It was filled with dried frogs, chestnuts, boiled eggs, rice cakes, and fresh hawthorn berries. Pleased, she quickly hid her smile.
“What is this? Daebum, have you no pride? We tigers are noble predators. How can you eat such things?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“Such unworthy food will need to be confiscated. I happen to know a fox who would appreciate it.”
Daebum sighed and bowed his head.
“The truth is, I plan to become a monk and have decided to refrain from killing. So when I embarked on this long journey, I had no choice but to pack this kind of food....”
He had his reasons. Once Sohwa realized that Daebum didn’t have the intention to harm anyone, she felt a kinship with him. She figured that even if he discovered she was a fox, he wouldn’t eat her.
“Very well then. Here, you may have it back.”
“Thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty!”
“Eat those things in secret to avoid shame. Where are you coming from?”
“I come from Mount Taeryong.”
