The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 15: Personal Physician Examination (1)

The head maid had already composed herself at the break of dawn to greet her master.

Members of the imperial family, sanctioned by the emperor, were considered beings of a higher race, distinctly set apart from commoners.

Whenever a member of the imperial family took a single step, a multitude of retainers moved in unison to serve them.

Knights, secretaries, attendants, and the personal physician.

Currently, the emperor had over twenty members of the imperial family residing within the palace.

And the specialized personnel assigned to assist them? Their numbers easily multiplied by several dozen.

The Imperial Knights boasted the strongest combat power in the empire, and the internal medical division, comprising personal physicians and faction healers, was similarly renowned for its authority and exceptional skill.

But the successor candidates, even more so than the other relatives of the emperor, held a special status. The internal factions of the imperial family were naturally divided into factions such as the First Prince’s faction, the First Princess’s faction, and so forth.

Asella, despite being the youngest of the successor candidates, was steadily expanding her influence, starting with the knights.

There was a specific reason why she did not have a personal physician.

The head maid, who had been caring for Asella since she was a child, was well aware of the reason.

It was because the healers couldn’t endure Asella’s magic and ended up collapsing.

“No matter how reputable the Gotberg family is as a household of healers, if they send some nobody, it would be of no help to Her Highness at all.”

Yet, strangely enough, Asella seemed to secretly desire that delinquent to be chosen.

When she heard such rumors, the head maid found it utterly mysterious. The Asella who had always detested the engagement — what could have caused such a change of heart?

“I have to keep an eye on the examination to ensure it proceeds properly. For Her Highness’s sake.”

She had been entrusted with an important task. The head maid steeled herself, determined not to blink even once during today’s practical examination.

Thinking so, the head maid stationed herself in front of the first floor of the east wing where Asella resided.

Standing guard in front of her master’s door before they awoke was the basic duty of a maid.

With a strong sense of professionalism, she had never once been late in the eleven years she had served as Asella’s maid.

Once Asella woke up, it was her duty to handle the bathing, undressing, and overall appearance preparation.

But then — thud!

A dull sound echoed from Asella’s room.

Sensing something was wrong, the head maid boldly opened Asella’s door without hesitation.

“Your Highness, pardon my intrusion.”

Sure enough, Asella had fallen from the bed and lay sprawled on the floor.

Her forehead was drenched in cold sweat as she clutched her abdomen. Though her half-open eyes maintained a blank ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) expression, her breathing was labored.

“Your Highness!”

The head maid rushed to her side, carefully reaching out to touch her.

When she tried to lift her, Asella recoiled like a turtle, withdrawing into herself. It was a sign of rejection. Moving her body carelessly would only worsen the pain.

In the end, the head maid could do nothing but support Asella’s head, ensuring she was at least somewhat comfortable.

“This again...”

It was something that had been happening occasionally since Asella was a child.

Asella lived with persistent abdominal pain.

They said it was the “price” of possessing magical “talent,” but to the head maid, who had no such talent, it was impossible to fathom what that felt like.

Occasionally, when the pain intensified during the night, Asella would awaken, writhing like this until morning.

The sight of Asella rolling on the floor, unable to utter a single word, made it clear just how excruciating the pain was.

What the head maid found most heartbreaking was that Asella had never once screamed in agony.

Thus, until morning, the head maid had no way of knowing Asella’s condition.

“When will this ever...?”

Many healers had attempted to alleviate Asella’s pain, but all their efforts had been in vain.

That was why Asella had never had a personal physician.

“Lately, the intervals are getting shorter.”

The head maid could now understand why Asella’s tone had become increasingly sharp and irritable.

A fourteen-year-old girl, living in a constant state of such pain — it was impossible not to become frustrated.

Even Asella’s mother, Empress Camilla, demanded her daughter endure it gracefully, claiming that the price of talent was only natural.

The head maid felt utterly helpless, unable to do anything but watch.

That was why she had pinned her hopes on the upcoming selection of a personal physician.

She desperately hoped that a capable healer would be chosen as Asella’s personal physician and finally cure her.

“But if that delinquent gets chosen...”

The head maid couldn’t shake the feeling that this entire situation had been orchestrated by the empress for political reasons.

It was thirty minutes later when Asella’s breathing finally returned to a steady rhythm.

Only then did the head maid manage to lift her back onto the bed.

“Please rest a bit more, Your Highness. I will inform the Empress that today’s schedule will be started at a more relaxed pace.”

“That would just get me scolded.”

Asella barely moved her lips as she spoke.

“Your health is more important. But for your condition to have worsened so suddenly... Did you go out to the streets?”

At the head maid’s question, Asella remained silent.

“It was the day you said you were going to meet Lord Gotberg. My negligence.”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

“You must not overdo it.”

“But it was fun.”

“Fun?”

The head maid was visibly surprised.

Asella frequently visited the streets under the guise of inspecting the citizens.

Yet each time, the commoners only disappointed her, and not once had Asella ever said she had fun.

“Yes, it was fun. The coffee was rich, and there were all sorts of commoners, and Lord Las was...”

Asella’s words trailed off, as though she were guarding a precious secret.

Understanding her place, the head maid asked no further questions.

“Please oversee the examination,” Asella said.

“Understood.”

What Asella wanted was, of course, the results of the personal physician examination.

Leaving her position to the other maids, the head maid headed toward the northern gate of the estate.

***

“Master, the formation is complete,” Tanya reported to my father.

My father nodded and reviewed the lineup. Thirty knights from the Condenburg Knights, divided into six squads of five members each.

He glanced over the healers, including me, and delivered the instructions.

“The candidates will be assigned to the squads in pairs. Injuries are inevitable during monster subjugation. Your ability to respond effectively will determine the final selection.”

My father’s expression was stern. The healers, too, wore tense expressions without exception.

No, there was one exception.

“Tsk, I’m not an adventurer. Monster subjugation, really?”

One of the healers muttered to himself in complaint.

My father, with his sharp ears, caught every word and immediately responded.

“A personal physician must be able to heal their master under any circumstances — even in the midst of a battlefield swarming with monsters. If you disagree with the examination method, get out, Lucius!”

“N-No, sir!”

Lucius, the healer who had been called out by name, immediately straightened up, his posture stiff.

“Now then, we will organize the squads based on the written test scores. Tanya, take charge.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tanya began assigning the twelve healers to their respective squads.

All of them were talents from the marquisate, awaiting only their graduation from the training academy.

‘But in the end, they’re nothing more than desk-bound healers.’

Whether they spent their lives cultivating faith and divine power or aiming for the imperial court rather than personal practice or adventurer work, it didn’t matter to me.

I had no intention of losing to these bookish dandies who just wanted a cushy position under the warm glow of imperial power.

“Young Master, you’re with us,” Tanya said, gesturing to me.

The squad under Tanya’s command was waiting for me.

“Hmph! This formation suits me just fine,” someone said, throwing me a glare.

It was Gis, the ace of the training academy.

The same fool who had been fumbling around when Max had choked.

“Oh? You’re pleased?”

“Yes. Young Master forced his way into this examination without proper qualifications. I was certain there must have been some backdoor deal due to your engagement with the princess.”

Gis’s gaze was sharp, filled with hostility.

It seemed he’d already crafted some elaborate scenario in his head. How tiring.

“But now that we’re in the same squad, everyone will clearly see the difference in skill between you and me. I have no complaints. I won’t be unjustly eliminated.”

“Haha. Naturally, that won’t happen.”

I smiled and responded to Gis, my grin wide.

“I’ll make sure to thoroughly convince everyone before kicking you out. I’ll show you the skill gap firsthand, so there won’t be any doubts.”

“Ugh...! Have you even attended a single lecture or prayer session? I’ve been setting new records in the training academy every single day!”

Gis’s face flushed as he pounded his chest in indignation.

“What you have isn’t confidence, it’s arrogance, Young Master. I’ve undergone countless practical training sessions at the academy. How could someone as lazy as you possibly defeat me?”

Oh, practical training, huh?

I was already bored stiff of practical combat.

If there’s ever a spot open in a hero’s party in the future, I should strongly recommend him.

“There will be no disruptions during the operation,” Tanya interrupted firmly. “The two of you were paired based on the written exam scores. Gis is ranked first, while the Young Master, who skipped the written exam, is assumed to be the lowest.”

“So that’s how you’re balancing the teams, huh? Fine by me. Doesn’t matter who my teammate is.”

—Crunch.

I took out a honey candy from my pocket.

Carefully peeling away the wrapper to avoid breaking the candy, the sweet scent wafted into the air.

I popped it into my mouth. Immediately, my stamina began to recover, and my mind cleared up.

Ahh. I even felt my mood lifting.

Now I could afford to be a little more merciful.

“Well, I suppose the knights in my squad are lucky then. Don’t worry about injuries. Just fight.”

“I will do my best to fulfill my duty. During the operation, I am in command, so please follow orders strictly,” Tanya said, ever serious.

Wow. Even when I make a joke, she takes it dead seriously. It’s almost embarrassing.

“Of course. Just as the Young Master said, there’s no need to worry. I, Gis, will guard the rear with the honor of the academy at stake!”

Gis pounded his chest and held up his sacred book confidently before joining the knights.

He looked to be in his early twenties, overflowing with confidence, likely because he was set to graduate as the top of his class at the healing academy.

The typical overzealous rookie who wears everyone out right before entering society.

Ugh, how annoying.

But with the honey candy in my mouth, I felt generous. No need to waste my breath shouting pointlessly.

I was about to step forward when Tanya lightly placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Young Master, I have higher expectations for you than for the other healers,” she said, her gaze intense and unwavering.

Whoa. Coming on that strong all of a sudden is a bit overwhelming.

Tanya stepped forward and addressed the knights.

“Recently, monsters from the northern forest have been descending into the territory. There have been reports of attacks on farmlands and roads beyond the city walls.”

Monster subjugation missions were a regular task for the knights, regardless of the personal physician examination.

Monsters tended to appear en masse depending on their species and the time of year.

“What kind of monsters?” I asked.

“Goblins,” Tanya replied.

“Just goblins?”

“Not exactly a tough opponent.”

“Will we even need to heal anyone?”

The healers, who knew little about monsters, began to relax. I clapped my hands sharply to draw their attention.

“Think again. If the knights are being deployed for mere goblins, it means they’re not ordinary goblins. There’s probably a hobgoblin acting as a leader, coordinating them. Get careless, and you’ll end up severely injured.”

Despite my warning, the healers still looked like they didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.

It wasn’t surprising. They had no real combat experience.

“The Young Master is right,” Tanya said, backing me up. “A goblin may have the intelligence and strength of a small child, but once they band together, they’ll tear you apart in seconds. We’re headed to the battlefield. Stay alert!”

Thud.

Tanya stomped her foot, and the healers jolted, swallowing nervously.

“Healers, especially, have no combat abilities, so be extra cautious. I expect no healer to end up injured before the knights in the front line.”

The healers exchanged uneasy glances.

Swish —

Tanya unsheathed her sword and pivoted toward the dark expanse of the forest ahead.

“Move out!”

At Tanya’s command, the knights and healers formed ranks and began to march forward.

At the rear were the evaluators — my father, the instructors from the healing academy, and a few knights acting as guards.

And one more — the head maid, who had appointed herself as Asella’s examiner.

“Goblins, huh,” I muttered.

I knew how to handle them.

Compared to the Demon King’s army, they were like children playing pretend.

Not that I intended to fight. This was a physician exam, not a knight’s exam.

But still, I had to protect myself.

I drew a sword instead of the holy book.