[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 229: Who Is This Seductive Demon?

Xion blinked almost as if caught in some spell. Once. Twice.

It was as if Darius’s words were foreign sounds that needed translation.

Lover?? Who? Who was the one wooing and whom exactly?

His cheeks ignited in a fierce, spreading red that climbed to the tips of his ears.

The confession hit him square in the chest, off-beat and off-guard, like a musician playing the wrong note in a symphony. It was too loud to ignore.

"I-I... what?!" he sputtered.

Darius didn’t laugh, though the corners of his mouth did twitch in silent amusement. He very gently held Xion’s fingers into his own.

The bandage had become crooked from how violently Xion was abusing the poor duvet.

Then he stilled, only gazing at Xion like a patient predator, giving him all the time in the world to process.

It didn’t help.

Xion fumbled with the words, nearly swallowing his tongue as he struggled for anything — anything — to reply with. "Y-you can’t just — say things like that!! Out of nowhere!!"

The poor kitten’s fur was standing on end, his watery eyes wide with utter confusion and shyness as he curled into himself. He yanked his hand back and wrapped his arms around himself like it could somehow protect him.

How utterly adorable. It was making Darius’ jaw clench.

"Don’t speak just anything..." Xion mumbled, so curled up that only his eyes peeked out at Darius.

The Archduke tilted his head, utterly unrepentant. "But it’s true." He was enjoying this far too much.

Xion made a strangled noise. His mind was a mess — images of Darius wooing him flashed so vividly that he wanted to jump under the covers and never emerge.

Darius feeding him sweets, carrying him when he was utterly exhausted, whispering who-knew-what into his ear with that sinfully sexy voice...

"Stop thinking nonsense," he hissed at himself, burying his burning face further into his knees. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

But Darius heard that. Oh, he heard every little embarrassed grumble, and he leaned in closer.

"Tell me," Darius murmured by his ear with a low baritone, it almost sounded coaxing, "what ’nonsense’ are you thinking about?"

Xion whined — an actual, mortifying whimper — and smacked his head against his own knee. It hurt, and yet he didn’t dare look up.

"You’re evil," he accused the Archduke in a muffled voice.

That earned a soft, dangerous laugh. It was tempting enough that Xion dared to lift his eyelashes and peek at him.

Darius was toying lazily with strands of his soft hair, twirling them between his fingers. "Evil... yes, I am. And patient too, baby. I can wait."

Xion gulped to moisten his throat, silently willing his messy heart to stay still. "W-wait for what?"

"For you to fall for me."

The calm certainty in his tone made Xion’s heart skip so violently he was sure he might get a heart attack.

"I—" Xion opened his mouth but no words came out. He was drowning in the weight of Darius’s gaze, the tenderness in his voice, the way his presence wrapped around him like a second blanket.

He suddenly couldn’t breathe properly.

He didn’t know if he wanted to run away or crawl into Darius’s lap and shut that mouth that was making a mess of his brain.

Instead, he did the only thing his overwhelmed brain could manage.

He threw the pillow at Darius’ face.

The Archduke caught it effortlessly, a soft chuckle escaping him. He plucked the pillow from the air like a bothersome feather and placed it neatly back beside Xion.

While he was at it, he directly scooped the kitten into his arms.

Then, daringly, he pressed a kiss to Xion’s forehead. "I’ve been dying to kiss you."

Xion: "..." You don’t have to voice it out!

Sensing how tense Xion was, Darius rubbed his back. The warmth of his touch drilled through the thin fabric of Xion’s shirt and wrapped directly around his chest.

At least it held his naughty heart, which was about to burst out of his ribcage, in place.

"Did I scare you, sweetheart?"

"...yes."

Rather than a scare, it was a shock of a lifetime.

It nearly made his barely functioning mind short-circuit. But... it felt nice to be held like this. Xion, ashamed of his own thoughts, rubbed his head against Darius’ shoulder in frustration.

"I’ve never liked anyone other than you, Xion."

Here comes another hit...

Poor Xion leaned back. He stared at the handsome face which was so close to him that just a tilt of the head and he might end up kissing-

Stop it!

Xion coughed, flustered. "You just saw me, Your Grace. How can you say you like me? And what kind of liking are we talking about here? A loyal subject? A pet? A healer?"

Perhaps it had been buried in his heart for too long, because the moment Xion opened his mouth, the words shot out like a cannon.

"Sure enough, that’s why you ran away..." Darius muttered, almost to himself, but being so close Xion heard every word.

"I was wrong. And stupid, Xion. It took me a long time to realize just how much I like you. And by that, I mean... to make you the ruler of the Northern kingdom."

Xion was stunned speechless. This was not the Archduke he knew!

The archduke he knew was obsessed with killing his enemies, ruling his land and annoying the monarch. Who is this seductive demon?

What had happened in the past four years for the devil archduke to turn into such a gentle and... romantic person?

Hesitantly, Xion voiced his thoughts. "You mean to make me your partner in ruling your kingdom?"

Darius laughed, a soft sound that trickled into all of Xion’s sensitive spots at once, especially his ears.

"No. I mean, I can work as your knight, and you be the king. How about it?"

Xion: "..." Are you insane??

"...Are you not afraid I might backstab you? What if I kick you out after taking over?"

With the amount of court dramas he had seen, that was the first thing that came to mind.

Darius shrugged. "Fine by me. But... if you want to backstab me, tell me beforehand. With the way you are, you might hurt yourself first."

He said it so calmly while glancing at Xion’s bandaged hands.

Xion, "..." I’m already embarrassed enough. Can you not add more fuel??

The poor baby felt he might really combust if this conversation went on any longer.

As if understanding what his glare meant, Darius picked up the cup from the bedside table, instructing lightly, "I’ll come back later with your food. Feel free to move around, but don’t leave the room."

"Why can’t I leave?"

Darius didn’t answer. He simply stared at Xion’s body, hidden under the duvet.

That look alone was enough. If he went out wearing Darius’s clothes, rumors would spread through the castle like wildfire.

Xion promptly shut his mouth. And before he could decide whether to complain about not having proper attire or combust from sheer mortification, Darius stood up.

Giving Xion one last smile that could have melted glaciers, Darius left the room with spring in his feet.

The door clicked shut plunging the room into utter silence.

Xion sat there, frozen. Then, without warning, he rolled over the bed.

"AAAAHHHH!!"

He screamed into the pillow, kicking his legs uselessly under the blankets like a furious kitten.

How was he supposed to survive this???