The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  The prince thought that if things continued like this, he might be in trouble.

 

  The Emperor himself gave an order to escort Britia, so the prince couldn’t refuse.

 

The prince wanted to say that to Sig, who was glaring at him from behind.

 

  Sig couldn’t hide his frustration and clenched his lips tightly, following closely behind with an intimidating presence.

 

  “Britia,” the prince called out softly.

 

   “I have no intention of fighting with Sig.”

 

  Upon hearing the prince’s words, Britia glanced over Sig’s shoulder to assess his state. He didn’t want to be her man; he wanted to be her dog. So she couldn’t understand why he was burning with jealousy.

 

 It’s your fault.

 

  With a snort, Britia abruptly turned her head away.

 

  “I don’t know what happened between you and Sig, but can’t you resolve it calmly, even if it means looking at my face?”

 

  The prince had suspected something strange since they were embraced inside the reception hall. Convinced that something had indeed happened, the prince spoke up discreetly.

 

  “I apologize for involving you.” Britia apologized.

 

 The prince smiled awkwardly. It seemed like Sig had made a serious mistake, and Britia was clearly angry.

 

  “No need to apologize.”

 

  Trying to soothe the gloomy and angry Britia, the prince spoke softly.

 

  “In fact, I owe you a great debt. How did you manage to make them both so affectionate towards you?”

 

  At the mention of affection, Britia blinked her eyes. The emperor and empress were holding hands as they entered the reception hall. But it seemed awkward to call it affectionate, as they both seemed uncomfortable.

 

  “If there’s a secret, I wish you could teach me a little.”

 

  The prince tried to coax Britia with a gentle voice. Britia hesitated for a moment. Had Sig heard about her abilities?

 

  “Well, I actually have a mysterious power.”

 

  “What kind of mysterious power?”

 

  “It’s a trade secret, so it’s difficult for me to explain.”

 

  “You won’t even give me a small hint.”

 

  Seeing the prince’s disappointment, it seemed that he didn’t know anything about the tail.

 

  “Even if I tell you, Your Highness won’t be able to use the method.”

 

  “First, if you tell me, I’ll make the judgment…”

 

  “Britia Lockhart!”

 

  As he tried to pry the secret out of Britia, the sharp voice of the emperor cut through their conversation. The emperor took his seat at the table and gestured for them to come closer with a flick of his finger.

 

  Thanks to that, Britia escaped the persistent questioning from the prince. But now she had to deal with the emperor. Oh, and there was the empress beside him, giving her a suspicious look.

 

  “When did you start to care so much about that child?”

 

  “I saw her hunting skills today and was impressed.”

 

  Although the emperor had never seen her excellent hunting skills, he deliberately gave that answer. He calculated that if Britia mentioned her lack of skill compared to his, she would also mention that she caught a bear today.

 

  “Are you good at hunting?”

 

  “I’ve caught a few foxes and rabbits before.”

 

  “Even today?”

 

  Britia hesitated for a moment at the empress’s question. While she did catch a bear today, it was not something she should reveal. But if she said she didn’t catch anything, it would contradict the emperor’s statement that she had good hunting skills.

 

  Britia smiled awkwardly, finding it difficult to answer.

 

  “That’s impressive. I don’t have any talent for things like that. I’ve never caught anything.”

 

  As the empress spoke, the emperor’s eyes sharpened.

 

  When she mentioned that she had caught deer or bears, the emperor only chuckled without much enthusiasm, and said, ‘How amazing is that for that pink haired person?’

 

  “If you think she’s impressive, then Your Majesty must be truly remarkable. Since you caught a bear today.”

 

  Finally, the emperor was satisfied that Britia spoke as he had planned.

 

  “Didn’t Sig help you catch it anyway?”

 

  The empress’s tone was full of resentment, causing the emperor’s lips to twist. He was about to say something, but he held back.

 

  The empress watched him closely. Knowing his temperament, she expected him to dismiss it with a scoff, claiming that he had no talent other than growling and complaining. But he didn’t do that this time.

 

  “Putting an end to someone’s life is the most difficult thing.”

 

  The empress sighed at Britia’s answer.

 

  “…I don’t know how you managed to cook her, but Your Majesty’s abilities are truly remarkable.”

 

  “Even if I die, you would still be the most beautiful person in the palace, wouldn’t you, empress?”

 

  The emperor added a touch of resentment as usual. Did his wife notice? He glanced at her and found her gaze fixed on Britia, looking surprised.

 

  “That’s a flattering remark. But after hearing that, I’m sure you vomited in disgust, Your Majesty.”

 

  Britia briefly pondered while keeping an eye on the emperor and empress’s reactions.

 

  “When I said that, you did get angry.”

 

  The emperor furrowed his brows at Britia’s honest answer.

 

  How dare he, the emperor himself, deny his words and not consider his wife as the most beautiful? How could he say something completely different in front of the empress?

 

  “I was scolded for thinking that she was only the most beautiful person in the imperial palace.”

 

  In the palace, the emperor’s anger subsided with the following words. It was different from the flattery of those who dared to insult his wife and son without even knowing the trap. Britia’s flattery pleased him greatly.

 

  He wanted to see her surprised face more often, but whenever he personally startled her, she would react briefly and then either get angry or glare at him, which was quite frightening. So, her face right now, as if she had been genuinely surprised and malfunctioned, was very charming.

 

  “Your Highness praised the empress as the most beautiful person in the empire. You said it with great pride.”

 

  As the emperor met Britia’s questioning gaze, he raised his eyebrow slightly. He still felt embarrassed, and his teeth clenched for a moment. However, he was gradually getting used to it.

 

  Perhaps it was because Britia leaked the fact that she genuinely loved the empress. The emperor found it refreshing instead.

 

  “Uncle.”

 

  At that moment, Sig called the emperor, showing great satisfaction as if he had crossed a big wall. He couldn’t climb up onto the bed without the emperor’s permission and stood tall at the edge.

 

  The emperor raised his arm on the armrest and looked down at Sig with his chin resting on his hand. He also learned about the scandal involving Sig and Britia.

 

  “He’s an easy one to figure out.”

 

  The emperor chuckled softly. In Sig’s purple eyes, there was a clear sense of resentment towards Britia, who had chosen another man in front of him. Despite that, Sig silently pleaded to be allowed to go to her side.

 

  They were having a lover’s quarrel in plain sight.

 

  The emperor was not an easy person to deal with. When he shook his head, Sig’s face darkened.

 

  “Britia, since it’s a party, why not dance at least one song?”

 

  The inadequate empress stepped forward. Then, Sig raised his head abruptly. Behind his large body, his tail swayed as if leaning against him.

 

  “If you’re going to dance, it would be appropriate to dance with the crown prince, who will escort you today.”

 

  The emperor did not intend to leave his twisted feelings alone. He tried to call his son, who was not far away.

 

  “The Prince seems busy right now, so how about Sig? Would you like to dance with Britia?”

 

  The emperor and empress stared at each other in silence, engaging in a silent battle of nerves.

 

  “Britia.”

 

  Anxious, Sig called Britia.

 

  “Will you dance with me?”

 

  Britia looked at Sig, who reached out his hand towards her. He seemed like a puppy who wanted to play with her.

 

  With such feelings, she couldn’t dance happily with him. But then, a voice somewhere in her head asked if she would let this opportunity slip away.

 

  “Britia.”

 

  Caught in her dilemma, Britia finally yielded to the desperate voice of the puppy.

 

  “Duke-nim.”

 

  As she held his hand, Sig’s tail perked up and then drooped again. She called him the Duke instead of Sig again.

 

  “Let’s go that way.”

 

  Britia tried to move her feet, deliberately ignoring the hurt puppy, to distance herself as much as possible from the emperor. As she stopped in a spot close to the entrance of the ballroom, she felt a gloomy energy emanating from behind Sig, who stood there.

 

  “Britia.”

 

  Sig’s voice choked. Although he managed to grab her hand that she was about to let go, her attitude remained cold.

 

  “Are you still angry with me?”

 

  Still?

 

  Britia’s brow narrowed as she looked at him, who was sorrowful. She released Sig’s hand abruptly.

 

  “Please stop calling me.”

 

  Britia turned abruptly, cutting off Sig’s words. Then she made a formal bow. The orchestra began playing a slow melody.

 

  “Br—”

 

  He was about to call her, but Sig hesitated. He thought she might get angry again if he called her.

 

  “Can you tell me why you’re angry? Can you explain?”

 

  Sig asked slowly as they danced. Britia didn’t answer and turned her head away.

 

  He felt frustrated, not knowing what to do when she wouldn’t look at him or let him call her.

 

  Britia danced slowly and silently like that for a while before sighing. Sig’s heart sank. He felt that she was deeply disappointed in him, and her trust in him had reached a difficult point to recover.

 

  “Duke-nim, I won’t apologize for this.”

 

  Britia stopped her feet and looked straight at Sig as she spoke.

 

  “What?”

 

  Sig tilted his head, not understanding what she was saying. He watched as she dug into her bag.

 

  Was she not angry? Is she feeling better now?

 

  Thinking that Britia was hugging him, Sig completely let his guard down and stayed still. Her hand brushed past his side.

 

  “You hurt my feelings.”

 

  Britia grabbed Sig’s tail tightly.

 

  “Ouch!”

 

  Sig realized that her gentle touch that she always used was just a child’s play. His leg gave way, and one knee hit the ground. He tried to get up, but his leg trembled. Cold sweat dripped down his body.

 

  “Britia!”

 

  Sig called out, but Britia ran away from the ballroom like an arrow. That’s why she stood in a position close to the entrance. After running for a while, she finally stopped her feet in a secluded garden where no one was around.

 

  Breathing heavily, Britia sat on a bench and bent her upper body between her legs. Her heart was pounding too fast. As she caught her breath for a while, the painful sight of Sig came to her mind.

 

  “I don’t regret it. I won’t apologize.”

 

  Britia murmured, as if making a promise to herself.

 

  “Becaus Duke-nim deeply hurt my feelings.”

 

  “…It’s you.”

 

  A whispering voice came from behind. Surprised, Britia turned around to see that Sig was suddenly chasing after her. 

 

  He was holding a spear like a cane and breathing heavily.

 

  Britia quickly stood up from her seat. And then, Sig threw the spear aside and approached her.

 

  “Eek!”

 

  Britia tried to step back slowly, but she was suddenly held by Sig’s strong arms.

 

  “It was you who hurt my heart.”

 

  Sig growled with a resentful voice as he hugged her tightly.