Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10: 'That One Loyal and Soft Side Kick'

After an agonizingly awkward walk to his room, Florian finally let out a deep sigh of relief as they reached the golden door. His shoulders sagged as he turned to face Lucius, forcing himself to meet the sharp golden eyes that seemed to see right through him.

"Uh, thank you for walking me to my room," Florian muttered, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

Lucius arched a brow, his expression betraying a faint hint of amusement. "I walk you to your room every day, Your Highness."

Florian froze, his cheeks immediately heating up. "Oh. Right. Well... uh, I just—" He stammered, waving a hand in a frantic attempt to brush it off. "I just wanted to thank you anyway. Goodbye!"

He took a hasty step toward the door, desperate to escape the conversation before his face turned completely red. But just as his hand reached for the golden doorknob, a gloved hand moved ahead of him.

Lucius's arm stretched out with effortless grace, his fingers resting lightly on the handle before Florian could reach it.

Florian's breath hitched, his movements halting abruptly. He stiffened, acutely aware of the faint warmth radiating from Lucius's presence behind him. For one mortifying second, it felt as if his back was pressed against Lucius's chest.

"Wha—" he began, his voice breaking into a strangled whisper.

"Opening the door is my job as a butler," Lucius interjected smoothly, his voice calm yet unnervingly firm, as if there was no room for argument.

Florian's heart pounded so loudly he was sure Lucius could hear it. His mind scrambled to process what just happened, trying to decipher whether Lucius was being completely serious or deliberately teasing him.

Whatever the case, it left Florian utterly confused, ridiculously flustered, and completely unprepared.

'Seriously? Seriously? Seriously?!' His thoughts spiraled in a panic as he blinked up at Lucius, wide-eyed. 'This is too much!'

With a stiff nod, Florian stepped aside, his ears burning with embarrassment. Lucius opened the door effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise, like everything else he did. But instead of leaving it at that, Lucius turned to him, his expression tinged with concern.

"Should I call the doctor to examine you again?" Lucius asked, his sharp gaze scanning Florian from head to toe as though searching for signs of illness.

"Huh? Why?" Florian blinked, confused and a little defensive.

"You don't seem like yourself," Lucius replied plainly, though there was an unreadable flicker in his eyes. "You almost got yourself in trouble with His Majesty earlier. And now..." He gestured at Florian vaguely, as if his behavior spoke for itself.

Florian shook his head quickly, his hands waving in protest. "No, no, I'm fine," he insisted. Then, as if by divine intervention, an idea struck him. He straightened his posture, trying to appear more composed. "I just... had an epiphany."

'An epiphany? What the hell, Aden? That's what you came up with?!'

Lucius's brows furrowed slightly, his confusion evident. For a moment, Florian feared he'd start asking questions, but to his surprise, Lucius simply nodded. "Very well."

'Wow. He didn't even question it?'

Florian moved toward his room, his hand brushing the frame of the door, but then paused. A realization struck him, and he turned back to Lucius.

"Um, before you go," he started, his voice softer now, almost hesitant, "I just wanted to say... I'm sorry. If I've been pestering you or causing you trouble this past month... well, I'll stop."

His words hung in the air, and he saw the faintest crack in Lucius's composed exterior. Lucius's eyes widened slightly, and his lips parted as if to say something.

"Pard—"

Before Lucius could finish, Florian plastered on an awkward smile and blurted, "Good bye!" Then he darted into his room and shut the door firmly behind him, leaning against it as he exhaled deeply.

'I guess that's alright now, right? Or... did I do that too abruptly? Was that too much?'

A small gasp interrupted his spiraling thoughts. He glanced up, startled, to see Cashew standing near the corner of the room. The little creature's wide eyes were filled with surprise and hesitation as he shyly approached.

Florian let out a relieved sigh, his lips curling into a genuine smile. "Hi, Cashew."

"Y-Your Highness!"

'Oh, he's talking to me now. Earlier, he was silent as a mouse.' Florian thought in delight as he waved at the small, timid servant standing before him.

Cashew.

Loyal to a fault, quiet as a whisper, and the only person Florian could truly trust in this world.

Florian met Cashew during his tour around the capital of Concordia, back when everything still felt new and unfamiliar. In the bustling streets and grand buildings, the boy stood out—not for his demeanor but for the small, breathtaking garden he tended at the orphanage.

The vibrant flowers, lush greenery, and delicate arrangement had immediately impressed Florian, who impulsively requested that Cashew become his aide.

And he'd been by his side ever since.

There was something about Cashew that Florian found comforting. Maybe it was his soft-spoken nature or the way his eyes—a rare and vivid shade of purple—reminded Florian of home. That same color was ingrained in his memories, tied to the sprawling lavender fields of the place he once knew.

Cashew was an orphan, abandoned on the orphanage's doorstep when he was only seven years old, carrying no memories of who he was or where he came from. The orphanage head explained that they'd never given him a proper name, hoping he might remember it himself someday.

'No wonder I woke up so disoriented,' Florian thought wryly, glancing at the neatly arranged plants lining the windowsills and shelves.

The question caught Florian slightly off-guard, but he quickly understood what Cashew meant. In the context of this story—his new reality—Cashew had always been Florian's most fervent supporter, particularly when it came to Florian's obsessive, one-sided love for Heinz.

But now things were different. Aden was in control of Florian's body.

The lingering gazes, the calculated words, and that little stunt with the door earlier? Those were definitely giving boy's love protagonist energy.

That quiet, skittish demeanor tugged at something in Florian's chest, a faint but familiar ache.