[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 201: Running From The Archduke

The cold air bit at Xion’s cheeks as he sprinted down the slope, his boots thudding softly against the grass-covered ground.

There were five ox carts in total, each one carrying essentials— and, of course, people. The Archduke’s carriage was second in line.

Xion slipped past the scattered figures, bypassing them one by one. His destination was the fourth cart.

As he neared it, Noxian was already there, balancing two bundles in his thin arms while a third rested at his feet.

The sight pulled a smile from Xion. Everything the boy carried was something he and Allen had picked out together.

"Brother! You are here." Noxian excitedly waved his little hand.

Though the river was shallow and the bridge not particularly treacherous, crossing it at night made the task more burdensome. The handlers were preoccupied, busy securing the oxen and fastening their loads to the carts.

Hence, when Xion waved back at Noxian with a smile, it went mostly unnoticed by the busy retinue.

Xion dropped to his knee. "Really want to follow me?" he asked again, though he already knew the answer.

And in return, he earned a little eye roll. "Of course, I do. Don’t waste time now, brother."

Xion chuckled at the chiding. "Got it," he said while pushing Noxian’s clothes and books into his almost empty bag.

A few toys were left for the boy to carry on his back.

Behind them, the sounds of the convoy were beginning to shift. The front lines had started to cross the bridge while no one was looking at the back.

Xion took one last look at everything. It lasted only a heartbeat before he turned away.

Grasping Noxian’s hand, he gave the smaller palm a little squeeze as they moved.

Two pairs of footsteps— one larger, one smaller— moved under the cover of darkness.

It was almost too easy, even for Xion. With the help of his system map, which showed the positions of nearby people in real time, he’d avoided them all before anyone noticed anything out of place.

The tall trees flanking them on all sides helped conceal their smaller frames from any prying eyes.

Moving in stops and starts, ducking into shadows and underbrush, it took them nearly a quarter of an hour to distance themselves from the retinue.

The sounds of the convoy had faded completely. There were no more voices, no wheels, no creaking wood. It was as if the others had never been there at all.

A voiceless sigh escaped his lips as he carried Noxian before putting the boy on the other side of the fallen trunk.

Just as Xion jumped as well, a familiar voice halted him mid-step.

"What are you doing?"

Xion bit his lower lip, and his grip on Noxian’s hand tightened. Of all people...

But there was no way around it now. So, Xion turned around to see the knight standing there.

He hadn’t even noticed when the knight started trailing them.

How stupid of me... Xion thought. But oddly, he didn’t care.

If he’d truly wanted to avoid being followed, he would’ve paid better attention to the map. The truth was, part of him had expected, and maybe even wanted to be caught.

Just... not by him.

Ray stood there, arms folded across his broad chest, his cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze. The usual sarcastic smirk was gone from his face.

"Are you... really running away? But why?"

He genuinely couldn’t understand. With everything Xion had accomplished in such a short time, he could have lived comfortably at His Grace’s side. So why?

"Not running," Xion said while shrugging his shoulders. "Just... re-routing."

He looked almost nonchalant. That was if one ignored the sweat trickling down his neck.

"Without telling His Grace? Why, Xion? I thought we were friends..." Ray ran a hand through his blond hair, mussing it until it looked like a bird’s nest. "Is it something important that you need? You can tell me, and I’ll—"

"You know it’s not that," Xion said helplessly.

A long silence followed. Ray stared at Xion, then at the little brat beside him—who had the audacity to smirk, as if he’d just won gold bars.

But then again, having Xion by your side really was like striking a treasure. And that was exactly why Ray wanted to keep him close to His Grace.

"...What if His Grace looks for you?"

"For what?" Xion tilted his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I’ve fulfilled my promise, Ray."

Under the pale sliver of moonlight, his face looked even paler. Almost bloodless.

"No one has the right to order me around. I’m not some pet, Ray. I have no obligations left to fulfill."

Ray’s face visibly tensed. His brows were drawn together. Not in anger, but in deep thought. His hands clenched, then slowly relaxed, like he was grappling with words he couldn’t quite bring to life.

Because deep down, Ray knew Xion wasn’t wrong. He owed His Grace nothing.

"But Xion... I thought you liked His Grace. So why?"

Xion’s eyes widened slightly before soft laughter slipped from his lips.

"Because he’s bound to kill... And I want to save lives. We don’t match. We never did. And I agreed to save him before I knew he was the Archduke."

Noxian tugged at Xion’s hand, silently telling him they should move. The longer they lingered, the more likely they were to be discovered.

Xion bit back the words rising in his throat. For a moment, he almost asked Ray what would happen if he went back.

But His Grace had said to himself that love, or even liking, was nothing but ridiculous.

"You owe me a favor, Ray. Does that still count?"

Ray snorted and then remained silent. Nonetheless, both knew that it was a silent agreement.

"Then don’t tell anyone about me. At least not until you stop for a break."

"Xion-"

"Take care of him, please. Don’t let him overwork. He likes sweet things... and he still prefers to comb his hair that way."

They both knew what style he meant.

But Ray doubted His Grace would ever let anyone near his hair, except Xion.

"Do you have to go?" The knight reluctantly asked. "Can’t we work something out? Some kind of arrangement... an agreement?"

Xion didn’t answer. He simply smiled and raised a hand in farewell.

In the end, Ray could do nothing but stand there, silently and unwillingly watching as Xion and Noxian vanished into the darkness.