The Bonds We Forge

Take care of my child for me.

It had started with a simple promise. I never imagined that the one I trusted and followed would disappear, leaving me with nothing to hold onto—not even a glimmer of solace in this empty life.

I had been the child of a man who harbored quiet, lingering affection. No—more accurately, the child of someone far too elevated for any mere mortal to presume upon.

And so, in a daze, I entrusted the child to him. I intended to pass my tedious days as a wet nurse, using the child as my sole consolation in a life gone barren.

At first, it was nothing but pure childcare.

"Oh, you've woken up..."

"You're up. But why are you looking so glum this early?"

"...It's nothing."

As the child grew taller and his voice deepened, something began to feel off.

I realized he was avoiding my eyes more and more. He spent longer and longer holed up in his room, and he even started taking out the trash himself.

'...Is he trying to stand on his own two feet? Yeah, someday that kid will leave my embrace too.'

I didn't think much of it. In fact, I was pleased to see him handling the little things he used to come to me for, all on his own.

Up to that point, there was nothing wrong.

—Thud. Thud.

"Huuu... Auntie, what's going on?"

"...Nothing. I just wanted to check on you..."

Once, I went to his room on a sudden impulse to ask something. The lewd scent that wafted out hit me like a wall—I nearly stumbled back out, dazed.

'...What was that? A fragrance like midnight flowers... And why is his lower half doing that...?'

It was a foreign sensation. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠My fingertips tingled, my lower abdomen pulsed, and moisture leaked slightly from between my thighs.

And after I realized the true nature of what was happening—that I had gone into heat—I made the decision to leave.

"There's a problem at work. I'll have to go abroad, it seems. From now on, you'll have to manage on your own, Hwanhyeon."

I said my goodbyes. After all, I could entrust the various errands to the few followers who accompanied me as a celestial fox, and the Academy where I'd be living was originally close to my old residence anyway.

Three years passed like that. The promised twenty years were up, and now the people of the Four Divine Halls would come looking for me.

"I've heard much about you. I am Cheonghwa of the Blue Dragon Hall, and I have come to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pay my respects to the Celestial Fox elder."

From her manner of speaking and bearing, I could tell this girl would be assigned to guard Hwanhyeon's side.

"Have you come to find Hwanhyeon?"

"No, I've already met him. I'm grateful that he summoned me."

"That was possible?"

"If his spirit power had been sufficient, the other three could have all gathered at once as well."

She was a remarkable girl. The moment she arrived, she handled the Academy registration and dormitory arrangements in the blink of an eye.

How she knew I was here was another matter entirely.

"The future of the Blue Dragon Hall looks bright."

"You flatter me."

And yet, I couldn't read what she might be hiding beneath that polished exterior. The actions of the former Blue Dragon Hall head had sown resentment toward them in my heart, so this level of caution was only natural.

"He's lying in the infirmary right now?"

"Yes."

I was concerned, but it should be fine. I'd heard the girl from the Vermillion Bird Hall was with him, so he'd surely shaken it off and gotten up by now.

"Let me ask one more thing. What do you think of your future master?"

"One must give one's body and heart completely to the person one should trust and follow."

At least, there didn't seem to be any falsehood in what she'd just said.

"I'll take my leave then."

"Please take good care of Hwanhyeon."

And so the girl from the Blue Dragon Hall departed. If nothing went wrong, she'd spend her whole life by that child's side.

Hwanhyeon was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a boy with a healthy sex drive, so perhaps she'd even get to see the child grow up...

"Hm. I don't like the sound of that."

A quiet jealousy settled in my chest. It was the same feeling I'd sensed from Hwanhyeon's mother—a fierce jealousy and possessiveness that was perhaps even stronger than that.

But what could I, Geum Yeoryeong, do? As his guardian, all I could do was pray for the child's well-being.

**********

"I knew it was wrong. That's why I tried to stay away from Hwanhyeon."

"..."

My aunt had a gift for talking at length. How did she manage to spin that brief story—about fleeing after going into heat from the scent of semen when I'd shoved her—into such a long monologue?

"God, it's so damn damp."

"...Eek!"

Yuyeon's jab made my aunt flinch.

"So why'd you come back now, after telling me to hold on?"

"I figured nourishing my yin would help when my qi was depleted..."

"You're still making excuses, aren't you."

"...I'm sorry. I threw myself at Hwanhyeon to fill my own desires."

"If you're going to apologize, shouldn't you do it to your master?"

"Hnh... Hwanhyeon-ah, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

I ended up accepting her apology on the spot. The sight of her tearfully speaking made my eyes sting.

"I went into heat because I smelled his semen. That part was a bit much."

"..."

"But I was okay with it. It's strange, I know, but if I can repay the kindness of raising me even this way, wouldn't that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be fine?"

"...You really mean that?"

"Yes."

Thankfully, the crying stopped. But to the eyes of Cheonghwa and the others, it didn't seem to look very convincing just yet.

"If the master doesn't object, then we have nothing more to say. However..."

"What?"

"Could you give us a moment to speak among ourselves?"

It was clear she wanted me to step out so they could talk privately.

"Is it something I can't hear?"

"I'll tell you once we're done."

"...Fine."

I stood up and left. Cheonghwa would know what she was doing.

—Creak, thud.

I couldn't butt into a wholesome girl-talk session, no matter how curious I was.

**********

"Do you have anything else to say to me?"

After Hwanhyeon left the room, Yeoryeong spoke.

"Cheonghwa, did you have something on your mind?"

"We need to establish some discipline, don't we? I'm talking about that heat-addled bitch who disrespected the master."

"What do you mean by that? I do feel sorry toward you all, but I don't think you deserve to be spoken to so harshly."

"It seems you still don't understand your own position."

"My position?"

What position could she be talking about? It was a little embarrassing that I still had my true form, but that wasn't what she meant.

"We may be bound as servants, but each of us is destined to become the head of a divine beast guarding one of the four cardinal directions."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Moreover, no matter how much virtue and reputation you have, you're still nothing but a fox demon."

"...What is it you want to say?"

"Enter a master-servant contract with the master. However, if you do, we four will become senior servants to the master, so you'll need to show us the proper respect."

"..."

Yeoryeong's words hung in the air.

"Are you telling me to serve Hwanhyeon by looking at me?"

"There's no reason it can't happen. The master is the most noble person in this land, isn't he?"

"I know, but..."

"Do you dare become the master's consort? You should know your limits, fox demon. If you refuse, we'll do everything in our power to drive you away."

"..."

"By the way, when the Saintess said she'd stay by the master's side, the master asked for our consent first. If we oppose it, the master will heed our words."

"That's blackmail."

"Yes."

The message was clear: hand over all the power. Bring Hwanhyeon in as your master.

She was threatening to separate me from Hwanhyeon if I refused.

"...I don't care. In fact, I'd rather the relationship between us be sorted out cleanly."

It wasn't a big deal. When body and heart both desired him, this much was nothing.

"Hey, Cheonghwa. Weren't we the only ones who could enter a master-servant contract?"

"What we four do is obligatory. It's not that others can't do it."

"...Is that so?"

And so, another master-servant bond linking Hwanhyeon was sealed.

**********

"Master?"

"No, stop calling me that..."

"But it's so amusing."

The contract proceeded smoothly.

When I went back inside, Yeoryeong-imo had already rushed forward and sealed the master-servant contract with me before I'd even been born—she'd made a new contract with me.

The difference from the existing ones was that I could now use a minor soul command on Cheonghwa, Yuyeon, Seolhye, and Jinyul as well.

'Within the bounds that won't harm the master, grant me enough authority to prevent her from pushing us away with her status.'

If the soul commands I could issue were on the level of orders, the others' were nothing more than weak requests or suggestions.

"Hwanhyeon's ribs are on both sides, aren't they? Yuyeon, you take that side, I think."

She'd been glued to my side ever since we'd been apart. Her tone was warm and intimate, like a lover from a shared bed.

"Auntie..."

"I told you not to call me that."

"...Yeoryeong-noona."

I couldn't bring myself to call her by her name, so "noona" was the compromise I'd settled on.

"Hehehe...❤️"

"You're insane. Do you like Hwanhyeon that much?"

The sudden shift in our relationship was hard to get used to. But if all of this was the path that would make Yeoryeong-noona... no, "noona" happy, I could bear it.

"From now on, why don't you just live here in the principal's residence? The place is awfully bleak and empty when you live alone. It would be nice if you stayed with me, Hwanhyeon."

"Would that be okay?"

We decided to move the residence so we could all live together. It would certainly be better than the dormitory.

As we chatted about this and that, we made our way toward Jinyul.

Toward the northern lands governed by the Black Tortoise.