The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

 “I’ve never heard someone say I draw well.”

 

Kyra’s cheeks flushed, and she mumbled absentmindedly.

 

  “Even to Lord Slanford?”

 

  As Britia mentioned Harty‘s name, the fervor that had made Kyra’s cheeks burn instantly subsided.

 

  “You’re shamelessly good at lying, more than I thought.”

 

  Kyra turned the conversation around and stood up from her seat.

 

  “It‘s your lie, isn’t it?”

 

  Britia’s brow furrowed, expressing her frustration.

 

  “I never asked you to say that you received a portrait.”

 

  ‘That was true, but…’

 

Britia was momentarily at a loss for words.

 

  Then, what should she have done in that situation?

 

  “But still, I’m glad you’re really good at painting.”

 

  Britia spoke with a resigned tone, her head throbbing with thoughts of how to make amends for her lie.

 

  “They’ll invite you, so make sure to bring the portrait you supposedly received from me.”

 

  With that level of skill, there shouldn’t be a problem.

 

  Kyra abruptly turned her body towards Britia, holding a sharply carved pencil in her hand.

 

  “…When was that?”

 

  Britia felt a chilling sensation in Kyra’s voice for a moment.

 

  “To be honest, I’ve never tried painting a portrait.”

 

  Kyra confessed in a firm voice.

 

  ‘Never?’

 

  Britia’s lips parted in astonishment. Kyra slowly approached Britia with a shadowed expression.

 

  “I have to show the first portrait I’ve ever painted to the most discerning person in this country.”

 

  Britia was concerned about the unnervingly sharp pencil in her hand. It felt as if she could rush forward at any moment and stab her with it.

 

  “It’s entirely your responsibility that it turned out this way.”

 

  “Hey, calm down. Let’s talk out calmly. There must be a way.”

 

  Watching Kyra approach with a weapon in hand, Britia swallowed hard. She realized how foolish she had been to find that terrifying woman even remotely cute, even for a moment.

 

  “If there’s a way, I know it.”

 

  As Kyra clenched the pencil, Britia fell into contemplation. Kyra sounded as if she planned to kill Britia so that the decision to display her portrait would never be made.

 

  ‘I can’t let it go like this.’

 

  Britia reached out for the cushion beside her. If Kyra were to attack, she intended to block the sharp pencil with the cushion.

 

“So, let’s make a deal, Britia.”

 

 At the mention of a deal, Britia hesitated and glanced at her briefly.

 

 “You won’t be at a loss in this transaction.”

 

 Kyra pointed the pencil at the spread-out dresses.

 

“Take all the dresses here. I‘ll leave the alterations to the dressing room, so you don’t have to worry about that. It won‘t cost you anything. Since I took your measurements last time in the dressing room, there’s no need for a separate visit. Oh, of course, if you still want accurate measurements, that’s fine too.”

 

 Kyra seemed a bit anxious, and her words became a little faster.

 

 “All these dresses were bought by Lord Slanford. Why should I listen to anything about receiving them?”

 

It was obvious that Britia would react angrily, he accused her of stealing from his wallet. No matter how beautiful and expensive the dresses were, she didn’t want to hear such remarks.

 

“If you don’t like the dresses, anything else is fine. Pick whatever you want.”

 

Kyra opened the jewelry box that was on the table. She took out a pair of pink sapphire earrings and held them against Britia’s ears.

 

 “Don’t they look like they were made for you?”

 

Smiling, Kyra said they suited her perfectly.

 

 “And these were also given by Lord Slanford.”

 

“…No.”

 

 “You didn’t hesitate to answer just now?”

 

 Kyra clicked her tongue as she looked straight into Britia’s eyes. It was useless to insist.

 

“You can listen to the terms of the deal. Why are people so mean like this?”

 

 She resented Britia, who refused without even listening.

 

“I feel like whatever you try to give me will be difficult and burdensome for me.”

 

“No, it‘s not. Especially when it comes to Harty, even less so. I just hope that you’ll come here every day so that I can paint you.”

 

“Every day?” Britia exclaimed in surprise.

 

“I‘ll adjust to your schedule, so whenever you have time is fine. If you’re busy, you don’t have to stay for long. Even just one hour is okay.”

 

“But every day? How long exactly?”

 

“I don‘t know. I’ve never painted a portrait before,” Kyra replied.

 

Therefore, Kyra couldn’t know how long it would take.

 

“If coming here is a waste of your time, then I’ll come to you.”

 

“I dislike that even more.”

 

“Britia Lockhart, how can I get you to agree to the deal?”

 

Kyra’s frustrated voice grew slightly louder.

 

“You’re the one who lied about being good at painting. But if I were to show mediocre work to His Highness, wouldn’t you be in a more difficult situation than me?”

 

Seeing Britia’s contemplative expression, Kyra twisted her lips as if threatening her.

 

‘So this is how it turns out?’

 

“Then I’ll tell His Highness that I’ve lost the ability to paint.”

 

 Britia chuckled and stood up from her seat.

 

“Damn it, Britia! What the hell do I have to do to get you to listen?”

 

“Don’t try to threaten me, just ask.”

 

Britia turned her body diagonally and glanced at Kyra from the corner of her eye. Kyra, who tightly pursed her lips, took a short breath and then bent one knee and knelt on the ground.

 

“What are you doing right now?”

 

When Kyra, the proud woman, tried to bow her head, Britia exclaimed in surprise.

 

“You’re telling me to ask.”

 

“I told you to say that you really need my help desperately!”

 

“Wasn’t it a suggestion to bow your head?”

 

Kyra looked up at Britia with a face that didn’t understand her and nodded her head.

 

“I need your help. Desperately.”

 

“Alright. Every day may be difficult, but I’ll do what I can.”

 

Before her heart could change, Kyra quickly walked on her knees and extended the jewelry box to her.

 

“Fine.”

 

“So, you‘re saying you’ll help without any compensation? Living like that in this harsh world, you’ll be taken advantage of.”

 

“When did I say I’ll help without any compensation?”

 

At the mention of being taken advantage of, Britia opened her eyes wide.

 

“I’ll receive something more valuable. After all, it has been established that the portrait you painted so diligently will ultimately belong to me.”

 

Britia asserted her ownership over the portrait of herself that would be painted in the future, displaying a self-assured smile.

 

“If that’s what you mean, then do as you please.”

 

Kyra shrugged her shoulders and stood up from her seat. Then, she turned her back to prevent Britia from seeing her face and placed the jewelry box back on the table, biting her lower lip tightly.

 

She couldn‘t believe what she heard, that her painting was more valuable than the gems in this box. But she tried to maintain a calm facade, not showing her surprise. Otherwise, Britia would question why she was not acting like herself, and her pride wouldn’t allow that.

 

However, her tail, which turned away, couldn‘t contain its excitement and wagged back and forth. Britia couldn’t help but find that sight a little cute, so she resolved to help her.

 

***

 

Scratch, scratch. 

 

The sound of a pencil drawing on paper came and went.

 

For Kyra, the painting was important to the point that she begged Britia to let her paint. 

 

Seeing her serious expression throughout the process of painting, Britia once again realized how sincere she was about her art.

 

She drew numerous sketches for three days straight, without any breaks. She didn’t even get up from her seat until Britia suggested that she take a break.

 

Yet, despite all the paintings she created, she didn’t feel satisfied. In the eyes of Britia, they were all excellent pieces, but Kyra had set her own standards high.

 

“There’s something peculiar about your appearance.”

 

Even if it was a bit uncomfortable and boring to have someone who takes things so seriously, Britia had to endure and be patient.

 

At that moment, she doubted her own ears as she tried to understand and consider Kyra.

 

“You’re not talentless. If you look closely, there are some beautiful aspects. But when you dissect it in detail, something seems off.”

 

“It seems much better than the evaluation Lord Slanford gave me, saying I was like a rock. Thank you so much.”

 

Britia said while glancing at Kyra.

 

“Harty called you a rock? He praised you for something unexpected.”

 

‘A rock as praise?’

 

Britia thought it was the most absurd thing she had heard today.

 

“That man, if he sees a pretty rock on the roadside, he picks it up and brings it home. There’s even a room in the mansion dedicated to displaying rocks.”

 

She didn‘t particularly want to hear it, but as the explanation continued, Britia’s lips slightly parted. She was unsure how to interpret Kyra’s words.

 

Britia decided to pretend she hadn‘t heard Kyra’s words.

 

“I don’t care how I appear to the two of you.”

 

‘Sincerely. Truly.’

 

Britia emphasized once again. In response, Kyra quietly lifted the corners of her mouth.

 

“Of course. As long as you look beautiful in the eyes of Duke Turas, that should be enough. Other people‘s opinions don’t matter.”

 

“That’s…!”

 

“You must be pleased. When Duke Turas looks at you, honey drips from his eyes as if he’s seeing the most beautiful woman in the world.”

 

Britia knew that Kyra was teasing her, but she couldn‘t come up with a rebuttal. Moreover, the idea of honey dripping didn’t feel so unpleasant.

 

“Judging by your reaction, it seems Duke Turas is no longer such an overwhelming figure to you.”

 

“….”

 

“Well, it’s too late to say that after the two of you were hugging each other so affectionately.”

 

Britia’s eyes widened.

 

“Were you spying on us?”

 

“You and Duke Turas were openly doing that at the entrance.”

 

Britia glanced at Kyra, who was giggling and then turned her head away. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

 

“More importantly, do you know? The doorknob is broken.”

 

Britia pointed her finger at the front door, bringing up a completely different topic. In response, Kyra nodded nonchalantly. She already knew that the doorknob wouldn’t lock.

 

“There are so many valuable items here. We should be careful.”

 

“After finishing the painting.”

 

“What if a thief comes in?”

 

Even though they were within the Scandars Estate, the estate was quite large, and many servants and miscellaneous workers were coming and going. What if one of them had ill intentions?

 

“It‘s okay. If it’s a thief, they occasionally come in whether it’s fixed or not.”

 

Kyra casually retorted, disregarding Britia’s concerned words.