[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 157: A Perfect Plan

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

No, he wasn’t talking about the carriage that was currently rumbling down the path, taking them back to the north as he had been told so early in the morning.

Nor was he referring to the closed journal sitting on his lap, practically begging him to open it.

No, none of that.

What he meant was the tall figure sitting across from him.

Since Xion had woken up that morning, Darius hadn’t said a word. No questions were asked. No attempts were made to bring up last night’s matter. Nothing at all.

And honestly, Xion should have found it comforting that there was no need to explain anything.

But instead of feeling relieved... he was anxious, restless like something heavy was pressing against his chest.

Feelings had always been strange creatures, hadn’t they? After all, they were what made humans so weirdly fascinating among all the living creatures.

Just like any other being overwhelmed by feelings, Xion also wished he could switch them off from his heart and change places so he could curl up in the ox cart with Noxian.

Maybe chat with Allen about mana, or better yet, bury himself in his lab and forget everything.

However, he wasn’t allowed to do any of that.

Once again, he was stuck in the archduke’s carriage.

Funnily, he was now even familiar with the secret drawer hidden under the archduke’s seat. He had been spending more time in the carriage than anywhere else.

Well, the comfort was sure there, and if it was not archduke’s carriage, he might have thought of taking it away with him as well.

He could transfer it into a makeshift home. Like those movable vans with beds and everything, and to help him out he also had a system.

[Yes, host! I can even help you customize the layout! Want to add solar-powered lanterns? They’re on sale right now!]

Xion was brought back to his senses by the system’s sudden excited voice.

Oh, he was off tracking again.

’No, system. Not yet. I’ll buy it when I need it.’

[Okay...]

All the enthusiasm left the system’s voice as it disappeared.

Well, it was not the system’s fault. Xion had not bought anything after his last purchase, and now the newly evolved system was always trying to tempt him into buying things.

It might be annoying to some people, yet to Xion, the childish system was really cute. Especially the way it was trying its best to show its ability.

Xion bit his lower lip, trying not to smile because of the living, breathing person sitting across him.

Xion had known about it a long time ago. Yet despite hating it, he could not change the fact that he was a coward.

There were genuinely not many things that he abhorred to such an extent. However, getting embarrassed was one of the top ones.

Nightmares were also on the list. And crying was another thing he detested.

He had freshly experienced all of them together.

Regardless of the fact that the archduke had been nothing but so kind to him, he just couldn’t bring himself to meet Darius’ gaze, nor could he find the courage to break the silence engulfing them.

Unlike last night’s silence which had been comfortable enough for him to forget everything and fall asleep, this one felt weirdly charged.

As if one wrong move and something might happen. Something that he would not be able to control.

The nightmare had faded beneath the bright sunlight, leaving behind the embarrassment that was now gnawing at his senses.

It wasn’t just because he’d clung to the archduke and cried like a child.

Ah, if only that were the case. His life would have been slightly easier.

No... what really twisted his stomach was the memory of how he had once teased Darius for avoiding him.

Back then, he’d smugly assumed that little noble boy was dodging him because Rael had cried... which, of course, wasn’t even true.

But if that wasn’t the reason... then why had Darius avoided him back then?

Xion almost groaned aloud. Focus, he scolded himself. This wasn’t the time to get lost in old memories.

He turned his gaze to the window instead, watching the trees drift lazily past.

The golden sunlight flickered through the branches, casting shadows that danced along the carriage walls.

Focus... just focus on the trees. The way the sunlight dances between the leaves ... yeah, this was nice.

"What are you so worried about?"

Xion’s breath faltered for a second before he glanced at the archduke.

Darius was sitting in that same pose, with his face resting against the back of his knuckles as he casually looked at him.

Those eyes were staring at him as if silently telling Xion that he knew everything.

It was always like this. Once Xion looked at those eyes his heart would become a jumbled mess.

However, right now, he felt relieved. At least the silence was broken.

"I don’t know," Xion replied honestly. He really had no clue why he was so agitated.

"If you are worried about returning then there is no need," Darius glanced outside.

It had barely been a quarter of an hour since they left Nikolai’s home and from the window, the archduke could still see its glimpse.

Finally... away from that place. frёeωebɳovel.com

Even if he wanted Xion to sleep a bit longer, Darius was very satisfied with the early timing to leave.

Because now, Nikoli would not even get a chance to say goodbye to Xion. As for making his healer suffer... Darius gazed at the silent Xion, and a slight smirk worked upon his lips.

He had left a perfect parting gift for the prince. Something that would force a hedonistic prince to go to the war.

As long as there was a royal leading the troops, many of the households with a good relationship with Nikolai would have to send their own children as well.

There were also those who were truthfully thinking about the betterment of the kingdom. For those good people, this would become the opportunity to gather more soldiers.

Ultimately, if there were enough forces, no one would clamor to send him on the battlefield.

Would that not be nice to just spend time with Xion instead of butchering fleshy blobs of masses?

To archduke that sounded like a perfect plan.