The Fluffy Baby Fox Only Bites the Crazy Villain - Chapter 54
T/n: In this chapter, “Brother” (오라버니/Orabeoni) is used as a term of respect and endearment for an older male figure, not indicating blood relation. It’s common in Korean culture to address respected older male figures this way.
As I muttered in surprise, Karden stepped in front of me protectively.
“They were the ones who informed us that you and Franz were kidnapped by the slave traders. They seem to have come to retrieve Franz.”
The one-eyed fox stepped forward before Karden and slightly bowed its head as if showing respect.
“Your Grace, how is Franz’s condition?”
“Franz was forcibly humanized and is in a comatose state. We’ll treat him and send him back.”
“We cannot trouble you. We have the antidote.”
Wait, antidote? I came out from behind Karden and stood before the one-eyed fox.
“You really have the antidote? Give it to Franz right now!”
The one-eyed fox was startled and shocked to see me as a human.
“You too… were humanized?”
The other foxes were also greatly disturbed and made low whimpering sounds. The foxes glanced at me warily with anxious and uneasy eyes.
Why are they afraid of me being humanized?
I clenched my fists tightly.
“I was forcibly humanized like Franz.”
“How did you maintain consciousness? We heard that drug turns one into a soulless doll.”
The one-eyed fox asked in a trembling voice, as if in disbelief.
“I’m not sure about that. I couldn’t move at first, but it naturally wore off.”
“That’s because of your powerful strength. Your power that desires magical energy must have neutralized the drug’s effects.”
The one-eyed fox let out a sigh that sounded like lamentation.
To think my power was that strong, I’m not sure if this is good for me.
While I was confused and unsure what to do, the foxes’ stares felt piercing.
Fearful gazes as if looking at a vicious magical beast.
Why are they looking at me like that? I’m not a monster…
At that moment, Karden’s hand gently wrapped around my shoulder. His kind and warm eyes looked directly at me.
“Shuvelia, I’ll handle them. Go rest in another carriage.”
Karden will handle the Ulpes tribe? I noticed the longsword at his waist.
“You’re not planning to eliminate the Ulpes tribe, are you? That absolutely cannot happen!”
In my urgency, I grabbed his collar and desperately tried to stop him.
Karden smiled faintly as if finding it absurd.
“Do you see me as such a cruel person?”
“No, that’s not what I…”
Oh, I misunderstood. I turned my gaze away, embarrassed to look at Karden.
The one-eyed fox was talking with a smaller fox beside it. It was a silver-gray fox with a small bag on its waist.
“Rena, give Franz the antidote.”
“Yes, Master.”
The small fox wagged its tail and instantly transformed into a human with a misty fog.
She was a cute teenage girl with silver-gray bob hair, and her silver-gray fur had changed into a dress.
For such a young girl to have such excellent humanization ability, she’s really amazing.
Perhaps I was staring too intently at the girl called Rena. Our eyes met unexpectedly.
I gave her a slight smile, but Rena turned her head away with a cold expression.
Rena took out a medicine bottle from the small bag at her waist.
Ah, that must be the antidote. I approached Rena happily to speak to her.
“Franz is in that carriage…”
“I don’t need you to tell me. I know Brother Franz’s scent well.”
Rena spoke in a cold tone with downcast eyes.
Is this shapeshifter being so wary because I’m an ominous presence? No, it’s something else.
Rena headed straight for the carriage where Franz was. Of course, she would know, being a fox with an excellent sense of smell.
“Your Grace, I’ll go check if Franz takes the medicine well.”
Karden silently nodded.
The Ulpes foxes seemed afraid of Karden, unable to even meet his eyes. They had their tails down as if facing an absolute ruler.
When I approached the carriage, I had to stop in my tracks.
Rena was looking at Franz, who lay on the carriage seat, with eyes that seemed about to cry.
Her hand was gently caressing Franz’s pale face.
The careful but affectionate touch and loving, tender gaze.
“Foolish brother. You were so confident, why did you end up like this?”
Rena’s reproachful whisper to Franz was mixed with tears.
Ah, this shapeshifter is in love with Franz.
I feel like I shouldn’t interrupt right now. As I hesitated in front of the carriage, Rena suddenly turned her head.
“How rude. Why are you spying?”
“That’s not it, I was just worried about Franz…”
I waved my hands in panic.
“I’ll give brother the antidote myself, so please leave.”
Rena was right. Franz couldn’t take the antidote himself in his unconscious state.
I nodded obediently and stepped back. It might make Rena uncomfortable if I kept watching.
After anxiously waiting for a few minutes in front of the carriage, the door finally burst open.
Rena was holding an empty medicine bottle and wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“Did you give Franz the antidote well? How is he?”
Rena glared at me with resentful eyes.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“What?”
“I’m asking if you’re really fine with me giving brother the medicine directly. Aren’t you supposed to be his fiancée?”
There’s that fiancée talk again. I don’t even remember anything, why is everyone making such a fuss about being fiancées?
Moreover, why is this fox person so angry with me?
Rena hung her head. Her small shoulders trembled slightly.
“You don’t think of Brother as your fiancé, but do you know how much he sacrificed just to save someone like you?”
“What do you mean by sacrifice?”
Rena stared at me with eyes full of resentment. Her large eyes were glistening with tears that threatened to spill over.
“He said he would choose you, that he would even give up his position as the next captain!”
I hadn’t noticed at all. I thought Franz was just beside me for my training.
He always teased me and acted prickly, so I never noticed Franz’s true feelings.
I had no idea Franz thought of me that way…
“I… I had no idea.”
“Because of you, our Ulpes tribe had to live in fear and anxiety. The adults always warned us to be careful of you, to stay away from you.”
“Ah…”
It hurt like an old wound reopening. Though I now lived in this fox body, I had no memories of its original owner, Ruel.
But just because the memories were gone didn’t mean the pain had dulled.
This baby fox had just hidden the pain of being ostracized and feared by her tribe deep inside her small, fragile body.
Rena stared at me with tear-filled eyes, fear and anger intermingled.
“They said you were an ominous existence, darkness that devours everything. That if you get close to the darkness, you’ll go blind and be swallowed up. Brother has been swallowed by the darkness that is you.”
“That’s not true, please calm down.”
I shook my head, trying to calm Rena down.
Suddenly, she jumped out of the carriage and fell to her knees before I could stop her.
“Rena?”
“Please, I beg you.”
Rena desperately clung to me and pleaded. Seeing her like this made it hard to breathe, as if something was stuck in my throat.
“Please don’t torment Brother’s heart. Please leave. You can even take my power if you want. Just please, Brother Franz…”
What more could I say? I hadn’t done anything, yet my mere existence was a source of terror for them.
It felt like invisible black hands were crawling up from underground and binding my body.
Just then, a faint groan came from Franz.
“…Shushu?”
“Franz?”
I quickly jumped into the carriage. Franz managed to sit up on his own, leaning against the seat.
His silver hair was disheveled, and his handsome face was worryingly pale.
Franz swept his bangs back with one hand. His unfocused silver eyes gazed at me blankly.
His long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and suddenly his eyes became clear as if a light had been lit.
“Hah… You’re safe, Shushu.”
To worry about me the moment he regains consciousness. It made me angry. He should worry about himself first.
“You fool. Worry about yourself. Do you remember being forcibly humanized?”
“Yes. I remember everything.”
“Then what about you acting like a soulless doll?”
“Yes. It felt like being trapped in deep water. Unable to do anything.”
Franz muttered with a bitter expression. Though he seemed to have regained consciousness, his demeanor was completely different from before.
“Are you really…”
Just as I was about to ask if he was okay, Rena roughly pushed my shoulder aside.
“Brother, are you okay?”
Rena burst into tears and threw herself into Franz’s arms.
“Do you know how worried I was that something terrible might happen to you? Waaah!”
Rena broke down crying pitifully in Franz’s arms.
Franz looked at her and sighed. Then he gently patted her head.
“Stop crying. Your ugly face is getting uglier.”
“Hic, Brother.”
Rena pressed her lips together, trying to stop crying. She even started hiccupping.
To think she’d try so hard not to cry just because Franz said crying makes her ugly – she really likes him that much.
Rena is cute. I almost couldn’t help but smile.
Of course, I quickly controlled my expression. If she caught me smiling, Rena would glare at me with those dagger eyes.
Aila_Ve_U
I’m sorry but f**k those foxes they all piss me off so much, and why is shushu being such a pushover god