Chapter 343

At the Duchess Manor.

A muffled bang suddenly rang out, startling Athena just as she was about to fall asleep.

She turned on her side and glanced toward the window, only to see that the previously shut window had been pushed open.

There was only a single lamp lit in the room, casting a dim light that obscured clear visibility.

Athena immediately became alert. Someone had entered her room.

She instinctively called out, “Jessa? Jessa?”

After several calls, there was no response.

She wasn’t in the habit of having anyone stay up and keep watch at night, so she had already let Trina and Marquita rest.

Athena grabbed the candlestick from her bedside and, mustering her courage, moved toward the window.

On the ground, there was a vague silhouette.

It looked like a man.

Athena lowered her voice and demanded, “Who’s there? Speak.”

The person gave no reply, but in the silence, she could hear the sound of a man’s heavy breathing.

Athena’s heart began to race. There were guards at the Duchess Manor, along with attendants who patrolled the night. This man had somehow bypassed all of them and entered her private chamber.

She raised her voice with a more forceful tone. “If you still won’t speak, I'll start calling for help!” Still, there was no answer.

She turned to run, her hand just brushing the door, when the man finally spoke. “It’s me…”

But what confused her was how someone as highly skilled in martial arts as Xander could be so weak that he collapsed in her room.

She rushed back to him, and when she got a closer look, she confirmed it was indeed Xander.

She reached out to support his arm, but even through his thin clothing, she could feel how alarmingly hot his body was.

“Xander, what’s wrong with you?” Athena tried to help him up, but Xander suddenly gripped her arm with startling strength.

His breath was scalding hot, and his entire body felt as if he were being boiled alive.

Seeing him in this state, Athena suddenly understood. He must have been drugged.

Xander clutched her tightly, then forcefully pushed her away. “Get someone else… or knock me out.”

He had no idea how much willpower it took just to make it to Athena’s place.

He trusted no one but her. She was a physician.

Athena fell to the ground from his shove. Xander looked at her apologetically, sweat pouring down his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“This isn’t the time to say sorry. Let me get you up first and help purge the toxin.” Athena looped his arm over her shoulders. With great effort, she managed to get him onto the bed.

Xander looked at her, confused, while Athena rummaged for her medical kit and silver needles.

She explained while working. “This drug won’t stop even if you’re knocked out. You might die if it continues to ravage your body. The only way is to use acupuncture to release part of the drug’s potency, then you can take an antidote to stabilize yourself.”

Xander nodded obediently. “I’ll listen to you.”

Athena undid his clothes, revealing his muscular torso.

His body was flushed pink from the effects of the drug.

Holding three silver needles between her fingers, Athena turned them in the candlelight, the tips glowing faintly blue.

She looked down at his fevered face. His Adam’s apple moved under his sweat-drenched neck, and his usually sharp features were now blurred with misty heat.

“This will hurt,” she said as she plunged a needle into his acupoint, the tip going in half an inch deep.

Xander groaned, his chest muscles tightening and rising like waves.

The medicine was rampaging through his meridians. He grabbed Athena’s wrist, his palm so hot it made her tremble.

“Does it hurt badly?” Athena tried to press his shoulder with her other hand, but he caught that one too and pulled her into his arms.

The masculine scent on him hit her, making her dizzy.

At this point, Xander was completely under the drug’s control. His body trembled, and sweat continued to pour out.

Even though he had lost most of his consciousness, he kept whispering, “Can’t hurt Athena… can’t hurt Athena…”

Xander shook his head, panting, his blurred eyes fixed on her. He was trying to stay in control, but it was futile.

Athena frowned slightly, but now wasn’t the time to feel sorry for him.

She quickly stabbed another needle.

He suddenly flipped over and pinned her to the bed. The heat of the drug filled the air between them.

Athena’s heart pounded like a drum. She immediately pressed on his acupoint. “Don’t move. If the needle shifts, even a god can’t save you.”

She was gambling. Xander was a soldier. Even under drugged confusion, the instincts carved into his bones should still keep him cautious.

Xander stared at her with vacant eyes. Athena used that brief moment of distraction to bring her knee up to hit his abdomen, and with a swift motion, plunged the final silver needle.

Xander’s entire body convulsed violently as the drug’s power slowly drained through the needles.

Once the last tinge of pink faded from his skin, he collapsed onto the bed. Athena was drenched in sweat from the ordeal.

The two of them looked like they had just been dragged out of the water. Athena took a deep breath and tried to get up, only to find his hand still stubbornly wrapped around her waist.

She looked down at Xander’s closed eyes and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Then she tried to pry his hand off.

But even unconscious, his grip was frighteningly strong.

After everything that just happened, Athena didn’t have the strength to fight him anymore.

So she simply pulled a blanket between them and lay there to catch her breath.

She planned to rest for just fifteen minutes and then get up. But she didn’t expect that once she closed her eyes, she would fall completely asleep.

When sunlight filtered through the window the next morning and hit her bed, Athena suddenly opened her eyes.

She panicked. She had accidentally fallen asleep last night.

She turned and met another pair of groggy eyes. Xander was staring at her with a mixture of shock and guilt. “Athena, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’ll take responsibility. Let’s get married, alright?”

He had no idea what had happened the night before.

When he woke up and saw Athena lying next to him on the same bed, his feelings were complicated.

He assumed the detox must have failed, and Athena had used herself as the antidote to save him.

Xander cursed himself for being a beast, yet part of him secretly rejoiced.

Now that they had crossed this line, Athena couldn’t get rid of him anymore.

Athena blinked, sat up, stretched her arms, and replied, “You’re overthinking it. Nothing happened last night.”

She got out of bed to drink some water. Although she appeared calm, her hand was trembling as she gripped the kettle.

This was embarrassing. She had slept so soundly until morning.

Athena thought to herself, “How careless…”

And now Xander misunderstood and thought they needed to marry.

When he said “let’s get married,” her heart almost stopped beating.

He was a dignified prince. He couldn’t just marry her.

Suddenly, her waist tightened. Xander hugged her from behind.

His voice was low and a bit shameless. “I don’t care. We were alone together and slept on the same bed. No one will believe that nothing happened. You have to take responsibility; marry you, or you marry me. Pick one.”