The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 4: The Delinquent of the Marquisate (2)

When I rushed toward the massive dog, the entire place erupted into chaos.

“The delinquent is choking the dog to death!”

“He’s beating up the poor animal!”

“Did he start drinking in broad daylight? Someone stop him!”

Ah, people and their prejudices.

I’m treating him, damn it.

Sure, I don’t have a medical license, so technically it’s quack treatment, but what choice do I have? Time is running out.

When I felt Max’s neck, I could clearly make it out — a solid, fist-sized lump was lodged in his throat.

Probably a large piece of fruit or a stone that he swallowed, and it got stuck in his airway.

That’s the problem with this world.

Here, the standard practice is to heal everything with magic, regardless of whether it’s an injury or an illness.

No one bothers to identify the underlying cause.

Healing magic being treated as a cure-all wasn’t always the norm.

Apparently, it all started in the Theocracy, a country ruled by the church, where the reliance on healing magic strengthened the power of the clergy.

After centuries, it became ingrained in people’s minds.

But healing magic isn’t a cure-all.

Sure, it can treat any injury, but its effectiveness diminishes in certain cases.

Especially in cases like this one.

If the airway is blocked, it doesn’t matter how much you heal the lungs or brain — the patient will just suffer longer before dying.

‘Well, considering the time period, it’s not surprising.’

There’s no concept of hygiene or infection control in this era.

They haven’t even developed basic anatomy, so no one knows how the body is structured.

‘This isn’t a job for healing magic. It’s a medical emergency.’

Time for some emergency first aid.

The method is simple.

I wrapped both arms around Max’s waist, lifting his hind legs off the ground so that his head was hanging downward.

“Young Master! Stop this at once!”

The healers went into a frenzy, convinced I’d lost my mind. My father was sweating bullets, looking completely bewildered.

But one person...

Asella was looking at me with a different expression.

Part confusion.

Part anticipation.

Like she was genuinely curious about what I was going to do next.

I bent over, keeping Max’s body pressed against me.

I placed one fist just below his ribcage and wrapped my other hand around it.

Then, with my knees slightly bent, I pulled inward with all my strength.

“Hup!”

Max’s gagging sound grew louder.

I repeated the maneuver five times, but nothing came out.

Did I fail?

“Oh no!”

“The young master is killing the dog!”

Ignoring them, I repositioned myself, took a deep breath, and gave it one more, powerful thrust.

―Cough!

This time, Max made a different sound, and with a wet gag, a large chunk of something tumbled out of his mouth.

Max gasped desperately for air, his breaths coming in frantic, heaving pants.

Looking down, I saw the object — a hard piece of fruit.

What an idiot.

Probably tried to swallow it whole, drawn in by the sweet smell, and it got stuck in his throat.

Max finally got back on all fours, coughing a few more times onto the ground.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he wagged his tail and looked around as if to say, “What’s everyone so worked up about?”

That’s dogs for you — always acting like nothing happened.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto the grass, drenched in sweat. Max was way too heavy.

I really need to start working out.

Max trotted over and nuzzled his face against mine, so I reached up and patted his head.

“What... what just happened?”

“What did the young master do just now...?”

The healers stood there with blank expressions, completely at a loss.

I decided to enlighten them.

“It’s called the Heimlich maneuver. It’s an emergency technique for clearing airway obstructions. It’s simple to do, so you should all learn it.”

They just stared at me like I was speaking another language.

Maybe I should gather them all later and give a lecture on CPR.

You never know — one of them might end up saving my life someday.

“Goodness, that was incredible. To think you’d come up with such a method,” my father said, closing his prayer book with a sigh of relief.

For someone who’d spent his whole life relying solely on healing magic, it must have been quite the spectacle.

“If we hadn’t saved that dog, it would’ve been a terrible offense to the princess and, by extension, the Empress. You saved us from a huge disgrace, my son.”

My father clapped me on the shoulder, helping me up. I got to my feet and forced a smile.

“I’m the heir to the Gotberg family, aren’t I? It was my duty to act.”

“Haha! When did my son become so reliable? Did you teach yourself that technique?”

“Ah, it wasn’t healing magic.”

My father’s eyes widened.

“Then what kind of skill was it?”

“It’s called medicine.”

“Medicine... So it’s a study, not a spell,” he said, his expression softening into a proud smile.

A new notification popped up in the status window.

[No. 004: Sweet Poison – 71% → 0%]

[Modified]

[Ending has been deleted.]

‘Wow.’

One bad ending erased. I couldn’t help but feel the corners of my lips curve up.

‘Now I remember. That was the ending where Asella suffocates people to death using her magic.’

Yeah, that was a nightmare.

But now that Max survived, Asella didn’t form a strong impression of suffocation.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest, as though fresh air had flooded my mind.

‘This might actually be more doable than I thought.’

Erasing bad endings... it might even be fun.

Max, who had been rubbing against my leg, suddenly bounded away.

He headed straight for his owner, Asella.

Asella, who had been panicking just moments ago, had returned to her usual cold-blooded demeanor.

The intimidating aura she exuded at just fourteen years old made everyone around her tense up.

She raised her finger and pointed directly at me.

“I want him as my personal physician.”

Wait, what?

“What?!”

“Your Highness?!”

Everyone was visibly shaken by Asella’s declaration.

Her attendants, who also served as her aides, were the first to step forward to dissuade her.

“Your Highness, please reconsider...”

“I believe the Young Master hasn’t studied healing magic extensively.”

“It might be wise to reevaluate this decision...”

Asella shot them a deadly glare, and they immediately clamped their mouths shut.

Now the objections started pouring in from the healers on our side.

“M-Marquis! The personal physician selection exam is still ongoing!”

“This is a rare chance to enter the imperial palace!”

“If the Young Master goes to the palace as Her Highness’s physician and causes a mishap, it would be disastrous!”

My father looked just as caught off guard as the others. He seemed hesitant to speak, probably trying to choose his words carefully.

It made sense. At this point in time, I was technically enrolled in the healing institute, but I was known more for drinking myself into oblivion than for studying anything useful.

My engagement to Asella was purely a political arrangement between the imperial family and the Gotberg family.

‘Well, that’s your problem, not mine.’

Not my concern at all.

‘But I don’t want to go either.’

If I became her personal physician, I’d be forced to stick by Asella’s side constantly.

Sure, it would give me more opportunities to erase bad endings.

And yeah, my social status would skyrocket.

But that would also mean seeing her every single day.

As a physician, I’d be expected to check her mana levels every morning, the first thing after she wakes up.

I’d die of a heart attack before the apocalypse ever happens.

If that was the plan, why the hell did I even regress in the first place?

‘The smarter move is to stay here, prevent the family’s downfall, and make a name for myself.’

A personal physician?

The kind of job where you’re expected to stay in the next room, ready to rush in 24/7 if anything happens?

The kind of job that’s practically a lifelong position because no one wants to take over once you’re in?

The kind of job where, if the royal family falls, you get executed alongside them, no questions asked?

‘Hell no.’

The imperial medical department was basically a university hospital.

The Emperor had three personal physicians, and every member of the royal family had their own physician, each with a full team of assistants.

It was a nest of healers — and a breeding ground for political backstabbing.

A bunch of arrogant healers who spend more ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) time politicking than actually healing.

In the real world, private clinics make more money and have less stress than hospital professors.

That’s the path I should aim for.

Bad endings would occur ten years from now, so I had plenty of time to erase them one by one.

Seeing Asella once a month would be more than enough.

And in a year, I could break off the engagement and never see her again. That would be ideal.

I needed to clarify the situation.

I took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as possible.

“Your Highness, I am deeply honored by your offer. However, the healers do have a point. Our family is currently conducting a rigorous selection process to choose the most suitable candidate for you. If you could just wait...”

My voice trailed off as a sudden chill ran down my spine.

A new notification had appeared in the status window, and it was flashing ominously in bright red.

[No. 056: Villainess’s Wrath – 21% → 64%]

‘Oh, hell.’

If Asella didn’t get her way, she’d pull out a sword and start threatening people.

I glanced at her.

Her expression had turned absolutely terrifying.

Everyone around us felt the shift in atmosphere and clamped their mouths shut.

Asella fixed her piercing gaze on me and spoke in a low, icy tone.

“So you’re refusing?” freёwebnoѵel.com

“...As I said, I haven’t studied much healing magic.”

“And?”

“I don’t know how to use healing spells.”

“Not going to do it?”

The percentage ticked up again. 64% to 72%.

She was ready to take my head off right here and now.

I had to buy some time.

“Then let’s do it this way.”

I took a step back, and Asella tilted her chin up slightly, her eyes fixed on me.

“What concerns me most is my lack of skill,” I said. “If I were to make a mistake and harm Your Highness, it would be unforgivable.”

A spark of interest lit up in her eyes.

I straightened up, projecting as much confidence as I could muster.

“Therefore, I will participate in the current personal physician selection exam. If I can prove my competence in a fair competition, then I will gladly accept the position as Your Highness’s physician.”

“And you swear you’ll do your best?”

“I swear.”

Upon hearing my answer, Asella’s lips curled into a devilish grin.

“If you do your best, then you’re guaranteed to be chosen, right?”

“...Excuse me?”

“If you don’t get selected, I’ll hold you accountable for lying to me.”

She gestured to the head maid, who was also her aide.

“From now on, you will personally monitor the entire exam process. Make sure there is no cheating or favoritism.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Great.

Now things had gotten even more complicated.

Since the exam was being held by our family, I had planned to fail it on purpose.

But now, there was no way to weasel out of it.

I had underestimated Asella von Württempelt.

Even as a girl, she was already miles above me.

“Anyone have any objections?”

Nobody said a word.

Of course not.

That was basically the equivalent of asking, “Anyone want to volunteer to stick their neck in the guillotine?”

“You can all go. You, come to my room.”

“Why?”

I couldn’t help but blurt it out when she pointed directly at me.

She furrowed her brow as though she couldn’t believe what I’d just said.

“I told you to come to my room earlier. Weren’t you on your way there anyway?”

Oh. Right.

“Of course, as you command, Your Highness.”

I had no choice but to follow her, my steps heavy as if I were marching to my own execution.

The maids surrounded me as if they were escorting a prisoner.

Meanwhile, Max was already back to full health, happily panting and wagging his tail at Asella’s side.

Ignorance really is bliss. Dogs have it easy.

Asella entered her room first, using the terrace door. She turned back and beckoned to me.

“Come in.”

I stood there for a second, dumbfounded.

Even if it was just a borrowed room and we were technically engaged, she was still a young woman.

Did she really just tell me to enter her room without a second thought?

But what choice did I have? Orders were orders.

With a sigh, I stepped onto the terrace and followed her inside.