Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 259: The Soirée’s First Battle (Part 1)

He looked reluctant, but at least he was doing it.

Good, good.

Satisfied, Rocco got up and cracked open the grand entrance doors, peeking outside.

Was Laxus here yet?

He had to be getting close!

"Hehe... eheh. Hmm-hmm, hm-hmm~"

The hair? Perfect.

Georgioet wrinkles? Smooth.

Belt? Secure.

Shoes? Shining.

Everything was in top form.

Rocco had to look his absolute best when he saw Laxus.

Even after stepping halfway outside, he continued checking over every last detail.

Yep. He looked super cool.

Laxus was definitely going to shower him with compliments.

"Ehehe... Mufufu..."

"Alright, alright, Young Master Rocco. I understand you’re excited, but you’ll catch a cold if you keep standing in the night breeze. Let’s wait inside, shall we?"

Just as he was grinning to himself, shivering slightly in the chilly air, an arm suddenly stretched out from the slightly open doorway and snatched him up.

"Mmph!"

Rocco let himself be carried away without a fight while pouting, letting his limbs dangle as he was repositioned into a surprisingly gentle hold.

When he blinked up in surprise, he was met with the scrutinizing gaze of his captor—Strasbourg, who was now staring down at him with suspicion.

"Is something wrong? My apologies—did I hurt you somewhere?"

"Mmm... no, it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that... I didn’t know you could actually carry someone properly, Strasbourg."

"Excuse me? As the personal attendant of the Di Malvento family head, something as simple as carrying a child is hardly a challenge. I could even give you a shoulder ride if you’d like?"

"N-No need! I’m fine! Absolutely fine!"

Honestly, Rocco always thought Strasbourg just didn’t like kids.

And judging by the way Strasbourg’s usual sly smile deepened into something even more unsettling, it seemed that thought had been way too obvious.

The next thing he knew, Strasbourg was lifting him even higher, as if preparing to actually follow through with the offer.

"Stop, stop! I only accept high-ups from people I trust! It’s strictly limited to Father, Ragar, or Georgio!"

Panicked, Rocco wriggled free from Strasbourg’s grasp and stomped his feet on the ground with an indignant huff. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"Ugh! You tricked me again, Strasbourg! Unacceptable! I’ll cry, you know!"

But Strasbourg, as always, was completely unfazed by Rocco’s outrage.

Instead, his sharp eyes flickered toward the entrance, and without another word, he began walking toward it.

Rocco scowled at Strasbourg’s retreating figure—he always shifted gears so quickly, it was kind of annoying.

But after one last wailing, Rocco turned away and made his way toward his father instead.

Surely by now, he would have recovered from his dramatic collapse.

"Guhhh..."

"Pull yourself together, Father. The true ordeal begins now. The little homewrecker is about to arrive."

"Why are you delivering the finishing blow?!"

Rocco wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but from the casual banter between Sylas and his father, it seemed like things had settled down.

His father was at least sitting up again, and the atmosphere felt much more relaxed.

Good, good.

Humming cheerfully, Rocco was about to dash over to them when—

A cold gust of night air brushed against his cheek.

Had he forgotten to close the door earlier?

Curious, he turned around—

And froze.

Strasbourg stood by the entrance, bowing respectfully as he pulled open the grand doors.

And stepping through them—

Was him.

Rocco barely registered the presence of anyone else in the grand entrance hall.

Because the moment that person entered, their gaze went directly—exclusively—to him.

They inhaled sharply, as if breathless.

"...Rocco?"

He always looked cool.

But tonight—he looked even cooler.

Rocco’s eyes sparkled.

"Laxus!"

His heart leaped with joy as he dashed forward, throwing himself into Laxus’s arms without hesitation.

Squeeze, squeeze.

Snuggle, snuggle.

So warm.

Just as he let out a happy little hum, Laxus’s fingers suddenly pinched his cheek and gently tugged.

Rocco blinked up at him.

Laxus’s pupils were blown wide as he stared at him, utterly speechless.

Wait—

Was he... shaking?

...Was this a good reaction?

Because just a little, it was kind of scary.

"No way... what is this... what even is this...?"

Laxus’s gaze swept over Rocco’s entire body, intense and unwavering.

Then, without warning, he effortlessly scooped him up and began striding toward the carriage.

It was still early—weren’t they supposed to leave later?

Tilting his head in confusion, Rocco glanced up at Laxus—only to find him sporting a completely nonsensical expression.

His eyes were slightly bloodshot, yet his lips curved into an eerily gentle smile.

And then, in an exasperatingly smooth voice, Laxus declared—

"Nope. This is unacceptable. I’m taking you home. Come along with me now, Rocco, my love—we’re heading straight to our nest."

"We haven’t even started yet..."

Just as Rocco was about to be whisked away with a dramatic aahh, his father and Sylas burst out of the mansion in a flurry of panic and yanking him back to safety.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense.

Why?

Because instead of riding in two separate carriages as originally planned, Rocco, Laxus, his father, and Sylas all ended up crammed into a single one carriage.

Apparently, his father and Sylas had sensed some kind of threat from Laxus and insisted on changing the seating arrangement.

Rocco, of course, was perfectly happy—he got to ride with everyone!

But judging from the sharp, electric tension in the air, it seemed like he was the only one having fun.

His legs swung playfully as he hummed to himself.

Meanwhile, the other three sat stiffly, radiating barely restrained hostility.

...Well, whatever.

They arrived safely, so it was fine.

"Rocco, come here. We shouldn’t get separated—let’s hold hands."

"Mmm. Let’s do it. I’ll protect you, Laxus, so you don’t get lost."

Puffing out his chest proudly, Rocco took Laxus’s outstretched hand with a tiny grasp.

Laxus blinked his eyes once, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle, his lips curving into a delighted smile.

Seeing that, Rocco’s mood soared even higher.

From behind them, his father and Sylas silently glowered, frustration practically rolling off them in waves.