Living with the Dangerous Beast-Chapter 16: The Truth Revealed

Despite knowing it was a dead male fox, the scent made her lower abdomen tingle and her legs press together.

“W-What are you thinking, Sohwa! I must be out of my mind!”

Shocked by her own reaction, Sohwa quickly reburied the dead fox and rushed back to her room.

‘Ranunculus.’

Miho had mentioned that the Ranunculus were the problem. Sohwa quickly examined the sachet at her waist.

Was it really Ranunculus? The neatly sewn silk sachet was Dohwi’s handiwork. When she tore it open, dried leaves spilled onto the heated floor.

At that moment, the sharp odor of the leaves hit her hard as if someone punched her in the nose.

“Ow!”

Sohwa clutched her nose and groaned, collapsing to the side. But it was only a momentary discomfort.

She quickly adapted and no longer smelled the herbs. The dull ache as if something was pressing down on her nose also disappeared briefly.

When she sniffed her hand, she couldn’t detect any scent. It was as if her sense of smell had completely vanished.

The faint scent of the male fox, Dohwi’s refreshing smell that was always with her, and even the savory aroma of jerky hidden in her room—all of it was gone.

For a fox, losing all senses of smell was akin to the end of the world.

Terrified, Sohwa ran to the bathhouse, scrubbing her hands, mouth, and nose where she had touched the ranunculus over and over again.

Ranunculus, it was a poisonous plant.

A dangerous plant that can completely dull all senses of smell, turning the vibrant world into a barren wasteland.

Sohwa scrubbed her face until her pale skin turned red, and she began to sob.

Without her sense of smell, it was natural she failed at hunting every time and was oblivious to the presence of others, making her feel like a worthless fool, a pathetic excuse of a fox.

‘Dohwi... How could you....’

Her eyes burned with tears. Cold water mingled with her hot tears as she washed her face, shivering, whether from the cold water or from the betrayal of someone she had trusted.

‘Why did he do such a horrible thing to me?’ frёeωebɳovel.com

All she had done was take in a poor, dying child that was lost in the woods.

She held him because he was warm, kissed him because he was cute, and kept him by her side because she was lonely. That was all.

The intense sense of betrayal made her nauseous. At the same time, the smell of water filled the air.

When she sniffed the air cautiously, she realized that the reason she couldn’t smell was not just because of the small sachet she carried.

In fact, the entire house had almost no detectable scent.

Leaving the bathhouse, Sohwa went out to the veranda where she often had tea with Dohwi on moonlit nights.

Looking around, she noticed a sachet hidden under the beam. And there was another one right next to it. Ranunculus sachets were everywhere, meant to numb her nose.

And the only person who could easily reach those beams was Dohwi.

‘Why... Why did he do this? And what does he want from me?’

Sohwa’s true form was less than half the size of the dead male fox. If Dohwi really was a tiger, he could swallow her entire body in a single gulp while she was asleep.

But why would he do such a dreadful thing to her?

Quickly changing into fresh clothes and tidying the bedroom, Sohwa tiptoed outside, wary of being seen.

‘This damned curiosity will be the death of me one day.’

Though she knew she should leave this house and run away immediately, her crazed legs carried her to Dohwi’s room instead.

The guest room.

Since Dohwi insisted on staying in human form, Sohwa had stopped sleeping with him at night.

The dining table was also set in her bedroom, and Dohwi came in when called and even when she didn’t call, always standing at her door when she needed him.

So, it had been a long time since she had entered the guest room, over ten years.

Sohwa’s steps were cautious as she entered the empty room.

The room, much like its owner, was well-organized and neat.

The silk bedding, books, inkstones, ink sticks, and mirrors were all in their proper places.

“Sniff... Sniff.”

No matter how much she flared her nostrils, she couldn’t smell a thing. Not even the scent of a tiger, just nothing.

Lifting the bedding, she found sachets everywhere. In the corners, on the ceiling. behind the mirror, etc.

But when she looked under the desk, she saw a familiar piece of muslin.

Entranced, Sohwa picked it up. It was her undergarment.

She had soiled it last time and had tucked it deep into her wardrobe to wash later.

‘How did this end up here...?’

Maybe Dohwi had taken it to wash, but it was still damp.