsin focused her eyes, and the pupils, now darkened with yellow, dilated. More information began to flow into her.

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‘I won’t let such dangerous things happen to my son!’

A clear, sharp woman’s voice scratched past Samsin’s ears.

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‘Hand it over to that beggar child! He’s supposed to ward off misfortune, right?!’

‘If you insist on giving it to my son, I’ll abandon my duty to keep the oath.’

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‘So that’s how it was.’

With the experience of her long life, Samsin could guess what had happened to the Shin family child from just a few words that had passed by her ears.

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She inhaled the smoke of her cigarette, deep in thought. The children she had released from her care never went as planned, but realizing too late that a promise upheld for hundreds of years had been broken left her feeling bitterly disappointed.

If she had known earlier, could she have prevented this child’s lifeline from trembling so powerlessly? Feeling sorry for him, Samsin gently stroked Seonwoo’s precious hair.

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Seonwoo’s lips subtly twisted. Even though he had never received parental affection, he instinctively knew that Samsin’s touch was no different. His heart, which had been prickly due to Yeon’s absence, felt strangely relieved, and he tried to control his watering eyes.

“You’ve been through a lot, baby. Thank you for growing up well.”

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A single teardrop fell from Seonwoo’s swollen eyes. Wiping away the tear hanging precariously on his wet lower eyelashes, there was much in Samsin’s voice that Seonwoo didn’t understand.

Why now? Seonwoo’s shoulders, not having cried since who knows when, began to tremble. Samsin patted his aimlessly shaking shoulders, swallowing a sigh with her now calm eyes.

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The fox’s seal had been broken because the promise was broken. Samsin knew she had to ignore the fact that her children might get brutally broken in this event, and it pained her.

Thus, while carefully choosing her words from among the few she could offer this time, the fox returned sooner than expected. Seeing Yeon’s drooping tail, one could guess how much he had been through, bringing a slight smile to Samsin’s lips.

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“Oh, you managed to escape well. I thought you’d be stuck for days.”

“What’s this? Did you make him cry?”

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Yeon, ignoring Samsin’s words, grabbed Seonwoo’s flushed cheeks and snapped at her.

“When have I ever made a child cry? Why do you only pick the nasty things to say, really.”

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“Oh, no. I didn’t cry.”

Seonwoo, trying to hide his wet eyes, shook his head vigorously, his voice cracking, and Yeon’s grip on his cheek loosened.

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“It seems Songje has fallen for Bing-a. I thought I’d be stuck in the Ice Hell for sure.”

“…So you pushed him to go while thinking that?”

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“Hoho, other people’s love fights are the most fun. At my age, life gets boring, and… the folks in the afterlife don’t even date anymore, so there’s nothing to watch.”

Love fights? Dating? Seonwoo, rubbing his eyes, looked up at Yeon.

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“Nonsense! What love fight? Only old folks with time on their hands do dating!”

Raising his voice, Yeon didn’t notice Seonwoo’s intense gaze, scrunching up his nose and baring his teeth. Samsin, enjoying the riled-up Yeon, laughed heartily, clutching her stomach.

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“There’s a rumor in the afterlife that Songje is so caught up in the fox’s tail that he’s melting all the ice in the Ice Hell, and there’s no goblin who doesn’t know that. Baby, do you know how noisy it was?”

Samsin, pulling Seonwoo into this conversation, showed more mischief than the kindness she had when they were alone. Yeon, grabbing Seonwoo’s hand, which was just blinking its large eyes, huffed.

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“If he had melted the ice sooner, I wouldn’t have had to escape to the underworld. How annoying. Let’s go, we’re done here.”

“Already?”

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It was strange seeing Yeon raise his voice or jump around when he usually answered lazily or ignored with half-open eyes. It felt like his mood was twisted. It was like the sense of alienation one feels when they realize their close friend has set boundaries.

“You just sleep when you’re at home. Here, you seem to have fun, so it’s nice to watch. Stay a bit longer, why leave so soon.”

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Hiding his complex feelings, Seonwoo smiled prettily. Although he tried to look nonchalant, he wasn’t feeling good. Even during what felt like an outing, he felt quite lonely.

He was also hurt by being left alone like a piece of furniture. Seeing all these aspects of Yeon that he hadn’t seen in the weeks they spent together made him feel distant. Yeon usually just dismissively responded or ignored him with sleepy eyes.

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Yeon, whom he thought would enjoy their time together, might have found the time spent with him uninteresting. Despite deciding not to expect anything, the rising disappointment chilled Seonwoo’s mind. He bit his soft inner cheek to maintain his smile, hiding the creeping disappointment.

“What?”

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“Your condition looks good, so why rush back?”

Seonwoo placed his hand, which had escaped Yeon’s grip, quietly on his thigh, listening to Samsin’s chatter.

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“Seems like Songje has taken in another child who’s just like a baby fox, still clinging to him, huh?”

“Old woman, when have I ever clung to Songje…”

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That was because he was held captive. Yeon, touching his forehead, gave a soft laugh while looking at Seonwoo, who leaned towards Samsin. He wanted to stay longer, seeing that smile he hadn’t seen before, but there wouldn’t be any good news coming from Samsin’s mouth.

“Oh my, now that I think about it, even Yama’s crow has run away to the underworld.”

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“Is running away in fashion now?”

“Have you met the crow?”

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“Don’t know, that smelly brat. Yama has some strange tastes…”

Seonwoo gaped at Yeon’s grumpy response.

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Yama? As in Yama, the King of Hell? The movie he enjoyed watching was real, and his uncomfortable feelings were now diluted by curiosity.

“What about his taste?”

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“…There’s just that.”

Yeon, not giving a proper answer again, turned his head away sharply.

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He wanted to go back now. If he returned now, the day would be over. It was bothersome, but he needed to get groomed and wash off this uncomfortable feeling. Although he didn’t need to bathe as a divine being, he wanted to doze off under Seonwoo’s hands brushing through his fur after washing.

‘Songje, that bastard. Still messing around needlessly.’

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Shuddering at Songje’s scent lingering on his body, Yeon looked down at the two whispering on the second-floor railing. Seonwoo’s large brown eyes sparkled, curious about what serious conversation they were having. Samsin nodded kindly at Seonwoo, a gentleness Yeon had never seen directed at him, making his lips twist.

As Seonwoo had said, Yeon was lively in the underworld or the netherworld. Even if he had lost his jewel, there was no lack in his abilities as a divine being. In this world, he was always sleepy, but now his body felt as light as if he had just woken up.

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‘Even so…’

Here, there’s Seonwoo. Exuding a sweet scent that made his mouth water.

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The only reason he puts up with the discomfort here is because of him. If he let him go and someone took him where he couldn’t reach, he would tear apart the thief who harmed Seonwoo without satisfaction. Above all, hadn’t Seonwoo said he would give his life to Yeon? Seonwoo’s life was his.

Seonwoo burst into laughter at something amusing. The smile on his clear face was familiar, and Yeon relaxed the tension in his jaw. Watching that smile, even the boring times didn’t seem so bad.

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