[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 288

Chapter 288: Mocking Xion For His Ignorance

It wasn’t until Xion was led to sit across from the lady that he realized he was the only one allowed to enter.

Ray and Allen remained standing just outside the open doorway, keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

"We meet again," Xion said, his gaze lingering on the familiar waves of golden hair that cascaded freely down the lady’s waist.

"It’s such a pleasure to meet someone as renowned and blessed by the goddess as you, Xion Vaelis." A faint smile touched her charming face.

That was the moment Xion regretted rushing here.

When she smiled like that, she looked eerily similar to the crown prince.

Spare him—his brain really wasn’t built to handle these royal foxes!

"I’m only here to look around. I didn’t mean to intrude."

Talia chuckled. Her soft, graceful smile was the sort that might have sent others swooning. But Xion only looked at her blankly.

"It seems you’re still holding onto the past. But time teaches us to grow... and to adapt."

Her words made Xion’s lips twitch. There it was again—those deliberate jabs wrapped in flowery language.

Was she not calling him petty? A child who couldn’t move on?

"Time does. That’s why I’d like to take my leave." He had no intention of getting caught in another of her traps.

Just as he began to rise, the saintess’s smile faltered.

"I’ve heard you succeeded in making a cure for the Purple Plague."

The way she said it made Xion pause. He sat back, his eyes narrowing at the beauty clad in a pure white garment. "Yeah, I did. Wasn’t all that difficult, to be honest."

As he spoke, his gaze stayed fixed on Talia’s face, scrutinizing every microexpression.

Much to his dismay, she hadn’t just mastered flowery language but had also perfected the art of schooling her expression. There wasn’t a single crack in the joyous glint of her golden eyes.

"Ah, that’s wonderful news! I’m glad the goddess Myrthia blessed you with the ability to help humanity. But, of course..." she sighed, her face turning melancholic, "not everyone could be saved. Many lives were lost. And that made me curious about the origin of it all."

With a graceful wave of her hand, she signaled for the maid, the same one who brought Xion here, to bring tea, then dismissed her with another flick.

"I intend to bring justice by finding the culprit and punishing them."

Xion was almost amused by her righteous act.

If he didn’t know this was the place where Micosera Tenberis had grown up, he might’ve believed her nonsense.

The scent of jasmine grew stronger. He stared at the green tea with a little petal swirling in it.

Xion’s head started to throb as he listened to those words. "I am not obliged to answer about my private life to random people. Now do I? And I am not Vaelis."

Was it the ability? But what kind of bullshit power was this to know whether someone was virgin or not.

Bring Darius with me? As if.

Yet the people of the churches were the ones being blessed with abilities. In the end, the emperor could do nothing but allocate them a handsome amount every year.

Noticing his gaze, Talia said nothing. Setting her cup down, she stood up.

"If you don’t mind, can I show you something? Of course, they can come too."

It wasn’t like Xion had any other choice. If he said no, that would mean his return to the castle. So he agreed.

Anyway, with two bodyguards, he doubted Talia would try to harm him so blatantly. After all, she wasn’t stupid enough to anger Darius while staying on his territory.

Nonetheless, when they were led to the back garden, Xion found himself speechless.

Dense clusters of blossoms rose from the soil, each flower blooming with sinister elegance.

The same delicate shape, same size. Yet, the once-pristine white petals were now a deep, velvety purple. They looked almost black surrounded by the soft snow.

Thin red stigmas protruded from the center like hungry tongues tasting the venom in the chilly air.

For a brief, disorienting second, Xion thought the flowers were dancing. Not with the wind, but with a spirit of evil that seemed to taunt him.

They were mocking his ignorance. Mocking the fact that he was always one step behind her.

If not, why couldn’t he understand this woman’s motive?