"I will devotedly send you gifts everyday Master Cheon-Ho. I know what I make will not satisfy you, but I can make many things like an incense pouch for the mistresses. I can even make jewelries somewhat worthy of their beauties. I will make all that and more for Master Cheon-Ho…so please, I am always grateful for what you have done for me, and I know that the flower has yet to bloom.. I know it, but..please."
"…"
Ho-Chi"s voice grew quiet, and he lowered his head. Because of the guilt he felt for what he was asking, Ho-Chi couldn"t meet Master Cheon-Ho"s eyes.
Without a word, Master Cheon-Ho rose from his seat and left the room with big strides.
With an exceptionally loud bang, the sound of the sliding door closing echoed in the room.
Rubbing his tear-less eyes, Ho-Chi picked up the embroidery frame to finish his work.
Ho-Chi was pushing the needle through the framed fabric when suddenly a set of coughs overtook him. He coughed so hard that he doubled over onto the floor. In the fit of his coughing, Ho-Chi covered his mouth and clenched his eyes shut.
When the urge to cough has subsided, Ho-Chi stayed on his side, catching his breath. Ho-Chi lifted his hands to find them covered in blood.
The guy was very excited to see JHo again who walked out from the front gate of the palace.
Remembering JHo from the time when he took his bride, the guy walked up to JHo urgently.
When he was in front of JHo, the guy asked in an anxious voice.
"How is my bride? Is he alright? Did Master Cheon-Ho saved him?"
JHo looked down at the guy"s desperate eyes. The sight of the guy"s eyes moistened with tears would have moved anyone"s heart, but all JHo saw in the guy was his dirty appearance. JHo studied the guy"s skin which was caked with dirt, grime, and sweat. The smell that was emanating from the guy made JHo frown in disgust. With a mocking smile, JHo said, "even if your bride is alive, what could you possibly do for him? Ho-Chi is a fox. He is nothing like you, humans."
"…He lives?! He is alive?!!! Is this true?!!!"
"…"
Not noticing JHo"s cynical tone of voice, the guy continuously asked about Ho-Chi"s condition.
With a disapproving look on his face, JHo nodded, answering the guy"s question. Seeing JHo"s response, the guy"s face brightened, and tears started falling from his eyes.
"Thank you, Master Cheon-Ho! Thank the sky! Thank you!"
"…"
Sending up rousing cheers, the guy expressed his joy. He turned to the palace and bowed to it and thanked the sky numerous times.
Even though he could not see his bride, because he knew his bride is well, he felt extremely grateful.
The crow visited Master Cheon-Ho"s bedchamber late in the evening.
Interrupted his time by the crow, Master Cheon-Ho felt displeased. Wanting to spend a quiet night alone, Master Cheon-Ho tried to kick the crow out of his room, but the crow protested saying he brought news about Ho-Chi. This comment stopped Master Cheon-Ho from driving out the crow.
With a broad smile on his beak, the crow went closer to Master Cheon-Ho"s side and whispered into his ears, the things he overheard.
As the crow continued to speak, the night grew dark and the shadow in Master Cheon-Ho"s heart grew even darker.
While being aware of unusual silence in the room, Ho-Chi continued to embroider.
Nestled in Ho-Chi"s bosom was an ornamental hairpin that he finish making last night. It was to be the fourth gift that Ho-Chi will offer to Master Cheon-Ho.
When the first gift was offered to Master Cheon-Ho, Master Cheon-Ho was so happy that he hugged Ho-Chi and stayed close to him that whole day, but his reaction subsided as Ho-Chi offered more and more gifts. Rather than being happy, Master Cheon-Ho seemed angry about receiving gifts.
Seeing the change of reaction, Ho-Chi felt that his gifts were inadequate for Master Cheon-Ho and that they were disrupting Master Cheon-Ho"s mood. So, Ho-Chi started putting even more effort into making the gifts.
Because Ho-Chi spent much time making the fourth gift, it took him longer to finish making it.
The bud in the flowerpot did not show any sign of blooming even after two months of waiting. Although the bud looked as if it would bloom at any moment, its appearance stayed the same. During the period of waiting, all Ho-Chi can really do is to check the flowerpot three times a day, and to put more effort into making his gifts.
Ho-Chi wanted to return as soon as possible.
Ho-Chi went to speak with the fox soldiers who guarded the front gate, but they no longer told him whether the guy still waited outside the palace. More than that, whenever Ho-Chi approached the fox soldiers they would lose their temper and leave to go somewhere else.
Because the palace walls were so tall and the gates were so tightly closed, all Ho-Chi could do was to look up at it and wait for the flower bud to bloom.
Returning from his thoughts, Ho-Chi retrieved the ornamental hairpin from bosom and approached Master Cheon-Ho.
"Master Cheon-Ho…I have a gift.."
"Get it away."
Not even looking at what Ho-Chi was holding, Master Cheon-Ho spoke in an icy cold voice. Master Cheon-Ho"s voice was so cold that it felt as if it could freeze the air.
When Master Cheon-Ho finally turned around to look at Ho-Chi, his eyes were as cold as his voice. Under Master Cheon-Ho"s cold gaze, Ho-Chi could only tremble in fear.
"…Please, if you could accept this…"
Ho-Chi mustered up the courage to put the gift on the floor near where Master Cheon-Ho set.
But because Master Cheon-Ho is unforgiving to foxes who don"t adhere to his wishes, he became even more angry and kicked the gift that was laying on the floor.
Master Cheon-Ho"s kick drew a big arch on the air and it surprised Ho-Chi which made him fall on his back.
Startled to see Ho-Chi falling, Master Cheon-Ho got up from his seat suddenly, but he still didn"t help Ho-Chi up.
"What did I tell you! I told you to get it away!! Why can"t you listen to what I say!"
"I"m so sorry Master Cheon-Ho!"
Ho-Chi went and picked up the gift that flew far to the corner of the room and hurriedly left the room.
Ho-Chi ran away from the room in such a hurry that Master Cheon-Ho didn"t have time to call after him.
Ho-Chi"s agility frustrated Master Cheon-Ho. Left alone in the room, Master Cheon-Ho resorted to kicking and destroying all the furniture in the room once again.
Amid his fit, Master Cheon-Ho recalled what the crow had said to him last night.
-Did you know, Master Cheon-Ho? Ho-Chi is meeting young master JHo behind your back.
Putting on an amused smile, the crow whispered that he saw it happened with his own two eyes.
–Young master JHo was holding Ho-Chi"s hand. Ho-Chi is really a sly fox, Master Cheon-Ho.
Unable to stifle his anger, Master Cheon-Ho, while screaming, knocked down the remaining folding screen and ripped it to pieces.
While Master Cheon-Ho was having a screaming fit, he failed to notice Ho-Chi"s smell.
Ho-Chi had to quickly leave the room, not because of Master Cheon-Ho"s foul mood, but also to hide his smell.
Right after Ho-Chi left Master Cheon-Ho"s side, he found a secluded corner of the palace and crouched down to make himself as small as possible.
As soon as he was sure that there were no one nearby, Ho-Chi began to cough strenuously.
Along with the cough, disturbing amount of blood came out of Ho-Chi"s mouth and soaked his handkerchief. Without giving it a proper look, Ho-Chi hid the handkerchief away into inner chest pocket of his clothe.
When his breathing calmed a little, Ho-Chi took out the rejected gift and looked at it for a long time with reddened eyes.
Master Cheon-Ho did not notice any of Ho-Chi"s hardship.
Ho-Chi returned to his sleeping quarter and found JHo sitting in his room.
Because Ho-Chi was putting much effort into finishing up his gift, he didn"t have time to organize his room. Seeing JHo sitting in the middle of his mess, Ho-Chi felt mortified.
However, JHo did not care about the state of Ho-Chi"s room. Instead JHo said, "you smell of blood again."
Contrast to JHo"s stiff comment, Ho-Chi greeted JHo with a smile.
"Are you properly taking the herbal medicine I gave you?"
"Yes, I have been taking them properly. Thanks to the herbal medicine, I cough less now. I am most grateful."
JHo already knew that Ho-Chi was lying about his cough getting better, because the condition that Ho-Chi was suffering wasn"t something that could be fixed with some herbal medicine.
The herbal medicine was merely for maintaining Ho-Chi"s condition, which could buy Ho-Chi more time.
Even though he knew that Ho-Chi wasn"t telling him the truth, JHo could not say anything.
Couple of days ago, JHo spotted laundries that were hung on a string to be dried at the back of Ho-Chi"s living quarter. When JHo saw the laundries, he froze in his track and had to sniff twice before he can be sure of what he was smelling. JHo"s strange behavior was due to him smelling a heavy scent of the blood in the air.
If it was just any laundry out to be dried, JHo wouldn"t have looked at it twice, but because the smell was coming from Ho-Chi"s living quarter, JHo couldn"t just walk away.
Later that day, JHo visited Ho-Chi"s living quarter again and found Ho-Chi hanging yet another set of laundry.
Not noticing JHo"s presence, Ho-Chi started coughing vigorously before pulling out a handkerchief from his chest pocket and covering his mouth with it.
As Ho-Chi"s coughing fit grew more intense, the same scent of blood that JHo smelled earlier permeated the air.
-When did it start?
-…Wh
-When did you start vomiting blood?
Even before JHo could finish his sentence, Ho-Chi tried to runaway into his room, however JHo didn"t let him.
-Although you don"t have the fox bead of your own, since Master Cheon-Ho shared some of his power with you, your body shouldn"t have any problem. That should be the case, but why? Why are you vomiting blood?
-…I, I didn"t vomit blood…I just injured myself. That is why..
-Why are you lying to me?
The quiet tone of voice in which JHo used to question Ho-Chi scared Ho-Chi more than when JHo was yelling and screaming at him.
JHo felt stifled.
Why was Ho-Chi so unfortunate, JHo couldn"t help but sigh in frustration.
Even though the years they"ve lived were short, it seemed to JHo that only Ho-Chi"s life was filled with hapless events.
However, what made JHo lament even more for this unfortunate fox was the fact that Ho-Chi didn"t complain even once. Instead of thinking about himself, Ho-Chi worried for others first.
-Please, do not say anything to Master Cheon-Ho…
-…
-…If Master Cheon-Ho finds out about my condition…
-…Everyone knows that Master Cheon-Ho treasures you. I am sure that he will treat your illness.
JHo swallowed his words before he could continue and say that Master Cheon-Ho will treat Ho-Chi even better than himself.
Ho-Chi smiled up at JHo, and said "I already know, but …if I tell him the truth, it would be even more difficult for me to leave the palace."