Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!
Chapter 108: ’I’ll Think About It’

Chapter 108: ’I’ll Think About It’

"Why should we?"

’Is he... serious? Florian thought, the question echoing in his mind. His lips pressed into a thin line as he fought the urge to frown. He took a steadying breath, forcing himself to keep his tone measured, calm. "We were going there because they needed help, right? Shouldn’t we still... help them?"

"And risk danger again?" Heinz replied, arching a brow in that effortless, condescending way that made Florian’s stomach churn.

Florian clenched his fists behind his back. "You’re more aware now—more careful," he countered, his voice firmer this time. "I’m sure news has already spread about what happened. No one would dare try something again, not after—" He faltered, his words catching in his throat. "Or... or you could send relief to them. They—"

Levi’s face appeared unbidden in his mind, vivid and haunting. That quiet determination in his eyes, the way he had been so willing to risk everything for people he barely knew. And then Arthur’s voice crept in, sharp and accusing: "A sick, dying sister, wasting away in the Village of Forgotten Waters. He turned against the crown to get her the medicine she needed."

Florian’s throat tightened, a lump forming that he couldn’t swallow down. His words dissolved, unfinished. Heinz’s gaze locked onto him, cold and piercing, like a blade threatening to strip him bare. Florian’s heart pounded in his chest, but he couldn’t back down. Not this time.

Heinz’s silence stretched between them, oppressive and calculating. Finally, he spoke. "Is this about the rogue who helped you? The one from the village?"

Florian swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. "...Yes, Your Majesty," he admitted, bowing his head slightly to avoid the intensity of Heinz’s stare. "I think it would still be good to follow through and help them. They’re... they’re suffering."

’I’m not the charitable type—never was, never will be,’ Florian thought bitterly, biting the inside of his cheek. ’I barely had enough money to scrape by in my own world. I’ve spent most of my life looking out for myself. But Levi... he risked everything. He died for this, and now his sister might still be waiting for him. How can I just walk away from that?’

The weight of guilt pressed down on his chest like an iron hand. No matter how much he tried to rationalize it—he’s just a character, just part of this story, not even important in the grand scheme of things—it didn’t help. The ache in his gut refused to let him go.

"It would b—"

"I’ll think about it," Heinz interrupted, his tone cutting through Florian’s words like a blade.

Florian blinked, stunned. "You will?" he asked, his voice soft, almost hesitant. He hadn’t expected even this much.

"Yes," Heinz replied, leaning back in his chair with a lazy elegance that somehow only made him seem more dangerous. "I’ll think about it after the ball. Do well, and maybe I’ll grant you this favor."

It wasn’t a yes. It wasn’t a no. It was a maybe. And for Florian, that was enough.

A genuine smile broke across his face, unguarded and bright. His eyes sparkled with relief, and for a brief moment, Heinz looked... surprised. Just for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected such raw gratitude.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Florian said, bowing deeply. "I’ll take my leave now."

He turned on his heel and left the room, closing the heavy door behind him with care. The moment he was alone, he exhaled sharply, leaning against the cool stone wall for support. His chest rose and fell with uneven breaths, the mixture of fear, hope, and determination swirling inside him almost overwhelming.

’Then I really have to do well with this test,’ Florian thought, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. ’Levi, wherever you are... I’ll repay the favor. I’ll help your sister. I promise.

For the first time since he had been dragged into this strange, hostile world, Florian had a goal. Not one born from desperation, like escaping the male leads, his kidnappers, or finding a way back to the life he had lost.

This was different. This was for someone else. For Levi. For his sister. For something that truly mattered.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

’What was that?’

The thought struck Heinz the moment the door clicked shut behind Florian. He stayed seated, staring at the space where the boy had stood just seconds before, as if the echoes of his presence still lingered.

’For a moment, I...’

His mind replayed it—the way Florian had smiled. Not just smiled, but smiled at him. It was so genuine, so unguarded, that it had caught him completely off guard.

In his first life, Heinz had avoided looking at Florian altogether. He couldn’t explain why. Perhaps it was discomfort, perhaps something deeper, but he had always kept his gaze averted. Now, though, things were different.

This was the first time in what felt like forever that he’d allowed himself to really look at Florian—to truly see him.

Even earlier, when Florian had leaned in too close, Heinz couldn’t help but notice. The details stood out in sharp relief, unbidden and intrusive. The curve of his cheek, the faint flush of his skin, the way his lashes framed his bright eyes.

It made him think.

’He truly is beautiful.’

Heinz had always heard what others said about Florian. Most of it had been meant as barbed insults or whispered gossip. Words meant to reduce his beauty into something unnatural, something wrong. But now, looking back, Heinz realized that behind those words was a truth many begrudgingly admitted but rarely spoke aloud.

And now Heinz understood it.

That smile... It was brighter than he expected. Warm, radiant in a way that seemed out of place in a world like theirs. This was the first time Florian had ever smiled at him—no, not Florian. This Florian. Or, at least, the first time Heinz had allowed himself to really notice it.

No.

The second time. The first had been when they met. He could still vaguely remember it, a memory blurred by time and the haze of his old life.

’He’s different yet similar. Both smile over the smallest things,’