"Gasp."
I exhaled sharply, breathing heavily.
My head is spinning.
No matter how many times I blink, my vision remains blurry.
It's dark all around—must be nighttime.
What happened again?
I remember successfully completing the practical exam and returning to my room in quite a cheerful mood.
I couldn't stand my shirt that reeked of goblin corpses, musty underground soil, and moss, so I took it off first...
And then my memory cuts off.
"Cough, cough."
I can't help but cough.
I want to say something, but all that comes out of my throat are scratching sounds like those goblins I heard earlier today.
What's going on? Why am I like this?
First, let me check my status window.
-------------------
· Diagnosis D has ranked up to Diagnosis C.
· Medicine E has ranked up to Medicine D.
· Blood Test D skill has been unlocked.
-------------------
My medicine skill rank has increased.
That's thanks to enthusiastically using medicine during today's practical exam.
After dealing with actual patients all day, experience points were bound to accumulate whether I liked it or not.
"Blood Test skill, huh. I wonder what it can do."
In hospitals, the most common test done after fasting is CBC.
It's the most basic yet versatile test that analyzes blood components like red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelet counts to broadly determine what diseases a patient might have.
If this skill works similarly, I'll be able to understand a patient's condition in more detail than with just diagnosis.
But why is my body in this state?
Scrolling down, I found the reason.
-------------------
· Talent has ranked up to D rank.
· Debuff Continuous Health Reduction E (growth type, cannot be removed) has ranked up to Continuous Health Reduction D.
-------------------
Ah, so as my talent grew, the debuff grew along with it.
Well, that's just great.
"Nngh."
The stinging sensation in my stomach has intensified.
Stomach acid seems to be dissolving my insides.
My remaining health is around 4. The maximum is 11.
I must have used quite a bit during the practical exam, and it's been continuously decreasing due to the debuff.
'I'm basically dying slowly.'
They say even great doctors can't take care of themselves. I can't use diagnosis on myself.
From the symptoms, it seems like a stomach ulcer.
'My health reduction rate has exceeded the recovery rate from the candy, so this is what happened.'
Thankfully, I collapsed in a comfortable position, so the reduction rate was lower while I slept.
Even now, something soft and comfortable is supporting my head.
...Huh? What kind of cushion is on the floor?
I slowly turn my head.
Looking up toward the ceiling, I see two golden eyes shining in the darkness, staring intently at me.
'Ah.'
I think I just had a heart attack for about two seconds.
Fortunately, I'm still alive.
"You're awake."
Asella's cold voice resonated in my ears.
"Princess, why are you... cough, cough."
I couldn't finish my response before breaking into a coughing fit.
Fortunately, I covered my mouth so my foul-smelling saliva didn't spray on Asella's face.
But it seemed to displease her anyway, as she frowned.
"Young Lord, you're coughing?"
"I just choked for a moment, that's all."
"You were collapsed on the floor."
She must be suspecting that my condition isn't good.
It's not beneficial for anyone to know that a physician can't even take care of himself.
Especially not the patient he's responsible for.
It destroys professional credibility.
"Me? That's impossible. I was just tired from the exam and fell asleep face down."
"...On the floor?"
"I find that comfortable."
"While changing clothes?"
"I was that sleepy."
Asella narrowed her eyes and stared at me penetratingly.
But wait, is Asella supporting my head right now?
How long has she been in my room?
"Princess, why is my head..."
"Do you dislike it?"
If you're asking whether I like it or not, of course I don't.
Based on the feeling, my head seems to be resting on her lap, and her hand is also on my head.
It's like putting my head in the open mouth of a crocodile.
And not just any crocodile—one that has scratched my face several times already.
I wanted to get up before angering her further, but I couldn't muster any strength in my body.
When I didn't answer, Asella spoke.
"Lucy usually does this for me."
"Who is Lucy?"
"My head maid."
Ah, so that was the name of the expressionless woman who supervised the exam.
"I don't know how we ended up like this, but I think there's a misunderstanding. To begin with, as you're a lady, Princess, it's not appropriate for you to enter a man's room alone."
"We're engaged."
"That's... true."
"Did I misunderstand something?"
"The sun shines white and strong at noon, but becomes sticky and orange in the afternoon."
It was a metaphor meaning that one cannot grasp the essence by judging only by appearances.
I was conveying that my body is fine.
"Why are you lying to me?"
"I'm not lying. Even if it were a lie, it's not something for the Princess to worry about. It's a physician's job to reduce the concerns of their patients."
"...Is that so?"
Asella seemed somewhat dubious but appeared to accept my answer, as she didn't press further about my condition.
That's a relief.
...A moment of silence passed.
Then, suddenly—swish.
Asella placed her hand on my cheek and lowered her head.
Her hand was cold and pleasant.
From my lying position, her face appeared upside down.
"Young Lord, do you want to stay like this?"
Asella asked a question that was difficult to interpret.
She must be getting bored since I've been still for too long.
I want to move too.
I want to move, but I have no strength.
"Princess, may I ask for one favor?"
"Go ahead."
"Could you bring me a candy?"
"What's in it for me?"
As always, nothing comes free with this Princess.
"...I'll give you one."
Hearing my answer, Asella slightly raised the corner of her mouth.
"Where are they?"
"Ah, they're inside the shirt I took off. Right behind you on the bed."
"Let's see... ...There are quite a lot. One doesn't seem like a fair trade."
"One candy. That was our deal."
There was a rustling sound.
Asella took out two candies and tossed one onto my chest.
"Do you want me to unwrap it for you too?"
"Of course not."
I can't imagine what I'd have to pay for that.
I unwrap the candy and put it in my mouth.
A text appeared indicating my health was increasing, along with the sweet scent of honey.
This counteracts the reduction rate, but I need to find another way to recover more health quickly.
"So this is what it tastes like."
Asella had already put a candy in her mouth.
Click-clack, the sound of the candy rolling between her teeth could be heard.
"Do you like it?"
"No, I don't like sweet foods."
Neither did I originally.
"But this is somewhat tasty. It has a special flavor because I took it from you."
"I'm glad you're satisfied."
Her way of thinking is truly unique.
How the great villainess enjoys theft, plunder, and others' suffering.
Asella took the candy she'd been rolling in her mouth out with a pop and dangled it in front of my eyes.
"If I take something precious from you and don't finish it, wouldn't that increase your sense of loss?"
"Absolutely."
If that makes you happy.
As expected, she seemed pleased with my answer and was trying to hold back a smile.
"Then what should I do with this?"
"If you're going to throw it away, give it to me. It would be a waste."
Asella flinched slightly at my answer and pulled her head back a bit.
"...You want to eat something I've already eaten again?"
"It's a candy I like."
"No."
Asella firmly refused and quickly pulled the candy back to herself.
She's saying she'll throw it away but won't give it to me.
Well, of course. Do as you please.
...But I hear another rustling sound.
Asella was carefully putting that candy back into its wrapper.
What is she doing?
"Young Lord."
"Yes."
"The exam?"
"I made it to the final candidates."
"As you should."
Asella responded calmly and tucked the candy inside her dress.
"Nngh."
As I was starting to regain some strength thanks to the sugar, I decided to get up.
"Princess, it's dinner time. Shouldn't you go eat?"
Despite my polite suggestion, Asella didn't budge from her spot.
"Princess?"
"Wait."
Asella held her palm out toward me.
I'm not Max—does she think I'm an obedient dog that will wait on command?
Well, for the time being, I suppose I have to be.
"Why aren't you getting up?"
"I told you to wait."
Looking closely, I noticed Asella was fidgeting with her legs.
She was wiggling her small toes, unable to find a comfortable position.
Her legs must have fallen asleep.
"Princess, in such cases, massaging from the upper thigh helps alleviate the symptoms more quickly. Here, follow my posture. Gradually straighten your knees while leaning your upper body forward..."
"Young Lord, leave the room."
"It's my room."
"...Then at least put some clothes on!"
Asella shouted, turning her head away sharply.
This is bad. She's moved to the irritated stage.
Whatever I did, it was clearly a major mistake.
Knowing my neck would be on the line if I angered her further, I quickly grabbed my shirt and fled the room.
***
I sent Asella ahead to dinner.
Meanwhile, I worked on improving the rose candy.
In its current state, using enhancement doesn't increase the recovery amount.
Thinking the issue was with the weak ingredients, I used [Property Change] to modify some components of the rose medicine, then applied [Enhancement].
Since how the components change depends on probability, I had to try multiple times.
And then—bingo.
-------------------
Special Rose Honey Candy (refined, modified, synthesized)
Effect when consumed: Heals 0.6 health lost due to internal bleeding over 6 hours
Extremely sweet!
-------------------
I finally created a candy that could cover my health reduction rate.
I wasted twenty precious candies in the process, but I can always make more.
My health reduction rate will probably continue to increase in the future.
"I just need to keep recovering health and that's that."
Plus, regular sugar replenishment isn't so bad.
I'll have to be careful not to develop diabetes though.
While treating myself, a question suddenly occurred to me.
"I wonder what Asella's debuff is."
Using diagnosis would be simple, but I can't casually use skills on her when I'm not officially her physician yet.
Asella, being sensitive to magic, would immediately notice if I used a skill on her.
And with my low diagnosis rank, there's no guarantee I could accurately identify it anyway.
"Talent always comes with a price. If the debuff—the price—were removed..."
The talent would disappear too.
Given my incurable debuff, it seems highly unlikely, but...
If that were possible, it might delete multiple bad endings at once.
Even just weakening Asella's magic would significantly reduce the number of incidents she could cause.
"But first I need to become her physician for any of that to be possible."
The final exam takes place tomorrow.
I decided to get a good night's sleep to prepare for tomorrow.
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