As Heinz expected, Florian was shocked.
The prince's green eyes widened, his lips parting but no words came out. His whole body was stiff, trembling ever so slightly.
The disbelief was written across his face like an open book.
But Heinz wasn't finished.
No.
Far from it.
He still had more to say—more that Florian needed to hear. And even as the boy stood there, stunned and struggling to process, Heinz pressed forward.
"Initially," Heinz began, his voice low, steady, though his chest ached with each word, "I was confused. I questioned myself endlessly. Whether the feelings I felt were only because you were wearing his body. Whether what stirred inside me was nothing more than remnants of the love I once had for him."
His gaze bore into Florian's, crimson eyes unrelenting, refusing to let him turn away.
"But the longer I spent with you, the more I realized. I loved the original Florian—yes. That was real. That was truth. But…"
