Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 361

Chapter 361: ’Cold Treatment.’

Heinz was right.

Heinz was so, so right.

As the final day of the summit unfolded and Heinz made his formal announcement—solidifying the partnership between the royal court and the four ducal houses—Florian found himself completely distracted. Everyone applauded. Smiles bloomed across noble faces. The dukes approved his proposals. By all accounts, he had succeeded.

And yet...

All Florian could think about was the same lingering question that had plagued him since morning:

’Who the fuck is the perpetrator?’

He watched the room with tight, unreadable eyes as nobles raised their glasses in cheer. The golden morning light filtering through the throne room windows should have made things feel warm, celebratory.

Instead, it felt like it illuminated too much—like it peeled back the curtains and left everyone exposed.

Florian’s mind was restless, racing.

’Is it someone who wants Heinz dead too? Are they the same person who’s been riling up villagers, terrorizing the nobles?’

His fingers clenched slightly under the table, unseen.

’The one who had me kidnapped... who nearly got me killed—is it the same person? Or just someone working under them?’

A cold knot formed in his chest as he realized the full weight of the damage done over just a month or two. His suffering. Heinz’s impending death. The sheer mess that had unraveled their lives.

And suddenly, Florian had to ask himself something he hadn’t dared until now.

’Do Lucius and Lancelot really have it under control? Or... are they under someone else’s control?’

The thought made his blood run cold.

He hadn’t questioned them—he’d been too busy trying to stop Heinz from hurting them, too busy feeling guilty, too busy trying to be kind. And now, the cracks in that kindness were starting to show.

Florian swallowed.

He wasn’t even sure if the perpetrator would make another move today, but with all the dukes and their heirs in the palace—the perfect audience, the perfect opportunity—they could strike again.

And worse?

Florian didn’t know who to trust anymore.

Besides Heinz.

Not even the princesses were safe from suspicion. Lucius and Lancelot had taken their punishments without argument, and that silence said a lot. They’d protected the final day of the summit like it was sacred.

Which meant whatever—or whoever—they were shielding... could shatter everything.

"Prince Florian?"

The voice jolted him. Florian flinched hard, the sudden motion causing the silver fork in his hand to fall onto the porcelain plate with a loud clang.

The sharp noise cut through the quiet hum of conversation. All heads turned. Every gaze landed on him.

A wave of heat climbed up his neck and ears.

They were at the farewell feast. The last gathering before the dukes departed the palace. It was supposed to be a calm, casual brunch.

Instead, Florian sat in silence, barely touching his food, casting suspicious looks at everyone around him like a hunted thing.

The girl who had spoken was Nividea, the poised and soft-spoken daughter of Duke Cedric. Her twin brother, Nevideus, sat beside her, both wide-eyed with concern.

Even the dukes and princesses—and several curious servants—were now watching him. The tension prickled against his skin.

But Heinz’s stare...

That was what froze Florian in place.

The king sat across the table, calmly chewing a bite of roasted meat, eyes narrowed ever so slightly, fixed only on him.

Florian swallowed hard, heart thudding.

’He’s watching me again. Like he’s waiting for something. Or expecting me to say the wrong thing.’

He tried not to look at him. Tried to focus on anything else. Anything safe.

Nividea leaned forward slightly. "Are you okay? You barely touched your food... do you feel sick, perhaps?"

"I was thinking the same," said Duke Cedric with a concerned frown. "Your face is quite pale. Perhaps you should get yourself checked."

Florian cleared his throat, forcing a weak chuckle as he shook his head. "N-No... I’m fine. Just excited, I suppose. I stayed up too late last night thinking about the summit’s success."

That part, at least, was true.

Though not for the reason they thought.

He hadn’t slept. Not because of joy or pride, but because every time he closed his eyes, his mind conjured faces—Lucius, Lancelot, Alexandria, Bridget... Heinz. All of them, tangled in layers of doubt.

"Ohhh, now his face is red," Nevideus pointed out, blinking.

Florian laughed awkwardly again, lifting a hand to his cheek in a half-hearted attempt to play along.

"Are you truly sure you’re okay?" asked Duke Elara gently, her brows furrowed in maternal concern.

"It’s also unlike you to be this quiet," Alexandria added, casting him a curious glance. She was sitting right beside him, her posture relaxed, but her gaze sharp.

’Eleonor didn’t mean anything by that joke... but what if it did trigger someone?’

’If the motive really is the crown... or Heinz... then it makes sense why someone might want me gone.’

’Heinz is still staring at me.’

’He definitely knows I’m overthinking.’ His fingers tightened around his fork. ’He knows I’m spiraling, and he’s just letting me sit in it.’

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