World's Best Protagonist [BL]

I stared at him like he had grown two heads, maybe three—and one of them was whispering the confessions of a century into my very shocked ears.

"What is it? What the hell do you mean by that?"

Claude didn’t flinch. Of course he didn’t. He could probably face a dragon and not blink. And yet, the words he had dropped—like a dagger casually tossed, hitting the apple above my head—had sliced through the air between us.

"You seemed to misunderstand me..." His eyes locked on mine again. "You were bothered when you believed I didn’t like you. I don’t buy your reason. So, I asked again. Why?"

His voice emphasized the last word. Seeing him look at me with an inescapable gaze, I gulped. I blurted out it was because of our friendship, but...how do I put it? How can I answer him honestly when I, myself, couldn’t be honest?

His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened for a moment. "Why? When you’re promised to someone already?"

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

And then I laughed. Not because it was funny. No. It was the laugh of a man short-circuiting.

"Promised—what now?" I sputtered. "Did I black out during an engagement ceremony or something? Did someone toss a ring at me while I was asleep?"

What the hell is he talking about?! Is he perhaps...sleep talking?

His gaze didn’t falter. His sharp features—chiselled jaw, sculpted cheekbones, those deadly dark eyes that always looked like they could slice someone in two or see straight through them—were fixed in that quiet, stormy intensity.

His brows were furrowed slightly, but not out of irritation. It was more like... conflict. Doubt. That rare crack in his stoic mask that showed a sliver of feeling behind it.

"You and Allen," he said finally. "You’re together."

It hit me like a cold splash of water. His voice didn’t even have a speck of doubt in it.

But... Me? Allen?

He looked away for a second, his jaw tightening.

"I did something I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have helped you... like that. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done that. It won’t happen again. Not when you were already with someone."

My jaw fell.

"So, you don’t need to force yourself to cleanse me. I don’t want to burden you or gnaw your conscience. I will endure it and be careful not to slip past level 90. I assure you."

My eyes twitched.

"I will let—"

My hands moved on their own, grabbed the captain’s collar, pulling him up a few inches from the floor. I was confused, then shocked, and now, irritated. Did he say he’d endured it, and if he can’t, what?

He’ll be a walking disaster!

"Don’t be ridiculous!" I shouted, voice pitching like a badly tuned instrument. "Me and Allen? Captain, are you serious?!"

Claude leaned a little closer, his arms straightened, and supported his upper body. His voice was quiet but firm, like someone reciting something they had rehearsed too many times.

"Am I wrong? I heard you—" he paused, nostrils flaring ever so slightly as if he remembered something unpleasant, "—talking."

My brain froze. Talking about what? With Allen?

"...when?" I muttered, the cogs in my head working to recall whatever he was talking about.

Claude eyed me suspiciously. God. I want to poke his eyes. Instead of answering me, he’d just stare like that?

Finally, after I enlarged my eyes at him, probing him to explain further because I was absolutely lost here, he explained what happened.

After he finished, my grip on his collar tightened, and I wanted to smack his head with mine. This is one of those times when eavesdropping doesn’t result in good things. But honestly, listening to his story made me cringe.

He exaggerated a lot, I swear.

"So, you avoided me because of that..." I muttered. Now, it was my time to ask, "Why?"

Claude narrowed his eyes. "Is your head empty, or are you just stupid? I’ve already told you that I don’t want to force you—"

"Did I say you’re forcing me?"

"Aren’t you acting like it every time I ask for it?"

"Because you’re stubborn? You’ll only rely on me once you’re almost at your limit! So, when it comes to you, I have to prepare myself or else I’ll end up in that state again. You don’t even know how embarrassed I was. I understand that Minders have to go through something like that, sometimes, but what the heck. I wasn’t prepared. I’m the one here who should be avoiding you!"

I huffed after that. Wow. I think that’s the longest speech I’ve ever given in years.

I let go of him, and had to lie down again, dramatically, face to the ceiling, because gravity was no longer cooperating with my life.

"I can’t imagine what you’re talking about..." I mumbled in a daze.

What did Allen say back then? He said that he wished for me to like him more than my books. Ah. Claude must have assumed that I like Allen already, and that Allen was just asking me to like him more.

I rubbed my temple because of a certain person, making it throb in utter frustration right now.

"So, you thought I was with Allen..."

"Yes," he said calmly, like it was the most reasonable deduction on this cursed earth. It doesn’t bother him?

"Captain’s a fool." He hissed at me. He had the guts to be angry now? "If you’re just going to eavesdrop on us, make sure to listen from the beginning and stay until the very end."

His nostrils flared. What was he upset about now?

"I do not eavesdrop. I was merely there to check on you both."

"Why are you being defensive then?" He grimaced. I sat up and shook my head. "Okay. Let’s stop fighting. Allen just asked me something, but it’s not about that. We’re not like that."

Claude blinked, and—if I wasn’t hallucinating—I saw the tiniest shift in his expression. His icy composure broke, and his mood somehow lifted. There was a subtle relief nestled in the corner of his eyes.

My heart skipped a beat. But then, it also sank when he spoke again.

"But he likes you, doesn’t he?"

My pupils shook. I couldn’t answer.