[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 403

Chapter 403: Ask, and You Shall Receive

Darius held Xion tighter, as if his arms alone could keep him tethered to this world.

He could feel the faint tremors running through the smaller frame.

Xion had soaked his shirt with his tears and after such a long time, the uneven hitch of breath was still evident.

He instinctively patted the small back again, hpoing that his own flesh and bone alone could shield Xion from whatever cruel hand fate intended to play next.

Every sob that rippled through Xion’s body carved another wound into the Archduke’s chest.

Relief was there, yes, but under it, something colder twisted in his gut.

Dread. Pure, suffocating dread.

It sat heavy in his lungs, like he was breathing water instead of air.

What if this was the last time?

What if, when he finally let go, Xion would slip away again?

He had turned his back for only a moment, and in that time, Xion had been foolish enough to drive a knife into his own chest.

That system was gone.

Darius felt nothing for it, not even the tiniest shred of pity or sorrow.

And if sacrificing it had been all it took to heal Xion, he would have done so long ago. But this... this was different. Xion had bled where Darius couldn’t see.

The thought clawed at him. It felt too much like losing him already.

He never told Xion, but after the healer had gone blind, Darius’ nights had been plagued by the same nightmare.

He would see Xion lying in a pool of blood, with lifeless eyes fixed on him, the warmth drained from his skin.

Every time, he woke gasping, reaching across the bed to make sure he was still there.

And tonight, that fear had almost turned into a reality.

One wrong choice, one heartbeat too late, and Xion would have been gone forever.

"Xion." Darius’s voice was low, almost breaking. He gently tilted the boy’s chin upward, forcing those tear-brimmed eyes to meet his.

"Promise me, baby." His thumb brushed away the wet streaks.

Staring at his own reflection in those blue eyes, he pressed their foreheads together, closing the distance.

"Promise me you’ll never hurt yourself again. No matter the reason. Okay?"

Xion sniffed. "I won’t." His voice was small, softened by tears.

"I love you," Darius said, feverishly. Almost as if repeating it could somehow force the black-haired fool to understand the depth of his devotion.

"I love you so much. Tell me anything, and I’ll give it to you."

"Then, let me kill Michael."

The words were quiet, almost swallowed by the space between them. If Darius hadn’t been this close, he might have thought he imagined them.

"...What?"

Xion locked his gaze onto the green ones and repeated again with all seriousness.

"I want to kill him."

"Okay."

It was that simple.

Darius hadn’t even asked him why he suddenly wanted to murder someone, or why only Michael, whom he had only met once.

It made Xion stunned for a bit. "I thought you would try to talk me out of it. Maybe say, ’I will do it, and you don’t have to dirty your hands.’ Something like that."

Darius couldn’t help but kiss his forehead.

"If you get your hands dirty, I’ll wipe them for you. If you want me to get my hands dirty, I’ll gladly do so, too. "

There wasn’t a single version of reality where he would let Xion face something alone if he could stand beside him instead.

Whatever sin it was, he’d commit it a thousand times over if it meant keeping those blue eyes free of despair.

His lips trailed down to the pale cheeks, lingering there.

"So, just tell me what you want, darling. Just ask. Ask and you shall receive it."

Xion closed his eyes, letting the touch on his face sink into his core.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" Darius murmured, taking advantage of the moment when Xion seemed calmer.

If he didn’t hear the whole story now, it would gnaw at him endlessly.

Something so important to Xion, and he didn’t know? It was already infuriating enough.

"Ah, that." Xion tilted his head slightly, giving Darius easier access to wipe his face clean.

"They say do good deeds and you’ll be rewarded, right?"

Darius hummed, motioning him to keep going while he started fiddling with Xion’s clothes.

They were torn and messy. Definitely needed to be changed into the new ones.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify