Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 305: ’Could Cause A Misunderstanding.’

"I—I uh... uhm..."

Florian’s voice cracked as the words tangled in his throat. He stood there, stiff and small under the weight of Heinz’s stare.

The air in the office felt heavier somehow—like it was pressing down on his chest, making it harder to breathe. Heinz’s red eyes were far too intense, almost glowing beneath the warm light of the chandelier above.

His heart was pounding so loud, he was sure Heinz could hear it too.

’Fuck. What do I say? What do I say?’

Heinz tilted his head, one brow arched ever so slightly in amusement. "Well?"

The word cut through the silence like a blade.

Florian’s hands clenched at his sides. He took a slow, shaky breath, forcing himself to look anywhere but directly at Heinz.

"I’ve... been feeling anxious about tomorrow," he said, carefully, trying to sound natural. "I thought a walk might help me clear my head."

Heinz didn’t react. Didn’t blink. Just stared.

Florian swallowed and continued, his voice growing firmer with practiced ease. "Cashew and I were walking through the corridor. I didn’t plan to stop here, but your office door opened, and I—" he hesitated, arms folding across his chest defensively "—I guess I was just caught off guard."

He kept his gaze on the floor, avoiding Heinz’s eyes. He knew the moment he looked again, he’d lose whatever composure he had left.

Silence fell.

But it wasn’t peaceful. It was the kind that buzzed under the skin.

Heinz finally moved. Not a grand gesture—just a slight shift in posture, but enough to radiate something dangerous. Like a lion rolling onto its paws.

"Why do I not believe that, Florian?" he asked, his voice strangely light. Teasing. Almost playful.

And yet it sent a chill crawling down Florian’s spine.

He didn’t let his face crack.

"Why would I lie, Your Majesty?" Florian said, jaw tightening. "There’s no point to it."

Heinz made a thoughtful sound, low in his throat. "Hmm. I do wonder..."

A pause. Deliberate.

"Why would you lie?"

’What game is he playing now?’ Florian’s brow furrowed, frustration tightening in his chest. ’He could’ve ignored me. Pretended I wasn’t there. But no—he was the one who dragged me into this. So why is he acting like I did something wrong?’

He finally looked at Heinz.

"Oh? What about you, Your Majesty?" Florian’s voice was sharper now, less careful. "You said you summoned me. But I never got a message. No servant came. No letter. So... you lied, didn’t you?"

Heinz’s lips curved into a smirk, unapologetic.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

Just like that.

Florian blinked. ’He admits it so easily?’

"Why?" he asked, a note of genuine curiosity slipping in despite himself.

But Heinz didn’t answer right away.

He simply raised one hand and motioned with a single finger, beckoning him forward.

Florian’s breath hitched.

’Huh? What is he...’ His legs moved before he fully processed it, stepping forward slowly, cautiously, like one might approach a predator with its claws hidden.

He stopped a pace in front of Heinz, head tilted slightly to look up at the man’s face.

’Why did he make me come closer?’

"It has been a while," Heinz said, voice soft, low—almost thoughtful. "Since I’ve seen your face."

Florian froze.

What?

What?

The words echoed through his mind like a bell tolling in an empty cathedral—deep, resounding, impossible to ignore. Each repetition grew louder, reverberating through every corner of his chest until—

Florian choked on his own spit.

’Did I... did I hear that right?’

He stumbled a step back, coughing violently into his hand as his throat tightened with both air and disbelief. His body seemed to reject the moment, his composure slipping between his fingers like grains of sand.

Heinze didn’t move. He only raised an eyebrow with the calm of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

Florian’s heart was pounding hard—too hard. His face felt like it had been dunked in boiling water, and the burn was climbing steadily from his neck all the way to his ears. Instinctively, he turned his gaze to the side, unable to look directly at him.

’Does he... why would he say that?’

Still coughing, Florian patted his own chest with one hand, trying to get his breath back, trying to stabilize.

"What’s wrong?" Heinz asked, his voice smooth and void of concern, as if he hadn’t just dropped a verbal bomb. "Are you ill?"

He was playing dumb. He had to be.

"Your Majesty, ahem—" Florian coughed again, though this time more out of nerves than necessity. He finally got the fit under control and cleared his throat. He still refused to meet Heinz’s eyes. He could feel them.

"Y-Your Majesty, you know, if you say things like that, people will... misunderstand."

"Misunderstand in what sense?"

He sounded genuinely curious. As if the concept itself was foreign.

’Is he... is he kidding? No, Heinz isn’t the romantic type... so he probably really doesn’t know...’

Florian bit his lip, shoulders tense. That had to be it. Heinz wasn’t the kind of man to flirt. He was straightforward. Tactical. Aloof. Romantic gestures were never his forte—not even rumors suggested otherwise.

’Right... he probably just worded it badly. He didn’t mean anything by it... probably...’

Still, for a fleeting moment, Florian had believed otherwise. That fleeting second had ignited something... foolish.

"If you phrase your words like that," Florian began again, trying to keep his voice calm and informative, "it implies that you’ve been... looking forward to seeing someone. Or that you missed them. Which is why people might—might think you’re being affectionate."

He hoped Heinz would nod, or scoff, or dismiss it as a misunderstanding.

But he didn’t.

There was no response.

Florian’s brows furrowed slightly. Heinz wasn’t smirking anymore. In fact... he wasn’t looking at him at all.

His eyes had lowered, fixed on the desk, distant. There was a strange tension in his jaw, and something unreadable passed through his expression. Like he had just connected a thread that had always been there—he just hadn’t noticed it until now.

’He realized it. That’s... good. But why is he so quiet?’

The silence stretched, awkward and heavy. Florian shifted his weight from one foot to the other, biting the inside of his cheek. He tried not to feel the unease stirring in his gut.

’Should I say something? Did I offend him somehow?’

"Uh... Your Majesty?" he tried gently, licking his lips nervously.

Heinz looked up, startled slightly—as if he’d forgotten Florian was still in the room.

"Mhm?"

Florian tilted his head, hesitating. "Do you need me for anything else? If not, I should—"

"The princesses’ test for you," Heinz interrupted suddenly, his tone unreadable. "It’s interesting."

Florian blinked.

"...Yes?" he said, uncertain.

’Why is he suddenly bringing this up?’