The Northern Mad Dog Wags It’s Tail

Swearing that she had only exchanged greetings with Marquis Slanford at a party in the past, Britia hadn’t even had a conversation with him at the time.

“It’s just a common phrase.”

It wasn’t really that he held deep affection for her in his heart.

She convinced Crave, who was glaring at her fiercely, to calm down.

“I’m already looking forward to seeing your affectionate and warm gaze. I want to see you soon, Britia.”

The countess blushed deeply as she read the invitation.

“Eww.”

Next to her, Leon pretended to vomit.

“You want to see him so badly. Marquis Slanford, that is.”

“No, I don’t!”

Britia felt unjustly accused by Marquis’s probing.

“You’re all over Turas, but you’re with Marquis Slanford behind his back!”

“Crave.”

“I never raised you like that!”

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that!”

Britia stood up abruptly and shouted.

“We’re not anything! We only know each other’s names and faces!”

Even with Britia’s outburst, Crave could not easily dispel his suspicions.

“We thought she couldn’t get married because she didn’t have a man, but maybe it’s because there are too many men around her, my dear.”

When the count whispered to his wife, she giggled.

“That’s right, dear. We didn’t need to worry.”

“And Haley!”

“And the mad dog and the ruffian, are there any others?”

Leon spoke up.

“I said no. I have nothing with Slanfors, and especially not with Turas-nim.”

“You can deny Duke-nim, but we’ve seen you with Turas-nim.”

Crave chuckled. Britia sighed heavily. Her family would make fun of her for this for a while.

“Affectionate and warm gaze. The three of us have similar eyes, so what if he thinks that about me when he sees me?”

“Then he could think that about me too.”

Leon and Crave laughed, in a way that made Britia feel uncomfortable.

** ** ** 

Britia casually asked Leon, who was playing chess with Crave in comfortable attire, “Lenny, are you going to do that and go to the party?”

Leon turned her head at Britia’s question.

“I’m not going to the party.”

“What? Why not?”

“That Countess interferes too much in other people’s affairs and is unpleasant, so I don’t like her.”

Leon spoke bluntly and moved his knight.

“By the way, I can’t go like this.”

Lockhart, still recovering with a bandaged right arm, raised it.

“Then what about Haley?”

“She said she had to stop by somewhere else before going to the Duchess’s party about an hour ago.”

“Can I go alone then?”

Britia’s eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected turn of events.

“Don’t go either.”

“I already said I was going, why suddenly like this?”

“Just say you sprained your ankle like your boyfriend did.”

Crave chuckled and moved his bishop to capture Leon’s knight.

“Oh, come on!”

Leon shouted.

“I’m really not on good terms with the Marquis.”

“Leon, did you hear?”

Crave murmured loudly.

“I didn’t say anything, but he spilled the beans that Slanford Marquis is your boyfriend.”

“I’ve always thought that a lunatic and a rascal are the exact opposite types, haven’t you?”

Finally, Leon asked, “What’s your taste in men, sis?”

“How many times do I have to say no to satisfy you?”

Britia sighed, tired of denying it.

“As a younger sister, which side do you like?”

“Me?”

Leon thought carefully, her arms folded.

“The lunatic is stronger than me and it pisses me off, and the rascal has an annoyingly fresh face when he’s pretending to be cool.”

Leon frowned.

“Is there a third person?”

“Tia, but you’re also greedy.”

Crave chuckled and enjoyed it.

“I prefer Sig, who seems to have a poker face, rather than a rascal who looks like a fool.”

“Why suddenly call him Sig?”

It was neither a mad dog nor a Duke of Turas that made Leon suspicious of the sudden use of a familiar title.

“I finally received a reply to my letter today.”

Leon found it amusing to see him acting superior with just one response.

“So, Sig has started calling you affectionately?”

“It’s a sign of familiarity. We decided to be friends.”

“Since he is my sister’s friend, he prefers being called a mad dog than a rascal, right?”

Crave winked at Leon and Britia, hitting the nail on the head.

“I don’t want to talk to you guys.”

Britia raised both hands, saying she couldn’t stand being around them, who were only full of teasing thoughts.

“Don’t drink alcohol!”

“You shouldn’t drink!”

The two of them spoke at the same time, standing behind her as she tried to leave.

“You don’t have to tell me not to drink.”

Britia grumbled and got into the carriage prepared by the butler, lost in thought as it shook.

As she recalled the day she couldn’t remember due to being drunk, she touched her forehead in regret, unable to find a reasonable explanation for why she thought he was cute.

It seemed like he would feel good to touch with his fluffy appearance, but asking him to let her touch him was another matter entirely.

Marquis Slanford had no connection, no matter how much Britia thought about it. They had never had any regular interaction before. He was a completely unrelated person.

The most recent incident involving him was when he promised to come to a party but didn’t show up.

“Is he apologizing for that incident?”

If so, that would make sense. But why was he making small talk about eye color and wanting to see her?

Furthermore, it was Crave who invited him to the party, not herself. If he wanted to apologize, he should do it to Lord Lockhart.

Britia’s mind was complicated.

Could it be that she would meet the two of them at the party today?

If it was Sig, he said he hated parties so there wouldn’t be a chance to meet. But wasn’t the Marquis someone who liked parties very much?

Lady Robley wouldn’t have called him if he wasn’t going to come. As the carriage moved forward, Britia became a little uneasy.

“Britia! You made it.”

Lady Robley greeted Britia warmly. Then she looked around as if she was searching for someone and narrowed her eyes slightly.

“I really wanted to see you. Your face looks brighter than when we last met.”

Lady Robley’s thick lips moved quickly as she praised Britia.

“There’s someone I want to introduce you to today.”

As Britia looked at her in confusion, Lady Robley looked around again and bit her tongue.

“Oh, sorry. I don’t see him around. He was here just a moment ago.”

“Please take your time introducing him.”

Who does she want to introduce her to?

Britia didn’t know, but she smiled anyway.

“Sure. Please enjoy the party until then.”

Lady Robley smiled and covered her mouth with her fan before stepping back. The other ladies followed her, giggling.

What was that laughter from the ladies just now?

Britia felt a strange sense of unease and put on a stoic expression. Who was this person that the Duchess was introducing her to?

Could it be that they had made a mistake and come to the wrong place today?

Britia became increasingly anxious.

“Britia!”

However, when those who recognized her warmly greeted her, her mood improved somewhat.

“I’m sorry I left the party too early last time.”

“It couldn’t be helped. It was raining so heavily.”

“Thanks to Britia’s understanding, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Young-ae, who was giggling, glanced around discreetly and smiled.

“I was so surprised to see that person at the party today.”

“It seems like they are actively trying to expand their circle of acquaintances.”

Britia didn’t understand what they were talking about.

“Who came?”

“Oh, they’re right over there.”

As Young-ae pointed to a corner of the party venue, Britia tilted her head in confusion.

“I’m seeing them for the first time, too.”

“I’ve met them before at the Imperial Palace party, but they seem even bigger now than they were then.”

But could someone in the social circle have such a commanding presence just by standing in a remote corner?

“Have you heard the rumors about Duke Turas?”

“I heard that they tore apart the words of someone who spread rumors about the Emperor.”

“Was it a rumor about the Emperor? I heard it was about the Empress!”

They began to show more interest in this topic.

“I heard that Duke Turas visited the party, Britia.”

“Who was the person you really like?”

“What kind of connection do they have with Lockhard?”

Each person stared at Britia with curiosity.

Feeling uneasy under their gaze, Britia awkwardly smiled. Perhaps because of her mood, those around her also seemed to be listening closely to their conversation.

“I heard they caused a commotion while drunk. Is that true?”

“I heard that the hall of the Lockheart mansion was partially destroyed because of them.”

“Oh no, that didn’t happen.”

At that moment, Britannia was taken aback. Was there some strange rumor spreading?

She had never caused a disturbance while under the influence of alcohol. If she ever had caused trouble, it was solely due to Crave’s influence.

“I heard that when you drink, you throw the empty glass against the wall and shatter it.”

One of the youngsters asked with a smiling face.

“It’s not easy to get a fork up north where there’s nothing but snow.”

“Do you eat with your hands?”

“With your right hand? Or left hand?”

“Wait, what are you all talking about?”

Britia raised his index fingers to halt the rampaging youngsters.

“We didn’t shatter any glasses, and we ate our food just like normal people, of course.”

And with eyes full of disbelief, he gazed in astonishment at the youngsters.

“Why would you say such a thing?”

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“It was a joke. Britia fell for it.”

“Why would anyone believe such a silly rumor?”

They made dubious excuses.

“You were such a well-mannered and kind person that I would be ashamed to have believed it.”

Sig was a good person. He had committed countless impolite acts, but Britia had forgiven him for all of them.

Although he had a mischievous side, there was no reason for anyone to ridicule him.

“Why did you ask about a story that you don’t even believe?”

Britia mood soured.

“Oh, don’t be angry.”

“We were just curious.”

“Or maybe we weren’t.”

They glared at each other in annoyance.

“Oops!”

One of the youngsters gasped. Sig was staring at them intensely.

“What should we do?”

“I think he overheard us.”

They panicked and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Britia wondered why they had made such a comment if they would react so nervously if caught.

As she watched them leave with a disgruntled expression, a large shadow covered her.

Even without looking up, Britia knew who was approaching.