During Britia’s wedding, Harty, who had shed a few tears at Kyra’s wedding, now wept openly throughout the ceremony.
“That dress was truly the best in the world.”
Harty said, reminiscing about the gown he had seen during the main event. He took a shaky breath and paused for a moment.
He had been so excited to hear that Britia would be wearing a dress designed by Sig himself.
“It exceeded all my expectations.”
Harty shook his head repeatedly, overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. He couldn’t contain the emotions swelling in his chest.
“Can you please stop?”
Kyra, sitting next to Harty, frowned at him.
“Your attitude is just going to raise suspicions, you know?”
There were already whispers among those who suspected a love triangle between Harty, the Duke and Duchess Turas. With Harty crying at the wedding, it would only make things look more suspicious.
“Seeing something so beautiful just makes you emotional.”
Harty sniffed as he spoke. Then Brian, understanding how he felt, gently wiped Harty’s tears with a handkerchief.
“Should I learn how to sew, too, Slanford?”
“Why on earth would you want to learn to sew all of a sudden?”
“You might need something stitched up in a hurry, and I could make you something just for you.”
With jealousy and desire in his eyes, Brian took Harty’s hand and asked him to please wear whatever he made.
“Now you want to learn how to make clothes just to make me something? You really would do anything for me.”
“Of course.”
Kyra rolled her eyes and turned away from the two of them. Then she caught sight of Ashley Scandars, standing alone a short distance away.
Ashley cautiously watched Kyra, not wanting to approach too presumptuously. When Kyra didn’t call for her, she simply bowed her head politely and turned to leave.
Harty, who had been silently observing, glanced at Kyra.
“So, what happened with your uncle?”
It was said that the former Duke Scandars had stepped down due to health issues, unable to manage the responsibilities of the family. There were rumors circulating that he had already died, but those were unconfirmed.
No one had actually seen him or verified his death.
In the meantime, Ashley had become the new Duchess Scandars, with Kyra’s help, sidelining her brother.
“I learned one thing from my father.”
Kyra said, smirking as she gazed into the distance.
“It’s more miserable to keep someone alive in a helpless state than to let them die peacefully.”
That was all she had done to him. Kyra swallowed her words as she noticed a shadow approaching her. It was one of the Crown Prince’s attendants.
“Since His Highness is calling for you, I should take my leave now.”
Kyra stood up and walked toward the table where the Crown Prince was sitting.
“I hope you had a pleasant conversation with your cousin. But I’d like a moment with you, as I still have something to discuss.”
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and glared at Kyra.
“I’ve helped you with your revenge as we agreed, yet it seems you haven’t paid your end of the bargain.”
“I did give you the gloves, didn’t I?”
She felt she had kept her promise, wanting to appear assertive, but she couldn’t help but look away from his gaze.
“Are you talking about those gloves that got burned before I even got a chance to try them on?”
It seemed that way. The Crown Prince forced a smirk onto his face as he muttered.
“Well, the burn marks are fine. It’s not a big issue.”
The Crown Prince rested his chin on his hand, elbow on the table, and continued to watch Kyra intently.
“Didn’t I hear that a few days ago, the relic that banished the evil spirit became a treasure of the royal family, which means it’s no longer mine?”
“That was the will of His Majesty, who designated it as royal treasure. I had no say in it…”
“Right. So I figured the gloves could be set aside.”
Was there still something left unsaid? Kyra bit her lower lip slightly, pondering.
“I’ve heard that the eye patch Sig is wearing was made by you. Is that true?”
“…”
“You seem to give gifts to everyone but me.”
With a hurt expression, the Crown Prince slowly shook his head.
“Britia asked me for it as a wedding gift, so I had no choice.”
“A wedding gift, huh.”
The Crown Prince chuckled wryly, feeling that life was quite unfair since he hadn’t received anything in return either.
Throwing a tantrum over not receiving a gift was rather childish. He had seemed like such a composed adult before the wedding; perhaps people really did change.
Kyra thought about it for a moment. While his childlike behavior was annoying, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy letting him act that way, just like she did with Harty.
What was his favorite thing again? She realized there was no need for deep thought.
“If that’s the case, I’ll gift you a painting, Your Highness.”
“Whose painting?”
Kyra was caught off guard by his question; she had assumed he would want one of her own.
Without realizing it, she had been acting as if she were someone special.
Kyra suddenly felt embarrassed. Still, she tried her best to hide it.
“I’ll ask Count Slanford to help me find the most popular painter these days. I’ll make sure it’s something you’ll love…”
“No need to search for a painter. I want your painting.”
His tone was cold and firm, but Kyra felt joy swell inside her.
Since he hadn’t mentioned her artwork in a long time, she thought he had lost interest. But it seemed he was still intrigued.
…Why was she feeling so relieved?
Noticing Kyra’s wavering expression, the Crown Prince quietly smiled.
* * *
After the wedding, Sig led everyone back to Altheim. As they traveled north, Britia was taken aback by how cold it was.
“Isn’t it cold?”
“I’m fine.”
Even so, Britia vehemently denied it. She boasted that the cold in the north was nothing to worry about, trying to impress the knights watching her with curious eyes.
“Britia, if you’re cold, it’s perfectly okay to just say so.”
Can you just let it go and say you’re fine? Britia shot a glare at Sig for being so clueless. Sig’s tail drooped slightly at her look. After a moment, he cautiously spoke again while keeping an eye on her.
“If you’re cold, I can always hug you.”
“You’re just pretending to be concerned, aren’t you?”
Britia suspiciously eyed him, questioning if he really just wanted to hold her. Sig smiled slyly in response.
The two engaged in a playful back-and-forth about how he should hold her because she was cold, or how she was fine and didn’t need it, pretending to worry. After a few rounds of this, Altheim Castle finally came into view.
The snow was piled high, but the weather was clear, allowing for a perfect view of the castle.
“I never imagined it would be so grand.”
Britia thought Altheim was at least five times larger than Lockhart Castle.
“What if I get lost inside the castle?”
The thought of the hostess losing her way in her own castle struck Britia as amusing. Yet, suddenly, she felt a wave of concern wash over her.
She was no longer the young lady of Lockhart but the Duchess Turas now. She needed to carry herself with a bit more dignity.
Determined to keep her head straight, Britia felt her heart race. Starting her life in an unfamiliar place under the name of Turas brought both anxiety and excitement.
“It’s more accurate to think of Little as a large dog rather than a direwolf.”
Sensing Britia’s tension, the deputy head brought up a light topic.
“I hope Little likes me.”
But it seemed he had chosen the wrong topic. Britia started to worry that Little might not like her after all.
To shake off her anxiety, Britia imagined the cute appearance of Little that Sig always bragged about. She envisioned a large, black wolf that resembled a big dog.
Sig had said Little was the cutest dog he’d ever seen, so she figured it wouldn’t look too scary.
With anticipation, Britia stepped into the castle, looking forward to meeting Little.
“Really now! You told me to hold down the fort for a moment, and now you’re just coming back?”
Ever since they had been gone, Evry, who had come out to greet them, grumbled as soon as he saw the deputy.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks for your hard work. Just a little more, and you can show the Duchess around the castle.”
“I would’ve done that anyway!”
As the vice-captain ruffled Evry’s hair, Evry glared and swatted his arm away.
Just then, a loud thumping sound approached from down the hall.
“Little!”
At Sig’s call, Britia jumped in surprise.
Wait, that big black thing is Little? It looked bigger than a horse; how could it possibly be named Little?
“Britia, this is Little.”
Sig exclaimed with excitement, holding the dog that was nuzzling against him. Britia forced a smile, but no matter how she looked at it, Little did not resemble the cutest dog in the world; it was far too big and intimidating.
With those massive, sharp teeth, she feared that one bite could easily crush her bones. It seemed like it could swallow a person whole.
Just as she was thinking that, Little bit Sig’s head gently.
“Sig!”
“It’s fine. He knows how to control his strength.”
With a grin, Sig continued to smile even with Little’s mouth on his head, claiming there wasn’t a drop of blood.
“Little, this is Britia Turas. She’s the most precious person to me.”
With a gentle voice, Sig introduced Britia. Little lifted his head from Sig’s and sniffed Britia before taking a cautious step back.
After that, Little continued to hover around Sig and Britia as they explored the inside of the castle.
“Do you think he doesn’t like me since he’s not coming closer?” Britia worried, seeing Little’s wary posture.
“He’s just shy around new people,” Sig explained, pulling out a piece of jerky the size of his palm. “If you give him a treat, he’ll come to you.”
As if on cue, Little quickly approached when he caught the scent of the treat.
“Sit.”
At Sig’s command, Little promptly plopped his backside down on the floor. Sig then instructed him to lie down and shake hands.
“Now I understand why you said he’s a big dog. He really listens well.”
Britia marveled, acknowledging the deputy’s previous comments about wolves.
“My lord, you should give the lady a treat as well,” Evry suggested as he guided them through the castle. “That way, you might become friends with Little.”
Are you saying I should give it to him myself? That makes me so nervous.
Britia swallowed hard as she took the jerky from Sig.
With Sig there, it should be fine, right? He won’t bite my hand off, will he?
Carefully, while glancing at Sig and Little, Britia edged closer to Little. Sig nodded encouragingly.
With his teeth hidden, he looked a bit less intimidating now.
Ah, it’s cute how he wags his tail like Sig.
Gathering her courage, Britia slowly extended her hand with the jerky. Little sniffed it curiously and then eagerly accepted the treat. Thankfully, he didn’t bite her hand.
He ate what I gave him!
Britia felt a surge of joy wash over her.
After giving Little treats a few more times, it seemed he fully understood Britia was the person who provided delicious snacks. He stuck close to her, playfully begging for more.
“I think I understand a bit more about why Sig called him the cutest. Little resembles Sig.”
He was big and quite affectionate. Britia started to see Little as cute. When she gently reached out to pet him, his tail wagged excitedly.
He really does look like Sig. His fur is softer than I expected.
While Britia focused on petting Little, he suddenly opened his mouth wide toward her. Without a chance to react, Britia found herself enveloped in Little’s massive mouth.
“It seems Little really likes Britia,” Sig observed, wearing a satisfied smile as he watched Britia get engulfed by Little.
“Don’t just smile; save her, My lord!” Evry exclaimed, pointing out that Sig didn’t notice Britia’s hands had frozen awkwardly from surprise.
