Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 259: ’Learned A Lot’

Florian barely had time to process the maid’s gasp before he saw him—Heinz, walking towards them with that same composed gait, his long black hair swaying with every step. His crimson eyes, sharp as ever, were locked onto Florian, unwavering and unreadable.

’Again? Why the fuck is he here again?’

Florian resisted the urge to sigh. Was Heinz about to pull him away from the tea party—again? The last time had been abrupt enough, but if he did it twice, Florian was going to start thinking the emperor had a personal vendetta against his social life.

As Heinz approached, his lips curved into a faint half-smile. That alone set off alarms in Florian’s head.

Still, protocol was protocol.

The moment he drew close enough, Florian, Alexandria, and Athena immediately rose from their seats. The maids followed suit, dropping into graceful curtsies, their heads bowed.

Heinz came to a stop before them, his gaze briefly flicking over Alexandria and Athena before returning to Florian.

Then, to everyone’s surprise—

"May I join?"

A beat of silence.

Alexandria almost choked on air. "O-O-Of course, Your Majesty!" she stammered, hurriedly straightening as she clasped her hands in front of her. Athena gave a small nod, keeping her head down, her usual reserved nature making her appear even meeker in the emperor’s presence.

Florian, however, was just... confused.

’Since when does Heinz ask to join anything?’

A sudden, unpleasant wave of self-consciousness settled in his stomach. There was something inherently nerve-wracking about having the emperor—who had a habit of dragging him away for serious conversations—sitting in on what was supposed to be a casual tea party.

Heinz, as if completely unaware of the tension he had just caused, moved to the empty seat beside Florian and sat down. His movements were fluid, effortless, as though this had been the plan all along.

His crimson eyes swept over the table, then landed on the three of them. He gestured with a single hand. "Sit."

They obeyed immediately.

The air shifted. What had once been a peaceful afternoon gathering now felt suffocating, the weight of the emperor’s presence pressing down on everyone. Even the maids were visibly more cautious, moving with deliberate precision. One of Alexandria’s maids stepped forward, her hands steady despite the tension, carefully placing a fresh cup of tea and a small plate of biscuits before Heinz.

Heinz paid her no mind. Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze drifting between Alexandria and Athena.

"So," he began, his voice smooth yet unreadable, "what have you two been talking about with Florian?"

Florian blinked.

’...Huh?’

That phrasing. Why did he phrase it like that?

Instead of simply asking what the three of them had been discussing, Heinz had specifically asked what they had been talking about with him.

There was an implication there.

Something Florian couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Alexandria tucked a stray curl behind her ear, her violet eyes bright with warmth as she smiled.

Florian’s gaze lingered on her for a fraction longer than necessary, his mind supplying an old realization—out of all the princesses, Alexandria was the only one who had genuine feelings for Heinz.

’Right. She actually likes him.’

Azure, who had tumbled from Florian’s lap when he stood earlier, took the opportunity to claw his way back up. The small dragon settled himself on Florian’s legs once more, but this time, his tiny body was tense. His tail flicked in agitation, and his bright blue eyes darted toward Heinz.

Florian resisted the urge to sigh.

’Now what’s wrong with you? You were fine a minute ago.’

Before he could dwell on it, Alexandria spoke, her voice as light and pleasant as ever.

"We were just asking Prince Florian about his trip with you, Your Majesty," she said cheerfully.

Florian stiffened.

’...What.’

His head snapped toward Alexandria, but the princess was still smiling, completely unaware of the landmine she had just stepped on.

’I told her Heinz said I shouldn’t tell anyone...I had hoped she wouldn’t say that.’

How had she forgotten that? Maybe she hadn’t realized the weight of her words.

For a moment, all Florian could do was process the fact that she had just outed him—completely unintentionally, of course—but it didn’t change the fact that she had just told Heinz something that Florian had explicitly kept under wraps.

His fingers twitched against Azure’s back, his breath catching slightly as he hesitantly glanced at Heinz, bracing himself for whatever reaction was coming.

Would he look disappointed? Annoyed? Maybe even irritated that Florian had let something slip when he had been so clear about keeping things quiet?

But when Florian finally met Heinz’s gaze—

Amusement.

Pure, unbothered amusement.

Heinz was looking at him with something almost playful in his crimson eyes, as if this entire situation was mildly entertaining to him.

Then he turned fully toward Florian, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"So," Heinz murmured, his voice smooth, but there was something undeniably teasing about his tone. "What was your answer?"

Florian nearly choked on air.

’What the fuck is he doing right now?’ Florian thought as he cleared his throat. He could practically feel the holes being burnt into him by the maids’ stares and even by Cashew, who had been silent the whole time. "I said it was productive, Your Majesty."

Heinz nodded, still staring at Florian. "That, it was, but was that all you thought of the trip?"

’What?’

Florian frowned slightly. What exactly was Heinz trying to get at? There was something unreadable in his gaze, a quiet challenge hidden beneath that teasing lilt in his voice. Was he expecting Florian to say more? To slip up? Or was this simply another one of his games?

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and everyone at the table seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for Florian’s response.

Alexandria’s curious eyes flicked between them, while Athena looked as though she wanted to shrink into her seat and disappear entirely. Even the maids were unnaturally still, their usual subtle movements frozen as they anticipated whatever was about to unfold next.

Florian, on the other hand, exhaled slowly and gave Heinz a carefully measured smile.

"That was my main thought, Your Majesty. I learned a lot. It was... enlightening."

Heinz nodded, seemingly satisfied with Florian’s response—for now.

Then, he turned to the princesses, as if the conversation had never happened.

Florian exhaled slowly, tension bleeding from his shoulders as he reached for his teacup. The porcelain was warm against his fingers, the delicate floral aroma curling up from the surface. He took a measured sip, letting the smooth, fragrant tea soothe his nerves, hoping to reclaim the ease of their interrupted gathering.

’Alright. Crisis averted. He let it go. Good. Now we can—’

"I also learned a lot," Heinz said suddenly, his voice calm yet deliberate.

’What did he even learn?’ Florian didn’t even have time to brace himself before the next words left Heinz’s lips.

"Specifically, about how a king should be."

The words sliced through the air, soft yet weighted, carrying an unmistakable edge.

Florian froze.

The sentence barely registered before his body betrayed him. The sip of tea he had just taken went straight down the wrong pipe, and in an instant, he was choking.

The burn of hot liquid scorched his throat, a sharp sting blooming in his chest as he coughed violently. His body lurched forward, a desperate attempt to catch his breath, but the fit worsened. The teacup rattled as he hurriedly set it down, fingers clenching into the fabric of his pants in an effort to steady himself.

"Prince Florian!" Cashew was beside him in an instant, concern laced in his voice. His hands hovered, unsure whether to steady Florian or grab something to help. "Are you alright?"

But before Cashew could reach him, Heinz lifted a single hand in a silent command. A small, effortless gesture—yet one that made Cashew halt immediately, lips pressing into a tight, reluctant line.

Florian barely had time to process that before Heinz moved, smoothly plucking a napkin from the table. With infuriating calmness, he extended it toward Florian, his crimson eyes steady, unreadable.

"Drink slower," Heinz murmured, voice composed yet undeniably laced with something smug.

Florian snatched the napkin from Heinz’s fingers, still coughing as he wiped his mouth. His entire face felt hot—partly from the choking, partly from embarrassment, and mostly from the dawning realization that Heinz had done this on purpose.

Because now he understood.

’Oh, you bastard.’

At first, Florian hadn’t pieced it together. He had actually thought he had gotten away with telling Heinz off—had believed, even for a moment, that Heinz had let it slide when he’d bluntly told him he sucked as a king.

But no.

Heinz had simply been waiting.