Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 260: ’Just you, Florian.’

Florian’s fingers twitched against the napkin as he desperately searched for a way out. His mind raced through every possible excuse, grasping at anything that could save him from the situation unraveling before him.

’I have a sudden emergency? No. I suddenly remembered an important letter? No, I don’t handle correspondence. Maybe... I could just collapse? Pretend to faint? No. Cashew would worry again. Would Heinz actually let me leave if I did?’

The more he thought about it, the more suffocating the atmosphere felt. Gods, he wanted to melt into the ground. Just disappear. Vanish. Maybe, if he willed it hard enough, the chair beneath him would open up and swallow him whole.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel.

When he finally dared to glance up, he immediately regretted it.

Alexandria was beaming at him, her bright blue eyes filled with warmth and something like encouragement. Athena, on the other hand, was peeking at him shyly, almost as if she were taking mental notes on his behavior.

The maids, standing dutifully behind them, wore expressions of barely concealed awe—some even seemed... pleased?

Florian quickly averted his gaze, deciding he would rather look anywhere but at the sea of curious eyes analyzing every move Heinz made toward him.

Sensing his discomfort, Alexandria took it upon herself to shift the conversation.

"Your Majesty," she started, smoothing the fabric of her dress as she composed herself. "May I ask about the next test for the selection?"

Florian blinked.

’Damn. She just went straight for it.’

Even Alexandria’s maids seemed impressed by her boldness, their chins lifting ever so slightly in silent approval. Athena, however, immediately turned red at the mention of the selection, her fingers tightening around the hem of her sleeve.

Florian hesitated before glancing at Heinz, expecting him to turn his attention to the princesses. After all, this was about them.

But Heinz wasn’t looking at Alexandria.

He wasn’t looking at Athena, either.

His gaze, steady and unwavering, remained on Florian.

Florian stiffened. His stomach twisted unpleasantly, and he instinctively looked away. ’Oh, for fuck’s sake.’

Then, Heinz spoke.

"It’s up to Florian."

Florian’s eye twitched.

’Knew it. Knew he was going to say that.’

Dragging in a slow breath, Florian schooled his features, forcing himself to push down the immediate wave of irritation. He refused to let Heinz get the reaction he was likely waiting for.

Instead, he smiled—calm, collected, like he hadn’t just choked on tea moments ago.

"Your Majesty and I," he began smoothly, "are actually planning to help the villages after seeing the state of the one we visited." He let his voice dip just slightly, just enough to make the weight of his words noticeable. "They were quite unfortunate. Truly, terribly unfortunate."

’Let’s see how he’ll react.’

Heinz’s lips twitched, just barely, but it was there. That glimmer of amusement in his crimson eyes.

Florian knew it. He had immunity now.

The game had changed.

Athena, seeming to gain a bit of confidence, hesitantly leaned forward. "Then... what is the plan?"

Florian opened his mouth to answer, but—

"We’re still in the process of planning," Heinz cut in smoothly. "We’ll announce the details once it’s set."

Florian narrowed his eyes slightly. ’Why cut me off?’

But then he remembered.

Scarlett’s request. The way Heinz had interrogated her so intensely.

His own theory—that Heinz suspected a princess of killing him in his past life.

And now, another realization crept in.

Every single time Florian had attended a tea party—first with all the princesses, then with just Alexandria, and now with Alexandria and Athena—Heinz had appeared.

Every. Single. Time.

Florian’s fingers drummed lightly against the table.

’Why? And how?’

Alexandria, ever composed, clasped her hands together and smiled brightly. "That sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to see what the next test will be like. I do hope it will be something meaningful."

Her excitement was genuine, eyes shimmering with interest. But then, she tilted her head slightly, brows knitting in thought. "Speaking of the selection, Your Majesty... will you be summoning one of us soon?"

Florian nearly choked on air.

’What?’

Summoning. That meant bringing one of the princesses to Heinz’s chambers at night. It was a tradition—one meant for deepening bonds, ensuring compatibility.

And Heinz... hadn’t summoned anyone. Not once.

Florian turned to Alexandria, stunned by how naturally she had brought it up. Was she not embarrassed? No hesitation, no second-guessing?

’Her courage knows no bounds.’

It was even more surprising considering her background—she had been raised in a devout household, practically like a saint. She was the closest thing to a nun among the princesses, yet here she was, being so forward about romance.

’She really must like him, huh?’

Across the table, Athena stiffened, her cheeks instantly turning red.

"L-Lady Alexandria!" she stammered, flustered beyond belief.

Even the maids—usually trained to remain composed—visibly faltered, some exchanging uncertain glances.

Florian, meanwhile, fully expected Heinz to react in his usual way.

A teasing smirk. A flirtatious response. At the very least, a gentle dismissal.

But instead—

"I have many things to do. I don’t have the time to do any of that."

His voice was cold.

Uncharacteristically so.

The air around the table shifted in an instant. The warmth from moments ago vanished, replaced by something heavy, something unreadable.

Florian stared at him, the same way the princesses and the maids did.

’Huh?’

Azure stirred in his lap, small claws pressing into the fabric of his pants, a sign of unease.

Across from him, Alexandria faltered.

"Oh... R-Right..."

Her voice was quieter now, her confidence dimming.

And just like that, silence settled over them.

Awkward. Uncomfortable. Thick enough to choke on.

Nobody spoke, not even Heinz. The only sounds were the soft rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of servants beyond the garden walls. The wind swept through the flowers, making them tremble—almost as if mocking Alexandria for her question.

Florian stole a glance at Heinz, expecting him to at least acknowledge the discomfort he’d caused. But the king looked as unbothered as ever, his expression impassive, as if the entire conversation meant nothing to him.

’Gods, I want to excuse myself so badly.’

Then—

"Well, we should go. There is still much to prepare." Heinz pushed back his chair, the scrape of wood against stone jarring in the tense silence.

Florian exhaled slowly, relieved. ’Finally, he’s leaving. Though Alexandria seems upset about—Wait. Did he say we?’

Heinz’s gaze, sharp and unwavering, landed on him. "Let’s go, Florian."

’Seriously?’ Florian wanted to say no, but rejecting Heinz in front of everyone didn’t seem wise. He had a feeling the king would not take kindly to being refused, not here, not now.

So, with a resigned smile, Florian nodded. "My apologies for not being able to stay longer. Perhaps next time, I can invite you both for tea? Or we can have lunch together again."

Athena, unfazed, nodded eagerly. "I’d love that."

Alexandria, who had taken a moment to compose herself, smiled as well. "Of course, Prince Florian."

The two princesses rose from their seats, dipping into graceful curtsies toward Heinz. Their maids followed suit, sharing glances with one another, as if silently trying to decipher the king’s actions.

Azure climbed onto Florian’s back as he stood, his small claws gripping his shoulder, settling in for the trip.

That’s when Florian finally spotted Cashew.

His personal servant stood a few steps away, his posture perfect, expression neutral—but Florian could tell. Cashew was holding his emotions in check, his usual timid demeanor carefully tucked away in Heinz’s presence.

Just as Florian turned to follow the king, Heinz spoke again.

"Just you, Florian."