"I need to inform my patients. As for those who need more medicine, I will leave them with the neighbor shop...." He muttered to himself while taking another sip.
The blandness of the liquid spread across his tongue, and he nearly grimaced.
It even had a slight bitterness as an aftertaste. He could not help but wrinkle his nose. Ew.
Xion had a rule. Never waste food.
So, even if his tongue recoiled at the thought of having intimate contact with the white, transparent liquid, he still forced himself to swallow every drop.
Gulp... Finally, no more.
His brows furrowed in disgust, and he finally could not hold back. He turned to Rael, "This does not taste good."
His words caused the corners of Darius’ lips to curl up.
The Alderwood Mist, a centuries-old blend, was cherished by royalty for its ancient origins and elusive flavor.
Having grown accustomed to its taste over the years, Darius had nearly forgotten how he, too, had once disliked its subtle bitterness. Until now...
"Then don’t drink it. I’ll have them bring something else." Something sweet...
"Nah, it’s fine." Xion waved his hand dismissively.
Darius’ earlier smile disappeared, and his face became cold.
The sudden shift made Xion clamp his mouth shut. That was until his arm was grasped.
The hasty movements toppled the empty cup to the floor. The delicate porcelain shattered into tiny, sharp shards.
Xion let out a sharp cry as Darius yanked him with a painful force.
"Hey! That hurts!" Xion twisted his hand, struggling to free himself from the vice-like grip. How can this child be so strong?
No matter how hard Xion struggled, he could not break free.
Each syllable sounded strange. The words were heavy and clipped as if Darius were having difficulty articulating them. His venomous gaze, though, stayed affixed on the slender wrist in his hand.
There was an unsettling countenance on his small face. Those eyes, once bright like precious gems, now appeared dull, and dare Xion say, almost hollow.
Like a missing piece of a puzzle suddenly falling into place, Xion’s mind snapped into focus as he glanced at his wrist.
Dark red and purple marks marred his arm. They were definitely from Nikolai’s death grip from earlier that morning.
"This?" Xion shrugged, nonchalantly, "It really isn’t a big deal."
It really was not an issue. It was just his skin was a bit too tender and sensitive. With time, the finger marks had turned faint purple, and on his pale white skin, they appeared far more alarming than they really were.
"You are hurt," Darius repeated with an unnerving calmness.
Xion had no idea why, but his sixth sense indicated him to run, to get away from Rael.
"Who was it? Who did this to you?"
How can a soft, childish voice sound this ominous?
If there was one thing Xion trusted, it was his instincts, and right now, they were screaming at him to avoid provoking Rael.
Xion gulped and stopped struggling with his arm. "I-It was a patient."
All this time, Darius had been looking at the injured wrist. His thin finger gently traced the red mark.
It wasn’t a physical contact. It was a faint sensation of a ghosty touch that lingered on his skin, forcing Xion to shiver.
Goosebumps erupted on his body, nevertheless, he dared not move.
After a few beats, Darius’ grip loosened, and Xion wasted no time pulling his hand onto his lap.
"It’s fine, really," Xion voiced softly, "No need to worry."
Worry? Of course not.
Darius had spent more than two decades living a life of lies.
He was expressionless for the most part. Showing emotions brought trouble, and revealing nothing was not any better either.
So, he had masqueraded the world wearing different masks. Politeness, mirth, disdain, amused, entertained.
While attending the marquis’ banquet, had he not pretended to be benevolent? Had he not acted like a nice human in the carriage? He had tempted Xion to put his guard down.
And indeed, it worked, and now the healer was his.
And Darius hated it when his possessions were touched. The more he invested in something, the more he despised seeing his cherished things tainted.
In this case, he had spared Xion’s life more than once. It was, without a doubt, an investment. A very special one, at that.
So, how could some filthy, random mass of flesh dare to mar Xion?
"I am not worried," he finally looked into those deep oceanic eyes that seemed to drown everything in them.
For a brief moment, Darius entertained an absurd thought. Can they drown the darkness in me?
He scoffed at his nonsensical thinking.
"You are mine," Darius almost growled, "Stop caring for others."
Xion blinked. His long eyelashes trembled unril the confusion crowding his eyes slowly evaporated.
Rael was just a child, after all. He, Xion, might be the first friend Rael had made on this journey.
Was it not common among kids to declare their ownership over their friends?
A light bulb went on over his head. Gradually, a smile spread across his face, and all his fear and anxiety faded like a fleeting shadow chased by the dawn.
"I need to," Xion said, leaning forward to pat the silver hair. He felt Rael stiffen at the touch, and a small, unexpected sense of happiness surged through him.
Perhaps Rael was a tsundere.
"If I don’t care for them, how am I supposed to cure you?"
Xion’s smile widened when he noticed how speechless Rael looked, "Don’t worry about me and just go to sleep. Good night."
Xion paid no mind to the broken pieces of porcelain littering the floor as he stood up. Ray was most definitely outside, and he was sure the knight would clean it up.
Darius watched as the thin figure moved farther away.
There was an unfamiliar tightness in his chest. But he knew he was not worried as Xion had just said. Not at all.
His agitation surely stemmed from his aversion to seeing his possessions damaged.
He never let those he uses be harmed by others.
Yes, Darius mused to himself, I am using you, Xion. No one can harm you but me.