“Phew.”
As I regained my senses and stood up, I heard a ringing in my ears.
I hadn’t been out for long since my position hadn’t changed.
As the beep sound subsided, a clear voice filled my ears.
“Speak. What have you done to Lars?”
The atmosphere was quite fierce. Acella was standing in front of Lishe, arms crossed, pressuring her.
“Speak.”
“Um, I…”
Acella’s glare pierced through with an intent to kill. Anyone standing before her would be tense like this.
Lishe was recoiling like prey before a predator.
“I don’t know what has happened to my physician. She suddenly collapsed…”
“You’re telling me you don’t know after hugging my attending physician? Ah, then you probably don’t know why your head is spinning, either. Or is hugging like that the common way of greeting among commoners?”
“That’s not—”
“You’re still unaware of what you’ve got in that body of yours. Obviously, you must have been poorly educated in the countryside. The mysterious thing is, an ordinary person like Lars could be broken just by being near you. On top of that, he’s weak!”
Acella snapped at Lishe.
As the throbbing in my head calmed down, I slowly got up.
“Hey, Lars!”
Acella hurriedly ran to me, checking my complexion. I responded with a light smile.
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Right. Where in the world does an attending physician collapse in front of their lord?”
Acella turned her head and commanded.
“Tanya, take everyone else out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Thud, the door closed, leaving only Acella and me in the spacious reception room.
She squatted in front of me, placing her palm against my face.
It was cool, and my mind cleared.
“Lars, are you okay?”
“I am fine. It’s nothing serious.”
“What symptoms do you have? Did you have your mana drained by the hero?”
“It has nothing to do with the hero. I was testing a new medication, and it seems there were side effects.”
“Ugh, really…”
Acella let out a sigh of relief but furrowed her brows, clicking her tongue.
“Then why was he hugging you?”
“Well, that could be said to be a side effect of the medication.”
Lishe had developed a dual personality disorder due to resonance with the Holy Sword.
Even if she wasn’t aware of it, she was probably in a state of anxiety, and the ‘Sanctuary’ buff I had acquired through alchemy was likely the type that could alleviate Lishe’s symptoms.
A type that defends those around her from mental attacks. It must be a blessing type.
It wasn’t a fundamental cure, though.
Acella seemed skeptical of my words.
“Lars, are you lying for the hero?”
“Why would I? Is there a reason for me to do that?”
I did have a sense of obligation to help Lishe.
There were many times I had received help from the future.
Erasing the bad endings right away was part of it.
“Let me see.”
Acella said that and then sat on me like how Lishe had pulled me in earlier, intertwining our bodies.
“…Hmm.”
Unlike Lishe, who was awkward, Acella moved as if she knew every inch of my body.
Her arm wrapped around the space between my ribs and waist, her chin brushed against my collarbone as she settled in.
…Our lower bodies touched.
As Acella tilted her head, her blonde hair flowed down from her ear, tickling my nose.
Along with an indescribable aroma.
“…Something has changed.”
Acella said, seemingly relaxed, letting her body loose and taking a deep breath.
Considering her usual work in the palace and the stress from being a princess, perhaps she was feeling the effects of the sanctuary buff quite well.
“…Hmm.”
Acella seemed to have completely forgotten her earlier anger, becoming a gentle leopard as she buried her nose into my neck.
I sensed it wouldn’t end like this.
I opened my mouth.
“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t sleep.”
“I’m not asleep.”
Acella replied like that and, about ten seconds later, suddenly lifted her head.
She was barely resisting the urge to lose her composure.
“Be careful anyway. Lars, the hero is an incomprehensible mystery. You know that.”
“I know very well.”
“It’s a powerful light that illuminates the pitch-black darkness. Any bugs that get too close to it will burn up.”
I understood the metaphor, but comparing me to a bug was a bit harsh.
“Don’t get too involved. Keep it at the work level.”
It was as if she already knew the fate that awaited me when I became deeply involved with Lishe.
Looking at it from another perspective, since I joined the hero party, I naturally faced many bad endings, so it was reasonable that I wouldn’t feel great about it.
I had to deal with the Demon King’s army, but I had no intention of directly participating in the party.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Acella nodded, still looking worried.
“Oh, speaking of work, it would be necessary to give the hero the Holy Sword.”
“Why?”
Acella questioned, furrowing her brows.
“I understand your concerns, but I uncovered the cause of the previous rampage. I can control it. For treatment and for swordsmanship, the hero needs to get accustomed to the Holy Sword.”
Acella pondered for a moment after hearing my words.
“Can you really control it?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. I’ll allow it, just for you. You have my permission to proceed.”
“Thank you. I’ll visit you before you sleep.”
At my words, Acella tilted her head back and gulped.
“…You’re talking about the treatment, right?”
“Yes, about the treatment.”
“I know.”
Acella fanned herself, distancing herself from me.
When I stepped outside, Tanya was waiting.
“Doctor.”
I walked down the corridor of the Moonlight Palace under her escort.
“What about the hero?”
“He returned to his room.”
“I guess we’ll have to talk later.”
“It’s about the Holy Sword. I understand it’s an important factor in defeating the Demon King.”
Tanya seemed a bit wary.
“Honestly, isn’t this outside your job scope? Shouldn’t you just be in charge of the hero’s health?”
“That’s true.”
“If you harm your own health, it defeats the purpose.”
Hmm, both Acella and Tanya had some misunderstandings.
Was my collapse really that big of a deal?
“I mentioned it because you seemed a little rushed. Right now, the hero needs time to learn fighting techniques more than anything else.”
Tanya’s point was valid.
Including Lishe, the hero party had to become stronger than any round I had experienced before.
Only then could I gradually erase the bad endings caused by combat.
There was a quite high probability of the Holy Sword Destruction bad ending, so it was a bit too much of a focus.
“Just like the commander said, we have to give the hero time. Keep training him as you have been. If a chance arises, take him into actual combat.”
“…You’re not saying you rushed because you won’t have time to watch the hero’s growth, are you?”
“Hmm?”
I didn’t quite understand what that meant.
“I’ve vaguely noticed it for a while. The change in your demeanor began when you started learning medicine from the teacher of the medical association.”
That association is fake, though.
“You, of all people, should know your own body best. Could it be… are you suffering from an incurable disease that leads to death?”
If she speculated about a talent debuff, it wasn’t a completely incorrect assumption.
“Don’t worry; I’m the only one who has noticed that the doctor has frequent coughing bouts and has started to spit blood since last year. I’ve always seen you hiding that. If you collapsed badly enough before the princess, it means your condition has worsened.”
Tanya’s tone was calm, but it was quite considerate.
“If it’s an illness you can’t cure, it could be serious, and that might be why you’re rushing things lately.”
“Hmm.”
I decided to respond seriously.
“To some extent, that’s correct.”
“My condolences.”
“Keep it a secret from Acella.”
“Yes.”
Tanya nodded and brought her fist to her chest, pledging her loyalty.
“Why again?”
“I’m just impressed again by how you preach medicine for the empire’s citizens and prioritize the hero for the future of the continent despite your condition.”
Tanya said with a serious expression.
“Gothberg will never be a regrettable choice in my life.”
“Well, that’s something.”
Honestly, knights get way too dramatic when they’re serious.
If I recommend Tanya to the hero party and she gets rolled around in the Demon Realm, that sense of pride might just disappear.
I lightly smacked her arm and said,
“You don’t need to get so serious. I’m not someone who moves out of a sense of great justice. I feel like I can make the treatment at some point.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
Tanya smiled comfortably, cheering me on.
*
“…Phew.”
Acella let out a deep sigh.
The head maid and knights watching her also felt something amiss. Since becoming responsible for the hero, she had been increasingly anxious about her betrothed, unease hidden behind her words.
Of course, it wasn’t their place to interfere, so none of them spoke up.
‘…The hero.’
Whenever Acella thought of him, her chest tightened. Despite pretending to be innocent outwardly, she was sure she had taken a liking to Lars internally.
Otherwise, that earlier behavior made no sense.
How dare he ogle the princess’s betrothed; he should know his place.
Until a moment ago, he had been just a commoner with no backing.
She thought of delegating management to Heike, but that was certain to backfire.
By the emperor’s decree, Lars would continue managing the hero and merely drift further away from the public roles in Mokhwi Palace.
‘Does that mean I have to bear witness to that sight?’
Knowing how close Lars and the hero would become in the future, Acella desperately wanted to separate them as soon as possible.
“…Ah.”
She had forgotten the reason for coming to find Lars in her determination to find the hero.
There was an important document she needed to deliver to him.
It was news that the kingdom would send a delegation to negotiate concerning the issues that had arisen during the previous Holy Sword retrieval operation.
Acella took the document from the head maid and began to walk back down the corridor in search of Lars.
…She wanted to see him again, too.
The Lars she met today was, as always, but somehow, he had a stronger captivating charm.
Like a Venus flytrap alluring bugs.
He was the very embodiment of intense pheromones.
Rather than a wild charm, it produced a desire to curl up in bed together, a feeling of wanting to protect him.
In any case, it was a strange feeling.
As Acella searched for him, Tanya’s voice reached her, prompting her to have her attendants and knights wait as she moved down the corridor alone.
From around the pillar, she could hear Lars and Tanya talking.
“I’ve been vaguely aware of it for a while.”
‘What are they talking about?’
Acella hid herself in the shadows, eavesdropping on their serious conversation.
And then.
“Are you suffering from an incurable disease that leads to death?”
An incurable disease.
The word made Acella’s heart drop.
“To some extent, that’s correct.”
“Keep it a secret from Acella.”
Lars didn’t deny it.
Acella instinctively stifled a scream, covering her mouth.
Holding her trembling shoulders, Acella waited until the two left that spot.
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