Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89: ’Bickering?’

"Shouldn’t you be resting?"

Florian awkwardly smiled, chuckling as he looked up at Lucius. After much insisting—and no small amount of demanding from Lancelot—the doctor had finally cleared him to leave.

Lancelot had relented, albeit begrudgingly, and escorted Florian down to the dungeon. It was the first time Florian had ever ventured into the underground parts of the Diamond Palace, and the journey there was anything but uneventful. He could feel the eyes of the palace staff on him, their whispers trailing behind him like shadows. But unlike their usual gossiping or judgmental glances, this time, they seemed... curious.

Florian had learned long ago to ignore such scrutiny, but he couldn’t deny that a small part of him felt satisfied. His reckless sacrifice had stirred intrigue, and perhaps even respect. ’If this helps my reputation, then so be it,’ he thought. But personal victories aside, he had one goal in mind—settling things with Arthur.

What he hadn’t expected was to find Lucius waiting at the entrance of the dungeon, his golden eyes narrowed the moment they landed on him.

Florian swallowed. He knew Lucius had tried to stop him from sacrificing himself. He had left Lucius and Cashew behind, and he didn’t doubt that the butler had spent every moment since worrying about him.

"I’ve rested enough. Doctor Lysander did a great job healing me."

"Yes. For the second time this month," Lucius replied coolly, a sharp contrast to the flirtatious warmth Florian was used to. The sudden shift in tone unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

’He looks so pissed.’

"Uh... well, I don’t know what to say to that, Lucius," Florian muttered, awkwardly averting his gaze. "Do you... want me to apologize?"

"Oh no. How could I, a mere butler, a lowly son of a duke, ever dream of asking a prince for an apology? Especially not for worrying me by nearly getting himself killed. Twice. In one month."

"Alright, alright! I’m sorry!" Florian threw up his hands in surrender, shaking them wildly as if to stop Lucius from continuing his sarcastic tirade. "I mean it, Lucius! I’m sorry! But—" His expression turned serious. "They were either going to kill Athena or take the rest of the princesses. I did what I had to do."

"I don’t ca—" Lucius cut himself off abruptly. His gaze flickered behind Florian, landing on Lancelot. He inhaled sharply, adjusting his glasses with practiced ease. "We will continue this conversation in your room, Your Highness. For now, I cannot believe you would even want to see this man again after he held you captive for an entire day."

"For once, I agree with Darkthorn," Lancelot quipped, stepping closer to Florian’s side. He leaned slightly forward, just enough for his face to hover near Florian’s. "Are you really sure about this?"

Florian opened his mouth to respond but hesitated when he caught sight of Lucius’ expression. The butler’s sharp eyes flickered between him and Lancelot, something unreadable behind them.

Lucius spoke first, voice clipped. "Aren’t you a little too close to His Highness?"

Lancelot only shrugged. "I’m making sure he doesn’t fall over. Just in case."

"That doesn’t make sense. And even if it did, I would be the one to do that. I am his butler."

"You’re the palace’s and His Majesty’s butler," Lancelot corrected, a smirk playing at his lips.

Lucius’ eyes narrowed dangerously. "In case you didn’t know, His Majesty specifically assigned me as His Highness’ personal butler as well."

Florian’s eye twitched. ’Are they... actually bickering right now? Over me?’

He furrowed his brows. ’This looks like a scene straight out of the novel. The two male leads at each other’s throats while Florian—’ His entire body tensed. ’No. No, no, no. This isn’t good.’

"Doesn’t matter," Lancelot interjected smoothly. "Right now, it’s my job to protect him. To make sure he’s safe."

Lucius scoffed. "Make sure he’s safe? When you couldn’t even—"

"Alright! That’s enough!" Florian clapped his hands together, cutting them both off before Lucius could say something Lancelot wouldn’t let slide. "It’s best not to keep His Majesty waiting, yes? That would be... disrespectful."

Both men turned to look at him, then at each other. After a long pause, they begrudgingly nodded.

Lancelot walked ahead of Florian, leading them into the dark, stone-walled dungeon. "Then follow me."

As Florian and Lucius followed behind, Florian caught the butler’s lingering gaze from the corner of his eye. A quiet sigh escaped him.

’I don’t know if it’s just me... but isn’t Lucius being a little more... open about his concern than usual? He normally hides his emotions in front of others.’

’Why is this place so creepy?’ He swallowed hard. ’Seriously, who thought having a dungeon like this was a good idea? At least throw in some decent lighting.’

Florian’s eyes widened. ’That explains why Cashew hasn’t come flying at me like a storm.’ Guilt gnawed at him, clawing at the edges of his thoughts.

Florian tensed. ’Why does he have to ask that?’ His throat tightened as his gaze flickered to the damp stone walls. He wanted to lie, brush it off—but he knew Lucius would see right through him.

Florian winced. ’Damn it. He always does that.’