Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 537

"Make… a wish?"

Florian's voice came out hoarse, nearly breaking on the words. His mind was still spinning, dragged raw from the memory he'd just seen.

Heartache tangled with anger in his chest, a storm he couldn't control.

Anger at Heinz, anger at himself—for even daring to think differently, even for a fleeting second.

For a moment. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Just for a moment.

He had almost seen Heinz in a different light. A softer one.

He thought—maybe, just maybe—Heinz wasn't entirely bad.

That beneath the cruelty, there was something genuine, something that saw him. That maybe Heinz truly did appreciate him.

But the memory had burned that hope to ash.

It reminded him of truths he could never escape.

One: Heinz was heartless. Cruel. Unpredictable.

Two: Heinz treated him differently only because he wasn't the original Florian.

And three: Whatever this was—whatever fragile tenderness he thought he glimpsed—it was temporary.

Always temporary.

'I can't get used to this. I won't.'

And yet, here he was, standing before a towering cake, eyes on the flickering candles as nobles crowded eagerly around, whispering in anticipation.

Azure perched neatly at the table's edge, his wings tucked close, while the butterflies rested in still, glowing patterns around the confection.

Their light painted everything in a surreal blue sheen.

But Florian could barely breathe.

Because Heinz was right behind him. So close there was no space left to breathe, no space left to think.

His presence pressed down like a shadow, steady and suffocating, and Florian's body went tense under it.

He inhaled sharply, steadying himself.

Then he did what he'd learned to do best since being thrust into this world—something that tied him, unwillingly, to the original Florian.

He faked a smile.

"I wish…" he whispered, closing his eyes, forcing the mask to stay in place. His breath trembled as he leaned forward, extinguishing as many candles as he could in one blow.

The hall erupted in polite applause, cheers, and admiration—but Florian heard none of it.

Because only his heart knew what he wished for.

'…nothing bad happens anymore. And that I could go home.'

His chest ached with the silent plea, heavy with desperation.

More than anything else, Florian wanted to go back.

Back to his world. Away from this twisted dance of affection and cruelty.

He wanted to leave Heinz.

He wanted to leave this place.

He wanted to go home.

As soon as Florian blew out the candles, the hall erupted in applause.

The sound hit him like a wave—cheers, clapping, voices echoing together. He opened his eyes slowly, forcing his lips to hold the smile in place as dozens of faces turned toward him.

"Happy birthday, Your Highness!"

"Happy birthday, Prince Florian!"

"Happy birthday!"

The voices blended, bright and celebratory. Florian bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment, pretending to bask in it, but his eyes betrayed him—searching. Scanning.

That's when he saw them.

Kazaria, Leticia… and Asher.

All three clapping, smiling for him.

But Asher's smile—

Florian's chest tightened.

'Why is he smiling at me like that?'

It wasn't joy. It wasn't even courtesy. There was something sharp in it, something off-putting, as though Asher knew a secret that no one else did.

He raised his voice, commanding the crowd with effortless authority. "Let the celebration continue. Dance, enjoy yourselves, and take cake from the servants."

A ripple of cheers answered him. Glasses lifted, laughter sparked, and the crowd shifted back into motion, bright and loud as if nothing had happened.

But Heinz… was gone.

In the blink of an eye, the king who had stood so close behind him had melted into the sea of nobles, leaving nothing but confusion in his wake.

Florian blinked rapidly, heart pounding in his chest, the ache of it still raw from both the memory and the uncertainty now clawing at him.

'Why does he want me to meet him at the balcony? Is he… is he going to tell me something?' His throat tightened. 'But why there, away from everyone else?'

The thought gnawed at him, sharp and relentless.

'I wasn't even able to ask him about the letters—'

His spiraling thoughts were broken when he felt weight press suddenly on the top of his head. Familiar. Heavy, but not unwelcome.

He didn't even need to look to know.

Tilting his chin up, he forced a small smile. "Azure," he whispered softly.

The little dragon's tail swished as it nestled against his hair, protective and warm. The butterflies soon followed, drifting down around him in a shimmer of soft blue, circling him like loyal guardians.

Florian's lips trembled into a real smile—brief, fleeting, but real. "Hello, little ones."

Before he could savor the comfort, another voice slipped in. Elegant. Feminine. And entirely unfamiliar.

"That was quite the performance. It was wonderful."

Florian's stomach dropped. The sound was honeyed, polite, but carried the weight of someone used to being listened to.

He assumed it was another lady noble come to offer courtesy.

So he drew on his mask again, plastering the practiced smile back onto his lips, tearing his gaze away from Azure and the butterflies as he turned to face her.

"Thank you—"

The words died in his throat.

His eyes widened, blood running cold as he recognized her face.

'MONICA?!'

Florian's heart lurched violently. His breath stuttered, panic clawing its way back into his chest.

'I really… I really can't catch a break.'