[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 164: A Strange Uneasiness

Two days had passed since the incident.

Whether it was out of respect for his position as the "advisor" of the archduke or because of Darius’ silent threats, no one dared to approach Xion anymore.

Even baby Noxian had only babbled a few random things before dashing back into the ox cart, leaving Xion alone to glare at the carriage he had been traveling in.

That was still fine. At least he had hope of being free.

Then, they stopped to set up tents in the middle of nowhere, yet he still wasn’t allowed to be far from the archduke!

If not for the sake of his image, Xion would have flopped onto the ground and thrown a full tantrum.

He really was not asking for much, just a little time with his baby brother!

But apparently, fate had decided to gift him something else entirely. And that package also included weird stares, all the while the suffocating silence around him continued.

Xion liked his peace, but that did not mean he could ignore the way the retinue kept glancing at him whenever he walked past.

And to make things worse, Darius had barely spoken in the last two days.

Granted, the archduke was never much of a talker to begin with, but this? This was on another level. At most, he would say one or two sentences before retreating into silence again.

This wasn’t peace. This was a heavy, suffocating stillness pressing down on Xion’s chest like a mountain.

And to top it all off, they were still near the same bazaar where Xion had treated old man Berry’s leg.

He had not gone out to play the role of a temporary healer again, not that he could do that now... But for some reason, he still couldn’t shake the rising unease in his chest.

At first, he had chalked it up to being in this place. A spot that had given him quite the scare when Soren and Caspian had chased him.

However, he knew that wasn’t really it.

Nor was it the way the servants had suddenly begun acting overly respectful.

The unease had settled deep in his chest the moment he had left the Marquis’ mansion that very night Darius had "found" him.

Then, instead of moving on, they had chosen to stay in the dark forest near the bazaar.

It was familiar territory for the archduke. Because Ray and the others had spent almost a week here gathering intel before heading toward the royal city.

In the end, it made sense for them to stop there.

Everything about the decision was logical. And yet, something still felt off.

Maybe it was just the fact that everything was changing too fast.

Xion sighed as he reached the tent.

This was the archduke’s tent, and Xion, being both his advisor and his secret husband, could only stay there as well.

The moment he stepped inside, he had to stifle a groan.

Darius was seated in the main chair, completely surrounded by Lady Nazia, Berry, Ray, Allen, and even a few other soldiers Xion had grown familiar with.

These were the ones responsible for clearing the path before the archduke’s journey began.

But by now, Xion was well aware that it wasn’t just about assessing the terrain or gathering intelligence.

It also meant eliminating the hurdles along the way.

And oftentimes, that meant killing those who stood against the archduke.

Xion definitely did not want to interrupt them. Although ruthless, it was a necessary thing to do, and he just didn’t want to be a part of it for the sake of his sanity.

Just as he was about to slip away to Noxian’s side, a single word halted him at the entrance.

"Stop."

Xion sighed noiselessly. Then, forcing his stiff lips into something vaguely resembling a smile, he turned around.

"Yes, Your Grace?" His tone was both polite and respectful, unlike the way he used to talk with Rael.

But internally, he was begging Darius not to rope him into this meeting.

Firstly, he barely had any grasp of politics or geography. He had been faking his way through it all with help from his system.

Regardless of his efforts to learn about all the stuff in this new world, he was nowhere near these sly foxes.

Secondly... okay, fine. He just didn’t want to be bored!

Perhaps his resentment was too obvious, because amusement flickered across the archduke’s dull eyes, brightening the pale green for a fleeting moment.

With a simple wave of his hand, Darius dismissed his loyal subjects, sending them off to carry out their assigned tasks before the time limit.

As the last of them stepped out, the entire tent became empty.

The silence was broken when another command was issued.

"Come here."

The voice was velvety smooth, low with a hint of roughness edging at the hoarseness.

And before he could even process why, his feet were already moving in the direction his grace was sitting.

"Yes? Is there something you need from me, Your Grace?" Xion tilted his head, letting his now slightly long hair brush against his shoulder.

"Yes. You."

The reply came in the same way. Just a few words and accurate to the point that it made Xion speechless.

"...Your Grace, you should really elaborate more." Xion sighed before slumping down near Darius’ chair. "You don’t need me. You need my expertise."

Without waiting for permission, he reached for Darius’ wrist, fingers pressing against his pulse as he assessed the mana imbalance in his body.

A frown settled between his brows. "I think you’re working too hard. Your condition is getting worse."

Again.

Although it was not like the beginning where Xion was afraid even to jostle Rael more than an inch, it was definitely not a good sign for his body.

Unlike Xion who was worried, Darius was far to comfortable to even bother with such a slightest of pain. He had better things to worry about than his broken body.