The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  Britia was at a loss for words. If she found it so absurd, how much more would the prince, who directly heard such words, have reacted?

 

  “I’ll tell you this. It’s because of you that I ended up saying such things.”

 

  “What are you talking about?”

 

  But Kyra was mistaken. Overwhelmed by a sense of injustice, Britia found her voice.

 

  “How is that my fault?”

 

  “When I was cornered, you were supposed to be there so that I wouldn’t say nonsense. But you went off on your own, as you pleased.”

 

  With no one else to speak to, the prince had no choice but to address Kyra. And so, a conversation began, leading to the revelation of what had transpired.

 

  “Being cornered like that. Did His Highness do something to you?”

 

  Thinking that he had threatened or coerced Kyra, Britia was taken aback and asked in surprise.

 

  “When I was with Duke Turas, I didn’t know. His Highness has quite a formidable presence. Shouldn’t you have warned me that he would look so intimidating?”

 

  “…Are you saying that His Highness didn’t threaten or intimidate you, but merely appeared intimidating in your eyes, leading to your feeling cornered?”

 

  Britia looked at her with suspicion, not quite believing it.

 

  “It’s your fault for leaving me alone with someone so terrifying. I even asked you to stay by my side.”

 

  “Stop using the word ‘ask’ in such a strange way. In that case, should I have declined the Empress’s invitation?”

 

  “Anyway, that’s what I said to His Highness. What did you do when you went off with the Empress? I saw that you had something in your hands earlier.”

 

  Kyra asked, recalling the fabric that Britia had tightly clutched in her hands. Britia hesitated, as she had intended to show her a handkerchief.

 

  “Do you also have the confidence to say that you’re not the worst?”

 

  Kyra questioned, causing Britia to falter.

 

  “No.”

 

  It was a quick response that seemed to come without much thought.

 

  “You thought of me as the worst too.”

 

  Kyra confidently retorted to Britia, who stared at her silently. Britia bit her lower lip and eventually unfolded the handkerchief.

 

  “You made this?”

 

  As Kyra took the handkerchief, she noticed something in the corner and narrowed her eyes, giving Britia a stern look. It was something in a light orange color.

 

  “A carrot?”

 

  “It’s a cat!”

 

  As Britia exclaimed in frustration, one of Kyra’s eyebrows twitched.

 

  “I may not be good at this, but I can at least tell that this is not a cat. Don’t deceive an innocent person.”

 

  “You’re not innocent either. And it’s a cat.”

 

  “No matter how you look at it, it’s a carrot.”

 

  Britia felt upset, as she had mistaken the drawings I had embroidered for the Empress’s maids as words. But Kyra took it a step further. She argued that even if it was an animal, a carrot wasn’t one.

 

  “It has eyes, ears, and even whiskers.”

 

  Britia explained one by one, exclaiming how on earth Kyra could see it as a carrot. 

 

  “Carrots have whiskers too. The roots.”

 

  “Enough, give it back.”

 

  Unable to bear it any longer, Britia tried to take the handkerchief from Kyra’s hand. But Kyra evaded her touch.

 

  “What are you doing?” Britia widened her eyes, and Kyra responded with a mischievous smile behind the handkerchief.

 

  “Give me this handkerchief.”

 

  “After laughing at me so much, why do you want it now? Are you trying to embarrass me by showing it to others?”

 

  “Britia, you think so poorly of me.”

 

  Kyra lowered her head sadly as if implying that she would never do such a wicked thing.

 

  “Knowing that there was something worse than the ruined painting today comforts me.”

 

  She said that while claiming Britia thought of her as the worst. How terrible!

 

  Britia felt a pang in her heart.

 

  “Please, Britia. Even if there are moments of despair in the future, having this will give me confidence to carry on.”

 

  Tilting her head to the side, Kyra enticed Britia with a captivating smile. Britia furrowed her brows at her demeanor.

 

  “Don’t make excessive requests on such a sensitive topic.”

 

  “I won’t show it to anyone else. I just want to use it as my lucky charm.”

 

  “Don’t say nonsense, just give it to me.”

 

  “In return, I’ll draw you a picture. If you don’t want to simply give it away, we can exchange it.”

 

  Britia tried to snatch the handkerchief from her hand, but Kyra skillfully evaded her every move.

 

“You already took away the portrait from me. I wanted to give you a painting, but things turned out this way, and it pains my heart. Of course, I suppose I’ll have to stay at your house while I paint.”

 

  Britia found Kyra’s shameless attitude, which didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding her true feelings, absurd. Wasn’t it just that she didn’t want to go back home rather than wanting to paint for her?

 

  “Is it really okay for you to keep leaving your house like this? You asked the Duke for permission for a few days, but it keeps getting longer.”

 

  Before, she didn’t want to leave so desperately, fearing that he would immediately call her back home.

 

  “Seeing how there’s no news, I guess your alibi worked well with your father. Luckily for you, Rutherford is probably drowning in medication. This time, I’ll bring it to an end.”

 

 Kyra pretended to wipe away tears with the handkerchief.

 

  “Do you want to send me back there? In that kind of place?”

 

  Britia’s brows narrowed at the guilt-inducing words.

 

  “Don’t worry, I won’t just sit idly at your house like this. I have plans of my own, so please give me a few more days.”

 

  Kyra smiled and spoke earnestly. Britia didn’t retort against her. In the end, as she nodded her head, Kyra chuckled and pocketed the handkerchief.

 

* * *

 

  “I’ll paint for you.”

 

  Although Kyra confidently spoke those words, there was one problem. She had used up most of the paints she had brought with her.

 

  She needed to buy new ones, but she didn’t have the money for that, nor did she have any dresses or jewels to sell for money at the moment.

 

  “I guess I’ll have to go and fetch them.”

 

  “You’re going back home?”

 

  “No. Most of the dresses and valuables are at the Slanford Estate, in case Rutherford steals them.”

 

  Upon hearing those words, Britia pondered on how serious Rutherford’s actions must have been in the past.

 

  “But won’t Lord Slanford be very angry?”

 

  “Angry? Why?”

 

  She tilted her head with a completely clueless expression.

 

  “Last time, you gave him a strange note.”

 

  “It’s fine to play with that friendless man. It’s not a big deal.”

 

  At the mention of having no friends, Britia raised an eyebrow. The person she knew was one of the most popular figures in society.

 

  “But you have many friends, don’t you?”

 

  “Do I? If you count shallow acquaintances who play together superficially, then yes, I do.”

 

  There is no one she has a deep connection with. Kyra stated firmly.

 

  “You have no idea how much labor I put in by listening to that person’s gossip alone because they want someone to acknowledge them on the subject.”

 

  “Even if you call it labor, you still keep accompanying the count.”

 

  Britia smirked slightly, as if teasing her, saying that despite finding it bothersome, she still had affection for him.

 

  “Don’t make unpleasant assumptions.”

 

  With an annoyed expression, Kyra negated her words and headed towards the Slanford Estate.

 

  But why is the timing so unfortunate?

 

  Not long after Kyra left, Harty Slanford visited Lockhart.

 

  “Kyra isn’t here?”

 

  Upon hearing the news that the person he was looking for was absent, Harty, who had a sullen look, let out a mixed laugh of anger.

 

  “I see. She needed living expenses, right? So she came to my house to take things. After telling me to get lost!”

 

  Harty’s voice grew louder in agitation. When Britia didn’t respond and hesitated, his golden-scaled tail forcefully swiped the sofa.

 

  “To insult me like that!”

 

  Harty was furious as he thought about how Britia Lockhart, with her haughty laughter, must have been doing well. He had deep wounds in his heart and couldn’t even properly eat.

 

  “No, it’s not like that. She went to apologize for the incident where she turned Lord Slanford away so rudely before.”

 

  Britia tried to package her words as much as possible, but Harty snorted.

 

  Apologize? That’s an absurd claim.

 

  He had never seen such a thing happen in his life. She was a ruthless woman who wouldn’t even try to console him, no matter how upset or angry she was.

 

   Even if she had stayed home as she was supposed to, there wouldn’t have been any issues, and she would have put on a face as if nothing had happened.

 

  Without any trace of remorse!

 

  Harty understood why Kyra saw him so easily. It was because she was the only person who could comfortably listen to Sig’s stories or see his human side.

 

  “That day, I came because I was worried about Rutherford’s return. But she didn’t even listen and told me to get lost!”

 

  Harty glared at Britia, who nodded, claiming to understand.

 

  What does she understand by nodding her head like that?

 

  As he was about to shout, as usual, he suddenly realized and fell silent.

 

 ‘ Oh. Am I exposing my true feelings in front of that stone-faced woman?’

 

  “So, you came because of that?”

 

  Moreover, that stone-faced woman was listening to me properly. Unlike my cousin, who consistently scoffs or disregards me, she didn’t show a trace of warm emotions!

 

  “Well, you must have been upset.”

 

  Kyra never spoke in such a manner.

 

  Harty felt a fluttering in his chest. Instead of urging her not to act like she understood, he wanted to see more of her response, where she listened and empathized with his words.

 

  “Yes, I was upset.”

 

  “Because Lord Count is, um, a sensitive person.”

 

  “That’s right! But Kyra doesn’t understand that at all!”

 

  Acting as a forgiving and broad-minded angel who forgives everything, he had too many people who thought he would be fine no matter what happened. In reality, he was deeply wounded even by small things.

 

  It had been so long since someone understood my upset heart that Harty became excited in his state of agitation.

 

  “But she didn’t do it on purpose. The detailed story should be told by her, but the difficult situation…”

 

  Thanks to that, Britia’s words defending Kyra couldn’t be heard. That’s how much his heart was in great turmoil.

 

  On the night of the play, Harty saw Sig and Britia embracing each other and immediately wanted to interrupt them. However, to avoid getting hit by Sig, he had to quickly go along with Kyra’s hand and return home instead of causing a disturbance.

 

  While watching the two people embracing, he could only reluctantly admit it. It was frustrating, but Sig was sincere towards Britia.

 

  Why? Why of all people, Britia Lockhart!

 

  With that thought in mind, Harty tried to find a woman who would be more suitable for Sig, but ironically, no one came to mind. He searched through his invitation list, considering every woman, but there was no one.

 

  How could there not be a single woman who would be compatible with him?

 

  As the situation reached that point, Harty realized a tremendous fact. Sig Turas was a perfect man.

 

  Could there be any mistake in the choice of such a man?

 

  Moreover, he can see his tail in her eyes.

 

  It was as if someone’s voice was whispering in his ear.

 

  Oh my god. okay. That woman can see the tail, which is only allowed to those chosen by the goddess.

 

 

  The realization was so shocking that Harty suffered in bed for a whole day.

 

  No, even so, I still dislike Britia Lockhart! Does that mean Duke Turas or the goddess made a wrong choice? That can’t be true. However!

 

  In the end, he couldn’t conclude and turned away from the problem.

 

  But now, Harty, for the first time, closely examined her face with a hint of favor. Normally, seeing someone ugly would give him a headache, but that wasn’t the case.

 

  Until now, he had perceived her as a worthless pebble that wasn’t even worth kicking.

 

  “But was that all due to prejudice…?”

 

  Harty’s body loosened with such a great shock, and he sat down and slumped to the side.

 

  “Lord Slanford, are you okay?”

 

  Britia looked down at Harry and cautiously asked.

 

  Oh my. After realizing an important fact, Harty was even slightly moved by her actions of worrying about him.

 

  It’s so different from Kyra, who tells me to go somewhere else and sleep quietly if I’m in pain.

 

  “You, you…”

 

  “Yes?”

 

  “Why aren’t you ugly?”

 

  “…Yes?”

 

  He suddenly collapsed and now he’s saying such things.

 

  Britia, who had no idea what Harty, with his shocked face, was thinking, was simply dumbfounded.