Xion woke with a sharp gasp, lungs clawing for air.
What... what had he just seen?
His mind reeled, choking on the flood of memories crashing in all at once.
Michael had been moving him like a pawn on a board all along.
No wonder he loathed it when Darius treated him like a pet. No wonder the mere sound of that endearment made his skin crawl.
Just remembering it sent a violent shiver racing down his spine with equal parts disgust and rage.
"I should’ve killed him the moment I saw him that day."
Noxian’s voice brought him out of his spiraling thoughts.
While he tried to suppress it all under the facade of calmness, Noxian was already at Xion’s side.
He steadied him, one arm slipping behind his back to help him sit. A moment later, a cup of warm water was pressed to Xion’s scabbed lips.
"Here. Drink." The young knight tipped the cup to his lips. "And tell me who I’m killing. Just so you know, I don’t mind killing the Archduke either."
That last sentence was whispered directly into his ear.
Xion nearly choked on his drink.
Who says things like that while someone’s drinking?
From the way Noxian spoke so casually about killing Darius, it was clear enough. The Archduke wasn’t here.
"Nox—" His voice rasped into another coughing fit.
His throat burned, every breath scraping raw. His muscles ached with the deep, throbbing pain of overuse.
Noxian pried the glass from his hand and set it aside.
"You okay? Need me to call Allen?"
"No," Xion patted his chest, willing his aching ribs to settle back into comfort. "I am fine. Just need to breathe."
"Oh, breathe then," the knight scratched his head while trying to offer advice.
Realizing his words made no sense, he flopped down, half on Xion’s lap and half still perched on the chair.
"I was worried, brother. So, so worried when I saw blood on your lips."
Most of that was from kissing... Could Xion tell that to Noxian? Of course not.
"I accidentally bit down while puking, nothing serious. And vomiting means the poison is leaving my body. So, a good thing."
"Ah," the cub rubbed his head over Xion’s lap. "I am glad."
The moment Noxian fell silent, the system chimed in Xion’s mind.
[You are still in a weakened state, host.]
’I know.’ Xion absently patted the soft purple curls, gently detangling them.
"Don’t know," Noxian mumbled. "Your husband showed up at two in the morning, dumped you in my bed, and told me to take care of you."
There was obvious exhaustion creeping in Noxian’s voice. The kid hadn’t slept a wink, it seemed.
"He didn’t come back in the morning?"
"Nope," Noxian muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open. "His Grace been busy. Servants have been cleaning your room since dawn."
"Brother, are you hungry?"
"No. I’ll tell you when I feel like eating."
"You... You have to—"
But the tired knight was already snoring.
[Host, it is evening now. You should really eat something.]
He was waiting for Darius to come pick him up for dinner. As for what happened last night, they also needed to talk about it.
[Err... I have a proposal for you. Do you want to listen?]
With Noxian sprawled over him, Xion didn’t have much else to do. He could spare a chat with the system.
[I have a way to give you the panacea early. You just have to make sure the Archduke does not kill anyone.]
That was... surprisingly good news. Almost worth celebrating.
[...What catch? Do you not trust me, host? How could you be suspicious of me?! Me! Your most loyal helper?! I am wounded. Heartbroken. Shattered...]
There it was. The familiar, overdramatic whining.
Xion’s lips curved faintly. ’Alright, alright. I was wrong. Don’t sulk, darling.’
[Hmph! If you call me darling a few more times, I might be willing to heal you right now.]
’Minato-sensei asked you to help me all this time, didn’t he?’
[Yes, of cour—Wait. Host, you remember that?]
The system was a bit stunned. It was linked to Xion’s internal system, so logically, everything should be clear to it.
But there was nothing it could comprehend now. Almost as if there was an extra shield around Xion’s mind, protecting his memories from prying upon.
That would only happen if...
[Host, you recall everything?]
’Yes. Everything, including how I died to get rid of Michael, and then Mother Goddess reversed the time wheel to bring me back.’
Turning back time was unheard of.
Even for deities, it was considered forbidden.
Yet, Darius, a mere mortal, had made that possible.
In his own way, Darius was as much a fool as Xion. It took him far too long to understand his own heart.
He wanted to cherish Xion for life.
That silly angel was there to understand everything about humans, and then he would disappear. Right?
So, Darius made a new plan.
It was his selfishness that kept Xion locked inside the castle walls.
The fewer people Xion met, the less he could learn — and the more he would remain with Darius.
But the sudden attack left him momentarily stupefied.
When he returned from the battlefield, his angel was not in the castle.
Xion wasn’t waiting for him in their room, nor was he sitting in the garden sipping his hot chocolate.
Darius was someone who was used to others being respectful to him, while he cared about no one.
No one, except his silly Xion.
In the war between North and East, the great Archduke Darius Rael Darkhelm actually lost to Silas.
Now he was nothing but a dog of the crown. Someone who could be ordered at Silas’ will.
For three years, Darius remained silent. He had attended to every demand, from preparing Silas’ bath to standing at guard while the crown prince spent debauched nights with his lovers.
Then he was asked to clean up all the mess.
"A lowly servant who cleans my dirt... It suits you, Darius. How about I reward you for your service? Tell you where your beauty went?"
That was the only reason why Darius had been willing to stay by Silas’s side.
If it weren’t for that threat, Darius would have killed Silas long ago.
"He is with Father Michael. Why don’t you take a look? And pray for my next victory while you are at it?"
The picture Darius saw at the church was something he could never forget for the rest of his life.
The soulless blue eyes merely blinked at him as if looking at a stranger.
When Father Michael called Xion his pet, Xion walked toward the white haired priest without a glance to spare.
That moment ended the entire Valaria bloodline.