Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: 'Breakfast'

'Why is he here again? Is he supposed to constantly hover around Florian at this point?' Florian thought, his footsteps echoing lightly in the marble hallways as he made his way to the dining area. He had resigned himself to breakfast with the princesses, though he couldn't shake the irritation gnawing at him.

Behind him, as ever, were Cashew and Lucius.

'Doesn't he have a castle to manage? What do head butlers even do all day?'

"Hey, Cashew," Florian said casually, his tone deliberately light as he ignored Lucius entirely. It wasn't out of pettiness, of course—no, never that. It was just... a matter of boundaries.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Cashew replied, his voice soft but eager to please.

"What else is on my schedule today?" Florian asked, keeping his gaze forward as they walked.

Before Cashew could answer, Lucius—ever the interloper—spoke up in his stead. "Besides breakfast, since Your Highness seems to have recovered, your usual schedule of—"

Florian raised a hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. Lucius fell silent immediately, his blank expression unreadable, though his eyes stayed fixed on Florian, waiting for whatever reprimand or instruction was coming.

Florian, however, had no intention of dignifying Lucius with a response. Instead, he turned to Cashew, offering the boy an encouraging smile. "Go ahead, Cashew. Please, tell me what's on my schedule."

Cashew's eyes widened, darting nervously between Florian and Lucius. The head butler's brow arched slightly, as though surprised—or perhaps amused—by Florian's boldness. But Florian stood firm. He'd already stared down Heinz; Lucius was little more than a pebble in comparison.

'There's no one in this palace to fear besides Heinz,' Florian reminded himself. 'Lucius might be annoying, but the worst he could do is... well, nothing, unless I give him an opening.'

"W-Well..." Cashew stammered, his voice shaky but determined. "Your Highness has... leisure time before lunch."

'Leisure time? That's a new one. Better enjoy it while it lasts.'

"After lunch," Cashew continued, "you have lessons with the royal tutor."

'Lessons?' Florian's internal groan was almost audible. 'Why the hell do I need lessons?'

From the corner of his eye, Florian caught the faintest twitch at the edge of Lucius's lips. The man's usual stoic demeanor cracked just enough to reveal an irritating glimmer of amusement.

"And after that, there's... uh, etiquette class," Cashew added, glancing nervously at Lucius as if seeking approval to continue.

Florian nodded along, even as he mentally filed away the absurdity of having to endure an etiquette class. 'I already have perfect manners. Okay, maybe not perfect, but still, do they really expect me to prance around like one of the princesses?'

Cashew hesitated for a moment, then mumbled, "And... a meeting with the tailor for your new clothes."

"New clothes? Finally," Florian said, his tone teasing, but Cashew's nervous fidgeting kept him from elaborating.

"We have arrived, Your Highness," Lucius announced abruptly, cutting Cashew off as they approached a towering golden door.

Florian couldn't resist shooting Lucius a pointed look for interrupting Cashew yet again, but he let it go for now. Instead, he turned back to Cashew, his smile softening. "Thank you for letting me know. You can finish telling me after breakfast."

Cashew's cheeks flushed faintly pink as he bowed his head. "Y-Yes, Your Highness."

With that, Florian approached the grand doors, standing tall as the two knights stationed there regarded him. He looked up at them and said clearly, "Prince Florian Thornfield."

The knights froze, their eyes widening slightly as they stared at him. Florian's mind raced. He knew why they hesitated—Prince Florian, in the novel, rarely acknowledged anyone outside his small circle of interest. Heinz, Cashew, Lancelot, and Lucius were the only exceptions, and only because Florian had selfish motives for engaging with them. Everyone else might as well have been invisible.

In Kaz and Aden's original draft, Florian's minimal interactions with other characters served to streamline the story, but here and now, it was a glaring issue.

Seconds stretched uncomfortably, and Florian fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Behind him, Lucius cleared his throat pointedly. "Are you going to let His Highness in, or do we plan to stand here all morning?"

The knights jolted as though waking from a trance, quickly bowing.

"R-Right... yes, forgive us," one of them stammered as they reached for the door handles.

'Oh my God... What is that smell?'

It wasn't bad. Decent, even. But it wasn't real food.

'Holy hell...' Florian's thoughts froze as he took in the spread before him. The dishes were familiar yet foreign—like echoes of Earth's breakfasts, reimagined by another world. Pink pancakes stacked high with dollops of cream, crisp strips of meat that looked like bacon but glistened with an unfamiliar golden sheen, and fruit platters bursting with colors he couldn't name.

'This is... this is breakfast from a whole new world.'

'Is it just me or do I feel like their words are starting to become familiar to me?'