Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!
Chapter 57: ’To Sacrifice For The Sake Of Sacrifice’

Chapter 57: ’To Sacrifice For The Sake Of Sacrifice’

"W-What? Why are you—"

"You’re thinking about something dangerous, Your Highness. Whatever it is—don’t." Lucius’s voice was low but edged with authority, his eyes sharp with warning.

Florian’s brows furrowed, unease tightening his chest. ’How does he know...?’ he wondered, a cold shiver creeping up his spine.

"Your Highness?" Cashew’s worried voice broke through the tension. His small face was scrunched in concern, lips trembling as he tried to understand what was happening.

Florian forced a faint smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Everything’s okay, Cashew. All right?" He cupped the boy’s cheek gently. ’I’m sorry you have to go through this—see this—at such a young age.’

Despite the ache twisting in his chest, his resolve hardened. He had to do this. There was no other way.

"Time’s almost up, Commander!" the rogue leader bellowed, his voice slicing through the suffocating air. Athena’s scream followed—a sharp, desperate sound that echoed through the clearing.

"N-No!"

"Athena!" Alexandria’s panicked cry rang out, her voice cracking. Tears streaked her face. "Sir Lancelot, please do something!"

Florian’s jaw clenched as the princesses’ frightened pleas filled the air. Without another thought, he yanked Lucius’s hand off his arm.

"Stay close to Lucius," Florian whispered urgently to Cashew, whose wide eyes shimmered with terror.

"Your Highness... what are you—"

Florian turned toward Lucius, his expression grim. "Lucius, protect Cashew. Make sure nothing happens to him. And no matter what happens... someone must come for me."

Lucius’s expression darkened. "Don’t do this—whatever this is—stay out of it, Your Highness. None of these men even see you right now. The commander will—"

Before Lucius could finish, Florian spun on his heel and stepped forward, raising his hand.

"Take me!" His voice was clear, steady, and commanding.

A stunned silence fell over the clearing.

"Prince Florian?" Lancelot’s brows furrowed in disbelief. His voice wavered with confusion.

Gasps erupted from the princesses.

"Prince Florian... what are you doing?" Bridget demanded, her voice laced with shock.

Behind Florian, Cashew let out a broken sob. "Y-Your Highness..."

Florian ignored their cries. His gaze was locked on the rogue leader.

Swallowing the thick lump rising in his throat, Florian forced his legs to move forward. His steps were heavy with dread, but he refused to stop. Every nerve screamed at him to turn back—to hide—but he kept moving, the air thick with fear.

The rogue leader’s lips curled into a grin as he dragged Athena closer. His eyes gleamed with twisted delight, raking over Florian with a predatory gaze.

"Oh? Who is this little jewel?" he sneered.

Florian’s skin crawled, but he stood his ground.

"I’m—"

"He’s no one." Lucius’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. He grabbed Florian’s arm, his tone cold and commanding. "Absolutely no one."

Florian’s temper flared. ’He had all the chances to help the princesses, but now he speaks up when I’m the one helping?’

"No one?" The rogue leader’s eyes narrowed. "Doesn’t seem like it, judging by his outfit and the fact that your commander over there called him ’prince’... prince..."

One of the rogues let out an audible gasp. "Sir, that’s him! The only boy in the harem—the one who can give birth!"

A murmur of interest swept through the rogues like wildfire. Their stares burned into Florian, laced with greed and twisted fascination. It was exactly the reaction he had anticipated.

Florian’s rare biology was an anomaly in this world—an absurd miracle to some and a commodity to others.

"So you’re that prince, huh?" The rogue leader’s voice dripped with amusement.

Florian shook off Lucius’s grip and took another determined step forward. Athena’s eyes shimmered with tears, her expression now a mix of fear and concern.

"P-Prince Florian..." Athena whimpered.

Florian forced himself to smile at her, though it trembled at the edges. When he turned back to the rogue leader, his expression was ice-cold.

"Yes. I am that prince. You already know I have a rare biology that allows me to give birth. I am the king’s only prince in his harem—far more valuable than all these princesses combined." His voice remained steady despite the fear churning inside him. "You want a hostage for ransom? Take me."

"What the fuck are you doing?" Lancelot’s voice cut through the tension, sharp with disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?"

Florian clenched his jaw. ’Your job, apparently,’ he thought bitterly, without sparing Lancelot a glance.

The rogue leader laughed, his voice deep and mocking. "Oh, that’s interesting, little prince. I admire your courage, but if you’re truly valuable, you wouldn’t sacrifice yourself. You’re not even a queen candidate. How do I know the king will pay to get you back?"

"You don’t," Florian admitted with a shrug. "No one knows for sure. But is the king the only one capable of giving you the ransom you want?"

Lucius’s voice was sharp with alarm. "Your Highness, what are you insinuating?"

The rogue leader’s brow lifted in intrigue. "I’m curious myself. What are you getting at?"

Florian’s heart thundered in his chest. ’Fuck this,’ he thought grimly. He forced himself to meet the rogue leader’s gaze, eyes burning with defiance.

"I mean..." He took a breath, steadying himself. "I might be valuable in other markets, right? A prince who can give birth? I’m a commodity—a rare creature, basically, or whatever you Concordians call it."

The weight of his words settled over the clearing.

Florian knew it was true because he’d written this very arc in the novel with his sister. The moment the rogues realized Florian’s value, they’d see him not just as a ransom but as a possession—a prize for nobles with twisted desires.

It had been the arc that forced Lucius and Lancelot to work together to save him when Heinz decided he wasn’t worth deploying knights for.

"My, I’m impressed. You really thought this through, hm?" The rogue leader laughed, shaking his head in amusement. His voice carried a dark, condescending edge that made Florian’s skin crawl.

"Perhaps after being ignored by the king, this little lad wants a real man to take him, huh?" one of the rogues sneered, his leering tone igniting more raucous laughter from the group.

Florian’s pulse thundered in his ears, but he forced himself to maintain a brave facade. He swallowed the bitter lump in his throat, his gaze cold and defiant as he stared them down.

"Well?" Florian said, his voice sharp and unyielding. His eyes locked on the rogue leader, who regarded him with unsettling interest.

For a long, tense moment, silence gripped the air as they stared each other down. The weight of the moment pressed heavily on Florian’s chest.

Then, the rogue leader moved. With a flick of his wrist, he shoved Athena off him. She stumbled, only to be caught roughly by one of the other rogues, who immediately pressed a dagger to her neck.

"Hey—!" Florian called out, panic tightening his voice. He took a step forward, but the rogue leader was faster. In a blur of movement, he yanked Florian close, the cold edge of his sword pressing against Florian’s torso.

"Your Highness!" Cashew’s voice cracked with desperation. "P-Please... let him go!"

Florian winced at the boy’s cries but forced himself to focus. "What are you doing? You... You should let Athena go. I already offered myself."

He didn’t bother to squirm from the rogue leader’s grip. His primary concern was Athena, who was still sobbing, her body trembling as the dagger remained at her neck.

"Relax, little prince," the rogue leader murmured against Florian’s ear, his breath hot and sickening. "I don’t plan on hurting her anymore. You’ve already taken our interest."

Florian shuddered, bile rising in his throat.

"She’s just there to make sure that commander doesn’t follow us," the rogue leader added, his voice slick with amusement.

"Let. Him. Go." Lucius’ voice cut through the chaos, cold and commanding.

"You’re making a mistake," Lancelot growled, stepping forward, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "Release the prince now, and we might spare your miserable lives."

The rogue leader chuckled darkly. "Oh? And risk him, the king’s precious commodity?" His voice dripped with mockery. "Don’t fool yourselves. This little prince made the choice for you."

Florian’s stomach twisted at the truth of those words. He had made this choice—to protect Athena, Cashew, and the others.

"Move!" the rogue leader barked at his men. "We’re taking him."

The rogues sprang into action, forming a protective circle around their leader and his captive.

"You’ll regret this!" Lucius snarled, charging forward.

But before he could close the distance, the rogue leader tightened his grip on Florian and whispered against his ear, "We’re going to have so much fun together, little prince."

Florian’s breath hitched, but he forced himself to stay calm. His expression remained stoic despite the icy dread creeping through his veins.

"Your Highness!" Cashew’s desperate cries pierced the chaos.

Even some of the princesses—Bridget and Mira among them—looked pale with concern.

Florian clenched his fists, willing himself to stay strong. "Cashew, listen to Lucius! Stay safe, okay?" His voice wavered but remained firm.

The rogue leader smirked and gave a nod. One of the rogues tossed a spherical object to the ground. It shattered upon impact, releasing a thick plume of smoke that swallowed the clearing in seconds.

Florian’s heart raced as the acrid scent stung his nose. He could hear the shouts of the princesses and the desperate commands from Lucius and Lancelot, but the smoke obscured everything.

Through the thick haze, Florian caught a glint of metal. The rogue leader raised his hand, revealing a ring gleaming on his finger. It pulsed with an eerie, faint light—the same type of ring Delilah used to move through the castle.

’No...’

Before Florian could react, the smoke wrapped around him, twisting and swirling like a living entity. The air warped and crackled with unnatural energy.

Then everything went still.

The smoke dissipated, revealing an entirely different landscape. Florian gasped, his lungs burning as he took in his surroundings.

Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their gnarled branches bare from the harsh winter. Some clung stubbornly to life, their leaves a stark contrast of green against the skeletal remains of their neighbors. The ground was littered with fallen branches and patches of frost.

The cold air bit at his skin, but Florian barely noticed.

They were in the forest—far from the castle and the safety of the knights.

The rogue leader’s men spread out, securing the area as their leader kept his hold on Florian.

"Welcome to your new temporary home, little prince," the rogue leader whispered, his voice dripping with cruel satisfaction.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.