Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]
Chapter 69: The Dandelion Gesture

Chapter 69: The Dandelion Gesture

He was an independent little dog, often vanishing without warning only to return as if nothing had happened.

But that carefree attitude was acceptable only inside the confines of the annex.

Every entrance and exit there was guarded, ensuring Laxus couldn’t wander out of the house’s safe boundaries.

The garden, however, was a different story.

If Laxus had disappeared outside, it meant he could now roam freely anywhere—which was a serious risk.

This wasn’t just any garden; it was the grounds of a mafia estate.

Beyond the annex, nothing could be deemed safe.

Rocco raced against time, dreading for the worst.

His father had tried to kill Laxus once before.

If someone from the main house spotted him, they might mistake him for an intruder and kill him on sight.

"The main house... I don’t even want to think about it," Rocco muttered to himself, fear gripping him as he running over quickly to find his little pup.

Rocco’s frantic search came to an abrupt halt as he stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the main house looming closer in the distance.

He muttered softly to himself, his expression troubled.

The possibility that Laxus had wandered into the grounds of the main house was growing more plausible.

After all, despite scouring the area around the annex, Rocco had yet to find him.

Should he head back to the annex and call for help from Ragar and the others?

But what if something had already happened to Laxus in the meantime?

The thought made his anxiety spike, leaving no room for delay.

To make matters worse, Georgio, the bodyguard assigned to protect him, had wandered off at just the wrong moment to retrieve a ball that Laxus had accidentally thrown in the wrong direction.

The timing of everything was far too unfortunate.

Going back to find Georgio or calling for Ragar would take valuable time.

If Rocco truly cared about his little companion, there was only one choice: to find him immediately, without hesitation.

"Alright, here we go!"

Rocco clenched his fists with determination.

Laxus was part of his precious family, and leaving him for later was simply not an option.

With a deep breath, Rocco set off in the direction of the main house, where he believed the puppy might have wandered.

I’m Rocco Di Malvento—the ultra-cool second son and villain of the story. I’ll rescue this lost pup and handle this unexpected crisis in the most stylish way possible!

Well, at least, that’s what he had thought.

It had been only seconds since Rocco stepped into the grounds of the main house.

And yet, almost as if someone had been watching from the very beginning, he was discovered immediately.

Of all people, it had to be his nemesis—the strongest final boss, his older brother Sylas.

"This isn’t the annex. What exactly are you doing here?" Sylas’s sharp, commanding voice cut through the air.

"Ah! I-I-I’m so sorryyyy!" Rocco stammered, his voice cracking under the weight of Sylas’s intimidating presence.

Rocco found himself hoisted into the air by the scruff of his neck, his arms and legs dangling helplessly as if he were a stuffed toy being casually picked up.

The ease with which Sylas lifted him was almost surreal, and Rocco couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if he were shaken like this.

Surely, he’d end up like butter churned from milk—completely unrecognizable.

A pitiful sight indeed.

"...I’m not asking for an apology," Sylas said in a low voice. "I’m asking what you’re doing here."

Rocco, on the verge of tears, could only manage a stammered "I’m sorry!" as he looked up at Sylas, who furrowed his brows slightly but didn’t seem particularly angry.

For a moment, Rocco thought his life was over, even mentally drafting a tagline for his next life: ’Stay tuned for my reincarnation!’

However, it seemed Sylas wasn’t actually upset.

Rocco realized this when Sylas abruptly released him and turned his attention to something in a nearby patch of grass.

Watching his older brother rustle through the foliage, Rocco tilted his head in confusion.

"Uh... Brother?" he ventured hesitantly, his voice uncertain.

Sylas ignored him and focused on whatever he was searching for.

A moment later, he straightened up, his usually stoic face faintly lit with satisfaction.

In his hand was a small yellow flower with thin, clustered petals.

"This," Sylas said, holding the flower out to Rocco, "is apparently called a dandelion."

...Yes, he knew that.

Rocco blinked his eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he froze in place.

The statement was so basic, so obvious, it felt like someone pointing at the sky and proudly declaring, "That’s a bird called a crow."

Was this guy trying to make a joke?

If it was a joke, should he laugh?

But what if it wasn’t, and laughing got him killed?

"...You don’t like dandelions?" Sylas asked, his tone completely serious.

As Rocco fumbled, unsure how to respond, Sylas slumped his shoulders, looking dejected.

Seeing this, Rocco suddenly realizes the truth.

—This is genuine!

Sylas truly doesn’t know what a dandelion is!

How uninterested in flowers could someone possibly be?

Then again, picturing Sylas admiring flowers or plants of any kind was almost laughable.

In fact, it was easier to imagine him walking through a field of flowers, leaving a path of withered vegetation in his wake.

It wasn’t all that surprising that Sylas didn’t recognize a dandelion, Rocco reasoned.

With a small sigh, he gently took the flower from his brother.

"Thank you, Brother. I love dandelions! This makes me so happy."

"...Oh! I-I see... That’s good," Sylas replied, his voice softening slightly.

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Rocco exclaimed, bowing deeply in gratitude before tilting his head curiously. "But, why did you give me a dandelion?"

Sylas glanced away, avoiding Rocco’s inquisitive gaze.

Lowering his head slightly, he mumbled his reply.

"...To ease your nerves."

"Huh?"

"You seemed... frightened," Sylas admitted quietly.

Rocco’s opened his eyes wide in surprise at the unexpected answer.