Duke, Can I Bite You?

TL/N: I will edit this later, I’ll upload the first 5 chapters first every day to call dibs on this novel and edit them later.

Mio gasped as she slowly blinked her eyes. 

The smell of blood on her body made her feel nausea.

It was disgusting as always.

I struggled to breathe, as saliva drip down the edge of my mouth. 

As I was lying on my back, my eyes twitched when I saw the feet that looked like cotton balls.

‘Am I a fox again?’

I wanted to express the terrible feeling of waking up in the body of a beast again, but only the howling came out of my mouth.

“Auuu!” (Damn it!)

I couldn’t remember how many times I regressed.

I have once died by fire, be stabbed to death, be stoned to death… … .

It was a terrible memory that I didn’t want to recall.

‘Did I even sell my country in my past life*?’

TL/N: Koreans use this expression when they’re talking about karma, good or bad. In this case it’s bad karma.

Just how vicious is the crime I commited? Why did I keep dying?

I couldn’t express all of these feelings with words.

‘I just read a book.’

The place where Mio is right now is a tragic novel called ‘Twist your neck while you’re drunk.’ In the novel, the male lead, Geoffrey, is filled with madness for a reason. 

Every path he passed was stained with blood, and there were only terrible screams surrounding him. There, a fox beast, who loves the male lead, appeared.

‘Did she have the same name as me?’

The fox, which was obviously adorable just by looking at her white fur, appeared very briefly. The poor fox had an unrequited love. Mio kept getting worried about the fox with the same name as herself.

‘Why are you sacrificing everything like that without being a female lead?’

The fox hovered all around Geoffrey, who didn’t even look at her. And in the end, she gave herlife for her beloved Geoffrey. To make him a true royal recognized by all of the Caspian Empire.

‘… … Geoffrey only thought of the fox as a tool!’

I don’t know how many times I cried at that point.

I could not comprehend the dead fox who acted foolishly.

And I didn’t know at the time.

‘I’m going to be that fox.’

It was hard to believe all this at first.

No, I didn’t want to accept it.

It’s obvious what the fox’s fate will be.

‘But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find a way to wake up from the nightmare.’

Mio had no choice but to accept this situation and repeat the original ending. 

At first, I thought that I could overcome the crisis well with the knowledge I had and common sense as I read the original.’But it’s not that easy… … .’

For her, who had become a small beast, knowledge or original work was of no use.

‘Is this about a week before I met Geoffrey?’

There were some twists and turns, but she was always drawn to Geoffrey.

No matter how hard I tried to keep him away, the fact that both of them always meet is definitely fate.

‘But that guy is not my taste at all.’

My breathing became easier, but I was exhausted and didn’t have the courage to do anything.

Mio looked down.

‘Let’s get some sleep and think again.’

But it wasn’t that easy either.

I was crouching down, but it was so cold that I woke up every three minutes.

‘I’m an arctic fox, does it make sense for me to get cold?!’

Mio clicked her tongue as she looked at her fur and small body. 

Something like a fur that can withstand every weather was something that only existed in documentaries.

‘I’ll have to dig a hole to hide… … .’

Her little head was dizzy.

‘What should I eat…?’

I picked up only a few fallen fruits and ate them, but my stomach was still growling.

‘If it stay like this, I may be discovered as a skeleton in about a hundred years.’

It’s already absurd that this happened, but I hated dying even more. 

Mio stood up with all her might.

‘I should drink water first.’

As she staggered and drank in a small puddle, her appearance was reflected in the water.

She was a little fox with white fur and had a pitiful expression on her face. 

Her eyes were something between orange and yellow.

After drinking the water, my head cleared a little. 

I staggered to the base of the tree and dug into the fallen leaves. 

I didn’t know why but it was quite warm when I slept like this.

‘Calm down.’

Now was not the time to question such warmth.

‘If I don’t become a human, I’ll die the day after tomorrow, let alone a year.’

Although there is a slightly more complicated reason, becoming a human is the first priority.

‘I need to do it even if I don’t like it.’

“Kii-” (I have no choice but to find him…)

Mio, who had exposed her fangs, growled.

But she was too hungry, so she fell asleep.

* * *

The Caspian Empire was cold all year round. When light snow began to fall, men on horses came to the sparsely populated forest.

“Duke Caspian. This is not a time for leisure. Let’s go back to the castle.”

The duke’s servant looked around. In winter, the forest was barren.

“Shut up, you’re noisy.”

The sunlight hitting the armor added sparkle to his graceful face. 

The man with deep eyes and moist, red lips looked like a god who ruled the forest.

“Are you sure you won’t attend Prince Ben’s birthday?”

“Who wants me there?”

“But if you don’t attend, it’s going to spread rumors.”

While they were having the conversation, something was seen wriggling in the grass. 

Geoffrey drew his sword in an instant and became alert. 

Seeing the tip of the shiny sword, a squirrel nearby which was biting an acorn trembled and ran away. 

Geoffrey said in a gloomy voice,

“Something like me planning a treason… … ?”

The servant shuddered at the sight of Geoffrey looking at his face on the blade.

“Even though there are no more ears to hear here, please don’t say that.”

Samuel, who was already weak, began to purse his lips with concern.

‘He really need to take care of his image more.’

Rumours already circulated that his master is a bad man. 

The emperor sent the Duke of Caspian to the outskirts a few years ago. 

A war broke out and he was tasked to protect it, the war lasted for three years. 

However, the emperor had never once called or praised him, the eldest son.

‘My master always suffer all this time…’

Under the leadership of Duke of Caspian, all barbarians who invaded the empire were defeated, and the border was strengthened. 

Peace came to the Caspian Empire, but the duke’s life became more miserable than before.

‘The duke says he enjoys bathing in blood.’

‘I heard that there are corpses buried in every corner of the garden, so you can see ghosts in the Caspian area at night.’

The countless murders his master committed on the battlefield were all to protect the Caspian Empire.

‘How could they think up of such nonsense!’

When he thought about it, Samuel felt like he was going to cry with anger. The more he think about it, the more he feel sorry for his master, who has made all his sacrifices. But these thoughts had to be kept only in his mind.

‘If the master knows, I will be scolded.’

He wiped the tears with his sleeve and opened his mouth.

“I think I need to feed the horse a little bit of grass.”

It had been running non-stop for half a day, and the horse kept stopping because it was a little tired.

“Go ahead.”

Geoffrey jumped off the horse and held out the reins to Samuel. He straightened his back and looked up at the sky. The sky is still the same, but why has his life changed so much?

“… … Sigh.”

As he fixed his sweat-drenched bangs, a pile of leaves squirmed in front of him. 

Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed at the glimpse of the white fur.

“Is it a rabbit?”

If that’s the case, he could catch it and give it to Ben as a birthday present.

‘It’s perfect for decorating that timid guy’s hat.’

Stepping closer, he immediately shoved his hand into the fallen leaves.

“… …a dog?”

What he held in his hand however was a white dog larger than a squirrel or rabbit, but still a young dog. 

As if it had not received any care from its mother, it seemed that it would soon die. The moment he met the dog’s eyes, Geoffrey frowned.

“Kiing.” (Why are you doing this all of a sudden?)

Meanwhile, Mio’s heart was about to explode. When she saw him for the first time, she thought she was hallucinating.

‘But there can’t be two or more faces like that.’

He had a unique appearance.

However, Mio soon regained her composure and smiled.

‘By the way, this is the first time I’ve met Geoffrey like this.’

It seemed that the god of fate is now taking things to his own hand. 

Mio looked at him. She had to kiss Geoffrey to transform into a human.

“Kiiik” (Hurry up your lips. Human.)

“You’re useless.”

Disappointed that it wasn’t a rabbit, Geoffrey mercilessly drop it down.

“Kiing, kiing.”

Mio rolled around the pile of soft leaves. 

It was expected that I didn’t even get angry.

To throw away such a cute little beast… … .

It felt like my hind legs were being ripped off as I rolled.

‘How did this fox fall in love with that human… … .’

Suddenly, Mio stopped while trying to lick the injured area with her tongue.

‘This is not the time to do this.’

Besides, did that guy call her a dog? I’m a little manourished right now, so I’m small.

“Kiik!” (Hey! I’m a fox. A fox.)

In the Caspian forest, she was the second most vicious beast after bears and wolves. 

However, being compared to a wild dog, she was humiliated.

Mio quickly regained her sensed. Now is not the time to show such pride. 

She desperately needed that man now.

‘I need to use him.’

Barely calming her anger, she turned her back and approached Geoffrey, who was turning around.

“Kiik.” (Look at me.)

He didn’t even move at her voice.

‘How cold-blooded. How can he even stand this cuteness?!.’

Reluctantly, Mio rubbed the top of Geoffrey’s leather boots. This was the best cute acts that a fox could perform.

‘It’s humiliating.’

How many times do I have to show affection to the guy who might have killed her… … .

At that moment, the man’s eyes widened as he looked down at Mio.

‘… … Oh.’

Seeing that, she was a little surprised. Even though he was cold-blooded, it would be difficult for a human being to withstand the cute acts of a fox with beautiful white fur. 

Then I heard Geoffrey’s deep voice.

“… … Did it have rabies?”

At the completely unexpected words, Mio’s eyes widened.