The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 54: Social Party (2)

Impressions.

Noble social parties are exhausting.

I’m no different from Asella’s brooch. Like an ornament, I stayed quietly by her side.

Since this was her first party appearance, Asella received greetings from countless nobles. It’s honestly impressive how she remembers all their names.

Standing like a silent decorative object with a polite smile, just as she ordered, wasn’t too bad.

“So you’re the eldest son of the Gotberg Marquessate? It would be an honor to shake your hand.”

“I watched the martial arts tournament video. That Sword Expert Tanya! If she’s loyal to you, then you must truly be extraordinary!”

“I heard you cured the entire palace of the epidemic by yourself. Ho ho, I’m dying to know your secret.”

Dealing with middle-aged nobles is draining.

Well, even if Neria had come as our family’s representative, anyone trying to forge ties with House Gotberg would naturally go through me.

I’m sure some of these connections will be useful once I expand my business.

Father was never the social type, so it was up to me to make a good first impression.

“Onii-sama, look at this cake! It’s piled up like a mountain!”

Neria, having completely forgotten her role, excitedly bounced around the refreshment table.

“Oh my, Lady Neria. Do try this Mont Blanc.”

“This crème brûlée is delightfully sweet too.”

Still, she was steadily increasing our family’s favorability.

She was being adored by several noble ladies all at once.

With Boris and Bruno on guard duty, there was little risk of any trouble.

Setting aside the old men, that is.

“Wait, he’s really the Gotberg heir? That’s not what I heard at all!”

“Hey, he’s the chief physician of the Imperial Clinic! I heard even the First and Second Princesses tried to recruit him!”

“A scoundrel? He’s nothing like that—he’s a total gentleman. If I’d known, I would’ve accepted the marriage proposal and met him at least once.”

“How did Princess Asella snatch him up first? I’m jealous. The royal family’s intelligence really is on another level.”

“Young Master, do you have any siblings?”

“Or even cousins?”

“I’d be fine even as a concubine. If I send a letter to the Clinic, will it reach you directly?”

I never realized the Empire had so many noble families. And just as many daughters, apparently.

One by one, they’d greet Asella, then come over and throw some line at me before walking off.

Since Asella had ordered me not to open my mouth, it was torture.

At this rate, I’ll probably get rumors going that I’m mute.

Surrounded by noble girls, I glanced at Asella. She looked—surprisingly—rather pleased.

Could it be that the social scene suits her after all?

Well, when she became Emperor, something like 80% of the imperial nobility supported her.

“My weakness, you ask? Ahahaha! That’s the most foolish question I’ve heard all year, healer. Do you really think I, of all people, have a weakness?”

“Since childhood, I mastered every discipline—magic, politics, and rhetoric. Even the socialites couldn’t keep up with my conversation. I’m sure they all realized, too late, that they’d been thoroughly outwitted.”

“But why ask, hmm? Going to jot it down and make sure to kill me next time? You’d have better luck shooting down the moon.”

For anyone else, that level of arrogance would be unbearable—but for Asella, it was just confidence. She really is a genius.

She’s probably laying bait right now, reeling in the young nobles.

She must’ve memorized all their profiles like study material. I have no idea when she had time for that.

“I’ll receive the next round of greetings in one hour.”

Asella’s knight stepped forward. Royals don’t get a break from greetings at parties, so they have scheduled rests.

Asella slipped away from the crowd and sat at a secluded table. A steward came with a cocktail, but I stepped in.

“No alcohol. Bring her herbal tea instead.”

“Understood. Herbal tea.”

As the steward took the glass away, Asella grumbled.

“I wanted coffee.”

“No, ma’am. When you’re an adult.”

“I’ve had it before. I was fine.”

“And at the time, you said if I became your physician, you’d start listening to me. Oh dear, someone dropped their Imperial Clinic pass. I wonder whose it is?”

“...Annoying.”

Asella scowled, then subtly pointed with her chin.

“That’s Lady Schwarzschweik. The star of today’s party. Her father earned the merits, but the duchy is sure to prosper.”

“Indeed. Quite the crowd around her. The man on the stairs must be the Western Duke.”

“Correct. I’ll wait to approach. If I go first, it’ll look bad. My rank is higher anyway.”

Even at her first social debut, Asella already had it all mapped out. Looks like she plans to dominate the duchy from here.

“His Majesty isn’t attending?”

“The Duke probably had a private audience. His Majesty doesn’t do well with events like these. Besides, the vibe’s relatively young.”

“That’s true.”

“...Is it boring?”

Asella, oddly fidgety, asked me.

“This gathering? Boredom isn’t the issue. It’s an important day for you, Princess.”

“That’s true. Still...”

“Yes?”

Asella pursed her lips, then held back whatever she’d been about to say.

“Never mind.”

“During breaks like this, it’s best to just rest. It’s called zoning out.”

“I know that. Don’t be so uptight even here.”

Since she was irritated, I shut up.

A moment later, music began to play and the lights shifted.

The spotlight illuminated the stage as several nobles paired up to dance.

“Do you know how to dance?”

“Ha, not at all.”

“...Seriously? What were you doing instead?”

“Studying healing magic?”

“Liar.”

“I’m serious.”

I spent my life hunting monsters, slaying demons, and crawling through battlefields. When would I have had time to dance?

Only the stage was lit, the rest of the room dim. It felt like watching another world entirely.

I stared blankly as Lauga danced exuberantly with some noble’s daughter he’d snagged from somewhere.

As I watched, Asella suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Come.”

She led me out of the ballroom and down the corridor, arriving at a quiet balcony.

“You can still hear the music from here.”

“Yes. And the view’s quite nice.”

I looked down. A perfectly manicured garden stretched below, with a life-size goddess statue at its center.

That statue was a checkpoint in the original story. I’d seen it a few times in the palace too.

“Princess, did you know? When you’re near a goddess statue, you get minor passive buffs. For example, it nullifies low-grade black magic—”

“Enough of that. Look at me.”

Orders are orders.

I stopped rambling and turned to face her.

“Take my hand and raise your arm.”

I moved as she instructed, and she stepped in close.

Her hair brushed just under my nose, tickling faintly.

“Step forward with your right foot on the next beat.”

“Excuse me?”

“Beat.”

Without warning, Asella put weight on me. I stumbled into step.

I lowered my gaze, following her footwork.

I’d already missed the rhythm. Trying not to step on her toes tangled my timing further.

All I ended up with was an awkward shuffle like clattering hooves. If this were tap dancing, I’d score high, but unfortunately, it was supposed to be a slow blues.

“Hmph, you’re terrible.”

“I told you, I’ve never done this.”

Asella looked up at me with a satisfied smile.

Apparently, tormenting me brought her joy.

“Having fun yet?”

Her golden eyes caught the terrace light, sparkling like gemstones.

I remembered that the eyes were where mana overflowed the most easily.

It felt like swimming through a lake at sunset.

“A little.”

Well, it was a novel experience.

Asella snorted at my reply, then looked down and resumed the steps.

Rustle, rustle.

Her hair drifted gently as we moved, and then she spoke quietly.

“Hey, Young Master.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Please ask.”

“...Do you dream often?”

“Dreams?”

Why bring this up now?

I couldn’t begin to guess.

“How about you, Princess? Sleep quality matters. Nightmares are common when your breathing is disrupted, such as with nasal inflammation—”

“I hear voices.”

“Voices.”

“Yes. They say things... awful things I’d never think of.”

Could it be the lingering traces of the black magic embedded in her womb?

Georg said Camilla implanted the soul of a grand witch into her.

If he heard it from Camilla, it might not be completely false.

I don’t know exactly what Asella’s fighting. I’m no expert in black magic.

But I do know what pain feels like in a body ravaged by disease.

Whether it’s a spirit or a curse or whatever—

To me, it’s just a pathogen tormenting my patient.

It must be removed.

So I asked her again the question I once did before.

“Are you in much pain?”

Asella gently shook her head.

“I’m fine. For now.”

“Princess, I meant the sickness that torments you from within.”

“...Yeah.”

“I will cure it.”

She accepted my declaration calmly, replying in a soft voice.

“You promised.”

I felt her fingers tighten around mine.

Even for her age, her fingers were frighteningly thin, and compared to my unimpressive strength, far too frail.

Like a rose stem ready to snap at a touch.

A long silence followed.

The midsummer night breeze was warm enough that no coat was needed.

Step by step, I danced slowly with Asella as time drifted by.

“You should answer too.”

“About the dream?”

“Yeah. Do you... have nightmares?”

Nightmares.

Not a topic I liked revisiting.

“Why the face?”

Had I made a strange expression?

“No, it’s nothing.”

Ever since I experienced my first death, I kept flashing back to it under similar circumstances.

Naturally, the more deaths I went through, the more variations I saw.

One hundred and one, to be exact.

Sometimes the flashbacks helped me plan better, so it wasn’t all bad.

Even in sleep, it ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) wasn’t an exception. I usually woke up from dying in a dream.

If I fainted instead, I wouldn’t see it—that was better.

When I wake up, I make sure to forget immediately. Letting it linger would ruin my day.

But sometimes...

Even during the day, the images come back.

“Las? Why’d you go quiet?”

Like now—when I look directly at Asella’s face.

I raised the corners of my mouth.

“I’m still human. I have nightmares too. But I get good dreams as well. Just this morning, I flew through the sky on a unicorn.”

“If you were flying, it was a pegasus. Unicorns don’t let flirts like you ride them.”

“Haha, well, a dream’s a dream.”

Even though she was insulting me, Asella didn’t look amused like usual. She seemed... uneasy.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally opened her mouth again.

“...Then what’s that notebook you keep writing in?”