Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 293: ’Eligible To Be—’

Heinz looked at Florian with that infuriatingly familiar expression—the same one he always wore when Florian was confused or frustrated.

Amusement.

That goddamn amused face of Heinz Obsidian, the one that made Florian want to throw something at him every time he saw it.

Heinz didn’t break eye contact as he began speaking again. "It is no secret that I was not particularly fond of Florian during his first month here. And, of course, we all remember how... difficult he could be."

’Where the hell is he going with this?’ Florian thought, jaw tightening. Not even the gentle croaks from Azure perched on his shoulder could pull his attention away from Heinz. The man was staring at him as if issuing a challenge.

But a challenge for what? This wasn’t some test of wills—it felt one-sided. It felt like an ambush.

Heinz’s sharp gaze didn’t soften, not really. It merely...shifted. Like he was reining himself in. Containing the full brunt of his amusement so it wouldn’t spill over too obviously.

’He’s holding back. Why? To draw this out? To humiliate me slowly?’

"Florian has changed," Heinz said at last. "Changed for the better. He’s shown sincere repentance for his past behavior—enough that he’s willing to remain in the harem, not out of obligation, but for the sake of peace. And even assist me in matters of governance. Matters like...choosing a wife."

"What does that—"

The silence broke as Camilla began to speak, but Heinz didn’t even glance her way.

"I am still speaking," he said curtly.

Camilla flinched and bowed her head in silence.

’I don’t even like her that much, but... damn. Poor Camilla.’ Florian bit the inside of his cheek, resisting the very real urge to blurt out, "Just say what you want already, Heinz!"

"And now," Heinz continued smoothly, "he is helping me help the villages. His insight has been surprisingly valuable." He paused. "Not only that—but Florian also managed to accomplish something that many of us believed impossible."

Florian blinked. ’The impossible?’

Without another word, Heinz raised a hand, and Azure, without hesitation, flew from Florian’s shoulder to land gracefully on Heinz’s arm.

Several of the princesses gasped at the sight.

"I’m sure some of you remember seeing him during visits to your kingdoms. Although, he was much larger then," Heinz said, raising his arm slightly to display the small dragon. "This is Azure. And..."

Before Heinz could even finish, Azure leapt from his arm and shot toward the princesses, his wings fluttering with mischief.

Florian’s eyes widened. "Wait—"

The princesses shrieked.

"W-What!" Bridget gasped, stumbling back as Azure zipped past her.

The little dragon growled playfully, tail whipping as he darted toward the group of royals. Lucius made a move, but hesitated, while Delilah looked torn between fleeing and intervening.

Scarlett screamed as Azure tugged on the edge of her gown with his claws. "W-What is—ah!"

"Your Majesty!"

Florian stared at Heinz in disbelief. The king wasn’t moving. He was watching everything with the same amused expression, unmoved by the chaos his dragon was causing.

’Why the fuck isn’t he doing anything?!’

He’d had enough.

"Fuck," Florian muttered under his breath, stepping forward. "Azure, stop!"

The effect was immediate.

Azure froze midair.

Then, with a puppy-like eagerness, he turned to Florian, tongue out and tail wagging as he zipped back to his master. He landed softly on Florian’s shoulder with a happy chirp, nuzzling against his cheek.

Florian exhaled sharply, his frustration barely contained. "Why are you happy? What you did was mean. That wasn’t nice."

He forgot for a moment where he was—the throne room, surrounded by princesses and royalty. He was too focused on the little dragon staring at him with wide, glistening eyes.

Azure whimpered, visibly wilting under the rare scolding.

"Never do that again, okay?" Florian said, voice softer now. "That’s not nice."

Azure gave a sad little croak, then nodded in understanding.

A slow clap echoed through the room. Heinz.

"A demonstration of my point," he said, tone calm.

Florian turned sharply toward him, irritation flaring. "What?"

Heinz tilted his head, his voice light but deliberate. "Florian can command Azure. Or rather, Azure listens to him. Obeys him. That alone is very interesting."

’Is no one going to say anything about how he launched Azure at the princesses like a flying terror? What the fuck?’ Florian thought, the pulse in his neck ticking visibly.

This wasn’t just some diplomatic moment.

Heinz had staged it.

Staged the chaos. The drama. All of it—for what? To prove some twisted point?

Whatever this game was, Florian had a sinking feeling it was far from over.

Heinz leaned back in his throne, fingers steepled beneath his chin, his posture languid—almost too casual. His gaze, sharp and unwavering, once again found Florian across the chamber.

And there it was—that look.

That same infuriating, unreadable look.

Amusement.

But not just amusement. No, it was something colder beneath it. Sharper. Calculated. Like a predator indulging itself by watching its prey squirm before the kill. freёnovelkiss.com

"That, right there," Heinz began, his voice low yet ringing clearly across the throne room, "is why I now see Florian in a very different light."

Florian’s heart skipped. His spine straightened without his permission. ’Oh no.’

Heinz’s tone remained level, but it carried the weight of something final—like a gavel coming down.

"This Florian standing before you now... is not the same one I dismissed during his first month here. Not the arrogant, directionless boy who stumbled into our court like a lost lamb, causing more headaches than I care to count."

The corners of Heinz’s lips twitched, like he wanted to smile but decided against it.

A few of the princesses exchanged uneasy glances. One even shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as if trying to sink into the floor.

Heinz didn’t look away from Florian—not even for a second. "This is someone who, without fanfare, without expectation, quietly achieved what many of you have failed to do—despite being overlooked, ignored... and in some cases, outright hated."

’What is he doing?’ Florian thought, eyes wide. ’Why is he saying this in front of everyone? Is this a setup? A trap? Or... something worse?’

The weight of so many eyes slowly turned toward him, and it made his skin crawl.

Heinz’s gaze finally broke from Florian as he addressed the entire court, his voice suddenly edged like cold steel. "Let us not pretend we’ve forgotten the kidnapping."

A collective murmur moved through the princesses.

"Florian," Heinz continued, "unarmed. Untrained. Chose to walk into danger for the sake of people who would not have done the same for him."

He lifted a hand in a dismissive wave toward the gathered royals. "He could have fled. He had no obligation to you. No ties. And yet, he stayed."

’Please stop,’ Florian begged internally, every word scraping against the raw skin of his pride. ’Just stop talking. Just move on. This is too much...’

He could feel his throat drying, the heat rising up the back of his neck. His legs screamed to bolt, to run, but he remained rooted—pinned by the intensity of it all.

Heinz’s tone softened, just barely. "And even after everything... he still chose to befriend some of you. He extended kindness despite being ostracized."

’He’s...being really direct that he knew everything going on around the palace.’

Some of the princesses looked away, shame flickering in their eyes. Athena and Alexandria, however, lifted their heads—visibly surprised and perhaps even touched.

Heinz’s smirk deepened. "At the ball, in my absence, Florian shielded you. Defended your dignity when the nobles sought to drag it through the dirt. I may not have been there... but I was thoroughly informed."

’What?!’ Florian’s mind reeled. ’How did he know? He wasn’t there when I did that, rig—’

He didn’t get to finish the thought.

Heinz stood. Slow. Deliberate. Like he was about to deliver a death sentence.

"For all these reasons," Heinz declared, voice commanding now, slicing clean through the room’s rising tension, "I shall now announce what you have all been waiting for."

Florian’s stomach plummeted.

Lucius tensed, visibly. Delilah stopped breathing. Camilla blinked like she had missed a step on a staircase.

And Heinz... oh, Heinz was enjoying this. That smug, wicked smile returned to his lips as he turned back to Florian—half pleased, half predatory.

"Florian shall now also be eligible to become queen... and my wife."

Silence.

Not the polite kind. Not even the stunned kind. It was the kind of silence that screamed.

Time didn’t just pause—it shattered.

Florian’s breath caught in his throat. He felt Lucius stiffen beside him like someone had yanked the strings on a marionette. Delilah looked as though she’d witnessed a murder in real-time.

The princesses? Their expressions twisted from confusion to disbelief to outright horror.

"W-What?!" Scarlett gasped, practically standing.

"That’s—!" Mira sputtered, but the words wouldn’t form.

"Your Majesty, what?!" Florian barked, stepping forward before he could stop himself. His voice cracked slightly. "Are you insane?!"

And oh—he was. He absolutely was.

Heinz smiled like the answer was obvious.