[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 232: I Am A Pervert Only For You

Darius wanted Xion desperately.

It was despicable of him, really, to allow his mind to wander into darker territories when he felt Xion on his lap, so warm, so gentle, so heartbreakingly defenseless.

If he wished, he could burn that duvet into ashes at the flick of his fingers.

But, of course, he curbed those primal desires. He needed something to focus on, to keep his mind grounded.

There was only one person who could do so. Thus, he hugged Xion closer.

That had only made things more difficult.

The archduke lowered his head slightly, breathing in the familiar scent that clung to Xion’s damp skin — sweet, soft, and sinfully intoxicating.

It smelled faintly of vanilla, like the delicate whisper of some forbidden confection.

(Darius had no idea that it was merely a shampoo, purchased from the system.)

But damn, did he like it.

It made Xion seem like a delicious cake, wrapped in soft, fluffy cream, sitting temptingly in his arms. Barely clothed, radiating heat, nestled against him like some precious treasure.

The urge to lean down and bite the curve of that slender neck was almost unbearable.

He wondered helplessly, how Xion might taste.

Darius had long since surrendered his heart. He already loved Xion — fully, ferociously.

But he had wanted to be patient. To take it one step at a time.

And yet... the moment he had seen Xion awake, sitting innocently on his bed, something within him had snapped.

The words had spilled from his lips before he could restrain them.

Now, even as he forced himself to calm down, Xion’s warm skin — the soft, shifting movements of his body — ignited a fire in Darius’s core.

It took humongous strength to keep his arousal under control.

If he got hard, Xion would surely notice.

And that... that would only frighten his precious baby away.

It should have been a sweet, tender moment — holding Xion like this.

And yet, it became a sweet torment as Darius fought off far less innocent thoughts.

With a soft sigh, Darius dragged his mind away from temptation and focused on something far more important.

Food. His baby was hungry, after all. As for the rest of the things — even if the rest that involved him — could wait.

"Here. Eat first," Darius said, his voice coming out hoarse with too many emotions. "I’ll have someone deliver clothes for you."

In truth, he could have fetched new clothes right away. They were neatly stored in the wardrobe already.

He had stocked it himself, in secret. Filled it with different styles in three sizes, unsure how much Xion had grown over the years.

But now...

Now, like a true masochist, he chose to savor this fleeting innocent closeness a little longer.

Who knew when another chance would come again — to hold a freshly bathed, barely clothed Xion in his arms, without barriers?

Of course, Darius fully intended to create more opportunities in the future — and preferably without any clothing at all.

But for now... He glanced down at those still-bandaged fingers.

With careful, almost reverent movements, he unwrapped the wet cloth, revealing the delicate injuries underneath.

"We can’t use mana yet. Your body’s still fragile after draining your core like that. If we try to heal you too soon, your body might reject it."

"Oh," Xion blinked up at the serious-looking man.

Of course he knew that. He was a healer himself!

He had medicine in his inventory, ready to use. He had just... gotten a little too caught up in the mess he had made.

A loud, untimely growl came from Xion’s stomach, and this time, Xion decided to just let go of his dignity, only a little though.

Anyway, he was hungry. It was better to eat first before focusing on the main mission.

"Can I eat?" Xion asked, making Darius shake his head in amusement. Well, this sudden question calmed both the parties, one from his embarrassment and the other from his not-so-holy thoughts.

"Yeah, here," Without waiting for permission, Darius picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl.

"Let me," he said simply.

And with that, the proud archduke began to feed his bewildered beloved. He picked up a delicate piece of buttered bread, its scent warm and rich, and held it to Xion’s lips.

Xion was soon seduced by the tempting taste. He hadn’t eaten properly in days. It wasn’t that he couldn’t. With the system at hand, he could eat whatever he wished as long as he was willing to pay for it.

It was just that he felt exhausted. Too emotionally drained to even bother to eat anymore.

However, when the tempting aroma wafted into his nose, Xion’s stomach was much more eager to consume the delicious-smelling food.

He opened his mouth to nibble at the offering. It was so damn tasty!

His eyes lit up as if holding stars in them. With his mouth filled like a chipmunk, he glanced at the archduke and gave him a thumb-up, showing that he liked it.

"I’m glad," the archduke smiled softly while offering another bite.

Each time, Darius watched with a focus so intense it felt like he was memorizing every flicker of Xion’s lips, every hesitant swallow.

This mouth...

These hands...

This body...

Mine.

The thought pulsed inside Darius’s mind with the same slow, inevitable certainty as a rising tide.

"You’re making a mess," Darius murmured, feigning a slight scold after he fed Xion a glistening berry.

Without warning, he leaned in and brushed his thumb along the corner of Xion’s mouth catching the tiny droplet of juice.

And then, with obscene laziness, Darius raised that same thumb to his own lips... and licked it clean.

Xion choked on his next bite, coughing violently.

Darius only smiled while patting his back like an elder would to a naughty child.

"Clumsy," he whispered in a voice that sounded like a caress.

Xion twisted in his lap, trying desperately to look anywhere but at him.

For a moment, it felt like today wasn’t his day. Since waking up, his heart had been racing in fits and starts, its pace shuffling from high to low, and if he were a weaker man, he believed it could bring on an attack.

"I need to find Mycosera Tenberis, or maybe Mycosera Glacialis."

That was the only distraction the certain silly healer could come up with. Yet as soon as he said it, he became serious. "It grows in the caverns of Haldris. Do you anything about it, Your Grace?"

"I’ve heard it is somewhere in the deeper part of the north and most likely where it’s the coldest."

Darius allowed Xion to change the subject while placing the almost empty trays back in their place.

"Caverns of Haldris," Darius repeated the name as if recalling the information about the place.

With the way there was a flicker of recognition in those pretty green eyes, Xion was sure he hit the mark.

Then, the archduke stayed silent.

Xion couldn’t resist asking, "What? You don’t know either? Aren’t you a king here?" With his stomach full, he was back to his old ways, daringly challenging the archduke and ignoring the noble titles.

Darius laughed, the sound smooth and wicked, as he leaned in with a teasing smirk. "I do know, my lord."

His voice practically purred as he added the title, tapping Xion lightly on the nose with playful affection. "But why should I tell you without any reward?"

Xion, "..." You are the richest man here, okay?! Even my system is almost seduced by your wealth, not to mention me... Okay, let’s really not mention that.

With a nervous cough, Xion tried to play it off, feigning innocence. "W-what do you want? I’m being honest, I’m not as rich as you."

The poor healer was already wary. He’d spent his entire time healing others for a bare minimum. Where would he have anything valuable enough to impress a man like Darius?

Much to Xion’s surprise, Darius hugged him tighter.

"Go on a date with me. Let me show you how much I really like you. How about it?"

Xion, "..."

He had to take a deep breath to steady his brain. He was suddenly reminded of those tempting concubines that could lead their ruler astray with nothing more than a single look.

If Darius were his concubine, Xion was fairly certain he would be doing worse than the infamous examples. After all, who could resist Darius?

The thought made his head spin. And yet... here he was, having a hard time saying no.

A fresh crimson spread on his ears. His lips quivered slightly as he found himself agreeing. "Fine."

"Great," Darius replied, his eyes lighting up with happiness so bright it nearly riveled the sun.

A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Xion’s lips as he felt a surge of playfulness, "Don’t you think you are copying someone?"

Darius blinked, taken aback. "...What?"

This time, Xion boldly tapped Darius on the forehead as though retaliating for the earlier tap to his nose. "His Highness Nikolai said the same thing."

The mention of Nikolai made Darius scoff immediately. "He’s a pervert. A labeled one. Everyone calls him the hedonistic prince."

And I am a pervert for you... Only for you.

Yeah, the archduke was perfectly aware of his less-than-desirable thoughts for Xion.

And he was planning to tell Xion all of them, slowly, but surely.