[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 252: A Path Stamped in Snow

Much against Darius’s will, he had to put Xion down. His baby, who had been practically vibrating with excitement since they stepped outside, had been clamoring to stand on the snow.

Due to Xion’s fragile health, Darius hadn’t let him out into the freezing cold since he had arrived.

Unlike Noxian, who wandered the castle grounds with reckless abandon, Xion had been kept within the safety of its walls, perfectly shielded from the biting winds and snowfall.

So, how could he possibly resist now?

The moment Xion’s feet touched the snow-covered ground, he started hopping around like a little rabbit. Pure joy lit up his face.

His boots sank deep into the white fluff, leaving unmistakable impressions behind him as he bounced forward.

Darius watched, silently following along. A rare softness danced in his gaze as Xion spun around, blue eyes gleaming with delight.

The healer looked back, glancing at the deep imprints he had left behind. A proud, almost smug smile stretched across his lips as he shot a look at Darius.

"My prints are deeper than yours, Your Grace."

Darius, with a raised eyebrow traced the small, crisp footprints dotting the snow before turning back to Xion — the fluffy creature responsible for them.

There was a lively smile on Xion’s lips, making his eyes shine with so much vitality. Coupled with the chill that had made his cheeks turn pink like roses, Darius had the urge to just grab him and tightly hold him in his arms. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

"I can make them even better."

Xion’s mind stuttered for a moment. Surely, Darius wasn’t about to hop around like he did, right? That was something... forgive him, he truly couldn’t work his mind up to properly imagine that.

But wouldn’t it be absurd?

Darius did not jump. Instead, he walked over to Xion’s footprints, those perfectly shaped little craters, and placed his feet directly over them.

One after another, his larger boots swallowed up Xion’s marks, stamping over each one and making them bigger.

"What if I run and make more?" Xion asked, mischief twinkling in his eyes. After all, there was a heavy bag slung over Darius’s shoulder, carrying all their belongings.

The Archduke didn’t answer right away. He simply walked on, step by step, until every one of Xion’s footprints was swallowed by his own.

When he looked up, he was already standing in front of Xion, green eyes gleaming with pride. "No matter where you go, I’ll always follow you, my little lord."

Before Xion could react, Darius leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was just a light touch like the wings of a dragonfly skimming across the surface of a still lake.

And yet, it stirred something deep within Xion, a ripple of warmth that spread from his chest to his fingertips. Suddenly, all the chill vanished.

"Th-That’s a wrong move," he stammered, lips pursed stubbornly.

But to Darius, it only looked like an adorable pout, something that made his fingers itch to grab Xion’s jaw and steal the taste of that sweetness.

"Not a wrong move, darling," Darius corrected while shoving the snow away from Xion’s shoulders, "but a wrong title."

Xion tilted his head, confusion clouding his eyes. "What title?"

"Your Grace. You call me that like everyone else. But you are not them, Xion. You are the one who should call me by my name."

Xion blinked, and then blinked again. "Ah... That..."

Once upon a time, he had called this person Rael. Back when he thought him nothing more than a sick child. Perhaps he had seen a shadow of himself in him.

Even now, knowing the truth, his mind somehow split the two into separate people. Rael was the little boy, stubborn but cute nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Darius, the Archduke, was different entirely.

"I wanted to say this to you before," Darius said, his fingers curling over the strap and tapping on it — a habit that surfaced whenever he was nervous or deep in thought, "but I didn’t want to put any pressure on you."

He really didn’t. But he still longed to hear Xion call his name in that precious voice.

Xion’s cheeks flared crimson, and he rubbed his gloved hands together, as though trying to scrub away the warmth. "You... Your Grace, give me some time to get used to it."

Though Xion was impulsive enough to leap into a new relationship in mere days, he was still anxious. So many worries crowded his mind, growing heavier with each passing thought.

That was why he wanted to focus on the cure first. With something to work on, he wouldn’t have to think about other things like his uncertain future with the Archduke.

But... he also didn’t want to disappoint his boyfriend. His heart was in turmoil, so like an experienced invader of trouble, he directly turned around and took a few hasty steps forward.

If he couldn’t decide, he would leave it for the future.

"That mountain looks pretty, like a fluffy cloud." The way of changing the topic was even more clumsier than his avoidance.

What could Darius do in this situation? He wanted to tease Xion, to see him flush red while those watery eyes held only him. But he also didn’t want to see him in such distress.

So the Archduke, who could compel others to speak the truth and follow his command with just a glare, simply shook his head in defeat.

"It’s called Risa. There are orcs living at the foot of Risa. So, we steer clear of that path."

Although Xion was the first to change the topic, with Darius’ help, it successfully went in another direction.

Honestly, what was Xion even supposed to do when Darius was acting so sweet?

It made his insides melt. Wasn’t he supposed to be the one with more knowledge? How could he regain his dignity if he was always this flustered?

In his haste, he walked faster, his heavy boots crunching through the snow.

"Be careful not to fall-"

Darius’ words did not even end when the accident happened.

Xion’s eyes flew wide, but it was already too late. His feet were already slipping across the white ground.

His arms flailed, and in a flutter of the fur coat, he landed flat on his back.

Sprawled across the snow with his limbs splayed out like a starfish, the healer looked utterly ridiculous.

Though the soft snow cushioned his fall, it still knocked the breath out of him.

His gloved fingers dug into the white fluff. Regardless of the mana-enchanted gloves, the cold still seeped inside.

For some absurd reason, he found the situation utterly hilarious. He giggled so hard his shoulders shook, puffs of white breath escaping his lips with each laugh.

With his head nearly buried in the snow, he looked up at Darius, still giggling uncontrollably.

"Do you... do you want to join me too, Your Grace?" he called out, waving up at the Archduke with an unrestrained grin.

Join me... It was certainly a tempting offer, one that Darius found himself very eager to accept.

It would have been better if they were in bed, with Xion lying in his loose clothes and shyly asking him, ’Will you join me?’

Yet he had to shake his head against his will. "Come up, it’s getting late."

Xion huffed a chilly breath but still raised his hand. Darius took it, and with one firm tug, pulled Xion back to his feet, brushing the snow from his cloak with gentle hands.

"Do you have a place in mind?" he inquired while letting the Archduke fuss over him.

"Hmm." When they were setting the teleportation arrays, they had indeed arranged a few places.

"No wonder you have been so relaxed."

Darius hummed again. His fingers swept the loose strands of black hair behind Xion’s ears neatly and tenderly, preventing small strands from obscuring Xion’s face.

There, perfect, Darius thought, I can properly see your beauty now.

The chill of his gloves seeped through to Xion’s skin, making him wrinkle his nose.

Stop that, Xion, Darius stared helplessly, stop being so damn adorable, and stop making it so hard for me to hold back...

"There is a cave nearby," the Archduke, despite the burden of his feelings, grabbed Xion’s hand. "It will only take a few minutes to reach. We can start looking from tomorrow."

This time he didn’t let the mischievous youngster run around.

Xion didn’t notice it but Darius did. The behavior of the healer who had crossed the Northern borders, the one who hadn’t even been willing to spare the snow more than a glance, was now playing in it with childlike wonder.

Xion looked happy. For now, that was enough.

His green eyes flickered back to the footprints, now twice as big, layered one over the other, before they split back into two separate paths.

A smile crept onto his face. I’ve stamped your path, Xion. Like these footprints, I’ll always be right behind you, no matter where you go.

Silly Xion, unaware of the thoughts running in Darius’ mind, was busy admiring the evening view.