Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 597

"It's just a few days, Cashew…" Florian said softly, running his fingers through the young servant's hair. "And weren't you the one who told me you needed to dedicate time to your new role?"

After Lucius left, Florian had summoned Cashew again to help him pack. He hadn't waited long. Cashew arrived almost immediately, just as he always did.

But this time, before they even started, Cashew made a request.

He wanted to come along.

It caught Florian off guard.

Not because he didn't want Cashew with him, but because the decision Cashew had made earlier had felt right. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Cashew choosing to stay behind meant he was choosing something for himself.

His own responsibilities. His own future.

Becoming head maid, especially as a young male, was no small thing.

It was a rare opportunity, and Florian had been quietly relieved when Cashew decided to take it seriously instead of staying tethered to him.

It reassured him.

Especially knowing that one day, this body would no longer be his.

Florian needed to know that Cashew would be okay, even after the original Florian returned. He knew the original Florian cared deeply for Cashew too, but still, the thought lingered.

"Tell me, Cashew…" Florian said gently, finally noticing the tightness in his expression. The worry. The fear. "Did something happen?"

Cashew's eyes flickered.

"No," Florian continued, more certain now. "Something did happen. You wouldn't change your mind like this otherwise. So please, tell me."

Cashew looked down, fingers curling into the fabric of his sleeves. "Uhm…"

'I knew it,' Florian thought. There it was.

"Well…" Cashew began, fidgeting, clearly torn about whether he should continue.

Florian watched him quietly.

He knew Cashew too well by now.

"When I left you and Sir Lucius to talk, I spoke with some of the maids. Well… they were actually looking for me," Cashew said, taking a steadying breath as if bracing himself.

Florian's hand stilled mid-motion.

'Okay… did they bully him? Say something cruel?' Florian thought, his chest tightening instinctively. He forced himself not to interrupt, even as irritation began to simmer under his skin.

The maids adored Cashew.

They always had, even before he was appointed head maid.

But after everything that had happened, Florian couldn't afford blind trust anymore.

Not with anyone.

"…They told me they had concerns," Cashew continued, voice lowering. "A lot of concerns. About you."

"For me?" Florian echoed, eyes widening despite himself. "Concerns about what?"

Cashew hesitated, fingers curling together. "About Duke Elara's older brother. Sir Eldrick Skyshroud."

Florian frowned. "What about him?"

Cashew swallowed. "Apparently… he doesn't have a good reputation among the maids."

That caught Florian's full attention.

"Why?" he asked immediately.

Cashew glanced up at him, worry written plainly across his face. "They asked me not to tell anyone. They told me to just… find a way to go with you. But I thought you should know, Your Highness. Even if it makes things complicated."

Florian's stomach sank.

'That bad?' he thought.

"The maids, Dahlia and Rene," Cashew continued carefully, "they had a close friend. Very close. She was supposed to start working as a maid at Sir Eldrick's manor."

Cashew's voice wavered just slightly.

"And… she never came back."

Silence fell between them.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify