Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37: ’Not The Real Florian’

"As you know, Your Highness, I am the son of a duke," Lucius began, his voice steady yet carrying an undercurrent of hesitation. He removed his glasses, carefully setting them aside as if they were a shield he no longer needed. "When I was younger, my mother and father often went out, leaving me in the care of a maid—a nanny."

’I already know this story,’ Florian thought, though he kept his expression neutral, pretending to hear it for the first time. The memory of what had just almost happened still lingered in his mind, alongside the confusion of seeing a memory from the original Florian that hadn’t yet come to pass.

"That nanny..." Lucius paused, his gaze falling to the floor. "She apparently had some... feelings for me, despite the fact that I was a child. And she acted upon her desires." His words were clipped, each one a struggle to voice. Lucius didn’t elaborate further, and Florian gave him a subtle nod, signaling he understood without needing to hear more.

"I know you think I dislike women, Your Highness," Lucius continued, his voice quieter now.

"Yeah," Florian replied simply, his tone soft but encouraging.

"It’s not that I dislike women," Lucius clarified, his jaw tightening. "I dislike women who remind me of her—of how she treated me. Of what she did..."

Florian’s chest ached, though he wasn’t sure if it was his own emotions or remnants of the original Florian’s feelings bleeding through.

"Earlier today, Princess Scarlett saw me," Lucius continued, his expression darkening. "She was angry about me taking your side and getting her into trouble. She... cornered me." His hands clenched into fists as his voice wavered, his usual composure cracking. "She told me I should take responsibility for her. And I... couldn’t do anything. She’s a princess, after all."

’Scarlett,’ Florian thought bitterly. ’I knew she had a thing for handsome men, but cornering Lucius? Really?’

"Memories of that nanny flooded my mind," Lucius admitted, his voice trembling slightly. "And I just... I just wanted to see you, Your Highness. You..." His eyes met Florian’s, regret etched deeply into his features.

"I apologize for my actions. You’ve changed so much. Not long ago, you were obsessed with His Majesty, acting like you couldn’t breathe without his attention. And now, you’ve moved on in just a matter of days. You’re... different. You feel like a different person entirely."

’That’s because I am,’ Florian thought, a pang of guilt settling in his chest. ’I’m not the original Florian.’

"And yet," Lucius continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, "I remembered how you used to try and seduce me. I never felt fear when you did. I never felt disgusted. Even though I’d never considered relationships between men before, I..." He hesitated, his cheeks flushing faintly. "I thought I could erase those memories of her by replacing them with you. I thought you could make it better."

Florian’s breath caught at the unexpected confession. ’It’s just like in the novel,’ he thought. ’And just like the memory I saw—except this time, we didn’t... nothing happened. Something changed.’

"I am deeply sorry, Your Highness," Lucius said, his voice cracking slightly. "For forcing myself on you. For making you feel afraid. And yet..." His gaze fell to the floor again. "You looked at me with pity. Even when you should’ve been terrified, you still managed to... feel bad for me. And I—" He choked on his words. "I’m no better than her in the end—"

"Stop." Florian cut him off, his voice firm but not unkind.