[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 158

Chapter 158: The Art Of Over Thinking

However, Darius was not satisfied with just that.

How could he when those pests were still living comfortably? The same ones who had dared to harm Xion?

Maiming Soren had only been a temporary measure. Darius knew all too well how vital power was to the Marquis’ household.

In fact, such was the case for every noble family.

He understood it better than most. After all, he was the same.

Without power, no one would listen to your words, no matter how wise they sounded. And with power? Even the most foolish king could have an entourage of sycophants laughing loudly at his most useless jokes.

Such was the difference power could bring.

And Darius fully intended to exploit that difference when it came to his interests.

As someone groomed to become the heir of the Marquis estate, Soren’s influence had always been tied to his ability to act, to command.

Now that he couldn’t even lift his fingers to write his own name, how was he supposed to wield authority?

Darius had planned to let Soren stew in that helplessness, to sit quietly and watch him crumble.

But then he heard the news.

The Marquis household was now trying to pull Xion in, claiming they wanted him to act as a ’temporary heir.’

A pathetic excuse.

They had another son and a daughter too. There was no need for Xion. This wasn’t about responsibility; it was about control.

They wanted Xion back under their thumb, back where they could use him however they pleased. Just the way Marquis Roberto had been planning.

Although Xion would mostly ignore everything and concentrate on the things he found interesting, he was certainly not foolish.

At least not in a way others thought of him. Xion must have thought about this situation as well. Is that why he looked uncomfortable?

The archduke could not fathom the thought that it was his own ’gentleness’ that was making Xion nervous.

And just like that, Darius found himself hating Soren for yet another reason.

"We might have to pass by your old place," Darius said at last. "Is there anything you want to bring?"

They both knew how rushed Xion’s escape had been.

This was Darius’ way of saying: If you want something — anything — I’ll make it happen.

But to Xion, it sounded like something else entirely..

His mind instantly latched onto the worst possible interpretation.

Was Darius warning him?

If this idiot dares to pull another stunt... I’ll toss him right back to his family, Xion imagined Darius thinking with a deep furrowed forehead.

Panic churned in his stomach.

Xion tensed. "No!" His answer shot out so fast that even he winced. "No, nothing at all."

Darius raised a brow. He was clearly caught off guard.

"In fact," Xion hurried to add, "we can just... uh... take a shortcut! Yeah, a shortcut straight to the north. No need to stop anywhere. Really. It’s fine. Absolutely fine."

And definitely no need to visit my so-called family members ... especially not Soren.

Reading about how Sakura Mei played wingman for a shy minister and a terrifying king? Yeah... that was weird. _{freёweɓnovel.com}

"Huh?" Xion was a bit confused. "But you understood it when I read it. No?"

"You were speaking in our tongue."

All this time Xion had been reading it in his old language while what he muttered was all in the language Darius was familiar with.

That caught Xion off guard.

He was well aware that no one or at least a very small number of people could read this language. And because Darius had understood it, Xion had just assumed that Darius knew it.

[Host, it’s due to your body’s intuition. No matter what language you read, you instinctively translate it into whatever the listener understands. It’s common for people fluent in multiple languages.]

’Ah... so that’s why’, Xion realized.

[Yes, host.]

That actually made sense. Xion thanked the system who was happy with the praise it got before he focused on the paragraph.

"It says that there was some experiment, and they tried to reach the saintess, the one you call the angel of prophecy, to cure the victims..."

Xion could not read the further words. They were so tightly packed that even if he was now staring right at them with only a few inches between them, it was still meaningless.

"And I can’t read it anymore."

Sakura’s writing turned into a chicken scratch when things got serious. Which was causing trouble for Xion.

But... experiment? For what?

Xion looked at Darius who did not seem much interested in words. But then again, to Archduke it was like some old book.

Xion himself would not have trusted any source which was this old, and yet here he was.