The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 2: Returning to Ten Years Ago

Looking out the window, I took in the sight of Asella. At fourteen years old, she looked every bit the part of a princess.

She wore an opulent, vintage-style dress, its voluminous skirts billowing elegantly around her.

When the sunlight filtered through the willows, her slender silhouette became visible through the fabric.

Her delicate, clean shoulders extended from her soft neckline, subtly hinting at the form concealed beneath her gown.

Her expression was indifferent as she gazed at the flowers, with just a hint of curiosity glimmering in her eyes.

It was hard to believe that this serene girl could be the same mad villainess who destroyed the world.

...She was undeniably beautiful.

“No. Snap out of it.”

I shook off the absurd thought that this girl might be someone different from the Seventh Emperor of the Empire.

She was the villainess who had killed me countless times. No matter how young or innocent she looked now, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

“First things first — I need to assess the situation. I didn’t just go back a month; I went back ten years. Are there any side effects?”

A new line of text in the status window caught my attention.

[All playtime has been exhausted.]

[Regression is no longer possible.]

...This was my last chance.

“That’s fine. It’s more than enough.”

Rather than endlessly repeating the same month, having ten whole years to work with offered limitless possibilities.

It wasn’t just ten years.

In this life, there would be no bad endings.

I’d live it out to the fullest — no question about it.

And there was one more privilege.

“Ending List.”

A comprehensive list of endings appeared in the status window.

―――――――――――――――

○ Ending List

You can now monitor the probability of each ending occurring in real-time from the current point.

Bad Endings with a 0% occurrence probability will be removed from the list and will not occur again.

· Bad Endings

No. 001: Dragon Legion (New!) — 42%

No. 002: Great Collapse — 22%

No. 003: Beheading of the Hundred — 87%

No. 004: Sweet Poison — 56%

No. 005: Demon King’s Victory — 73%

......

No. 101: Mana Outburst — 4%

―――――――――――――――

“Damn. That’s a lot.”

I hadn’t realized how many bad endings I’d collected since they hadn’t been neatly organized before.

Now they were all conveniently numbered.

I scrolled through them one by one — each and every one of them were deaths I had experienced.

Some of them, like Bad Ending No. 005, the Demon King’s Victory, I had experienced multiple times. It occurred every time we lost the final battle against the Demon King.

“Ugh. Just looking at them gives me the creeps.”

Each word brought back unpleasant memories. Memories I’d rather forget forever.

But the list continued. I scrolled down further.

―――――――――――――――

· Normal Endings

· ■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ — 0.1%

· ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ — 0.3%

· ■■■ ■■■■■ — 0.2%

· Good Endings

· ■■■ ■, ■■ ■■■■ — 0%

· ■■■■, ■■■, ■■■■ — 0%

· ■■■ ■■ — 0%

· ■■■■

· ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ — 0%

―――――――――――――――

“There were good endings, too?”

Normal and good endings were also listed, though their probabilities were abysmal.

“So, the current percentages represent the likelihood of each ending occurring if I do nothing from now on.”

But the good endings were all at 0%.

I could sue for false advertising.

“Does that mean the probabilities will change based on my actions?”

Could I actually raise the chance of a good ending?

This was something worth testing.

Just then, a knock came from the door, followed by a middle-aged man’s voice.

― “Young Master, you must really get ready now.”

I wanted to check the status window a bit longer, but it seemed I didn’t have much time.

Asella was not only my fiancée but also the Imperial Princess.

Since she was visiting the marquisate with the Empress, it would be inappropriate for the marquis’s heir to neglect welcoming them.

Besides, the sun was already high in the sky. I must have overslept like a worthless bum.

‘In the original game, I, Lass Gotberg, was a disgrace to the family — a notorious scoundrel.’

In the current state, my status and reputation in the family were undoubtedly at rock bottom.

That would explain why they shoved me into the most remote corner of the estate and didn’t even bother waking me up on a day like today.

‘Ten years from now, I’ll have lost my family, my health, and everyone’s respect.’

If things continued like this, the future would be the same.

Starting now, everything had to change.

I got up and threw open the door.

“Oh! You’re awake already?”

The butler, startled, quickly averted his eyes.

His face was vaguely familiar.

‘If I remember correctly, this guy is my personal butler — Sievers.’

I addressed him calmly.

“Good morning, Sievers.”

“Huh? Ah... Y-Yes, good morning, Young Master.”

Sievers wiped his brow nervously. His expression was that of a man wondering if I had eaten something strange.

“Prepare my formal attire immediately. Apologize to Her Highness for my delay in greeting her properly.”

At my instructions, Sievers’s jaw dropped open.

“Uh... Did I speak too quickly? You’re quite capable, so I assumed you’d remember.”

Sievers snapped back to reality, his head bobbing up and down frantically.

“O-Of course! It’s just... You, uh, normally don’t speak so... courteously...”

“Haha. My fiancée is visiting. Can’t be dawdling around. And don’t forget to bring some refreshments.”

“Understood! Right away, sir!”

Sievers was about to dash off when I tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

“Yes, Young Master? Is there something else?”

“You’re doing great work, Sievers.”

His eyes widened, his lips quivering. He was clearly overwhelmed with emotion.

“What’s the matter?”

“N-Nothing, sir. I’ve been serving you for ten years, and I never thought you’d remember my name... Leave it to me!”

With that, he rushed off to carry out his duties.

Loyalty like that would definitely come in handy.

I quickly finished dressing with the help of Sievers and the maids.

Descending the stairs to the first floor of the annex, I was almost at the entrance.

Just before stepping out, something caught my eye — a grand display of decorative weapons mounted above the fireplace.

“Hmm.”

I scanned my surroundings. I had moved quickly, so the attendants hadn’t caught up yet.

In a swift motion, I grabbed a dagger from the display, slipping it discreetly under my belt.

Then, as if nothing had happened, I continued walking calmly toward the entrance.

The Gotberg estate, befitting a marquisate, was comprised of several buildings and vast grounds.

My room was located in one of the annexes.

The garden where Asella was strolling was right behind the annex, so I could reach her easily.

As I stepped into the flower garden, the soft, muffled sound of grass being crushed beneath my shoes echoed.

I passed through the towering willows.

With each step, the golden hair shining like sunlight grew closer.

A fresh breeze caressed her, and she slowly turned her head, meeting my eyes.

‘Her eyes are still the same.’

Asella’s long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a raven.

Her golden irises glowed like topaz glinting in the desert — so alluring that if I let my guard down, I might get sucked in.

Asella von Württempelt.

The girl who would one day become the Seventh Emperor of the Empire, the one who would reach the pinnacle of magic.

Or perhaps, I should call her a magical weapon.

A woman so consumed by hatred for the world that she wielded every means at her disposal to drag it into ruin.

And right now, she was my fiancée.

Ugh. Just the thought gave me chills.

“Your Highness.”

I called out to her softly, and her small, delicate lips responded.

“The young lord of Gotberg.”

...Hearing her voice, I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

Was it fear from the countless deaths she had caused me? Or was it rage?

Well, I’d spoken to her. Now, what the hell do I do with her?

Part of me wanted to punch her square in the face and pay her back for all the suffering she’d inflicted.

‘Calm down. Stay calm.’

I couldn’t afford to lose control now.

This was my last chance. There would be no more regressions.

Another part of me just wanted to run away.

Just thinking about the magic she’d used in the future was enough to make my heart pound in terror.

It would be so nice to just sign a breakup agreement right here and now, go my own way, and let this villainess go hers.

But if I ran away now, Asella would become the Emperor, and the likelihood of her destroying the world would shoot through the roof.

The Ending List made that abundantly clear.

‘Then what if I just kill Asella right now?’

In the future, Asella would become a monster with unparalleled magical power and absolute authority.

She would have no enemies left.

If I eliminated her now, before she rose to power, I could prevent dozens of bad endings from happening.

...Right now, ten years ago, she hadn’t committed any atrocities yet.

But I’d been killed countless times because of her.

And it was an undeniable fact that she would go down in history as the worst villainess ever known.

“It is an honor to meet you in person, Your Highness. This is our first meeting. Lass Gotberg, heir of the Gotberg family, greets the Imperial Princess.”

I bowed respectfully. Asella lowered her eyes slightly, glancing over me.

‘Let’s see how she reacts.’

Slowly, my hand moved to the dagger hidden behind my back.

I discreetly drew it, preparing to assassinate her.

At this point, Asella wasn’t capable of using any advanced magic.

On the other hand, I’d fought through countless battlefields. I could end this in an instant.

Then, the numbers in the status window began to shift rapidly.

―――――――――――――――

· Bad Endings

No. 001: Dragon Legion (New!) 42% → 0%

No. 002: Great Collapse 22% → 0%

No. 003: Beheading of the Hundred 87% → 0%

No. 004: Sweet Poison 56% → 0%

No. 005: Demon King’s Victory 73% → 98%

...

No. 101: Mana Outburst 4% → 100%

―――――――――――――――

‘Oh-ho.’

Just as I expected, most of the bad endings involving her future atrocities disappeared.

But one, Mana Outburst, shot up to 100%.

‘Right. That ending where Asella’s magic goes berserk and engulfs the entire continent.’

I remembered it vividly.

The sensation of my body being crushed under her out-of-control mana — an extremely unpleasant memory.

If I kill her now, her magic will surge and consume everything.

It’s like she’s a walking bomb. Damn, she’s a troublesome woman.

‘I can’t just kill her, then.’

And even if I did, it would be obvious that I was the culprit.

I couldn’t afford to be executed for assassinating the Imperial Princess.

I’d figured out how the Ending List worked.

I slid the dagger back into its hidden sheath.

‘If I can break her before she becomes that monster, I can prevent the bad endings. After that, I can escape.’

Just as I was formulating a plan, a cold voice pierced through my eardrums like a needle.

“Aren’t you going to pull it out? That knife.”

...Damn it.

One of the numbers in the Ending List flared up in a sinister red.

[No. 056: The Villainess’s Wrath 6% → 99%]

‘No way. That’s the ending where Asella just straight-up kills me.’

That ending usually triggered when I lost my temper with her, provoked her, or otherwise pissed her off.

This was bad.

I didn’t realize a bad ending could trigger so easily.

I underestimated her.

How did she even notice the dagger behind my back?

‘Tsk.’

There was only one thing I could do now — improvise.

“Of course, I’ll pull it out. A man who doesn’t draw his weapon once it’s in his hand is a coward, after all.”

“You’ve got some guts.”

“But in exchange, would Your Highness mind showing me what you’re hiding behind your back?”

At my words, Asella hesitated.

From the moment we met, she had been keeping her hands hidden behind her back.

I knew this story well.

On this day, Asella had been wandering in the garden, picking yellow roses.

According to her, I scolded her for damaging the flowers, yelling at her for destroying the property of my family.

Apparently, she’d held a grudge about it ever since.

Women’s grudges really did run deep.

Since she was still hesitating, I pressed her further.

“It’s only fair for us to show each other what we’re hiding. After all, we are fiancés, aren’t we?”

“...You do have a point.”

Asella slowly revealed a handful of yellow roses, dropping them onto the ground.

Even though we were engaged, this was still my family’s estate.

She must have realized she was in the wrong, as she looked somewhat tense.

I approached her, holding the dagger in my hand.

Then, I knelt down on one knee.

And, with the dagger, I began trimming the thorns off the rose stems.

“...What are you doing?”

“Beautiful flowers tend to have sharp thorns. It would be a terrible disaster if Your Highness were to hurt your delicate hands.”

I meticulously removed each thorn, one by one.

“How did you know?”

“My room — it’s up there.”

I gestured to my window above.

“I saw you from up there, Your Highness, picking flowers. So, I prepared this.”

“Hmmm.”

Was she buying it?

Or ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) did it still sound too much like a lie?

Stupid roses.

Would’ve been easier if an assassin showed up right now.

Then I could just stab him and be done with it.

But no. The assassin was me.

Please, just let this go.

While I was fervently wishing for mercy, Asella suddenly leaned down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look directly into her eyes.

Those golden irises gleamed, as if ready to devour me whole.

“You. Come to my room later.”

Asella said with a devilish smile.

It was a smile I remembered all too well.

―――――――――――――――

· Notification: The probabilities of endings have been updated.

· Bad Endings

No. 056: The Villainess’s Wrath 99% → 21%

· Good Endings

· ■■■ ■, ■■ ■■■■ — 0% → 0.04%

· ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ — 0% → 0.001%

―――――――――――――――