Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: 'A Butler's Concern'

Florian walked alongside Lucius, the papers still clutched tightly in his hands. The silence between them was oppressive, more so than usual. It felt as though the weight of the day's events had settled in the air around them, thick and suffocating.

He tried to focus on the papers, but his mind was racing. He couldn't seem to escape the thoughts that kept circling back to the details Heinz wanted about the princesses. There were questions about their routines, their conversations, how they behaved with and without their aides...

Some of the questions seemed irrelevant for someone who would one day be queen, but Florian didn't let his mind linger on them for long. 'Maybe Heinz has his reasons. Or maybe he's just trying to gather as much info as possible, just in case.'

'Still, kind of seems like he's searching for a criminal rather than a bride,' Florian thought, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

As he flipped through the pages, the weight of what he had to do settled on him, a sickening feeling twisting in his stomach. He wasn't just supposed to offer advice anymore—now he had to gather information on the princesses, on all of them. Athena, Alexandria, and the rest. Every last one.

'I thought I was just gonna offer some friendly advice,' Florian thought bitterly. 'I can't believe I actually have to full-on stalk them now.'

The thought of getting close to them all—making himself a part of their lives, getting into their business—was uncomfortable, to say the least. He had already exposed himself by approaching Athena and Alexandria, but now... now he was supposed to dig up their personal secrets. He couldn't deny the growing sense of dread.

Florian sighed softly, trying to regain his composure. 'Focus. Bigger picture. Kidnapping. Be a Hero. That's the plan.' He needed to hold onto that. The kidnapping was still coming, and it could be his way out—his chance to be the hero. The one who saves the princesses.

But even as he clung to that thought, the pressure in his chest continued to build. His palms felt clammy, and his grip on the papers tightened. He had no choice. He was in too deep now. He had to play along, whether he liked it or not.

Lucius remained unusually quiet beside him, his footsteps steady and unwavering, his presence unyielding. 'He's surprisingly quiet today,' Florian noted, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. Normally, Lucius would say something—whether it was sarcastic or teasing, there was always something.

But not today.

The silence between them grew thicker, and Florian couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't just the weight of their task that made the air feel tight. Lucius's gaze kept flicking over to him, and his presence seemed to press in on Florian just a little too much. He could almost feel the tension radiating off him.

When they reached Florian's room, he stepped inside quickly, half-expecting to find Cashew nearby. But the little bird was nowhere to be seen. Before he could take another step, Lucius's hand shot out, grabbing him by the arm and slamming him back against the wall.

Florian's breath caught in his throat. "Fuck."

The shock of the sudden movement left him momentarily paralyzed, heart racing as his chest collided with the cold stone. Lucius's body was pressing against his in a way that felt different from their past encounters. His towering form loomed over Florian, his expression hard and intense.

"What in God's name were you thinking, Your Highness?" Lucius's voice was low, dangerous. The bite in it made Florian's stomach tighten. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Florian blinked, struggling to regain his breath, confusion swirling in his chest. 'What the hell is with him and pinning me against things?! It's just like yesterday...'

But even as he thought it, a deeper truth hit him. This wasn't the same. Yesterday, Lucius had pinned him playfully, teasingly, but now... now there was something different in the air. Lucius wasn't teasing him. The tension wasn't playful—it was serious.

The energy between them was heavier, charged with something unspoken, something Florian couldn't quite place.

He could feel Lucius's body pressed too close to his. The heat radiating off him seemed almost suffocating. Florian had always known Lucius was attracted to him, but up until yesterday, the butler had done a good job of hiding it. Now, though, it was as if something was shifting—something moving between them.

Florian couldn't ignore the heat in Lucius's gaze, nor the subtle way Lucius's chest rose and fell with each breath. The air between them was thick with something dangerous, a charged tension that neither of them had acknowledged before.

Lucius's eyes locked onto his, and for a brief moment, Florian wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.

"Lucius, please," Florian said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the tightness in his chest. "Can you stop pinning me against the wall?"

Florian's heart raced, his mind scrambling for a response. 'He's too close... why is he acting like this? What does he want me to say?' He met Lucius's gaze, searching for some kind of answer that would make sense, but the truth felt suffocating on his tongue, and he knew he couldn't say it—not yet.

'Fuck. He already figured it out?'

'This is as honest as I can be.'