Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 264: ‘Is That Really What He Said?’

It didn’t take long for Florian to locate Delilah. All he had to do was ask a few passing maids about the head maid’s whereabouts, and they were all too eager to point him in the right direction—eyes widening slightly in surprise that a prince himself was the one asking.

Eventually, Florian found her in the heart of the palace’s lower wing—deep inside the kitchen, where the scent of herbs, spices, and fire-roasted meats mingled in the air. He paused at the threshold, taking in the sight before him.

It was the first time he’d ever stepped foot inside the royal kitchens.

’Woah.’ Florian blinked, momentarily stunned by the sheer energy that poured through the room.

The kitchen was alive with motion. Heat radiated from several brick ovens, and dozens of chefs weaved in and out of each other’s paths like dancers in a chaotic ballet. Copper pots clanged against countertops, spoons stirred steaming cauldrons, and voices echoed off the stone walls—shouting ingredients, measurements, commands. freёweɓnovel.com

’It looks like one of those cooking competitions I read about in stories. Except no one here is pretending to be calm.’

Through the steam and chaos, his eyes eventually found Delilah. She stood beside a broad-shouldered man in a white apron—no doubt the head chef, though Florian couldn’t for the life of him remember his name. They seemed deep in conversation, perhaps discussing dinner plans.

No one had noticed him yet. He stepped forward quietly, unsure if he should interrupt.

That changed the moment a young male chef spotted him—barely more than a boy, with flour smudged on his cheek and freckles dotting his face.

The young chef’s eyes widened in horror. "P-Prince Florian! What... what are you doing here?"

The room froze.

Every spoon stopped stirring. Every step halted mid-motion. Even the flames seemed to quiet as all eyes turned to the prince standing awkwardly near the doorway.

A beat passed, then the sound of bodies moving filled the space again—but not with work. One by one, the chefs bowed, even the head chef and Delilah included.

"Ah."

’Well, this is awkward.’ Florian thought as he raised a hand in a sheepish wave. "Please, uh... continue on with what you were doing—don’t let me stop anything..."

A sharp voice cut through the thick silence like a blade.

"Your Highness! What in Concordia are you doing here?!" Delilah’s voice rang out as she spun around, her eyes wide with both alarm and authority. She grabbed the hem of her skirt, lifting it slightly in a quick curtsy before striding toward him with brisk steps.

’Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve seen Delilah up close in... months? Maybe longer. She hasn’t aged a day. Still sharp as ever, too.’ He smiled softly at the head maid as she approached.

"Was I disrupting something?" Florian asked, keeping his tone light. "My apologies. I came here on His Majesty’s orders."

Delilah stopped a pace in front of him, her stern expression faltering into surprise.

"His Majesty?" she repeated, her brows furrowing. "What... order would require a member of the harem to come find me personally, rather than summoning me through a servant?"

Florian winced internally.

’Right. I completely forgot we could do that. Of course, we can summon them. I walked all the way here like some... errand boy.’ He forced a chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. "Ah... yeah. That slipped my mind."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he told me to ask you to bring me to, uh... Drizelous? I think I said that right?"

As soon as the name left his lips, the air in the room changed.

Gasps echoed faintly from the nearest chefs. Even Delilah, who had always been the embodiment of composure, seemed shaken. Her eyes widened in alarm, and for a moment, she looked as if Florian had just uttered something forbidden.

’Okay... now that’s definitely not a normal reaction.’ Florian thought, his gaze shifting around the kitchen. Several nearby chefs had paused their work again and were now whispering amongst themselves in hushed tones, stealing glances at him like he’d said something scandalous.

Delilah noticed it too. Her eyes flicked toward the growing tension, and then back to him.

"L-Let us speak outside the kitchen, Your Highness," she said, her voice lower now, almost a whisper. And—for the first time Florian could remember—her words trembled slightly.

Florian blinked in surprise, but nodded without protest.

Delilah brushed past Florian without a word, her pace brisk, her expression unreadable.

It was... odd.

Florian tilted his head slightly as he watched her walk ahead of him. She hadn’t even spared him a glance, and that in itself wasn’t unusual. But the way she moved—without ceremony, without acknowledgment—made something in his gut twist.

It wasn’t just her attitude. It was the positioning.

’That’s strange.’ He started walking after her, his steps echoing softly in the corridor behind hers. ’Isn’t the higher-ranking person supposed to walk in front?’

Technically, yes. That’s how it had always been in this world. It was one of those subtle, almost invisible social rules that everyone just seemed to know. Nobles, royalty, even servants—they all followed it without question.

Lucius and Cashew always walked behind him, no matter where they were going. Likewise, Florian walked behind Heinz, as was expected of someone of a lesser position in his presence.

The only exception to that rule was when someone of a lower status was leading the way—like that first time he met Delilah. He’d been summoned then, lost in the palace corridors, and she had walked ahead only to guide him.

But now? He knew where they were. There was no need for her to lead him.

’So why is she still walking ahead? Even now?’

He frowned, staring at the back of her head.

’Is it because she doesn’t like me?’

It wasn’t a far-fetched thought. Delilah had always been cold toward him. Stern. Blunt. The kind of woman who wore her disapproval like armor.

In the beginning, Florian assumed it was because of his behavior—of the original Florian’s antics before he arrived in this world. But now? With the way things were between him and Heinz... even if nothing was actually happening, it was clear to anyone with eyes that the emperor treated him differently.

’Great. From her perspective, I probably look like a spoiled favorite.’ Florian sighed inwardly. ’Not that I asked for any of this.’

As they exited the kitchen and stepped into the quieter hallway, Delilah came to a sudden stop.

Florian barely managed to halt in time, the distance between them closing quickly. His eyes widened slightly as she turned on her heel to face him.

Her face was sharp, lips pursed, brows drawn in a tight line. "Your Highness," she said, her tone like stone. "Did His Majesty truly instruct you to say that?"

"Huh?" Florian blinked. "Yes, why—"

"May I be frank, Your Highness?"

’What...?’ He stared at her, bewildered. "Go ahead."

Delilah’s gaze hardened. "I do not quite believe you."

Florian recoiled slightly, blinking. "Excuse me?"

"I don’t even know who this Drizelous person is," he said, irritation slipping into his voice. "I’ve never heard that name before today. I only said it because His Majesty told me to. He told me to find you and tell you to bring me to him—Drizelous, or whatever his name is."

Delilah folded her arms. "His Majesty would never say something like that. Not directly. I suspect you got that information from Lucius."

Florian’s jaw tensed. He opened his mouth, then stopped himself before words flew out.

’What is with her? Why would I lie about this? And why is Lucius being dragged into it?’

"Look," he said through clenched teeth, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If you don’t believe me, just go and ask His Majesty yourself."

There was no hesitation in his voice. No faltering. Because Florian knew he was telling the truth—and frankly, he was getting tired of being treated like he was playing games he didn’t even understand.

He expected Delilah to finally relent, maybe even apologize for the accusation.

But instead, she simply nodded, her expression still stiff. "Very well."