Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 296: ’Can’t Get Enough Of It’

’His facial expression... I can’t get enough of it.’

Heinz thought, gaze locked on Florian like a cat watching a particularly spirited mouse. There was something so uniquely satisfying about the younger man’s reactions—confusion, indignation, that flash of sharp wit trying desperately to hold its own against a tide of chaos.

To be completely honest, Heinz could have told Florian everything. He’d had plenty of chances. Quiet corridors, late-night meetings, stolen moments after council sessions. But he didn’t. He chose not to.

Because the past few days... had been a delight.

A rare, shimmering delight in a life usually steeped in calculation, politics, and masks. Heinz hardly remembered the last time he found himself amused for longer than a passing breath, much less multiple days in a row. But Florian—Florian, with his terrible attitude and inconvenient honesty—had made it happen.

He couldn’t deny it. Something about the boy was endlessly entertaining.

’Or maybe it’s the way he bristles. Or the way he stares at me like he wants to throw something but knows he can’t. That kind of fire... it’s addictive.’

It had started back in the village. Heinz had only meant to observe. That was all. But somehow, he kept finding excuses to call for Florian, ask pointless questions, drag him into frustrating conversations—just to watch his reactions.

He knew it was strange. He was self-aware enough to realize how utterly foolish it was.

But he couldn’t stop.

So, when the opportunity presented itself—when the plan to name Florian as a queen candidate appeared—he hadn’t hesitated. He knew it would rattle the boy. Shake him up. Draw out something real.

And it did.

Now, Florian stared at him, confusion painted across every inch of his face. His bright green eyes, which Heinz hadn’t truly noticed until now, looked so vibrant they nearly glowed in the lamplight. His expression was adorably scrunched, brows furrowed, lips pulled tight in irritation. His nose even twitched a little when he was annoyed.

Heinz almost laughed again.

"Do you think you are eligible to be my queen?" he asked suddenly, smoothly, like he wasn’t waiting on the edge of anticipation for the answer.

’I’m sure he’ll say no. Something about being a man, or not being the real Florian. Predictable as always.’

"Of course not," Florian answered flatly. "Not only am I male, but I’m also not the real Florian."

Just like that, Heinz chuckled—low, amused, thoroughly entertained.

Florian frowned, clearly annoyed. "What’s so funny, Your Majesty?"

"You are too predictable, you know that?" Heinz said, his smirk widening ever so slightly.

Florian blinked, taken aback. The way his brows arched higher in confusion was oddly charming. Like watching someone realize too late they’d walked into a trap.

At that moment, Azure—who had been uncharacteristically silent—decided to assert himself by climbing up Florian’s head with his tiny claws. The little dragon perched there like a crown of glittering scales.

Florian looked up in mild exasperation. "Azure, what are you doing?"

Heinz raised a brow. "He’s upset that you’ve been ignoring him."

"I wasn’t ignoring him on purpose," Florian muttered, gently plucking the dragon from his hair and cradling him in his arms like a stuffed toy. "I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, Azure. I’m sorry. Your master really just shocked me, that’s all."

’Master? He means me?’

Heinz blinked, caught off-guard by the casual statement. It felt strange—pleasantly strange. The word rolled around his mind like a warm stone.

’Florian has gotten comfortable with me.’

More than that, he had gotten comfortable with Florian. In days. A ridiculous notion, yet here he was, watching a tiny dragon curl into the crook of Florian’s arm while the boy pouted like a scolded child.

How had this become his reality?

At first, he’d feared Florian might be like his mother—calculating, manipulative, cold beneath a mask of sweetness. The original Florian might have been that. But this one? No.

This one was different.

Headstrong. Honest. Unapologetically bold. He didn’t cry when overwhelmed—he got angry. He challenged Heinz directly, even when the odds were stacked against him. He stared royalty in the eye and dared them to dismiss him.

And, apparently, he treated a terrifying baby dragon like a misbehaving puppy.

Heinz smiled faintly, a rare softness tugging at the edges of his expression.

’What an unexpected little storm you are, Florian.’

Heinz continued to watch in silence as Florian cradled Azure like he was something fragile, something dear. The boy’s fingers moved gently over the little dragon’s scaled head, stroking behind the horns and under the chin, murmuring soft reassurances that made Azure coo and nuzzle deeper into his arms. The creature practically melted, letting out a pleased rumble that echoed faintly through the vast, gilded throne room.

The entire scene felt oddly out of place.

Too... peaceful.

’If he was like this from the beginning... I wonder what could have happened?’ Heinz mused, one arm draped lazily over the carved lion’s head at the end of the throne’s armrest. The sunlight filtering through the stained glass cast soft patterns across the marble floor, illuminating Florian in streaks of color—like the universe was momentarily feeling kind.

Maybe—just maybe—they could have been friends. Allies.

Someone like Lucius, who had a way of reading him without speaking.

Or Lancelot, who’d always laughed too loudly but still bled beside him without hesitation.

Florian had the makings of someone who could be trusted. He was sharp. Unflinchingly blunt. The kind of person who refused to be cowed, even by a king. There was a strange comfort in that kind of honesty.

A trusted advisor, maybe. Someone Heinz might’ve had at his side during late-night war meetings, scribbling furious notes while arguing about battle formations. Someone who would say what needed to be said—even when no one else dared to.

’Still...’

Heinz’s gaze dropped slowly, involuntarily, tracing the lines of Florian’s form.

The curve of his lips, pressed into a faint pout as he whispered to Azure. Those too-bright green eyes—always too expressive. The way his dark shirt had slipped just slightly off one shoulder, revealing the pale skin beneath, the faint hollow of his collarbone.

A subtle flutter of breath caught in Heinz’s throat.

’...’

He saw it again.

Florian, flushed and breathless, skin dewy with sweat, body arching instinctively under him. That voice, soft and broken, moaning his name in a tone so unlike him it barely felt real.

Heinz stiffened.

No. No—definitely not romantic. That wasn’t what this was.

He cleared his throat sharply, the sound cracking through the silence like a whip.

Both Florian and Azure startled, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Is there anything else you want to add, Your Majesty?" Florian asked, tilting his head and raising a brow.

Heinz stared for a heartbeat too long before blinking out of it. His voice came out cooler than he intended. "Do you still not remember anything from when you were under the aphrodisiac?"

Florian’s expression faltered. Confusion first, then slow, dawning horror. His face flushed a brilliant crimson, spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears in an instant.

"Wh—No! Nothing at all!" he blurted, his voice pitching higher in embarrassment. "You keep asking me this... D-Did I really do nothing untoward?"

Heinz gave a slow shake of his head. "No."

He didn’t elaborate.

Didn’t offer details. Didn’t admit to anything.

’If anything, I did something.’

The thought coiled in his chest, heavy and unwelcome.

He had touched Florian. Held him. Not in lust, not exactly. But in a moment of dangerous softness that he hadn’t expected from himself. The strange thing was, he didn’t feel disgusted.

Instead, he felt... curious.

Too curious.

He shifted in his seat, straightening his posture like it would help shake the thoughts from his head. His tone was curt when he spoke next.

"You are free to go. I will be meeting with the princesses shortly. I may summon you again later for summit preparations. You’ll need to understand more about the dukes—and how to handle them."

Florian nodded quickly, eager to retreat. "Alright, Your Majesty. If that’s all, Azure and I will go."

He bowed—short, mechanical—before turning on his heel and striding toward the ornate double doors. Azure remained curled against his chest like a sleepy kitten, tail twitching lazily with each step.

Heinz’s eyes followed him.

They lingered far longer than they should have.

On the soft way Florian’s hair bounced slightly with his gait. On the curve of his spine. On the determined set of his shoulders. He walked like he was ready to punch anyone who got in his way—and yet he cradled Azure like he was holding the last living ember of something precious.

’What an odd contradiction you are.’

The doors closed behind him with a muted thud.

Heinz exhaled slowly, and a small chuckle escaped him—quiet and amused.

’I almost feel bad for not telling him the whole truth.’

Almost.

Because Florian didn’t need to know everything. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

The boy had no idea what storm he was stepping into. No idea how many lies had been spun around him like spiderwebs. No idea how much Heinz had already withheld.

And yet...

’Once he does find out... I wonder if he’ll cuss me out.’

The thought made him grin.

He leaned back against the high throne, elbow propped, fingers brushing his chin in contemplation. The sun dipped just a little lower through the stained glass, bathing him in gold.