The Dreadful Absence of My Beloved Fangs
The evening meal had just begun. Princess Kailian sliced the meat into perfect bites, bringing a tender piece straight to my lips.
The aroma of charred fire drifted over the tender, savory scent of melted fat. My tail wagged on instinct and I opened my mouth wide.
“Kyaa.”
Juices burst across my tongue.
Fatty meat slid down between the strands of flesh, melting in my mouth.
“Kyaa!”
Meat was always delicious, no matter the time.
I filled my cheeks until they puffed out in pure happiness.
Crunch.
A jarring crack echoed inside my jaw.
“Kyaa…?”
What? There weren’t any bones in the steak…
A hard, foreign grain appeared on my tongue, accompanied by a sharp sting on my gums and a bitter, salty taste.
“Kyaa… kyaa…?”
What is this? A stone? Did the chef mess up…?
I jerked back in alarm and spat the half-chewed piece onto the plate.
There, resting alone on the white plate beside a drop of blood-tinged saliva, was my precious little tooth.
“…?!”
My eyes flew wide. I stared down at the empty space where my fang had been.
The tiger’s pride, my most important weapon—gone.
I swept my tongue across the hollow. Cool air slipped through the gap between my gums.
“Kyaa…?”
A small, startled whimper slipped out.
Huh…?
“Blanc?!”
The first to react was Princess Kailian, seated right beside me. She spotted the blood on my lips and shrieked in terror.
“Blood! Blood is coming from Blanc’s mouth! Your Majesty!”
“…What?”
Emperor Karsion’s wine glass froze halfway to his lips, eyes wide with shock.
The heavy imperial chair toppled backward with a crash, yet the emperor’s ears did not register the noise.
“Summon the Magic Tower Master, the Saintess, and the palace veterinarian! And drag the head chef here immediately!”
The servants on the floor fainted at the emperor’s thunderous roar, prostrating themselves in fear. In a single stride he crossed the room, seized my jaw, and forced my mouth open.
“Let me see! Is it the tongue? The throat?!”
“Your Majesty, here! The tooth… the tooth broke…”
Princess Kailian’s voice trembled, tears already welling in her striking red eyes.
The emperor’s face drained of color as he looked at my tiny fang on the plate.
“No… This can’t be… A tooth broke… Are you… are you all right?!”
His crimson eyes widened. Trembling fingers cupped my cheek.
“Kyaa…”
I was carried unconscious to the imperial veterinary clinic, cradled in the emperor’s arms. My mouth felt numb and hollow.
My tongue kept probing the empty space. Only soft gums and the faint metallic tang of blood remained—no fang to fill the void.
“Kyaa…”
So I… can’t eat meat anymore…?
Shock slammed into me. I clamped my paws onto the emperor’s sleeve and buried myself deeper into his chest.
“Waaah… Save me, Your Majesty! I’m useless…!”
The palace veterinarian crouched on the floor, head bowed, shaking like a leaf.
Behind him stood the emperor, aura crackling with barely contained rage, and Princess Kailian, hand hovering near the hilt of her sword as if ready to draw it at any second.
“Stand up and begin the examination…”
The veterinarian understood the gravity in those few words. His face crumpled as he peered into my open mouth.
I hung limply on the cold examination table.
“Kyaa…”
What now… What will I even eat… If I can’t chew meat, how do I survive…
My will to live shrank by half.
The veterinarian’s hands trembled as he gently probed my gums.
“Kyaa…”
“Hiiik! D-don’t move, Divine Beast! Just a moment. Please… save me…”
Tears glistened as he lifted his head. Behind his spectacles, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.
“Th-that is… Your Majesty and Her Highness…”
“Speak. Is something wrong? Has the jawbone fractured?!”
“N-no. It is perfectly normal…”
“Normal? Blood is pouring from your gums and you say it’s normal?! Can’t you see the blood in front of your eyes?!”
Princess Kailian snapped.
The veterinarian flinched backward, tears streaming.
“N-no, it’s not… The deciduous teeth are falling out.”
“Deciduous teeth?”
“Yes. You, Divine Beast, have been eating far less lately. As your body grows, your jaw grows too. This is the natural process by which weak baby teeth fall out to make room for strong permanent teeth. This is proof of perfect health.”
A heavy silence fell over the clinic.
The emperor’s and Kailian’s murderous auras vanished in an instant, replaced by stunned relief.
“Teething…?”
“Yes. The very same teething process that every human child endures. It is perfectly natural.”
“Kyaa…?”
So I can eat meat again?
The emperor cleared his throat, hiding his embarrassment.
“Hm. That explains it. Growth spurts do this… Hah…”
“…Thank goodness…”
Princess Kailian’s legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor.
“If I had known, I would have cut off the poor chef’s head. Thank the gods. Thank the gods.”
“Kyaa…”
Thank you, Chef Uncle… I won’t bully you anymore.
Emperor Karsion let out a relieved sigh and lifted me into his arms. I copied him, smacking my lips in relief.
“This is only the beginning. Before long, every single tooth—canines, molars, incisors—will fall out in sequence. For a while you will find your gums irritated and chewing anything uncomfortable.”
“Kyaa…?”
My head spun with the coming pain. Of course I knew teething would mean the loss of all my teeth. I knew it would hurt. It still hurt.
“Kyaa…”
I hung my head in despair, my once-proud tail sagging to the floor.
*Groan…*
After the examination I returned to the Princess’s Palace and collapsed onto the sofa, burying my head in the cushions. My tail dragged limply beneath the furniture, ears flattened. My belly spread wide, unable to support my weight.
Princess Kailian stroked my head, trying to soothe me, but I felt nothing.
“Blanc, look. The head chef made it special. Melting mousse cake for the mouth and meat-based soup. No chewing required.”
She held out a spoon.
The menu that would have made me howl with joy lay untouched. I glanced at it once, then turned away and buried my face in the sofa back.
“Kyaa…”
No flavor to chew…
For a predator, eating is a wild art of tearing, biting, and tasting. I could not do that now…
My eyes drifted to the cat tower. There rested my most treasured treasure—Earth Dragon’s Bone, the dense mana-infused chew toy that dripped savory condensed mana.
Warm, firm, perfect for stress relief.
“Blanc… are you all right?”
“Kyaa…”
I don’t know…
I waddled off the sofa and crawled toward the bone. I tapped it once with a paw. Cold. Solid. Ready.
If I had my old energy I would have gnawed it happily to blow off steam.
Now it was just a dream.
Chewing it would probably shake even my remaining teeth loose.
“Kyaa…”
I pulled the bone into my lap and sat back down.
My vision blurred. Tears welled as I rubbed my cheek against the bone. If only all my teeth were gone… I would gnaw for hours.
The butlers watching my pitiful form felt their hearts twist.
“What do we do, Your Highness… Blanc seems deeply shaken.”
“Could the Magic Tower Master perhaps use a growth-promoting spell to finish the teething faster?”
“No. Hastening a natural growth stage through magic could cause unforeseen side effects…”
Lina clutched something precious to her chest and addressed Rosalia.
“Shall we just leave it…?”
“Yes. We can only pray it passes quickly… But what are you holding?”
“Ah… It’s nothing. Just a nutritional supplement.”
They both gazed at my sagging tail and the belly that had spread across the floor. The sight was too adorable to ignore, even though sadness lingered.
“Blanc… don’t be sad. New teeth will come soon. Cheer up. Eat something.”
At that moment the door burst open and a white shadow shot inside.
“Big brother! Big brother lost his teeth!”
Lumia bounded over on wagging fox ears. Tears already filled her little eyes.
“Big brother, don’t cry. Did it hurt a lot?”
“Kyaa…”
I’m fine… It just hurts inside…
If the fangs are gone… it’s bad… I can’t eat meat…
Lumia stared seriously for a moment, then made a solemn decision. She dug into her own pouch and drew out a small object.
“Big brother, I’ll give you my most treasured thing… because it’s you.”
In her palm rested a single orb that glowed with ethereal light.
It pulsed with an ancient, unnatural aura. No ordinary object.
“Kyaa…?”
What is this?
I tilted my head. Lumia beamed.
“This is my fox orb! It’s amazing! My mom told me. It’s the fox’s soul—super good for the body. If Big brother eats it, his teeth will grow back! Say ah~!”
“Kyaa…?”
What did you just say, you little troublemaker?
My ears twitched as I replayed the words. Fur stood on end.
Fox orb? The one the Gumiho Mother guards most jealously?
She wants me to use her own soul to make my teeth grow back?
Lumia’s eyes were crystal clear.
She was offering her most precious treasure and soul so I could chew.
How could she know how important it was to me, yet still offer it so freely?
My heart squeezed in pure affection.
“Ah~ Open wide, big brother! Put it in and you can eat meat again!”
Lumia thrust the orb toward my mouth.
I gently pushed her wrist with my paw. Then I lifted my own paw and rested it atop her head.
Tap. Tap.
I stroked her soft fox-fur hair with my jelly-like paw pads.
“Kyaa… quuu.”
I’ll accept it. This is important to you, so don’t give it away so easily.
Lumia’s eyes grew huge.
“Why? You don’t like it? This thing is really good…”
“Kyaa.”
Her little lips puffed out like a duck’s.
She tucked the orb back into her tail and sighed. She had wanted to help me with her own treasure, but I had refused. Her ears drooped, face crestfallen.
“Tsk… I worked so hard polishing it for big brother.”
“Kyaa.”
I’ll give you another one later.
I ruffled her hair once more and licked her face clean.
What an idiot of a child.
“Blanc… do you feel a little better?”
Princess Kailian looked down at me with sad eyes.
“Kyaa.”
One tooth? Don’t worry so much.
I meekly accepted the cake from her hand and rubbed my cheek against her fingers.
“Kyaa!”
I’m okay now! Bring more cake and soup!
To keep the butlers from worrying, I devoured the cake and soup until my belly ballooned.
Then I waddled back to the veterinarian. His eyes were dull, tears welling.
“Blanc… please stop visiting twice a day… my heart… can’t take it…”
“Kyaa…”
Sorry…