章 13: Running Toward the Future
Shrouded beneath his robe, Xion's breath came in short, uneven gasps. The lack of oxygen burned his lungs, but he still pushed forward.
With hurried footsteps, he rushed to the only safe place he could think of, Ray's room.
The tears swirling in his eyes clouded his vision. He swiftly wiped them away with the sleeve of his robe leaving behind a dark, damp patch. The stain clung to the grey fabric... just like a sin.
I need to run away... The thought pounded in his mind, louder than the frantic rhythm of his heart.
He carried a face which seemed to be crafted just to entice others' sadistic desires be it envy, hate or lust.
As the illegitimate son of Marquis Roberto Vaelis, Xion was nothing more than a pawn, a tool to be used and discarded.
His father would likely applaud the benefits his existence could bring, even if they came at the cost of his dignity.
And now, he could not differentiate between himself and the poor girl Eli.
His mind was spiraling at such high speed that he did not even notice the figure standing in front of Ray's room until he collided with them.
The impact sent him stumbling backward. However, instead of crashing his butt on the cold floor, he was pulled into a firm hold.
He instinctively reached out to steady himself. His hands brushed against the solid chest of a stranger and in doing so, he somehow managed to do the stupidest thing he could at the moment.
His bracelet got tangled in the long, silken strands of silver hair of the stranger.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Xion gasped, barely able to look up as he tried to untangle his bracelet with trembling fingers.
His heart still raced, but now for a different reason. The man before him exuded a presence that made Xion's breath hitch in his throat.
If Xion had taken a proper glance, then he might have marveled at the handsome male who looked as if he came straight out of some comic book.
But all of his attention was taken away by those piercing green eyes and weirdly enough, they reminded him of a poisonous snake.
Xion did not know the exact title yet, but the man whose gaze seemed to pin him in place definitely belonged to the higher nobility. That had set another jolt of panic in his already troubled heart.
What if I get punished for running into this male?
Before Xion could apologize again, Darius tilted his head slightly. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he studied the flustered boy.
Then, without a word, he bent down and scooped Xion up like a child.
"W-What are you doing?!" Xion yelled, his arms flailing for balance as the ground disappeared beneath him.
For a moment, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him. Was today my unlucky day?
The way he had been constantly running into scary people's arms, it sure sounded like that.
Darius did not answer. His sharp green eyes glinted with an unreadable emotion while he carefully observed Xion as if the small boy were some antique.
His scent, faintly smoky with a touch of something rich and earthy, filled Xion's senses. It ended up scaring Xion even more.
"Put me down! I said I was sorry!" While Xion was thinking about a way to knock the silver head and hide away, his unexpected savior finally appeared.
"Master," Ray shouted before he bowed in greeting. "This is Xion. He's a healer. The boy has agreed to assist us in our journey."
Xion's eyes, hidden beneath his robe widened. I agreed to no such thing!
He had only made a deal with Ray for one night, just long enough to find a way out of this hellhole.
Darius stopped in his tracks. He glanced at Ray before humming in mild acknowledgment. His grip on Xion loosened, as he finally set the boy down.
With two flicks, his bracelet came undone from his hair, and was returned to Xion.
Though not before Xion caught a glimmer of amusement in those sharp green eyes.
Flustered and unsteady on his feet, Xion put a distance between them.
Thank goodness, I hid my face as soon as I left the servants' quarters, he thought. If this man had seen me that would only make things worse...
Those green eyes were so intense, so scary, that they seemed to see through his robe. So, the moment Ray took the attention of the taller male, Xion slowly scurried out of the way.
The poor Xion only dared to breathe loudly when he made it to Ray's room. Leaving before he was excused by the higher nobility was nothing less than a crime.
Nonetheless, with all the mess he was in, he did not have the time to worry about it.
Barely had he managed to catch his breath when Ray stormed into the room with anger dripping from his piercing blue eyes, "I warned you not to mess with His Grace! And yet you went ahead and touched his clothes! He hates that. You're lucky he didn't rip your arm off!"
Xion tried to defend himself, but it was all in vain. "I-I didn't mean to-"
"Enough! Stay here until morning," Ray interrupted, sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We'll leave then. I'll help Master change his clothes, first. Just don't cause any more trouble."
Without another word, Ray left, shutting the door behind him with a heavy thud.
Xion stood there, staring at the door in disbelief.
Was he at fault? Probably yes.
He had knocked two people of higher status, before running away, and according to the rules of this world, he did deserve a punishment for that.
He understood that much, yet his heart felt uncomfortable. Running away from perverts, being afraid of bad people...This was not how he had imagined his future when he studied his ass off to become a doctor.
For the first time after transmigration, Xion had a strong urge to cry out.
Even if he was alone there, even if his real parents never liked him and treated him as a calamity, even if he had no close friends, he still wanted to return to his world.
クリエイターの想い 
Kuroitsuki
Kuroitsuki Author's Note- This author has read so many isekai stories. Most of the MCs notice that they have transmigrated and then...bang! They are perfectly fine with that. Even if you were all alone, how can someone not miss the real world?
I like all of my characters to be as real as possible and not just dumb NPCs. So, here we have Eli's anguish, Xion's suppressed emotions, and Ray's anger and worry for his master.
Also, can anyone guess why Darius is keenly aware of Xion's presence?
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