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[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke-Chapter 346: A Kitten Caught In Devil’s Claws
Darius dabbed at the stained pants with his handkerchief, but ultimately it was useless, doing little more than soaking up some excess liquid.
He had a better way to deal with the rest of the clothes, but first, he needed to bring Xion back to their carriage.
So, he tossed a bunch of gold coins on the table.
"That should cover the bill," he murmured, almost as if to himself, as if he wasn’t sure, though his gaze never once left the flushed figure pretending to slump limply in his lap.
Ah, his darling little healer thought he could play dead and escape.
How adorable.
Darius let his fingers drift higher, grazing Xion’s nape, feeling the faint tremble in his muscles.
Such a bad performer, really. The tips of his ears were already pink, and his breath hitched just slightly as he leaned in.
"If you are asleep, does that mean I can kidnap you?" Darius’ voice was tinged with an obvious hint of teasing.
The ’sleeping’ young man valiantly kept his eyes closed, yet his hands curled into the fabric of Darius’ sleeve, giving himself away.
Was Xion afraid of being kidnapped? Yes.
Was he afraid of Darius? The answer was, of course, no. He even silently muttered that Darius should just hurry up and take him back. He wanted to take a bath.
The more he stayed in this room, the more the cloying scent of expensive dishes lodged into his nostrils. Fresh air would probably erase this memory, or at least he hoped so.
The Archduke tucked Xion beneath the grey hood before sweeping him into his arms like he weighed nothing.
After adjusting the young man in his hold, he felt the little body ease faintly against his chest.
"Be still," he crooned softly, "I will take you back."
The servants, flagging both sides of the doors wisely, looked away.
Despite being well hidden, they still attracted a considerable amount of attention with their posture.
"Look at that pair," a woman muttered nearby. "The young man is so caring toward his wife. And then there’s you!" she snapped at her own husband, who stumbled under a basket of food.
The corners of Darius’s lips curled up.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered.
Xion’s shoulders twitched as he heard it, and though his face stayed hidden, Darius didn’t miss the faint curl of his lips.
"They’re calling you my wife. Ah, but then again, you already are, aren’t you... my dear wife?"
"I am not," Xion snorted. "I am your husband."
"Ah..." The Archduke drawled lazily.
His grip on Xion’s thighs tightened. He remembered the feel of flesh spilling between his fingers when he gripped them like this.
Xion didn’t have much flesh on his slender frame, but what little he did have was where Darius loved to leave his marks. Like the insides of those milky thighs, and the two faint dimples near his lower back.
And the slender back, and that delicious neck, and those little toes...
If he didn’t stop, the list could really go on for a long time.
Just the thought of Xion whimpering under him made his throat parched.
The hoarseness in his voice deepened. "Not sleeping anymore, my dear husband?"
What answered him was nothing but a soft snore.
Darius couldn’t help but laugh. How come his baby was so childish?
The body in his arms snuggled closer to him, and somehow that eased a little of the murderous thoughts coiling in his mind.
Darius didn’t need a mirror to know how hideous and ugly he looked.
Even now, he imagined himself swathed in slithering blackness from head to toe — a reflection of what he truly was.
Even now, when he looked at the person in his arms, all he wanted to do was drag those bastards and kill them with his own hands.
Not now. He reminded himself.
As they walked into the cool night air, Darius let the breeze wash over them both, clearing the cloying smell of roasted meats from the inn.
Above them, the moonlight glinted faintly. In a few more days, the sky would be overshadowed by the thick cluster of clouds.
The snow would become so heavy that even if Xion wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to leave the castle.
In his entire life, this might be the first time he was so glad about the chill lingering in the air.
With a smirk and the gaze that promised trouble, he walked forward. The snow crunched under his feet.
Just as they turned around the corner, there was a black carriage waiting for them. Not the big one Xion had travelled before.
This was smaller, the kind meant to blend into the shadows without being spotted easily.
The coachman immediately jumped down to assist the two lords. Carefully shutting the door behind them, he then vanished into the driver’s seat without a word.
The wheels rolled, and soon, the horses picked up speed.
Inside, the carriage was warm and dimly lit, lined with plush cushions.
Although a bit cramped, it was no less luxurious.
The moment Darius placed Xion on the seat as though he were the most precious treasure, Xion bounced on his feet and scrambled to the other side.
"You sit there," the kitten ordered while pointing at the other seat.
With an amused smile, Darius did as he was being told to.
He simply sat there, watching his flustered baby.
Normally, he would have asked the driver to be steady, but this time he didn’t.
Instead, he watched the way Xion clung to the edge of the seat with both hands. His delicate brows were knitted in concentration as the carriage jolted over the pebbles in the road.
Even drunk, his kitten still tried so hard to maintain his dignity. His attempts were adorable and futile all at once.
"Xion, come here," he finally said. "I have a solution for your wet clothes."
Indeed, Xion was feeling clammy from the wetness.
In his drunken haze, he thought that Darius must have a solution to this sticky problem of his.
So, he stood up. The wheel rolled over the stone, and the silly healer couldn’t find the balance.
An instant later, he was sprawled over the lap, his hands clutching the dark lapel in a death grip.
Darius hooked his hands under the delicate arms and lifted him up with ease. Smiling softly to himself, he settled Xion properly on his lap.
"Throwing yourself into my arms, now?"
He watched how those long lashes quivered, framing the confused eyes before the little dizzy kitten bobbed his head up and down.
A low chuckle reverberated in the carriage.
Oh, he was enjoying this far too much.
With a little tilt, he leaned over his prey until their lips were barely a breath apart.
But he didn’t press further. After all, patience was delicious sometimes.
So, he let his breath ghost over the cherry lips until they puckered on their own.
Xion, seduced by the familiar warmth, leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to the corner of his mouth.
A faint shiver ran through the slender body.
Darius didn’t deepen the kiss. Instead, his fingers found the band of those damp, ruined pants. What better solution than to simply remove them?
A button was plucked open while the owner of the clothes had no clue.
The little drunkard was rubbing his head against the crook of his shoulder.
Smirking faintly, Darius let his lips travel down to the sensitive curve of Xion’s jaw, then lower, to the pale line of his throat. The pulse under the hot skin was fluttering frantically beneath his mouth.
With a gentle force, the grey robe fell down.
The heat on the gorgeous face intensified. Even his neck had turned red. Was it just a flush from drink, or was he shy? That was still up for debate.
"My little lord," he growled softly, his teeth grazing over the throat knot just enough to make Xion jolt faintly. "Let me serve you, okay?"
Xion’s lashes fluttered. A small, strangled sound escaped him before he could stop it — and finally, his hands came up to push feebly at Darius’ chest.
"W-What?"
Even with the tug at his waistband, he couldn’t understand the meaning of the words that seemed to buzz in his ears.
"Stand up and I’ll tell you," Darius said with a wicked gleam.
Sure enough, the kitten fumbled onto his feet, nearly crashing right back if not for the hands steadying him.
"Turn around."
"Oh," Xion pouted. All he wanted to do was sit down. Why was he being asked to do this and that? "...Bad guy."
But in Darius’ eyes, even that little curse was so infuriatingly sweet.
His fingers found the ribbon at the back, pulling it loose. With one tug, the fabric slid down, pooling around the slender ankles in a soft heap.
Without waiting for Xion to register anything, he grabbed Xion’s thin waist and pushed him back into his lap.