[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 169: The Point Of No Return

A terrible vision of the future flashed before Allen’s eyes. A world engulfed in flames, with His Grace standing at its center. Among all the destruction, Xion was nowhere to be seen.

He had always known how His Grace was cursed to be alone. That anyone who dared step too close to Darius Rael Darkhelm was doomed to a terrible fate.

It was not just a belief, or some foolish superstition whispered among the nobles. It was a fact, carved in blood, etched into history itself.

Take Lord Ethen Blackthorne, for example.

The son of a Marquis Blackthorne. A child born into privilege. He had once stood close to His Grace under the disguise of the well-wisher.

Not as a real friend, of course, but as someone who believed himself clever enough to use the young lord of House Darkhelm to do his dirty work.

At that time, Ethen had been nothing more than an arrogant youth. He was too blinded by his ambition to realize he was playing with fire.

He thought he could manipulate the Archduke into eliminating those he found inconvenient. He thought he could stand beside a monster and remain unscathed.

And yet, when the time came, when His Grace’s mana raged unchecked, Ethen had been nothing more than another piece of collateral damage.

He lost his arm that day.

No, not just his arm, he lost everything.

His ability to wield mana. His craze to marry Talia Valaria, the little princess, and his future.

It wasn’t even Darius who harmed him directly.

His Grace had simply let loose an explosion of raw, violent power, letting it rain destruction upon all who happened to be in its path.

There was no discrimination, nor was there any mercy.

The Marquis Blackthorne, Ethen’s father and an influential figure in the royal court, had gone mad with desperation.

Using his connections to his majesty, he brought the finest healer from the church. He was a priest whose power was said to rival the saints.

But the moment the healer attempted to mend what was broken, the lingering traces of Darius’ mana reacted violently.

The result?

The skin started festering at such a rapid speed there was no other choice than to directly cut it away.

Ethen lost not just his ability to use mana, but his entire right arm.

Even now, more than two decades later, no magic, no divine power, no miracle could restore it.

The priests claimed it was an unfortunate accident. That they had simply been careless in their approach.

But Allen knew better.

Even as a child, Darius had been terrifyingly precise. So much so that he hardly ever made mistakes. That act had been intentional all along.

Allen had long since suspected as much, but until now, he had never truly acknowledged it.

Because to do so would mean admitting that His Grace — no matter how young, no matter how seemingly unshaped by the world — had already been a force beyond human comprehension.

Darius was a monster among men. He used people until they had nothing left to offer, then discarded them without hesitation.

Allen’s boots pressed into the cold earth as he walked further and further away from the tent. His mind was becoming an uneasy mess.

How many times had Raymond Eldritch, the Knight Commander himself, told him to keep his teacher away from His Grace?

"Don’t be a fool, Allen." Ray had tried to put sense in his mind back then.

"You’ve seen what happens to those who get too close."

"The Archduke does not form attachments. He consumes them."

Allen had dismissed those words just as easily as he had heard them. In his eyes, Xion was just a healer.

Albeit an extremely smart one, and also with peculiar ways of speaking, in the end, Allen had thought that it was better to let his grace feel different emotions other than being bored.

But now, as he glanced back at the dimly lit tent. Although he could not see inside, he also did not need to. He could already picture his grace taking care of Xion who must still be in deep slumber.

Allen left their campsite and soon inched close to Ray who was crouching on the ground, mixing a few powders into cylindrical vessels.

Just by the small sniff, he could detect that the bitter-smelling thing was volatile and explosive.

"You are here?" Ray could guess who it was even without looking back. He remained crouched on the ground filling yet another wooden cylinder.

"Help me with this,"

As soon as Allen sat beside him, Ray gave him the task to put the lid properly.

Allen did so. Usually, he was silent so Ray did not find anything strange, that was until he heard the alchemist sighing for the umpteenth time.

"Keep sighing and my explosives will be blown away."

Ray stared at the stiff-faced, nearly blank man and rolled his eyes openly in disgust. "If I change you with the rock there would be no difference. Show something on your face will you?"

After a heartbeat, Allen finally opened his mouth, "I saw teacher sleeping in his grace’s tent."

"And?" Ray barely spared a glance. Nothing about it seemed unusual, at least, not to him.

"Teacher was sleeping on his grace’s lap, and..." Allen’s grip on the little lid tightened until the wooden thing snapped in half. "There was a bite mark on his face."

That finally made Ray halt. However, unlike Allen who was too shaken up, Ray only sighed.

And funnily, now he looked as quiet as Allen.

"And? Do you want to put the distance between them? It’s impossible now." Ray mumbled under his breath, "When I warned you, you guys did not even take me seriously at all."

Allen finished planting the explosives along with Ray, setting up their target before stepping back into the safe zone

A deafening explosion shook the air as fire roared to life, engulfing the warehouse. Embers danced wildly, consuming everything in their path until nothing remained but ashes.

This was the secret warehouse of Marquis Vaelis, a place where he had kept Xion’s mother hidden from his real wife. It was also the secret area filled with Marquis’s hidden funds and various treasures.

Apparently, Xion’s mother ran away with the little baby, but sadly she was caught after only three years.

Although she refused to disclose the address of her only son, she was helpless against Roberto’s torture who thought she ran away because of some other man.

In the end, she died in this warehouse that covered almost an entire valley hidden away from the public, and even the eyes of the royals.

And now that baby had managed to become a healer, an advisor and even a husband of his grace.

Ray looked at Allen’s honey-brown eyes glowing under the shadow of fire.

"His Grace will protect him. There is no doubt about it."

Allen knew that. In fact, they all knew it. But...

"But what happens when the thing he wants to protect becomes the very thing he wants to possess?"

Ray looked at the burning sight, feeling pleased with the explosives he had made. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Then we just have to ensure that Xion never hurts His Grace enough to endanger everyone." Ray patted his mate’s stiff shoulder. "With the way he is, I highly doubt Xion will harm anyone. So, it’s fine."

As someone who had already foreseen such a situation much earlier than any of his companions Ray’s acceptance degree was very high.

Unlike poor Allen who felt that his whole world was shaken. After all, he had finally found a worthy teacher, and then his silly master was taken away by his lord.

Who would dare to protest against His Grace? Ray could already foresee that Allen would not be able to spend much time with Xion as the healer would definitely be taken away by the archduke.

"Calm down, you can just try to look for him when His Grace is away."

Allen did not reply. His gaze remained fixed on the bright flames, knowing they would soon alert Marquis Roberto.

At least, Roberto’s face would be worth seeing. Too bad they wouldn’t be there to witness it.

He exhaled slowly before turning on his heels. "Let’s go."

They needed to hurry back home.