ECPK 12

Chapter 12

As Taeri’s unexpected surge of passion took hold, a will that hadn’t existed before ignited within Claude as well.

“Your luck is impressive, Brigitte Dewey. You were about to lose your head today—be grateful the princess saved your worthless life.”

“What the hell are you talking about, you lunatic?”

“If you’re part of the princess’s childhood memories, then your head should stay attached to your neck. Unfortunately.”

“What memories? The only thing I remember is standing in the very back row, staring at the back of her head.”

“Exactly. Isn’t that something you should treasure for life? It saved you today.”

“Oh, really? Then you—who don’t even have scraps of that memory—are the one destined to drop dead here today, aren’t you? You sword-brained thug—watch your own neck. Got it?!”

As the two clashed, their killing intent spread through the room, freezing the atmosphere all over again.

It wasn’t just that they didn’t get along—

They looked like they genuinely wanted each other dead.

Even though it was only words, the fight felt as if blood would spill at any moment.

Ignoring Bridget’s provocation with a low chuckle, Claude glanced at Taeri, who stood awkwardly between them—

Then suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and subtly pulled her closer.

And right in front of Bridget, he calmly exposed her past.

“Princess, don’t let old sentiment cloud your judgment and associate with someone like this. She’s a dangerous criminal who has interfered with me at every turn—and has attempted to poison me multiple times.”

“…Bridget, you poisoned him?”

Taeri stared in shock.

She had thought the earlier threat about “dealing with him” was just angry bluffing—

But she had actually tried to poison the protagonist?

“How dare you try to drive a wedge between friends when you can’t even function as a man?”

Bridget immediately bristled like a feral beast—

But she didn’t deny it.

Instead, she grinned wide—almost like a joker—and admitted it proudly.

“Yeah, I did. He pissed me off. Isn’t it natural to hate seeing someone you dislike doing well? I told him to drink it and die! A eunuch has no right to have anything in our land. Got it?”

It was… impressive.

At once admirable and concerning.

She clearly wasn’t the type to ever back down.

But her opponent was the protagonist of this world.

In the end, no matter how much she fought, she would lose.

Taeri found herself worried.

“J-Just… maybe don’t do that.”

“I already did.”

“I mean from now on.”

“It’s fine, no need to be scared. I just gave that punk a gift of tea.”

“Yes, she sent me tea. Carefully packaged—with poison inside.”

“See? That’s all. Nothing special. There are countless deadly poisons in the world. If you’re weak, you die—that’s life, isn’t it? If you drink it and can’t endure, you die. That’s not my fault. It’s your fault for being too weak. You should’ve been stronger.”

What kind of dangerous worldview was that?

But to the two of them, baring their teeth at each other, it seemed perfectly natural.

And Claude—shockingly—spoke of it almost proudly.

“There’s no need for concern. I drank all the poison she sent—and overcame it. There were times I had fever and weakness, but it never lasted more than three days. It was barely more than an itch.”

“That means… you almost died several times.”

“Is that so?”

“You should be alarmed!”

What kind of achievement is surviving after chugging poison?!

Why was he saying it like a heroic tale?

Still, it clearly provoked Bridget.

Clenching her teeth, she snapped back at Claude, who wore his survival like a trophy.

“You’re acting all proud just because you survived a few times—just wait. Some of the things I gave you have long incubation periods. You’ll end up sickly and miserable, and you’ll learn just how painful it is to live like that!”

“What a pointless obsession.”

“What do you mean pointless?! If you’re a mage, you resist oppression—you don’t submit! Fine, go ahead and live. Don’t die. I’ll make sure to finish you off with my own hands.”

A torrent of curses poured down like a waterfall.

Claude ignored all of it and turned back to Taeri, speaking smoothly as if reporting.

“Did you hear that? Now you understand why you shouldn’t associate with her. Her identity is also suspicious. For a teahouse owner, she knows far too much about poison… I should have searched that shop. Though, I suppose there’s no need now that it’s been ruined.”

It almost felt like a silent “haha” trailed his words.

Taeri couldn’t help but sigh—he really knew how to provoke people.

But his sharp perception stood out.

Poison and medicine were often separated by the finest line.

If left alone, Bridget could very well grow into something like a plague doctor—her knowledge of poison was a significant clue about her.

Claude once again tried to strictly distance Taeri from her.

“Please don’t associate with that poison-spitting nuisance.”

“HEY! Who are you calling poison-spitting?!”

The argument reignited instantly.

At this rate, it felt like they’d start fighting right there.

So Taeri quickly grabbed Claude’s sleeve tightly to stop him from moving.

“Please. Don’t provoke Bridget too much.”

“I always try not to. She’s the one who doesn’t cooperate. But since you insist, I’ll be more careful.”

He answered properly—

But the meaning underneath was obvious:

I try to be nice, but she keeps making me the bad guy.

As if they weren’t equally at fault.

Taeri quickly shifted tactics.

Instead of stopping him directly, she redirected the conversation.

“I should’ve said this earlier—thank you for helping me.”

Even if he was stirring trouble now, earlier Claude had resolved the situation instantly by driving out the men.

It wasn’t just manners—it was sharp judgment.

If he had sided with them, today’s incident could have escalated into a full conflict between locals and outsiders.

If she didn’t want war, she couldn’t let things escalate.

And she didn’t.

“I didn’t intend to cause a scene. I don’t feel sorry for those rude men, but I do regret that things got out of hand. And the floor… I’ll compensate for it somehow.”

“No need. Leave it. Those arrogant fools will fix it themselves. I don’t wish to do anything on their behalf, but I will apologize on behalf of Valoran.”

As part of that apology, Claude offered to drag those men back within ten minutes if she wanted further punishment.

“Disrespecting royalty is not a light offense.”

Royal dignity…

Thinking back, it had been an insulting situation.

If she were the real princess, it would have been emotionally devastating.

But Taeri wasn’t.

She had prepared herself for this the moment she stepped outside.

Respect only existed within the hotel.

Out here—it wasn’t guaranteed.

Status wasn’t absolute for a princess already in decline.

I should conserve my emotions more.

This was only the beginning.

If she kept reacting impulsively like this, she’d only delay reaching the ending.

So she declined.

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ve warned them enough. Still… thank you for apologizing.”

Even so, the apology she hadn’t expected touched her a little.

He’s really kind.

She said it honestly.

After all, he was the protagonist.

But—

The expressions of the two people who overheard her were… strange.

Kind? Me?

Claude froze, mentally counting how many years it had been since he’d heard something so pure.

Meanwhile, Bridget exploded.

“Are you insane? What part of him is kind?! He casually spits out things that destroy human dignity! Maybe not garbage—but his mouth’s at least full of filth! And why does this psycho keep acting all nice in front of you?!”

She demanded he show his true, rotten nature—

But Claude simply responded calmly.

“Mercy is a noble virtue. Too precious to waste on cheap people. If something like this happens again, don’t force yourself to endure it—just act as you wish.”

Claude couldn’t agree with being called kind.

He had a conscience, after all.

But—

Did he need to go out of his way to deny it?

Not really.

If someone saw him in a good light, he wasn’t particularly eager to ruin it.

For some reason, his shoulders straightened just a little.

“So… I can act like this again?”

“If that’s what you wish.”

“No, I don’t plan on causing that much trouble in public…”

She had expected him to tell her to hold back—

Not to do even more.