The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

He heard the words he longed to hear. The words ‘cute.’ It should have been something that made Sig happy, but he couldn‘t feel that way because Britia’s reaction to being called cute was different from what he expected.

“Oh, you’re making it difficult for me like this!”

She tightly closed her eyes and then, upon opening them, let go of Sig’s hand that she had been holding.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Standing there defiantly, she glared at Sig. He didn’t know how to respond and felt confused.

“Are you mad by any chance?”

Her reaction seemed like it. However, Sig couldn’t understand why she would be mad.

“Yes, I’m mad.”

Even after hearing her stern voice, Sig didn’t know what to do or say. His lips just quivered, unable to come up with a way to ease her mood.

“…Would you like to touch my tail?”

Fortunately, Sig knew the surefire remedy to improve her mood. He thought that would do the trick and tried to offer his tail to her.

“No.”

But she refused so firmly. Sig was once again taken aback. It seemed that offering to touch her tail wasn’t the guaranteed way to make her feel better.

Sig pondered once more. When he had asked her before if he could touch her tail, she had rejected him. So he had thought that she had come to dislike his tail, but thankfully, that was a misunderstanding.

“Instead of touching it, would you like to tightly embrace my tail?”

He managed to speak up, but he wasn’t confident in his proposal. Even when he had briefly embraced it before, it had been so difficult. But if she were to have her fill of the tail being held, he feared what kind of aftermath would follow.

But now wasn’t the time for that, he thought. So despite the fear, he steeled himself.

“Please.”

Sig turned around, making his tail face her.

“No, I won’t.”

“You’ve come to dislike my tail!”

‘To reject this too!’

Startled, Sig quickly turned around and asked, but Britia closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Well, what should I do then?”

There was no other solution that he could think of. Britia slowly reached out her arm towards him as he grew more serious.

“Something other than the tail.”

“Something else?”

Her hand was getting closer, but Sig couldn‘t understand what she intended to do. He understood that she was approaching him for now. But he couldn’t grasp what action she was attempting, so he followed her movements with his eyes, slowly tracking her gaze.

“Duke-nim.”

Britia embraced Sig. He opened his eyes wide and held his breath at the unexpected turn of events.

Britia felt the same surprise about her own actions. To reject the tail and then embrace him. It was a remarkable change in her state of mind.

But now, he felt so good that he didn’t mind missing the opportunity to touch or embrace the tail.

“….”

Sig cautiously, inch by inch, moved his stiffened arm and gently placed his hand on her back.

This was the second time he had properly embraced her. No, if he counted right after he had tightly embraced her tail, it was the first time he had hugged her, so he couldn’t accurately say if this was the first time.

“Lady, your heartbeat is loud.”

At Britia‘s laughter, Sig finally exhaled and made a sound of suffering. He wanted to respond to her complaint about his loud heartbeat, but he couldn’t control it.

“I’m sorry. I can’t stop my heart.”

Upon hearing that, Britia burst into laughter.

“If your heart stops, it would be a big problem.”

“Well, yes.”

“It’s cute.”

But she couldn’t just find him cute. As much as his own heart was pounding loudly, it was equally noisy.

“Your heartbeat sounds nice to listen to.”

But Sig didn’t say that he found that noise pleasant.

“It’s a bit embarrassing.”

When Britia raised her head, Sig thought she was going to move away, and he felt disappointed. Because of that, he unknowingly exerted force in his arm, and noticing it, Britia chuckled and readjusted her position, placing her cheek against his shoulder and embracing him again.

Indescribable emotions overwhelmed Sig’s heart. Along with the sound of his heartbeat, he could hear her breathing. He also felt the subtle rise and fall of her movements. The sound of buzzing insects grew distant in his ears, and time seemed to pass ever so slowly.

At that moment, Harty appeared at the entrance, looking at them. He had a face as if his eyes would pop out at any moment.

“Britia-nim, didn‘t you tell me that I’m cute?”

A competitive spirit arose in Sig that he had never experienced before. If the outcome of this competition wasn‘t settled, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully even if he went back.

“Compared to Count Slanford, how do I fare?”

So, he wished that Britia would declare the winner right here and now.

“Am I cuter than the Count Slanford?”

Britia released her arms from around Sig and stepped back, wearing a stern expression.

“You’re asking me who’s cuter between you and Duke Slanford?”

‘Did he really ask that?’

Britia couldn’t believe it and questioned him. She thought she must have misheard. But Sig nodded earnestly with a serious face. His eyes, seeking an answer, looked straight at her.

“Britia-nim…”

The disappointment in her question caused her gaze to lower.

Am I really unable to win against him?

Sig held his breath and swallowed his unease, fearing that Britia might say Harty was cuter. Then, Britia’s eyes, which had been downcast in sadness, suddenly turned sharp.

“Count Slanford is not cute at all!”

Startled by her outburst, Sig blinked his eyes.

“I’ve never, not even once, had such a thought, so please don’t say such things. If there‘s anyone who thinks he’s cute, it would be truly, truly repulsive!”

Britia made a disgusted sound as she imagined it for a moment.

There had been times when Sig felt anxious, unsure if she was angry or not. But now he seemed to understand.

She was angry. And she was really furious.

“So, that’s definitely not the case.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Sig unintentionally blurted out his relief that Harty wasn’t cute to her.

“If you understood, please hug me once more. Since I didn’t even touch your tail, it should be fine, right?”

Britia purposely spoke in a feisty tone and embraced Sig before hearing his response.

“Yes…”

And a moment late, as Sig replied, she secretly giggled to herself. Little did she know that Harty Slanford, standing behind them, was unable to make a sound, only tearing at his hair in disbelief.

Only Sig could witness that disheveled appearance of the man.

Seeing the man in agony made Sig feel uneasy. In his eyes, it seemed like Harty’s despair was not at all cute to Britia, considering her words.

Indeed, he also wanted to receive cuteness from her. He had practiced seeing that book and finally heard her say he was cute, but what about that man?

“Duke-nim.”

Although Britia currently believed he wasn’t cute to that extent, he wondered if it would change if she read that book. After all, the title of the book was “Anyone Can Become Darling to the Lady of Their Dreams!”

The word “anyone” could include that man as well. If he were to get his hands on the book on becoming darling…

“D-Duke-nim. I can’t breathe…!”

Lost in his thoughts, Sig unintentionally held her tightly. Startled by Britia‘s voice, which sounded like she couldn’t breathe, he quickly let her go.

“I‘m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

Giving a sidelong glance, Sig examined the entrance where Harty and his cousin had disappeared to confirm their absence.

“Britia-nim.”

Anxious, Sig called her cautiously. Not knowing how to handle her piercing gaze, he was at a loss.

“I was reminded of the time when Lenny couldn’t control his strength for a moment. It felt like my bones were going to snap…”

Seeing her with blurred eyes, Sig gritted his teeth.

“I took a step forward just to become the cutest, but it almost became futile. I will be more careful.”

“To think of it as just a step toward becoming cutest. How many steps are you planning to take?”

Britia asked him, startled. Even now, her heart was in a precarious state, and he wanted to do more here?

“I will continue until you consider me the most adorable.”

In response to his straightforward answer, Britia’s lips slightly parted.

“…When you make such advances, please be gentle.”

“Did you enjoy the play?”

Upon seeing Britia return home, Earl Lockhart smiled broadly.

“The play that was kept strictly secret from me until Sig came to escort you.”

Crave grinned widely and pouted.

“Well? How was it, Lady Britia Turas? Instead of standing there all plump and silent, why don’t you say something?”

“What?”

Britia asked curtly, causing Crave to burst into a hollow laughter.

“What daring mischief did you engage in while secretly going out?”

He didn’t know what she had been up to, but Crave was itching to tease Britia. That extravagant dress looked quite expensive at a glance, and he had never seen it before.

In other words, it must be a recent acquisition. Since she wasn’t the type to make such a significant expense without discussing it, it was undoubtedly a gift from someone.

And that someone was most likely Sig Turas!

“Just tell me. What extraordinary incident did you have with Sig today?”

“Crave, don‘t always talk as if I’m constantly getting into trouble when I come back.”

“Really? Whenever you go out these days, something always happens, most likely with Sig involved, making it almost 100% certain!”

“It’s not to that extent, is it?”

Britia’s tail end of the sentence rose with uncertainty.

“But today, it was definitely…”

“Definitely? What is it? Did you really get into some kind of trouble?”

“…Crave.”

Crave, who had been chuckling, immediately straightened up and sat down upon hearing her serious voice calling his name.

“What is it? Did something really happen?”

Seeing his worried face, Britia let out a long sigh.

“What happened!”

“Crave, you see…”

“Please tell me quickly. What the hell happened? No, wait. Let me prepare myself mentally.”

He gestured for her to wait, showing his palm to Britia, and then took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and swallowing his saliva.

“Okay, go ahead. Ah, no! Wait a little longer!”

He repeated the process of exhaling and inhaling a few times.

“…Alright. Now tell me.”

With furrowed brows and tension in his gaze, the determined Crave nodded. Britia tightly closed her eyes upon seeing him like that.

“I… like Duke Turas.”

Britia stopped resisting her true feelings.