Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 256: The Soirée Dilemma

Still stroking his head, his father elaborated.

"This is not merely a place for light conversation like the soirées you’re accustomed to. This one is a gathering where... deeper connections are formed."

"Ohhh, I see, I see. Hmm... wait. What does that even mean?"

In the end, Rocco never truly learned how this soirée differed from the others.

Why?

Because both his father and Sylas refused to explain, simply saying, "There’s no need for you to know such crude details." Or "It’s still too soon for you."

Too soon? What does that even mean?

Days passed, and before he knew it, the soirée was just around the corner.

His father and Sylas were still bickering over who would be his partner, leaving Rocco at a complete loss.

Who was he supposed to choose?

As he agonized over it, someone unexpected offered a solution.

"Just pick me as your partner."

It happened while Rocco was at the Del Fiore estate, as usual, seeking advice from Laxus.

With teary eyes, he had asked, "Who do you think I should choose?"

But Laxus, looking utterly unfazed, had simply shrugged and answered matter-of-factly.

Hearing that, Rocco’s eyes widened in shock.

Wait... what?!

He had been so focused on choosing between his father and Sylas that the idea of picking someone else had never even occurred to him.

Laxus watched him freeze in place, clearly bewildered, and continued speaking.

"Actually, I’m kinda sad, you know? I thought you wouldn’t participate in that kind of soirée. Is this that phase in your life? If it’s just a one-night fling, I suppose I could turn a blind eye—as long as it’s just a change of pace to keep you from getting bored of me. And only if I get permission to kill the bastard afterward. But—at the very least, your first time should be with m—"

"WAIT A MINUTE! Laxus, what exactly are you talking about?!"

Rocco cut him off, staring in horror at his sudden descent into madness.

Laxus blinked, tilting his head as if only now realizing Rocco’s confusion.

Then, after a few seconds of silence, he sighed.

His expression showed clear exasperation, but beneath it, there was also... relief?

"Haa... So, Rocco, you were planning to join this soirée without even knowing what it was about?"

Laxus sighed dramatically, his voice laced with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Rocco blinked in confusion, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

He thought... what?

But before he could ask, Laxus simply waved it off with a light chuckle.

"Never mind."

Yet, for a split second, something dark flickered behind Laxus’s usual playful demeanor—something ruthless, like a true mafia heir suppressing his irritation at even considering a certain possibility.

That sudden shift made Rocco instinctively shrink back.

But before he could process it further, Laxus scooped him up with ease and placed him on his lap.

Just like always.

He had gotten so used to this position that he didn’t even bother resisting, naturally settling in.

"If you don’t even know what’s going on, then that’s all the more reason for me to be your partner. I’ll keep all those pesky flies away and protect you."

"Hm? Keep them away?"

"If I—someone slightly more ’outside’ than your own family—become your partner, it’ll send a clear message. Outsiders will be forced to stay quiet instead of making certain assumptions about you. I’m the one who can protect you the best."

Laxus poked Rocco’s cheek lightly, his confident smirk never fading.

Rocco let out a thoughtful hum, mulling over Laxus’s words for a few seconds.

He did have a point.

Choosing Laxus as his partner would put an end to the ongoing feud between his father and Sylas.

It was a clean solution with plenty of benefits and no apparent downsides.

Well... except for one.

If he stuck with Laxus all night, wouldn’t that completely defeat the purpose of attending in the first place?

Rocco wasn’t just going to this soirée for the sake of appearances.

His goal was to break out of his usual circle—his family and Laxus—and form new connections.

This was an opportunity to meet different people, build a network, and, ideally, gain enough independence so he wouldn’t have to rely on the same few people all the time.

But if he spent the whole night with Laxus, he’d be right back where he started.

All his efforts—arguing with his father and persuading him to let him attend—would have been for nothing.

That’s the one thing I can’t let happen.

As he furrowed his brows in deep thought, Laxus suddenly tilted his head, observing him with amusement.

Then, narrowing his eyes meaningfully, he reached out to squish Rocco’s cheeks and spoke in a slow, almost teasing tone

.

"...Hey, Rocco. Now that I think about it, this might be a little late to ask, but... why exactly do you want to attend this soirée?"

"Huh?"

"You’ve only ever gone to important gatherings before. Honestly, you’ve never seemed all that interested in these kinds of things. So... what changed?"

That question made Rocco freeze.

Of all the things Laxus could have asked, this was the one he didn’t want to answer the most.

There was no way he could be completely honest about this—not to the very person in question.

To make friends other than Laxus.

To expand his network and break free from his near-dependence on Laxus.

To meet new people so he wouldn’t end up spending all his time with just Laxus.

These were serious reasons for Rocco, but how would Laxus react if he knew?

Attending the soirée as a way to distance himself from Laxus... if Laxus heard that, he’d probably get at least a little sad.

Maybe even sniffle and sulk about it. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

And Rocco couldn’t blame him.

If he were in Laxus’s place and heard something like that from a close friend, he’d probably cry too.

Don’t say things like that, sniffle, sniffle...

But this time, he couldn’t afford to back down.

This was an important issue that needed to be solved.

He had to make new friends at this soirée.

After hearing Georgio’s advice, even Rocco had to admit he had been a little too naive about things.

This was his chance to fix his shortcomings and grow.

"No reason in particular," Rocco replied, doing his best to sound casual. "I am a member of the Di Malvento family, after all. Expanding connections and socializing isn’t anything out of the ordinary."

"Connections, huh? So that’s what it’s about."

Laxus nodded as if convinced.

Rocco exhaled in relief.

It seemed like he had managed to dodge the question successfully.

Feeling triumphant, he grinned to himself—completely unaware of the way Laxus was watching him, his red eyes studying him with quiet amusement.