CHAPTER 362: I KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE, XION

"My Xion." Darius lowered his head and inhaled deeply, dragging his nose along the length of Xion’s slender neck before pressing a soft kiss just beneath his ear.

One of his favorite spots.

The light touch tickled Xion, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

A melody was as airy and delicate as a bird’s wingbeat, as if just being in Darius’s arms was enough to make all his doubts evaporate.

"I... I like it when you hug me," Xion blurted out, and immediately regretted it.

Why was he being so awfully talkative tonight?

Darius pulled back just enough to gaze at him. The sight of his baby dressed up like a prince had his heart beating out of rhythm.

A smile bloomed on Darius’ handsome face as he cupped Xion’s flushed cheeks.

His heart swelled further when his lover leaned into the touch.

"I know, darling."

The endearment, the honeyed words dripping so easily from his mouth, only deepened the color in Xion’s cheeks.

The silly kitten felt like a teenager in love for the first time.

They’d already done everything they should — and some things they probably shouldn’t — and yet here he was, blushing over simple names.

How silly he must have looked in Darius’ eyes.

Eager to change the subject, Xion cleared his throat. "Where are we going? I don’t want to go too far."

The memory of their last dinner outside, and how it had ended with him blacking out, still lingered.

"Not far," Darius reassured him, amused by his dodging eyes. "Just the pavilion you like."

The castle grounds had many pavilions. Most were covered under blankets of snow this time of year, but the one Darius had built for Xion was different.

A protective barrier kept out the worst of the cold, and mana crystals placed inside were enough to keep the air pleasantly warm.

Snowflakes would sometimes drift through, only to melt harmlessly, leaving just enough of winter’s charm to feel magical.

It was so cozy that Xion would even doze off in the chair, only to wake up later tucked into his own bed.

"Let’s go," the excited kitten eagerly dragged the smiling elf toward the garden.

But the moment he stepped into the pavilion, he froze.

The place was transformed. Golden motes of light hovered in the air like enchanted stardust, shimmering faintly with each breath of wind.

The way they reflected in those wide blue eyes, like thousands of stars in the clear sky, was a sight to behold. Darius was so glad he did it.

"Noxian said you liked to watch the stars in Faymere," Darius said. He didn’t want Xion to miss anything.

"The skies here are usually too cloudy... so I thought we could settle for this."

In truth, Xion didn’t like the stars so much as he had clung to them.

Especially on nights when the void inside threatened to swallow him whole.

Those were the times when he would sit and stare upward, waiting for the stars to slowly dim away and the sun to shine at the horizon.

But now...

He turned to meet the expectant gaze and grinned.

"Yeah," he squeezed the hand holding his own. "I like this much better."

Because no star could ever compare to the brightness in those pale green eyes.

"Come on, the food will get cold."

Darius pulled out a chair for him, then sat right beside him. He refused to take the opposite side.

Childish, Xion mused.

His gaze flicked from the lavish food before him to the man at his side.

"Is today... something special?"

When Darius hesitated, the naughty healer leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Tell me, husband."

The playful, seductively low murmur made those green eyes narrow at him in mock warning.

Xion tilted his head and blinked his long lashes, playing innocent. "Please?"

What could Darius do but surrender?

"Today’s the day we first met."

Though it might be nothing to Xion, that one glance had changed his entire life. He wanted to celebrate it with Xion.

Surprised, the healer paused before thinking back. "When we met at the Marquis’s mansion? Oh, I was so scared of you back then."

Darius tapped the tip of his giggling kitten’s nose. "No. I saw you before that."

"Huh? When?"

The Archduke calmly plated a piece of roasted meat and began cutting it into neat pieces.

"When you were sneaking through the bazaar," he said.

"Oh," Xion had no clue that there was someone watching him from the shadows. But then again, Berry was under Darius’ command, so it didn’t seem that impossible.

"I saw you. I knew then you weren’t like the rest of us."

Darius told the truth while holding out a bite.

As if out of habit, Xion accepted it automatically. The rich flavor melted on his tongue.

One bite and the softened meat seemed to melt. It was delicious enough to leave him craving the aftertaste. He would have asked for more if not for those words.

"What do you mean?" Xion asked, swallowing hard. "How... how am I different?"

The northern lord acted like a nanny and fed him bite after bite, unhurriedly. He only started eating himself when Xion was almost full.

The Archduke, who couldn’t bear anyone’s touch, even shared the same fork.

"Tell me what you mean," Xion insisted. He even refused to take another sip of the warm soup made specially for him due to his weak physique.

"You’re not one of us, Xion. We’re humans of Eldoria. You..."

Xion’s heart gave a sudden lurch. He licked his lips, feeling parched. "I... I what?"

Darius’ calm voice was almost cruel in its certainty.

"You come from the same place as Misaki Mei. Blessed by the goddess. And one day..."

You might leave me — just like she left the ancient king.

Xion forced a laugh. "What makes you so sure? Just because of my healing ability? Don’t be absurd."

But he knew Darius wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t mean it.

"I can see souls, darling."

The Archduke lifted a spoonful of soup to Xion’s lips, but the young man refused.

"Be good, baby. Open your mouth for me."

And as if spellbound by those honeyed words, Xion did as he was told.

Rewarding for his obedience, Darius pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"The moment I saw you, I knew who you were."

Something lodged in Xion’s throat, making it hard to speak. But still, he forced the question out.

"Is... is that why you let me stay that day?" When I barged into your carriage and mistook you for a child?

Because if it was... Did that not mean that Darius was merely attracted to the prospect of being with someone like Misaki, the angel, and not him as a person?

The thought alone made his chest ache.

So, he waited.

Though deep down he prayed fervently that whatever he was assuming was not right, that he was just overthinking it.

And heavens, he would trade anything to be proven wrong.

With his glossy blue eyes, he watched those lips part — the same lips he had kissed so many times — to utter those words that left him in shambles.

"Yes."