Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight! novel Chapter 535

At first, there was only silence.

The flutter of wings, the faint glow of blue circling above them, and the pounding of Florian's own heart echoing in his ears.

Then—at a simple gesture from Heinz—music.

It rose out of the darkness like a whisper, so faint at first Florian thought he might have imagined it. A slow, delicate melody drifted into the hall, weaving through the shadows like a spell meant only for them.

'I don't recognize the song… but then again, it might just be a random ball piece. Why would I know any songs?'

The ballroom remained shrouded in shadow, the chandeliers lifeless, the only light coming from the butterflies that circled above them like a glowing halo. Their soft blue shimmer made the moment feel unreal, like a dream he wasn't supposed to be in.

The moment the first note touched them, Heinz moved.

'Oh… he's moving.'

Heinz guided him forward with measured grace, every step slow and deliberate. Florian tried to follow, but his grip on Heinz's hand trembled, his movements uncertain.

His heart hammered as he stumbled into the rhythm, constantly half a beat behind.

He kept his eyes fixed downward, squinting into the dimness, afraid of tripping, of ruining everything. Afraid of doing something wrong.

Or worse—stepping on Heinz. The king himself.

And all around them, silence pressed in. The entire ballroom held its breath, countless eyes locked on their every move. The weight of it suffocated him, heavy and unrelenting.

"Look at me," Heinz whispered. The words were quiet, deep, but they cut straight through the music.

Florian's steps faltered. His throat tightened. "I… I can't," he admitted under his breath, his voice cracking faintly. His gaze stayed glued to the floor. "If I make a mistake—if I step on you—"

Heinz's hand at his waist tightened, steady and unyielding. He pulled him closer until there was no space left to retreat. "Then step on me," he murmured, the words low and certain. "As much as you want. Don't worry about that."

Florian froze. His breath hitched sharply, heat rushing to his face.

'Did he… actually just say that?'

Why would Heinz say that?

His chest squeezed, heat rising up his neck before he could stop it. Slowly—hesitantly—he lifted his gaze fully, and for the first time since the music began, their eyes met.

Crimson to green.

His eyes widened, searching Heinz's face for the usual sharp edge, for mockery hidden behind his words.

But there was none.

Only calm. Only quiet certainty.

And that smile again—a soft smile.

The butterflies shimmered brighter above them, their wings scattering flecks of luminous blue across Heinz's face.

The glow clung to him, tracing the hard lines of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the sharp intensity of his crimson eyes.

The melody swelled, rich and full, wrapping around them until it drowned out the world. What once felt suffocating silence had become something else entirely—something breathtaking, almost magical.

And Florian realized, with a sinking heart and a trembling breath, that he could no longer look away.

'This feels…' His thoughts tangled, captivated by the red in Heinz's eyes, which seemed even brighter now beneath the halo of blue.

"This almost feels like the start of a love story," Heinz whispered, his voice low and unshakable, as if he had plucked the thought straight out of Florian's head.

Florian's face burned instantly, heat rushing to his ears. "That's… that's…" Words failed him, his throat closing up in panic.

Instead, the king moved with startling grace, shifting his hold in one fluid motion. What should have been a stumble became a deliberate dip, Florian's back arching as he found himself held firmly in Heinz's arms.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but they didn't sound like mockery—only awe.

To them, it looked intentional, as though Heinz had planned it all along.

Florian's eyes widened, breath caught in his throat. He was tilted back, helpless, looking up at Heinz.

And Heinz… Heinz looked down at him, the glow of butterflies and the fiery sparks of Azure's display framing him like a vision.

Warmth radiated from that crimson gaze, a softness Florian wasn't prepared for.

'I really...can't get used to that gaze.'

His heart hammered so loudly against his chest it drowned out the music. His lips parted before he could stop himself, words slipping out in a whisper. "I agree."

Heinz blinked, surprise flickering across his face. "Agree?" he repeated softly, as though turning the word over in his mind.

Florian's chest tightened. "I..." He had meant to finish—meant to say he agreed that this really did feel like the start of a love story. But the words never came.

Because in that instant, everything around him shifted.

The glow of butterflies, the sparks of fire—gone. The music dissolved into silence.

A strange force pulled at him, seizing him from the inside out. His breath hitched as his vision blurred, reality twisting at the edges.

And then—

He was no longer in the ballroom.