Chapter 9: 9

Crave shrugged as Britia glared at him. He looked as if he wasn’t lying. Although his words were not completely false.

 Crave was at a level where he couldn’t even aim his bow properly. Leon loudly grumbled that he didn’t like the bow being drawn too tight and the prey escaped, noticing the noise.

So, it appeared that Britia was relatively the best hunter among the three. However, that didn’t mean she was truly a great hunter!

“You’re modest about everything.” Sig said.

It wasn’t humility.

 Britia was surprised as she looked at the Seg.

Wasn’t Sig the one who hunted monsters in the fields while she hunted foxes in the dense forests of the South?

 It was absurd listening to such a person telling her about being humble.

 Britia felt embarrassed and ashamed, and she lowered her gaze.

“Why, Tia? Tired?” Crave asked.

At his question, Britia’s eyes shot open.

She felt a surge of rage as she watched her brother pretending to be knowing nothing while he was the one who was responsible for all of this.

“I’m looking forward to Sunday.”

It didn’t show on his face, but Sig’s tail fluttered to the rhythm. As if you were really looking forward to it.

‘May the hunt be canceled on Sunday because the weather is bad.’

Britia smiled awkwardly and prayed earnestly.

****

Crave Lockhart was feeling disappointed. 

On the Sunday Earl had been eagerly awaiting, he peered at Brittenia with his arms crossed. 

“Britia Lockhart, I’m really disappointed in you,” he said.

 “How could your temperature rise today? You were fine until yestewearily.

 Britia, with a towel on her head, lay in bed and looked at him wearily.

“I’m sorry,” she said meekly. She had hoped that it would rain, but she never expected to become this sick.

This was due to the fact that she had stayed up late answering invitations that had piled up. 

Why were there so many invitations? There were never this many invitations coming to Lockhart Mansion.

In society, the elusive Duke Sig Turas rarely made an appearance, but rumors had spread that he was to attend the Lockhart Party. 

Everyone was curious about the relationship between the Earl and Lockhart, sending out invitations and letters.

“You’re making us a fool, aren’t you?” sneered Crave as Britia turned her back on the squirmy Earl.

 She was already grumpy because of the fever, and the prospect of dealing with an annoying person was not appealing.

“Honey, don’t be mad at someone who is not feeling well,” the Earl’s wife chided him.

“But my dear, she agreed to come with us and then betrayed us,” replied the Earl.

“Do you like being sick?” Britia retorted.

At the mention of betrayal, Britia’s temper flared.

 “You know your cowardice well, turning down the opportunity to have fun with Sig Turas even after taking gifts from him,” Crave scorned her.

” I’m warning you, Crave. Don’t talk like that.”

Crave disregarded her warning and continued speaking his mind. 

Britia threw a pillow at him in frustration.

Despite having warned him, Crave was angry and scowled, as the pillow hit his previously neat hair and messed it up. He sat beside her with a sigh.

 “I definitely warned you.”

“Do you even listen? Because of you, I ended up going on a hunt with that scary Duke.” Britia complained.

“If that person scared you, then you should have declined the hunting invitation,” Crave retorted.

“He wasn’t scary back then!”

“Well, if you have to suspect someone like that, then don’t go hunting,” Crave said, settling down beside her and imagining the scenario. 

“What if the supposed prey turns out to be a mad person shooting arrows at you?”

“If you have such doubts, then don’t go in the first place.”

“Oh, I don’t want to be such an irresponsible traitor as you.”

 “Then take Lenny with you,” she said.

“I don’t like it. Hunting is boring,” Leon replied, stretching on the couch.

 “Well, what do you expect? Hunting a single rabbit would be boring?” Crave teased.

“Yeah, right. You who’ve only caught a rabbit and me who’ve never caught anything, there’s a big difference between us, Lenny,” he chuckled.

“I thought about following you for a moment but I don’t think I will,” Leon grumbled.

He lay down beside Britia and said, 

“Honey, stop it and get up.It’s already been this long.”

The Countess checked her watch and said, “Honey, it’s already this late.”

 The Earl gazed at his brother and then stood up, kissing his wife’s cheek.

“I’ll catch it for you.”

The Countess smiled brightly as she replied to her husband’s statement,

 “I’m looking forward to it,” she added.

Leon chuckled, “That’s unnecessary anticipation, Hailey.”

Crave frowned at his teasing. 

“I’ll catch the bear for you, so wait for it,” he said with determination.

At the mention of the bear, Leon laughed out loud, waving his arms and wiggling his fingers. 

“Ooh, a bear. Let’s catch and eat Crave Lockhart.” Crave breathed deeply, suppressing his anger.

 “Lenny,” he warned.

“Aah, the bear is so scary!” Leon continued his teasing. 

“Just wait and see, Leon Lockhart,” gesturing towards him with his sword hand and nodding his head several times. 

Crave then turned and left.

Leon playfully challenged Britia, asking, 

“Shall we bet on whether or not he can catch a bird?”

Britia replied, “Lenny, catching a bird is more difficult than you think.”

“Then he won’t be able to catch one, right?” he asked.

“I trust my brother,” Britia said confidently.

“So you’re saying he can catch it?” Leon asked, a twinkle in his eye.

The Countess glanced at Leon sceptically,

 “I married him because I love him, but that doesn’t mean he had to be good at hunting.”

“Come on, even Haley! If we bet and he can’t catch it, then it’s not a fair bet,” Leon laughed, rubbing his hands together.

“Even so, you think the Duke Turas won’t be able to catch one?” Britia asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leon leaned back, smiling as he gazed at Britia, “Who knows, he might even be able to catch a demon.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Britia said with a shake of her head.

“Hey, sis, are you putting my brother on the same level as a mad dog?” Leon teased.

“No, it’s just a practical and realistic perspective,” Tia explained.

*****

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As the night passed by, the fire in the fireplace crackled and danced, casting warm light and shadows in the room.

 The Lady of the Manor sat in a comfortable armchair, sipping her tea, while her husband, the Earl, sat across from her, reading a book. 

Suddenly, the Earl put down his book and spoke up.

 “Let’s go hunting tomorrow. I heard there’s a group of foxes in the nearby Elliwood forest.” 

The Countess’s face lit up with excitement.

 “That sounds lovely, but wouldn’t it be more impressive if we caught something bigger, like a wild boar?”

 Crave chuckled, 

“I’ve heard of wild boars in the area, but I didn’t think they lived so close to Elliwood.

******

Meanwhile, Britia, who was taking a nap in her room with fever reducer, was jolted awake by a loud noise. 

As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she saw the door creak open and the figure of Earl Lockhart appearing in the doorway.

 “Tia!” 

he called out, rushing towards her with quick steps.

The butler rushed after the excited man, stopping him for his rough movements.

“Master, it’s not good for your injury to move with your wound,” the butler warned.

“Tia, I have caught a bear!” 

Crave exclaimed, his clothes covered in dirt from rolling on the ground. 

His right arm was also bandaged and immobile.

“What? What happened?” 

Britia, still groggy from sleep, was bewildered by the situation.

“My arm is broken,” Crave replied nonchalantly.

“What?” Britia was shocked.

“That’s not important, Tia. Look, the Duke has caught a bear!” Crave urged her.

Britia skeptically raised an eyebrow at the man’s words.

“Bear? You caught a bear?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes, a real bear!” he confirmed, grabbing Britia’s arm and pulling her out of bed. 

She was so surprised that she didn’t even put on slippers, but allowed herself to be dragged outside.

“What do you mean a bear? Where did you go, to the Elliwood forest?” 

Britia asked as she was taken to the garden to see the bear.

There was no chance of a bear being in that place. But to say they caught a bear, what kind of talk was that? 

“There wasn’t any in Elliwood, so we went to the Chalk forest,” Crave said. 

“All the way to the Chalk forest? Why?” 

The Chalk forest was a place that took two hours to reach by carriage from here. 

“We had to go there because that’s where the bear would show up!”

 Crave yelled and took her to the garden. 

“Look, Tia!”

 There was a bear with a pierced neck and chest by an arrow. 

“Is it really a bear?”

 “If it’s real, what else could it be?”

 Britia felt that the small garden with a big bear’s body spread out carelessly was very incongruous. 

“I never thought a bear would actually show up.” 

He thought back to that moment and had a blissful expression. 

“I was so surprised that I slipped off my horse and I would have died if I had been hit by the bear’s front paw.”

 He marveled that he didn’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t stopped the bear’s paw.

Crave was dissatisfied with Britia’s reaction, complaining about it.

 “Where’s Lenny? I want that guy who was laughing at me to see this,” 

He said, as Britia slammed her hand on his shoulder.

“Why? Why is it like this?” Britia yelled in anger.

Ignoring the Crave’s resistance, Britia continued to slam her hand on him.

 “Is it so funny that you almost died? Did you laugh like that with your wife too?”

“Well, I didn’t die,” he mumbled, trying to make excuses even though his arm was sore.

“I can feel my heart racing just listening to your story. How must your wife have felt?” Britia exclaimed.

Her husband, who she thought had gone out to hunt a fox, came back injured after suddenly going after a bear. How surprised she must have been.

“Still, you’re enjoying it?”

“No, I’m just….”

“I’ll catch up with your wife right now, you idiot!

“I understand! I understand! Stop hitting me, Tia!”

Crave stepped back into the mansion, his hands raised high in the air. 

He could feel someone’s gaze upon him as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. 

His eyes met with Britia, who was turning her head, only to find Sig standing next to the large bear.

“I’m sorry.”

Sigga apologized unexpectedly, his gaze locked with Brittany’s. He was taken aback by his own actions, and blinked in surprise.

“Why are you apologizing?” Brittany asked, as she descended the stairs and stood in front of him.

Sig couldn’t understand why he had apologized, but the sight of Britia’s anger had caused the words to slip from his mouth without him realizing it.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, this time with a more sincere tone.

Britia tightly gripped his hand. His hand, ungloved, was rough but warm despite the scars that covered it.

“Thank you so much for rescuing Crave,” she whispered softly.

Sig watched as Britia eyelashes fluttered ever so slowly. She opened her lips to say more, but her words were unheard.

Sig was taken aback by a feeling he had never experienced before. 

He had even forgotten to breathe.

“You caught the bear!” Leon shouted as he rushed out of the mansion.

“Where is it?”

“Lenny.”

As Britia released Sig’s hand and turned to face Leon, Sig was finally able to take a breath.

What just happened? It felt like time had stopped.

With an expression of disbelief, Sig gazed at Britia as she conversed with Leon.

“It’s not just a mood swing,” he thought.

Only the time around her seemed to move ever so slowly.

Why?

Sig’s eyes widened as he continued to stare at the blankly looking Britia.

Could it be that she not only has the ability to see and catch tails of a human, but also to stop time?

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