The Doctor Cured the Villainess and Ran Away

44 – Together Alone (2)

“Haah, really.”

She laid Ras down on the ground and barely managed to catch her breath.

They had arrived at the cabin in the middle of the mountain just a while ago.

Judging from the dusty magical tools scattered inside, it seemed like an old workshop used by a secluded magician.

“How did it end up like this.”

No matter how weak the faction may be, it was a body that lived as the emperor’s child.

Asella had never had a drop of blood on her hands throughout her life.

Her whole body was a mess covered in dust. It was the first time she felt such discomfort on her skin since she was born.

Especially the feeling of mud seeping between her toes was the worst.

“It’s because of you, Lass.”

She regretfully struck the chest of Lass, who was still unconscious.

… No response as if already a dead corpse.

It takes unnecessary effort to open her lips. How much more does she have to suffer because of this man?

It annoys her.

“…He won’t die.”

Even on the day she returned from the medical examination, he collapsed like this.

At that time, Asella thought he was dead and even came up with the wording to carve on his tombstone.

But now, she wishes he wouldn’t die.

…Why is that?

In the imperial palace, it was common for members who made mistakes or nobles who plotted rebellions to be executed.

Camilia, saying they should stand out in front of the emperor, made Asella participate in every execution ceremony.

So she thought scenes of people dying were familiar.

The gods also said that sacrificing their lives for the lord is the greatest honor.

The lord shouldn’t waste emotions or make major mistakes for disposable beings like them.

She had always learned that and thought she wouldn’t even blink an eye in such situations.

But Lass became a little exception.

“No.”

Max mustn’t die either.

Because he’s gentle.

Lass is not gentle, but…

For similar reasons, Asella decided to withhold judgment on this inexplicable emotion.

“When will you wake up, after all?”

How dare you make me, the imperial princess, suffer like this, it’s annoying.

You are my personal physician.

You should take care of me.

Error

The relationship between families is solely based on political circumstances.

They understood that they had contradictory thoughts.

But it was okay to be selfish.

It was a privilege of those who carried the royal bloodline.

It was the way that tyrants, rather than holy men, made nations powerful.

“I wonder what you’re thinking.”

Asella always wondered about that.

Why did this man help himself?

He always reluctantly supported her shoulder when it was important.

From Noble mtl dot com

The price she paid for receiving talent was the pain.

Negative emotions also wrapped around her body every time pain rose in her abdomen.

Interestingly, recently, this man was always by her side during those times.

When she would hear Camilla’s harsh words, when she had no choice but to receive education, when she started to despise commoners, when she imagined Max dying and felt desperate.

Every time, something wriggled inside her belly and spoke.

It tempted her to unleash the learned magic, to bring about the destruction of the world.

The sorcerers said that as hierarchies rose, some would hear such hallucinations or see visions.

Her teacher, Seymour, also had the know-how to keep himself sane.

… Could it really be because of the magic?

Rather, it felt like something even more intense, constantly planting the urge to destroy.

“Ross.”

It’s strange that you came to find me.

It feels like I can no longer hear your voice well.

Is there anyone in the royal palace who is as aware of their own condition as I am right now?

They even inserted needles into my body and took out my blood.

The pain has actually decreased.

Even now, when I take his medicine, my senses magically become dull and a sense of comfort comes over me.

During that time.

“Cough.”

The physician coughed deeply.

Asella thought he had regained consciousness and prepared to be sternly angry.

The crime of causing suffering to herself, the princess, is great. She must somehow receive retribution.

“Cough, cough.”

However, there was no sign of Ras opening his eyes, only his cough intensifying.

“Huh…?”

It was only then that Asella realized something was wrong.

The sticky sensation on her palm, which she had placed on Ras’s cheek, was unpleasant.

It was blood, a deep crimson.

“Ras?”

Asella shook Ras’s shoulder, startled.

Still, there was no response. His weak body trembled without strength.

Asella’s hand trembled uncontrollably and a shadow of despair cast over her face.

Why had she been quiet all this time? Regret flooded her.

She, too, had been struck by the curse of the dragon. It could have had other harmful effects, not just reflecting magic.

She should have suspected his injury when he couldn’t wake up, but she had been careless.

“What… what should I do?”

Asella desperately racked her brain.

She couldn’t use any healing spells. There was no magic that could be helpful in this situation. Moreover, her mana was completely depleted.

“Anything.”

Snap!

Asella removed Ras’s coat.

She rummaged through his pockets. There were syringes filled with various liquids, bottles containing different medications, scattered around.

“If he takes this….”

Asella reached for a vial of medicine but hesitated.

Ras had always warned against excessive consumption of medicine.

He had even said not to take more than two aspirins in a day.

If she unknowingly administered it recklessly, it might end up killing Ras.

“What the hell…!”

Asella probed Ras’s body, her tongue tingling with anxiety.

His muscles felt stiff, as if paralyzed.

If she didn’t act quickly, it seemed like something terrible would happen.

“This is it.”

Asella found a notebook.

It was the very notebook that Ras always carried around and wrote everything in.

Flip.

Asella quickly read through the contents, flipping the pages of the notebook.

Detailed descriptions of the uses of medicine and injections were written.

There were also dense records about Asella’s condition.

Some peculiar sentences caught her eye.

Some sentences were crossed out, while others were left.

[Executed and confirmed dead. Deleted.]

[Died from suffocation magic. Deleted.]

[Defeated by the Demon King’s army.]

[Drank the wrong potion while subduing the Demon King.]

[Magic that causes the royal family to perish.]

…

Now wasn’t the time to waste on unnecessary noise.

Asella turned the page and found useful information.

[Bleeding can be temporarily stopped with candy.]

[Reinforcement needed as rank increases.]

[Gather additional ingredients for candy, candidate list.]

[Golden Rose: A superior breed of yellow rose, mainly found in Dragon Nests or the western region of the Abyss.]

“Candy.”

Although there were some unfamiliar words, it was certain that the candy he always ate would improve his condition.

Asella roughly took out some candy from his pocket.

She unwrapped it and put it into his mouth, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.

“I need water.”

Asella immediately went outside the shack and caught the falling rainwater with her hands.

Her clothes got drenched in the process, but she didn’t care.

Hastily coming back inside, she poured the water into Ras’s mouth, causing the candy to gradually dissolve.

Ras’s breathing slowly returned to normal.

However, there was still no sign of regaining consciousness.

“Do we need different ingredients?”

I checked the ingredients written in the notes.

There were some rare plants and fruits written alongside the drawings.

I vaguely knew what they were from my etiquette classes in Aseldor.

I thought the golden rose was what I needed right now.

“If this is near the dragon’s nest…”

She immediately grabbed her staff and rushed out of the cabin.

***

“Hoo.”

I barely opened my eyes.

My whole body felt numb. It was the side effect of the muscle enhancer.

It seemed like quite some time had passed as my paralyzed muscles could move little by little.

My mouth felt dry, as if it was soaked in tired blood.

It seemed that the blood had been flowing vigorously while I was unconscious.

…Why do I taste sweetness?

As if I wasn’t already dizzy enough, the words on the status screen were flowing chaotically.

―――――――――――

· [Rising Star] achievement acquired. The Emperor of the Empire is showing interest in you.

· [The Beginning of a Hero] achievement acquired. Some of the common people respect you.

· Medical skill rank has increased to C. You can choose two new skills to learn.

· Due to the rise in talent rank, the debuff “Decreased Stamina” has increased from D to C.

―――――――――――

My medical skill rank has gone up.

Perhaps it’s because aspirin and masks have been widely distributed, and the knights who benefited from them have been active.

The biggest contribution must be from Asella, who fought the dragon with my potion.

Experience points were accumulated in an instant.

Well, it’s not the best timing, considering I was cursed at the end.

“I need to synthesize my stamina and candies quickly.”

I need to move quickly, but I just can’t gather any strength in my body.

I barely turned my head to survey my surroundings.

The sound of raindrops tapping.

In the darkness, there was a human figure, sitting in front of me.

Recognizing instantly who it was, I called out to her.

“Princess.”

Asella looked quite exhausted.

To the point where she didn’t have the strength to get angry at me.

Despite that, she briefly showed a sense of relief and handed me a single flower she had been holding in her arms.

“Do you need this?”

It was a precious flower that Asella was holding tightly in her muddy hands.

Even in the darkness, it shimmered brilliantly with a golden hue.

“Where did you find this?”

Slightly surprised by my casually asked question, Asella responded with a chuckle, as if it was nothing.

“It was lying around.”

When I tried to accept the rose from Asella, she spoke to me with her hands pressed together.

“Gongja asked me if I hated the royal family.”

“Yes.”

“I do.”

It was an answer that I could have easily expected.

“The royal family is nothing but an enemy. It’s inconceivable beyond bringing the dragon… I can’t think of anything else.”

Asella said weakly, as if she had given up.

She looked quite exhausted.

“Siblings, Your Majesty… they are all enemies. Why should I like such a royal family? I have no family here.”

Considering the attitude they showed at the tournament stage, Asella’s opinion seemed valid.

She couldn’t have any attachment to the royal family and the palace. It wouldn’t be reasonable, even if they were to be destroyed like the ending of an empire.

But still, such a thing shouldn’t happen.

“Is family important to you?”

“It seems… important.”

“You can have it in your hands. Like you hold something else as a princess.”

“How? No matter how hard I try, they don’t pay attention to me. It just disappoints even the dragon.”

“Existing family isn’t the only family. Can’t we create a new family?”

I provided a theoretical answer, though unsure if it would be the correct response.

Asella stopped momentarily upon hearing my words.

The hand gripping the stem of the rose trembled slightly.

Looking directly at me, she spoke.

“…With you?”

No, that wasn’t what I meant.