The Doctor Cured the Villainess and Ran Away

54 – 54. Social Party (2)

Impression.

Noble social parties are tiring.

I am nothing more than Asella’s brooch. I quietly stayed close to her, like a decoration.

Asella received greetings from numerous nobles since it was her first party. Remembering each and every name is impressive.

It wasn’t difficult for her to stand there smiling like an objet d’art without saying a word as instructed.

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―So, you’re Viscount Gotberg’s eldest son, introduced by Confucius. It would be an honor if you accept my handshake.

―I saw the video of your swordplay competition. Tanya Gong, a sword expert! It’s clear that you are a loyal gentleman!

―I heard that you alone healed the epidemic that spread through the palace. hahahaha, I’m curious about your secret.

Dealing with middle-aged nobles is tiresome.

Well, even if Neriah came as the representative, it is common sense that it should go through me to establish a connection with the Gotberg family.

There will surely be useful relationships to exploit when our business expands later.

Since Father was not the type to frequently appear in social circles, it was necessary for me to make a good first impression.

“Oh, Brother, look at all the cakes here! They’re piled up like mountains!”

Neriah forgot about her responsibilities and happily wandered around the refreshment corner.

“Oh, Lady, try this Mont Blanc.”

“And here, the creme brulee is delicious too.”

Nevertheless, I diligently raised the favorability of the family.

I was receiving affection from several noble ladies.

With Boris and Bruno guarding, there was no danger of any other problems arising.

Well, even if it’s just the old guys.

―Oh my, is that really Viscount Gotberg? He looks completely different from what I heard!

―Hey, that’s our court physician! He’s even competent enough to receive love calls from both Princess Asella and Princess No. 2!

―What a scoundrel you are, a complete gentleman. If I knew it would be like this, I would have met you when I came for my personal consultation.

―How did Princess Asella know and come early? Envious! The imperial family’s information power is different.

―Master, do you not have any siblings?

―Or even relatives!

―I don’t mind being a concubine either. If I send a letter to the Imperial Hospital, will it reach Master Kong?

I didn’t realize there were so many noble families in the empire. Young Ae was equally surprised.

One by one, they greet Asella and then come to me, throwing a word or two.

Because of Asella’s orders, I couldn’t even pretend to be innocent. It was torture.

I wonder if rumors will spread that I’m mute.

As I am surrounded by Young Aes, Asella seems somewhat pleased.

Surprisingly, are social connections their nature?

“Well, when Asella becomes the empress, 80% of the imperial nobles supported her.”

―What is Jim’s weakness? Ahahahaha! That was the most foolish question I heard this year, healer. There’s no way Jim has any weaknesses, right?

―Jim has mastered all fields of study, magic, and politics since childhood. Even the aristocrats in society could not resist Jim’s charms. Now everyone realizes they were deceived.

―But why did you ask that? Should I note it down and promise to kill you next time? It would be quicker to shoot down that moon in the sky.

No matter how much arrogance there may be, it becomes confidence for Asella because she truly is a genius.

Even now, she must be laying the groundwork to win over young nobles.

I should have studied their profiles one by one, memorizing them like studying, but I don’t know when I would have had time for that.

“I will receive the next greetings in one hour.”

As Asella’s bodyguard stepped forward. The noble greetings at parties were endless, so there are designated rest times.

Asella, who separated from the crowd, sat at a secluded table. When the bartender brought a cocktail, I spoke to him.

“Bring me herbal tea instead of alcohol.”

“As you wish, herbal tea it is.”

As I said that, Asella complained when the bartender took the glass away.

“I want coffee.”

“You can’t have it. Drink it when you become an adult.”

“I’ve had it before. It was fine.”

“You said you would listen if I became your personal physician back then. Oops, looks like my entry pass for the Imperial Hospital is missing. Whose is this?”

“I’m annoyed.”

While Asella grumbled, she looked around and pointed at someone with her chin.

“There’s the Duchess of Schwarzwieke. She’s today’s main character. Her father laid the foundation, but it’s confirmed that the Duke will be successful.”

“There are certainly a lot of people around her. The person on the staircase is the Western Duke.”

“Yeah. I’ll wait since it doesn’t look good if I go in first. I have the upper hand in rank.”

Asela had calculated everything even though it was her first socializing event. She seemed to be determined to capture the Duke at this event.

“Hasn’t the Emperor arrived?”

“The Duke arrived separately. It’s hard for him to attend events like this. Besides, the atmosphere is relatively youthful.”

“Indeed it is.”

“…Is it not fun?”

Asela asked me, not being able to contain herself.

“Here? Is the event not fun? It’s an important occasion for the Princess.”

“That’s true. Still…”

“Why?”

Asela hesitated to speak up and eventually swallowed her words.

“No reason.”

“It’s better to rest during break time than to do other activities. It’s what we call lingering.”

“I know that too. Don’t act so uptight all the time.”

Asela got annoyed, so I decided to stay quiet.

As we were doing that, the music started playing, and the lighting changed.

The lighting on the stage became concentrated, and some of the nobles paired up to dance.

“Do you know how to dance?”

“hahahaha, not at all.”

“Really? What did you do besides learning to dance?”

“I studied healing magic?”

“Liar.”

“It’s true.”

Having fought demons, monsters, and only being on the battlefield, where would I have had the opportunity to dance?

The brightly lit stage was like being in another world, hidden by darkness.

As I gazed at the stage absentmindedly, I saw Rauka, who had caught one noblewoman and was happily stepping on the dance floor.

As I watched her, Asela suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Come with me.”

I walked out of the party venue and passed through the corridor.

The place Acella took me to was a secluded balcony.

“You can hear the music from here.”

“Yes, the view is also nice.”

I looked down below the balcony. There was a well-kept garden with a life-sized statue of a goddess standing alone.

It used to serve as a checkpoint in the original work. Sometimes you could see it even in the palace.

“Princess, did you know? If you have a goddess statue nearby, although it’s subtle, you receive beneficial effects. Like neutralizing low-level black magic…”

“For now, forget about that. Just look at me.”

I had to follow her command.

I stopped boasting my knowledge and faced Acella.

“Hold hands and raise your arms.”

As Acella said, I moved accordingly, and she came closer, pressing her body against mine.

Her hair brushed against the tip of my nose.

“In the next beat, start moving with your right foot.”

“What?”

“Beat.”

Suddenly, Acella exerted force on me. I stepped forward as if pushed.

I looked down and followed Acella’s footsteps.

I had already missed the rhythm of the music. I was too focused on not stepping on Acella’s feet, messing up the beat.

In the end, it was just a clumsy barrage of steps. If the genre were tap dance, I would have scored high, but unfortunately, it was blues.

“Hmm, you’re not good at this.”

“Well, I haven’t done it before.”

Acella looked at me, displaying a satisfied smile.

She seemed to have enjoyed tormenting me.

“Now, is it fun?”

Acella’s golden eyes reflected the terrace lights like cubic zirconia.

Weren’t the eyes the most suitable place for mana to flow?

It felt like swimming in the lake under the evening sky.

“To some extent.”

Well, it was a refreshing experience after all.

Ashella let out a small fart in response to my question and slowly looked down at her feet, continuing to take small steps.

Swish, swish.

Watching Ashella’s fluttering hair, I noticed her moving her feet and then she slowly began to speak.

“You know, Gongja.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I have a curious question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“…Do you often dream?”

“Dreams?”

Why did she suddenly bring up this topic?

I have no idea.

“Well, how about you, Princess? The quality of sleep is important. When breathing is not smooth due to conditions like rhinitis, one tends to have nightmares.”

“I…have voices talk to me.”

“Voices?”

“Yeah. I say horrifying things that I couldn’t even imagine.”

I wonder if there are still traces of black magic inside Ashella’s body.

Georg, the sorcerer, had said that he had put the soul and talent of a witch inside her.

If I had heard it from Camilla, it wouldn’t be completely wrong information either.

I don’t have any experience with black magic, so I don’t know what Ashella is fighting against.

But I do know what kind of pain can be felt from the symptoms.

Whether it’s the soul or a curse, it doesn’t matter.

To me, it’s a pathogen that causes suffering for the patient.

It is a target that must be removed.

I ask her the question I once asked her again.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

In response to my question, Ashella lightly shook her head.

“I’m fine. For now.”

“Princess, there is a demonic horse tormenting you inside your womb.”

“Yeah.”

“I will definitely fix it.”

Asaela received my declaration calmly and replied softly: “You promised.” I could feel the strength in her hand as we clasped hands. Despite my lack of muscularity, her fingers were delicate to an excessive degree, like a rose that would break at the slightest touch. There was a moment of silence. The night wind in the middle of summer was warm enough that wearing a coat was unnecessary. One step at a time, we slowly walked together, passing the time. “Gongja, will you answer me?” Asaela asked. “You’re talking about dreams.” “Yeah. Have you ever had a nightmare?” Nightmare. It was a subject that I didn’t really want to think about. “Why does your face look like that?” I realized my face may have given away my thoughts and tensed up. “Oh, it’s nothing.” Ever since my first death, I had continued to see flashbacks of the same scene in similar situations. Naturally, the more deaths I experienced, the more scenes I saw. They numbered exactly 101. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, either, since it helped in strategy. It wasn’t just when I slept; there were also times when I would experience them during daytime activities, like now when I was looking straight at Asaela’s face. “Gongja, why are you so quiet?” I lifted the corners of my mouth. “I’m human too, and I have nightmares sometimes. Conversely, there are also good dreams. Ah, this morning I rode a unicorn and flew in the sky.” “If you flew in the sky, it should be Pegasus. A wild child like Gongja wouldn’t ride a unicorn.”

“hahahaha, it’s just a dream.”

Even though she had betrayed me, Asella didn’t seem happy like she usually was and looked uneasy about something.

Asella hesitated for a moment.

Her thin lips slowly fell and she finally asked me the question.

“…So, what did you write in the notebook?”