“Miss, shall we return to the ballroom now?”
The voice-captain spoke with a highly satisfied expression, having extracted as much information from Brian as he desired.
Britia glanced at Brian, whose face was a stark contrast to the deputy’s satisfaction. He appeared to be in despair, as if he had lost everything.
However, Britia decided not to feel pity for him or regret the threats she had made. He had deceived everyone while fully aware of the truth.
Not only Kyra, but also herself, Sig, and many others were targets for him.
“Are we going to Slanford?”
The way he questioned her, as if reprimanding a betrayer, struck Britia as absurd.
“Lady, don’t think that I’ve told you everything.”
He seemed to want to emphasize that he still held crucial information that could determine the outcome of the war.
“Let’s go, Lady.”
Was it unnecessary to hear the information he claimed to have? Britia, though puzzled, stood up in accordance with the deputy’s instructions. Brian, who stood up as well, followed closely behind her, maintaining a watchful attitude as if he would observe whether she spoke to Harty or not.
It seemed that earlier display had been mere bravado. He clearly lacked composure.
Does he think I won’t keep my promises like him?
Britia found his behavior ridiculous, casting a disdainful glance over her shoulder and scoffing in amusement. Suddenly, she felt a peculiar gaze and looked around to find its source. However, no one was visible.
“If you need to speak with the young lady, step forward, Count.”
At the vice-captain’s’s words, a man who had been nervously peeking from behind the corner stepped out.
He was dressed in such a suspicious manner that it was hard to believe he was a guest at the party. He wore a hat pulled low over his face and was hunched over, making his face invisible. His large robe, trailing on the floor, made it difficult to discern his height due to his stooped posture.
“This is Count Huate, who recently succeeded the title.”
The vice-captain revealed the man’s identity to the bewildered Britia.
Had anything good ever come from being entangled with him? Knowing his identity made Britia tense up.
Count Huate seemed to be mumbling something, but Britia couldn’t make out what he was saying.
Was it a trait of the Huate family men to have such soft voices?
As Britia took a step closer, Huate, frightened, took three steps back.
“I’m sorry. I approached because I couldn’t hear you well and didn’t mean to startle you.”
Seeing his excessive fright, Britia felt embarrassed and apologized.
“Ah, um, hello…”
Count Huate tried to speak loudly but, judging by his thin, high-pitched voice, he still seemed like a young boy.
“I understand if you don’t want to hear from someone like me, but I, I have something I want to say…”
As he slightly lifted his head, the awkward smile at the corner of his mouth was visible.
“…uh…”
His voice, which had momentarily grown louder, dwindled again. Seeing Britia’s confused frown, Count Huate swallowed hard.
“I, I hope you will forgive the actions of the previous Count Huate towards you.”
Britia’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of forgiveness.
“B-because there were many wrongs committed before his death, if you would be so kind, I’d like to offer an apology gift, if you are alright with it.”
Count Huate’s hands, clasped together in front of him, were trembling.
“I, I understand if you’re uncomfortable accepting a gift from someone like me. I know you’re under no obligation to accept my gift, but… I still feel it’s something I must do…”
Count Huate fumbled over his words.
“If it’s not a gift, then maybe money, but that might be more unpleasant… In that case…”
“I understand what you’re trying to say.”
Seeing the man’s trembling hands growing worse, Britia spoke.
“But if you want a formal reconciliation with Lord Lockhart, you should go directly to Lord Lockhart and speak to him yourself.”
Did that sound too cold? Britia worried slightly. Count Huate’s previously cringing neck shot forward eagerly.
“May I come to your home to offer my apology?”
Count Huate, who had often been rejected even from entering homes, was delighted at the chance to visit.
“I thought you might tell me to leave, so thank you.”
Why would I think of doing that?
Britia was taken aback. Yet, Count Huate’s lips, which had formed a slight smile, were stretched wide. It seemed that his grievances were not only with Lord Lockhart. He had even endured physical punishment while trying to settle the matter.
Britia began to feel pity for the boy in front of her. After all, it wasn’t this child who had wronged her.
“I heard that the previous Count passed away suddenly. How did that happen?”
At Britia’s question, Count Huate glanced at the voice-captain .
“W-well…”
“I heard he died of an illness. It seems he wasn’t in very good health.”
At the voice-captain ’s comment, Count Huate nodded vigorously.
“That’s right. He had always been in poor health, so he suddenly… passed away…”
Then he stopped speaking upon noticing someone.
“Lady.”
Turning at the voice-captain ’s call, Britia saw Duke Robley and three southern nobles who always accompanied him approaching.
Britia swallowed. Once, she had felt gratitude toward Duke Robley as much as she did toward his wife. However, since he had seized her territory, he had become nothing more than an enemy.
Moreover, he had tormented Crave cruelly for many years!
Britia felt a surge of anger at how foolish she must have seemed for always expressing gratitude.
Duke Robley recognized Britia and frowned. He had come to confront Count Huate, who had tried to evade him with excuses of being busy. Moreover, upon recognizing him, Count Huate had swiftly fled.
All that remained were Lord Lockhart’s younger brother and Count Raidars son. Duke Robley had little interest in engaging with these lesser nobles.
However, Britia glared with a look just like her father’s, full of malice. How dare they!
“Are you Lady Lockhart?”
A man on Duke Robley’s right, glancing at the duke for approval, acknowledged Britia.
“I thought you were too busy with your move to the North, but it seems otherwise. You appear to be enjoying yourself at this party.”
Britia flinched at the sarcastic tone. Taking a deep breath, she responded with a smile.
“Although I am indeed quite busy with the relocation and wedding preparations, His Majesty has sought and valued me, so it is my duty as a servant to remain in attendance.”
Britia answered with a smile. In reality, it was a daily struggle of enduring the emperor’s reprimands, but it wasn’t a lie on the surface.
They won’t dare to treat me so carelessly anymore.
“Thank you for being so considerate of my affairs, or rather, our affairs.”
Britia cast a venomous glare at the man who had been mocking her. Perhaps due to the grudge she held against her territory, her eyes were sharper than when she had dealt with Brian.
“No matter how many plagues there are, isn’t survival the most important thing?”
The man hesitated, but did not retreat and continued speaking, seeking agreement from those around him.
“What good is it if you die of hunger?”
Duke Robley, who had been silently watching Britia with a snake-like gaze, finally spoke. No matter how high the demands were from their side, the North had no choice but to comply.
As the war began, the desperation would only increase. Let’s see you starve to death.
Duke Robley chuckled inwardly.
“You’re quite meddlesome, Robley.”
At that moment, a tall man approached from Britia’s left.
“It’s rather immature to vent frustration by bringing up someone else’s food situation.”
Duke Scandars, appearing quite pleased, laughed loudly. Duke Robley, in silence, glared at him and clenched his teeth.
They had long been rivals competing to make their daughter the empress. But tonight, the winner of that competition had emerged.
“Quite immature indeed.”
Seeing the most unpleasant arrogant person appear and join in, Duke Robley felt a pang of discomfort.
Britia watched the two middle-aged men, who were engaged in a nerve-wracking battle with her in the middle. She was not on good terms with either Duke Robley or Duke Scandars.
Recalling their last meeting, Britia felt a wave of anxiety.
Back then, she had survived because the emperor was present, but now that he was absent, what should she do? Perhaps she should have fled like Count Huate.
“From the North, Duke Scandars welcomes the new owner of Taraf and the mistress of Altheim.”
Contrary to Britia’s concerns, Duke Scandars offered her a gentle smile. Depending on the circumstances, he had been both a Northern and a Western noble, and now he emphasized his Northern status.
Although he had been angry when Britia had interfered between him and his daughter in the past, he was now relieved.
If he had truly taken his daughter from there, the Crown Prince might not have proposed. Britia’s contribution to the marriage between the Crown Prince and his daughter had been significant.
If the outcome was as desired, he could overlook the minor humiliation he had suffered before the emperor.
Moreover, his ultimate goal was not merely to have his daughter become the Crown Princess. Kyra had to become the Empress.
Now that the Crown Princess had been decided, there would be several factions aligned with the Crown Prince, including Robley, that would fall away. In this situation, it was important not to provoke conflict with the mad dog, at least until the Crown Prince ascended to the throne.
Duke Scandars was fully intent on using Britia until then.
“You can settle in the North with peace of mind.”
Britia felt her lips dry as she observed the scheming smile on Duke Scandars’s face.
To settle with peace of mind, coming from someone who had locked up Kyra and burned her portrait? The same person who had glared at her as if to kill her when she had tried to prevent him from taking Kyra!
The thought that this smile might change again made Britia as fearful of him as she was of Duke Robley. She awkwardly smiled and managed to say, “It would be fortunate if I don’t freeze to death in the North.”
Duke Robley twisted his lips in disdain. Duke Scandars glanced at him and deliberately raised his voice.
“It’s a relief to leave the South. With a wife fleeing, who would withstand that wretched place?”
Britia blinked in surprise at this new piece of information.
If he was referring to his wife, then it was indeed Duke Robley’s wife. But she had fled?
“Observing how you meddle in others’ family matters, it seems you are the one with excessive nosiness.”
Duke Robley did not deny this, and with a red face, glared at Duke Scandars.
“You yourself had your son leave the house; let’s not provoke each other over similar issues.”
Yet Duke Scandars showed no intention of stopping his mockery.
“Is it the same to expel a useless child by one’s own will as it is for a wife to flee her husband, calling him a monster and running to her parental home?”
Duke Scandars sneered, suggesting that something terrible must have happened for the wife to flee.
