Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 362

Chapter 362: ’Petty.’

Everyone turned to look at Florian the moment he blurted out, "Are you kidding?"

To the others at the long dining table, it must’ve seemed like a reaction to King Heinz’s response to Alexandria’s proposal. A surprised outburst—perhaps from shock.

But it wasn’t.

It was because Heinz had ignored him. Ignored him—yet had no problem responding to Alexandria with ease.

And it pissed him off.

"Is there a problem, Your Highness?" Alexandria asked, blinking innocently at him with that gentle smile she always wore.

Florian blinked back, gaze sweeping briefly over her, then flicking toward the assembled dukes, all of whom were watching him now with varying degrees of curiosity. And then, finally, to Heinz.

The king didn’t even glance in his direction.

Florian let out a small, quiet sigh. One that carried the weight of a thousand unspoken annoyances.

"No," he said, pulling a smile onto his lips like a mask he’d worn a hundred times. "It was a positive response. I simply didn’t expect things to move this quickly, but I’m happy."

His words sounded fake even to his own ears. Hollow. Paper-thin.

But no one questioned it. Of course they didn’t. Why wouldn’t he be happy? The king had agreed to implement the very plans Florian had suggested days ago. A triumph, on paper.

Alexandria beamed. "For a second, I thought you were upset," she said with a soft laugh.

"Me as well," added Nividea with a sweet smile, and just like that, the attention dispersed. The table’s conversation resumed as cutlery scraped over porcelain, goblets were lifted, and everyone resumed eating.

Florian laughed too. Hollowly.

’I’m not upset,’ he thought darkly, ’just pissed.’

Because Heinz wasn’t just being distant—he was being openly petty.

After what happened last night—after practically coming onto him—now he was pretending like nothing happened? Like he was invisible?

Florian pressed his lips together and returned to his food, though the taste had soured. The stew was supposed to be rich and warm, yet it tasted bitter on his tongue. He chewed slowly, methodically, all the while trying not to let the irritation simmer too close to the surface.

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough—he still didn’t know who the perpetrator was. He was juggling suspicion, paranoia, and now this. Heinz’s sudden coldness.

What was worse?

"Oh, and Your Majesty..." Alexandria leaned closer, her voice lilting as she spoke.

Alexandria kept speaking.

And Heinz?

"Yes, well..." The king answered her, voice smooth, regal. Attentive.

He kept answering.

They were in the middle of him—Florian sat between them—and yet it was like he wasn’t even there.

Like Heinz wanted to make a show of ignoring him.

Florian’s fingers clenched around his fork.

They weren’t even close, Heinz and Alexandria. Not like this. But ever since they’d started planning that ridiculous fake test together, they’d begun talking more, smiling more.

Had something changed?

Had Alexandria and Heinz grown closer... because of that?

’Good for them, then,’ Florian thought bitterly, stabbing a piece of meat with far more force than necessary. ’If that’s what they want, they can have each other. Just don’t do it over my goddamn shoulder.’

The irritation pulsed in his chest like a slow, dull burn.

But he had better things to focus on. The poisoner. The potential suspects. This petty drama wasn’t worth his energy.

Still—

"Lady Alexandria," Florian interrupted smoothly, turning toward her with a polite smile. Her conversation with Heinz stuttered to a stop.

"Yes?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"Would you like to switch seats with me? I was hoping to speak with Lady Athena and the other heirs seated on your side. I’d appreciate the opportunity."

Alexandria looked stunned for half a second, then—positively delighted. Her eyes sparkled with a smile as she nodded quickly.

"Thank you," she whispered as they traded seats and plates. She probably thought he was doing her a favor. Helping her get closer to the king. Maybe, in a twisted way, it was a favor. But mostly, Florian just didn’t want to sit there and watch Heinz flirt over his goddamn dinner plate.

He didn’t glance at Heinz. He didn’t need to. He could feel that heavy presence—the petty cold shoulder—still lingering like a ghost beside him.

’Let him stew in it,’ Florian thought. ’I’m not playing this game.’

Once seated beside Athena, with Scarlett on her other side, both women turned their eyes on him like hawks sensing a shift in wind.

"Why did you switch?" Scarlett asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"They were having a conversation," Florian replied under his breath, lifting his goblet casually as if nothing were amiss.

"Why do you seem angry then?" she pressed, voice low and sharp.

Florian’s lips curled into a faint, practiced smile. "Me? Angry? No."

"Uh huh," Scarlett muttered dryly, clearly not buying it. Athena, meanwhile, simply watched them with her usual calm curiosity, a small smile playing at her lips.

Surprisingly, the sight of both of them eased something in his chest. Just a little.

Looking at Athena and Scarlett now—two people he had come to trust—Florian felt something close to relief.

’It’s not them,’ he thought. ’I don’t think it’s them.’

And as long as it wasn’t someone close to him—someone he’d let in—then he could breathe a little easier. That was the real fear, wasn’t it?

’What a drag.’

He wasn’t exactly dreading it... but he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it either. It was just another one of Heinz’s glorified performances—something he had cooked up to challenge the princesses under the guise of fairness, and yet, somehow, Florian had been thrown into it.

He wasn’t supposed to be excited. He had to be excited.

’Why is he asking me that? What is he trying to imply?’

’Is this really happening? In front of everyone?’

’What?’

’Wait... don’t they have a mother?’

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify