The soft light of the sun filtered through the small window of the room and fell gently on the sleeping boy's face. His dark eyelashes fluttered slightly as he blinked against the golden rays that danced across his vision.
For a moment, the sheer comfort made him forget everything, but that peacefulness evaporated the instant his thoughts returned to the morning.
With a jolt, Xion sat up. Turning slightly in the bed, his gaze fell on the empty room.
Xion became even more confused. The last thing he remembered was him falling unconscious. How did he appear in this strange place?
Did I die and transmigrate into some other place? He frantically called his system. He was only relieved when a familiar blue screen lit up in his field of vision.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Ray strode in followed by Darius.
"Awake?" Darius asked as he settled himself on the chair right beside his small bed.
"Ah, yeah... Where are we?" He rubbed his temple to get rid of the dull ache still clouding his senses.
"Uzera City," Ray answered with a scoff. "And you might be the first healer who actually needs a healer." The knight placed a basket of fruits on the table and silently stood beside Archduke.
Xion only then remembered why he was acting like a drunkard. He jumped out of the bed, fumbling for his bag.
There, in one of the glass vials were Mikosa Ribitiyon buds. Due to his hastiness, the vial was not closed properly and when he was looking for fever-reducing medicine, he accidentally inhaled it!
Xion huffed at his own stupidity. "Of all the stupid things..." he muttered under his breath. He carefully secured the lid, ensuring there would be no repeat of the mishap.
"Come back."
Xion turned around, his gaze fell on the still pale face of the sick child. He obeyed. Kneeling on one knee, his hand reached out to rest gently against Darius's forehead.
"How are you? Still feverish? Any headache?" He pressed lightly, assessing the boy's temperature.
"You seem fine. Have you eaten-" Before he could finish, a hand gripped his arm and yanked him backward.
"His Grace does not like someone touching him!" Ray was gritting his teeth. How many times did he need to tell the same thing to this stupid healer?
Xion might have a death wish, but he did not! He still has not found his lover!
Xion raised an eyebrow and glanced at Darius, who was just sitting there without any anger.
"Oh, really?" Xion tilted his head innocently. "He doesn't look upset to me."
Was Darius fine?
Ray would very much like to differ. How could Xion not see that His Grace had frozen? Even his slightly raised finger was just hanging in the air.
Darius snapped back from his daze, "Ray, let him go."
Ray hesitated but relented under the heavy pressure the green eyes exuded. "Yes, your grace." He took a reluctant step back though in his mind he placed Xion in a danger zone.
Xion shrugged while plopping back on the bed. "Uzera city, you say? Can I go out?" He wanted to earn Merit points, and the bustling city was the best choice.
"No," Darius answered.
That single word made Xion frown. He had promised to heal this noble kid but that did not mean he was working as an exclusive healer. Was there any misunderstanding?
"It's evening, mate. The night is never safe, especially for a fool like you." Ray smirked.
Instead of getting angry, Xion smiled. His bright eyes shone like pretty gems. "Aww, are you worried about me?"
Ray, "..."
Perhaps, Ray's constipated face was too funny, or Xion was still under the effect of Mikosa Ribitiyon, he chortled.
His unrestrained laughter echoed in the room.
Darius, who had remained silent, glanced at Xion with a faint smile. "Allen said you fainted due to mana deficiency."
That took Xion by surprise. So, it was not just the drug that had caused him to act like a fool. He suddenly recalled how he had patted Rael's head while calling him a good boy.
He sneakily clenched his hand. Okay, he still had both of his hands in perfect condition.
"Next time, just ask for hot water," Darius stood up from the chair. "We have to stay here for a week, and my room is to your left. Come to me if you need anything."
Xion nodded automatically, unable to form a coherent response as Darius and Ray turned to leave. The door shut behind them, and the room sank back into stillness.
It was only then, in the quiet, that Xion let out a long breath.
He finally realized that Darius knew where he had used his mana!
"It really is true," Xion rubbed the goosebumps creeping onto his skin. "The lord always knows what's happening in his entourage..."
Shaking off the weird feeling, he leaned against the windowpane, his deep blue eyes catching the vibrant hues of the setting sun.
The sky was ablaze with shades of oranges, pinks and purples. The oppressive cold from earlier did not bother him anymore.
"I need to treat him, collect enough Merit points, and live a safe life," Xion whispered as if to remind himself of his goals.
He had no time to waste.
He summoned his system interface. A faint blue screen of the System Mall materialized before him. However, what he saw nearly made him lose his balance.
[System Wallet: 10,000 Merit Points]
He rubbed his eyes with his fist and then widened them to the fullest. The number was still there. "H-how?!"
"You treated Darius Rael Darkhelm's fever. That is why you have earned 10,000 Merit Points."
The system's explanation rendered Xion speechless. His wide eyes flicked back to the mall points.
Xion's mouth hung open for a second before he gave a soft laugh. To him, the explanation meant only one thing: Darius must have been an angel!
The sweet child must have saved countless lives with his golden heart. Maybe he had been suffering from the indifference of his scary father while secretly helping other unfortunate people.
"He's such an angel!" Xion sighed, his face lighting up with naive admiration.
He pictured the tiny boy fighting to protect the weak, feeding orphans with his own hands, and being the perfect role model for humanity.
Xion clenched his fist tightly. "I'll heal him as soon as possible! He deserves nothing less than perfect health!"
He sat cross-legged on the bed, focusing on the mana book he had bought earlier.
Mana was an energy he had not fully mastered yet. But without it, he wouldn't be able to work in this world.
So, he focused on the glowing diagram of veins and circuits etched across the silhouette of a human figure.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the inn, Darius sat in a dimly lit room. His sharp green eyes scanned a detailed map spread across the massive table.
The air was tense, the room filled with the quiet shuffling of feet and the faint crackle of a lantern.
"Ray, kill anyone who dares to get near this place. And Berry,"
Berry straightened his waist, "At your service, your Grace."
Darius did not look at the old man. His gaze shifted slightly, focusing on the inn marked prominently on the map. It was the place they had picked to stay for a week.
"Protect that fool. Don't let anyone touch him."
He did not need to say the name.
Ray, standing with his arms crossed in the corner, glanced toward Berry, whose posture remained straight as a board.
Allen's brows twitched slightly, but he made no comment, and Lady Nazia merely raised her finely arched eyebrows before nodding slightly.
They all knew who the archduke meant.
There was only one person in their company who could draw such a term, "fool", from His Grace's lips and still manage to wake up breathing the next day.
Soon the meeting ended, and Darius found himself once again unable to fall asleep. The closer they travelled to the royal capital more attacks were made on them.
The Archduke sighed lightly, "One week..."