NAPE - 17

Was it because it was night? Or are humans originally like this?

Actually, Bibi had never interacted with humans for this long, other than the old men she had preyed on. Perhaps it was a characteristic of hunters that she hadn’t learned from the trainer. For now, she would have to keep a close eye on him.

Fortunately, Doyoon’s attitude was helpful in this situation. Occasionally, the masters who had released Bibi, the hunting dog, would get angry or annoyed, accusing her of spying. They would follow the trainer’s advice and lock Bibi back in her cage, putting a blindfold and muzzle on her. Unlike her previous masters, her new master Doyoon didn’t push Bibi away.

He simply left her alone, whether she was sitting on top of the refrigerator observing him or hiding behind the curtains, maintaining a consistently indifferent attitude.

Doyoon only seemed to notice Bibi when he stretched while doing his own work, or when Bibi followed him around. He would look at Bibi for a moment with an unreadable gaze and then turn his head again, his attitude similar to a collector who had obtained a rare item and then lost interest.

Bibi was used to this indifferent attitude. The relationship between a master and a hunting dog was originally like this. Still, Doyoon wasn’t a bad master. He didn’t hit her or leave her alone, and he always gave her blood every three days.

“Bibi. Come here.”

The only time Doyoon, who was thoroughly indifferent, would call her was when he was about to give her blood. Bibi was lost in thought, sitting on the warm refrigerator, when Doyoon, who had returned from being out, called her. Bibi quickly jumped down to the floor.

Her mouth was already watering. His blood contained all sorts of addictive tastes: sweetness, coolness, warmth, ecstasy.

Having tasted his blood, Bibi felt a ravenous hunger for him, like a newborn vampire. Doyoon had a beautiful neck: clean, pale skin, angular bones, smooth lines, and a fragrant scent.

She had hunted well over a hundred humans so far, but she had never seen such an appetizing human. If Doyoon had asked for something more in exchange for letting her drink his blood… she probably would have agreed to almost anything.

Fortunately, he didn’t ask much of Bibi. Just to answer actively when he spoke to her and not deny that he was her master. That was all he wanted.

When giving Bibi blood, Doyoon would ask her various questions, such as how old she was and what her earliest memory was. When she said she didn’t remember anything, he didn’t ask further.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Bibi abruptly lunged at Doyoon’s neck to drink his blood. For some reason, he held up his palm and stepped back slightly.

“The order is different today.”

“Order?”

Bibi, who had bared her fangs, blinked innocently.

“Wash up roughly first.”

“Why?”

“I raised the car’s internal temperature to 30 degrees Celsius, so I’m drenched in sweat.”

Sniffing, she didn’t detect any unpleasant odor. On the contrary, Doyoon’s unique fragrant and sweet scent felt even stronger. Her mouth watering, Bibi involuntarily stuck out her tongue and licked his neck. It was the same action humans made when they tasted food before eating it.

Doyoon flinched, his shoulders twitching, and pushed Bibi away sharply. He furrowed his brow deeply. She could see goosebumps rising on his skin. Did he dislike being licked when he was sweaty that much? It tasted rather delicious…

“You have a habit of flicking your tongue.”

Doyoon said curtly, vigorously rubbing the area where her tongue had touched, as if trying to shake off the lingering sensation.

“Both when you eat food and when you drink my blood.”

Was that so? Bibi rolled her eyes, trying to remember her habits.

“This is a sensitive area for me.”

“Sensitive… area?”

Did he mean it was a weakness? But… not only Doyoon, but most humans had their necks as a vital point. Did he think she, a hunting dog, wouldn’t know that?

“Don’t lick me from now on.”

“Is it okay to bite right away without licking?”

“Yeah.”

“That makes even less sense. It’s the same as exposing a vital point.”

“Just go with it. It’s not like I can grab you and explain foreplay.”

What was he talking about? Foreplay? Bibi tilted her head to one side.

“Wait here and eat some of this for a bit.”

Doyoon took out a large handful of snacks from a large plastic bag and dumped them onto the living room floor with a clatter. Cream bread, soboro bread, melon bread, cake, raspberry muffins, and so on. These were the things Bibi had been eating most often these past few days. They all looked delicious, which one should she eat first? It was a tough decision.

While Bibi was distracted by the bread, Doyoon quickly headed to the study.

“The shower room isn’t that way.”

Bibi, who had chosen a soboro bread, quickly followed behind him.

“I need to have a meeting in my room first.”

Doyoon waved his hand dismissively, looking annoyed. So, she could only drink blood after he had the meeting and took a shower? The order was getting pushed back a lot. Bibi involuntarily made a sulky face.

“Then I’ll wait here.”

“I don’t need you to. Could you please not bother me?”

Before she could even follow him in, Doyoon firmly pushed Bibi back and closed the study door. She hurriedly turned the doorknob, but it wouldn’t open, as if it had been locked from the inside. She pressed her ear close to the door. She could hear muffled voices coming from inside the study. It seemed he was communicating with other humans using a computer.

How long would she have to wait?

Bibi waited for him in front of the door, still holding the bread in her hand. However, Doyoon didn’t come out even after 5 minutes, then 10 minutes passed. No matter how important the meeting was, closing the door without any notice was too much. Bibi pondered deeply.

She didn’t care what happened to hunter Kwon Doyoon, but master Kwon Doyoon was different. He had currently become her top priority. A hunting dog’s identity was meaningful only with a master. It was her duty to constantly protect and observe her master. She tried turning the doorknob again. The door was still locked. Should she break it down?

Ah, wait. Now that she thought about it, the study had a sliding window leading to the terrace. It was blocked by a large bookcase inside the room, but there was a gap just wide enough for one person to barely pass through.

Bibi quickly ran to the terrace and without hesitation, flung open the veranda window. As expected, a sturdy bookcase completely blocked the window, leaving only a narrow gap barely wide enough for her head to fit through. Bibi pressed her eye against the gap between the wall and the bookcase.

She could see Doyoon sitting at his desk with his back to her. He was talking to someone on the monitor screen and looked quite bored.

With fingers that weren’t visible to the camera, he kept touching his phone screen. Judging by the irregular sound effects of ‘Mission Success!’ it was clear he was playing a game. The person on the monitor pretended not to notice.

- But Count, according to you, we have to wait until the next election to become the Minister of National Defense. It hasn’t even been 10 years since I was discharged. You know that this administration has further strengthened the principle of civilian control.

“It’s okay, keep being ambitious.”

- Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the administration changes…?

“Didn’t you say the same thing when I was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? You still don’t trust people. And keep putting pressure on the association. The association president, tired of the power struggles, will probably suggest a compromise. And whether the administration changes or not, it won’t have any impact on what we’re trying to do.”

Doyoon asked coldly, his eyes still on his phone screen. Bibi had never heard him use polite language before. Strangely, he felt more imposing and sensitive now than when he spoke informally. His formal language created a sense of tension regarding the official situation and clearly drew a line.

He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood… I should move to the side as carefully as possible so as not to disturb him.

Bibi lowered her body and took a deep breath, tightening her ribs. Reducing her body volume as much as possible, she first squeezed her head into the gap between the window and the bookcase.

Her head went in surprisingly easily. She had planned to give up and find another way if it didn’t fit. What a relief. Now, if she could just get her torso through, the rest would be a piece of cake. First, her chest… Huh? Why won’t it come out?

Bibi blinked in confusion.

Her chest had gone in up to the initial part, but it got stuck and wouldn’t go in any further. Bibi clicked her tongue. She had forgotten that her chest and waist had become larger than she thought. Reluctantly, she tried to back out, but this time her head wouldn’t come out. Panicked, Bibi flailed and tried to push the bookcase aside. However, the bookcase, thick and filled with a large number of books, wouldn’t budge easily. The material was also solid and heavy oak wood.

- But are you okay there? It sounds like there’s an earthquake… the bookcase behind you is shaking a lot.

The man in the meeting on the monitor was the first to notice the anomaly. Doyoon, who had been engrossed in his game screen, casually turned around and discovered Bibi stuck in the gap between the veranda window and the bookcase.

As their eyes met, Bibi became even more flustered. She wanted to resolve this embarrassing situation quickly. It was impossible to pull her head out, so she grabbed the bookcase, took the deepest breath she could, and pushed her chest with all her might. Doyoon’s eyes fixed on Bibi’s tightly wedged chest.