🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 9
When Britia glared fiercely, Count Lockhart merely shrugged, as if to say he wasn’t lying. And to be fair, his words weren’t entirely false.
The count wasn’t even capable of hitting a target properly. As for Leoni, she complained that using a bow was frustrating and preferred a spear, but she made so much noise that the prey would notice and run away.
So naturally, among the three, Britia only appeared to be the best hunter by comparison.
But that didn’t actually mean she was good!
“You are very humble in everything, aren’t you?”
I’m not being humble.
Watching Sig look genuinely impressed, Britia parted her lips awkwardly.
She hunted foxes in the lush southern forests, while he was someone who hunted monsters in snowy lands.
And yet that man was calling her skilled and humble?
Embarrassed and flustered, Britia shut her eyes tightly.
“What’s wrong, Tia? Tired?”
At the count’s question, she snapped her eyes open.
Are you pretending not to know? This is your fault.
She shot him a glare, but he only smiled.
“I look forward to Sunday.”
Though his expression remained calm, Sig’s tail swayed gently to an unseen rhythm—he was clearly excited.
Please, let the hunt be canceled because of bad weather.
Britia forced a smile and silently prayed.
“Britia Lockhart, I’m truly disappointed in you.”
On the long-awaited Sunday, Count Lockhart crossed his arms and glared at her.
“How can you suddenly come down with a fever today? You were perfectly fine yesterday!”
Britia, lying in bed with a cold compress on her head, glanced at him.
“I said I’m sorry.”
She had wished for rain—but she hadn’t expected to actually fall ill.
It was all because she stayed up late replying to the pile of overdue invitations.
Why were there so many invitations?
Normally, the Lockhart family didn’t receive this many.
But just a few days ago, something noteworthy had happened.
Sig Turas—who rarely appeared in high society—had attended the Lockhart party.
Everyone was curious about the relationship between the Turas Duke and the Lockharts, so invitations and letters flooded in.
“You’re faking it, aren’t you?”
Britia turned her back on the whining count.
Her head was already foggy from the fever; dealing with his complaints was exhausting.
“My dear, don’t get angry at someone who’s sick.”
The countess stopped her husband.
“But she promised to come and then betrayed me!”
“I didn’t get sick on purpose!”
At the word betrayal, Britia snapped.
“You happily took gifts from the duke, but now you don’t want to spend time with him—your intentions are obvious.”
“I didn’t ask him for anything!”
“Oh really?”
“Watch your words, Crave.”
“So you’re saying you did absolutely nothing, and the duke just had to give you gifts?”
Ignoring her warning, he kept talking—so Britia threw a pillow at him.
“My hair! I spent an hour on it!”
“I warned you.”
“You think I care? Because of you, I’m stuck hunting alone with that terrifying duke!”
“Then you shouldn’t have suggested hunting if you were scared.”
“I wasn’t scared back then!”
The count sat by her bed and smirked.
“Imagine this—what if he mistakes me for prey and shoots me like a mad dog?”
“Then don’t go.”
“I’m not like you—I don’t break promises.”
At that word again, Britia frowned.
“Then take Leni with you.”
“No thanks. Hunting is boring.”
Leoni stretched lazily from the sofa and approached.
“Of course it is. You’ve never even caught a rabbit.”
The count scoffed.
“And you? You’ve gone hunting so many times and only caught one rabbit.”
“One is infinitely better than zero.”
“I was considering going with you, but now? No chance.”
Leoni flopped beside Britia.
“My dear, let’s go. It’s getting late.”
The count kissed his wife’s cheek.
“I’ll bring something back for you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“That’s a pointless expectation,” Leoni teased.
“I’ll bring back a bear.”
Leoni burst into laughter.
“A bear? Oh no, it’s coming to eat Crave Lockhart!”
“Just wait and see, Leoni.”
He pointed at her dramatically before storming out.
“Bet he’ll bring back a sparrow.”
“Not even that,” Britia muttered.
“Then no one wins,” Leoni laughed.
“Maybe the duke will catch something?”
“If it’s him… maybe even a monster,” Leoni said confidently.
“That’s impossible.”
They were only going to Eliwood Forest nearby—not the north.
“Then at least a fox?” the countess suggested.
“There are foxes there,” she added with a smile.
Later—
Britia, asleep after taking medicine, jolted awake at the loud bang of the door.
“Tia!”
The count rushed in.
“Master, your injuries—!” the butler warned.
“Tia, the duke caused a scene!”
“What?”
“More importantly—he caught a bear!”
“…A bear?”
“Yes! Come see!”
Before she could even react, he dragged her outside.
“Wait—weren’t you going to Eliwood Forest?”
“No bears there—so we went to Choke Forest!”
“What?! That’s two hours away!”
“You need to go that far for bears!”
He pointed.
There it was.
A massive bear, pierced through the neck and chest.
“…That’s a real bear.”
“Of course it is!”
The sight of such a huge corpse lying in their neatly maintained garden felt surreal.
“I slipped off my horse when it appeared—almost died!”
He beamed.
“The duke saved me.”
“…And you told your wife this while smiling?”
“Well… I didn’t die.”
Britia smacked his shoulder repeatedly.
“Go apologize to your wife, idiot!”
“Okay, okay!”
He ran back inside.
Then—
She felt someone watching her.
Turning—
Sig stood beside the bear.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Why are you apologizing?”
Even he didn’t know.
He just… felt like he should.
“Duke.”
Britia stepped closer and took his hand.
It was rough and scarred—but warm.
“Thank you for saving Crave.”
Her eyes softened.
Sig froze.
He couldn’t even breathe.
Then—
“Where’s the bear?!”
Leoni rushed out.
Britia let go of his hand.
Only then did Sig breathe again.
What… just happened?
Time—
It had slowed.
“No… that wasn’t my imagination.”
Time around her moved slower.
Why?
Sig’s eyes widened.
“…Does she have the ability to stop time too?”
