Chapter 13
Was she telling him to kill them or to spare them? Taeri could at least catch a glimpse of Claude’s true nature—the side that Bridget had tried to provoke out of him.
“You really are a mood-driven tsundere, aren’t you?”
As expected, tsunderes were prone to mood swings. The combination of these two traits in him wasn’t surprising—it actually fit perfectly.
“I’ll remember that.”
Even though she received it without any politeness or niceties, the mood-driven tsundere smiled in satisfaction.
He flicked his hand at someone nearby, giving a subtle instruction. The person wasn’t a staff member or an official of any kind, yet everything was carried out smoothly, without a hitch.
“Right away, Your Grace.”
Curious, she followed as Claude had requested a private meeting.
“May I have a moment of your time?”
“Oh, of course. Certainly.”
“We’ve prepared a separate room. Shall we move there?”
“Yes.”
Since it would be uncomfortable to converse in a wide, open space, Taeri comfortably rested her hand on the arm Claude offered.
All around them, people watched with curiosity as the young man and woman disappeared into a private space—until Bridget, practically a living volcano of fury, crashed through the scene.
“Are you crazy? Who knows what he might do? And you’re sneaking off alone?”
She grabbed Taeri’s other wrist, pulling her back as if to prevent them from being alone together. Claude, showing irritation for the first time, forcefully removed her hand.
“Don’t interfere so much.”
“You’re the one interfering! She’s my friend! Not your princess—our princess! How dare you try to snatch her away in front of me, even if you’ve got guts? Do you really want to die today? Think I won’t do it? I’m a person who sees nothing in front of me!”
“I already knew you’d see nothing. But it seems your mind isn’t sound, and your judgment is poor. The princess belongs to no one.”
Then, he suddenly pulled Taeri’s arm toward himself, leaving her dangling between the two of them.
“Stop making this tiring and just back off.”
“Let go of her hand already.”
“I won’t do anything that’s disrespectful to the princess.”
“How can I believe a man’s words? Even if you’re supposedly a eunuch.”
“I’ve told you several times—I am a fully functional adult male. There is nothing wrong with me physically.”
“Hmph. Then go ahead and cut off those ‘perfect’ limbs of yours.”
“Are you her guardian? Why are you stopping her?”
“Would you let him meet her?”
“What’s lacking in me?”
“Plenty! How dare some punk from the neighboring town lay eyes on our princess? Are you kidding me? Hands off, now!”
Taeri wondered why they were behaving so childishly. She made it very clear that being caught between their bickering was extremely uncomfortable.
In life, one encounters many strange situations, but she hadn’t expected someone to fight over her like a prized possession.
Yet this wasn’t thrilling—it was painful. Trying to twist both her arms free, she found herself in the middle of a silent but fierce staring contest with Bridget, who ground her teeth and shouted:
“Pick me, damn it!”
Pick… what?
Why were these two giant whales fighting over a tiny, helpless shrimp like her?
She sent a desperate look to Claude, but the “whale” didn’t seem to care at all.
“Not a bad approach. Teach that crazy woman her place and get her to back off.”
…Wow. Truly, the protagonist of this world was barely any help at all.
By now, the wine bar was no longer filled with fear, the atmosphere she had carefully set aside completely gone, replaced by an audience full of excitement.
Both of them were the type who could not admit defeat—no matter who Taeri chose, the result would likely be a minefield.
Realizing this, she wanted to shout from where she stood:
Ah, please, just get along…
“No need for a nanny.”
Claude watched with his arms crossed as the princess spoke earnestly to Bridget, attempting to persuade her.
He noticed her slipping gold coins into Bridget’s hands, soothing her restless back, and gently calming her until finally, she relented.
Once Bridget released Taeri’s wrist, Claude immediately took her by the arm and led her toward the room.
Bridget stomped her feet, following closely, unable to stop them this time, and Claude felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
What was this feeling? It wasn’t just winning…
Was it pride in protecting the princess from someone utterly unreasonable? Or the thrill of finally getting what he wanted? Not quite.
Just as the room became completely isolated, cutting off the outside world, he cleared his mind and spoke the most urgent words first.
“I am…”
“…?”
“I am not a eunuch.”
I am not a eunuch.
Insane.
This was madness.
After blurting out the raw statement, Claude immediately regretted it, cursing himself internally.
You fool. Couldn’t you have phrased that better? Some refined wording, some polite expression… Why did it have to come out like that?
Unable to bite his tongue, he bit his lips tightly instead.
“You don’t need to clarify that.”
“I’m a normal—”
“No, no, I mean, don’t worry. I already know it’s not true. Of course not. You must have suffered from the ridiculous rumor. The world could split in two, and I would still believe the governor is a fully functional male. So there’s no need to worry.”
Even those around them seemed to question, ‘Are you…?’ but the princess showed no doubt, promising absolute trust.
Claude hesitated, unsure whether to be thankful that she trusted him so completely—or to sarcastically remark that she must think he was pathetic. Regardless, he felt a wave of relief.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the princess smiled lightly, then turned her back and began examining the room.
Why is she so fearless?
She trusted him easily and freely, showing her back without hesitation. Claude could only think that she had no idea of the danger he posed.
At this point, the only thing he could be sure of was that he was someone who could easily harm the princess if he wished—and had every reason to do so.
If she regained her composure, he would be left like a dog chasing a chicken, empty-handed.
Just as he was about to let a flimsy plan unfold, her calm, clear voice broke through his thoughts:
“You knew I was here, didn’t you?”
She had taken a seat at a table near the window, gesturing for him to sit.
“Were you worried I might do something suspicious? In the end, it was fortunate the governor came.”
Obediently sitting as instructed, Claude felt a pang of guilt. Though she had peeked into his thoughts, her gaze was as calm and steady as a gentle breeze.
“If that was the result, then it’s fine.”
“You must be bad at lying. Honest people tend to be good people, you know.”
Why was she calling him a good person? Even though he had just been thinking of doing something bad to her…
Annoyed at his own fluttering heart, he decided to tease her slightly.
“You think I’m honest, so are you expecting a fair fight?”
“No. I have no intention to fight.”
“I may be an incredible fraud. Behind a neat façade, I might hide terrible secrets. My personality could be filthy, my character utterly despicable… actually, it is.”
Though he had warned her to be afraid, she remained unfazed. Instead, she offered advice:
“If you want to be a bad person, you shouldn’t casually reveal such serious secrets. I’d never tell. I’d hide it, never showing anyone or hinting at it.”
“Do you have a secret?”
Feeling there might be one, he asked. She scrunched her nose cutely, a faint bitter smile appearing at the corner of her eyes.
“No. I should say no.”
Her response left him wondering which was the truth. Claude fell silent, his expression growing even more serious.
Meanwhile, the princess examined the wine and snacks on the table, taking a cookie and crunching it, slicing a cake with a fork and eating it enthusiastically.
She nibbled this, then that, sipped wine, and finished it all with remarkable skill, like a squirrel nibbling acorns. Claude stared, and sensing his gaze, she tilted her head, pushing the dessert basket toward him.
“Do you want some?”
He hadn’t particularly wanted it, but the sweet smell of chocolate was irresistible today. Only now did he realize he had been fasting all this time, having rushed over in a hurry after skipping breakfast.
Unable to refuse, he picked the smallest piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. Chewing, he made a face.
‘Tastes awful.’
The chocolate had dried fruit and alcohol inside. Unable to drink alcohol, he had to swallow it quickly.
Is this supposed to be good?
Even the hotel’s food was hardly better. Claude realized anew that it would be difficult for the princess to live comfortably here.
