Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 218: ’Looking For Medication’

"Aden."

Florian stiffened at the sound of the chief’s voice. He turned sharply, finding Augustus stepping out of Leila’s house, his old face lined with concern. The dim torchlight cast long shadows over his features, making the deep wrinkles on his forehead seem even more pronounced.

Florian’s heart pounded against his ribs.

’Crap.’

"C-Chief..." His voice stuttered slightly as he instinctively took a step back, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. "What are you doing out? How’s Leila?"

Before Augustus could answer, another voice cut in—this one sharp, unimpressed.

"You’re asking him why he came out? You and your aide practically ran out of there."

Florian turned to see Kane, the chief’s nephew, following closely behind. His expression was as harsh as ever, his narrowed eyes filled with suspicion.

"Kane," Augustus said in a weary, scolding tone before shifting his attention back to Florian. "How are you feeling, Aden? Did... the food we prepared make you feel sick?"

Florian’s stomach twisted, but he forced himself to shake his head. "No! No... uh, actually..." He hesitated for a fraction of a second before blurting out the best excuse he could think of. "I’m allergic to meat."

A beat of silence. Both Augustus and Kane looked mildly surprised.

"Allergic to meat?" Augustus repeated, his voice carrying a note of disbelief.

Florian nodded quickly. "Yes. It’s... unfortunate, but I still eat it. I just need my medication afterward."

Kane’s eyes sharpened, his lips pressing into a thin line. "And where’s that arcanior of yours?"

"He went to get my medication," Florian replied smoothly, meeting Kane’s gaze with a carefully neutral expression.

Kane didn’t look convinced. His stare remained hard and probing, laced with thinly veiled hostility. Florian could practically hear the unspoken accusation in his silence.

’Yeah, yeah. I get it. You don’t trust me. Big surprise. I already got a lot of that from Heinz.’

Augustus, however, only sighed, his expression softening with sympathy. "My apologies. We weren’t aware of your circumstances."

"Why should you apologize, uncle? It’s not our fault," Kane muttered, crossing his arms.

Florian could feel the tension thickening in the air, pressing against his skin. He needed to steer this conversation away before Kane’s suspicions got worse.

"No, no. He’s right," Florian interjected, forcing an easy, reassuring smile. "I should have said something earlier, but I didn’t want to be rude. Please, don’t worry about it. The mistake was mine."

He made sure to keep his tone light, gracious—even grateful. People were always easier to handle when they thought you were being humble.

Augustus nodded slowly, but Kane’s glare lingered.

Florian kept his smile in place, but inside, his thoughts ran cold.

’This guy isn’t going to let it go, is he?’

Neither Augustus nor Kane spoke after that. If anything, it seemed like they were waiting for Heinz to return as well.

The silence stretched uncomfortably, settling over them like an oppressive weight.

Florian shifted on his feet, the unease in his chest refusing to fade. Something about this entire situation gnawed at him, though he couldn’t quite place what. The quiet, the stares, the lingering tension—it all felt off.

’Should I say something? I don’t even know what to say.’

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around as if searching for something—anything—to break the silence.

"Do you want to wait inside for Sir Anastasius?" Augustus suddenly asked, his voice breaking through the stillness. "You can speak with Leila. I’m sure she’s feeling much better now."

Florian forced a polite smile, though it felt stiff.

’I do not want to be in there alone.’

"No... it’s fine," he answered smoothly. "I’d rather give her some time to grieve. Also, Anastasius is quite overprotective, you see. He might scold me if I go inside without him."

Kane scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. His gaze was sharp, judgmental. "Overprotective? You’re a man, aren’t you? Why do you need another man to be overprotective of you?" He raised a brow, lips curling in distaste. "Are palace folks just a bunch of odd, same-gender-loving people?"

Florian snapped his head toward him, eyes widening. "No! No, we’re not like that at all," he blurted out, shaking his head immediately.

’Heinz and I are the least gay people in this goddamn story.’

Clearing his throat, he quickly added, "We’ve been friends since childhood, you see. And, well... as you can tell by my height, I’m not exactly the strong type, so he tends to be a little overprotective." freewebnøvel.com

Kane clicked his tongue. "Tch. Pathetic." He shot Florian a disdainful look. "If that so-called great king is so great, why can’t he employ better staff?"

Florian’s smile twitched.

’Because he’s stronger than the entire population of Concordia combined, you moron.’

But, of course, he didn’t say that. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Kane’s attitude, nor did he care to explain himself to someone who had already made up his mind about him.

The conversation had mostly been Kane running his mouth while Augustus remained silent. But Florian could feel the old chief’s gaze lingering on him.

Staring.

Watching.

Not in an openly hostile way, but in a way that made the hairs on the back of Florian’s neck stand up.

It was weird.

’Why does he keep staring at me?’

Florian looked away, pretending not to notice, but the weight of Augustus’s gaze still pressed against his skin. He kept his expression composed, his body language relaxed, but inside—he was on edge.

Kane shifted impatiently, his foot tapping against the dirt. His narrowed eyes flicked toward the path Heinz had taken, irritation practically radiating off of him. The tension in his shoulders was evident, his jaw tight as if biting back the urge to snap.

"He’s taking too damn long," Kane muttered, arms still crossed as he scowled. "How hard can it be to find a stupid vial?"

Florian forced a small, strained laugh, carefully molding his expression into one of mild concern. "Ah... well... it’s probably harder to spot in the dark," he murmured, voice light, almost apologetic. "The vial is pretty small, and Anastasius can be a bit... thorough."

Kane snorted, his expression darkening further. "Tch. How incompetent." He opened his mouth again, likely to throw another jab, but before the words could leave his lips—

A blood-curdling scream shattered the quiet morning.

Florian’s breath hitched. His body went rigid as his head whipped toward the sound. The shrill, raw terror in that scream sent an unnatural chill down his spine.

’What?’

"What the—" Kane’s voice cut off, his entire demeanor shifting.

Another scream followed, louder, desperate—pleading.

The morninig, once still and eerily calm, suddenly felt suffocating. The air itself seemed to tremble, the silence that followed ringing in Florian’s ears like an omen.

"Over there!"

A figure stumbled into view—a villager, breathless and wild-eyed. Sweat dripped down his face, his chest heaving as he nearly collapsed in front of them.

"Chief!" The man gasped, barely able to force out the words. "There’s a fire! One of the houses—it’s burning!"

Florian’s mouth fell open slightly, as if the words needed time to register. His heart pounded violently against his ribs, but outwardly, his expression was the perfect picture of disbelief.

"A... fire?" His voice came out barely above a whisper.

Augustus paled. The deep lines of age on his face seemed to sink further as a grim shadow passed over his features. His lips pressed into a thin line, his sharp eyes reflecting something Florian couldn’t quite place—something heavy.

For a moment, the old chief didn’t move. But Florian could see it—the weight of realization sinking into his tired bones.

Then, with quiet resolve, Augustus asked, "Where?"

"By the eastern edge! Amelia’s house!" The villager’s voice cracked with urgency. "It’s spreading—fast!"

A flicker of something passed through Augustus’s gaze. He turned on his heel, his voice firm with authority. "Come."

No hesitation. No wasted words. Just a command.

Kane was already moving, his steps quick, eyes sharp. But Florian hesitated for half a second longer, his gaze lingering on the distant glow that began to creep along the horizon. A slow, pulsing orange, licking at the dark sky like a beast awakening.

’Stay calm. Don’t overdo it.’

"L-Let’s go!" Florian forced urgency into his voice, staggering forward slightly as if overwhelmed. His breathing quickened, his shoulders stiff, but not too stiff—just enough to sell the illusion of barely-contained panic.

As they ran toward the eastern edge of the village, the acrid scent of burning wood invaded the air, thick and suffocating. The closer they got, the hotter the day became, the distant crackling of fire now loud, hungry.

And then they saw it.

The house was engulfed in flames.

Orange and red tongues of fire devoured the wooden walls, the inferno raging violently as thick plumes of smoke curled into the sky. Villagers scrambled around in a frenzied panic, throwing buckets of water at the blaze, but it was obvious—they were losing. The fire was too strong, too fast.

Augustus’s face darkened, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We need more water!"

Kane was scanning the scene, his mind likely already formulating a plan. But then—

Something changed.

Kane’s entire body stiffened. His gaze sharpened, locked onto something—someone.

Florian.

For a split second, Florian felt it. The weight of suspicion, thick and suffocating.

His stomach twisted.

’Why is he looking at me like that?’

"Wait." Kane’s voice was sharp, cold. The noise around them—the shouts, the crackling flames, the panicked cries—became distant, drowned out by the sudden tension between them.

Florian barely had time to react before Kane took a step forward, his expression unreadable.

And then—

"What..." Kane’s voice was dangerously low, edged with something dark, something calculating. "What did you do?"

Florian’s breath caught in his throat.

"What...?" His voice came out hoarse, uncertain.

But Kane wasn’t asking.

He was accusing.

Before Florian could move, Kane’s hand shot out, grabbing him by the collar.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Kane’s voice thundered, his grip tight, unrelenting.

Florian’s heart slammed against his ribs. The raw intensity in Kane’s eyes sent a jolt of something sharp through his veins—was it panic? Annoyance? No. It was something worse.

Recognition.

Kane was putting the pieces together.

And Florian wasn’t sure if he could stop him in time.

"W-What are you saying?! I didn’t do anything!"