Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 197: ’These People Need It’

As Augustus stepped inside the house, the door creaking behind him, Florian exhaled slowly, his breath shallow and uneven.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides before he turned to Heinz, his pulse hammering beneath his skin. There was so much he wanted to say—so much he needed to—but the words felt like hot coals on his tongue.

"Your Majesty," he said, his voice quieter than he intended, but firm nonetheless, "can we speak privately for a moment?"

Heinz regarded him with an arched brow, his expression unreadable in the dim light. There was a beat of silence, then a small nod. Without another word, Florian led him a few steps away from the ruined house, just far enough that the others wouldn’t overhear.

’I don’t think I could get used to the smell.’

The air here smelled of damp rot and decay, the very earth seeming to suffocate beneath its own curse.

Azure, still curled around his shoulders, had begun shifting more, his tiny claws digging lightly into Florian’s collarbone. His tail flicked anxiously, the fine scales along his back bristling with unease.

His wings twitched, half-spread as if he wanted to take flight but had nowhere to go.

Florian swallowed hard, watching Azure fidget. ’He’s still restless, but at least he’s not as bad as before. Seems like he’s finally settling down—kind of.’

He shoved the thought aside, turning his attention fully to Heinz. The king stood before him, arms crossed, waiting with that same impassive stare. Unmoved. Detached.

"I need to ask you something important," Florian said, his voice tightening despite himself.

Heinz tilted his head slightly. "Go on."

Florian inhaled sharply. "Is there any way to break the curse?"

’There must be, right? A curse can’t be unbreakable.’

The response came instantly. "No."

So quick. So effortless. As if he’d never even considered it.

Florian blinked, his mind struggling to process the weight of that single syllable.

Heinz continued, his tone flat, clinical. "The curse on this land isn’t some simple enchantment that can be unraveled. The very soil, the water, the air—it’s all tainted, Florian. Nothing can restore what has already been lost."

Florian’s throat tightened. "Then—"

"The only thing the royal family has managed to do is provide temporary aid, sending what little relief they can once a year." Heinz’s gaze flickered briefly toward the distant homes, their skeletal remains barely standing against the wind.

"But even that does nothing in the long run. This isn’t just barren land. People here are rotting. They’re sick. Their bodies decay faster than they should. Food, water—it doesn’t stop what’s already begun."

Florian felt his stomach twist into knots.

’It’s worse than I thought.’

Azure let out a soft, distressed noise against his neck, almost a whimper. Florian’s fingers curled around him instinctively, grounding himself in the creature’s warmth.

His next words barely came out above a whisper. "So we just... let them die?"

His voice wavered, and he hated himself for it. He needed to be stronger than this. He needed to push back harder.

Heinz regarded him for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then, quietly, he asked, "Why do you care?"

’Excuse me?’

Florian faltered. "...What?"

"What do you get out of this?" Heinz asked again. His tone wasn’t mocking, nor was it cruel—it was simply... curious. As if Florian’s desperation to help was something foreign. Something unnatural.

Florian stared at him, struggling to find words. Why did he care?

Because these people were suffering. Because they had been abandoned for so long. Because even if there was no hope left, someone still had to stand beside them.

But before he could voice any of that, another thought clawed its way into his mind, striking him cold. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

He took a slow, measured breath. "Did you know how bad it had gotten?"

Heinz didn’t blink. "No."

’Bullshit.’

Florian frowned. "Augustus said they sent letters—to the king, to Duke Darkthorn. Did you... see them?"

Heinz was silent for a moment, his gaze distant. Then, in that same emotionless cadence, he said, "I never bothered checking them."

’What the fuck? Is he being for real?’

Florian felt the blood drain from his face.

"You—" His breath hitched, his fingers curling into his palms. "You never checked them? Not once?"

"No."

The answer was so casual, so devoid of guilt, that it made Florian’s skin crawl. He had expected an excuse, a justification—something. But there was nothing. No regret. No remorse.

Just cold indifference.

Florian’s pulse pounded against his ribs, the weight of Heinz’s words crushing down on him. His hands trembled at his sides, his entire body screaming to lash out, to demand why, to yell, to rage.

But he didn’t.

Because unfortunately, Heinz was still the king and he needed to be on his good side. And Florian didn’t know what would happen if he pushed too far.

He could feel Azure trembling now—not just shifting anxiously, but truly shaking.

His small claws dug into Florian’s skin, his tail tightening around his shoulders, his tiny body pressing closer as if seeking protection.

And then, Heinz spoke again.

"I had planned to visit," he said, his voice quieter, almost as if he were speaking to himself. "In my first life, before I died, I was going to come here and you know that. And now, in my second life, I intended the same. It just so happened that both times... there was a kidnapping."

Florian inhaled sharply. "And after the kidnapping?"

Heinz was silent.

Florian’s chest tightened. "You never returned."

The king didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The silence was damning enough.

Florian clenched his jaw. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his nails biting into his skin. He took a slow step forward, defying the instincts telling him to tread carefully.

"Why should I?" Heinz asked, tilting his head slightly, his gaze still eerily calm. "There are greater issues to handle. There are other lands, other battles. Why should I devote my attention to a village already lost?"

’Wow...wow. Really, just wow.’

Florian’s breath caught, his body stiffening. He searched Heinz’s face for any trace of doubt, any flicker of emotion—but the king remained cold. Detached.

’I shouldn’t say anything anymore. I shouldn’t. If I do I might...’

Florian clenched his jaw. His breath came in sharp, shallow bursts. His heart pounded, his blood roared in his ears, but he didn’t break eye contact.

"Because it’s your responsibility," he said, his voice hoarse but unwavering. "Because these people look to you for guidance, for hope. Because they’re your people, Your Majesty. Whether you acknowledge it or not, they belong to this kingdom. They matter."

Heinz didn’t move. His gaze bore into Florian’s, unblinking, still emotionless. But Azure shuddered. His tiny body quaked as if absorbing something his master would never admit.

Florian took another step forward, his voice sharpening into something unyielding.

"Because that’s what a king should do."