Chapter 413: The Fire and the Snow
"I have the Zen." Xion held a carefully sealed box. "No matter what, you are not allowed to open it."
The two women exchanged surprised glances.
Just yesterday evening, their lord had been too frail to even stand up.
His sight was clouded, and his thin body trembled as though he might disappear any moment.
And now, barely a few hours later, he looked almost fine.
There was even a faint flush to his delicate cheeks, a hint of life that hadn’t been there before.
If not for the hood shadowing half his face, both women might have tried to steal a proper look, just to reassure themselves he was truly well.
But etiquette bound their tongues, so they could only hold their curiosity back.
"Here, take this," Xion said, passing the box to Rubina Claude. "Be very careful when you leave."
Before Rubina could reach for the box, Bianca’s hand darted forward first.
The little princess took it with both hands, and her heart betrayed her with a quicker beat when her fingers brushed against Xion’s.
Lady Rubina’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. However, she merely cast Bianca a knowing glance before lowering her head in a respectful bow to the lord.
"We will take our leave within the hour, while the sun is still high."
Xion had so many things he wanted them to be aware of. In the end, all of his worries turned into a sigh.
"Both of you, I want you to be perfectly safe and healthy when you return to the North. Alright?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Yes, Your Grace."
The ladies bowed and rushed to their quarters, where they had prepared their belongings for the long travel.
Normally, it would take months to travel so far, but with the help of the fastest horses under Rubina’s command, they would make this trip in a few weeks.
Xion was heavily counting on that.
Darius had stopped him from telling about his vision recovery. There might be a spy lurking around, and it wasn’t worth the risk.
Xion agreed with it.
Luna’s death was too much of a shock, and they still hadn’t found who killed the poor maid.
The chill drilled inside his collar, forcing him to tighten the furry robe around his body.
He quickened his pace. It was better to return to his chambers before Darius noticed his disappearance.
That possessive elf hadn’t even allowed him to step out of bed, insisting he stay in the room.
"Just want you to be safe, my love. Tell me if you need anything, and I’ll bring it to you."
Xion had fallen asleep soon after their little talk. When he woke up after taking a nap for nearly an hour, the Archduke was gone.
With winter dominating the north, the servants had been busy with crops, as they hardly survived in such a harsh environment.
Good thing Darius had planned everything beforehand, and so the civilians weren’t that stressed.
It was strange to think that Xion hadn’t experienced many winters in North, and that was including both his lives.
Well, this was literally his first winter here, and funnily, Xion never liked it.
He would much prefer to laze in the brilliant sun than to shudder in the chilly winds.
Cold things never made it to his preferred list.
He liked food hot, while Darius commented that it could burn someone’s tongue.
After that, all of his dishes were always steaming hot.
Baths were the same. He liked to soak until his skin was red, while Darius had the audacity to take cold showers sometimes.
"Let me do it, darling. Or you will be the one to suffer from my heat." Darius had teased with a sly grin.
Blushing, Xion could only let him be.
Even when dressed in heavy clothes, his teeth never failed to chatter since the beginning of this month.
There were constant flames in the fireplace.
Mana crystals regulated the temperature to his liking, and yet, despite all that, winter was still his least favorite season.
Darius was the exact opposite.
Even right now, as the harsh wind swirled the piling snow in the garden, the Archduke stood there with his hands behind his back.
There was no heavy coat on his shoulders, nor was he wearing gloves.
Cold to Darius was like a second skin.
When Xion reached closer, the guards bowed and left the two lords alone.
"It’s pretty, no?"
"No," Xion snorted through his red-tipped nose. "Not pretty at all."
Darius laughed as he pulled Xion into his arms. With how heavily Xion was dressed, it was far too easy for the Archduke to manhandle him into whatever position he wanted.
And so, the black-haired healer found himself perched on Darius’ lap, while the Archduke sat unbothered on the freezing stone steps.
Xion tried to reach the ground on the third and last stair but failed when his waist was pulled back until he was flush against the heated chest.
"I envy you," Xion muttered wistfully, leaning his head back to relax properly.
"And why is that?"
"Because you are so hot. And I am still shivering under this pile of fabric."
Darius had an ungodly amount of cold resistance. Xion had never once seen the Archduke fall sick, though that did little to ease his worries.
"You know it, and yet you always scold me for not wearing more. Ironic, darling. Isn’t it?"
"You wanted to go out in a single robe. That’s like going out naked."
Darius had the audacity to laugh while kissing his cheek.
"Don’t worry, I will only walk naked in front of you."
Xion directly elbowed the shameless elf.
"Did you find him?" he suddenly asked. After all, it was much better to stop this perverted talk before it escalated into something else.
And with Darius, it always seemed to do it.
"No. Michael had gone into hiding. Whoever his spy is... It’s good."
Xion hummed, staring at the white expanse covering every inch of the land.
"You know, a goddess can only bless one person in one century."
If not, she wouldn’t have to call Sakura Mei from another world to sort out the things in Eldoria Lunerith.
So, how were there thirteen elders, all blessed with such terrifying powers?