I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regressing - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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After My Regression, I Proposed to My Childhood Friend
Episode 39
Beatrice’s eyes narrowed as she listened to Claude’s words.
His tone—sharp and commanding in a way that didn’t suit him—left her utterly bewildered, as did his instruction to do nothing at all.
“What are you talking about? Do nothing? Are you being metaphorical or something?”
“No. I mean it literally. Just in case.”
Claude spoke in clipped tones, then added the specifics.
“From now on, don’t sit down, don’t touch anything. Just turn around and leave. I’ll open the door for you.”
……
He was desperately trying to get her out of this room.
‘And he didn’t even flinch when I told him about Baloa just now.’
The moment those details crystallized in her mind, a single conclusion dropped into Beatrice’s thoughts like a stone.
“……Did you already know?”
Her gaze sharpened, cutting through the air.
“The Advisor mentioned that you and the Crown Prince would be moving separately for a while, but he was oddly hesitant about explaining further.”
“That was……”
“This whole thing was a trap you set, knowing assassins would come for you, wasn’t it? And I just came running in like an idiot.”
At the barbed edge in her words, Claude drew a short breath and spoke.
“No, Beatrice. I didn’t confirm anything until you told me just now.”
“Sure you did.”
“I know it sounds like an excuse, but I’m telling you the truth. This was the most remote of the worst possibilities I’d considered.”
……
“Think about it. In the Marquis Territory, suddenly trying to assassinate the Crown Prince and the second son of House of Dalton with no justification whatsoever? Is there anything more stupid than that?”
His argument held enough weight that the crease between her brows softened slightly.
“……I suppose that’s true.”
“I was just preparing for any possibility. The timing makes it necessary.”
“Timing?”
“If I were our enemy, I’d strike now—when the Marquis and Alec are both away.”
He had a point there.
Though the Marquis had left full authority to his young son Cassian, that also meant their forces were scattered.
Relief washed over her, and Beatrice exhaled softly, muttering to herself.
“Nothing serious happened, and you already knew about it—that’s a relief at least. But really, if I’d known this was coming, I’d have stayed to hear the rest of what Baloa had to say.”
“What is it, darling? Did I worry you so much you came rushing over without thinking?”
“Stop teasing.”
Even at a distance, Beatrice instinctively lashed out with a kick.
Claude shook his head lightly at her, a faint smile crossing his face.
“No, actually. Thanks to what you told me, I’ve learned quite a lot. What move they were planning, and roughly when they’d make it. It’ll be much sooner than I expected.”
“Wait, you can figure that out?”
“If they’ve chosen the most foolish method of assassination among all their options, then what comes next is obvious. The game has already begun, and we’ve won this gamble.”
“A gamble…?”
Beatrice tilted her head at the unexpected word. A gamble required something to be wagered.
What they stood to gain was clear enough.
‘Thwart the Crown Princess’s plan and gather evidence before she can cover her tracks.’
Whether it was people, the scene itself, or physical proof.
That way, they could determine just how far the Crown Princess’s corrupted influence reached.
‘……But what are we wagering on our side?’
A vague chill settled over her skin.
Just as Beatrice resolved to ask about this, something black descended over her head.
……!
Her vision cut off abruptly, and her body went rigid in reflex.
“Wh—what—what is this?”
As her breath caught, the scent of woody bergamot lingered at her nose.
Only then did Beatrice realize what was covering her vision.
‘That’s the jacket Claude was wearing. Why would he suddenly……?’
The confusion was short-lived.
In place of sight, her ears suddenly sharpened—and caught the sharp metallic ring of impact. Someone was attacking Claude.
‘Wait, he did hint about an attack, but did they really show up this soon?’
The darkness outside the window hadn’t even fallen yet?
‘Actually, thinking about it, maybe this is supposed to catch them off guard.’
Even with scattered patrols, nightfall brought heightened vigilance.
At the feared scenario unfolding, Beatrice called out his name reflexively.
“Claude!”
“I’m fine.”
His low voice, reaching her ears from so close, calmed her racing nerves like the scent lingering at her nose.
He guided her gently into a corner, speaking as if nothing was amiss.
“Don’t look at anything. Just stay like this for a moment. It’ll be over soon. And……”
He seemed to hesitate, then gave her shoulder a gentle tap with his fist—a gesture.
It was something he used to do when offering an awkward apology as a child.
“I’m sorry in advance, and I’m asking you to overlook something. I never thought I’d actually need to use it.”
“……Overlook what?”
Say it clearly! What are you apologizing for?!
Before the conversation could finish, metal clashed again—this time from the direction of the window.
—Crash!
The sound of breaking glass came with multiple footsteps flooding into the room.
Beatrice pushed Claude’s cryptic words aside and focused on the sounds around her.
‘Two people… no, three? They really came prepared?’
Now she found herself torn.
Should she open the door and call for help, or stay still and wait?
‘But if I move to get help and something worse happens in the meantime, what then?’
Biting her lower lip slightly, Beatrice felt along the wall with her left hand.
If she recalled correctly, there was a decorative candlestick nearby that could serve as a weapon.
‘Come on, where is it…… Fine, a human life is at stake—what does propriety matter? I’ll take it off!’
She made her decision: she would pull the jacket off her head.
If Claude was in danger when she looked, she’d find a way to help, no matter what.
But the sight that greeted her when she peeked out from under the jacket was far different from what she’d imagined.
‘How is he fighting so well?’
Claude held a clear advantage against the multiple assassins.
While he couldn’t avoid every scratch, he alternated attack and defense with precision, steadily overwhelming his opponents.
The way he fought multiple opponents—not just competently, but with practiced ease—seemed strangely out of place.
‘The Claude I remember was someone far better with his mind than with a sword.’
True, Claude had always excelled in swordsmanship. He consistently ranked high in the Knights Order.
But what did that matter?
Most of the time, Beatrice had seen his sword used to retrieve her hat from a high branch.
‘Even when he sparred with Kaelyun, it never felt quite like this.’
She watched him fight—rough, erratic, unconventional.
—Ring! Clang!
The sharp sound of metal striking metal echoed through the room again and again.
As Beatrice studied the thin hidden blades that had skittered across the floor, she noticed something odd.
The assassins’ movements seemed sluggish for their profession.
‘……That’s strange. Assassins sent by her shouldn’t be this sloppy.’
And these weren’t ordinary targets either—they were after the direct heirs of House of Dalton and the Crown Prince.
‘And ignoring me like I’m invisible doesn’t make sense either.’
No assassin would bother with chivalry or conscience; they’d typically take an unarmed civilian hostage or quickly eliminate anyone in their way.
Or both.
Watching with growing suspicion, Beatrice soon understood why the assassins moved so slowly.
—A faint sizzling sound.
From somewhere very subtle……
“Ugh! Cough, cough!”
Several of the assassins began coughing up blood.
‘Poison? He used poison?’
In that instant, Claude’s reaction the moment she’d entered the room flashed back to her.
‘Don’t come in!’
‘Beatrice, stay there. And don’t do anything from this moment on.’
‘I’m sorry in advance, and I’m asking you to overlook something. I never thought I’d actually need to use it.’
Now she understood why he’d been so frantic, what he’d wanted her to overlook……
‘You crazy bastard—did you coat the entire room in poison?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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