[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Beneath the Shadow of Trust

Long silver hair framed delicate green eyes as they blinked up at Xion.

The petite boy, who had slightly recovered from his disease, had a red blush coating his cheek. A sight Xion had not seen until now.

Dressed in a red silk robe, he crouched on the floor. Those eyes blinked at him, looking so innocent that at one glance one would assume he was an angel.

However, the blood beneath his feet told another story.

Despite the beauty of the dim-lit room adorned with precious trinkets, Xion found his sight falling on the dead body.

The body of a male, in his late thirties perhaps, was sprawled over the cold floor covered with red. His limbs were twisted in an awkward position, and his eyes were gauged out.

Xion placed his hand on his mouth to muffle the soundless scream threatening to rumble out of his trembling lips.

With those empty and bloody eye sockets, the corpse looked at him, and Xion felt his breath choking his throat. He gulped when he noticed that even his organs seemed to be messily strewn into his stomach.

In any other case, Xion would have subconsciously assumed that Rael might have stumbled upon such an unfortunate sight.

But the way that bloody crimson died the tips of his silver hair red, and matted Rael’s left cheek in a fake blush, Xion knew this innocent-looking child was the murderer.

Darius met his eyes calmly before his pale lips curled up in a very pleasant smile.

Xion stood still. His senses became hyper-aware of his surroundings.

How the metallic rust lingered at the tip of his tongue, how the warm air in the room made his entire body shiver and how just one step of Rael made him stumble backward.

The archduke stopped smiling and took another step ahead and over the dead body. His bare feet fell in the pool of blood, but he paid it no mind.

"He deserved it," he tilted his head as he spoke in a flat tone.

Darius was used to seeing the fearful look on his servants. Dare he say, he even enjoyed it.

The way those bumbling fools would tremble at his sight, the way they would avoid looking directly at his eyes, so terrified to let their dark secrets spill... All of it gave him a strange, excited thrill.

Yet the way those pretty blue eyes were suddenly filled with horror, it left an unpleasant fog pressing on his chest.

"He came here."

A soft voice fell on Xion’s ears.

Darius had no idea why he had taken the initiative to explain. Normally he would have dismissed anyone, especially if they were interfering with his "fun" time. So, why am I not kicking this fool of a healer out?

Xion faltered. He felt his heart beating loudly in his ribcage. So much blood had spilled that he could not tell if Darius’s robe was originally red or if it was the aftermath of the gruesome sight.

The first thought that sprang into his mind after looking at now standing Rael was if the blood on him was purely of the dead, or if he was also hurt.

Then Xion saw it. Red strangulation marks around Rael’s fragile neck. And that had, somehow, made it easy for him to breathe.

With cautious steps, he moved forward while his eyes scanned the small boy from head to toe.

Only then did he notice several long scratches on his hands and his thin arms.

Some were bleeding but he could not tell to what extent as they hid beneath the long sleeve of the robe.

Self Defense? Darius blinked. Well, this thief certainly came here to steal from him. So, he did what he deemed worthy as his punishment.

Though as he was punishing him the struggling thief definitely tried to strangle him so he could escape. It can be considered self-defense, right?

How can it be Rael’s fault? Rael is merely eleven. He should be protected by his elders at this age and yet...