[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke
Chapter 98: A Sleepless Night

Chapter 98: A Sleepless Night

Xion had expected Noxian to come running the moment he arrived, but the little one had taken his sweet time. Still, as soon as he stepped into Xion’s room, he waddled straight toward him with an excited smile.

"Brother!" Noxian cried before launching himself at Xion, who lay sprawled on the bed while his legs dangled off the edge. His soft purple hair was slightly tousled as he buried himself in Xion’s arms.

"Aw, my baby missed me? I missed you too," Xion hugged the boy closer. He had not seen Noxian since they entered Duke Nocturne’s mansion.

Unlike him, who had the privilege of staying near Rael, Noxian had been left in Berry’s care with the others.

"Can I sleep here?" Noxian blinked up at him, big violet eyes shimmering with hope. "Please, brother?"

How could Xion possibly refuse? Especially when his baby called him ’brother’ so sweetly?

The silly healer melted on the spot.

He chuckled, ruffling the boy’s hair. "Of course."

And just like that, Xion no longer needed to find Rael for... well, protection.

Noxian, already half-asleep, curled up beside him. His small hands fisted the fabric of Xion’s shirt as if afraid he would disappear.

Before the night had fully fallen, both of them had drifted into peaceful slumber.

Outside, the night was getting darker. The chilly wind whistled faintly through the cracks in the old mansion, making the wooden beams groan.

The previously flickering candlelight had long since died out leaving the room shrouded in heavy shadow.

Disturbed by the creaking sound, Xion blinked his bleary eyes open and almost got his breath knocked out.

Disturbed by the creaking sound, Xion blinked his bleary eyes open—only to have the air nearly knocked out of him.

He groaned, instinctively cradling the little elbow that had just jabbed him in the stomach. "Thanks for waking me up, you brat."

Noxian remained fast asleep, blissfully unaware of his ninja attack. With a fond sigh, Xion lightly pinched the boy’s nose before carefully tucking him under the thin blanket.

Normally, they wouldn’t have needed it, if not for the sudden cold wind trying to rattle the fickle glass of the window and making the temperature drop.

Moving silently, Xion slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb snoring Noxian. He draped an extra blanket over himself before making his way to the chairs in the corner.

After sitting on one, he closed his eyes and in just a second he appeared inside the lab. Excitement bubbled up as he ran his fingers over the cool glass of a conical flask, then picked up a pipette, turning it between his fingers.

But his attention soon shifted as his gaze landed on the book now resting on the study table.

Grateful to the system for providing him with a lab stocked with everything he could possibly need, Xion sank into the cushioned chair.

Steadying his breath, he opened the age-old tome filled with ancient writings on mana flow and anomalies.

He hadn’t had the chance to fully read it yet, but if there was even a small chance it held useful information, he wasn’t going to waste time.

His long fingers skimmed over the aged pages, glazing over the densely packed lines with patience. He did not find anything useful until his legs went numb from sitting for so long.

It was then he saw it. His heart jolted as he ultimately found the section he had been searching for.

Ways to Manipulate Mana Rejection

Xion’s fingers trembled slightly as he carefully read further.

There were indeed methods to make one’s mana repel others, but it wasn’t an ability just anyone could wield, not even the high priests.

The book described that only those who had reached a certain level of mastery over mana flow could develop this ability.

However, it was a double-edged sword. It did not just repel others but also inflicted heavy consequences on the wielder.

Even a high-level mage would struggle to achieve this without the aid of ancient relics or the use of forbidden techniques. Such arrangements required meticulous preparation and an extended period to take full effect.

Xion nearly buried his head into the book as he read further. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed.

The text said that one would need to constantly inject the receiver with special toxins until the natural flow of his mana would be disrupted beyond repair.

But... was Rael not cursed by the priest? And this forbidden technique... it would force the body to reject any external mana, gradually weakening the bearer until their very life force withered away.

The only possible end of Moonshade Affliction was death.

Xion hastily flipped through the remaining pages, but there was nothing else written about it. No countermeasures, no recorded survivors.

Perhaps the method was so perilous that no one had dared to attempt it... or maybe those who did never lived to tell the tale.

His gaze lingered on the now-closed book as wisps of unease settled deep in his chest.

Mana rejection was not a natural state. It was something forced.

Something created...

If that was the case... it was not the priest, who did it. Maybe the priest was never the real priest.

A terrible guess emerged in his mind. What if someone had been trying to hurt Rael since his childhood?

Who could it be? His servants? His relatives? But there were also Rael’s parents who were not trustworthy at all.

A chill crawled down his spine.

When Xion returned back into his room a few hours already had passed. He actually ended up spending more than ten hours in the lab.

Looking at a peacefully dozing Noxian he sighed.

At least someone is getting his sleep tonight.

Tucking the peeking little leg back under the blanket, he pushed his shaking legs out of the room.

Mana curse... Unbearable pain when treated with unfamiliar mana... slowly losing vitality... then death.

Xion bumped into a tall figure and nearly screamed his lungs out.

A firm hand caught him before he could stumble back. "What are you doing here?" Ray asked in a low voice.

Xion let out a breath, patting his chest to calm his racing heart. "Oh, it’s you. I thought you were a ghost."

Ray smirked, a hint of dry amusement in his tone. "I’m alive... somehow."

Xion didn’t quite catch what Ray mumbled at the end. He recalled Allen mentioning that Ray had been busy, and now that he thought about it, he really hadn’t seen the knight all day.

"Where have you been? Where is His Grace?"

Ray remained silent for a moment before finally gesturing toward the back garden through the window. "His Grace is in a bad mood," he said simply.

Then, without waiting for Xion to ask any more questions, he turned and walked away.

However, he very deliberately tapped on the small bead embedded in his ring. It was to give a signal to the archduke. As for why he had only touched it once in the middle of the night, Darius was smart enough to understand.

After all, there was only one person who could make the archduke alert enough to change his body.

Just as Ray thought, Darius was strolling in the dimply lit garden, and he had indeed guessed it. Within a few seconds, his tall stature shrank to that of a boy in his early teens. His clothes adjusted flawlessly, molding to his smaller form as if they had always belonged that way.

It was only when Darius had done all of this that he halted in midstep. He looked at himself before shaking his head. When had he started worrying about Xion’s opinion so much?

It was really ridiculous.

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