Chapter 1. I Possessed a Tragic Novel
Mio’s eyelids fluttered weakly as she gasped for breath.
The nauseating sensation of blood rushing back into her body was as revolting as ever.
She inhaled raggedly through her nose and mouth, drool trailing down the corners of her lips.
Lying sprawled on the ground, she blinked blearily—only to spot a pair of soft, fluffy paws.
‘A fox again?’
She wanted to express the sheer horror of waking up in a beast’s body once more,
but only a pitiful howl came out of her throat.
— Awooo! (Damn it!)
She couldn’t even remember how many regressions it had been.
Burned to death, stabbed to death, stoned to death…
All of them were memories too horrible to recall.
‘Did I sell my country in a past life or something?’
What kind of sin could possibly justify this?
It wasn’t enough to possess a character inside a novel—she had to die, and die, and die again.
“Unfair” didn’t even begin to cover it.
‘All I did was read a book…’
The world Mio was in belonged to the tragic novel Twist Your Neck and Make You Mine.
In it, the male lead, Geoffrey, descended into madness for unknown reasons.
Everywhere he went, blood and screams followed.
And among the characters was a fox beastwoman who loved him dearly.
‘She even has the same name as me.’
The adorable white fox, lovely just to look at, appeared only briefly.
That pitiful creature fell into a love that could never be returned.
Mio had always been bothered by that fox—
‘You’re not even the heroine, so why throw everything away like that?’
The fox lingered by Geoffrey’s side even though he never once looked at her.
And in the end, she sacrificed her life for him—
to help him become the true monarch recognized by the Caspian Empire.
‘…When Geoffrey only ever saw her as a tool!’
She had cried so much at that part.
Mio simply couldn’t understand the foolish fox who died for nothing.
And back then, she had no idea—
‘That I’d end up becoming that fox myself.’
At first, she couldn’t believe it.
No—she didn’t want to believe it.
Because she knew exactly how the fox’s story would end.
‘No matter what I did, I couldn’t wake up from this nightmare.’
Eventually, Mio had no choice but to accept reality and relive the novel’s ending.
At first, she thought her knowledge as a reader would help her survive.
‘Ha! What a joke.’
Knowledge and plot foresight were useless when trapped in the body of a tiny furball.
‘This should be about a week before I meet Geoffrey.’
Though small details shifted each loop, she always ended up falling for him again.
Even when she tried to resist, the mark carved deep in her soul pulled her toward him.
‘The original fox might’ve loved him, but he’s totally not my type.’
Her breathing steadied, but exhaustion made it hard to move.
Mio’s snout drooped limply.
‘Let’s just sleep first and think later.’
But sleeping wasn’t easy either.
She curled up, but the cold woke her every few minutes.
‘I’m an arctic fox—how the hell am I freezing?’
She clicked her tongue at her thin fur and small body.
Fur tough enough to withstand minus seventy degrees existed only in documentaries.
‘I should dig a den or something…’
Her small head throbbed with dizziness.
‘I need food too…’
She’d only eaten a few fallen berries, leaving her stomach painfully empty.
‘At this rate, they’ll find my mummified corpse in a hundred years.’
As absurd as it all was, she refused to die again.
With effort, Mio pushed herself up.
‘At least I can drink some water.’
She staggered to a shallow puddle and lowered her snout.
Her reflection stared back—a small white fox with sad eyes,
her irises glowing between yellow and orange.
‘Still can’t get used to this face.’
After a few gulps, her head cleared.
She stumbled to a tree base and burrowed into a pile of leaves.
Surprisingly, it was quite warm that way.
‘Focus.’
Now wasn’t the time to worry about comfort.
‘If I don’t turn human soon, I’ll be dead within days.’
There were deeper reasons behind that, but for now, regaining her human form was top priority.
‘I don’t like it, but… I have no choice.’
— Grrr… (I’ll have to find him…)
Mio bared her half-grown fangs, growling bitterly.
But hunger soon overpowered even her rage, and she drifted into sleep.
The Caspian Empire was cold all year round.
As light snow began to fall, a group of men rode into a desolate forest on horseback.
“Duke Caspian, this isn’t the time to wander around. We should return to the castle.”
The duke’s attendant gnawed nervously at his fingernails, glancing about the barren winter woods.
“Shut up. You’re noisy.”
Sunlight glinted off his armor, illuminating a face of striking beauty.
Deep, shadowed eyes of black—
and lips tinted crimson, damp like fresh blood.
He looked less like a man and more like a god of the forest.
“Are you truly not attending Prince Ben’s birthday celebration?”
“Who would be waiting for me?”
A white breath escaped his lips.
“If you don’t, people will start gossiping again.”
Just then, something rustled in the bushes.
Geoffrey’s instincts flared—he drew his sword in an instant.
At the tip of the shining blade, a squirrel trembled, clutching an acorn.
He sheathed his weapon with a cold chuckle.
“You mean rumors that I plan to assassinate the Emperor and the Crown Prince?”
The reflection of his own face in the sword’s steel made his attendant shudder.
“Even if no one can hear us here, please don’t say such things, my lord.”
The nervous Samuel chewed his lip anxiously.
‘He’s going to give me a heart attack one of these days.’
His master was already a walking scandal.
Years ago, the Emperor had exiled Duke Caspian to the frontier.
War broke out there, lasting three long years.
During that time, the Emperor never once summoned or rewarded his eldest son.
‘While my lord was bleeding for him, no less.’
Under Duke Caspian’s command, the barbarians were repelled and the borders secured.
Peace returned to the empire—
but the duke’s life only grew darker and bloodier.
‘They say he bathes in blood for pleasure.’
‘That corpses are buried all over his estate, and ghosts walk his gardens at night.’
All lies. Every drop of blood he shed was to protect this nation.
‘Do they even realize who lets them sleep safely at night?!’
The thought made Samuel’s eyes sting with angry tears.
His master had sacrificed everything, only to be despised in return.
But he dared not say that aloud.
‘If he found out I pitied him, he’d have my head.’
Wiping his eyes with a sleeve, Samuel spoke up.
“We should let the horses graze a little, my lord.”
They’d been riding nonstop for half a day; the beasts were starting to falter.
“Very well.”
Geoffrey dismounted gracefully and handed over the reins.
Straightening his back, he looked up at the gray sky.
The heavens were the same as ever—so why had his life changed so completely?
“…Ha.”
He brushed damp bangs from his forehead when something twitched nearby.
A pile of leaves shifted, revealing a flash of white fur.
Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed.
“A rabbit?”
If so, it would make a fine birthday gift for Ben.
‘Perfect for decorating that coward’s hat.’
He strode forward and reached into the leaves.
“…A stray?”
What he pulled out was larger than a squirrel, smaller than a dog—
a white pup, clearly abandoned and half-dead.
When their eyes met—amber meeting black—Geoffrey frowned deeply.
— Yip! (What the—?!)
Meanwhile, Mio’s heart nearly burst out of her chest.
For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.
‘But there’s no way two people could have that face.’
Those cold black eyes that could freeze your spine—
there was no mistaking him.
Then calm returned, and a sly smile crept across her snout.
‘Well, this is the first time I’ve met Geoffrey like this.’
Perhaps fate had finally decided to throw her a bone.
She stretched her snout forward;
if she could just kiss him, she’d finally shed this cursed furball body.
— Grrr… (Come on, human. Give me your lips.)
“You’re useless,” Geoffrey muttered, disappointed it wasn’t a rabbit.
Then, without a shred of mercy, he flung her aside.
— Yip! Yipe!
Mio tumbled through a pile of leaves.
She was so stunned she couldn’t even get angry.
To think this bastard could toss something as small and cute as her—
how heartless could a man get?
Her hind leg scraped painfully as she rolled.
‘What on earth did the original fox see in this jerk…’
Trying to lick the wound, she froze mid-motion.
‘No time to groom yourself, idiot.’
Wait—did he just call her a stray?
Sure, she was a bit malnourished, but still!
— Grrr! (Hey! I’m a fox, not a mutt!)
In the Caspian Forest, foxes ranked right below bears and wolves as apex predators.
Being mistaken for a stray dog was beyond insulting.
But Mio quickly reined in her pride.
She needed this cold-blooded man—desperately.
‘I’m only going to use you, that’s all.’
Forcing down her bristling fur, she trotted toward Geoffrey, who’d turned his back.
— Yip yip. (Look at me!)
No response.
‘Not even flinching? He really is a block of ice.’
Out of options, Mio pressed her forehead against his leather boots.
It was the most endearing gesture a fox could manage.
‘Utter humiliation.’
To think she had to act cute for the man who’d probably killed her countless times…
Finally, Geoffrey glanced down at her, eyes widening slightly.
‘…Heh.’
Mio couldn’t help a small smug grin.
Even a stoic man couldn’t resist the charm of a beautiful white fox.
Then came his low, velvet voice—
“…Are you rabid?”
Mio’s eyes went round as saucers.
‘What the hell did you just say?!’
