The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  In search of monsters, the trio ventured into the forest, consisting of two apprentice knights and one official knight.

 

  “After going through all the trouble to capture it, now they want us to find and kill it!”

 

  “That’s true! It was incredibly difficult to capture it alive!”

 

  Perry and Bippy, the apprentice knights, complained, while Esther, the only official knight among them, chuckled.

 

  “Why are you two being so talkative when you didn’t even catch it?”

 

  “We helped too!”

 

  Perry exclaimed indignantly, strongly asserting their contribution.

 

  “We even held the rope and put in so much effort.”

 

 Bippy chimed in, mimicking holding a rope as she recalled the events of that day.

 

  “If you’re so dissatisfied, why don’t you go and talk to the Duke who gave us the orders? Tell him that you can’t follow them.”

 

  Esther glanced at the two with a facial expression that seemed to say, ‘If you think you can do it, go ahead and try.’

 

  “Well, um! That… That’s something we can’t do, so we’re telling you instead, Sther.”

 

  Bippy’s loud voice suddenly grew quieter.

 

  “I had hoped that in my enthusiasm, I could confidently express my opinion to the Duke. It’s a shame. If that had happened, both of you would have been split right down the middle.”

 

  Esther raised his index finger and bent it in half, chuckling. Perry and Bippy glared at their supervisor with anger, biting their lips.

 

  “It seems like you’re just wasting unnecessary energy. You can’t even speak properly…”

 

  Ferry grumbled, his lips pouting in discontent.

 

  “It’s not just us who feel this way; even the Deputy Commander is always complaining,” Bippy muttered, surprising Esther.

 

  “So, you want to be treated the same as the Deputy Commander, even though you’re not official knights?” Esther looked at Perry and Bippy. They showed great potential and skill, but they were still young.

 

  “Moreover, the Deputy Commander never goes against the Duke’s decisions, regardless of what they might say.” Perry and Bippy couldn’t find a counterargument and simply pressed their lips together.

 

  “Instead, let’s hurry back. We might miss the beginning of the hunt if we stay here,” Esther urged Perry and Bippy, giving them a reassuring pat on the back.

 

  “The person you were anticipating is supposed to arrive today.” 

 

  At the mention of the person they were expecting, Perry and Bippy’s eyes widened.

 

  “Lady Lockhart?”

 

  “But don’t expect to greet her,” Esther said, observing their hopeful expressions.

 

  “What’s the point then? We’ve already seen her from a distance!”

 

  “Esther, why don’t we accompany Lady Lockhart today? That way, we can naturally greet her, right?” Bippy pleaded eagerly. Perry widened his eyes as well and grabbed Esther’s arm, showing his enthusiasm. Despite his young age, he was quite heavy due to his big build.

 

  “No, you can’t. Evry has already requested that both of you stay farthest from Lady Lockhart today.”

 

  “Why?”

 

  “What are you even thinking?” Esther brushed off their protests, treating them as if he was stating the obvious.

 

   “No, that’s not true! What does Esther think of us?”

 

  “We’re genuinely committed to guarding her. We’re willing to assist with the hunt and everything.”

 

  “And there might be a few innocent questions we’d like to ask.”

 

  “Yeah, it’s not meant to be impolite or anything!”

 

  Esther couldn’t help but chuckle at their earnestness.

 

  Just a few innocent questions? Those two troublemakers who always seem to attract disaster?

 

  A catastrophe would surely ensue. Then what would be the consequences?

 

  There was a real possibility that the Evry, who were extremely sensitive to matters involving Lockhart, would cause chaos. As their supervisor and guardian, Esther had a responsibility to prevent such a situation from occurring.

 

  “It’s absolutely out of the question, so let it go.”

 

  Esther asserted with unwavering determination.

 

  “Who would entrust the protection of an important person to individuals who don’t even grasp the concept of politeness?”

 

  He waved his hand dismissively and strode ahead.

 

  “For Evry, this matter is a matter of life and death. You consider yourselves fortunate to even catch a glimpse of that young lady from a distance.”

 

  Every individual was risking their lives for this mission. Initially, they had no plans to include them in the hunting competition. However, Evry managed to persuade them that, as newcomers to the capital, they should have the experience of participating in such an event. Reluctantly, Evry agreed to bring them along.

 

  “If you aspire to become guardians for important individuals in the future, you must first let go of your curiosity. No, don’t even entertain the thought of curiosity,” Esther offered sincere advice in their usual manner, tinged with a hint of reprimand. The ensuing silence suggested that they were holding back further complaints.

 

  It was evident even without direct observation.

 

  “When you come face to face with Lady Britia, treat her with the same respect you would show a duke. You two are so frightened of dukes that you can’t even utter a single word…”

 

  But why was it so quiet? It seemed as if not even the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

 

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

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  Suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of unease, Sther swiftly turned around, only to find that the two individuals were nowhere in sight.

 

  Bippy, who had been trailing closely behind Esther, fell back slightly, accompanied by Perry, who claimed to have heard something.

 

  “What is it?”

 

  “I’m not sure. But it feels strangely familiar.”

 

  Rather than constantly enduring reprimands, wouldn’t it be more exciting if something interesting happened? Perry enticed Bippy, pulling them along.

 

  And guess what?

 

  There was Sig, exuding an eerie aura, holding someone in his arms—a woman with neatly braided pink hair.

 

  Lady Lockhart!

 

  Bippy and Perry exchanged glances, then quietly hid themselves behind a tree, holding their breath.

 

  “I can’t hear anything,” Bippy whispered, lacking the same acute hearing as Perry. In response, Perry made a nervous shushing sound and tilted his ear.

 

  Listen discreetly and maintain a nonchalant demeanor.

 

  Bippy glared at Perry, a mix of envy and jealousy in his eyes. Instead of eavesdropping on their conversation, he carefully studied their expressions. Hiseir appearance, he couldn’t help but be amazed.

 

  Who would have thought that the intimidating Duke could possess such a humane face?

 

  In that instant, Perry gasped and swallowed nervously.

 

  “What’s the matter? What did you hear?” Bippy grabbed Perry and shook him.

 

  “He mentioned something about living together with the lady,” Perry replied.

 

  Bippy’s mouth fell open as he gazed at the two individuals. Lady Britia’s face was flushed crimson.

 

  “What did she respond? What did she say?”

 

  “Wait, not yet, not yet…”

 

  “Hurry!”

 

  “…She said she would share the same bedroom! She agreed!”

 

  Bippy let out a cheer, and Perry joined in with a loud voice. They were so caught up in the excitement of witnessing this pivotal moment that they didn’t consider the potential consequences and dashed outside.

 

  “Congratulations, my lady!” 

 

  With a burst of energy, Perry dashed towards Lady Britia and unleashed a resounding voice.

 

  “Oh, it’s me, Perry! A knight from Altheim, to be precise. Well, technically I’m still a squire, but I’ll soon earn my full knighthood. Did I correctly hear that I’m here to offer my congratulations?”

 

  Perry eagerly expressed his words before Lady Britia. In that moment, Bippy, standing by hid side, wore an equally enthusiastic expression and nudged him.

 

  “She already mentioned that earlier!”

 

  “Really? Well, no problem. Allow me to congratulate you once again!”

 

  “I congratulate you as well. My name is Bippy. I hail from Denbury, which is situated to the left of Altheim. It’s my hometown, though it’s simply a rural place with little more than the Fire Dragon Inn.”

 

  “A genuine countryside village with nothing but the Fire Dragon Inn.”

 

  Perry added with a slight smirk, and both of them couldn’t contain their eagerness to share more, competing to interject.

 

  “I may still be a squire, but I’ll strive to become a full-fledged knight as soon as possible, so that one day I can serve as your escort.”

 

  “I’ll become a full-fledged knight one day earlier than Bippy…!”

 

  As Perry and Bippy enthusiastically expressed their thoughts, they suddenly felt a chilling presence behind them, causing a shiver to run down their spines.

 

  Sig stood there, coldly gazing at the aspiring knights.

 

  Perry and Bippy realized in that instant. He was Sig Turas, emanating such an intense aura that their posture straightened involuntarily when their eyes met his. It wasn’t merely a fleeting change in the atmosphere.

 

  What should they do?

 

  Perry and Bippy’s minds whirled as they realized the gravity of their mistake in front of Sig. They understood the need for action, but fear held them rooted in place.

 

  “I beg your pardon, Your Grace!”

 

  In that moment, Esther hurried forward. He firmly gripped the heads of Perry and Bippy, pressing them down, before bowing deeply himself.

 

  “The fault lies entirely with me for the impolite behavior of these impetuous youngsters. Please, forgive me.”

 

  Esther closed his eyes tightly, inwardly cursing the mischievous twins he couldn’t leave unattended.

 

   Britia blinked slowly as she observed the backs of the three individuals. She caught a glimpse of their tails.

 

  Perry and Bippy possessed small, adorable tails resembling those of rabbits, and their tails bore a striking resemblance to each other. On the other hand, Esther’s tail lacked fur or scales, resembling that of a Sphinx cat.

 

  “Hmm, and who might you be…?”

 

  In response to Britia’s inquiry, Esther subtly raised his head.

 

  “I am Esther, overseeing and instructing these individuals.”

 

  Esther’s face darkened considerably as he revealed his true identity as a knight of Altheim.

 

  “It is my failure to properly supervise them. Lady, I beseech you to kindly forgive…”

 

  Esther stole a brief glance at Sig’s reaction. Although Sig’s expression had softened compared to before, he still didn’t appear pleased.

 

  “Do it later. At present, Britia-nim is too tired and occupied to attend to these matters.”

 

  Upon the command to step back, Esther took hold of Perry and Bippy’s arms and retreated. Sig, who held Britia in his embrace, passed by them. Britia leaned her head over Sig’s shoulder, her gaze fixed on the twins as they moved further away.

 

  “These mischievous twins have pushed me to my limits at such a young age!” Esther exclaimed, his grip tightening on the heads of the aspiring knights.

 

  “Indeed, they are twins,” Britia chuckled, her voice filled with amusement as she spoke loudly. 

 

Somehow, she had noticed the resemblance in their tail shapes and pondered if that was the reason. Being a twin herself, she felt a peculiar sense of familiarity with the other twins.

 

  And those adorable tails, so incredibly cute.

 

  “I hope they both become honorable knights soon and protect me,” Britia expressed, shaking hands with Perry and Bippy as she bid them farewell.

 

  “They are truly endearing knights. Are there many interesting people in the North?” she inquired.

 

  Upon hearing the remark about their cuteness, Sig momentarily paused, his expression revealing a hint of concern, suggesting that something weighed on his mind.

 

  “Britia-nim, among them…”

 

  Understanding his unspoken words, Britia interjected.

 

  “Duke-nim is the most remarkable, isn’t he?”

 

  She spoke, fully aware of his intentions. It pleased her to witness his brightened countenance, even before hearing the actual request.

 

  “I have something I would like to ask Duke-nim.”

 

  Sig waited for Britia’s words with the intention of accepting them even before hearing the contents. However, Britia deliberately hesitated, maintaining her silence. It wasn’t because the request was challenging; rather, she aimed to intrigue his curiosity.

 

  “Britia-nim?” 

 

  Sig couldn’t contain his excitement, raising an eyebrow as he prompted her with a gentle smile.

 

  “Could I start addressing Duke-nim as ‘Sig’ from now on?”

 

 With a subtle and sneaky demeanor, Britia inquired while already softly humming it.