Duke, Can I Bite You?

The wood burning on the wood-fired stove gave off a warm light, and from there was the smell of porridge.

‘No one’s in the kitchen. The goddess of fortune must be on my side.’ 

Mio immediately entered and searched the kitchen. As she passed by a pot of simmering soup, she stopped in her tracks at the strong, mouthwatering scent coming from somewhere on the shelf. 

‘That’s definitely meat!’

But she had a minor problem getting the meat. The shelf was above the counter, so no matter how much she jumped, she couldn’t reach it. She had to find another way up.

“Kii!” (I’ll get you no matter what!) 

Mio climbed up on a chair in the corner of the kitchen and came up to the table. After measuring the distance between the table and the counter, she jumped.

Crash!

Her first attempt ended with a couple of plates breaking.  But at this moment, she could care less. Nothing could stop Mio. She exposed her fangs and cried out, “Kii!” (Failure is the mother of success!)

The small body jumped once again, and this time, her paws barely reached the edge of the counter. With her sharp claws nailed to the counter, she hoisted herself up, and with great ease and enthusiasm, she eagerly pulled out a piece of smoked meat from the basket.

How long does it take for a fox her size to eat a big piece of meat?

Once the meat was right in front of her mouth, she took a big bite. She shook her head and devoured the meat, her fluffy tail wagging in the air. 

The meat  was like cotton candy, coating her mouth with its flavor as it melts.

As Mio filled her stomach, she nearly cried tears of joy.

After swallowing that last bite and relieving her hunger, she finally saw her reflection in the fan hanging on the wall.

‘Oh no. What if someone sees this?’ ‘Oh no, I’m afraid someone will see me.’

She suddenly felt afraid, but she still managed to make an excuse for herself.

‘But I was so hungry…’ 

Mio raised her front paws and wiped the traces of her little shenanigan from around her mouth. Now that her stamina was replenished and she was satisfied, she finally had the energy to think of a way to deal with her current situation.

‘I need to be a human again.’ There’s just too many things she won’t be able to achieve in this form.

‘By the way, how long will it take to find him?’

When she thought about it, her heart sank.

Usually, when someone transmigrated into a novel, they would face various challenges of their own. But she had never heard of something like hers!

‘No, I need to abandon such thoughts! Let’s find Geoffrey’s bedroom.’

Mio, who just got herself a rough plan, was preparing to jump from the counter. But before she could do so, someone grabbed the nape of her neck.

“……What is this?”

Mio growled towards the person.

“Kii!” (Let me go!) 

Then she heard the voice of a man who she needed to see.

“Huh?”

Geoffrey, who held her up, looked closely at Mio’s mysteriously colored eyes.

“Kii! Kii! (Put me down or I will bite!) 

Mio ferociously struggled, baring her sharp canine. But Geoffrey didn’t show any sign of fear. Instead, he narrowed her eyes and looked at her closely.

. 

“Isn’t this a wild fox?”

Then Geoffrey left the kitchen, taking Mio with him. She tried hard to free herself, but in the end, she couldn’t get out of his grasp.

He climbed the stairs and slammed the door to the bedroom at the far end of the second floor.

“So my suspicions are right.” 

This was the guest room where Mio had slept before. The room was messy, but she was nowhere in sight..

“Where is she?”

Geoffrey’s hand gripping Mio’s neck grew stronger.

“Kii!” (I’m suffocating! It hurts!)

Geoffrey loosened his grip on Mio’s neck a little at the fox’s screech. However, the threatening tone in his voice remained and her heart sank at the sign of danger. Her body was trembling at the thought of getting caught and her mind was in a mess

“You can’t go anywhere until your master comes back.”

“Kii?” (What do you mean?)

‘Did he notice something? Why did he think the fox and the human are related?’

Geoffrey entered another room with her still in his hand, slammed the door shut  and then put her on the bedside table.

‘Wait! Why are you taking me here!?’

The dark bedroom was filled with Geoffrey’s scent that was both refreshing and alluring. The combination was so overwhelming that it made her feel dizzy and her stomach warm.

‘Damn it! It’s all because of the partner thing.’

Mio covered her nose and curled up. Her reaction to this man was really strange. She came into this world and met quite a lot of beasts– polar bears, deers, squirrels– but this fox’s heart remained indifferent towards them. It only responds to that man.

‘I always fell in love with Geoffrey.’

Mio had regressed a few times but her heart only reacted to Geoffrey. She let out a long sigh at her rather hopeless situation and pursed her small lips.

‘For now, let’s remain silent and be patient. 

This stupid man will fall asleep soon. Once he’s asleep, she’d jump to him, kiss him, transform into a human and then run away as fast– and far– as possible. In a world where countless beings live, there was no way that only Geoffrey could exist as her partner. It can’t be. 

A soft thud suddenly echoed in the room as something fell on the ground. Mio’s round eyes grow wide that they nearly pop out at the scene unraveling in front of her.

‘Hey! Why are you taking your clothes off!?