Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 113

Chapter 113: ’What Do You See?’

"I’m... sorry, Your Highness," Lucius murmured, his voice low and weighted with guilt, as though the apology itself was painful to admit.

The words hung between them, lifeless and unsatisfying, the kind of apology that solved nothing. Florian’s arms stayed crossed over his chest, his sharp gaze boring into Lucius with unyielding intensity. An apology wasn’t enough—not for this.

"I’m not looking for an apology, Lucius," Florian said coldly, each word clipped and precise, like the swing of a blade. "I want an explanation. Why is it that everyone in this palace knows about your abilities and not me?"

Lucius flinched at the sharpness in his tone, but he said nothing, his silence almost louder than any excuse he could have offered. "The princesses don’t know."

’This...this guy!’

"Why didn’t you tell me you could see my emotions?" Florian demanded, his voice rising, the undercurrent of anger seeping through. "That’s... an invasion of privacy."

Lucius shifted uncomfortably, his hands fidgeting at his sides. His lips parted, ready to respond, but Florian didn’t give him the chance.

"And the least you could’ve done was inform me!" Florian’s frustration surged, his voice tightening as he stepped forward. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I—" Lucius faltered, his voice catching like a thread snagged on a nail. He lowered his head, the faintest shimmer of shame crossing his face. His glasses slipped slightly down the bridge of his nose, and he pushed them back up absently, the small, nervous gesture doing nothing to hide his unease.

"I can’t really turn it off," he mumbled, so quietly that Florian barely caught the words.

"That’s not the point!" Florian snapped, the sudden rise in his voice making Lucius flinch. He took another step closer, his expression hard, unyielding. "You could’ve said something, Lucius. Anything. Instead, you just—" He cut himself off abruptly, inhaling sharply as he tried to rein in his anger. His chest rose and fell, his breaths shaky. "Why?"

Lucius swallowed hard, the tension in his throat visible as he hesitated. His eyes darted away, as though the answer he sought might be written somewhere on the floor. Finally, he spoke, his voice softer now, trembling under the weight of his guilt.

"I wanted to understand you more," he admitted, his gaze never lifting. "I was afraid you’d... find a way to conceal your emotions or push me away so I wouldn’t see them anymore. And I—" He faltered again, his shoulders slumping, the fight draining out of him. "I know I might’ve been the one who pushed you away at first, but I..."

His voice broke off, and slowly, hesitantly, he raised a trembling hand. His palm brushed against Florian’s cheek, the touch so gentle it was almost hesitant, like he feared it might shatter something fragile.

Florian’s breath hitched at the contact, his body stiffening as the air between them shifted, charged with something unspoken. ’Why does he always do this?’ he thought bitterly, the conflict raging inside him.

His fingers twitched at his sides, aching to shove Lucius’ hand away, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Something about the look in Lucius’ eyes froze him in place.

Lucius’ gaze was raw and unguarded, his emotions laid bare in a way that Florian had never seen before. His vulnerability was unnerving, cutting through Florian’s anger like a knife through silk.

"I saw your emotions the day of His Majesty’s announcement," Lucius said softly, his thumb brushing lightly against Florian’s skin. "And I got... concerned."

Florian’s brows furrowed at the confession, his mind scrambling for answers. ’Concerned? About what?’

"I see your emotions every day," Lucius continued, his voice trembling slightly as though each word cost him something. "And I— I’ve been trying to understand them. To understand you."

Florian’s thoughts raced, faster than he could keep up. ’What is he trying to say?’ He searched Lucius’ face, his expression tight with suspicion, with a flicker of something he refused to name.

"What did you see, Lucius?" Florian asked finally, his voice steady, though it took everything he had to keep it from shaking. His heart, however, was anything but steady, each beat a loud, frantic drum in his chest.

Florian’s eyes narrowed, his frustration flaring again. "Lucius," he pressed, his tone sharper now, demanding.

’Pieces of me.’ The phrase struck Florian like a dagger, a chill running down his spine. His breath hitched, his fingers twitching involuntarily at his sides. ’Could it be... him? Is this proof that the real Florian is still inside this body?’