If I were to describe Lin's expression, it was the same as when a child gets caught using the computer late at night without their mom knowing. Trying to turn off the power strip with their toes but slipping by mistake.
I was always the one getting caught. So, naturally, I wondered.
What does it feel like to catch someone in the act? Would there ever be a day when I take on my momâs role?
That day finally came for me. I can now say for sure what it feels like. It can be described in just four words.
Wow... look at this kid.
"Lin, I believe I'm asking what you're doing right now?"
"Oh, uh? This... this can't be happening!"
Lin, too flustered to even think of answering my question, stammered with a panicked expression. Her pupils widened as if she had just realized something, and then her face twisted into a deep frown.
"That old hag...!"
When Lin's voice, filled with rage, hit my eardrums, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Alright, that's enough."
It had been a while since I exercised my absolute authority as her master. Chains extended from me, reaching the shackles bound to Linâs soul. Her movements came to an abrupt halt.
"Get down from there."
Lin slowly descended from above me.
"Until I give you permission again, I forbid you from using any power."
After blocking Lin from doing anything reckless, I assessed the situation.
Lin, up to suspicious behavior while I slept. Me, sleeping soundly, completely unaware. This lingering fatigue that hasnât gone away for days.
It was simple.
"Lin, did you take my energy?"
"Master! That...!"
Lin, who had been trying to offer excuses, confessed when she saw my cold, narrowed eyes staring at her.
"Yes..."
There was no need to ask how long sheâd been doing it. It was clear things started acting up right after we caught the rogue monk, and Iâd been feeling drained ever since.
"Why did you do it?"
"They say the energy of someone deeply entwined with a Gumihoâs fate tastes delicious... I tried it once out of curiosity, but I couldn't stop..."
So, the Gumiho had tempted her. That explained why it hadnât appeared recently.
It's not the type to just disappearâturns out it had been pushing Lin from within, fueling her desires.
"Why did you hide it?"
"I was afraid you'd hate me if you found out..."
"Were you aware of what you were doing?"
"....."
I pulled out Yuha's bead that I had been keeping close. It had shattered into pieces, having fulfilled its role. Yuha had read the situation and helped me.
It was strange. While others were unaware of the situation, Yuha could have just told me directly. Instead, she went through all the trouble to give me this bead.
Why?
The reason was obvious.
"Lin, did you blackmail the Sky Fox?"
Lin, knowing full well that Yuha could see through her, must have used some scheme to threaten her. Thereâs no other reason Yuha would have resorted to giving me that bead.
Lin's head drooped. Her silence answered my question.
"Ha..."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. An overwhelming sense of betrayal flooded over me. It felt like a tower I had painstakingly built had crumbled in an instant.
After all the care I gave her, she not only cast a spell on her master to put him to sleep but drained his energy in the process. As if that wasnât enough, sheâd even lied about it without a hint of remorse.
'This isnât the time to be thinking about freeing her, is it?' I nearly died from exhaustion! Can I really trust her to continue? Who knows what else she might pull next time?
Of course, I was just talking toughâI had no intention of abandoning Lin. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. But I couldnât just let this slide either.
To resolve this, I needed to separate the Gumiho from Lin. If it tempted her again, she might give in.
âBesides, I was going to deal with the Gumiho eventually anyway...â Considering the current situation, now seemed like the perfect time. Sorry, Lin, but this is WWE.
I let out a long breath. Lin, sensing the tense atmosphere, flinched and her shoulders trembled.
"To be honest, I canât trust you anymore, Lin."
"Master..."
"A slave that harms their master? Thereâs nothing more to discuss here. Letâs end this. I donât understand why I should continue to risk my life for a slave."
Upon hearing those words, Linâs face turned as pale as if all the blood had drained from it. She held her breath, frozen.
And then I delivered the final blow.
"I'm going to Cheonsangru to ask the Sky Fox to seal you back in Baegungok."
âIâll go to Cheonsangru and ask the Sky Fox to seal the Gumiho back in Baegungok.â
After delivering that notice, Karamir climbed down from the bed. In the dead of night, he dressed quickly and prepared to leave, his expression void of emotion.
Even as Karamir passed by, Lin sat there, her eyes wide with shock. The mere mention of a single sentence had left her mind in complete disarray.
Sealing...? Baegungok? That dark valley?
Being sealed didnât mean living off potatoes for hundreds of years. It meant losing everything, just like the Gumiho attached to her soul had.
Her body. Her mind.
She would remain like that for an almost infinite amount of time, until the seal broke. And even if it did break and the one-tailed fox returned, there was no guarantee that it would still be Lin.
But to be sealed by her beloved masterâs hands? That was a fate worse than death for Lin.
The moment she realized that.
"Master, wait!!"
Lin stumbled off the bed, almost tripping, and threw herself to her knees in front of Karamir, desperately clutching his pant leg. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"M-Master, Iâm sorry! I wonât do it again!"
"Iâm afraid I canât believe such empty words anymore. Without a command, you would put me to sleep again and continue as before."
"I swear I wonât! Please, donât seal me away!"
"Hah..."
Karamir coldly pushed Linâs hands away and said,
"Once trust is broken, itâs impossible to put it back together."
"Master..."
Karamir muttered something to himself, as if talking to no one in particular.
"If Iâd known it would come to this, I wouldnât have brought you with me in the first place. After all, you are just a pink fox..."
"...What?"
Linâs fingers loosened from their grip on Karamir's pants. Her hands fell limply to the ground.
Karamir was the only one who had stood by her when the world labeled her as a Hongho, avoided her, and spat insults at her. For him to casually toss out such a remarkâit was a cutting blow straight to her heart.
Her mind, beyond mere fogginess, felt completely empty as though all thoughts had disappeared.
Karamirâs expression as he looked down at Lin was colder than ice, making it terrifying to meet his gaze.
Fear began to swell within her, the looming terror of being abandoned. Lin clutched her arms, trembling uncontrollably.
"Why... why, why, why, why? I... I did it because I love you, Master... why...?"
Lin mumbled almost inaudibly, lips quivering. Amid the shattering pieces of her mind, a voice as sweet as magic drifted in.
-Run away. If you run, you can escape this fear.
Escape...?
If it had been before, Lin would have dismissed the Gumihoâs honeyed words without a second thought. But right now, they seemed like her only way out.
-Take my hand.
The Gumihoâs hand reached out from the abyss. The moment Lin stretched her hand out to grab itâ
Snap!
The Gumiho pulled her down. Linâs consciousness plunged into the void as the Gumihoâs consciousness began to surface.
Fwoosh!
Seven tails unfurled like the wings of a peacock as âherâ head arched back to its limit.
As if overwhelmed by a climax, her body trembled with pleasure.
After the strange movement, her head slowly rotated back to its original position.
Thunk.
She blinked, seemingly still groggy, moved her hands and feet, and then stretched leisurely.
"Mmm~ This is the feeling. Itâs so much better to have a body."
While the spirit form moves freely, it lacks any sensation. Even the simple pleasure of stretching could not be felt in that form.
After reacquainting herself with the sensations of her body, she sat up and locked eyes with Karamir. A sly grin curled her lips.
"Hello? What should I call you? Master? Nah, thatâs too cringe."
Her voice and face were Linâs, but the atmosphere was entirely different. This wasnât Lin. It was the Gumiho, who had been biding her time, waiting for a chance to awaken within Lin.
"You were the one egging Lin on, werenât you?"
"Egging her on? I merely gave her some information. She made all the decisions herself. Though I didnât expect her to blackmail the Sky Foxâthat was impressive. Sheâs got potential."@@novelbin@@
The Gumiho nodded approvingly.
"But youâre surprisingly calm about all this."
"Iâve seen this routine too many times."
The Gumiho, now fully in control of Linâs body, had been waiting for the right moment to take over. Her consciousness would emerge when Lin's mental strength weakened or when she was overwhelmed by power.
In other words, the Gumihoâs appearance was proof that Lin had been pushed to her psychological limit.
âDid I go too far?â
But it couldnât be helped. To drive the Gumiho out of Lin, I had to force her into this state. I needed the Gumihoâs consciousness to surface in order to deal with it.
Well, wrong is wrong. Once this is over, Iâll make it up to her with something she likes.
As Karamir thought this, the Gumiho brushed herself off and gracefully stood up. Linâs eyes were red from crying, but the Gumiho wore a mocking smile, making her face seem strangely different.
The Gumiho tried to summon her yokai power.
"Hmm, my powerâs blocked."
"Iâve sealed it. Iâll release it when necessary. If it displeases me, Iâll send you straight to Nirvana."
"No need for that. Iâve finally gotten this body. It could be fun, so Iâll play along for now."
The Gumiho waved her hand lazily as she attempted to leave the room.
"Where do you think youâre going?"
"Next door. Lin sleeps there sometimes. I need to check something alone for a bit."
"What nonsense. Youâre sleeping next to me."
"...Huh?"
The Gumiho, who had been acting all nonchalant, blinked in confusion, looking at me as if I were talking nonsense. Karamir tilted his head and feigned ignorance.
"You need to cover your tails for me."
"Why should I...!"
"I donât care if you were the mighty Gumiho or the King of Yokai. Youâre my slave. Do as I say. Come on, letâs sleep. Itâs cold, and your masterâs getting chilly."
Karamir flashed a bright, carefree smile.
Welcome, you fool. If you donât like it, you can leave.