"A test. A test... What could be a test? What do you think, Cashew?"
Florian sat on the plush velvet couch, an unrolled piece of parchment resting on his knee while he tapped the quill against his chin. The blank page stared back at him accusingly, his thoughts swirling with the enormity of the task Heinz had placed on him. A week-long test to assess the princesses and their compatibility with Heinz—and he was drawing a complete blank.
Cashew stood by the side of the room, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. The young servant had a small frown etched across his face, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "Hmm... I’m not quite sure, Your Highness. I’m... not really good with those kinds of things," he admitted softly, his voice wavering with guilt. "I’m sorry..."
"It’s fine. You’re still young," Florian said with a reassuring smile. ’Hell. I’m a twenty-five-year-old soul trapped in an eighteen-year-old body. What’s your excuse, Florian?’
He exhaled deeply, slumping further into the couch as his mind wandered. The absurdity of his predicament wasn’t lost on him. He knew this world had been reset; everything had already happened once before. But now, he was painfully aware of how much more action he had gotten as Aden, his former self, compared to this second chance at life.
’Though, he admitted begrudgingly, it was more out of desperation back then.’
Cashew’s hesitant voice broke through his spiraling thoughts. "Will you be the only one deciding, Your Highness? Or will His Majesty also be... uhm... voicing his thoughts?"
Florian tilted his head, mulling over the question. "Well, he gave me full liberty to decide. But I think it would help if he were involved. After all, I can’t really gauge compatibility without seeing how he interacts with them."
"T-Then... maybe that could be the test?" Cashew suggested, his voice so quiet Florian almost missed it.
Florian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Cashew fiddled nervously with his thumbs, his eyes darting to the floor. "Well... H-His Majesty wishes to find a bride, and a queen, right? And... when I was younger, w-we were taught that marriage is about love and connection..."
"Mm-hm?" Florian’s gaze softened, his tone patient as he gestured for the boy to continue.
"So... maybe you can arrange for His Majesty to spend a day with the princesses? Like h-how he did before the visit to the village? Then you can observe them... and decide based on their connection—how well they get along?"
Florian’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping slightly. "Cashew... you..." He tossed the quill and parchment aside and sprang up, pulling the boy into a tight hug. "...absolute genius!"
Cashew froze in the embrace, his face turning a shade of red that could rival a ripe tomato. "I-I’m glad I was able to help," he stammered, his voice barely audible.
Florian released him, pacing the room now with renewed energy. "That could actually work! Like a dating show! I’ll set up individual dates between Heinz and the princesses, and we’ll test their chemistry. Not only will it help Heinz, but the princesses will adore me for giving them the chance to spend more time with him."
Cashew offered a timid smile, still flustered from the sudden hug, but his relief at being useful shone through.
"And I can make them do different activities!" Florian continued, his excitement bubbling over. "Maybe something outdoors, something intellectual, and—"
"You should also be testing their ability to be queen," a familiar voice interrupted.
Both Florian and Cashew whipped their heads toward the door, startled. Lucius stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.
"When did you get here?" Florian asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Just now," Lucius replied coolly. "I knocked, but you seemed... preoccupied."
’Uh oh. He’s still in a bad mood. Or... even worse? Definitely worse. Probably because Heinz sent him away earlier,’ Florian thought, grimacing.
"So? How do you suggest I test their ability to be queen?" Florian asked, forcing himself to sound nonchalant.
Lucius stepped forward, his tone matter-of-fact. "If you’re going to observe them, create scenarios that test their character. For example, how would a princess react if a maid collapsed in front of her? Would she help? Would she ignore it? Situations like that."
Florian blinked, impressed despite himself. "Wow, Lucius. You’re actually very smart, huh?" He grinned, his eyes sparkling with genuine admiration.
Lucius’ stoic demeanor faltered slightly as the tips of his ears turned pink. He took a small step back, clearing his throat. "I’m surprised you didn’t think of it, Your Highness. Lately, you’ve been sharp—outsmarting your captors and all that. Yet you couldn’t come up with something as simple as this?"
Florian’s smile vanished, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "Hey," he said, a scolding tone creeping into his voice. "I’m not exactly an expert on women. The princesses hated me up until this point, remember?"
"But you grew up around women," Lucius countered, his gaze unwavering. "That’s precisely why His Majesty entrusted this task to you."
Florian felt his stomach sink. ’Shit. I keep forgetting that’s a key detail about Florian everyone knows.’
He turned his head away, feigning a huff to mask his frustration. "Need I remind you, our women are the dominant sex? They do the romancing, not the other way around. The standard for queens in our kingdom is essentially the same as a king in yours."
It was a weak excuse, but it was the best he could come up with on the spot.
Lucius tilted his head slightly, his expression almost amused. "Exactly. You’re basically a woman, Your Highness."
The comment was delivered with a cold tone—polite on the surface, but carrying a sharp edge that made Florian’s BL senses tingle in alarm.
"H-How does that matter? We’re talking about selecting a bride and queen for His Majesty!"
"It doesn’t." Lucius admitted shamelessly, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "I just wanted to see how you’d react."
Florian’s jaw dropped. "You—" He clenched his fists, his face heating up in frustration. "You just derailed the conversation! And what you said didn’t even make sense!"
Lucius shrugged, utterly unbothered.
Florian groaned, grabbing his quill and parchment again. Cashew, meanwhile, watched the exchange in bewildered silence, glancing nervously between the two. He had no idea what kind of battle he had just witnessed—but he knew it wasn’t one he wanted to be caught in.