"Hah, really."
After laying Lars on the floor, Asella finally caught her breath.
She had just found this cabin halfway up the mountain moments ago.
Judging by the dust-covered magical instruments inside, it seemed to have been a workshop used by some reclusive mage in the past.
"How did it come to this?"
Despite being from a weak faction, she was still the Emperor's child.
Asella had never even gotten her hands wet once in her entire life.
Her whole body was filthy with dust. Never before had she felt such an unpleasant sensation on her skin.
Especially the feeling of mud seeping between her toes was the worst.
"This is all your fault, Lars."
She resentfully struck Lars's chest, who was still unconscious.
...There was no response, as if he were already a corpse.
Her lips tightened involuntarily. How much longer would this man make her worry?
It was irritating.
"...He won't die, right?"
He had collapsed like this on the day she returned from her physician practical exam too.
Back then, she had thought he was dead and had already started thinking about what to engrave on his tombstone.
But now, she found herself hoping he wouldn't die.
...Why was that?
It was common for imperial family members who committed wrongdoings or nobles who plotted rebellion to be dragged away and executed.
Camilla had made Asella attend every execution, saying she needed to catch the Emperor's eye.
So she thought she was accustomed to seeing people die.
She had been taught that the highest honor for a subject was to sacrifice their life for their lord.
A ruler should not waste emotions on such expendable people and risk making mistakes in important matters.
She had always been taught this way, so she thought she wouldn't even blink in situations like this.
But Lars had somehow become an exception.
"No, that's not it."
Max shouldn't die either.
Because he's fluffy.
Lars isn't fluffy, but...
Assuming it must be for similar reasons, Asella postponed judgment on her unclear feelings.
"When are you going to wake up?"
How dare you make me, an Imperial Princess, suffer like this? The nerve.
You're my physician.
You're supposed to attend to me.
Asella pointlessly complained to someone who couldn't hear her.
—Pitter-patter, pitter-patter...
The sound of raindrops hitting the cabin roof grew increasingly louder, filling her ears.
Along with it, an inexplicable sense of liberation bloomed in Asella's heart.
Come to think of it, this was the first time she had left the Imperial Palace without knights or attendants.
It was also the first time she had escaped Camilla's surveillance.
In an unknown place, with nothing but an unconscious physician.
The moss scent rising with the sound of rain gave her a fresh sensation.
The sensation of being alive.
Asella suddenly found herself enjoying this atmosphere.
It felt like she had escaped from the stifling Imperial Palace, making her heart race.
"It would have been more fun if you could feel this too."
Asella unconsciously brushed Lars's cheek with the back of her hand.
His skin, soft as a baby's, wasn't particularly manly.
Observing his face was quite entertaining.
Touching him here and there was too.
She disliked it when he touched her.
It somehow felt embarrassing, as if he looked down on her.
The very awareness of feeling embarrassed was embarrassing, which made her dislike it even more.
"Yet you dare to massage the royal body here and there."
She knew he had no ulterior motives.
Lars, always dedicated to his professional ethics, touched Asella's body to fulfill his duties as her physician.
He had absolutely no self-awareness.
Sometimes he even showed aversion. Asella always noticed those sensitive moments.
At those times, her pride was somewhat hurt.
He might be accustomed to women's bodies from his extravagant life at the Marquis's estate.
Perhaps her still-developing body wasn't that interesting to him.
"You're my betrothed."
The nerve, the absolute nerve.
Of course, if Lars were to forget his place and try to take her as a woman, treating her like a real fiancée, Asella would immediately behead him.
It was merely a political engagement between their families.
She knew her thoughts were contradictory.
But she was allowed to be selfish.
It was the privilege of one with imperial blood.
Tyrants often make nations stronger than benevolent rulers do.
"I wonder what you're thinking."
Asella had always been curious about that.
Why does this man help her?
He always reluctantly supports her at critical moments.
The stomach pain she got in exchange for receiving talent.
Whenever pain rose from her abdomen, negative emotions enveloped her body as well.
Strangely, this man had always been by her side during those times recently.
When Camilla spoke harshly to her, when she had to receive education without resistance, when she grew to hate commoners, when she despaired imagining Max's death.
Each time, something writhed in her stomach and spoke to her.
It tempted her to unleash the magic she had learned, to destroy the world.
She had heard that mages sometimes experienced auditory or visual hallucinations as they reached higher circles.
Her teacher, Seymour, had techniques to maintain his sanity.
...Was it really because of magic?
Rather, it felt like something more intense was implanting destructive impulses within her.
"Lars."
It's strange since you came.
I feel like I don't hear the voices as much.
Was there anyone in the Imperial Palace who understood her condition as clearly as he did?
He even extracted blood by inserting needles into her body.
The pain actually decreased.
Even now, taking his medicine magically dulled the sensations and brought comfort.
Meanwhile.
"Cough."
The physician coughed deeply.
Asella thought he had regained consciousness and solemnly prepared to scold him.
The crime of making an Imperial Princess suffer was severe. She would make him pay somehow.
"Cough, cough."
But Lars didn't open his eyes; his coughing only grew deeper.
"Huh...?"
Asella finally realized something was wrong.
The sticky sensation on her palm that had been resting on Lars's cheek was unpleasant.
It was dark red blood.
"Lars?"
Asella startled and shook Lars's shoulders.
Still no response. His frail body shook lifelessly.
Asella's hands began to tremble. A dark cloud passed over her face.
She regretted staying idle all this time.
He too had taken the Celestial Dragon's curse head-on. Beyond the magic reflection, he might have suffered other adverse effects.
She should have suspected injuries when he didn't wake up, but she had been complacent.
"What... what should I do?"
Asella desperately racked her brain.
She couldn't use any healing spells. She had no magic that could help in this situation. Her mana was completely depleted anyway.
"Anything."
Snap!
Asella tore off Lars's robe.
She searched his inner pockets. Syringes filled with colorful liquids and various medicine bottles tumbled out.
"If I give him this..."
Asella was about to take out medicine but stopped.
Lars had always warned about overdosing on medication.
He had told her never to take more than two aspirin a day.
She might end up killing Lars if she fed him something without knowing what it was.
"What is what...!"
Clicking her tongue, Asella felt Lars's body.
His muscles were stiff as if paralyzed.
She grew anxious, feeling that something terrible would happen if she didn't act quickly.
"This."
What Asella found was a notebook.
The very notebook Lars always carried and wrote everything in.
Flip, flip.
Asella quickly read through the notebook.
It contained detailed information about the uses of medicines and injections.
There were also dense records about Asella's condition.
Some peculiar sentences caught her eye.
Some were crossed out with horizontal lines, while others remained.
[Executed and beheaded. Delete.]
[Died by suffocation magic. Delete.]
[Defeated by the Demon King's army.]
[Summoned a demon god by incorrectly subjugating the Demon King]
[Magic that destroys the Imperial Family.]
...
This was no time to waste on useless noise.
Asella turned the page and found useful information.
[Blood vomiting can be roughly stopped with candy]
[Enhancement needed when rank increases]
[Secure additional ingredients for candy, candidate list]
[Golden Rose: Superior variety of yellow rose, mainly found in Dragon nests or the western part of the demon realm]
"Candy."
Though there were some unfamiliar words, it was clear that the candy he always ate would improve his condition.
Asella roughly pulled out candy from his pocket.
She unwrapped it and stuffed it into his mouth, but it didn't seem very effective.
"I need water."
Asella immediately went outside the cabin and collected falling rainwater in her hands.
Her clothes got soaked, but she had no time to care about that.
She hurried back inside and poured the water into Lars's mouth, slowly dissolving the candy.
Lars's breathing gradually returned to normal.
But he still showed no signs of regaining consciousness.
"Do I need other ingredients?"
She checked the ingredients listed in the notebook.
There were drawings and descriptions of somewhat rare plants and fruits.
Asella roughly knew what they were from her education classes.
She thought the Golden Rose was what she needed right now.
"If this is near a dragon's nest..."
She immediately grabbed her staff and rushed out of the cabin.
***
"Phew."
I barely managed to open my eyes.
My whole body was numb. A side effect of the muscle enhancer.
Enough time had passed that my paralyzed muscles could move a little.
My mouth was sticky with dried blood.
It seems blood had flowed back vigorously while I was unconscious.
...Why do I taste sweetness too?
The text in my status window was scrolling frantically, making me even dizzier.
―――――――――――
· You have acquired the achievement [Promising Newcomer]. The Emperor of the Empire shows interest in you.
· You have acquired the achievement [Beginning of a Great Person]. Some citizens admire you.
· Medicine has ranked up to C rank. You can choose two new skills to learn.
· Due to talent rank increase, debuff Health Continuous Decrease D has ranked up to C.
―――――――――――
My medicine skill rank had increased.
Perhaps because aspirin and masks were widely distributed, and knights who benefited from them showed great performance.
The biggest factor would be Asella defeating the Celestial Dragon with my enhancement drug.
Experience points accumulated instantly.
Well, it's not a welcome timing since I took the curse head-on at the end.
'Health, I need to synthesize new candy.'
I need to move as soon as possible, but I can't seem to muster any strength.
I barely turn my head to assess my surroundings.
The sound of pattering raindrops.
In the darkness, a human figure sits demurely in front of me.
Recognizing immediately who it is, I call out to her.
"Your Highness."
Asella looked quite exhausted.
Too exhausted even to be angry with me.
Nevertheless, she briefly showed signs of relief, then held out a flower she had been holding.
"Is this what you need?"
The flower Asella carefully held in her mud-covered hands.
It was a golden rose that shone brilliantly even in the darkness.
"Where did you find this?"
Surprised by my involuntary question, Asella snorted as if it were nothing and answered:
"It was just lying around."
As I tried to take the rose from Asella, our hands overlapped, and she said to me:
"Young Lord, you asked if I dislike the Imperial Family."
"Yes."
"I do dislike it."
It was an answer I could fully anticipate.
"The Imperial Family is full of enemies. Besides Her Majesty... I can't think of anyone else who would summon the Celestial Dragon."
Asella spoke weakly, as if resigned.
She looked quite exhausted.
"My siblings, His Majesty, they're all enemies. Why should I like such an Imperial Family? There's no family of mine anywhere here."
Considering their attitude at the martial arts tournament, Asella's opinion was reasonable.
She couldn't possibly feel attached to the Imperial Family or the palace. Perhaps it would be justified if she destroyed them, like in the Empire's destruction ending.
But such a thing shouldn't happen.
"Is family important to you?"
"I think... it is."
"Then you should acquire it. Just like other things you've obtained, Your Highness."
"How? No matter how hard I try, they won't acknowledge me. Her Majesty is only disappointed in me."
"Existing family isn't the only family. You could create a new one."
I'm not sure if it's the right answer, but I offered a fundamental solution.
Asella paused after hearing my words.
Her hand holding the rose stem trembled slightly.
She looked straight at me and said:
"...With you?"
No, that's not what I meant.