Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 249: ’Beating Heart’

Florian pushed his plate toward Lucius with an air of finality, his expression firm. "If you got all the information you needed, you should leave," he said, crossing his arms. "And call Cashew."

Lucius didn’t move immediately. Instead, he smiled—slow, deliberate, as if savoring something particularly amusing. His golden eyes gleamed with a dangerous playfulness, like a predator toying with its prey.

"You’re trying to get rid of me already, Your Highness?" he mused, his voice light but laced with something deeper. "How cruel."

Florian turned away, scowling. "I just don’t need you hovering over me. Now go."

Lucius chuckled, the sound low and rich, effortlessly unbothered. "You’re quite easy to fluster today," he noted, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves with a practiced elegance that only made him more insufferable. "I can’t possibly waste such a rare opportunity."

Florian snapped his gaze back to him, irritation flaring. "There is no opportunity to take."

Lucius hummed as if unconvinced. Then, before Florian could react, he reached forward, brushing his fingers against Florian’s cheek.

Florian froze.

The touch was featherlight—barely there—but it sent an electric jolt down his spine. His breath hitched, his entire body locking up as Lucius withdrew his hand.

Their gazes met.

Lucius held up his thumb, revealing the tiniest speck of food. He examined it for a second, then—

Slowly. Deliberately.

He brought his thumb to his lips, his golden eyes never leaving Florian’s. His tongue flicked out, licking it off with an ease so confident, so shameless, it was downright criminal.

Florian felt his brain short-circuit.

’What the hell—?!’

Lucius tilted his head, smirking. "Messy eater, Your Highness," he murmured, voice smooth as velvet, wicked amusement curling at the edges of his lips.

Florian shot up from his seat so fast his chair nearly toppled over. "You—! You’re insane!"

Lucius leaned back in his chair, entirely unfazed. His smirk deepened, his expression the very picture of calm amusement. "Oh? But you seem rather affected."

Florian clenched his jaw, but the heat creeping up his neck betrayed him. ’Stop it. Stop reacting! He keeps doing this because there’s a reaction!’

Lucius let out a quiet chuckle, rising to his feet with a fluid grace. He picked up Florian’s plate as if indulging in some grand act of benevolence. "You’re lucky I’m busy today," he mused, as if letting him off easy. "But I’ll come back later."

Florian didn’t respond—still trying to remember how to function.

At that moment, Azure, who had been curled up in his lap, stirred with a sleepy chirp before lazily climbing onto his head. His tiny claws gripped Florian’s hair like a crown, settling in with another soft peep.

Lucius chuckled, watching the sight with something... strangely fond in his eyes. "You wear him well, Your Highness."

Florian groaned, rubbing his temple. "Just tell Cashew I’m awake."

Lucius gave a small nod, turning to leave—but then, he hesitated.

His steps slowed just as he reached the doorway. He tilted his head slightly back, just enough for Florian to catch the glint in his golden gaze.

Florian furrowed his brows. "What?"

Lucius exhaled through his nose, as if weighing something in his mind. Then, finally:

"About Cashew..."

Florian’s stomach twisted.

’No.’

His expression remained composed, but internally, his thoughts raced.

"What about him?" His voice was calm, measured—but he already knew where this was going.

Lucius didn’t answer immediately. He studied Florian, his gaze sharper now, as if dissecting him, reading between the lines of his expression.

Florian knew Lucius could sense emotions.

If he was bringing this up, then he must have felt something... off.

And if he suspected Cashew had spoken to the traitor... and he told Heinz—

Florian swallowed, forcing himself to stay still.

He could not let Lucius interfere.

A long moment passed.

Then—Lucius’ eyes flickered with understanding. His smirk softened, his posture shifting just slightly. After a pause, he let out a quiet sigh.

"Never mind, Your Highness," he murmured. "I trust your judgment. I always will."

Florian stiffened.

’What?’

For a brief second, the air between them felt different. Not playful, not teasing—just something real.

And Florian barely had time to process it before his mouth moved on its own.

"What are you? My lover?"

The second the words left his lips, he regretted them.

Lucius stilled. It was brief—just a fraction of a second—but Florian caught it.

Then, slow and deliberate, that damned smirk curled at his lips.

He turned fully this time, golden eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"Might as well be," Lucius murmured, his voice smooth, rich—unapologetically teasing.

Florian’s stomach flipped.

’No. No, what the hell was that supposed to mean?!’

His heart slammed against his ribs with alarming force. His body felt both too warm and too still—like he’d been rooted to the spot, but his blood was racing too fast.

Lucius simply held his gaze for another lingering second, eyes gleaming with unspoken mischief, before stepping out of the room.

The moment the door shut, Florian collapsed back onto his chair, dragging both hands down his face.

’Is this body broken?!’

Azure chirped sleepily atop his head, shifting to get comfortable, completely unaware of the absolute chaos raging inside Florian’s mind.

Florian sighed heavily, pressing his fingers against his temples.

’Okay. I need to lie down. Maybe the stress is finally getting to me.’

It had to be stress.

Because there was no way—absolutely no way—his heart would beat that fast over Lucius of all people.

Florian dragged himself toward the bed and collapsed onto it, his body sinking into the plush mattress. He stared at the ornate ceiling above him, eyes tracing the intricate gold-lined patterns, trying to steady his racing mind.

’Yeah. This is probably just another side effect of being stuck in this body.’

By now, he had noticed the pattern—whenever he was stressed or overthinking, sometimes he would get the original Florian’s memories... or worse, his emotions.

And these emotions?

They were definitely the original’s.

’No way in hell would my own heart be reacting like that over a man.’

Nope. Not possible. Not happening.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if he could physically dislodge the intrusive thoughts. He needed to focus on something more important. Something real.

The nightmare.

Or rather, the lucid dream.

It was different from the usual ones.

Three people. Chasing him.

Who were they?

Could it just be a normal dream?

No. It never was.

Since ending up in this world, he had never had a normal dream. And the fact that he had been fully aware inside it—conscious, running, feeling—meant it wasn’t something he could brush off as a random nightmare.

But what did it mean?

Was the original Florian trying to warn him about something?

Or was it his own mind piecing together something he hadn’t realized yet?

Was he forgetting something from the novel?

...Not that it would be much help now.

Florian frowned, his gaze locked on the canopy above him. The original novel’s timeline had already gone completely off course. If things had played out as they were supposed to, then right now, the original Florian’s biggest problem would have been the ridiculous love triangle between Lucius and Lancelot—both fighting over him while he still pined for Heinz.

Florian grimaced.

’Yeah. Thank God I dodged that mess.’

Still, there was one particular event around this time in the novel that stood out—

Florian’s face twisted in distaste.

Ah.

The second kidnapping.

He had almost forgotten about that.

In the original story, Florian had snuck out of the palace after hearing rumors about an Arcanior woman selling love potions in the Concordia Capital.

And because he was him, he got recognized and kidnapped.

A complete disaster.

Lancelot—ever the obsessive knight—had secretly followed him and saved him.

Unfortunately, that rescue led to yet another steamy session between them.

Florian scowled at the ceiling.

’Yeah. Not thinking about that.’

That was the original story.

Now, things had changed.

Heinz was a regressor. That alone had thrown everything into chaos.

Which meant he didn’t need to concern himself with the original events anymore. The novel’s timeline was no longer a reliable blueprint.

Florian exhaled, pushing himself upright. He had bigger priorities.

Find out who killed Heinz.

Find out who, probably, spoke to Cashew.

Help the villages.

And after that...

Heinz would help him return to his own world.

A small smile tugged at Florian’s lips, the first real trace of warmth he had felt in days.

’Just a little longer.’

His thoughts drifted toward possible solutions for the struggling villages. If he could gather more resources, persuade the higher nobles to—

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Florian blinked.

His head snapped toward the door, frowning.

Cashew?

No.

Cashew didn’t knock anymore.

Which meant—

He groaned, rubbing his face.

’Who now?’

Reluctantly, he pushed himself off the bed and trudged toward the door, bracing himself for whatever nonsense was about to unfold next.

He pulled the door open.

"...You?"