[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 173: The Price of Protection Is A Golden Cage

Confused by the sudden announcement of the gift, Xion accepted the sheets.

His first thought was that they might be ownership papers for some land.

You know, like the cliché gesture where a rich boss gifts land to a trusted assistant? Yeah, that one. He even had a pun ready in his mind.

After all, jesting was better than dwelling on the mess inside his head.

But as his eyes skimmed through the first few lines, the joke died in his throat. And so did his barely-there smile.

His lips parted soundlessly as he read, each word sinking him deeper into disbelief.

It was a legal decree. A contract stamped with the seal of the Archduke himself.

It stated, in clear, inarguable terms, that as the illegitimate child of Marquis Vaelis, Xion held no right to inherit the marquisate.

Xion never cared about that in the first place, so he ignored it and read on.

Furthermore, the document decreed that neither the Marquis family nor its affiliates were permitted to interfere in Xion’s affairs, legally severing him from them entirely.

By the final page, it was written plainly that Xion now belonged solely to Archduke Darius Rael Darkhelm of the North.

And only his master could claim any rights over him.

His trembling fingers curled around the parchment, crumpling its edges from the force. frёewebηovel.cѳm

This was a gift, alright.

This was his ticket to freedom from the Vaelis family. That also meant freedom from Caspian. From Nikolai, and from the threat of being dragged back to the capital under the guise of using his family name.

Xion’s ears rang as memories of the soldiers’ words resurfaced in his mind.

An explosion had occurred near the Marquis Mansion, hidden somewhere in the same mountain.

Even an idiot could see what was happening, and Xion was not really stupid to begin with.

Though he often used humor to distract himself and fixated on random details to avoid thinking too much, that didn’t mean he was merely a silly, foolish healer.

He was a doctor for God’s sake! Of course, he had brains!

And unfortunately, he also had a heart. A stupid, reckless heart that was now just a breath away from leaping out of his throat.

Darius had crippled Marquis Vaelis’ power overnight. That was enough to show Duke Nocturne that his loyal Marquis was not so loyal.

Roberto Vaelis was no saint. He had enemies — many of them — who had simply been waiting for the right moment to strike.

His Grace, the Archduke, had given them exactly that.

Sooner or later, Roberto Vaelis and the rest of his family would crumble from their lofty throne of nobility.

The one who had set it all in motion was sitting just across from him, casually at ease, as if he hadn’t just doomed an entire bloodline to ruin.

Because that was the power of the Archduke. A single intention from him could really topple empires.

And now, that same person had gifted Xion a golden cage disguised as salvation.

"Happy?" Darius asked with a gentle smile.

Xion stared at Darius blankly before finally coming to his senses.

"You will be free from them. All you have to do is stay near me, okay?"

All you have to do is stay near me ... The words echoed in Xion’s mind, giving birth to countless unspoken questions.

Stay with you like what? A pretty doll with no will? A healer? A slave?

Xion was trying hard to suppress the chill that crept into his bones. He knew — rationally, logically — that this was the best way to ensure no one from the Vaelis family would come looking for him again.

With this legal document, if the Vaelis family broke their deal, they could be dragged directly to the royal court. They wouldn’t dare pursue him. At the very least, not as frankly as now.

And after the destruction that had rained down upon them, they wouldn’t have the time, either.

But that wasn’t the important part.

The real problem was never entirely the Vaelis family. It was Darius.

Just by putting his name under the same side as his grace, Xion had become a target for many, and yet none of them would dare to do anything. Not openly, at least.

Because Darius was that powerful. He could strip a man of everything with a single word. He could raise a random stranger to nobility if he so wished.

But what would happen when his amusement ran dry?

Xion did not have the luxury, nor the strength, to test that time limit on himself.

Regardless of his hammering heart, and his parched mouth, Xion forced a grin. A big, bright one. The kind that could fool almost anyone.

"Yes. I’ll be free from now on."

As for staying near Darius, Xion did not reply. There was no need to. He had made his intentions as clear as water from the very beginning. Had he not?

There was no way a stack of papers and the Archduke’s stamp would change that.

Darius hummed softly. Then, he reached out to pat Xion’s head as if rewarding a loyal pet.

But the warmth Xion once felt from such a gesture was now replaced by unbearable coldness.

Because the way his grace had tucked a stray strand of Xion’s hair behind his ear felt rehearsed, calculated even. It was as if he had done this countless times without ever being noticed.

Yes, Darius had indeed done this simple action many times before. However, at that time, Xion had ignored it with all the other obvious signs of his grace’s affection.

It took Xion almost two months to properly grasp that in this world no one was free enough to treat others with care if there were no hidden intentions. It was not like he had not experienced it in his old world.

It was just this time, it was much more evident.

Yet still, Xion smiled.

Because if he didn’t, he feared he might crumble right then and there.