The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  Britia felt as if she were walking through a swamp.

 

  ‘Crave and Leon.’

 

  Thinking of her beloved family made her legs feel heavy.

 

  ‘How could he keep her mouth shut about important matters related to the territory? ‘

 

  “I asked them to tell me if anything happened, but how could they not say a word…?”

 

  If Crave had been suffering alone, it wouldn’t have bothered her so much. But Leon knew as well.

 

  While she had been staying at home all this time, Leon had been constantly leaving for knight training.

 

  And on top of that, he had gone to negotiate secretly and got hurt.

 

  Britia bit her inner lip. She didn’t want to worry her injured family, but the feeling of frustration kept welling up inside her.

 

  She remembered the sight of Hailey, who had been worried about her husband’s safety with a stern face this morning. Until then, Britia had only thought that Hailey was concerned about her husband returning safely from the last hunt with a broken arm.

 

  “Without realizing that, I told Hailey not to worry because I was by his side.”

 

  Britia closed her eyes tightly and stood still. She knew she had to go back to her family, but she was trapped in melancholy and couldn’t move forward anymore.

 

  Why was she the only one excluded?

 

  She couldn’t understand it at all. She felt suffocated by the sense of being left out.

 

  “There must be a reason.”

 

  Britia struggled to squeeze out the words that were stuck in her throat. If she didn’t force herself, her mind would be filled with negative thoughts.

 

  She took a deep breath through her nose. Trying to find a reason on her own was futile. If she wanted answers, she had to ask those suspicious people who had kept their mouths shut, not herself.

 

  Her entire territory was taken away, or rather, it had already been taken away. Britia glanced back at the path she had walked.

 

  She didn’t know that she might have to return to Count Huate and convince him to relinquish the Lockhart territory. She silently gazed at the trees swaying in the wind, her expression cold.

 

  But soon, she let go of her thoughts and relaxed her furrowed brows. Even if she threatened him to let go of the Lockhart territory, nothing would change.

 

  According to Crave’s words, the ownership of the territory ultimately belonged to Robley, not Huate. Huate was merely a representative of Marquis Robelly for management purposes.

 

  Until she dealt with Robley, no matter how much she tried to persuade Huate, it would be futile.

 

  “There are no more arrows….”

 

  She muttered in resignation and heard footsteps behind her. Startled, Britia turned around. After confirming the identity, she immediately released the tension that had built up.

 

  “Duke-nim.”

 

  Sig, the one who approached, stood in front of her. His expression remained calm as usual, and his tail wagged energetically in front of her.

 

  At this sight, Britia smiled softly.

 

  But only for a moment, when she thought about the future that awaited Lockhart. She couldn’t simply keep smiling.

 

  Observing her darkening complexion, Sig attempted to speak.

 

  “Has the hunt begun?”

 

  Britia beat him to it, realizing that her expression had stiffened unnaturally. Thanks to her, Sig couldn’t say what he intended and lowered his head.

 

  “Not yet.”

 

  “Then why are you here? Is there another monster?”

 

  Britia tried to lighten the mood by incorporating jokes into her conversation with him, aiming to clear her mind of complicated thoughts and focus on their discussion. However, her attempts proved futile as silence hung in the air between them.

 

  “So, why are you here?” she asked, sensing a hint of aggression in her tone and growing frustrated with herself. Although he hadn’t done anything wrong, she worried that her current state of sensitivity might cause her to take it out on him.

 

  “I followed you after I saw you enter the forest,” he replied.

 

  “Followed me? Why?”

 

  She instantly regretted saying that.

 

  Unintentionally, Britia’s sharp tone slipped out again, and she anxiously bit her lower lip.

 

  “I managed to capture the monster, but the bear is still out there. It might have been unnecessary for you to intervene, but I was concerned…”

 

  Observing her pained expression, Sig’s voice trailed off.

 

  “Did you follow me because you were worried about me?” Britia asked, attempting to soften her voice to prevent herself from getting angry at him. In response, Sig nodded slowly.

 

  Not only did his tail react immediately, but his expression, which revealed little change, also betrayed signs of tension. Feeling remorseful for causing him to feel this way, Britia forced a smile.

 

  “I’m glad you’re concerned about me.”

 

  Though lacking in her usual strength, when she displayed a smile, Sig’s tense shoulders eased.

 

  “But, Duke-nim, when you say you followed me after seeing me enter the forest… did you see everything?”

 

  Sig rolled his eyes, unsure of what exactly she was asking.

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

 

Read from the original site [ https://moonlightnovel.com/ ]

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

 

  “If you mean me hunting the bear, then yes, I saw that.”

 

  “What about before that?”

 

  Sig continued to roll his eyes and subtly smirked as he grasped her words.

 

  “There’s this guy….”

 

  Britia urgently raised her hands, motioning for him to stop talking.

 

  “So you witnessed everything. I get it.”

 

  From beginning to end, it was a tale of having seen it all.

 

  ‘After witnessing everything, what was going through his mind?’

 

  Britia couldn’t quite gauge it and felt a slight unease. 

 

  ‘Even Crave and Leon say they find it terrifying when I get angry. Did he feel the same way?’

 

  If he did, it would make her feel sad.

 

  “What Crave-nim said about your skills was truly impressive.”

 

  Instead of expressing fear, he chose to offer words of praise, considering it fortunate.

 

  “Your talent is exceptional enough to become a top archer right away.”

 

  “When times get tough, I should consider becoming an archer.”

 

  Britia let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh.

 

  “What happened?”

 

  Noticing her deeply dejected appearance, Sig inquired.

 

  “I saw what happened, but was there something else?”

 

  Sig couldn’t comprehend why she appeared so weak.

 

  Britia tightly sealed her lips and gazed at Sig.

 

  The land that we had tirelessly protected was, in fact, not truly ours. And there was something even more distressing. However, she didn’t currently have the mental capacity to explain and sort out such a situation.

 

  “I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.”

 

  She attempted to dismiss it with a single word, but when he looked at her with a tender gaze that hinted at something more, her lips quivered.

 

  Britia was drained both physically and emotionally. She yearned to lean on him and find solace.

 

  “I haven’t even started hunting yet. But today, I managed to catch my first bear and defeat a monster.”

 

  Sig nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on Britia’s eyes as she carefully selected her words.

 

  “Duke-nim, so much has happened to me today that I can barely walk due to exhaustion.”

 

  Britia gently opened her arms.

 

 “That’s why I need some comfort.”

 

  Sig blinked and then slipped between her embrace.

 

  “Duke-nim.”

 

  With his arms encircling her waist, he applied just the right amount of strength, being cautious not to exert too much pressure. This caused Britia to burst into laughter.

 

  “You’re becoming accustomed to my quirks, Duke-nim.”

 

  A smile curved Britia’s lips as she playfully glanced up at Sig.

 

  “If I were to ask you to do everything for me now and suddenly demand a hug, what would you do?”

 

  She teased, her eyes widening challengingly. It was intended as a provocation, but Sig didn’t display any embarrassment or unease. Instead, he tilted his head with curiosity.

 

  “Wouldn’t that be a good thing for me?”

 

  Britia experienced a mixture of frustration and delight upon realizing that he hadn’t fallen for her playful attempt.

 

  ‘Could this be an invitation for me to indulge in my desires? If that’s the case…’

 

“Well, if that’s what you say.”

 

  Struggling to broach the topic she had intended to keep concealed, Britia hesitantly parted her lips.

 

  Britia pondered, acknowledging the significance of the matter at hand. It was only natural to feel disheartened when she alone remained unaware while everyone else possessed knowledge. She carefully concealed her longing for him to discuss it, averting her gaze to avoid the potential embarrassment of meeting his eyes.

 

  Sig responded, understanding the sentiment.        “Indeed, I have experienced something similar.”

 

  Britia’s voice reflected surprise as she asked, “You have?”

 

  She offered an explanation, concerned that her previous comment might have unintentionally caused offense. 

 

  “I apologize. It’s not because I derive pleasure from Duke-nim’s hardships; rather, it caught me off guard.”

 

  Sig continued his narration, revealing a more serious story than Britia had anticipated. Her lips parted slightly in shock, while Sig remained composed.

 

  “At the age of fourteen, I stumbled upon the truth and sought to avenge my murdered parents. As you can see, it resulted in the loss of my left eye.”

 

  Nevertheless, he considered himself fortunate not to have lost his life, maintaining an indifferent demeanor.

 

  Overwhelmed by compassion, Britia instinctively reached out her hand towards Sig’s eye patch. However, she hesitated and faltered, refraining from touching it.

 

  “It was the consequence of your foolish actions. After all, a young child cannot exact revenge alone,” she whispered, her hand lingering near his cheek.

 

  As Britia’s hand lightly brushed against his cheek, Sig leaned into the touch, resting his head against her hand.

 

  “When I returned, my aunt was furious. She refrained from discussing it because she anticipated this outcome.”

 

  Britia felt as if she were speaking to herself as she uttered, “She worried about you because she loves you.”

 

  “I am forever grateful for my aunt’s love. However, if you ask whether it’s natural to feel upset, I firmly believe it is,” Sig asserted, drawing a clear distinction.

 

  “That pertains to one matter, while this is another,” he added resolutely.

 

  “I appreciate your comforting words. They have provided me with great solace.”

 

  His cheek pressed against her palm, emanating warmth that reassured Britia.

 

  “We should head back to where Crave and Leon are now.”

 

  ‘I know he loves me, but if he doesn’t show it even a little, I should let out my frustrations.’

 

  Britia gently pushed Sig away, her face adorned with a joyful smile.

 

  “Got it.”

 

  As Sig finished speaking, a sense of unease crept over Britia, thinking that he was distancing himself. However, to her surprise, he approached her once again.

 

  “Duke-nim!”

 

  Britia urgently called out to Sig, who suddenly hugged her and lifted her up in his arms.

 

  “I’ll carry you.”

 

  “What?”

 

  “Didn’t you say your legs were too weak to walk?”

 

  No matter how much she said that… she never expected him to come up with the idea of carrying her.

 

  “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

 

  A faint blush colored Britia’s cheeks as she felt a tinge of embarrassment.

 

  “Because of Duke-nim, I might develop some bad habits…”

 

  Though it embarrassed her, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to put her down, as if it had already become a familiar habit.