The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 20: Lap Pillow

“Haaah.”

I let out a ragged breath.

My head was spinning.

No matter how many times I blinked, my vision stayed cloudy.

It was dark all around—probably nightfall.

What... happened again?

I remembered successfully finishing the practical exam and returning to my room in a rather cheerful mood.

The stench of goblin corpses, damp soil, and mildew clung to my uniform, so I’d taken off my top first, unable to stand it...

That’s where the memory cut off.

“Kuhak, kuhak.”

I coughed uncontrollably.

I wanted to speak, but the only sound that came from my throat was a harsh rasp—like the goblins I’d heard earlier scratching with their claws.

What the hell... What’s going on?

First, the status window.

―――――――――――

· Diagnosis D has ranked up to Diagnosis C.

· Medicine E has ranked up to Medicine D.

· Skill [Blood Test D] has been unlocked.

―――――――――――

My medical skill had leveled up.

No surprise, really—I’d used medicine nonstop during the exam today.

Having dealt with real patients all day, the experience gain was inevitable.

“Blood Test skill, huh. Wonder how far it goes.”

In hospitals, the most common fasting blood test was CBC—Complete Blood Count.

It analyzed red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets—letting you broadly assess a patient’s health and detect various conditions. It was the most basic and versatile diagnostic test.

If this skill could do something similar, it would allow for even more precise analysis than regular Diagnosis.

But then... why is my body like this?

I scrolled further down—and found the reason.

―――――――――――

· Talent has ranked up to D.

· Debuff [Persistent HP Reduction E] (Growth Type, Non-removable) has ranked up to Persistent HP Reduction D.

―――――――――――

Ah. So as my talent grew... the debuff evolved with it.

Great. Just great.

“Ngh.”

The stinging sensation in my upper stomach intensified.

Felt like stomach acid was eating away at my insides from the inside out.

My remaining HP was around 4. Out of a maximum of 11.

I’d used up quite a bit during the exam, and the debuff must’ve been steadily draining me ever since.

Guess I’ve been slowly dying this whole time.

They say {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} even a great doctor can’t cure himself.

And I couldn’t use Diagnosis on myself.

Based on the symptoms, it was probably a stomach ulcer.

The debuff’s rate of damage exceeded the recovery rate of the candy. That’s what did it.

I must’ve collapsed into a relatively comfortable position while dozing off—so the drain during sleep had been slower.

Even now, something soft and plush was gently supporting the back of my head.

...Wait.

What’s cushioning me on the floor?

I slowly turned my head.

When I looked up toward the ceiling, I saw two golden eyes glowing in the darkness—staring straight down at me.

Ah.

I think I had a heart attack for two full seconds.

Thankfully, I was still alive.

“You’re awake,”

Asella’s cold voice echoed in my ears.

“Your Highness, why are you he—kugh, kuhak.”

I couldn’t even finish the sentence before another coughing fit hit me.

Thankfully, I managed to cover my mouth in time, sparing her from the lovely scent of whatever I’d coughed up.

Still, her brow twitched.

Seemed I’d irritated her.

“You’re even coughing now?”

“Just choked a bit, that’s all.”

“You were passed out on the floor.”

Was she starting to suspect my condition?

Having it get out that the personal physician couldn’t even manage his own body would benefit no one—

Especially not if the patient in question was the one finding out.

That would shatter professional trust.

“Me? No, no. I was just exhausted from the exam and fell asleep like that.”

“...On the floor?”

“I find it comfortable.”

“While changing clothes?”

“I was that tired.”

Asella narrowed her eyes and stared at me as if she could see through every word.

Also—wait.

Is she... holding my head right now?

When did she even enter my room?

“Your Highness, why is my head—”

“You don’t like it?”

If you’re asking whether I like it or not, then obviously not.

Judging by the texture, my head was resting on her lap. And her hand was placed gently on top of it.

It was like sticking my head into a crocodile’s gaping mouth. free𝑤ebnovel.com

And not just any crocodile—the one who had already clawed my face a few times before.

I wanted to sit up before I gave her another reason to be mad, but my body wouldn’t respond. I had no strength.

When I stayed silent, Asella finally spoke again.

“Lucie usually does this for me.”

“Lucie...?”

“My head maid.”

Oh—she was the one who’d watched the entire exam stone-faced.

“Your Highness, I don’t know what brought this on, but there must be some misunderstanding. More importantly, as a noble lady, it’s hardly proper to be alone in a man’s room, is it?”

“We’re engaged.”

“Well... that’s true.”

“Did I misunderstand something?”

“The sun shines white and bright at noon, but by afternoon, it turns amber and sticky.”

A metaphor—what you see isn’t always the full picture.

I was trying to communicate that my body was fine.

“Why are you lying to me?”

“I’m not lying. And even if I were, it wouldn’t be something Your Highness needs to worry about. A personal physician’s duty is to ease the concerns of his patients, not burden them.”

“...Is that so?”

She seemed unconvinced but didn’t press further about my condition.

Thank God.

...

A moment of silence passed between us.

And then—slide.

Asella placed her hand gently against my cheek and leaned in.

Her hand was cold, but comfortingly so.

From my lying position, her face appeared upside down.

“Young Master... do you want to stay like this?”

It was a hard question to interpret.

She must’ve been getting bored since I hadn’t moved for a while.

I wanted to move.

I wanted to—but I had no strength left.

“Your Highness, may I ask you one small favor?”

“Try me.”

As expected—nothing came for free with Her Highness.

“...I’ll give you one candy.”

At my reply, Asella faintly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“Where is it?”

“Ah, inside the jacket I took off. It’s right behind you, on the bed.”

“Let’s see... ...You’ve got a lot in here. One piece? That’s not a fair trade.”

“One piece. That was the deal, wasn’t it?”

Rustle, rustle.

I heard the sound of packaging.

Asella pulled out two candies and tossed one onto my chest.

“Want me to unwrap it for you too?”

“Of course not.”

I couldn't even imagine what she’d ask for in return if I said yes.

I unwrapped the candy and popped it into my mouth.

A soft honeyed sweetness bloomed on my tongue—and a system message followed, indicating stamina restoration.

It wasn’t enough to cancel the debuff outright, but at least it slowed it down for now. I’d need to find a more stable solution soon.

“So this is what it tastes like.”

Before I knew it, Asella had placed the other candy in her own mouth.

Click, click—the candy clinked between her teeth as she rolled it around.

“Do you like it?”

“No. I hate sweet things.”

Same here, honestly.

“But this one’s not bad. It tastes special... maybe because I took it from you.”

“I’m glad it pleases you.”

Her way of thinking really was something else.

The infamous villainess of this era—how she reveled in plundering, stealing, and enjoying the pain of others.

Asella clicked her tongue and pulled the candy from her mouth with a soft pop, then waved it in front of my face.

“If I don’t finish this candy I stole from you, you’ll feel a deep sense of loss, right?”

“Absolutely.”

If it makes you happy, sure—take everything.

Apparently, my answer satisfied her. I could see her trying not to smile.

“So then... what should I do with this?”

“If you’re going to throw it away, give it back. It’d be a waste.”

At that, Asella flinched and leaned her head slightly back.

“...You really want to eat something I already had in my mouth?”

“I like that candy.”

“No.”

She rejected it firmly and pulled the candy close to her chest.

She was going to throw it away—but wouldn’t let me have it.

Figures. Do as you like.

...Wait. Rustle, rustle.

She was now carefully pushing the candy back into its wrapper.

...What is she doing?

“Young Master.”

“Yes?”

“The exam?”

“I made it into the final selection.”

“As you should.”

Asella replied calmly, then slipped the candy into the folds of her dress.

“Ngh.”

Thanks to the sugar, I was starting to feel a little better. Time to get up.

“Your Highness, it’s already dinnertime. Shouldn’t you go have something to eat?”

I offered politely, but Asella remained where she was, unmoving.

“Your Highness?”

“Wait.”

She raised her palm toward me.

What, does she think I’m a loyal hound? I’m not Max.

Then again... I guess I am for now.

“Why aren’t you getting up?”

“I said wait.”

Looking closer, her legs were twitching slightly.

She was fidgeting, especially with her small toes.

Ah. Her legs fell asleep.

“Your Highness, when that happens, massaging from the upper thigh helps alleviate the numbness faster. Here—follow my lead. Straighten your knees a little and lean your upper body forward...”

“Young Master. Get out.”

“This is my room.”

“...Then at least put some clothes on!”

Asella snapped, turning her head sharply away.

Damn. We’d reached the irritation stage.

Whatever I did, I clearly crossed some major line.

And if I made her any angrier, it’d definitely be my head on the chopping block.

So I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the room like my life depended on it.

***

I sent Asella off to the formal dinner first.

During that time, I reworked my rose honey candy formula.

Right now, using Enhancement alone didn’t improve the recovery rate.

I figured the problem was with the ingredient quality, so I applied Property Change to alter the rose medicine’s components and then enhanced it.

Since the outcome of Property Change depended on chance, I had to roll the dice multiple times.

Eventually—Bingo.

―――――――――――

Special Rose Honey Candy (Refined, Altered, Synthesized)

Effect upon consumption: Recovers 0.6 HP over 6 hours from internal bleeding

Flavor note: Extremely sweet!

―――――――――――

I had finally crafted a candy that could cover my current rate of stamina loss.

I did waste about twenty precious candies in the process, but hey—I can always make more.

I’d have to, since the stamina drain would only keep getting worse from here.

“If it keeps dropping, I’ll just keep recovering. No big deal.”

Frequent sugar intake wasn’t a bad thing either.

...As long as I didn’t get diabetes.

While treating myself, a question crossed my mind.

What’s Asella’s debuff?

It’d be easy enough to find out with Diagnosis—but I couldn’t just casually use a skill on her yet. Not until I officially became her personal physician.

As someone highly sensitive to magic, Asella would notice the moment I cast anything on her.

And even then, my current Diagnosis rank wasn’t high enough to guarantee accurate results.

Every talent comes with a price. If you remove the price—the debuff—

Then the talent would disappear too.

Given how my own debuff was an incurable condition, that was likely true for her as well.

But on the off chance I could remove hers... it might erase several bad endings all at once.

Even weakening Asella’s magic just a little would significantly reduce the number of disasters she could cause.

But that’s only possible if I become her official physician.

The final evaluation would be held tomorrow.

For now, I decided to rest as much as possible for what was to come.