Chapter 143: What Could Go Wrong If He Pretended To Be Darius’ Fiancé?'
Ray slung an arm over Allen’s shoulder, letting his full weight sag against the taller man.
"What’s taking them so long?" he whined. Even when he did not deliberately show it, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
The knight’s childish grumble was a far cry from the stern, disciplined soldier he’d been just moments ago in front of Darius and Nikolai. Now, he was all about drooping shoulders and slurred complaints.
Allen stood like a wooden post, letting Ray’s weight press against him.
The knight commander must be exhausted... not that Allen could blame him. Ten hours on horseback would drain anyone.
"Ughhh," Ray groaned, dragging out the sound. "I swear my bones have turned into soup. I think I am going to die."
"You’ll live," Allen muttered. "But if you start drooling on my shoulder, I’m dropping you."
"I won’t!"
"You did," Allen shot back without missing a beat.
Ray scowled. "That was a long time ago!"
"You were twelve."
"Exactly!" Ray declared as if that justified everything. Then, without warning, he threw an arm around Allen’s neck in a mock chokehold. "I was a kid!"
"And still are," Allen grunted, struggling to peel Ray off him.
While the two were fighting with each other like kids, Xion opened the door with a loud thud, before shutting it with the same intensity.
Ray and Allen froze mid-scuffle. Both of them were now focused on the healer.
Xion’s face was red, his breath shallow. His clothes were slightly disheveled, and the faint trace of dried tears clung to the corners of his eyes.
Did His Grace scold him? Ray wondered. It was not actually Xion’s fault, but he could not say that to his grace. Although he pitied Xion, his own life was very important to him.
Meanwhile, Allen only thought that the situation should be sorted out by now.
Like the rest of the members, he was well aware of his grace’s temper, and unlike a certain blind commander, he knew the archduke had no intention of blaming Xion.
As for them, well, that was an entirely different story.
Allen was about to speak when Xion directly turned around to leave.
The baffled Xion took a few hasty steps forward but halted then and there.
It was a new place. Ray was the one who took him to this room, and now he had no idea where he should be running off to.
With a still-red face, Xion finally turned back. His gaze landed on the two adults, who were still tangled from their earlier scuffle.
With a sigh that was too weary for someone his age, he asked softly,
"Brother... where should I go?"
Still half hanging off Allen, Ray was the first to respond. "In the carriage. We’re leaving right now."
Xion froze. "Leaving?" His voice wavered. "Where are we going?"
Ray blinked. "Where?" He repeated as if the answer should’ve been obvious. "Back to the North, of course. We are finally going home."
There was obvious homesickness in Ray’s words, but Xion was too stunned to care.
But... if we’re leaving... was there even a need for me to be his fiancé?
Nikolai never mentioned the royal orders. If they were leaving for the North, then surely Xion could have ignored it altogether... right?
Absolutely wrong.
Xion was, in fact, completely off the mark this time.
However, Allen understood it better than anyone else. Leaving meant they would have to stop by the royal palace.
Even if it was only briefly, they would have to secure the king’s permission to return home after submitting all the tasks the archduke was asked to do.
Lady Nazia and Berry must have completed their work by now, Allen had no doubt about that. But that wasn’t the issue.
The problem was Prince Nikolai.
Considering his conniving nature, there was no way the prince would waste this chance and let Xion slip away so quietly.
Nikolai was sure to use this wonderful opportunity to bind Xion to him.
Palace... royal decree... and a healer who resembles the Angel of Myrthia...
Allen clenched his jaw. If his calculations were right, and they usually were, the archduke wasn’t just going to the palace for permission.
His Grace was going there to announce Xion and his engagement.
There’s going to be trouble... Allen sighed heavily, finally pushing Ray off him.
After all the commotion from the stroll in the market to spending the night in the prison, Xion must have been exhausted. He deserved some rest before facing whatever chaos awaited them at the palace.
"I’ll take you to rest, teacher," Allen said quietly.
Xion didn’t argue. With his shoulders slumped and his steps hesitant, he followed behind Allen like a lost puppy. He was uncertain, anxious, and far too overwhelmed to say another word.
When they arrived at a new room, Xion didn’t bother inspecting his surroundings. He walked straight to the bed and let himself fall onto it, his body sinking into the plush mattress.
"I think it’ll take us at least two hours to leave," Allen informed him from the doorway. "You can rest until then."
Xion hummed lightly in response, not really acknowledging the words, just making a sound to show he had heard them.
By the time his mind caught up, Allen was already gone. The faint click of the closing door left behind an eerie silence.
Xion shifted onto his side, curling slightly into himself. His gaze wandered around the unfamiliar room. The polished floors, elegant furniture, and walls adorned with paintings he didn’t recognize.
It was too big. Too grand. And yet too... empty.
He sighed quietly, feeling an odd hollowness spread through his chest.
There haven’t been many people I’ve loved...
No, that wasn’t quite right.
Rather, there was only one person, Minato Sensei, whom he had considered his real elder. So, at the end of the day, the only love he knew was an elderly love.
It was also very obvious in the way he usually treated Noxian and little Rael.
Because that was the only kind of love he understood.
But this... Fiancé.
Even the word seemed strangely unfamiliar to him. As if it were something straight out of a fantasy novel, like something that would only happen in animes and movies.
It was not supposed to be real, at least not for him!
Xion never thought that one day he would agree to be a partner of someone. Although it was all just a fluke, the taste it left on his tongue was still spreading to his entire system. And it was weird to say the least.
Because that someone was not a normal person at all. He was the archduke!
Now that he thought about it, Darius himself felt like a fantasy... didn’t he?
What am I even doing?
Xion exhaled deeply. Darius was not his enemy. If anything, the archduke had been surprisingly patient with him, calm in a way that felt... safe.
Darius would not hurt him. Xion was sure of that.
He’s not like Soren either.
So, what could possibly go wrong if he pretended to be Darius’ fiancé?"
It should be fine. Yeah, it should be... His eyes burned from all the crying and in the end, sleep claimed him before his mind could sort through the tangled mess of thoughts.