Xion had barely cald his hamring heart from the onslaught of Darius’s sudden confession.
Patting his cheeks to chase away the heat, his gaze fell on his surroundings.
With light steps, he climbed down the majestic bed, staring at everything with wide eyes. And soon curiosity got the better of him.
The room, unsurprisingly, was grand. The sprawling space was painted in deep, rich hues of blue, like a serene sky wrapped in velvet.
Xion found himself quietly admiring it, unaware that the color had been chosen precisely because it matched the vivid blue of his own eyes.
The golden trinkets glittered against the deep blue walls, giving the room a majestic, almost otherworldly feel like it belonged to royalty.
While admiring the few paintings depicting the frozen lands, he wandered across the new door.
When he opened it, he almost stumbled back in awe. The space was just as massive as the bedroom. The centerpiece was a gleaming marble bathtub large enough to swim in.
Xion let out a gasp filled with admiration, for the bathtub was actually a pool. A big pool inside the bathroom!
It was surrounded by shelves lined with unfamiliar bottles and delicate, ornantal jars.
Ding!
The system chid in. [Luxury products detected. High-end shampoos, bath oils, and moisturizing lotions crafted exclusively for northern climates. Market value: exorbitant.]
The system’s dry comnt almost made Xion laugh.
Since when did Darius care about stuff like this?
Then again...Darius was almost painfully handso. Ruining that face would be a sin, Xion mused helplessly.
The mory of that earlier confession — whispered so raw, so close — made his ears turn pink again.
He said he likes ...
The thought alone was enough to make him dizzy.
Still lost in his storm of emotions, Xion clumsily fumbled by the tub, accidentally knocking a lever. A sudden spray of warm water burst from the side.
"Ack—!"
Startled, he stumbled back, slipping slightly on the wet floor. He grabbed the nearby shelf, knocking a few bottles down in the process to steady his falling body.
The water droplets clung to his eyelashes as he stared at the ss he had made. The ground was littered with broken glass and products, water still raining down on him.
With pursed lips, he yanked the lever back down.
Thankfully, the water was heated by embedded fire crystals, but in the freezing north, any wet clothes were a death sentence.
Cursing under his breath, Xion stripped off the damp garnts.
Unfortunately, even his trousers hadn’t been spared; the pressure had drenched him thoroughly.
Left in nothing but his thin white underwear, Xion quickly pulled up the system nu, scrambling to select new clothes.
Knock, knock.
A knock at the door froze him mid-motion.
Oh no. Panicked, he darted out of the bathroom, limping slightly on a twisted ankle he hadn’t even realized he hurt.
In a frantic move, he threw himself under the massive bed’s duvet, burrowing deep inside as heavy footsteps approached.
Xion watched as Darius settled the cutlery before sitting on the chair like a king.
[Remove the like, host. Darius Rael Darkhelm, though known as the archduke is the sovereign of the entire north. And you have just ruined the king’s luxurious items.] The system admired the archduke and the splendor of the expensive things in the room.
It was in these monts that Xion wished to mute the system. Then, he did exactly that.
The system went silent, but when Xion refused to eat, his stomach growled louder than ever.
Mortified, poor Xion shivered under the intense gaze at his... waist?
Following Darius’s gaze downward, Xion’s eyes widened in dismay. No wonder he was feeling chilly. The cold air was creeping in through the gap.
He hastily moved, covering his exposed waist, only for his treacherous bandaged fingers to tug the heavy fabric aside, exposing a slender, bare ankle.
The air itself seed to pulse with tension, mirroring Xion’s shiver.
Darius went utterly still.
His dark gaze snagged on the pale strip of skin — then traveled up, over the elegant curve of Xion’s calf, past the soft thigh barely veiled by the shifting blankets.
Xion, noticing the slow, searing attention, flushed crimson and tried to squirm deeper under the covers. When that seed not enough, he barricaded the pillows over his leg.
But it was far too late.
Darius rose to his feet with a grace that made every hair on Xion’s body stand on end.
"Xion," the archduke said in a soft voice but the darkness in his eyes put blushing Xion on edge.
"Co here."
It wasn’t a request.
It was the sa command Darius used to give during their old healer-patient days. It was deadly calm and yet absolutely inescapable.
When silly Xion, paralyzed with mortification, didn’t move, Darius’s lips curved in a smirk.
He crossed the side of the bed with frightening ease, reached down, and plucked Xion along with the cocoon of blankets like a hunter lifting a trembling rabbit from its burrow.
"W-wait—!" Xion gasped, struggling instinctively while holding the duvet even closer to his body.
Darius didn’t so much as blink as he settled back into his chair.
Pulling Xion firmly onto his lap, he wrapped an arm around his waist like a steel trap.
"You — Your Grace —!" Xion stamred, face burning.
Darius leaned in close, so close Xion could feel the faint brush of his breath.
He hooked a finger under Xion’s trembling chin, tipping his head up until wide blue eyes were forced to et his own.
"Where," he asked in a suppressed voice, and still managed to make it sound almost soft, "are your clothes?"
There was no anger in his voice. But no warmth, either. Only a simring, ravenous intensity barely leashed behind every word.
The sight made Xion swallow hard, feeling that gaze scrape across his skin like a personal brand.
He had never seen Darius like this before. And that made him scared.
Xion finally relented. "I accidentally made a ss in the bathroom... got my clothes wet as well."
Darius said nothing at first.
He simply adjusted the blanket over Xion, covering him properly — all without loosening his hold for even a second.
Like a beast who had finally cornered sothing he’d hunted for far, far too long.
And would not let go.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and for a terrifying heartbeat, Xion thought Darius might actually bite him.
Xion felt guilty. If it had been soone else ssing with his precious things, he would be angry too.
Instead, Darius only tightened his arms around him, resting his chin lightly against Xion’s damp hair.
"I am sorry, Your Grace," Xion mumbled.
"Don’t be. Never be."
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