Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 248: ’Plans for the Village’

Florian avoided eye contact, staring down at his half-eaten meal as if it were the most interesting thing in the room. He knew Lucius could read him too well—he always could. Even if he denied being flustered, Lucius would see right through the lie.

And honestly, what was he supposed to say?

’Hey, so I’m flustered because I had a dirty dream about the king, then I accidentally touched his massive genital that’s hiding inside his pants. And then he had a dirty dream about me AGAIN while he was just resting beside me.’

Yeah. No. That was never leaving his mouth. Not in this lifetime.

So, he found the next best thing to say.

"I saw the state of the village," Florian said, forcing his voice into something steadier. "And I got mad at His Majesty. I... told him off."

Lucius, who had been silently watching him, suddenly blinked. His posture shifted slightly, his expression one of sheer disbelief.

"You... told him off?"

Florian nodded, feeling a bit ashamed as he poked at his food, worried that Lucius might figure out he didn’t say the real reason he was flustered. ’Technically, I didn’t lie,’ he thought. ’I really did get mad at him.’

Lucius continued staring, like he was struggling to comprehend what he had just heard. "And... he did not punish you?"

Florian shook his head.

That only seemed to baffle Lucius further.

Florian could understand why. Heinz was terrifying. His mood was terrifying. Everything about him operated on pure whim—one moment calm, the next filled with unimaginable cruelty. He had never been the type to tolerate insolence.

And yet, Florian was still here.

Lucius exhaled quietly, leaning back in his chair. "I see..." He seemed to be mulling over something before shaking his head slightly.

There was a brief awkward silence, and nothing could be heard besides the soft flapping of butterflies’ wings and Azure’s small snores.

Florian continued eating, the tension lingering in the air. Lucius, however, remained still, watching him with a contemplative expression. Then, finally, he cleared his throat.

"Speaking of the villages, Your Highness, I also came here to discuss your plans."

Florian raised a brow. "Plans?"

Lucius nodded. "Yes. Have you thought of a concrete plan to help the villages?"

Florian stared. "No? Not yet? I just woke up earlier, you know that. Do you need the plan right away?"

Lucius gave a small nod, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "I have to draft the invitation for the dukes. I need the proposal for what you plan on doing and why they need to attend or cooperate."

Florian sighed, leaning back against his seat as he rubbed his temple. "This quick? Well, that’s fine, I guess... I have a few rough ideas."

At that, Lucius took a small notepad and a quill from his pocket vest, setting them neatly on the table. He adjusted his glasses and gave Florian a pointed look.

"And those are?" he asked expectantly.

Florian drummed his fingers lightly against the table, his gaze distant as he thought. "For villages that are completely broken down—like the Village of Forgotten Waters—I want to rebuild a new village for them."

Lucius’s quill stilled against the paper. His golden eyes flickered up, narrowing slightly in surprise. "Rebuild a new village?"

"Yeah." Florian tilted his head. "Is that not possible?"

Lucius studied him for a moment before carefully setting his quill back to the parchment.

"The Obsidian royal family is the wealthiest on the continent, right?" Florian continued. "It probably wouldn’t even make a dent in his majesty’s money to fund something like that. And we could also ask for volunteers to help."

Lucius blinked, as if taken aback by the sheer confidence in his words, but he quickly recovered, quill scratching against paper as he jotted it down. "That is... a rather large-scale project," he admitted. "But feasible, considering His Majesty’s influence."

Florian nodded, a small swell of relief in his chest that the idea wasn’t outright rejected. "Good." He exhaled. "I also want to establish programs—schools, vocational training, things that would actually help people build better futures."

Lucius’s sharp gaze flickered up again, this time with curiosity. "Schools and programs? Are you suggesting a charity initiative?"

"Not exactly." Florian leaned forward, his fingers lightly tapping against the wooden surface. "This is more of a business idea that also helps people."

Lucius paused, his quill hovering just above the parchment. "Explain, Your Highness."

Florian gestured with his hands, words flowing naturally now that he was in his element. "We create businesses—factories, workshops, services—whatever makes sense for the region. And instead of hiring just anyone, we prioritize people from villages that struggle to find work. If they have a skill, we help refine it. If they don’t, we train them. That way, they’re not just given handouts; they’re given an actual livelihood."

Lucius was silent as he processed the words. Then, with a small nod, he resumed writing, his expression thoughtful.

"These are more long-term solutions," Florian continued. "Compared to short-term ones like just giving them food or gold and calling it a day. I want to relocate villages that struggle with farming, food shortages, or natural disasters, and for the ones that are just really poor, I want to give them better opportunities instead of just temporary relief."

The only sound between them was the soft scratching of the quill against parchment.

Florian let out a quiet breath, watching Lucius carefully. He expected some kind of question, maybe even an argument. But instead...

Lucius stopped writing.

His golden eyes lifted from the notepad, locking onto Florian with an expression that was almost unreadable.

Florian blinked. "What?"

Lucius didn’t answer immediately. He simply stared, as if seeing him in an entirely different light. His usual cool, composed demeanor remained, but there was something else lurking beneath the surface—something Florian couldn’t quite place.

Then, with a slow tilt of his head, Lucius murmured,

"I’m just... surprised."

Florian frowned. "Why?"

Lucius didn’t answer right away. He glanced down at the notepad, his quill resting lightly against the parchment, before looking back at Florian with an unreadable expression. His golden eyes, usually sharp and discerning, held something contemplative—something Florian couldn’t quite place.

"I was expecting something more... traditional," Lucius admitted after a moment. "Feeding programs, distribution of relief goods, temporary aid—things the previous king implemented in times of crisis." He tapped the quill against his chin, considering. "But you’ve clearly thought this through beyond just immediate relief."

Florian huffed, crossing his arms. "You should believe in me more."

Lucius let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head slightly. But when his gaze returned to Florian, something had shifted—there was a warmth in his expression, something... fond.

Florian immediately felt heat creep up his neck. ’What the hell is that look for?!’

He stiffened, but Lucius—ever composed—ignored his reaction entirely. Instead, he tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his golden irises. "Why do you know so much about this?" he asked. "It’s as if you’ve had these ideas prepared for a long time."

Florian hesitated.

That was... a good question.

For as long as he can remember, these ideas have always been in his mind. Florian, or Aden, never had to sit down and come up with them—they were just there, clear and fully formed, as if they’d always existed within him.

Despite growing up poor, or maybe because he grew up poor, he always thought of ways to help struggling people. Even as a kid, he had ideas on how things should be, how they could be.

But saying all of that out loud felt too personal, and it wouldn’t make sense since he was supposed to be a prince.

So instead, the first explanation that popped into his head slipped from his lips.

"My kingdom," Florian said, leaning back in his chair, feigning nonchalance. "You don’t know anything about it because we’re so private, but really, our kingdom is beautiful... yet it has its own problems. Problems I always thought of solutions for—y’know, as a prince." He shrugged. "But being a man in that kingdom, my ideas weren’t heard. I guess now I can finally use them."

Lucius didn’t speak right away. He simply studied Florian, gaze unwavering, as if searching for something beneath his words.

Then, slowly, he smiled.

"I admire that about you even more, Your Highness."

Florian felt his entire body seize up.

"What—?!" He gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white, his ears burning as warmth shot up his neck. ’Why is he saying something like that with such a straight face?!’

Lucius merely smirked, resting his chin against his palm. "Because it’s true, Your Highness."

’This man...!’