[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 294

Chapter 294: Pre-Marriage Jitters

Just as Xion’s hand gripped the knob, his wrist was grabbed.

The world tilted, and he found himself pressed against the hard door and equally hard Darius.

"Do you not like it?" The Archduke asked in a soft voice, but his words were full of implication. He tucked a loose black strand behind Xion’s reddening ear. "Should I buy something else?"

"That’s not—" Xion sputtered, words dissolving as warmth pooled under his skin.

His hands had instinctively landed on Darius’ mostly bare chest, and he could feel the thrum of his heartbeat. It was rapid, loud, and unpredictable.

Almost... uneasy? Was he really nervous?

The realization emboldened the young man just a little. His fingers slid downward, brushing the damp skin and pausing at the ribbon left half-tied.

It was as tempting as it was worrying.

Without thinking, he adjusted it, fumbling like a clumsy nursemaid.

"You just got out of the bath," he mumbled as he tightened the silken cloth around the strong waist. Big, doe-like eyes were fixed anywhere but the Archduke’s face as he made a bow. "You’ll catch a cold walking around like this. Honestly, do you know how to take care of yourself?"

But Darius didn’t reply. His eyes, sharp as emerald glass, watched the healer with obsessive hunger.

To him, this was a blatant act of changing the subject.

He easily caught the fumbling wrists, his thumb brushing over the delicate veins beneath the fair skin.

Xion couldn’t help but tremble slightly. The touch had sent sparks of electricity through his wrist to his chest.

His heart thumped loudly, mimicking his rushed breathing when Darius effortlessly pinned his wrists above his head. That too, using only one hand.

The free hand rose to Xion’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

"I’ve heard it all, Xion," came the smooth, lethal purr. "You want to run away."

Those beautiful blue eyes widened, long black lashes fluttered in panic, clearly depicting the inner turmoil of the owner. "That... I was...I didn’t..."

The silly kitten stumbled over his words, completely forgetting what he wanted to express when he was hit by the beauty attack from such a close distance.

All this while, the Archduke stared at him with infinite patience.

Darius was well aware of what he was. He had long given up on calling himself human.

His power killed anyone without a single hesitation and the fact that he could hardly feel any emotions felt like there was an insignia left on his soul.

A stamp of the curse that said he was not welcome even by the gods.

That was what he had been hearing all his life. But Xion changed everything.

It was as if the gods had carved a pit in his heart. The hollow that swallowed his feelings, his emotions leaving behind nothing but boredom. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

It was something that could only be filled with the blessings of the divinities itself.

Years, it took him years to find that blessing. He finally understood that the crater in his heart was carved in the shape of Xion.

As long as he was with this divine healer, he felt full.

Darius felt alive.

This black-haired angel, whose soul he couldn’t peer into, had made him human.

Darius regarded Xion as his treasure. He desperately needed this very precious being as he would air to breathe. He wanted to shower Xion with every luxury, every comfort, anything this world could offer.

But more than that, he wanted his love to be made physical. Something that would leave his mark of ownership, something that would bind Xion to him for eternity.

The terrifying thing was that even after having Xion to himself for hours, his desperate hunger was still growing.

Because only this silly bashful kitten could make him so, so happy. It was also Xion, who could make him devastated just by saying a few words.

His reason to live would be gone the minute Xion disappeared.

So even if he knew his lover was nervous, he still rushed the marriage. His sweet darling was afraid, but he didn’t want to let him go.

The idea of tying Xion to his bed became more and more prominent.

His lips curled into a smile, dark and glinting with something dangerous. This time, he didn’t even bother to hide it anymore.

"You are thinking of leaving me." Darius gently caressed Xion’s pale cheek, "That must be a lie... After all, I’ve given you things even the royal family can’t have. Isn’t that right, my dear healer?"

Xion’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, yet Darius didn’t stop. His thumb brushed the soft lower lip, watching it with mirth at how it dented under his whim. All the while, a chilling smirk remained on his handsome face.

"I-I think I should leave, Your Grace." Even the title slipped back—’Your Grace’—just like Darius had gone back to calling him ’healer’.

He’s scared too, Xion realized as Darius’ mouth moved against his with desperate insistence. He’s afraid to lose me... and this is how he begs.