Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 496

Chapter 496: ’Didn’t You?’

Florian stopped dead in his tracks, his boots scraping lightly against the polished floor. His body went rigid, as if the air itself had seized around him.

"What?" His voice came out sharper than intended, a mix of disbelief and confusion.

’I must’ve misheard. There’s no way...’

Heinz, who had been walking a step ahead, halted as well. He turned his head slightly, his profile bathed in the sunlight. There was no hesitation in his tone, no sign of jest or weight. Just a calm, casual statement.

"I said I just missed you. We’ve been so busy today, I have not seen you. So I came to fetch you myself."

The words landed heavier than they were spoken.

Florian’s brows furrowed, his emerald eyes narrowing as if trying to decipher the meaning hidden behind such a simple declaration. His heart was pounding against his ribs, loud enough that he swore Heinz might hear it.

’He... missed me?’

The thought repeated in his head, looping until it felt absurd. His throat tightened, and his lips parted as if to reply, but nothing came out. He could only stare at Heinz, utterly thrown off balance.

Does he even know what that means? Or is he just saying it so lightly, without thought?

His fingers twitched at his sides, the urge to reach for something—anything—to ground himself almost overwhelming.

He forced in a slow breath, trying to settle the swirl of emotions.

And they were all tangled together until he didn’t know what to feel.

Heinz, on the other hand, was composed as ever.

He tilted his head faintly, his crimson gaze settling on Florian with calm detachment, as though he hadn’t just said something that shattered the silence like a thunderclap.

Florian swallowed hard, forcing himself to break free from the haze that clouded his mind. His chest felt tight, his thoughts a tangled mess, but he refused to let it show.

Straightening his back, he gave a small nod as if acknowledging Heinz’s words, then pushed one foot forward, the sound of his boot tapping against stone anchoring him in the present.

"...I see." His tone was quiet—carefully measured, like a blade dulled just enough to mask its edge. He exhaled slowly, brushing off the weight of what had just been said. "Well then... let’s keep walking." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Heinz studied him for a moment longer, gaze lingering like a shadow that refused to lift.

But when Florian continued on, his steps steady despite the faint stiffness in his shoulders, the king followed.

The two of them moved side by side down the long corridor, sunlight streaming through tall arched windows, casting golden bars of light across the polished stone floor. T

heir boots echoed softly in tandem, the sound strangely hollow against the high walls, as though the silence between them demanded to be filled.

Florian clenched his jaw, then forced himself to speak, if only to scatter the tension that threatened to choke him. "By the way, Your Majesty... did Drizelous already do your final fitting for tomorrow?"

Heinz blinked, the sudden shift in topic breaking through his calm exterior. His crimson eyes narrowed faintly, as if assessing Florian’s intent, though his composure remained unshaken.

"...Yes. He saw to it yesterday."

"Oh. That’s good." Florian offered a polite smile, but his words came too quickly, too light. He didn’t notice the flicker in Heinz’s gaze, a sharpness like tempered steel hidden beneath velvet.

There was a pause. Then Heinz’s voice cut through the quiet, low and steady. "And you? Are you excited? Tomorrow is your birthday, after all. Your ball."

Florian stiffened, his steps faltering for half a beat.

’Well, the original Florian’s birthday.’

He turned his head, eyes flicking toward Heinz in surprise. There was a softness there—a warmth buried beneath the king’s usual restraint—and it left Florian momentarily unmoored.

"...Yes," he murmured, the hesitation fading as his lips curved into a small, genuine smile. "I’m... actually looking forward to it. It’ll be a nice change of pace."

Especially since tomorrow, he would finally see the original Florian’s family.

Heinz’s gaze lingered on him, unreadable, but there was a subtle shift in his expression. His words carried a trace of something gentler, warmer than before.

"I’m glad to hear that."

The silence that followed was heavier than before, an invisible weight pressing down between them. Neither spoke, and in the stillness, Florian’s fleeting smile faltered.

His mind refused to quiet, his thoughts circling endlessly like restless birds.

’This is all Scarlett’s fault... she’s the one who planted such ridiculous ideas in my head. And now Heinz says something like that, completely out of nowhere. What am I supposed to do with that?’

His brows furrowed slightly, though he kept his gaze fixed ahead, forcing his steps to remain steady even as tension coiled through his body.

Every stride felt measured, deliberate, like he was walking across thin glass.

’Why did he even come fetch me himself? He still hasn’t said the real reason...’

’W-what—what is he doing?’

’H-he’s... kissing me?!’

’Why so suddenly?’

Before Florian could even gather his breath, he was shoved back. His spine struck the cold stone wall with a muted thud, the shock jolting through his frame.

’I have to push him away.’

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