[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 213

Chapter 213: Choose Who?

It didn’t take long before the chaos filled the air of Faymere.

Noxian slapped the letter on the table so hard it rattled the utensils. "What the heck does it even mean? Just because they’re afraid, they want us to be at their command? I really hate them!"

"That’s not important right now," Xion muttered, tapping his finger against the armrest. "We need to focus on this sudden illness that’s wreaking havoc everywhere."

His eyes narrowed as he tried to match the symptoms with the diseases he was familiar with. "But don’t you think it’s strange? Our village has had no cases, while neighboring cities are already struggling."

What Xion didn’t say aloud was... Why not here?

Why not Faymere, the place he lived?

He’d spent years walking on eggshells to avoid the crown’s scrutiny, to avoid drawing attention. And yet, this strange exemption from the possible pandemic might as well have painted a target on his back.

If someone wanted to twist the narrative, it wouldn’t be hard to make him the culprit. Like he was the eye of the storm and in some twisted sense, it almost looked orchestrated even to him.

It was absurd, yes. But absurd things often made for the most believable lies when they were spoken at the right time.

"The air is changing, Xion," Serena said at last. "The eyes are watching and," she turned from the window to look directly at the confused blue eyes, "It depends on who you will pick."

"Choose who? For what?" Xion asked but the lady just shook her head and sighed, "You should hurry."

As Xion turned those cryptic words over in his mind, a hasty knock rattled the door. Unlike the polite one, this knock was urgent as it rang thrice in a mere second.

"My lord," a servant’s breathless voice called from the hall, "It’s... it’s the merchant’s daughter. She’s vomiting black blood!"

Xion stood immediately. "Where are they? At the healing house?"

"No, they are at the abandoned cottage."

The answer didn’t surprise him. Even if the news came late, it must have spread in the village by now.

No one would let a stranger into their home when it was a matter of life and death, even if that stranger was a known merchant.

"She collapsed and we didn’t know what to do, but her blood, it’s... it’s wrong."

Xion didn’t waste another second. With the emergency bag slung over his shoulder, he was already rushing out of the door with a servant in tow.

Oddly enough, Noxian didn’t follow as he usually would.

The dining room fell silent, but not for long though.

"Who is brother choosing from?" Noxian could not sit still. "Auntie, can’t you just tell us everything? Why must you speak in riddles all the time?"

The frustrated wolf dog had his purple fur all standing in irritation. It was always like this. She would say something mysterious, Xion would worry and then there would be trouble.

Oh, there was always trouble after that!

"I’m not allowed to interfere in fate," Serena replied, serene as ever.

"But that’s stupid!" Noxian snapped. "What’s the point of power if you can’t use it to help? Just once, can’t you stop being all cold and mysterious and actually save someone’s life?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he’d gone too far. What followed after his rant was a terrible silence.

Serena had lost her lover to fate. Someone she would’ve given everything to save. If she could have interfered, she would’ve. Noxian knew that.

But sometimes his anger made him say stupid and dangerous things. Just like right now.

Her white eyes, though blank, fixed on him with such intensity he nearly choked on his breath.

"Get out."

Two words loud and clear rang in his ears, and without a second Noxian bolted out.

But halfway, he paused. He cracked the door open again, enough to look inside with worried eyes. "Aunt?"

There was no reply. Sweat beaded on his brow as he continued peeking in while still half-hidden behind the door.

"Aunt... I love you!"

The only answer was a ceramic cup hurtling at his face. It shattered against the wood just as he slammed the door shut.

"I really do!" he yelled before darting down the hall, and toward the old cottage.

The abandoned cottage was at the edge of the village, nestled beneath the wide boughs of leafless trees that creaked faintly in the wind.

"Burn it," he said, cutting the merchant off. "If you want your family to live then send them the message to stay away from others."