Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 311: ’Quite The Fiasco’

"That was quite the fiasco, Your Majesty. Your Highness," a warm, lilting voice remarked.

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Florian turned toward the source and was momentarily surprised. He hadn’t expected the Duke of Frostblade to be so... young.

Or rather, younger than most of the other dukes he had met. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties at most, with carefully styled light-brown hair and vivid purple eyes—an unusual but striking combination that made Florian pause.

’His eyes... they kind of remind me of Cashew’s.’

There was something in the way the Duke carried himself—refined, yet approachable—that instantly set him apart. As Florian stood there, briefly lost in that observation, a quiet ache tugged at his chest.

’I wonder how Cashew is doing...’ He hadn’t seen the boy all day. His personal servant had been occupied, helping the palace staff prepare food and organize the guest accommodations. ’He must be so busy.’

"Introducing, His Grace, the Duke of Frostblade, Cedric Frostblade," the butler announced with practiced elegance.

Florian snapped out of his thoughts, just in time to catch sight of two younger figures stepping out from behind the duke. His eyes widened in genuine surprise.

"Accompanied by Lord Nevideus Frostblade and Lady Nevidea Frostblade."

’Twins.’

It was the first time Florian had seen a pair of twins since arriving in this world. Fraternal, by the look of them. The boy and girl had identical blond hair that shimmered like spun gold under the sunlight, but it was their eyes—bright yellow, the exact shade of their hair—that caught him off guard.

And then another realization hit him.

’They... look like Cashew. A lot. Same age too, probably.’

The resemblance was uncanny, enough to stir questions in the back of his mind that he quickly pushed aside.

Heinz stepped forward with his usual regal poise. "Duke Frostblade. And of course, Lord and Lady Frostblade. I’m glad you arrived safely."

Cedric offered a graceful bow, and the boy beside him did the same. The girl curtsied, beaming politely. "It is truly an honor to be invited," Cedric replied. "And I’m grateful you allowed my children to accompany me."

"Of course," Heinz responded with a nod. "It’s never too early to begin learning the ways of court."

Then came Florian’s turn to speak. He hesitated—memories of the earlier disaster with Alexandrius still raw in his mind. His palms had gone cold again.

But as he took a step forward, something shifted.

Cedric’s smile widened, warm and unforced. "My! So this is Prince Florian himself. A pleasure to finally meet you."

’He’s... cheery.’ There wasn’t a trace of scorn in the man’s expression. No calculating glint. Just honest, easy-going warmth.

Florian smiled in return, loosening the tightness in his shoulders. "It’s nice to meet you as well, Duke Cedric. I hope the journey wasn’t too difficult."

"Woah!" Nividea suddenly blurted, eyes glittering with curiosity. "Are you part fairy?"

Florian blinked, startled.

"Nividea..." Nevideus groaned, elbowing his sister. "Fairies are tiny. Obviously, he’s part nymph."

’Nymph?’

"Children, please," Cedric said with a sigh, though he placed a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, not looking the least bit annoyed.

Both twins bowed their heads in unison. "We’re sorry."

Cedric offered an apologetic smile. "Forgive them, Prince Florian. They rarely have the chance to meet new people. Especially royalty. I hope you can understand their... enthusiasm."

Florian laughed, genuinely this time. "It’s no problem at all. In fact, I’m quite flattered."

The twins smiled shyly at him, and Florian found himself smiling back without thinking.

’They’re so shy. Just like Cashew was when I first tried talking to him. So adorable...’

As if on cue, Mira and Bridget stepped forward again, each cradling a fresh bouquet in their arms. They offered the flowers with reverent grace.

"Welcome to the Diamond Palace," Mira said, her voice sweet. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

"Ohhh. Pretty princesses," Nividea whispered in awe as she accepted her bouquet. "Thank you."

The compliment made Mira and Bridget visibly brighten.

Cedric accepted his bouquet with a charming smirk. "I do hope there aren’t any Stingwraiths hiding in here." The comment was lighthearted, but Florian’s face turned a bright shade of red.

"I—I’m really sorry about that earlier..."

"Don’t be," Cedric said firmly, waving the concern away. "It was clearly an honest mistake. And that crude Alexandrius... well, he overreacted."

Florian exhaled, relieved.

’Thank God... finally someone who isn’t trying to bite my head off.’

"Though..." Cedric tilted his head playfully.

’Though?’

"I must admit, I was hoping you’d scold him the same way you did that pompous baron during the ball. Now that was entertaining. I need to see more of that fire, Prince Florian."

Florian laughed, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected one of the dukes to have seen that incident, let alone enjoyed it.

He opened his mouth to respond—but then felt a firm hand settle on his shoulder.

Florian tensed almost instinctively.

Heinz.

"I’m sure he’ll have the chance to show himself tomorrow during the presentation," Heinz said, his tone edged with something unreadable.

Cedric’s gaze lingered on Heinz a moment longer than necessary. Then he nodded, the smile never leaving his face. "Indeed. I look forward to it."

He turned to the side. "Shall we head inside?"

"Yes," Heinz replied smoothly. He turned to Delilah. "Delilah, please lead them to the waiting room."

"Of course. This way, Duke Cedric, Lord and Lady Frostblade," Delilah said with a graceful bow.

The three guests returned the gesture with their own bows and curtsies, then began walking toward the hallway.

As they moved, Nividea twisted slightly in her step and whispered with bright, sparkling eyes, "See you there!"

Florian smiled softly at her, then lifted a hand to wave back.

’That was... surprisingly pleasant.’

"Watch out for that one."

Florian blinked and turned his head slightly, catching the sharp undertone in Heinz’s voice. The king stood beside him, gaze still fixed on the retreating forms of the Frostblades, his expression unreadable.

"Why, Your Majesty?" Florian asked, brows furrowing. "He seems kind enough... at the very least, kinder than the other dukes so far."

’Though, Roland seemed okay as well...’ Florian’s thoughts drifted, recalling the polite but distant manner of Duke Roland from the day before. In comparison, Cedric Frostblade’s warm demeanor had almost been refreshing.

Heinz didn’t look at him, but his jaw tightened. "He’s single," he stated flatly. "His wife is... well, it’s complicated. But he likes anything and anyone who’s pretty. So he might be interested in you."

The casual brutality of that statement caught Florian off guard. He stared at Heinz, bewildered.

’What...? Interested in me?’ The thought tasted foreign and absurd, and yet... it sat uncomfortably in his chest.

"Your Majesty," Florian said slowly, trying to inject reason into his voice, "if he were going to be interested in anyone, that would be the princesses. They’re beautiful and—"

He cut himself off, glancing back at the grand gates as they creaked open again, signaling the arrival of the final duke.

"And no one would dare touch any members of your harem," Florian added, his tone light but sincere.

There was a heavy pause. Heinz’s hand slipped from his shoulder, as though the warmth of it had never been there to begin with. His silence stretched, like a taut string about to snap.

Then, just as Florian was about to shift his attention fully to the gates, Heinz murmured under his breath, low enough that it might’ve been carried off by the wind.

"...didn’t stop them before."

Florian’s heart stilled.

He turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing slightly. The king’s face remained carefully composed, his expression unreadable. But something had shifted—just beneath the surface, there was a flicker of something raw.

’Them...?’