Chapter 383: Let Me Hold You A Bit Longer.
Lady Bianca, having returned with special news that granted her the privilege to visit Xion, frowned.
Outside the window, the blossoms of snow drifted.
Even heaven looks angry, she mused, her fingers gripping the armrest.
"Nature is mourning," Lady Bianca said too quietly before turning her attention to the person sitting on the sofa beside her.
The Archduke had carefully wrapped his beloved before stepping out.
"Your Grace, how are you feeling now?"
There was an unnatural flush on Xion's cheeks, sweat coating his back.
The heat seemed to settle between his ribs. In desperation, he had tugged the duvet down until it pooled around his waist.
"Better than before." His voice had a slight drawl in it, like he didn't even want to utter anything. Yet he was being so polite to her.
Was this not the reason why she had fallen for him in the first place?
She had no intention of getting between Xion and that devil, but she still was selfish enough for him to at least remember her.
Even if it was in such a despicable way that she had to blackmail the Archduke with Xion's safety, it was fine.
If only the divine healer could see, he would have noticed the poisoned mark on his own skin.
With no fabric to block, she traced the purple veins spreading all over the pale chest and on his neck, almost like holding him in its deadly grip.
"Don't worry, Your Grace. We have found a way to heal you perfectly. We just have to wait for the full moon."
Xion hummed lightly, resting his head on the back of a cushioned backrest.
It disgusted him—this weakness, especially in front of his family.
So the best option was to always hold it in.
Don't show any weakness. Don't show pain. Don't show fear...
He felt like he had been set on fire.
Yet his teeth chattered as he spoke, "What is this method?"
How could there be a method when even his system had nothing to help him? Not to mention the utter silence in his mind.
His system had disappeared once again. But why?
However, he didn't have another chance to ponder it, as the burning sensation started to spread toward his temples.
"Are you in pain?" Lady Bianca asked anxiously, "Wait, let me call the Alchemist."
"No —" he hesitated.
The pain wasn't as unbearable as it had been the past three days. He was even able to walk on his own.
Instead of Allen, he wanted Darius by his side.
The Archduke hadn't left him alone for long. Darius would stay by his side, and even the court work had been transferred to this room.
The only time he would leave was when he needed to bring new medicine.
Strangely, his aunt had only visited him once, and if it wasn't for his system telling him, he wouldn't even realize it.
She was far too silent.
That was also the last time he had talked with his system.
[Don't worry, host,] the system sounded panicked. [I'll definitely bring Panacea, which can heal any wound. We just need to unlock a new stage of the VIP program.]
But there were no other stages in the VIP section.
Was his system trying to console him by lying? However, the system was essentially an artificial intelligence. It simply couldn't lie.
So, was there still the slightest hope for him?
Such thoughts only made his head heavy.
"You rest."
With those words, Lady Bianca rushed out of the room, and the moment the doors of his room were open, he heard it.
Darius' voice was filled with frustration and anger as he lashed at the team of healers.
And if his senses hadn't dulled enough to turn him into a fool; one of the other voices belonged to Bard.
It was amusing how Darius was so jealous of his students, and now they were actually working together.
All for my sake. For my useless body.
The lack of strength and his clumsy movement prevented him from holding the cup properly.
It tumbled down before splintering into tiny pieces.
Ah, it will be a hassle to clean this up.
"Xion?"
The voice reached him before warm hands cradled him.
"Did it hurt? Are you in pain?"
Despite the ache pulsing behind his eyes, he chuckled softly. "The cup fell, Darius. How can that hurt me?"
Archduke's soft sigh soon turned into a tight voice.
"You have a fever," he said, palming his forehead. It was terribly hot.
No wonder I couldn't hold the cup. The silly healer blatantly realized his entire body was shivering.
In the next second, the duvet was back up, covering his entire body, leaving only his face out.
Darius picked him before placing him onto the warm bed.
There were temperature-controlling mana crystals littering around the bed, shining with a bright orange glow.
If Xion had seen it, he would have lamented at Darius being so prodigal. What was the need to use such high-quality Mana crystals as mere heating pads?
Though sweat beaded on his forehead, his attention remained on the hands adjusting his clothes and pillows around him, piling them in a small hill.
"Are you in pain? Please, tell me, sweetheart," Darius gently wiped the wetness away before kissing his cheek.
The touch burned Darius' lips and a part of his sanity as well.
"You will do me a favor if you tell me."
"I am okay," Xion replied while snuggling into the embrace.
He had become so greedy for Darius that even a second away made his heart throb.
"It's hard to believe when you knit your brows like that. So, let me ask you, my love," Darius took a deep breath before rubbing his fingers through the wet black strands, pushing the extra-long hair behind the flushed ears. "Are you in pain?"
Xion sighed. "Yes."
There was no other way. He didn't want to burden Darius, but his lover knew his body too well.
"My head is killing me."
A kiss on his lips almost felt like a reward.
Fingers on his head changed from combing his hair to gently pressing on his pulse points.
This is so much better, Xion thought.
Let me be a bit more selfish, Darius. Let me hold you for a bit longer.
The stone hidden in the compartment of the side table shone with ominous red as if glad that it had finally manipulated the emotions of its captor.
One was spiraling into self-loathing that had been buried in the depths of his heart, while the other was turning into a true madman, ready to massacre to heal his lover.