CHAPTER 377: PAST-3

Xion was clearly a child of some high-ranking noble, and a pampered one at that.

That was the conclusion Nazia and Berry came to after a very long discussion over tea.

Morning light streamed in through tall glass windows, dancing off the gold still piled on the table with a gentle sparkle. No one dared to touch the coins without His Grace’s permission.

Strangely, Darius had allowed the child to stay.

Neither Nazia nor Berry could believe it.

But orders were orders, or rather, the lack thereof was an order in itself.

They were only to remain at this estate for two more days. Either they found Xion’s guardians, or... well, that was where the plan ended. Because neither of them could envision the Archduke adopting a child.

Actively looking for someone was already unlikely. But caring for someone? That was utterly unthinkable.

They were still wondering what sort of entity Xion truly was — a high-born noble’s son, an illegitimate lovechild, or a prince of a neighboring country — when a loud crash echoed through the corridor.

That too from the Archduke’s private chamber.

Berry dropped his tea while Nazia froze, the air growing cold in her lungs.

After last night’s assassination attempt, they had doubled the security and tripled their alertness.

However, the chances of the next attack were low but never zero.

Without another word, both rushed to the room.

Berry threw the door open. And then, no one moved.

For one wild second, the old man genuinely thought he might lose his hand for that impulsive act.

Because what they saw inside was... not what they were expecting.

The Archduke, Darius Rael Darkhelm, wielder of shadows and the man whose name made seasoned warriors lose sleep, was sprawled face-up on the cold marble floor.

Just lying there as if he was contemplating the mysteries of life and the ceiling somehow had that answer.

Above him, little Xion was perched on the edge of the bed, resting his chin on his palms, legs swaying lazily in the air.

"You fell," the boy said matter-of-factly, blinking down at Darius.

"Are you stupid?" Mr. Cat had told him that stupid people fall easily. So, he should help this human to become smart.

Neither Berry nor Nazia dared to breathe aloud. Nazia didn’t even enter the room, staring at the strange sight from the cover of Berry’s bulky body.

Slowly, almost agonizingly so, Darius sat up.

His long silver hair shimmered in the early sunlight, immaculate except for the one very important detail.

A single green weed was entangled at the crown of his head.

On the polished marble beside him was yet another broken vase, though much smaller than the first.

Its contents were now scattered in disarray, mirroring the very position Darius had fallen in earlier.

Petals and stems lay where his limbs had sprawled.

Two flower tendrils were stuck in the other side of his hair, one brushing the side of his temple, the other clinging gently to the weed-crowned back of his head.

Berry felt a weird gurgle in his throat. No, it wasn’t fear. More like... hysterical panic held back by every shred of professionalism he had left.

Because if he laughed, he was definitely going to die.

Before he could regain his composure, Xion bounced upright on the bed and stood up as his tiny feet sank into the thick blankets.

His eyes locked onto Berry like a hawk spotting treasure.

"You!" he chirped, flapping his hand excitedly to wave at the old man. "Come here."

Berry walked up to the bed, almost in a trance.

The boy stood on his tiptoes and, without any hesitation, planted a small hand on his scalp.

Xion gasped softly. "Ohh... So smooth. Like river stones. Or eggs. Or... river egg stones!"

He was practically glowing with awe.

The curious little creature even knocked on the shiny scalp as if expecting it to open like a treasure chest.

Just then, the curtain fluttered, allowing the air to enter from the wide-open windows.

Xion leaned a little closer.

The morning light caught the curve of Berry’s dome, and a tiny glint reflected directly into his deep blue eye. He blinked, utterly enchanted. "It shines! It shines!"

Nazia bit her tongue so hard she almost tasted blood.

Berry’s lips twitched. Despite his will to suppress his emotions, his long beard quivered.

Xion, of course, noticed none of this. "Is your head magical?"

Berry bowed his head slightly. "I don’t believe so, young master."

"Oh." Xion deflated a little. "That’s a shame."

He had already forgotten that he was the one who startled Darius into falling in the first place.

Darius ran a hand through his hair, tossing the floral branches on the floor.

His gaze was fixed on the black haired boy, whose appearance resembled that of an angel from the ancient texts.

And then at Berry, who was definitely going to develop a jaw cramp from holding in his laughter.

The Archduke exhaled slowly through his nose. "Out."

Berry didn’t hesitate. In his panic, he picked Xion up like a sack of potatoes before rushing out of the room.

"I’ll prepare breakfast," Nazia mumbled and fled behind them as well.

The Archduke was left alone, pondering if the wings he saw when he woke were real or if it was his imagination playing tricks on him.

But the little boy was not normal. The way he responded to the words with so much naivety was baffling for even a child of his age.

Not to mention that sling pouch, barely the size of his pinky.

There was no way it could produce so many coins if it wasn’t a magical space. A thing only a higher-level mana user could create.

Such items would always have a trace of mana on them.

But Xion’s had none. From an ordinary perspective, this was just a bag.

So, who was this kid exactly?

Thinking about the negotiation he needed to do with the church, his lips curled into a smirk.

"Ah... what to do?" It seemed he had stumbled upon a perfect treasure for trading with the church.