Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 237: ’Finally, Returned’

Finally...

Florian and Heinz had returned.

Azure descended with practiced grace, his massive wings stirring the air as he landed in the secluded forest behind the Diamond Palace—the very place where they had first taken off. The familiar surroundings should have brought comfort, yet Florian found himself strangely unsettled, as if the weight of everything that had happened still clung to him.

He let out a breath, his limbs stiff and aching from the long flight.

"It’s good to be back," he muttered, eager to dismount and stretch before his legs completely gave out.

"Indeed," Heinz agreed, though there was a hesitance to his tone. Then, shifting slightly behind Florian, he added, "However... we still have much to do before we can rest."

’Right.’

Florian felt his stomach drop just a little. He had been looking forward to a long bath, maybe throwing up from the sheer stress of everything that had happened, and then collapsing into bed without a second thought. He wanted to forget—at least for a moment—just how exhausting today had been.

But there was no room for indulgence.

Heinz had offered to help him return to his body, to his rightful place. And in exchange, Florian had sworn to help him—to aid the villages and uncover the truth behind Heinz’s murder.

So, he straightened his shoulders, pushing back his weariness. "Of course, Your Majesty," he replied, his voice steady despite the lingering exhaustion.

Azure, ever watchful, turned his great head to look at them. The dragon’s deep blue scales shimmered faintly under the soft glow of the palace’s distant lights. Florian noticed the slight droop of his massive wings, the way his breaths came slower, heavier.

"Are you tired?" Florian asked, his voice softening.

Azure gave a small, deliberate nod.

"You can rest once we get down," Florian assured him, reaching out to place a hand against the dragon’s scaled head. "I’m sure you’re eager to return to your crystal."

Azure let out a low sound—deep and rumbling, yet not a growl. It was closer to a loud, resonant purr.

Heinz arched a brow. "He’s really taken a liking to you."

Florian chuckled, his lips curving into a small smile. "I like him too. I thought dragons would be terrifying, but he’s surprisingly... cute. Like an oversized pet."

Heinz stared at him blankly. "You are the only person who would ever say that."

Florian opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a chorus of familiar voices cut through the air.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Highness!"

Florian’s breath caught. His head snapped downward toward the source of the calls.

Lancelot. Lucius.

And—

"Cashew!" Florian’s heart leaped as he spotted the boy running just behind Lucius and Lancelot, his small frame moving with urgency. There was hesitation in Cashew’s steps when he caught sight of the dragon, but the second Florian called his name, he pushed forward, running faster.

’He came running...’

"They seem excited to see you," Heinz remarked dryly, watching the approaching figures with little enthusiasm.

Florian let out a short, awkward laugh. It was true—Lancelot, Lucius, and Cashew all seemed focused entirely on him.

But Florian’s attention remained locked on Cashew.

Their last conversation—the fight—still lingered in his mind. He had left things unresolved between them, too preoccupied with the chaos in the village to properly make amends. But now, as he saw Cashew running toward him, all he could think was—

’I missed him.’

Florian shifted forward, eager to dismount. But just as he was about to jump down from Azure’s back—

"Your Highness, wait!"

"Don’t jump!"

Both Lancelot and Lucius called out at the same time, alarm flashing in their eyes.

Florian barely had a second to process their warnings before he realized—Azure hadn’t crouched down yet. He was still towering above the ground.

’Oh.’

His stomach lurched as gravity took hold, and he gasped, his breath catching as he instinctively shut his eyes.

But before he could fall, an arm wrapped firmly around his waist, halting his descent.

"Ah!" Florian sucked in a sharp breath, eyes snapping open. He turned his head and found himself face-to-face with Heinz, who was holding him effortlessly, his expression unimpressed.

"Next time, wait before you jump," Heinz scolded, his grip steady and unyielding. "That could have been dangerous. Your head is still injured."

Florian blinked, momentarily stunned.

’Oh. Right. My head injury.’

He had nearly forgotten.

Heinz exhaled, his hold on Florian remaining firm as he turned to glance at the approaching knights. "I’ll have Lysander summoned to my office. I’ve done the basic healing, but you need proper treatment."

Florian swallowed, his face warming slightly. "S-Sorry, Your Majesty."

Heinz hummed, as if unimpressed by the apology but willing to let it slide.

Florian, on the other hand, found himself unable to look away. He found himself staring.

He couldn’t help it.

The way Heinz held him—strong, steady, effortlessly keeping him from falling—it was too natural. Too close. The warmth of Heinz’s hand seeped through the fabric of his clothes, grounding, firm. Each breath Heinz took fanned softly against his skin, too near, too real.

’Why is he always catching me like this?’

It wasn’t just physically either.

Today, Florian had been feeling it—the shift. The growing familiarity between them, the ease with which Heinz spoke to him now, the way his presence had become less imposing and more... grounding. And in a way, that was good.

He needed Heinz’s help. He needed his trust.

But the bad thing was...

The original Florian’s feelings.

Heat crawled up his neck, burning and unwelcome. ’This isn’t mine. These feelings aren’t mine.’

He clenched his fists. He wasn’t supposed to react like this, wasn’t supposed to feel his pulse quicken just because Heinz was close. It was just a remnant, a leftover attachment from the original owner of this body. An echo of emotions that weren’t his.

And yet.

Heinz’s grip didn’t waver, his red eyes flickering with something unreadable as he looked down at him.

Florian’s breath caught.

’Damn it. Stop looking at me like that.’

Heinz’s brows furrowed slightly, his lips parting as if he were about to speak.

"...Are you alright?" Heinz asked, his voice quiet but firm, carrying a weight that made Florian’s stomach twist.

Florian jolted, snapping out of his thoughts as if struck.

’Oh, God. I’ve been staring.’

Before he could make this worse, a deep rumbling sound vibrated through the air.

Azure.

The dragon finally lowered himself down, his massive body settling against the ground with slow, deliberate movements. A shift of muscles, the rustling of massive wings folding neatly against his back.

Florian exhaled, relief washing over him—only to stiffen again when he realized one thing.

He was still in Heinz’s hold.

"Ah—!"

He shifted instinctively, stepping back so fast he nearly lost his balance. Heinz let go without resistance, but the way he watched him—amusement tinged with something else—made Florian’s entire face heat up.

Florian turned away, desperate to compose himself.

And then—

Throat clearing.

Not once, but twice.

Two distinct sounds of impatience.

Florian froze.

Slowly, hesitantly, he turned his head.

Lucius and Lancelot stood there, arms crossed, identical looks of what the hell was that written all over their faces.

Lucius arched a brow, his lips twitching as if fighting off a scowl. He clearly had something to say, but for once, he held back. Lancelot, on the other hand, looked like a man who had just witnessed something completely unnecessary and didn’t know what to do with it.

But neither of them compared to the one standing just behind them.

Cashew.

The moment Florian’s eyes landed on him, his breath hitched slightly.

Cashew wasn’t looking at him. Not directly. His narrowed eyes, dark with something unfamiliar, were focused solely on Heinz.

His small hands were clenched into fists. His posture tense.

’What’s with that look?’

Cashew had never been an expressive child, but right now, his emotions were painted all over his face.

Displeasure.

Florian wasn’t sure what to make of it.

But one thing was clear.

Cashew didn’t like what he just saw.

But why?