[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 280: Archduke Can’t Do It?

With his dark hair still slightly damp from the long bath, Xion sat at the edge of his bed with a soft duvet wrapped tightly around him.

The warm water had done little to soothe his nerves.

Where is he?

He flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the canopy. But his mind was still preoccupied with what happened at the dinner earlier.

"Your outburst gave us the perfect opening to pressure the royal envoys. They’re scrambling to look decent now. It’s a gift really."

Allen had told him so before rushing to deal with some documents. Darius, on the other hand, was still nowhere to be seen.

Xion hadn’t meant to ’gift’ anything, especially in front of others. But that impulsive moment had now turned into political leverage. Well, as long as it worked in Darius’ favor everything was fine.

He sighed and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow before remembering the other moment from dinner—the one that made his soul almost leave his body.

His aunt Serena had smiled gently as they ate, but her gaze had lingered longer than usual along with Noxian. It was as if they were probing for something but none had asked anything.

It wasn’t until he was about to leave the room that Serena gently cleared her throat, stopping him mid-step.

"Well," she said in a careful yet soft tone, "you’re an adult now, Xion. And with a lover, no less."

Xion had choked on nothing.

"So don’t always worry about us. Focus on yourself and be happy. And if he ever bullies you, just come to me. I and your grandmother Nazia will beat him up for you."

Nazia, who was standing at the edge of the table, actually gave him a smile. Was she agreeing with the statement or was it just an illusion?

Alas, that was something Xion would never find out.

After nodding and reassuring his aunt, he stepped over the threshold.

Serena’s smile should have made him feel reassured, but the warmth quickly switched with the burning heat of embarrassment when he heard the not-so-subtle whisper she muttered to herself:

"I thought they spent the night together. How come Xion’s not even a little tired? Is it that the Archduke can’t... do it? Should I send him some medicine?"

Xion had frozen mid-step.

He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. But he had ears. And unfortunately, they worked very well.

Now, that he was back on his bed, the words still echoed in his ears.

Is it that the Archduke can’t do it?

He groaned, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow again.

"Who said he can’t?" he mumbled into the sheets. "Not only can he do it, he can also do it a bit too well!"

If it wasn’t for the refreshing agent, he would be paralyzed on the bed.

[I am such a good system right, host? How about you buy a few more refreshing agents? I’ll give you a discount~]

"Shut up." With no one around, Xion didn’t even bother to say it in his mind.

[But host, you shouldn’t be so shy about it. They are all so relaxed about everything except you.]

That was also kind of true.

Apparently, relationships in this world were... open. Really open. No one batted an eye at two men being together, and that included every ’aspect’ of the relationship.

There were even tutors—actual educators—who taught the more delicate arts of adulthood. Like some scandalous school for intimacy.

He was both horrified and wildly curious about what they taught to the nobles. But then again, even in the history he had read in high school, there indeed were those teachers who would ready the nobles for their weddings in proper fashion.

Thankfully, no one had suggested a tutor for him.

Thank the stars.

Xion could only see the vague glimpses of the darkness spreading outside the windows. The blue curtains danced slightly with the rhythm of the wind.

His lashes dropped lower to the system interface where the clock was glowing. It was nearing midnight and there was still no sign of Darius.

Is he really busy with court matters? Or... avoiding me?

"It’s fine. Maybe he’s just... working. I did embarrass him in front of everyone today."

His eyelashes felt heavy. He blinked once, twice until he couldn’t. With the thought of seeing Darius again, the silly kitten ended up falling into a dazed sleep.

Darius had intended to knock. But when the guard bowed and pushed open the door without question, he didn’t correct him.

His footsteps were silent as he stepped into the room. The dim light from the hallway briefly spilled across the polished floor before the door clicked shut behind him.

The room turned dark until his eyes adjusted to the dim orange light of the wall lamp.

Beneath the warm haze of the lamp was his darling, sprawled like an exhausted kitten, claiming the bed as his own even in sleep.

A mess of midnight hair, cheek half-buried in the pillow, blanket tangled around his waist like it had given up trying to cover him properly.

His thin outer robe had fallen open in places, and the white shirt he wore underneath had ridden up just enough to reveal a soft, exposed belly, rising and falling with every breath.

But it wasn’t the shirt, or the smooth sliver of skin that drew Darius’ gaze first.

No—it was the ankles.

They were bare and slightly flushed, resting at the edge of the bed. One leg was loosely hanging down while the other was tucked under.

It looked so delicate and pale in the low light.

Darius dropped his outer robe on the big couch beside the bed before covering Xion properly.

It didn’t take him long to take a quick wash.

After only wearing pajama bottoms and ditching his shirt, he moved soundlessly like one would approach a sleeping animal.

A small fluffy creature that might vanish if startled.

Xion murmured something in his sleep and turned slightly. The robe slipped further off his shoulder.

Darius, who had faced wars, traitors, politics, and decades of cold-blooded survival, found himself standing still.

As if he were the one under glass now and one move might shatter it all.

His fingers itched to touch, to smooth that shirt down, to pull the blanket over that fragile form and tuck him in properly. But he didn’t.

Instead, he lay beside his darling and removed the hindrance of the robe. His fingers didn’t stop there.

One by one the buttons were freed from their confinements before the shirt was tossed to the floor along with the robe.

However, Darius didn’t feel satisfied. Rather, looking at the unblemished skin, pale and untouched, his gaze dimmed a shade.

His teeth itched to change that.

The sleeping kitten, as if sensing the human warmth, directly rolled into the arms of his lover.

Unafraid of the dark gaze falling on him like vines trapping him in place, he rubbed his face on the muscular chest. Mumbling "Darius," he peacefully fell asleep.

Despite the simmering irritation in his chest, the Archduke laughed. A low sexy chuckle that might have made silly Xion’s ears turn red.

Big palms gently caressed the bareback, his cold fingers gliding over the curves of his slender body, recalling how Xion had reacted to his touches by arching his back up.

It was just a few hours ago and now there was not a single mark left.

Xion’s healing was a gift. A very special blessing that had now forced the royal envoys to obey their words instead of just stamping their own conditions like before.

But it was also a nuisance during times like these.

Was Xion shy or bothered by those marks? He wondered, while his fingers glided gently over the round shoulders, precisely where he had bitten.

"Should I punish you, Xion? For removing all my stamps?" A kiss fell on the forehead of the sleeping beauty. "But I don’t want to see you fear me."

Darius was afraid.

His lewd thoughts were spiraling out of control again. Even when he had spent the whole night loving Xion, with his baby in his arms, his desire was rearing its head again.

Exhaling a heavy breath through his nose as if trying to cage a beast that was steadily unraveling inside him, he held Xion closer.

This soft body, bare and flushed with sleep, rested so carelessly against his own.

He was sure that Xion was a temptation forged by the goddess just to test him. And he was failing without any care.

His fingers slid lower, past the curve of the back, resting against the dip of the waist. His palm fit there perfectly, like it belonged. Like Xion belonged to him.

His hand moved to the soft belly. "If I leave a mark here..." his fingers circled the navel lazily, "...will you erase that too?"

He was going to test that. And if Xion wasn’t so cozily sleeping in his arms, he might have done that right on the spot.