[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke
Chapter 80: A Greedy Little Liar

Chapter 80: A Greedy Little Liar

The sun was roasted red. It bled into the midday. Taunting moving shadows were fighting with each other for a shade to disappear much like their rushing owners.

The church, as Noxian had so sweetly chirped, was nestled at the outskirts of Briarhold. The abandoned praying hall was half-hidden behind a line of weary trees and a huge house that had long since surrendered to the dust.

No wonder it was so dim, Xion thought silently.

Now that he had entered the new place, he could easily tell the difference apart.

It was not a town that resembled the place of ruins- Ferni (which had turned into a proper ruin itself, thanks to the courtesy of Darius), nor did it share Uzera’s peculiar hush, where every talk had a tint of mana disease and healing abilities.

No, Briarhold was something else entirely.

Towering buildings of polished stone loomed over its wide roads. They all had glass windows, too expensive for the common man to afford, glinting in the sunlight.

Lavish storefronts with their gilded signs swaying gently in the occasional, teasing breeze, displayed wares that few could afford.

But here, such places were crowded with well dressed civilians.

As he peered through the small opening of the silk curtains, Xion could hear a buzz of various voices circling around his ears along with the sound of heavy wheels rolling against the cobblestone.

Ah, yes. Xion was now forced to sit beside Darius. The Archduke had deemed everyone else incapable of protecting him.

Not that Xion minded too much. His only regret was not holding little Noxian in his arms.

Nonetheless, any lingering thoughts vanished the moment he realized he could hear every word spoken outside.

He strained his ears to catch the words of different languages. His breath hitched as he grasped their meanings effortlessly. Every word, every accent was crystal clear in his mind.

His hand flew to his mouth, eyes wide with disbelief as he turned to Rael.

"What?" Darius raised his brow in question. "Feeling unwell?"

Xion swallowed hard, forcing a steady breath. "N-no, it’s nothing."

Yet now, his fingers were curling tightly around the fabric of his robe as his mind drifted back to the dream.

This was the gift Xion had told him about! Everything he saw in that hazy vision was true!

Wait... Who was his soul mate, then?

No matter how hard he tried to recall, his stupid memory remained frustratingly empty.

Alhough, he indeed remembered feeling utterly baffled. That meant it must be someone he would never expect to fall for.

Could it be... brother Allen? He did have a nice voice. Will I really fall for something so trivial as voice?

A slow, creeping heat spread across his face. Without thinking, he smacked both hands against his cheeks.

How can you think like that for your student? What a beast you are?! Xion chided himself.

The stinging pain brought his wandering reasoning back to senses.

He blushed even more when he saw Rael looking at him with weird eyes.

Xion groaned. His hand flew to his face as he mumbled, "D-don’t look at me."

"Why?" Darius’s gaze sharpened. He placed the small parchment aside as the archduke was now fully invested in Xion’s bizarre behavior. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish by hitting yourself?"

I am waiting for the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

Xion did not say that. Instead, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind—something far less humiliating.

"This place is calling me poor in too many languages. I never knew I was this lacking."

To hide the bigger embarrassment, talking about the smaller one seemed far more bearable.

Darius, however, was not fooled for even a second. He was far too skilled at reading human emotions, and Xion? The boy was an open book.

The silly healer was the worst at hiding his feelings. His attempts at deception were so clumsy that they practically shouted for attention.

The way his eyes darted away, the subtle way he chewed on his lower lip... it was like watching a poorly rehearsed play.

Little liar.

Darius Rael Darkhelm who despised liars chuckled lightly. "How can you be poor when I am the one supporting you?"

That took Xion by a slight surprise. Then the dots connected. He did not charge Rael for his treatment yet.

Like a greedy little goblin, he mentally rubbed his hands together. "So, if I calculate until now..."

He quickly estimated the sum, then added a few more coins for good measure. After all, Rael was an aristocrat. It was like treating a V.I.P. patient.

"Your fees will be 150 coins."

Darius, "..."

The archduke felt his lip twitching.

The silence made Xion falter. Did he really ask for too much? He’d based his calculation on the money he had received from Nikolai’s family, but now that he thought about it... Maybe that’s a bit too much?

"Because I like you so much, I will give you a discount. How about 120 gold coins?"

This was the first time Darius seemed perplexed to this degree. He did not know whether he should laugh at Xion’s naiveness or be angry at the sheer nerve.

Asking for 150 coins, in itself, was an indirect way of calling him poor. And that, to the archduke, was equivalent to disgrace.

"I can give you more." Darius leaned forward. His voice was taking on a slight teasing edge. "In fact, I can give you enough that you would not have to worry about funds ever again."

How about it, Xion? Is the gold tempting you now?

Darius’s heart thumped with a strange thrill. How much would this little liar ask for now? How many hundreds or even thousands of gold coins would it take to satisfy that greedy glint in those blue eyes?

Yet, somewhere in the depths of his mind, a darker thought stirred. He found a strange satisfaction in the idea of Xion drowning in limitless greed.

It would make it far too easy to control him. But then again, that would not be difficult to do in the first place if he wanted to.

Funnily enough, the covetousness that made others appear so ugly only seemed to turn Xion into an even bigger mess. Though a cute one.

Xion glanced at the little boy whose eyes were shrouded with some heavy thoughts. He playfully pinched the tiny nose to bring him back to present.

The pinching motion forced the archduke to frown, but Xion quickly withdrew his hand when Rael tried to slap it away.

Xion chortled.

"I only take what I have rightfully earned, my dear Rael. Taking more than I’ve worked for would make me a sinner." He tapped the still frowning forehead, silently asking Rael to relax.

With a playful and easy smile, Xion leaned back as he continued, "I’d rather be poor than live off something that isn’t mine."

Again... An unexpected yet expected reply.

Really a fool. Darius mused as he made a mental note to pay Xion.

However, as the carriage neared its destination, a silent storm loomed on the horizon, one that would scatter Xion’s fragile calm like leaves in a violent gust of wind.