Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 233: Sandcastles and Surprises

Rocco could vaguely hear Laxus mumbling something like, "Hehe... heart racing... heart racing, huh?" But since it was so muffled and hard to make out, he quickly gave up on trying to listen.

"Ahem... It’s a little troublesome when you two flirting so openly in front of me," the Crown Prince muttered while looking away awkwardly.

"Wha—! W-We’re not flirting!" Rocco squeaked, his face instantly turning bright red.

He squirmed out of Laxus’s embrace, turning away with a pout.

It’s not like he was embarrassed or anything.

Nope.

Definitely not...

"Oh, Rocco, you’ve got mud on your cheek. It’s about to get in your eye," Laxus suddenly pointed out from behind him.

"Wha—! P-Please wipe it off!" Rocco yelped. "I don’t want mud in my eye!"

He spun around in a panic, squeezing his eyes shut and tilting his face up in silent pleading.

Even the thought of bathwater getting in his eyes was terrifying, so naturally, the idea of mud was completely out of the question.

But just as he braced himself for the feeling of a hand wiping his cheek, something soft pressed against him—except... it wasn’t his cheek.

It was his lips.

"Muh? M-Muah?"

Sensing something was off, Rocco’s eyes snapped open, only to find Laxus’s face right in front of him—so close that the only thing he could clearly see was Laxus’s striking red eyes.

Wait... Wasn’t this just supposed to be about wiping off mud?

How did it turn into... this?!

As Rocco stood there, completely frozen and Laxus’s lips curled into a teasing smirk.

"Hehe... You’re so easy to be deceived, it’s honestly worrying," Laxus mused, voice laced with amusement. "You’re so innocent you get flustered and try to run away, but you never actually escape. You’re adorable. I love that about you."

His playful grin was the final straw.

The heat flooded Rocco’s entire body, turning his face an even deeper shade of red.

He immediately slapped both hands over his lips in a far-too-late attempt to protect them.

Laxus let out a laugh at the sight, only making Rocco even more embarrassed.

"Laxus you fool! You idiot! I told you not to kiss me all of a sudden!" Rocco huffed, puffing out his cheeks.

"Oh, I’m sorry, Rocco! It’s just that you’re so cute, only cute—I swear, so please calm down...!"

Rocco flailed his arms and legs in protest, but Laxus effortlessly held him in place with a firm hug, rendering him immobile.

He pouted in frustration, but the moment he did, Laxus’s embrace only tightened.

Unable to do anything about it, he remained perched on Laxus’s lap, his cheeks puffed out in protest.

As if trying to wrap up their somewhat chaotic conversation, Laxus resumed speaking in a calm and collected tone.

"Now then, where were we? Ah, right. Regarding the current king and his rebellious younger brother, the Del Fiore has already grown tired of their scheming. Among the royal family, you’re the least problematic, so I suppose I don’t mind supporting you."

"R-Really...?!" The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in hope.

"Yes. However, everything about that previous arrangement must be scrapped. No more talk about me marrying Sylas, and no more of you trying to make Rocco your bride. If you bring it up again, I’ll crush the entire royal family without hesitation."

"I understand! I won’t mention it again! The bride is Laxus’s bride—yes, yes!"

...That’s not right either.

Rocco’s brows furrowed as he watched the Crown Prince smile blissfully while Laxus nodded in satisfaction.

There wasn’t even a chance for him to protest!

Feeling a little bit left out of the conversation, he swung his legs back and forth in mild frustration.

His gaze drifted to the sandcastle they had built, admiring how cool it looked. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

As he indulged in this little escape, the Crown Prince suddenly turned to him with a broad grin.

"My apologies as well, dear bride. I must have confused you because of my feminine beauty, huh? I regret making you unnecessarily jealous. But rest assured, there’s absolutely no romantic connection between Laxus and me."

"I-I wasn’t jealous!" Rocco shouted, face burning red.

At the sudden teasing, he huffed and puffed, furiously shaking his head in denial.

However, the Crown Prince, looking completely genuine, seemed to have simply been concerned.

When Rocco lashed out in embarrassment, he blinked in surprise before nodding sincerely.

"I-I see. My apologies," he said, looking a little taken aback.

...In both good ways and bad, he really didn’t seem like a typical royal.

"Well then, I should take my leave. It seems I’m nothing but a third wheel here," the Crown Prince announced, brushing dirt off his hands as he stood up.

"Oh, you finally noticed? After stealing away so much of my and Rocco’s precious time together? Thank you for your consideration. Now, please leave at once," Laxus said with a bright, obviously fake smile while still holding Rocco tightly.

"Excuse me, but I am royalty, you know?"

Laxus simply gestured toward the gates with an exaggerated grin.

Rocco reached out and pinched Laxus’s cheek.

The reaction was immediate—Laxus blinked in genuine surprise, his fake smile vanishing into an adorable, confused expression.

Seeing that, Rocco let out a victorious grin.

Good, good.

Fake smiles are a no-no!

Laxus who is watching Rocco’s delighted face, suddenly broke into a real smile of his own before nuzzling against his cheek.

"A-Ah... W-Well, I’m going now! I really am!"

Noticing the Crown Prince shifting awkwardly, Rocco quickly pushed Laxus’s face away with a flustered face.

He waved a hand dismissively and signaling the prince to leave.

However, just as the Crown Prince was about to go, he paused, as if remembering something, and walked back toward Rocco.

He cupped Rocco’s dirt-covered cheek with one hand gently and spoke in a soft, genuinely happy tone.

"I had fun playing in the sand today. I’d love to build another castle with you sometime."

The smile on his face was pure and innocent—just like a child’s.