Don't Touch My Thorn (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
The vitality in his gaze was exceedingly faint, yet for some reason, I couldn’t look away.
Idrish slowly reached out his hand. The tip of his finger lightly touched my cheek—tap.
“You…”
His voice emerged, mixed with a rasping breath.
“Don’t go…”
With those words, Idrish’s eyes dimmed. His hand, which had struggled upward, dropped limply.
I raised my hand and touched my cheek. His slightly cool body heat seemed to linger there, tickling faintly.
Blood stained my hand—it had come from Idrish’s wounded hand. My heart pounded rapidly.
My chest felt as if it were burning. I couldn’t gather my thoughts. Meanwhile, my body swayed back and forth.
‘I hope even your pain heals soon, terrifying white tiger.’
Was I hearing things? Was the woman in white shimmering before my eyes merely an illusion?
Her white clothes fluttered in the wind, revealing smooth, rounded shoulders. Over them flowed silken, blood-red hair cascading downward.
Idrish reached out his hand, wishing she wouldn’t leave his side. What he’d thought was an illusion was now clearly grasped in his hand. She collapsed toward him, her crimson hair spilling like falling petals.
At the same time, a dizzying sweet scent enveloped his whole body. In her eyes shimmered a night sky of a warmth he’d never seen before. Suddenly, a distant longing arose—to be forever held within that gaze.
Then, perhaps, both body and heart could escape their pain.
It was clearly a hallucination.
Damn it…!
Last night, I had ultimately failed to escape.
While Idrish held me and I lost myself for a moment, raccoon servants came running from afar. It was already too late to flee.
I had no choice… I transformed back into a hedgehog. And with a heart full of despair, I crawled back into the cage lying on the floor…
With my own feet. Ugh, how humiliating.
I’m such a fool—a fool who kicks the corridor she just rolled into.
Not even knowing he was a beastkin, I walked right into the tiger’s den to steal his whiskers, and on top of that, couldn’t even run away because I tried to save that tiger.
And only later did it occur to me—I didn’t even need to flee in human form.
In my joy at becoming human again, I’d forgotten: had I escaped as a hedgehog, I wouldn’t have wasted time tearing curtains, and might not have found the collapsed Idrish. Then I wouldn’t have been caught again.
I scratched furiously at the iron bars with my front paws, swallowing my frustration for a long while.
Alright, fine. Let’s say I remember all that. What happened next?
After days of suffering in the cage and exhausting myself moving Idrish, I must’ve fallen asleep as if fainting.
And when I slowly awoke from sleep, I was in an exceptionally good mood.
Hmm. Soft, fluffy blankets and the scent of sunlight. Feels nice.
I turned over and scratched my belly with my hind legs—tat tat tat. Being a four-legged animal has its perks. You can scratch your own belly with your feet!
Then, suddenly, I came to my senses.
Why am I under the blanket? A prickling sense of dread ran down my spines.
I slowly opened my eyes.
“Did you sleep well, Bamsongi?”
Idrish was watching me, propped up on his arm.
Sunlight streaming through the window glinted brightly off his bare white shoulder. Above the blanket covering his waist, his upper body was completely bare.
His wildcat-like eyes curved like crescent moons. Unlike yesterday, his face now brimmed with life.
This is a nightmare.
I scrambled away from Idrish in a panic.
Idrish lazily flopped onto the bed, observing me.
“You can’t run away anyway. The door’s locked.”
At his calm words, I stopped and turned to look at him.
What on earth do you want from me…?
“Come here. If you behave, I’ll spare you.”
Idrish had been grinning since earlier, his lips curling upward—he looked genuinely pleased.
Was he really going to spare me?
I was drawn to him like a magnet. Then, obediently, I stretched my front legs out and bowed before him, as if performing a deep bow.
If he’s offering to spare me, I should at least try something.
Here I am. Please spare me.
Idrish chuckled again—this time, the low rumble carried clearly through the air.
“So you’ve given up pretending not to understand speech?”
Ugh… How can I pretend not to understand while also listening well?
“Why didn’t you run away yesterday? The cage door was open.”
I couldn’t go because I was helping someone who was nearly dead.
Yes, I’m truly an idiot. But even if the whole world mocks me, you’re not allowed to laugh at me!
“Did you stay because you’re stupid? Or because you like me?”
If I must choose between the two, I’ll obviously pick the former. You may be handsome, but I’m not some safety-conscious-deficient hedgehog who fancies a mad, beastly villain!
“About those intruders yesterday…”
Idrish continued in a low, quiet voice.
“Even the dead vanished completely without a trace. That must mean someone powerful is behind this—someone who doesn’t want evidence left behind.”
Now that he mentioned it, I’d seen it too.
The man who’d swung a dagger at me and awakened my name—he was gone when I looked back.
He absolutely couldn’t have fled on his own. So someone must have taken him away. That meant, just as Idrish said, the attackers had an even greater power behind them.
“But how did they cross the barrier? This mansion’s location has never been discovered before.”
Why, why are you looking at me with such a meaningful gaze?
You know perfectly well I was locked in that cage the whole time! I’m no psychic hedgehog or communications-security hedgehog!
“Everyone except you, Bamsongi.”
It was unfair.
Truthfully, even when I first discovered this mansion, I’d never seen or sensed any barrier.
“Today I checked—the red barrier stone was disturbed. You must know what that means.”
What even is this red barrier stone? I’ve never seen anything like that red stone…
Wait!
On my way here, exhausted, I’d briefly sat on a red stone to rest—and even took a nap on it. It was perfectly flat, ideal for lying down.
That was the barrier stone?
I gulped.
Sir, I truly don’t know anything about that. Honestly!
“When you regain your human form, you’ll understand everything. My patience isn’t very long, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t drag this out.”
When I avoided his gaze, Idrish suddenly lifted me up and flopped onto his back. Suspended in midair, I bristled my spines and hid my face.
“Don’t hide.”
Why do you keep ordering me around? Anyone watching would think I’m your actual pet hedgehog!
I peeked out one eye. Idrish giggled.
Annoying.
I squirmed, wanting to bite the hand holding me—but my teeth couldn’t reach his torso. I quickly gave up and let my body go limp.
Now that I thought about it, this was exactly the same position as yesterday.
I was above him, looking down at Idrish—but only in my eyes. There was no way he could recognize me.
I’m a hedgehog now, and yesterday I was human, so as long as he doesn’t see me transform, I’m safe. If he finds out I’m a beastkin, he’ll kill me cruelly—just like that scout yesterday!
But there was also a question.
If he suspects me this strongly, why not just kill me? It’d be easier than interrogating me over and over. He even saved my life.
No matter how much I puzzled over it, I couldn’t possibly read that strange white tiger’s mind.
Then something else caught my eye.
Idrish’s broad, thick chest was different from yesterday.
The black marks were almost gone.
Yesterday they’d spread all the way to his side; now only a faint darkness remained above his right pectoral.
Strange. I definitely hadn’t imagined it. Idrish’s face also looked peaceful—no trace of yesterday’s agony.
“What are you staring at, perverted Bamsongi?”
Hmph! What do you think I am—a person, no, a hedgehog! If you don’t like being looked at, wear clothes in the first place!
Furious, I kicked hard with my hind legs.
Pat pat pat.
Perhaps frightened by my display, Idrish set me back down on the bed.
“Oh, right. I think I saw someone during all that.”
I jumped halfway up in shock. Idrish pressed down firmly on my head with his fingertip, pushing my spines back.
It must’ve been the intruder’s face, right? It couldn’t possibly be me.
“It was a woman with hair as red as blood.”
Oh gods, have you abandoned this poor hedgehog? Of all things, why must my hair be such a noticeable red?
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Thankfully, Idrish’s interrogation came to an abrupt halt.
“Master Idrish, your meal is ready. Shall I bring it in?”
“No. I’ll come down shortly. But first, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Which beastkin has red hair?”
Isn’t that old news already? Just assume it was a dream, you fool!
“Fox beastkin sometimes have that hair color—though it’s closer to orange than red. Oh, and some monkey or cat beastkin might too.”
“Really? Then what about hedgehogs?”
While asking Zeros, Idrish kept his eyes on me. Zeros also turned his head toward me.
I deliberately avoided their gazes.
“As for hedgehog beastkin, it’s been so long since I’ve seen any. They’re usually black or white.”
See? Black or white!
Wait a moment. Then what am I? Could it be that I’m not a hedgehog but a porcupine? I really hope not…
But Zeros wasn’t finished yet.
“Though occasionally, they can be red too. Well then, please come down slowly!”
……
The door closed, and the room fell silent.
Idrish sat up, picked up his hanging clothes, and buttoned them over his thick torso.
I buried my nose deep into the blanket, unable to move.
There’s still no solid proof, after all.
Yet despite my thoughts, my spines trembled uncontrollably.
Just then, fully dressed, Idrish muttered quietly.
“But it might’ve just been a dream. It was awfully dark, after all.”
Really?
Hope made my black nose twitch involuntarily.
“No, it was too vivid to be a dream. It was definitely a real beastkin.”
Are you playing with me right now?
Toying with me?
While I stood bewildered, Idrish picked me up and stuffed me into his pocket.
Let me go! You tormentor!
As I tried to escape, he firmly covered the pocket’s opening with his hand.
“That’s right. From now on, you’ll sleep in my room with me.”
What did you say?
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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Oh, the situation is so funny, he’s treating him like a horse, “Go, my horse!” 😂😂