Chapter 496: ’Didn’t You?’
Florian stopped dead in his tracks, his boots scraping lightly against the polished floor. His body went rigid, as if the air itself had seized around him.
"What?" His voice came out sharper than intended, a mix of disbelief and confusion.
’I must’ve misheard. There’s no way...’
Heinz, who had been walking a step ahead, halted as well. He turned his head slightly, his profile bathed in the sunlight. There was no hesitation in his tone, no sign of jest or weight. Just a calm, casual statement.
"I said I just missed you. We’ve been so busy today, I have not seen you. So I came to fetch you myself."
The words landed heavier than they were spoken.
Florian’s brows furrowed, his emerald eyes narrowing as if trying to decipher the meaning hidden behind such a simple declaration. His heart was pounding against his ribs, loud enough that he swore Heinz might hear it.
’He... missed me?’
The thought repeated in his head, looping until it felt absurd. His throat tightened, and his lips parted as if to reply, but nothing came out. He could only stare at Heinz, utterly thrown off balance.
Does he even know what that means? Or is he just saying it so lightly, without thought?
His fingers twitched at his sides, the urge to reach for something—anything—to ground himself almost overwhelming.
He forced in a slow breath, trying to settle the swirl of emotions.
And they were all tangled together until he didn’t know what to feel.
Heinz, on the other hand, was composed as ever.
He tilted his head faintly, his crimson gaze settling on Florian with calm detachment, as though he hadn’t just said something that shattered the silence like a thunderclap.
Florian swallowed hard, forcing himself to break free from the haze that clouded his mind. His chest felt tight, his thoughts a tangled mess, but he refused to let it show.
Straightening his back, he gave a small nod as if acknowledging Heinz’s words, then pushed one foot forward, the sound of his boot tapping against stone anchoring him in the present.
"...I see." His tone was quiet—carefully measured, like a blade dulled just enough to mask its edge. He exhaled slowly, brushing off the weight of what had just been said. "Well then... let’s keep walking."
Heinz studied him for a moment longer, gaze lingering like a shadow that refused to lift.
But when Florian continued on, his steps steady despite the faint stiffness in his shoulders, the king followed.
The two of them moved side by side down the long corridor, sunlight streaming through tall arched windows, casting golden bars of light across the polished stone floor. T
heir boots echoed softly in tandem, the sound strangely hollow against the high walls, as though the silence between them demanded to be filled.
Florian clenched his jaw, then forced himself to speak, if only to scatter the tension that threatened to choke him. "By the way, Your Majesty... did Drizelous already do your final fitting for tomorrow?"
Heinz blinked, the sudden shift in topic breaking through his calm exterior. His crimson eyes narrowed faintly, as if assessing Florian’s intent, though his composure remained unshaken.
"...Yes. He saw to it yesterday."
"Oh. That’s good." Florian offered a polite smile, but his words came too quickly, too light. He didn’t notice the flicker in Heinz’s gaze, a sharpness like tempered steel hidden beneath velvet.
There was a pause. Then Heinz’s voice cut through the quiet, low and steady. "And you? Are you excited? Tomorrow is your birthday, after all. Your ball."
Florian stiffened, his steps faltering for half a beat.
’Well, the original Florian’s birthday.’
He turned his head, eyes flicking toward Heinz in surprise. There was a softness there—a warmth buried beneath the king’s usual restraint—and it left Florian momentarily unmoored.
"...Yes," he murmured, the hesitation fading as his lips curved into a small, genuine smile. "I’m... actually looking forward to it. It’ll be a nice change of pace."
Especially since tomorrow, he would finally see the original Florian’s family.
Heinz’s gaze lingered on him, unreadable, but there was a subtle shift in his expression. His words carried a trace of something gentler, warmer than before.
"I’m glad to hear that."
The silence that followed was heavier than before, an invisible weight pressing down between them. Neither spoke, and in the stillness, Florian’s fleeting smile faltered.
His mind refused to quiet, his thoughts circling endlessly like restless birds.
’This is all Scarlett’s fault... she’s the one who planted such ridiculous ideas in my head. And now Heinz says something like that, completely out of nowhere. What am I supposed to do with that?’
His brows furrowed slightly, though he kept his gaze fixed ahead, forcing his steps to remain steady even as tension coiled through his body.
Every stride felt measured, deliberate, like he was walking across thin glass.
’Why did he even come fetch me himself? He still hasn’t said the real reason...’
The silence stretched unbearably, each second dragging against his nerves like a blade across stone.
And then—
A hand shot out, firm and unyielding, seizing his wrist in a grip that brooked no argument.
Florian’s breath hitched, his body jerking to a halt.
"Ah—!" His gasp echoed in the corridor, sharp and startled, as Heinz pulled him around with startling force.
The king’s strength left him no room to resist. In one fluid motion, Florian was spun, drawn close, the sudden shift stealing the air from his lungs.
His emerald eyes went wide, shock flaring as Heinz’s face loomed over him.
’W-what—what is he doing?’
Before words could form, before his startled breath could even leave his lips—Heinz was already moving.
Crimson eyes locked onto his, molten and unreadable, burning with something Florian couldn’t name.
And then, without hesitation, the king leaned down.
The impact was sudden—crashing, searing—an unyielding force that shattered the fragile space between them.
Their lips collided.
It was not gentle. It was not hesitant. It stole the air from Florian’s lungs, shook him to his core, and left the world tilting dangerously beneath his feet.
’H-he’s... kissing me?!’
The kiss was rough—far rougher than Florian was used to. Heinz’s mouth crashed against his with a force that rattled his composure, his lips bruising, the taste of him dizzying, overwhelming.
’Why so suddenly?’
Before Florian could even gather his breath, he was shoved back. His spine struck the cold stone wall with a muted thud, the shock jolting through his frame.
"—ah!" The sound tore out of him before he could stifle it, raw and startled. His hands shot up on instinct, fingers latching onto Heinz’s arm in a grip that trembled with panic.
Tight. Desperate. His hold wavered between pushing the king away and clinging on for stability against the sudden storm pressing down on him.
’I have to push him away.’
He tried—gods, he tried—to shove Heinz back. His palms pressed against the king’s chest, every muscle straining, but Heinz was immovable.
The thought of footsteps echoing down the corridor, of servants turning the corner and witnessing this, sent sharp fear spiking into his chest.
But Heinz didn’t relent.
In the next heartbeat, he pressed forward, pinning Florian more mercilessly, his knee sliding into the narrow space between Florian’s legs.
’Oh my god. He’s...is he planning on...’
The pressure was deliberate, unyielding, forcing a sharp intake of breath from him as it pressed against the most sensitive part of his body.
’It’s like he’s sucking all the air out from me.’
Florian’s breath fractured. His entire face burned crimson, searing heat rushing through him as if his body betrayed him.
’I have to stop him.’
His thighs tensed, knees trembling. He bit down hard on his lower lip, swallowing a sound that clawed at his throat.
’Oh my God. No, not there—’
But Heinz gave him no room to escape. His mouth deepened the kiss, tongue pushing past Florian’s parted lips, dominating, claiming, stripping away any control he thought he had left.
The kiss left no space for breath, no space for thought.
His chest heaved against Heinz’s broad frame, every nerve screaming in protest and yet—yet—somewhere beneath the panic, a dangerous heat coiled.
And then—just as abruptly as it had begun—Heinz tore away.
Florian sagged against the wall, legs weak, his hands slipping uselessly down Heinz’s arm. His lips tingled, raw from the force, his chest rising and falling in frantic rhythm.
He stared upward, emerald eyes wide, dazed, and utterly disbelieving at the man before him.
’He looks upset now? Why does he look upset?’
Heinz leaned in again, not to kiss, but to breathe words against his ear. His voice was low, rough silk, brushing over Florian’s skin with a weight that made his breath catch.
"I said I missed you," he whispered, his lips so close that the heat of his breath ghosted across Florian’s cheek. Crimson eyes, dark and unyielding, locked onto him. "Didn’t you miss me too?"