Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 261

Chapter 261: ’Do You Suspect?’

Heinz walked through the grand halls of his palace, the familiar weight of silence settling around him. The only sound was the rhythmic echo of boots against polished marble, his own steps measured and deliberate. Behind him, Florian followed as usual, maintaining that small, polite distance. Heinz couldn’t see the prince’s face, but he didn’t need to.

’He’s upset.’

The thought was amusing. As usual.

Lately, Florian had been showing more and more of his true colors—his real thoughts slipping through that carefully composed mask. Heinz knew he should be irritated, possibly even insulted, but instead, he found himself intrigued. The change in the prince was a puzzle, and Heinz had always loved unraveling puzzles.

As they neared his office, he considered what excuse to give for summoning Florian. In truth, there wasn’t much of a reason. He simply wanted to get him away from the tea party.

Just like the first time.

That day, Heinz had only intended to confirm his suspicions. Florian had been acting differently since the second summoning. The original Florian—arrogant, disinterested, dismissive—would have never willingly attended a tea party with the princesses. Yet, this one did.

So Heinz decided to test him.

The confrontation had been... revealing. His irritation from waking up after dying, the sheer frustration of being thrown back in time, had made him act a little harsher than intended. Some of that anger had been directed at Florian, who, at the time, was just another reminder of how little control Heinz had over his situation.

But then, Florian looked him in the eye and asked,

"Why shouldn’t I go near the princesses, Your Majesty?"

And when he made that ridiculous proposition—offering to help him choose a bride, to give insider information on the princesses—Heinz knew for certain.

This Florian wasn’t the same as before.

’He even had the nerve to ask me to go back to his kingdom with no shame whatsoever.’

Heinz smirked at the memory, flicking a strand of his long black hair over his shoulder. Crimson eyes flickered to Florian, who was still trailing behind him.

And pouting.

Heinz nearly stopped walking.

Pouting.

Florian, who usually carried himself like someone with decades of wisdom beyond his years, was pouting like a child denied his favorite dessert.

’Sometimes he acts as if he’s older than me, now he’s pouting?’ Heinz shook his head, suppressing the urge to laugh. Instead, he came to a stop in front of his office, his expression smoothing into its usual unreadable calm.

The knights stationed at his door immediately straightened, snapping into a sharp salute the moment they saw him.

"Y-Your Majesty!" one of them stammered. Heinz didn’t bother to remember their names.

"At ease," he commanded, barely sparing them a glance as he gestured for the door to be opened.

The knights obeyed without hesitation, but there was a brief moment of hesitation when they finally took note of Florian standing behind him.

"Oh—Your Highness. Apologies. We didn’t see you," one of them murmured before bowing respectfully.

Florian, ever the picture of casual grace, offered them a polite smile. "It’s fine. You’re stationed here today, huh? I thought you were usually assigned to the dining hall."

The knight blinked, visibly surprised. "O-Oh... You remember us?"

His voice held an unmistakable note of excitement, the kind that irritated Heinz for reasons he didn’t care to analyze.

The prince remembered him. And he seemed happy about it.

Too happy.

’This one doesn’t hesitate, does he?’