[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke
Chapter 304: The Cost of Survival

Chapter 304: The Cost of Survival

Strange, Xion thought dully through the blurry haze of his consciousness.

He pressed his pale face deeper into the hard bed beneath him.

The buzzing in his head hadn’t stopped. Ah, no—it wasn’t buzzing anymore. It had evolved into a relentless, pulsing throb, as though his skull was being sawed apart from the inside.

His throat burned. There was a lingering metallic tang coating his tongue like rusted iron.

He gagged, or tried to, but his body was far too weak to even retch. A bitter taste sat unmoved on his breath.

He was drugged. The heaviness in his body told him at least that much.

The first thought that crashed into his mind after the realization was- Will he worry about me?

A weary breath slipped past his slightly purplish lips.

Darius would. Without a doubt, he would. And that was what alarmed Xion more than anything else.

I should have talked to him. Told him I was feeling tired...

His lashes, damp with both unshed tears and sweat, trembled faintly.

Then, like a bell chiming in a distant cathedral, a familiar voice rang through his skull.

[Host, are you awake?]

Unlike the previous times, the system’s voice was low and cautious as if afraid to startle Xion.

Nonetheless, it still made Xion’s drenched brow wrinkle together.

’What...?’

That was all Xion managed to say and the system immediately launched into the persona of a lost kid who finally found his parent.

[Host! How can you be so careless?!] The voice quivered, sounding on the verge of tears as it poured out its grievances. [Do you know how worried I was? I nearly short-circuited because of you!]

Somehow, the splitting pain in Xion’s skull lessened, just a bit. Enough to make the constriction around his heaving chest loosen.

As he lay there, his fingers curled into the rough fabric beneath him. Even through the layers of fabric, his nails left half-moon dents on his palms.

’Poison?’

Although he had a hunch, he still wanted to confirm it. The symptoms he had chalked up to being tired were related to this.

[Yes, exactly that. Poison. This poison nearly turned you into a cripple for life. I had to administer an emergency antidote.] The system told Xion while pulling the interface for him to take a look.

WARNING: Emergency Override Activated. Authority Breach discovered by the Mall System. Ability Lockout — 24 Hours.

It basically meant that due to breaking the code of conduct of Systems, the Mall System was now banned from using its abilities for twenty-four hours.

Xion was more than just surprised. He had read the rules before and was very well aware that the system was not allowed to act on its own violation. Only he, the selected host, was allowed to use it.

He was aware of how eager his system was to upgrade. That was why it had followed the instructions properly.

Yet, to save his life, the system broke the protocol. It even received its first ever penalty for it.

A weak, crooked smile appeared on his cracked lips as he forced his heavy eyelids to open a slit.

The dim light somehow irked him. It wasn’t the comforting darkness of the grey sky of the Darkhelm Castle he had gotten used to.

A sudden earthquake forced his senses to sharpen. The hard seat under him, the rough blanket on his body, the way he was curled up in the small space... he was not resting in his room!

He was sprawled on one of the two narrow seats, cramped within the restricted carriage space.

He swept a sneaky glance around. Other than the fact that the carriage in question was plain, bordering on shabby, there was nothing that stood out. Even the duvet covering him felt coarse against his feverish skin.

The ache in his limbs had subsided, but he wasn’t able to muster the force to move his limp body.

’Where are we exactly?’

[Ah?] The system that was still immersed in portraying the pitiful helper perked up its metaphorical ears. [We’re headed toward the city’s outskirts. That man put you in the carriage while you were unconscious.]

The system realized it had forgotten to tell Xion the details; no wonder its miserable host looked so baffled.

Indeed, the barely awake Xion, scrutinizing the sitting figure hidden behind the book, was utterly baffled.

First of all, how had he even been poisoned?

He remembered being very careful about eating anything apart from the food prepared by Darius’ personal attendants.

Was it the wedding wine? But that didn’t make sense either. The symptoms of fatigue and headache were already present when he woke up.

Now that he thought about it, it had somehow escalated after the marriage ceremony.

Then was Darius hurt too?

Before Xion could spiral into the sea of anxiousness, the system helpfully chimed in.

[I think it was that gift box you opened last night. The black lotus had a special reagent on it. It might be activated due to something in the wedding venue. Maybe your wine?]

The system hadn’t been present, so it wasn’t completely sure. But it was certain that the Archduke had no such symptoms.

[Your husband is perfectly fine. And you will be too. But you will need to rest for a few days to recover properly.]

After all, the system was banned and it really couldn’t offer additional potions, nor could it allow Xion to buy anything like before.

The wheels rolled over the pathway, jolting Xion along with the creaking frame of the carriage. It managed to intensify the ache in his body.

Nonetheless, his tense shoulders eased a little. As long as Darius was fine, he could handle any situation.

The ban on the system was for a few hours, but it still allowed him to use the basic functions as Time. Five hours. That much time had passed since he had seen Darius.

Considering all the options, he came to the best conclusion. All he had to do was stay put until the ban lifted. Then, he would be able to find the chance to escape.

However, before he could observe the dull-looking carriage a bit more, the person sitting in front of him sensed something.

"Ah, awake?" The voice was smooth, almost amused.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to get bored of waiting, you know."

The book lowered, revealing a face Xion hadn’t seen in years. A face he’d hoped never to see again.

His blood ran cold.

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