Chapter 88: The Fearsome Silver Tiger… Afraid of a Troll?

Jinhyang granted us permission to visit the research lab.

For safety reasons, she had to accompany us as well.

“Harang, can you wait for ten minutes? I need to get ready.”

“Okay.”

As I sat on the bed, waiting for Delphine, Jinhyang approached and sat beside me.

“Should we take some medicine before heading out?”

“Medicine?”

“Yeah. For your fever.”

With that, Jinhyang opened the bedside drawer.

She pulled out a packet of medicine, and as I sniffed it, a distinct bitter scent stung my nose.

“Ugh.”

Instinctively, I pressed my lips together.

With my sensitive taste buds, taking that would be nothing short of torture.

Jinhyang, unaware of my struggle, kept nudging my lips with her fingers.

“Do you not want to take it?”

“No. I really don’t want to.”

“If you don’t, you’ll be in pain all day.”

“Bu-But…”

Which was worse? Enduring the bitterness for a moment or suffering all day?

As I was lost in thought, Jinhyang tore open the medicine packet and held it out to me.

“Here.”

“Ugh.”

Fine.

It was better to endure the taste for a moment than to suffer all day.

I quickly popped the pill into my mouth and gulped down some water.

‘Ugh.’

The bitterness spread instantly, making it impossible to swallow.

For a moment, I considered spitting it out, but then I saw Jinhyang in front of me.

Without hesitation, I buried my face into her embrace.

This way, I had no choice but to swallow it.

If I spat it out, her clothes would get wet.

“Mmgh.”

With my eyes tightly shut, I forced myself to swallow at an excruciatingly slow pace.

The bitterness clawed at my throat, bringing tears to my eyes.

“Did you swallow it?”

“Yeah…”

Blegh.

I stuck my tongue out and pulled away from Jinhyang.

That’s when I noticed her shirt.

The white fabric of her suit had a damp patch where my lips had touched.

‘Oh no.’

I tried my best to swallow properly, but I must’ve spilled a little.

That was probably an expensive shirt, too.

Feeling guilty, I reached out and rubbed at the wet spot on her shirt.

Jinhyang caught my hand.

“It’s fine. It’s just a little water.”

“Still… I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look up.

As I hesitated and stole glances at her, Jinhyang reached out and wiped my lips with the back of her hand.

Swipe. Swipe.

Each time she wiped, the moisture on my lips disappeared.

In contrast, her hand was getting wetter.

I should probably dry her hand now.

Without hesitation, I brought my mouth close to her hand.

But the moment the bitter aftertaste hit me, my face twisted in disgust.

“Ugh!”

Startled, I pulled back and instead used my tail to rub the back of her hand dry.

Since my tail was incredibly absorbent, her hand quickly became smooth and dry again.

Note to self: Don’t lick my tail until I wash it.

As I thought about that, Jinhyang held onto my tail and slowly spoke.

“With your current condition, it’ll be hard to walk all the way to the research lab, right?”

“Yeah. I can’t walk.”

Walking was difficult.

Which meant I had the perfect excuse to cling to Jinhyang all day.

I grinned and wagged my tail.

But as the bitter scent spread through the air, I stopped immediately.

That was when Jinhyang spoke again.

“Then how about using a wheelchair?”

“Huh? A wheelchair?”

I looked at Jinhyang with a nervous heart.

I tried to put on the most pitiful expression possible.

Jinhyang’s eyes widened at my look.

“You don’t want the wheelchair?”

“It’s not that I hate it, but I like you more, Boss.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Can’t you just carry me instead? I promise I’ll behave.”

Jinhyang nodded at my request.

“Alright.”

She wrapped her arms around my waist and lifted me onto her lap.

I loved the way her hands supported me, so I started playing with them like a toy touching her palm, bending her fingers,

and even putting them in my mouth.

Of course, I didn’t bite.

I just played with them using my tongue.

As I spent a few minutes entertaining myself with Jinhyang’s hands, Delphine finished getting ready and walked over to us.

“Harang, let’s go!”

“Okay. But what did you even prepare? You don’t look any different from before.”

“I just had a few things to pack.”

“I see.”

I nodded and placed my hands on Jinhyang’s shoulders.

For today, she was going to be my personal mode of transportation.

Probably the most expensive one in the world.

As she carried me, I kept licking her face.

Her cheek, nose, lips, and even her eyes.

I made sure there wasn’t a single spot left untouched.

“Didn’t you say you’d behave?”

“I am behaving. Why?”

I was only licking her face quietly. What was the problem?

Confused, I looked up at Jinhyang, and she simply shook her head.

“Never mind. You’re doing great.”

“Hehe.”

Encouraged by her words, I continued licking her face.

I only stopped when we arrived at the research lab.

“Harang, this is the Monster Research Lab.”

“Wow.”

I gasped in admiration at the building’s size.

But the moment I did, I felt an eerie sense of unease.

A presence.

The kind of vicious energy that only monsters emitted.

“W-Wait a second.”

Before stepping inside, I instinctively stopped everyone.

“Harang, what’s wrong?”

“Uh, well…”

I was too scared to go in.

But admitting it out loud was too embarrassing.

‘What do I do?’

It was too late to back out now.

I didn’t want anyone to know I was scared of monsters.

“Boss, are there a lot of monsters in there?”

“Yeah. A few thousand, at least.”

“Gasp.”

A few thousand?

I had only expected around a hundred at most.

As I stiffened in front of the lab entrance, Delphine spoke up first.

“Unnie, do you think this might be a bit too scary for Harang?”

“Maybe…”

“Yeah. She’s still a kid.”

Jinhyang looked down at me.

“What do you think? Does it seem scary?”

“N-No? I’m not scared of anything.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I’m a Silver Tiger, you know? If I see a monster, I might just eat it.”

Grrr.

I let out a tiny roar from within Jinhyang’s arms.

It was quiet and small, but it still counted.

That was enough proof that I wasn’t a coward.

“Alright. We’re going in now, so if you get scared, make sure to tell me.”

“Okay. But that won’t happen.”

I was the fiercest predator among monsters the Silver Tiger.

There was no way I’d be scared.

“Harang, look at that!”

I followed Delphine’s finger and saw a massive troll.

It was one of the most common species found in monster research labs worldwide.

After all, troll blood was known to be a key ingredient in healing potions.

But that fact wasn’t important to me right now.

“0…”

My body trembled at the sight of the troll, which was more than ten times my size.

One bite, and I’d be swallowed whole.

Just imagining it made my legs go weak.

Before I knew it, I had shut my eyes tightly.

“Harang, let’s get closer.”

Completely unaware of my fear, Delphine dashed toward the troll.

“D-D-Delphine, wait!”

I quickly called out to stop her.

She turned around, looking at me questioningly.

“Why?”

“D-Delphine, weren’t you scared of Silvers?”

“Yeah, Silvers are scary.”

“But trolls are fine?”

I stared at her, my heart pounding.

If she was scared of trolls too, I could use that as an excuse to leave this place.

But what she said next was completely unexpected.

“As long as it’s not a tiger species, I’m fine.”

“O-Oh, really?”

“Trolls are cute, don’t you think?”

“C-Cute…?”

So she wasn’t just a coward she was only scared of tigers.

Disappointed, I slumped in Jinhyang’s arms.

“You okay?”

Jinhyang asked, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer.

Because I wasn’t okay at all.

With my head hung low and my lips pouting, I stayed silent as Jinhyang followed Delphine.

Naturally, that meant I was following her too.

‘N-No… I don’t want this…’

The troll was too terrifying.

But my pride wouldn’t allow me to admit that.

I was supposed to be the scariest thing in the world.

‘What should I do?’

Even if I pretended to be sick, the doctors would quickly figure out I was faking it.

I had no choice but to rely on Jinhyang.

“Sigh…”

I let out a deep breath and looked up at her.

She was, without a doubt, the most trustworthy person in my life.

She wouldn’t go around telling people my secrets.

I leaned close to her ear and whispered.

“Boss.”

“Hmm?”

Jinhyang whispered back, matching my tone.

“I have something to say.”

“What is it?”

“Promise me first. You won’t tell anyone.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jinhyang nodded.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“You swear?”

“Yeah.”

“You really, really won’t tell? Even if it’s you, Boss, I’ll be mad if you do.”

“Yeah, I promise.”

There wasn’t a hint of deception in her voice.

I was certain she wouldn’t tell a soul.

“Boss… To be honest, I’m scared.”

“The troll?”

“Yeah. I feel like I’m going to cry.”

Too embarrassed, I fidgeted with my hands.

Seeing me like that, Jinhyang let out a quiet chuckle.

‘Is she laughing at me?’

I looked up at her in shock, but she simply placed me down on a nearby chair.

“As long as you don’t see the troll, you’ll be fine, right?”

“Yeah. But don’t tell Delphine I was scared.”

“Alright.”

“Whew.”

As expected, Jinhyang was on my side.

I looked up at her and grinned.

Today’s humiliation would scar me for life, but as long as Jinhyang kept quiet, no one would ever know.

I could continue being the fearsome Silver Tiger.

Well… except in front of Jinhyang.