Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 240

Chapter 240: ’No Longer Exists’

"Heinz, Lancelot... report."

Heinz’s voice carried the weight of authority, crisp and unyielding, the moment he settled into his seat.

Lucius moved first, closing the door behind them with a quiet click. The room felt smaller in an instant, the air heavier. Florian watched as both men stepped forward, their postures straight, rigid, standing in front of Heinz’s desk like soldiers awaiting judgment.

Florian’s gaze flickered downward—Cashew was still at his side, watching just as intently.

The boy didn’t fidget, didn’t waver.

He was waiting.

Florian hesitated. ’Should he even be here for this?’

But Heinz allowed it. And if Heinz allowed it, there was little room to question.

Lancelot was the first to speak. His voice was firm, steady, carrying the practiced certainty of a knight giving his report.

"Your Majesty, according to my men, there are no suspicious individuals among the palace staff. I had them question every knight stationed throughout the palace—none reported seeing anything unusual, nor did they notice any unfamiliar presence among them." He paused briefly, then added, "Rogue activities in the surrounding villages remain the same. No disturbances. Nothing unusual."

’Nothing unusual, huh?’

Florian resisted the urge to scoff.

’Wish I could say the same.’

Heinz gave a slow nod, unreadable, before turning his attention to Lucius with a simple gesture.

Lucius cleared his throat. "I have conducted my own inspections," he said, his tone even, unwavering. "I checked the staff. I checked the surrounding areas. I checked everyone..." A short pause. Then, "No suspicious activity."

Florian’s brow twitched.

’Hm?’

Something was off.

Lucius never fumbled. Never hesitated. And yet—something about the way he spoke, the way his words felt... offhanded, incomplete.

’He’s not telling the whole truth.’

It was just a feeling. A whisper of instinct.

But Lucius wasn’t the type to lie—not to Heinz.

Heinz leaned forward slightly, his fingers pressing together as he exhaled through his nose. His golden eyes sharpened, displeasure flickering beneath the surface.

"No suspicious activity at all?" His voice dropped lower, slow, deliberate. "So the stranger simply walked in. Managed to drug Florian. Managed to kill one of our staff. And left without a single trace?"

Silence.

Tense. Suffocating.

The weight of the unsaid lingered in the air, thick and heavy.

Lucius and Lancelot shifted uncomfortably, a barely perceptible movement, but telling nonetheless. They did not speak immediately. Their silence stretched, thickening the air, coiling like an unspoken truth too dangerous to acknowledge.

Heinz exhaled sharply through his nose before running a hand through his long, black hair. His jaw tightened, frustration evident in the hard line of his mouth.

"Be more precise," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Look harder. We cannot afford to let a single person get past us again."

The weight of his words pressed down on the room.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lucius and Lancelot said in unison, their heads bowing slightly.

But Heinz wasn’t finished.

His red eyes flickered toward Florian.

Florian stiffened before he could stop himself, his body instinctively recoiling, even if just slightly.

Cashew noticed immediately.

"Are you okay?" the boy whispered, his voice quiet but heavy with concern.

Florian forced a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah. I’m fine."

Cashew didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push.

Heinz, however, had already moved on. He leaned forward slightly, forearms resting against his desk, his piercing gaze locking onto Florian.

"Give your report," Heinz ordered. "Tell them what we found in the village."

Lucius’s brows furrowed, his sharp yellow eyes narrowing. "Something particular happened?"

Lancelot, too, turned, his usually careless expression tightening with focus.

’How do I even start?’

’Should I say it?’