Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 600

"And I thought I couldn't like you any more than I already do, Your Highness," Drizelous said with a chuckle.

The reaction made Florian blink, genuinely confused.

'…That's not what I was expecting.'

Florian trusted Drizelous.

So he told him everything.

Well—almost everything. The polished version. The version that didn't sound completely unhinged, didn't expose every raw edge he was still trying to keep together.

Even so, he'd braced himself for judgment.

For shock. For someone instinctively taking Heinz's side, like everyone else always did.

Instead, Drizelous listened with bright eyes and an amused hum, fully engaged, as if Florian had just told him the most fascinating story in the world.

That alone was unsettling.

But also relieving.

Drizelous stepped closer and rested his hands on either side of Florian's shoulders, steady and warm.

"That's new," Florian said slowly, meeting his gaze through the mirror. "Usually there's… a horrified reaction when someone talks about rejecting the king."

"Not me," Drizelous replied easily, chuckling. "The whole reason we're best friends, Your Highness, is because you're the only one alive who can knock that pissy king down a peg."

Florian raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't he your first muse? And your childhood friend?"

Drizelous waved a hand dramatically. "Oh, I love the man. Absolutely." He sighed theatrically. "Do I like him? Not particularly. You already knew that."

Florian snorted before he could stop himself.

"It's the same way you love him and hate him at the same time," Drizelous added, glancing at him knowingly.

"Hey!" Florian protested, half-joking. "Mine's… different. Maybe."

"Maybe? It's different because yours is romantic." Drizelous echoed, arching a brow. "Dear, there's no maybe." His tone softened, losing its playful edge. "The way you described it—the way you love him but can't forgive what he's done. The way he only started changing because you became different."

His hands tightened just slightly on Florian's shoulders.

"I can tell," Drizelous said quietly, "that you're still hesitating."

Florian's smile faded, just a little, like it took effort to keep it there at all.

He hesitated before speaking, eyes fixed on his reflection. "What… can you advise?" Florian asked slowly. "I keep telling myself I'm fine with rejecting him. Especially when he does something that makes me angry—like talking to my father behind my back."

His voice wavered despite his effort to keep it steady. "I feel stupid. I feel stupid that I still hesitate. I shouldn't be hesitating, right?"

"You shouldn't be," Drizelous replied, carefully placing another ornament into Florian's hair. His tone was calm, measured. "But…"

"There's a but?" Florian asked immediately, the tension breaking just enough for a breath of humor. Drizelous laughed softly.

"Yes, there's a but," he said. "I've had my fair share of romances. Ladies I've left heartbroken… and ladies who've left me heartbroken."

"Ladies?" Florian repeated, blinking. "Ladies?"

The word hit him harder than any political revelation, any secret whispered behind palace doors.

'Wait—what?'

"Yes, ladies," Drizelous said easily, flashing him a grin that was, annoyingly, every bit as charming as he claimed. "Was it not obvious? I'm quite the charmer."

Florian stared at him, clearly thrown off.

'You being charming isn't the surprising part,' he thought, biting back the comment. 'It's… everything else.'

He realized then that the assumption had been his own. A careless one. And for some reason, that realization made his chest feel lighter—and heavier at the same time.

"Anyway," Drizelous continued, waving it off. His voice softened, losing its playful edge. "There was one woman in particular. Her name was Chastity." A fond smile crossed his face, genuine and unguarded. "Beautiful name, right?"

Florian nodded without thinking.

"She was… remarkable," Drizelous went on. "We met when we were eighteen. Just two young lovebirds, convinced that love alone could solve everything."

Florian stayed quiet, letting him speak.

"She loved me deeply. I knew that," Drizelous continued, his voice softer now. "And I loved her too. I truly did. But…"

His smile faltered, just for a second, like it hurt to keep it in place. "Unfortunately for her, that was the time when I was rebelling against my mother. And my mother adored Chastity. Absolutely adored her."

'Oh… oh no,' Florian thought, his chest sinking as the pieces began to fall into place.

"I was unfaithful," Drizelous said plainly. There was no humor in his voice now, only quiet shame. "And I didn't even bother hiding it. I flirted openly. I went to parties with noblewomen who loved the idea of being close to the son of the future king's favorite maid."

He let out a breath. "And by then, I was already gaining a name for myself as a designer and tailor."

"I can't imagine you as a… playboy," Florian admitted.

Drizelous let out a weak laugh. "Well, I was, Your Highness." His gaze dropped slightly. "And Chastity?" He shook his head. "She didn't care. She kept supporting me. Loving me. Standing by my side as if none of it hurt."

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