Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!
Chapter 107: ’Too Close’

Chapter 107: ’Too Close’

"Do I need to do something?" Florian asked, his voice tinged with confusion. "I was only planning on giving him a piece of my mind."

"As in... you’re going to scold him?" Heinz asked, raising a single brow, his tone laced with curiosity.

"Yes? I’m annoyed, but I hardly think it’s worth punishing him over," Florian replied, his voice firm yet casual.

"Mhm. You’re quite mature, no?" Heinz remarked, sitting up straighter as he placed his quill down with deliberate care. His piercing gaze seemed to study Florian anew. "How old are you, really? And do you remember your actual name?"

’Sometimes, I still think it’s weird how he just casually accepted that I’m not Florian, without a trace of doubt,’ Florian thought, feeling a small knot of unease form in his stomach. "I’m twenty-five, and yes... I remember my name."

"Twenty-five? So, you’re older than I am." Heinz leaned back slightly, tilting his head as if recalculating something. "Do you remember where you’re from?"

"Not exactly," Florian lied, resting his palms flat against his thighs, grounding himself. "But I do know that where I come from, magic doesn’t exist."

Heinz’s expression shifted ever so slightly, though it was hard to tell whether it was amusement or understanding. "Concordia is the only kingdom with magic, so that’s not surprising," Heinz said. He paused, his gaze briefly flickering to the quill he’d abandoned. "And... where do you think—"

He stopped himself mid-sentence, hesitation flickering in his eyes. Florian tilted his head slightly, waiting for him to continue, curiosity piqued.

"Never mind," Heinz muttered, shaking his head as if dismissing an irrelevant thought. "Come here. Check what I’ve written and see if it fits with the plan you made."

Florian blinked at the sudden change in topic but stepped closer without questioning it. He stood beside Heinz’s chair, leaning down to peer at the document sprawled across the desk. The faint scent of parchment and ink mingled with the faint trace of Heinz’s cologne. It was strangely grounding.

’Mhm,’ Florian thought as his eyes skimmed the neat script.

And then his eyes stopped.

’Eh?’

His chest tightened as he processed the words before him, the meaning sinking in like a heavy stone dropped into still water.

"What do you think?" Heinz asked, his voice calm but expectant.

"I—" Florian stammered, his thoughts racing. His mind offered a plethora of responses—’Are you out of your mind?’ or ’Have you completely lost it?’—but none of them seemed appropriate.

"Isn’t this... a bit much?" he finally managed, trying to sound neutral despite the disbelief threatening to color his tone.

"How so?" Heinz asked, his expression unchanging as he glanced at the paper.

’Is he seriously asking me this?’

Florian pointed to a particularly alarming section of the plan. "Your Majesty, creating scenes like this to test the princesses... isn’t it a bit excessive?" he asked slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"Being a queen of Concordia—my queen—requires not only the skill to be a mother to the kingdom, but it also demands mental strength," Heinz explained, his tone resolute.

Florian sighed inwardly. ’I mean, yeah. Having Heinz as a partner? Terrifying. But...’

He hesitated, his lips pressing into a thin line. The tests outlined in the document felt almost cruel, but Florian could sense that Heinz wasn’t someone who entertained second-guessing once his mind was set. And Florian wasn’t in a position to test the limits of Heinz’s patience.

"If this is what you think is best, Your Majesty... so be it," Florian said at last, though the unease gnawed at him. He glanced at Heinz, who met his eyes briefly before returning his attention to the paper.

"Alright," Heinz said with a nod. "You can ask Lucius for anything you might need for these, and I assume we’ll be starting tomorrow with..." He trailed off as he scanned the document. "Alexandria?"

"Yes... we’re going alphabetically to keep things simple," Florian confirmed, the pit in his stomach growing heavier.

Heinz nodded in approval, but Florian’s unease lingered. He understood the rationale behind the tests, but something about it didn’t sit right with him. He pushed the thought aside. He had other priorities—like staying in Heinz’s good graces.

"Regarding the traitor, Your Majesty," Florian ventured, steering the conversation away. "Do you need me to do anything?"

He made the mistake of turning his face toward Heinz just as Heinz looked up at him.

They were leaning over the same paper, their faces close—too close.

So close that Florian could feel Heinz’s breath ghosting against his cheek. His heart lurched. For a moment, neither of them moved, stunned by the sudden proximity.

Florian jerked back instinctively, but in his haste, his foot caught on the leg of the chair. He stumbled, falling to the floor with an ungraceful thud.

"Fuck," he hissed under his breath, wincing as pain shot through his hip. His ears burned with embarrassment as Heinz remained seated, staring down at him with an infuriating calmness.

"You fell," Heinz observed plainly, his tone devoid of judgment.

’No shit,’ Florian thought bitterly, trying to gather his dignity as he scrambled to his feet. "I—I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I realized I was too close and jumped," he mumbled, brushing imaginary dust from his clothes.

"It was a bit of an overreaction, no?" Heinz remarked, a glint of amusement in his eye.

’Overreaction? You’ve almost killed me multiple times and pulled my hair the first time we met,’ Florian thought, forcing a strained smile. "Right. Sorry."

Heinz chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on Florian in a way that made him feel exposed. "You really are different from him."

"From who?" Florian asked, his voice quieter.

"From Florian."

"Oh."

Florian didn’t know how to respond, so he busied himself straightening his posture. Heinz’s piercing gaze followed him, and Florian felt his self-consciousness flare.

’I really wish he’d just go back to ignoring me.’

Clearing his throat, Florian broke the awkward silence. "If there’s nothing else, Your Majesty, I should prepare for tomorrow and the days ahead."

"Right. That would be ideal," Heinz said. "You should also inform the princesses of the arrangements."

’Ugh. I really didn’t want to speak to them on my own.’

"It will be done, Your Majesty," Florian said, bowing slightly. He turned to leave but paused, a memory flashing in his mind.

"He had a sister, Florian. A sick, dying sister, wasting away in the Village of Forgotten Waters. He turned against the crown to get her the medicine she needed." Arthur’s voice was sharp, dripping with disdain. "And guess what? That village? It’s just one of hundreds, left to rot under your father’s rule."

Florian turned back to Heinz. "Are we not going to visit the Village of Forgotten Waters again? We... weren’t able to finish what we were supposed to do."