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Chapter 13
A massive shadow large enough to engulf the entire body, the suffocating pressure it emitted, and a huge black tail.
All of it pointed to Sig Turas.
And yet, Britia found herself doubting whether it was really him.
His tail had always either been completely still or, at most, gently swaying.
But that tail now was swinging powerfully from side to side—like Leonie, who often smacked Britia with hers—full of energy.
As if it were extremely happy!
Thinking that the person in front of her might not be Sig, Britia slowly raised her head. Perhaps her younger sibling, who said they wouldn’t come, had followed her after all.
“Oh, Duke.”
The moment she confirmed that the owner of the lively tail was indeed Sig, Britia’s mind became a tangled mess.
His face and tail didn’t match at all.
“We meet here.”
She forced a polite smile to hide her confusion.
“I heard you don’t like parties, Duke.”
And yet here they were, meeting at one. Britia looked at him curiously.
“Is it so strange that I am at a party?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Seeing him slightly frown, her voice grew smaller.
“I mean…”
She had planned to formally apologize when she saw him.
But now that she actually had, the words wouldn’t come out. She hadn’t been prepared to meet him like this.
And besides—he was still scary!
“What do you mean?”
As Sig tilted his head slightly, shadows deepened across his face.
Britia quietly let out a breath.
They said I called him cute when I was drunk that night… Did I really do that? How could I, when he’s this scary?
She even began to suspect her siblings had been lying.
“I wanted to say it’s nice to see you again.”
She barely managed to lift the corners of her lips.
“……”
He stared at her silently. Britia found herself wishing he would say something—anything.
But he remained quiet. His violet eyes gleamed as if he were angry, making her uneasy.
“Um, as I mentioned in the letter…”
“Yes?”
As if he hadn’t heard her, Sig leaned slightly closer.
“What did you say?”
Tensing up, Britia swallowed.
“Last time, I behaved rudely. I’m sorry.”
She spoke clearly and firmly so he could hear. This time, he seemed to understand and nodded.
“But didn’t you already apologize in your letter?”
He looked puzzled as to why she was apologizing twice.
“I wanted to apologize properly in person.”
“You are very polite.”
Polite people don’t drunkenly ask to touch someone’s tail.
Britia felt as if she could hear her twin’s teasing voice in her head.
“As I wrote in my letter, I am fine.”
Sig said this, and the tight knot in Britia’s stomach loosened. She was relieved he was such a generous man.
“Though I was surprised at the time.”
But his next words made her tense again.
“I’m fine now.”
“I’m really sorry.”
Britia’s shoulders slumped helplessly. Seeing that, Sig grew slightly flustered. He hadn’t meant to blame her.
He had only meant exactly what he said—he had been surprised, taken aback.
He wasn’t angry, nor did he feel humiliated.
If she had grabbed his tail in front of others, it would have been embarrassing—but fortunately, that hadn’t happened.
“The count mentioned that you become quite uninhibited when you drink.”
Trying to emphasize that he truly didn’t mind, Sig carefully chose his words. But Britia let out a small groan.
“I realized you are quite bold.”
Like when she scolded the count for being excited about catching a bear despite being injured.
Sig nodded sincerely. He meant it as a compliment, but for some reason, Britia’s expression darkened further.
“Bold…”
She murmured, clearly shocked.
“Was that not a good thing to say?”
His tail, which had been energetically swaying, gradually slowed to a stop.
He had accepted her apology and said he was fine.
So why didn’t her expression brighten?
Sig’s face stiffened, unsure of what to do.
“I’ve just never been called bold before, so it surprised me.”
Britia felt strangely unsettled. After all, this was Sig Turas—
A man who seemed to embody boldness itself.
And yet, he was calling her bold?
Still, she couldn’t say that out loud.
He was still too intimidating.
“I can’t compare to your boldness, Duke.”
Carefully choosing her words seemed safest.
“You are very humble.”
“Hmm… am I?”
She hadn’t meant it as humility, but she tilted her head slightly.
Still, his tail began moving again.
“Oh my, it’s been a while since the last party—ah!”
A young lady who had approached Britia suddenly froze upon seeing Sig. She must have thought he was just a large wall at first.
When Sig turned toward her, she flinched.
“O-Oh, Monaca!”
Pretending she hadn’t come to greet Britia, she called out to someone else and hurried away.
As the stranger left, the tension in Sig’s tail gradually eased.
“Did you have something to say to me?”
He asked, noticing Britia’s gaze fixed on him—or rather, on his lower back.
“Um, Duke…”
Sig Turas was still frightening. Britia wanted to end the conversation smoothly without upsetting him.
But her eyes kept drifting to his vigorously wagging tail.
“This might be rude to ask, but… are you perhaps happy to see me?”
At her brave question, Sig let out a strangled sound, as if stabbed.
“I’m sorry if I misunderstood.”
Seeing his tail suddenly stiffen upright, Britia quickly raised her hands.
“That was an arrogant thing to say.”
As he grew more rigid, cold sweat formed on her back.
What was I thinking asking that?!
She regretted it, but his lips trembled.
“Ta—”
He muttered something, but she couldn’t hear.
“Ta?”
“Ta—!”
Sig frowned sharply, and Britia instinctively stepped back.
“Can you tell things like that just by looking at a tail?”
He asked urgently in a low voice.
“How far does your ability go?”
Not only could she see a tail others couldn’t, she could manipulate time—and now mind-reading too?
Britia was flustered. She couldn’t tell if he was shocked or angry.
“Then… it’s true that you’re happy to see me?”
“Ugh.”
His body jerked.
Britia’s lips parted slightly. She had asked half in disbelief.
But Sig Turas was really happy to see her?
“Why?”
“……”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“Why are you so happy to see me?”
Even now, his tail was swinging vigorously.
Under her steady gaze, Sig swallowed.
“As I said before, I have some difficulty with strangers.”
This was new information to Britia.
“So at parties full of unfamiliar people, I never know how to act.”
His thoughts felt jumbled; he struggled to organize his words.
“Even today… the number of people I know…”
Was small. And yet, from the moment she entered, he had wanted to speak to her.
His uncooperative tongue frustrated him.
“So you’re saying you’re happy to see me because I’m someone you know?”
Sig nodded quickly—then hesitated, wondering if that was entirely accurate.
There were a few others he knew, after all.
But he hadn’t felt the urge to approach them first or watch them, waiting for a moment.
But with Britia… the moment he was sure she had recognized him, his legs moved on their own.
“I’m sorry.”
He knew the people she had been speaking with had fled because of him.
“Why are you apologizing?”
Britia asked.
“Because I interrupted your enjoyable time.”
“I’m happy to see you too, Duke.”
His tail, which had been drooping, shot upward and began wagging so fast it seemed it might shed fur.
At last, Britia understood why she had called him cute that night.
His tail really was cute.
“I almost misunderstood.”
She glanced at him.
“Misunderstood?”
A mischievous thought crossed her mind.
“Did I make a mistake?”
Sig swallowed nervously.
“No, you didn’t.”
That was a relief—but her vague answer made him uneasy.
“I just had a brief misunderstanding.”
About what?
His face slowly stiffened—a habit when he was deep in thought.
“I thought you might have wanted to see me.”
She wanted to see his reaction—just like now, his slightly widened eyes and parted lips.
“I’m sorry. I was joking.”
She could have teased him more, but she stopped once she got the reaction she wanted.
“That’s correct.”
But then came an unexpected reply.
“I did want to see you.”
His voice was serious.
Now Britia was the one flustered.
“What do you mean…?”
“As I said before, I was so excited and nervous about seeing you that I couldn’t sleep well last night.”
“Excuse me?”
Her voice rose in shock.
“It’s embarrassing, but it’s true.”
He said it with a completely straight face.
Britia tried to steady herself, wondering if he was teasing her in return.
But her cheeks were already burning.
Was this revenge for her teasing him?
Yet she noticed the faintest blush on his cheeks.
“Britia.”
It was subtle—so subtle it could’ve been her imagination.
“I wanted to see you.”
Her heart pounded rapidly.
Is this punishment for trying to tease him?
