Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 292: An Audience with the King

Unlike Sylas, who exuded overwhelming confidence, Rocco was not fearless.

He did not want to be labeled as disrespectful to the King.

Just the thought of it made him tremble.

And so, they finally arrived at the King’s office.

Rocco had expected an audience with the King to take place in a grand, open hall—perhaps the throne room.

But it seemed today was an exception.

Apparently, his father had preemptively threatened the King with, "Are you seriously planning to make Rocco kneel for hours? How dare you, you insolent fool?"

Completely outrageous.

"Rocco, just keep the greetings brief and sit down immediately. You’ll get dizzy if you stand for too long."

"Mmm... No, Brother! We’re meeting the King! I have to stand properly!" freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Since when did he become that weak?

Then again...

Thinking back, the original Rocco Di Malvento was depicted as somewhat frail in the story.

Although the current Rocco was actually in great health, the problem lay in the fact that the people around him were all stamina freaks.

Compared to them, his average physical endurance was interpreted as frail, leading to this frustrating treatment.

Another reason for this perception was that the people surrounding him rarely—if ever—got sick.

Meanwhile, Rocco caught colds quite regularly.

To those who had never experienced even a mild fever, he probably seemed ridiculously weak.

"Mmm, grr..."

Still, he was a proud member of the Di Malvento family! He refused to be treated as some excessively delicate character!

Feeling determined, he took several steps forward on his own two feet, then came to a stop and turned around with a smug expression.

See? I can walk just fine!

Yet, for some reason, the three people behind him all gasped dramatically while clutching their chests like they had been struck.

The next thing he knew, he was being thoroughly patted on the head with praise like, "Good boy, such a smart little genius!"

But... why?

Somehow, it felt like they were mocking him instead of complimenting him...

Slightly puffing his cheeks in frustration, Rocco arrived at the grand doors leading to the King’s office.

The two bulky guards stood on either side.

He giving them a polite nod and greeted them with a cheerful "Hello!"

Their stern expressions momentarily softened, their faces turning the faintest shade of red.

Amused by their unexpected reaction, Rocco grinned.

"Rocco, there is no need to bow to mere guards."

"Hm? You’re wrong! It’s called manners! Greeting people is just common courtesy!"

Sylas had been watching him with clear disapproval ever since they had entered the palace.

Rocco had noticed, but he wasn’t sure what had irritated him so much.

Now, he understood—Sylas disliked the fact that Rocco, someone of high status, was lowering his head to those beneath him.

Classic mafia mentality.

Hierarchy was everything to them.

But Rocco was originally someone from Earth—he valued etiquette and politeness.

And when it came to his personal rules on manners, he wouldn’t budge.

Was it really so wrong to say good morning to a couple of guards?

"Hmph... Rocco is so kind, offering his angelic greetings to mere humans for free."

"Rocco’s smile isn’t something just anyone should get to see. Those guys don’t know how lucky they are."

...Who were these devils?

Rocco blinked his eyes in disbelief at their absurd conversation.

Sylas’s words, in particular, made him sound like some kind of dark overlord.

Did he really just call people humans like he wasn’t one himself?

As for Laxus... well, this was just Laxus being Laxus. Not worth questioning.

"Enough with that stupid nonsense. Let’s go already."

"Rocco called me a stupid! He scolded me! This is the best day of my life!"

"So cute. Look at how he puffs out his cheeks when he’s sulking—just like an angel."

They clearly weren’t remorseful at all.

Feeling annoyed, Rocco turned his back on them with a huff, his cheeks still puffed up as he stomped forward.

Whatever.

Let’s just get this stupid audience over with so I can go home.

"Well, what a gathering we have here. Haha... Please, be seated. Make yourselves comfortable."

There was a hint of nervous politeness in the voice that had just spoken.

It might be hard to believe, but those words had come from none other than the most powerful man in the kingdom—the King himself.

Given the situation, it was understandable.

With the heirs of the two major mafia families and the head of the Di Malvento family gathered in one place...

For a naturally anxious king, this was nothing short of a nightmare.

Feeling a little bit sorry for the King, Rocco abandoned all sense of formality and weaved his way through the three people who are standing stiffly behind him.

Without hesitation, he trotted forward, making his way to the King.

A voices called out from behind, urging him to stop, but he paid them no mind.

Reaching the center of the room, he flashed a bright, beaming smile.

"Your Majesty, good day to you!"

His greeting was lighthearted and warm, causing the King to stare at him blankly for a few seconds.

Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the King wiped away his dumbfounded expression and replaced it with a soft smile—one that resembled that of a kindly uncle.

"Ah, so you’re the famous second son of the Di Malvento family. You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you... Ahem! Well, at the very least, you’ve become even more charming."

The obvious attempt to be considerate nearly made Rocco burst into tears on the spot.

The last time the King had seen him must have been during the custody dispute years ago.

But even after all that time, he still hadn’t grown enough for the King to pretend he had?

That was just too cruel.

His shoulders slumped in disappointment as he trudged back to where the others were.

He shouldn’t have bothered trying to be polite.

He should’ve just stayed hidden behind everyone else.