World's Best Protagonist [BL]-Chapter 113: Unnamed Feeling

[Jade’s POV]

The wind bit hard up north. Sharper than I expected. Like everything in this place was made to cut deeper—the air, the silence, the stares.

Yup. It was the opposite of the town in the east, where we had our little adventure.

The temperature was colder, as expected of most northern areas, in reality and in books.

I subtly recalled a few Rofan books I read before, and the majority of them had these male leads residing in the northern dukedom, with a personality and background as cold and ruthless as the heavy snow.

Which section did I pick in Noir’s book again? If it’s the romance genre, then I can be absolutely certain that Noir’s being pampered in the duke’s mansion right now.

Or could be locked in a dungeon. I forgot he was a princess. If no one recognized him, then he could just be rescued and let go, but if someone did, he could be in the palace, dolling up again, or inside an underground cell.

Which one is it?

And what about Etienne? Etienne worries me the most.

"Stop daydreaming and move."

I scowled. He pushed me from the back lightly, so I had no choice but to step ahead, finally leaving the shadows of the narrow alley.

Claude and I moved through the streets like ghosts. Or at least, I did. While my companion?

He walked like he owned the ground we stepped on. Back straight, head high, the sort of presence that dragged every eye in the street without even trying. It annoyed me. Or maybe it didn’t.

I don’t know. I was cold. Maybe it was that.

"Captain, let’s go over there."

I pointed at the small clothing boutique I spotted. It didn’t scream nobility, but it still looked expensive enough to sell things that wouldn’t fall apart in the rain. We needed new clothes, since the northern residents seemed to be more conscious of our unique presence and clothing.

Besides, I’ve been wearing this same outfit for four days already.

I paused. Then, I mumbled, dazedly, "It’s been four days..."

"So, let’s finish this up quickly."

Cladue went past me and headed to the store first. I followed. My mind wandered to Terrius, Allen, and Lexie. Are they holding back the monster fine? What if something happens?

I used to not ponder over these silly and negative thoughts, but now, it has become normal. I sighed and opened the door again after failing to catch up to Claude when he entered.

Normally, in this kind of setting, shouldn’t someone from the shop welcome their customer warmly, no? In my case, I was left feeling empty. Like there was literally no one who came to greet me because they were all circling a certain person whose face was filled with restrained irritation.

The captain was scowling, but the ladies were all blind. Their eyes just sparkled as they dreamily gawked at Claude.

I frowned and waited for him to notice me, but when he did not, it irked me, so I looked away and walked in the opposite direction.

Inside, it smelled like old wood and lavender sachets. Warm. Comfortable.

I could’ve fallen asleep if not for the three girls near the counter who took one look at Claude and started doing what girls always did around him—giggling, whispering, tossing their hair like a gust of wind had suddenly swept through.

"Is he a knight?"

"Look at those eyes—it’s so sharp and domineering. The kind of eyes that look hot when they stare at you underneath him~."

The two girls squealed impishly at the third girl’s comments. They fanned themselves and laughed at each other afterward.

"But he looks annoyed right now. What do we do?"

No shit—I thought, glaring at a coat rack like it had personally offended me. But wait, did we enter the wrong shop? All the displays I’ve seen so far were for women. I scratched the back of my head and tried to approach Claude, but I was beaten to it by the three ladies giggling earlier.

Now, there were at least six or more ladies crowding him. Wow. Am I invisible? Or do I look like a squid?

Claude just stood there like he was an obstacle pole the ladies were trying to climb. His scowl frozen, but his eyes were moving left and right, probably searching for me.

I stared at him, silently observing if he was being threatened by a dagger at an angle I couldn’t see, since he wasn’t pushing the girls away like he usually does. He looked uncomfortable, but he wasn’t doing anything.

My brows furrowed. He did have a very bad history with a woman, but he didn’t look like he was reliving that trauma. Is he perhaps...just trying to be polite?

I turned away with a frown. That guy rarely acted respectfully toward me, but now...hmph. Let him be. I’m doing the shopping myself.

I started browsing the clothes further away from the flirting group when a timid voice drew my attention.

"Excuse me," said a young woman, clearly a sales assistant, holding a measuring tape like it might bite her. "Would you...um... may I get your measurements? I can help you find something that fits better."

I blinked at her.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure. Gladly."

She stepped closer, face reddening as she wrapped the tape around my shoulders, her fingers brushing my arm. I didn’t think much of it.

"I thought this shop didn’t sell men’s clothes. All I see are dresses."

"Ah...it’s because we rarely get male customers, so we decided to focus on bringing more females instead. But we still serve if a man enters and looks for something to wear. Although our men’s clothes weren’t as updated as the trends these days... Will that be okay?"

"Sure. We only need something to change into, preferably comfortable ones that don’t get too much attention..., and a bit cheaper but sturdy."

The young sales assistant smiled at me shyly, "Then, you entered the right shop, mister. But you said ’we’, are you perhaps with someone?"

"Yes. The guy over there." I jerked my head in the group’s direction, my eyes did not leave the sales assistant’s face, so I quickly noticed her flustered and averted her head instantly.

I followed where she was gazing before, only to scare myself after finding those sharp, piercing eyes directed at me. My back shuddered at the intensity.

I tried to act cool and barely raised my brow, questioning his deathly glares. Claude finally moved. He stepped forward without shoving the girls away, but also without sparing them a glance.

Their heads just reached below his armpits, so he was like Moses parting the sea, and the girls were the water. They stepped aside, sensing the change in Claude’s demeanor.

He walked to me, glowering.

Not subtly, either. That bastard was angry. Like the measuring tape had offended him. Like the salesgirl had just suggested stabbing me instead of dressing me.

What the hell was he mad about? He looked at me accusingly, like I was the one who ordered those girls to flirt with him. He was mad that I didn’t do anything.

Well, he’s a fucking grown man. If he didn’t want that attention, he should have left instead! Why blame me for that short misery he experienced?!

I fumed inside. The right word to name this feeling was poking me in the head, but I slapped it away.

"What’s with that face?" I hissed, eyebrows raised, trying to conceal that unwanted emotion.

He scoffed. "Nothing."

"Right," I said, voice flat.

The girl blinked at us, clearly uncomfortable. I ignored it and leaned closer, dropping my voice just above a whisper. "You wouldn’t happen to know a place where... travelers can get information, would you?"

She hesitated.

I gave her a small, reassuring smile. She was going to answer me when we were both startled by Claude’s grabbing the back of my collar and pulling me away so suddenly.

The curse words I was about to shout to him were caught in my throat when he looked down at me with a darkened gaze, sharp and heavy. I gulped as I witnessed the fire in his eyes burn brutally, like he was ready to devour me for doing something I absolutely had no idea what.

My frustration, irritation, and whatever I was feeling could not compare to those pools of intense emotions dancing in his fiery eyes, so I just swallowed my words and stayed silent. This is the first time I was silenced by the captain’s eyes alone.

Claude turned to the sales assistant, his hand moved from my collar to my lower back, pinning me in my spot. I heard him talk with the lady, but their conversation did not register in my head because of that hand.

The next thing I knew, Claude was guiding me in the changing room. I turned to him before I entered, ready to tell him to wait outside, but he nudged my body inside, stepped in, and then locked the door behind him.

I gaped. "I can dress myself..."

"You’re not familiar with this world’s clothes, so I’ll help you. Take off your uniform."

He gave me that look that if I complained once more, he’d be the one undressing me.