[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94: To Keep the Healer In the North

Darius stared at Xion as if the healer had just asked whether the sky was blue. Was it not already obvious?

"I don’t have one," Darius answered flatly.

Xion’s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed as he studied the boy. He was pondering if Rael was speaking the truth or just bluffing him.

"Really? I thought it was normal for someone in your position to be engaged for political reasons."

"It is," Darius admitted, "but I never agreed to such arrangements."

Xion leaned back against a pillow that hadn’t been there before, "So, no secret lover? No long-lost childhood sweetheart waiting for you in some distant castle?"

Darius shot him a dull look. "No."

Xion chuckled. "Well, that’s a shame. I was expecting something."

The carriage swayed gently as they continued down the new road.

Xion was not entirely wrong. However, Darius did not feel the need to tell the entire truth.

There had been a noble’s daughter once, his supposed fiancée. But that was before he turned nine. Before his powers began to spiral out of control.

Who would willingly sacrifice their beloved child to someone like him?

Especially when his father was already planning to take another wife.

That had been a silent declaration: Darius was not the heir. His future sibling would be the one to rule.

And yet... who was it that now ruled the North?

Xion hummed in thought before shrugging. "Well, I guess that makes sense. It is indeed a bit much for a kid to marry."

Darius, "... In your eyes, everyone is a kid."

Xion raised a brow before breaking into a smile. "Maybe, because I grew up like that."

Grew up like what?

Darius had the sudden urge to know more. It was not a fleeting curiosity, nor a passing whim.

It was something that had been lingering in the back of his mind, quietly reminding him that he knew far too little about Xion.

Too little.

So little that if Xion were to really run away one day as the healer always blurts out, Darius would have no idea where to look for him.

There were a few things, or one should say habits, Darius had already noticed. Xion had a pattern of slipping on a bright, cheerful mask after enduring any kind of hardship.

It had been the same in Ferni. It was the same now.

Most people who fought off a lunatic would be shaken, frightened, and perhaps even traumatized. And yet, here was Xion, casually asking about his fiancée like that was the most important matter.

Xion was deliberately looking for lighter topics to engage in. Darius understood that much.

The healer was no fool, yet he played the part when it suited him. He avoided learning things that might endanger his future. He also refused to dwell on unpleasant memories.

Not once had he asked about Klein Nocturne or how the archduke had dealt with the commotion last night.

It was not ignorance. Rather, it was his way of self-preservation. Almost like a rabbit who would hide in their burrows.

"What about you?" Darius rested his chin against his palm, his gaze tracing the delicate flutter of long black lashes. Even now, those blue eyes held the same brilliance as if untouched by any malice.

"Me?" Xion snuggled against the huge pillow, "Nope. And I only want to marry someone I like."

"What kind of person do you like, then?" Darius asked, genuinely curious. Would Xion prefer someone from a noble lineage? Or would he rather choose a commoner?

What a waste of a good face. Silently, Xion marked a big, invisible cross over the archduke’s face.

He would live in some village which would be far away from the Soren, Klein or even Nikolai. There he would make a small cozy home and a vegetable garden where he would also grow herbs. What a wonderful idea!

Darius’ hand which was resting on his thigh clenched silently. Won’t you hate me then? I enjoy killing.

Would not shout at me... He wasn’t the type to raise his voice unless absolutely necessary. So that should be fine.

At least to Xion, he had been very indulgent.

No other partners? He had none. He never indulged in pointless distractions.

Then why... Why am I comparing myself to his standards?