[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 29: Eyes that Stare into the Soul

The stillness of the dark night was only broken when the knight stepped into the tent.

Ray’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw the archduke bent over the healer, and carefully draping yet another thick duvet over the curled boy.

"Master-"

"Shh," Darius glanced at Ray. "Lower your voice. He is resting," he motioned to the now properly wrapped Xion before walking back to his previous seat.

"But Master, he might be in cahoots with your enemies. No one can treat Moon Affliction. After all, it is not even a disease in the first place!"

Ray tried keeping his voice low as he was instructed to. But the turmoil of his emotions was too strong to remain hidden from Darius.

So much so that his address had also changed from His Grace to Master. A word he would only utter when either he was alone with the Archduke or he was too agitated.

"He is far too simple-minded for such schemes, and you are already aware of this," Darius looked straight into Ray’s light blue eyes making the knight stiff in his feet.

His long silver hair shimmered under the orange hue of the lantern as he tilted his head toward the sleeping boy. "He is not lying either."

Those words startled Ray. In truth, Raymond harbored no personal grudge against Xion. When he first encountered the timid boy with wide eyes, an unexpected urge rose within him to protect the scared child.

But that sentiment had quickly clashed with Xion’s casual disregard for proper etiquette, particularly in how he addressed and treated the Archduke.

He also could not trust a random boy with Darius’ health, especially not during this special time when his master was very weak.

It was precisely because of this that they could not travel for too long.

However, all his suspicion vanished into thin air. There was something other than his prestigious position, and terrifying strength that even the royalty was afraid of Darius Rael Darkhelm.

It was his eyes. Those green gems could see someone’s soul. They could easily tell if the person was lying or not.

His enemies were afraid to confront Darius head-on, so they had to resort to cheap tricks like using women and assassinating him with poison.

Ray’s wariness evaporated as the weight of Darius’ words sank in. His body relaxed while he reconsidered his earlier fears. If the Archduke had said the healer wasn’t lying, then he believed it with all his heart.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Darius said. His eyes flicked back to Ray making the barely relaxed Knight alert, "You told him I am a very scary person... Am I Ray?"

The way those green eyes drilled into his soul forced Ray’s heartbeat to rise. "I was just making sure he knows how to behave. I apologize for acting on my own."

He sank to his knee while cursing Xion for spilling the truth. And who even tell that to the Archduke himself that he is scary? freēnovelkiss.com

As if understanding what Ray was thinking, Darius chuckled lightly. "He thinks I am a child of that ’scary Archduke’. Amusing, is it not?"

Ray, "..." This kid is really stupid!

"Don’t tell him the truth."

Ray agreed immediately. Anyway, it was not him who was treating the real Archduke as a child. Xion would have to bear the consequences for his deeds himself.

Darius motioned Ray to take a seat beside him. They had to discuss their next course of action.

With all the things they needed to do and his condition, it would take at least four to five months to return to their territory in the north.

Darius would have never left his Archduchy if not for the orders of the emperor himself.

"Master, I don’t trust the crown prince. He is too deceptive."

Darius nodded. The king was an old friend of his father, and the royal head had tried to maintain that friendship with him as well.

Other than increasing the tax they had to give every year to His Majesty, there were not that many noticeable changes. However, that could not be said for the crown prince.

The young royal had been consolidating power behind his father’s back. He could be an enemy or friend, or maybe both. Nonetheless, they could only wait for now.

The long night went by as Darius and Ray made a new plan that would be suitable for travelling faster. It was not safe for them to be so far away from their territory for too long.

All this while, Xion was peacefully learning even in his dreams.

His long raven eyelashes fluttered open as the first ray of sunlight broke the horizon. He stretched lazily, then turned to the other side before closing his eyes again.

What a bliss it was to just lay there in the warm duvet, early in the cold morning. For once, there was no rush, no looming deadlines, no early classes.

Ah, classes... Unlike his three siblings who enjoyed the luxury of a car to school, Xion had never been granted such privileges. He didn’t mind, though, it was just another part of his routine.

Every morning, he woke up before dawn to cook breakfast for the family. Once the meal was set, he’d sprint to school, always just barely getting there on time.

Sometimes, he would slip in late, but his class teacher, Misaki Sensei, was kind enough to let him in without any scoldings. She was also the one to give him extra lessons before his college entrance exam.

The thought of exams summoned an old dusty memory to his hazy mind. How old was he at that time?

Perhaps, five or maybe six? Honestly, he could not recall it properly, though he did remember that he was promoted to a higher class for having a better academic performance.

To impress his parents he worked hard, but he forgot that his older sister was now in the same class as him.

"Why are you like this? Can’t you let your sister have her moment? Why must you ruin everything?"

The first slap that landed on his face caused his cheek to swell instantly. Xion’s eyes snapped open, and for a brief moment, he felt the phantom sting on his cheek.