[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 252

Chapter 252: A Path Stamped in Snow

Much against Darius’s will, he had to put Xion down. His baby, who had been practically vibrating with excitement since they stepped outside, had been clamoring to stand on the snow.

Due to Xion’s fragile health, Darius hadn’t let him out into the freezing cold since he had arrived.

Unlike Noxian, who wandered the castle grounds with reckless abandon, Xion had been kept within the safety of its walls, perfectly shielded from the biting winds and snowfall.

So, how could he possibly resist now?

The moment Xion’s feet touched the snow-covered ground, he started hopping around like a little rabbit. Pure joy lit up his face.

His boots sank deep into the white fluff, leaving unmistakable impressions behind him as he bounced forward.

Darius watched, silently following along. A rare softness danced in his gaze as Xion spun around, blue eyes gleaming with delight.

The healer looked back, glancing at the deep imprints he had left behind. A proud, almost smug smile stretched across his lips as he shot a look at Darius.

"My prints are deeper than yours, Your Grace."

Darius, with a raised eyebrow traced the small, crisp footprints dotting the snow before turning back to Xion — the fluffy creature responsible for them.

There was a lively smile on Xion’s lips, making his eyes shine with so much vitality. Coupled with the chill that had made his cheeks turn pink like roses, Darius had the urge to just grab him and tightly hold him in his arms.

"I can make them even better."

Xion’s mind stuttered for a moment. Surely, Darius wasn’t about to hop around like he did, right? That was something... forgive him, he truly couldn’t work his mind up to properly imagine that.

But wouldn’t it be absurd?

Darius did not jump. Instead, he walked over to Xion’s footprints, those perfectly shaped little craters, and placed his feet directly over them.

One after another, his larger boots swallowed up Xion’s marks, stamping over each one and making them bigger.

"What if I run and make more?" Xion asked, mischief twinkling in his eyes. After all, there was a heavy bag slung over Darius’s shoulder, carrying all their belongings.

The Archduke didn’t answer right away. He simply walked on, step by step, until every one of Xion’s footprints was swallowed by his own.

When he looked up, he was already standing in front of Xion, green eyes gleaming with pride. "No matter where you go, I’ll always follow you, my little lord."

Before Xion could react, Darius leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was just a light touch like the wings of a dragonfly skimming across the surface of a still lake.

And yet, it stirred something deep within Xion, a ripple of warmth that spread from his chest to his fingertips. Suddenly, all the chill vanished.

"Th-That’s a wrong move," he stammered, lips pursed stubbornly.

But to Darius, it only looked like an adorable pout, something that made his fingers itch to grab Xion’s jaw and steal the taste of that sweetness.

"Not a wrong move, darling," Darius corrected while shoving the snow away from Xion’s shoulders, "but a wrong title."

Xion tilted his head, confusion clouding his eyes. "What title?"

"Your Grace. You call me that like everyone else. But you are not them, Xion. You are the one who should call me by my name."

Xion blinked, and then blinked again. "Ah... That..."

Once upon a time, he had called this person Rael. Back when he thought him nothing more than a sick child. Perhaps he had seen a shadow of himself in him.

Even now, knowing the truth, his mind somehow split the two into separate people. Rael was the little boy, stubborn but cute nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Darius, the Archduke, was different entirely.

"I wanted to say this to you before," Darius said, his fingers curling over the strap and tapping on it — a habit that surfaced whenever he was nervous or deep in thought, "but I didn’t want to put any pressure on you."

He really didn’t. But he still longed to hear Xion call his name in that precious voice.

Xion’s cheeks flared crimson, and he rubbed his gloved hands together, as though trying to scrub away the warmth. "You... Your Grace, give me some time to get used to it."

Though Xion was impulsive enough to leap into a new relationship in mere days, he was still anxious. So many worries crowded his mind, growing heavier with each passing thought.

That was why he wanted to focus on the cure first. With something to work on, he wouldn’t have to think about other things like his uncertain future with the Archduke.

But... he also didn’t want to disappoint his boyfriend. His heart was in turmoil, so like an experienced invader of trouble, he directly turned around and took a few hasty steps forward.