[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 221: A Betrayal Before A Goodbye

Xion had ordered everyone to carry out their tasks with precision. There was no room for error. Not when there were so many lives at stake.

Exhausted, Xion was about to fall on his bed when there was an urgent knock on the door.

A pale-faced servant was staring at Xion as if he had seen a ghost, "My lord, my daughter... she seemed to be sick." The servant breathed heavily.

Even in the cold, a few drops of sweat slid down his sharp nose. Panic shone clearly in his eyes.

Xion’s heart thudded. If this man’s daughter was infected with Tenberis, that would mean the plague had breached the gates.

And considering the servant worked in their gardens, who knew how far it could’ve already spread?

"Lead the way," he said while hastily putting a long coat over his sleeping attire.

With a bag slung over his shoulder, Xion and the servant ran frantically toward the less traveled road in the village.

He’d left in such a hurry, he hadn’t even informed Noxian or Serena. They were still out distributing rations to the overflowing tents of patients and hadn’t returned yet.

Still, considering the time, they’d likely be back soon—and the servants had seen him leave. Surely, they’d inform them.

Thinking like that, the slight unease creeping in his heart lessened.

He continued on, following the frightened servant down the dark path leading to the far edge of the village near the flowing river.

But the farther they walked, the more something felt wrong.

The river was freezing at night this time of year, and the chill that radiated from the water made the air colder still.

Because of that, no villagers stayed in this part of town during winter. The two houses nearby were only used for emergencies.

So why would a sick child be here?

Xion stopped abruptly.

"My lord? Please, hurry up, or she’ll die!" the servant cried, reaching for his arm with trembling fingers.

But Xion was already alert. He dodged to the side, and in the next moment, the fear vanished from the servant’s face.

"You’re clever, I’ll give you that," the man sneered. "But has anyone ever told you, my dear lord? Rushing out to save someone in the middle of the night is truly stupid."

He scoffed with obvious amusement.

"What do you want?" Xion kept a proper distance between them. His eyes didn’t leave the man’s face, nonetheless, he was already scanning the surroundings for any hidden threat.

Luckily there was only one more person standing behind the tall tree.

"You, of course," the man replied as a matter of fact. "There’s quite a demand for a pretty little thing who can also patch up wounds."

Xion let out a long breath as he muttered under his breath, "You sure have a death wish."

The servant laughed, and the man hidden behind the tree also came out of the shadows.

Perhaps they thought Xion being a thin healer was easy to handle; they hadn’t even taken him seriously. And they were very confident in their skills.

Yet, in the next second, both men felt their windpipes close. The pressure crushed their throats. They heaved heavily, slumping onto their knees. Their eyes were glaring at Xion in warning.

But Xion didn’t allow them any breath. Not even when the two were clawing at their throats until the skin turned bloody.

"My lord!" someone shouted behind him.

Xion’s grip loosened instinctively and the tension in his shoulders melted away.

’It’s Ravik and your guards,’ the system answered even before Xion asked.

The two attackers collapsed onto the damp ground, gasping for air.

"How dare you!" the servant choked out between breaths. "Sooner or later, they’ll come for you. Then we’ll see how smug you look!"

At Xion’s command, the guards apprehended both men and hauled them away. Meanwhile, Ravik silently accompanied Xion back to his home.

"My lord, am I allowed to say something?" Ravik hesitatingly asked.

"Go ahead," Xion walked forward slowly. The cold air brushed past his face, turning his cheeks ever redder than before.

"They might be from the Holy Order."

That startled Xion. He had been wondering who those people were. But with so many enemies he had somehow managed to make, he honestly couldn’t pinpoint the real troublemaker.

"How do you know?" They were wearing plain clothes; there was nothing notable about their visage either. Hence, Xion truly couldn’t connect them to the religious authority.

"All the people who swore their loyalty to the church carry a special necklace. It might vary in shape or size, but they always keep it close to their body. It’s said to carry the Saintess’s blessing."

"Ah," Xion muttered. He was instantly reminded of that one time he got kidnapped by the priestess. "Just like yours?"

"That... is from my wife, my lord." Ravik offered his hand, helping Xion across a patch of mud. "But once someone wears the blessed threads, they’re bound to the Church. They can’t disobey its commands. You should be careful."

"I see."

The rest of the walk passed in silence.

All that training, yet I’m still too soft. Still the same emotional fool, Xion thought with a bitter smile.

Even when he’d had the chance to kill them—should have killed them—he hadn’t been able to do it.

He couldn’t tighten his grip over those fragile necks.

If it weren’t for the people protecting him from the shadows all this time, he might’ve long since died.

A sigh escaped his lips, turning into a misty fog. "Ravik, do you wish to return to North?"

Ravik bowed with one hand on his chest, a proper salute for the higher-ranking noble, "I do, my lord. I’ve paid the treatment fees, and thanks to your generosity, I’ve saved enough for the journey. I came to ask for permission but..." you weren’t there.

Xion smiled faintly. Despite the attempted kidnapping, not a single shadow of worry darkened his fair face. Nor was he affected by the sudden betrayal of his servant.

That was how Xion was. He would treat anyone with equal care. However, he also never truly let anyone get too close. Even in such a long time, only a few had managed to make a permanent home in his heart.

"Want to go with me instead? You know the terrain. I could use a guide."

And so, two days later, under the cover of dead night, a small group — Noxian, Serena, Ravik, and a handful of guards — set out for the North under Xion’s command.

At the time, Xion had no idea that the first thing he’d do upon arriving...

was punch the terrifying Archduke.