Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 376

Chapter 376: ’Staying Ignorant.’

"How was your bath, Your Highness?"

"Heavenly. I will never get tired of that bathroom," Florian replied with a small, content sigh as he stepped out, the soft sheen of steam still lingering faintly around him.

His satin pajamas clung gently to his skin, the silken fabric catching the light as he walked, barefoot and finally, finally clean.

His hair, damp and slightly curled at the ends, was pushed back by a simple clip, and his skin had a soft glow from the heat of the bath. For the first time that day, his muscles didn’t feel so tight. His body didn’t ache from stress.

And most importantly—his mind didn’t feel like it was going to shatter from the weight of too many emotions.

Florian had made a choice the moment he stepped into that steaming bath: to forget, at least for now. Forget the suffocating tension with Heinz. Forget the palace politics, the conspiracies, the tests, the expectations.

’I’m too tired to keep caring tonight.’

For now, he would ignore it all. Pretend it didn’t exist. Pretend he didn’t exist.

Tonight, he was going to indulge. Snack, relax, and bask in the little joys he still had.

"Here are the biscuits and cakes you asked for," Cashew said, gesturing toward a small round table near the glass wall, nestled beside Florian’s plants and flowers.

The table was a picture of elegance—fine porcelain plates stacked with warm, golden biscuits, pastel-hued petit fours, and delicate fruit tarts that shimmered under the moonlight filtering through the tall windows.

Florian’s heart warmed at the sight—not just because of the sweets, but because of what surrounded them.

His butterflies—Luluwing, Blinky, Shimmie, Dewdrop, Twinkle, and Mimiwing—were all fluttering giddily around the spread, their iridescent wings glowing faintly in hues of gold, lavender, and blue.

They spun in circles, darted back and forth, seemingly dancing in excitement.

Florian chuckled softly. "Hmm. Don’t they seem a bit more hyper than usual?" he asked, watching Luluwing do a loop-de-loop over the cake stand.

Cashew, standing nearby in his usual violet uniform, nodded with a bit of confusion. "I thought it was just me, Your Highness. While you were gone, I was still decorating your room... and they’ve been restless. Very... um, active."

"Could there be a reason?" Florian asked, his brow creasing just slightly as he leaned closer to inspect them.

"I... assumed it’s just because we changed rooms?" Cashew offered hesitantly. "I feel like they’ve been like this since you moved into this one... which was, um, yesterday."

Florian hummed, settling into his chair. It was plush, draped in soft lilac and cream upholstery. He crossed his legs and reached for one of the biscuits, gently placing it on the side of the table. Almost instantly, all six butterflies zoomed toward it, landing around it eagerly.

He smiled at the sight.

"How adorable," he whispered, heart easing just a little more.

Cashew smiled faintly too, watching them. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he tilted his head. "Speaking of adorable, Your Highness... Where is Azure?"

Florian blinked in surprise, lips curling slightly.

’Oh? He’s looking for Azure?’

A soft, fond warmth bloomed in his chest. It hadn’t always been like this—at first, Cashew and Azure were awkward around each other. The little dragon had snapped and growled, and Cashew had been hostile and cautious.

But now? Cashew was asking about him.

’They’ve gotten closer. That’s kind of sweet.’

Florian’s expression dimmed a bit as he answered, "Azure got a little upset with me... because of what happened earlier with Lucius and Lancelot. He went back inside His Majesty’s crystal thing."

He tried to keep his tone light, but he couldn’t hide the trace of disappointment that slipped through.

Azure had become such a steady presence in his life—grumbling, snarky, possessive—but also oddly comforting. His absence made the room feel... emptier.

’I hope he comes out again soon.’

Even if Azure wasn’t really his, Florian had grown attached. Far more than he expected.

"Oh," Cashew murmured, giving a small nod. His eyes flickered with something like concern, but he said no more.

Silence fell between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Florian leaned back in his chair, finally taking a bite of one of the cakes. The sweet melted on his tongue, and for a moment, everything unpleasant faded to the background.

Cashew remained respectfully to the side, his hands clasped, standing just far enough to give Florian space—but close enough in case he was needed. His expression was polite, but Florian could tell he had questions. Many of them.

But he didn’t ask.

Because earlier, the moment Florian returned to his chambers, he made himself clear—no talking about what happened today. Not yet. Not tonight. He was tired, and he deserved this moment of quiet.

And Cashew, sweet, loyal Cashew... was respecting his wishes.

However, even as he chewed quietly on the buttery biscuit, the taste sweet on his tongue, Florian couldn’t keep his thoughts from circling back.

Delilah.

Everything that had happened with her today—the lies, the sudden betrayal, the fear in her voice as she was dragged away—kept replaying in his mind like a scratch on a record.

Delilah, Heinz’s closest aide, a woman known for her loyalty, had been threatened. And she knew who was behind the attempts to hurt Heinz... and him. She’d known and said nothing until the very end.

Florian’s jaw tensed slightly.

’And if she was being threatened... what about Cashew?’

Cashew also knew one of the two perpetrators. That much, Florian had pieced together. But the way Cashew behaved—unlike Delilah, he hadn’t been shaking or frightened. If anything, Cashew’s silence had seemed... intentional. Almost as if he had a role to play.

’Was it on purpose?’

It might’ve been. But if that was the case, then Cashew and Delilah had been approached by different people.

’Was Cashew’s "perpetrator" not as much of a threat?’

’Hah. I already said I’d trust him... and I swore I’d stay ignorant tonight.’ Florian sighed internally, crunching down on another biscuit with a little more force than necessary.

’Wait... Alexandria said these butterflies are poisonous.’

’Did the original Florian know that they were poisonous? Why did he even bring them here in the first place?’

’Stop. Stop thinking. Just stop.’

He was not going to overthink tonight. He would not spiral into paranoia. He had snacks. He had tea. He had silence. He had pajamas.

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