Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 230: Building Castles

The tears that had welled up in Rocco’s eyes from the earlier revelation suddenly vanished.

So the main couple really is inevitable, huh...?

But as he quietly accepted this inevitable fate, something else hit him—What the hell is with this guy?!

The more he listened, the more outrageous his words became.

Who gave him the right to decide my future for me?!

Hadn’t he just said he didn’t want a prince?!

Rocco couldn’t believe he’d been sulking earlier, thinking Laxus had some sort of relationship with this insufferable person.

Looking back, how ridiculous had he been?

Just because he saw Laxus on a date with someone else, he’d gone full-on woe is me mode?

He wanted to go back in time and smack himself.

The Crown Prince stood there, completely confident, waiting for Rocco’s response.

But instead of answering, Rocco turned his head away with an exaggerated hmph! and declared: "I don’t really get what’s going on, but—no. Absolutely not. I refuse. Neither Laxus nor my brother will ever be handed me over to some prince. Hmph!"

"W-What?! But...! This is the position of the future queen! Is that not an honor?!"

Rocco had always suspected it, but now he was certain—the entire royal family of this country was completely useless.

"I’m not happy at all. Is that all you had to say? Then hurry up and leave. Laxus has to play with me now, so we don’t have time for idle chit-chat."

Spinning around on Laxus’s lap, Rocco turned to face him directly and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

The contents of that letter?

Already burned to ash in his mind.

With a perfectly blank slate, he flashed Laxus a bright smile and pressured him with a silent "We’re playing now, right?"

Laxus, as if overwhelmed with emotion, blushed deeply and nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Wait! Hold on! You’re only saying that because you don’t know anything! Just listen to me—"

"Are your ears just for decoration? Rocco said he’s marrying me. There’s nothing left to discuss."

Laxus, looking absolutely thrilled, stood up while still holding Rocco in his arms.

The Crown Prince, who had been frozen in shock, suddenly jolted to his feet with a loud scrape of his chair.

That swift shift from exuding the air of a confident, powerful noble to full-blown panic was almost comical.

He now carried the exact same energy as both the useless royal father and the bumbling royal uncle.

Rocco had assumed that, since the prince could hold his own in a conversation with Laxus, he might be different—but clearly, he had given him too much credit.

Laxus, completely unfazed, turned around to leave the room.

Desperate, the Crown Prince lunged forward and clung to him from behind.

At this point, he had abandoned all dignity, all pride, and was simply groveling.

It was almost painful to watch.

"Wait! Please, wait! Laxus, you understand, don’t you? The royal family is in crisis! If the balance is broken now, I’ll be dragged down alongside my fool of a father—we’ll be completely ruined!"

"Do as you like. If the royal family collapses, I’ll just take the throne and create a kingdom solely for Rocco. So, Your Highness, you can rest easy knowing that your beloved country’s future will be bright—one way or another."

"Laxusss!"

The Crown Prince’s wretched cry echoed through the room.

Gone was the air of self-importance he had earlier.

Now, he was sprawled on the floor, clinging to Laxus’s feet—

If the citizens saw him like this, it wouldn’t just be a scandal; it’d be a full-blown national crisis.

Rocco almost felt bad for him.

After all, the prince wasn’t bad-looking. In fact, he was almost eerily beautiful, like a mystical spirit.

Seeing someone like that groveling in such a pathetic state was... unsettling.

Because, honestly—what guy enjoys watching a beautiful woman cry?

Right?

Feeling a sudden wave of pity, Rocco decided to ask Laxus for a favor.

He reached out and gave Laxus a little poke.

Immediately, Laxus turned to him with a gaze so sweet it could melt sugar.

Rocco smiled back and made his request—

"And stop freaking out over how cute I am! Just listen properly, okay?"

"The Prince look really pitiful. Shouldn’t we at least hear him out?"

"Ehh, you wanna listen to him? Rocco, you’re way too kind... Well, I do love that about you, though. Chu!"

"Mmph! Don’t just kiss me out of nowhere! That was so sudden!"

Rocco puffed out his cheeks in protest, flailing slightly in Laxus’s arms.

Now was not the time for kisses!

Wriggling free from Laxus’s embrace, he trotted over to where the Crown Prince lay curled up in despair, practically radiating an aura of doom.

From behind him, he could hear Laxus mutter, "So... the kiss itself was fine...?" with a voice so filled with joy and obsession that Rocco decided to ignore it entirely.

Nope. He did not hear that.

"Prince, prince! I’ll listen to what you have to say, so cheer up, okay? Also... I’m sorry for being so mean earlier."

"Wow, you’re so good at apologizing!"

Laxus’s excited voice rang out behind him like a cheerleader’s chant.

Rocco was used to Laxus’s over-the-top reactions by now, so he ignored that too.

When he looked back down at the prince, he saw him slowly raise his head.

His arrogant, self-assured expression he had worn before had gone.

Now, his teary puppy-dog eyes and completely defeated expression made him look like a different person entirely.

Seeing this man as the future king sparked a vague sense of unease in Rocco, but he decided to shelve that concern for now.

...Maybe, maybe, he was one of those types who actually got things done when it counted.

Hopefully.

"Truly? You will truly listen to me, my bride...?"

"Oh! Stop calling me that! Say it again, and I’m not listening anymore!"

"My apologies. Thank you for hearing me out, Laxus’s bride."

That wasn’t quite right either, but Rocco decided to let it slide—for now.