Chapter 16: The Gumiho's Visit

While Beleth ate and drank in the wide, expansive garden grounds, he thought  that he was alone.

He is proved wrong when he sensed something invisible prying around. 

He sensed a gumiho named Gyeo-wool lurking around. 

"Gyeo-wool, I know you're there. Show yourself." 

A young-looking lady, who wore an attire that looked like it came from the early Joseon era, came into sight. 

A cold and chilly atmosphere filled the entire garden, and snow started to fall gently. 

"Lucky for me that these plants are magically enhanced and cold-proofed, or else they would have melted when you are around, my dear." 

Beleth said softly, gently caressing the gumiho's cute face, while caressing her bright red hair. 

"What do you care about more, your plants, or me? This is the only time I've managed to sneak my way into your castle again. You know Lilith's temper." 

Gyeo-wool whined. 

"You, of course, my dear. These plants are easy to replace." 

Beleth soothed Gyeo-wool. 

"Since when were you here, Gyeo-wool?" 

"I was there earlier. I witnessed your fight with Alastair earlier, and I overheard what you talked about with Alastair and Luciano afterward." 

Gyeo-wool winked at Beleth, then she sat across Beleth. 

"I see you greatly improved the invisibility skill I taught you." 

Beleth's remark made Gyeo-wool smile. 

She held Beleth's hand, and let Beleth kiss her hand tenderly. 

Gyeo-wool showed Beleth her warm smile. 

"It's a miracle to see a cold lady like you show a warm smile." 

Beleth knew that Gyeo-wool is a cold, icy lady who made her opponents and allies tremble and feel cold and isolated the moment she is around. 

It's a miracle he made her ice-cold heart melt, and Gyeo-wool felt comfortable and at home when Beleth was around.

She is the total opposite of Lilith, who has a hot and explosive personality. 

"It's also a miracle that I feel safe around you, you sly schemer." 

Gyeo-wool grinned, and gazed at Beleth lovingly. 

"Are you hungry, thirsty, or perhaps, exhausted, my dear? I'll send for the servants to prepare you a room in the castle, and attend to your needs." 

"Please do, my dear." 

Luciano reappeared at the garden, bringing Gyeo-wool's food and drinks with him. 

"Hello, Gyeo-wool. Long time no see."

Luciano greeted Gyeo-wool. 

"Oh hi, Luciano. Long time no see, old friend." 

Gyeo-wool replied back to Luciano, giving him a thumbs up. 

"Here's the usual food and drinks that you crave for." 

Luciano gently placed the food and drinks on the table. 

As Luciano turned to leave, he heard Gyeo-wool say to him while Beleth looked on. 

"Luciano, wait." 

"What is it, Gyeo-wool?" 

"Can we hang out again, just like in the old times? We got a lot of catching up to do. You know I don't stay for long in this castle."

"Sure, let's hang out later, Gyeo-wool. If you must excuse me, I still have a lot of things to attend to." 

Luciano then turned to leave, and exited from the garden. 

When Luciano is finally out of earshot, Gyeo-wool felt so hungry that she started eating her meal. 

" That's the stewed beef with vegetables that I had the servants at the kitchen prepare earlier." 

Beleth said in surprise. 

"Yes, it is. Can I have it, Beleth, please?," 

Gyeo-wool said to Beleth with pleading eyes. 

"Sure. You can have it. Let me feed you." 

Beleth moved his chair closer to Gyeo-wool, and started feeding her. 

After Gyeo-wool finished eating, they disappeared from the expansive garden, then reappeared at Beleth's guest quarters, with Beleth carrying the gumiho bridal style. 

Then Beleth lets Gyeo-wool sit on his lap while Beleth is seated in his cozy sofa chair. 

Gyeo-wool decided to lie down on Beleth's lap instead. 

"So what brings you here  my dear Gyeo-wool? I believe you didn't come here to just simply see me." 

Beleth went straight to the topic.

"You guessed it right my dear. But I'm sorry, I can't disclose the details for now. You'll know soon, when the time is right. You know we belong to opposite factions. There could be spies listening in on our conversation, for all we know. I'm just looking out for our best interest. Thanks for your generosity, as always. I love you, Beleth. "

"I love you too, Gyeo-wool." 

Beleth said while gently stroking the attractive gumiho's red hair. 

Then Gyeo-wool drifted off to sleep in Beleth's lap. 

With the gumiho fast asleep on his lap, memories of how they met came flooding back to Beleth.

It was in the middle of the war between Orochi and Morrigan, when Morrigan was  slowly being pushed out of Orochi's home territory. 

Beleth sensed an imminent counter-attack from Orochi and his allies were bound to come during that time. 

He and his forces were on high alert, and placed in a defensive position. 

Beleth could sense that his soldiers were on edge the night before a sudden raid on his forces happened. 

To alleviate the tension and boost the morale of his soldiers, Beleth held a feast to get his soldiers in the mood for fighting. 

Unbeknownst to Beleth, a red-haired gumiho had infiltrated their ranks, and even got to know Beleth on a personal level on the night of the attack. 

The red-haired gumiho was Gyeo-wool. 

The soldiers of Beleth were all captivated by Gyeo-wool's beauty, cold, soothing voice, and youthful face, but in the end, Gyeo-wool chose to sit beside Beleth. 

The feast continued into the night, and drinks poured. 

Unbeknownst to Beleth's soldiers, they were being led into a surprise raid by Lilith, with Gyeo-wool as the bait. 

Gyeo-wool and Beleth, under the influence of alcohol, found themselves confiding in each other unexpectedly, while everyone else was busy with the feast. 

While everyone was drunk, the sounds of brief fighting could be heard outside the gates of Beleth's camp, but since the guards posted outside were also under the influence of alcohol, the soldiers of Lilith easily overcame them, and overran the camp without much resistance. 

Gyeo-wool was nowhere to be found, and when Beleth woke up, still groggy from the alcohol, he found himself tied to a chair fixed to the ground  in a seated position inside a tent. 

There were guards posted outside the tent. 

Before he could plot his escape, he felt a powerful cold presence in the area. 

Gyeo-wool froze the guards outside. 

She broke the chains that bound him to the chair. 

"Why are you helping me? We're supposed to be enemies, Gyeo-wool." 

"Hush now, Beleth. I spiked the coffee those guards drank with a powerful sleeping potion in advance, in case my freezing spell reaches its time limit. I also tampered with their memories, so they'll end up pointing fingers at each other when they wake up. "

" What if you get caught? "

" Don't worry about me, Beleth. I can handle Lilith better than anyone in Lilith's camp. Now, let's go. Grab my hand. Someone might see us. "

He grabbed Gyeo-wool's hand. 

Gyeo-wool transformed into a half-human, half-fox gumiho, and in an instant, they became invisible. 

They ran past tents until Gyeo-wool finally escorted Beleth to safety back in the camp of his allies. 

" I don't know how I can repay you for this, Gyeo-wool. Thank you. You're always welcome to my castle anytime." 

While Gyeo-wool shape shifted back to her human form, the two shared a deep, passionate kiss, then Beleth bid Gyeo-wool good bye, as Gyeo-wool returned to Lilith's camp, to throw Lilith off the trail of Beleth.