World's Best Protagonist [BL]-Chapter 100: The Man Behind the Mask

The moment the double doors of the private chamber, where the buyer meets their acquired commodity, clanged shut, the chaos from the auction hall dulled to a distant hum.

However, Noir barely noticed it. His mind was still occupied by that voice—warm, deep, low as velvet and familiar in a way that made his heart stutter.

Not because of a good reason, but due to a dreadful one.

"You..." Noir whispered, his eyes still wide with disbelief. He cleared his throat after regaining his composure, then he replied with a bowed head, "You are mistaken, my lord. Addressing me in that way... I am just a mere commoner held captive in this house."

His back trickled with cold sweat. He racked his brain as he stood in front of the man, trying to search for a plausible explanation of how he was able to recognize him.

No living person knows that Noir is a guy. That is a secret that—everyone who assisted in his birth—had taken to their graves.

The man before him stepped back, the dim candle light glinting off his mask, the shade of amethyst catching the purple in Noir’s stunned gaze.

The stranger—no longer a stranger—watched him quietly, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. Then, with practiced grace, he removed it.

Noir’s breath hitched.

"I will never mistake you for anyone else, Your Highness," a voice filled with conviction and absolute admiration came from the man.

Noir’s pupils shook. He was cornered. He had no choice but to acknowledge the impossible.

"Duke Eugene... Lewellyn..." he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. Dread appeared slowly behind his wide eyes.

Eugene inclined his head. "It’s been a long time, Your Highness."

Noir flinched at the title, but before he could respond, Eugene turned sharply to his men, who stood at attention along the walls. With a curt flick of his hand and a glance that carried centuries of command, he signaled them to leave the room.

The Lewellyn knights, cloaked in the illusion of bodyguards, nodded in unison.

Without a word, they slipped silently out the doors like shadows preparing to dismantle the house that dared to cage their prince.

Moments later, the auction house trembled.

There was a dull explosion from above—followed by screaming, crashing wood, and panicked cries. The air grew tense, thick with smoke and chaos outside the walls.

Noir’s head whipped toward the door, alarmed.

"What is going on?" he demanded, trying to push past Eugene, but the duke extended a hand in front of him, shielding him instinctively.

"An overdue correction," Eugene said calmly, his eyes never leaving the door. "I’ll explain everything once we’re outside."

"But Etienne—!"

The duke’s eyes darkened for a bit. "Etienne who, Your Highness?" his voice dripped with danger.

Noir gulped. "He’s a friend! A companion. We were taken to this place together!"

Eugene inhaled sharply, still disliking the idea. Nonetheless, he replied politely, "Your companion is already being retrieved, Your Highness. I gave my men specific instructions to save all victims. No innocent will be left behind."

Noir looked at him, brows furrowed. "Why are you doing this? Why—how did you even know I was here?"

Eugene turned to face him fully. There was something in his eyes—a quiet intensity beneath that usual stillness, like a slow-burning fire hidden behind layers of frost.

"I did not know you were here, Your Highness. But I’ve been scouring every illegal auction house, brothel, capturing every slave trader and syndicates within and outside the kingdom after you disappeared," he said angrily, as if the memory of Noir’s kidnapping relived in his mind.

Noir faltered, caught between confusion and disbelief. "I never thought you’d do that. You, of all people, are the last person I expected to search for me."

"You wound me, Your Highness," Eugene replied quietly after a moment of silence.

Noir flinched, but there was no regret in his eyes. He had reason to believe that, and even after being rescued by him, he still couldn’t fully trust the man.

"I won’t apologize—"

Before Noir could finish, Eugene stepped forward, unfastened the thick fur-lined cloak around his shoulders, and without asking, swung it around Noir’s slender form.

The coat dwarfed him instantly, swallowing his frame in warmth.

"H-Hey—what are you—!?"

And then, without preamble, Eugene scooped him up.

"Put me down!" Noir protested, flailing against the duke’s chest. Astounded at the sudden turn of events. "I can walk!" ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"I’m sure you can," Eugene said, his voice low, almost amused. The hurt that flickered in his eyes after Noir blatantly showed his distrust had already vanished.

"But I have no intention of wasting time while the walls are coming down. And be still, Your Highness. This isn’t the first time I carried you like this anyway."

Noir’s face flushed after remembering that time he made a fool of himself in front of this very man.

"You’re infuriating—!"

"So I’ve been told."

Noir grumbled something inaudible, burying part of his face into the cloak to avoid the scent of smoke that lingered in the room, but it only disturbed his calm heart once more, after catching a whiff of the duke’s scent.

Eugene held him with care, arms steady, steps swift but never jostling. As he walked, Noir could not help but stare at his face, searching for any hint that could explain why the duke recognized him at first glance.

Pretending he wasn’t aware of the intense yet skeptical gaze of the prince, the corner of Eugene’s lips twitched, suppressing an amused smile. He knew Noir was losing his mind over thinking why he knew he was the missing Princess Eleanor.

Outside, the wind was sharp against the heat of the burning building.

The smoke plumed into the starlit sky, and soldiers stormed the Red House from all directions, dressed in silver-trimmed armor bearing the Lewellyn crest.

The nobles who once bid greedily were now bound and on their knees, facing a justice far more merciful than they deserved.

Noir shook his head at the sight. He recognized a few faces stripped of their mask. He knew those noblemen would only pay a hefty amount and still be able to roam around. His hand clenched on the cloak, anger and frustration flared in his eyes.

Eugene crossed the chaos like he didn’t belong to it. Amidst the disorder, he was calm, unshaken, and unstoppable.

Not far from the scene, a large, gold-plated carriage was parked under the large trees that hid the Red House from sight. Other carriages were parked from afar, but even those were taken by the knights.

The luxurious-looking carriage’s door was opened by a knight the moment Eugene approached. Inside, soft velvet seats and the scent of lavender welcomed them.

Gently, Eugene set Noir down, then slid in beside him. The door closed behind them with a soft click, muffling the sounds of destruction outside.

Noir sat in stunned silence, swallowed by the fur cloak, fingers clinging to the fabric.

"...What the hell just happened?" he asked quietly, his eyes lingering on the burning place beyond the carriage’s window. "How long has it been since I disappeared?"

Eugene’s expression softened, just slightly. "It’s been six months," he said matter-of-factly. "The king had declared you dead after three months of searching. But I refuse to believe it until I see your body."

"You’ve...been searching for me? Seriously?"

Eugene captured Noir’s hands with his and tugged on them lightly. "What made you think I won’t search for you?"

Noir was rendered speechless. Will he tell him his suspicions? His paranoid beliefs?

In the end, Noir abandoned the idea and just pulled his hands back. He stared at Eugene intently and asked, "How...did you know it was me? I mean... Do you see me now? Do you recognize what I—"

"I see the person I spent half of my childhood with," Eugene replied, his lips curved into a small, nostalgic smile.

Noir thought he was finished, but then the guy continued.

"The person I’ve been writing to during my studies. The person who always walked with me under the shade of the moonlight at every banquet, under the light of the street lamp in our little rendezvous, with a smile that shines brighter than the stars, yet eyes that beheld dangerous secrets."

Eugene leaned forward, his face inching closer to Noir. His eyes never abandon those purple orbs, letting himself drown in those pools of mixed emotions.

"I see nothing else, except you, Your Highness."

Noir caught his breath. Eugene stared at him like he was the only thing he could see. He couldn’t take it, so he looked away. Only then was he finally able to breathe again.

"So, you knew all along," Noir replied sharply.

Eugene remained silent.

Noir sneered, "Do you know what happens to people who learn of this massive secret? Killed. Murdered. Buried in a place no one else could ever find."

Noir had no clue how all those things happened. He only knew that his mother ordered everyone present at his birth to be killed.

Then, growing up, the people he met who accidentally or intentionally learned of his true gender disappeared before the light of the next day cast on them.

Eugene displayed an enigmatic smirk on his face. "I do know, Your Highness. I know everything."