Couple account deposit: 9,105 won
Message left: baby fox
Couple account deposit: 40,000 won
Message left: love you
Couple account deposit: 50,000 won
Message left: Love you, baby fox, where are you…….
“Is this a joke….”
I let out a hollow laugh and closed the Couple Tab.
As soon as the couple’s account was opened in the Relationship Panel, Kessler began using it like a fish in water, making small but constant deposits. Thanks to that, the account balance was already nearing two million won.
Whatever. I’d been avoiding Kessler for a while now.
In that sense, the function that let me track his location was incredibly convenient.
[System]: The public burning will commence shortly.
“What the—what kind of alert is that?”
“Let’s see, let’s see.”
The players who had just been petting and playing with me all rushed out. I trotted after them.
“Baby Arctic Fox came too?”
“Probably just followed everyone since there’s a crowd.”
“Baby Arctic Fox shouldn’t be seeing stuff like this. No no, bad.”
“Why not? He should see all of it. You gotta taste the bitterness and sweetness of the world to grow into a fine fox.”
Despite the other players trying to stop me, Jung Da-hoon picked me up and placed me on the window sill.
[System]: The burning of players Ttori and Ppeuringkkoel will now begin.
“Are those the ones? The ones who gave weird drugs to that officer?”
“Yeah, I think so? They’ve got guts, I’ll give them that……”
The two were bound to the execution platform, paying for the crime of feeding an aphrodisiac to the lord of the castle, Kessler.
‘Though in truth, I was the real target.’
Their grand plan to breed foxes and open a pet shop had gone down in flames. The users had no idea that the fox’s owner was Kessler, the lord of the castle, or that the lord himself carefully selected and even personally taste-tested the fox’s snacks.
Honestly, I didn’t know that either until just recently.
“Whoa, Kessler-nim came too.”
At Jung Da-hoon’s words, I slapped him lightly with my tail. It meant: Run.
Jung Da-hoon slipped away, and not long after, Kessler approached me. His stomach brushed right up against my rear.
“Hey, Mutt Fox.”
It was the same posture as usual, but the memory of that day made me bristle. I stood up and shifted my butt to the other side.
“Look me in the eyes.”
He said that while wiping my muzzle, but I kept my gaze firmly elsewhere.
Next, he reached for my tail. His hand gently combed through the fur, gliding down to the base. Picking off the dirt stuck to my fur was part of his usual duties.
Meow meow!
But today was different.
The moment he tugged at one of the clumps, I stood up and let out a sharp mewl.
Since I usually just stayed still and even opened my mouth happily when he groomed me, he looked genuinely startled.
“…Sorry.”
“What’s wrong, Kessler? Is Baby Arctic Fox going through puberty or something?”
[System]: The burning has begun.
Flames lit up at the end of the stake. As I watched, Kessler scooped me up in one hand and pulled me into his arms.
Meow!
“No, not you. You should only see good things.”
With that, he carried me far away.
The outdoor Shadow Garden. A café nestled in a quiet, deserted corner.
He placed me on the table and stared at me silently.
“Did you see the deposit messages or not?”
……
“Anyway, I’m sorry.”
With an expression like he was chewing on gritty sand, Kessler offered a careful apology.
“I know why you’ve been avoiding me.”
His hand gently stroked the fur on my face, as if to soothe me.
His gesture only made me more confused. Looks like he’s completely misunderstood something.
The reason I’d been avoiding him wasn’t because of some vague discomfort. It was because my pride as a male had been shattered—and every time I saw him, it brought that day rushing back—
“You’re still an untainted baby angel, so I figured you wouldn’t understand. But humans… we have urges.”
……
“I keep them in check most of the time, but sometimes it’s hard.”
……
“Those bastards being punished earlier gave me something bad, and I lost control. That’s probably why I ended up acting like that in front of you.”
The more he talked, the more confused I became.
So… he remembers sleeping with me?
But I wasn’t a fox then—I was Yeo Woo-rim.
“Even though we… did the deed, there’s nothing between me and that husk. Flower Fox, if you could trust me just this once…”
No. Fuck no.
As if making a solemn vow, he pressed his palm gently against my paw and gave it a little shake. So this is basically the part where the husband gets caught cheating and starts begging the wife for forgiveness, right?
“You could’ve unlinked the Couple Panel, but… thanks for not doing it.”
……
“You’ve got such a tiny body, but such a big, generous heart.”
……
“I’ll do better as your guardian—so you can respect me and follow me with confidence.”
It was a pledge—to stay loyal and focus on raising me right.
He was saying all this with such sincerity that I felt I had to respond. I gave him a big nod and let out a single bark. Only then did he visibly relax, pulling me into his arms and holding me close.
……I mean, it felt resolved, kind of. And also… not.
***
The next day, same spot. Seated at the Skull Parasol Café with Jung Da-hoon, we placed our orders.
“One Sagol Grapefruit Juice, please. What about you?”
“What’s Sagol Grapefruit Juice? I’ll have the same… and a side of a chicken drumstick bucket, please.”
A little while later, the food arrived. At a glance, the Sagol Grapefruit Juice didn’t look any different from regular grapefruit juice, but the taste was distinctly unique.
“How is it? Good place, right?”
“Not bad.”
“The Skull Owner here’s got real golden hands.”
When Jung Da-hoon waved toward the owner, the Skull Owner, who was in the middle of putting something into a soup, waved back with his dripping hand.
“Ah… he brewed it himself, huh.”
Still feeling vaguely uncomfortable, I took another sip. A tangy richness spread over my tongue.
I pushed all the chicken toward Jung Da-hoon’s side.
“You must’ve had a rough time working in the sun. Eat up.”
“You should have some too, Coach. But…”
Holding a fried drumstick in each hand, he suddenly stared right into my face.
“What?”
“Are you sure everything’s alright?”
“What…? What would be wrong?”
“Never mind. It’s just… you seem kind of lost in thought lately.”
“Oh, you mean I’ve been zoning out?”
Guess it showed on my face. But… this wasn’t the kind of thing I could talk about. Especially not in front of a fan.
Then suddenly, I felt the urge to check something.
“By the way, Da-hoon… do you happen to have a hole back there?”
“A hole in my pants, you mean?”
“No, not that… never mind.”
I sighed and took a long sip of juice.
“Let’s talk about the next quest. You haven’t found the flower yet, right? Haven’t heard anything from others either?”
“Not yet, Coach.”
“Ah… this is bad.”
Slurp. I kept sipping the juice like my mouth was drawn to it.
“But Coach, about winning over spirits in that ghost auction. Couldn’t you just… stand there in your fox form and naturally attract good ones?”
“That’s certainly a possibility.”
“You’re just way too spirit-pass worthy.”
“…Thanks.”
“I mean it.”
Still, counting on possibility was only something you did when you had no reliable tools.
“If we can’t seduce them with the flower, we’ll have to persuade them.”
“Persuade them?”
“Yes. That’s right. Keep monitoring the users’ movements, Da-hoon.”
“Understood.”
If someone managed to snag the flower, then I’ll just steal it. That’s what my class—Thief—is for, after all.
“I’m hoping to switch to a better class through this Shadow Festival.”
“Heh-heh…”
Jung Da-hoon let out a sheepish laugh. Well, no wonder—he had taken out all the users with rare classes early on.
“Da-hoon, how did you end up killing only the ones with Special Occupations like Seeker and Time Traveler back then?”
“It wasn’t some special skill. I just picked off users who acted strangely during quests—and it paid off big.”
No wonder I felt like he was interrogating me with his eyes the first time we met. Guess I wasn’t imagining it. The guy’s got a real sharp eye.
After the fried chicken feast, I transformed into a fox and headed to the Perfumery Workshop.
It had been a while since my last visit, and the owner, Smellbone, popped out with a clack clack of his teeth.
Clack clack!
Meow-meow!
I wagged my tail in greeting and moved to check out the recommended custom fragrances.
Recommended Perfumes for the Baby Arctic Fox
– For Males
– It’s a Sexy Day Today
– Innocent Body, Intense Instinct
…I knew these were algorithm-generated recommendations, but it still left me flustered. Had even my private life been turned into data?
‘Delete, delete, delete.’
After wiping all that out, I trotted over to Smellbone and asked what scents ghosts liked these days.
Meow meow-meow?
Clack clack-clack!
I bought all the natural ingredients he recommended in one lump payment and settled into my usual spot in the corner.
[Synthesizing perfume. Please select your desired ingredients.]
With my front paw, I tapped out selections from the recommended top, middle, and base notes, dabbed the scent paper, and sniffed each combination. When I liked one, I let it flow neatly into the vial.
[Blending Green, HerbyLover, and Violet essence…]
[Ta-da! “Th-th-th-today’s the Day!”
A perfume crafted by the Fabulous Perfumer Baby Arctic Fox.
If you wear this, your leafy friends in the brush might come greet you.
Grade: Mid]
[Ta-da! “Purring Moonlight Flower”
A perfume crafted by the Fabulous Perfumer Baby Arctic Fox.
A delicate blend of various wildflowers, with the rare Summerberry scent.
Spirits who love summer nights may start to follow you around.
Grade: Top]
Yes!
[You’ve crafted a Top-grade perfume for the first time. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing more of your fabulous work!]
[Reward for crafting a Top-grade perfume
– 100 scent papers
– 20 perfume bottles
– 5 “Make-You-Happy” ingredients]
[System]: The Baby Arctic Fox is overjoyed.
As expected, expensive ingredients make the best results. I leapt up with joy, and the workshop owner, Smellbone, came over and gave me a high-five with both my front paws.
