The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away

“Hero! Another one is coming!”

“Confirmed.”

Tanya and Lishe coordinated their movements as they charged at the demon, the giraffe.

Tanya wrapped her aura around the wall and pushed it away, while Lishe stabbed from behind. Just as the defense cracked, Valen’s arrow struck, and Acella’s ice spear finished it off. It was a perfect combo.

“Royal Princess, behind!”

The giraffe lunged at Acella from the rear. It had sprung out of the darkness, catching her off guard.

Faust jumped in, sacrificing his left arm to the giraffe’s sharp teeth. Taking advantage of the brief opening, he wrapped divine power around his sword in the other hand and swung it down recklessly.

“Faust!”

Ambrosia rushed in to assist. Immediately, Tanya charged in and sharpened her aura.

Shing! The sword slashed, and the giraffe’s head thudded to the ground.

“Are you alright?”

“Faust, show me your arm. It wasn’t bitten, was it?”

Faust responded nonchalantly to Ambrosia’s concern.

“I’m fine. I was wearing this.”

Thud! Faust released the metal plate wrapped around his arm, dropping it to the floor. It was thick steel but looked like a chewed gum mess. Without that protection, he would’ve lost his arm by now.

“When did you prepare something like this? It really minimized the injury. Let me heal you right away.”

Healing spells were cast. The demon hunt was over.

In the original forest, it had been just hours since they encountered the horde of demons.

“You all did well. The demons are quite powerful.”

“There’s a dense magic in the demon realm. Even in an ordinary forest like this, there can be disaster-grade demons roaming about. Being near the Demon King’s castle could amplify that.”

“Faust is also skilled at dealing with demons. Just like Gothberg!”

Faust scoffed at Ambrosia’s praise.

“Was that guy really that pompous? I taught him how to deal with demons.”

“Ha, now I understand the situation. The healing is done.”

“Thank you, Saint. May the Goddess’s blessings be upon you.”

The two exchanged greetings.

Watching them, Acella felt a complex mood.

Just now, Faust had almost been injured because of her.

As a princess, she would have regarded that as natural. Commoners were meant to sacrifice themselves for royals like her, prioritizing her safety above all else.

That was the norm in the imperial family, and that had been her life until now.

‘…But here…’

In the hero party, with only the six humans present, in the heart of enemy territory.

Status meant nothing. Here, anyone caught off guard could become demon food, making it an equal existence.

In such a situation, what Faust had shown Acella could be called true sacrifice.

‘Should I thank him…?’

Acella was confused. She didn’t know whether to express her gratitude to Faust, apologize, or praise him for protecting her as a princess. The confusion lingered until the party was done preparing to camp in a safe place, without her being able to say a word to Faust.

‘He’s Lars’s teacher.’

Being that close, he must be valuable to Lars. Lars certainly wouldn’t want to lose him.

‘Huh?’

Thinking that far, Acella felt her mission had become even weightier.

Even if they defeated the Demon King, if Faust were to die—especially if his death was somehow her responsibility—later, when Lars found out…

She would never be able to face him again.

She would have no excuses even if labeled as the wicked woman ruining his future.

“Here, dinner.”

A warm bowl was thrust in front of Acella. It was Faust’s hand. The party had already prepared their meal as they completed setting up camp.

Compared to the experienced adventurers like Lishe and Tanya, the wild-born Valen, the highly capable Faust, and the actively supportive Ambrosia, Acella felt she had very little to contribute in such moments.

‘…Am I the most useless?’

Acella barely suppressed her self-deprecation, accepting the bowl Faust extended.

A creamy soup filled with mushrooms.

As she took a spoonful, warmth spread throughout her body.

Faust sat beside her, starting his meal. The sight of bread disappearing beneath the mask was somewhat bizarre.

Noticing her gaze, Faust placed the bread down into the soup bowl.

“If you’re uncomfortable, we can switch seats.”

“No, eat over there.”

Acella forced Faust to sit where he was and spoke.

“…About the help earlier…”

Somehow her throat tightened. It was probably because the bread had less butter than what the palace produced.

“…I want to express my gratitude.”

It was a strained thank-you, but Faust shrugged it off casually.

“In party activities, each role has its responsibilities. Healers must protect party members so they can maintain optimal combat power. It was just part of my duty, so don’t think about it. If you continue like this, your combat power will drop.”

Acella was taken aback by his stiff response.

“Ha, when a person thanks someone, shouldn’t they accept it honestly?”

“If emotional fluctuations increase, combat power diminishes. For a commoner like me to receive thanks from a royal princess is certainly unworthy.”

“How well do you think you know me?”

Faust paused momentarily before nodding.

“I don’t know at all. One cannot judge a person based on hearsay.”

“Hmm.”

Hearing this, Acella remembered something she wanted to ask Faust.

“Did Lars talk about me a lot?”

“Yes. He couldn’t stop.”

Acella felt uneasy.

What if Lars had revealed to Faust that she was reliving time, and each time, the Empress Acella destroys the world and kills him?

“…What did he say?”

Still, her curiosity overwhelmed her anxiety and fear, and she couldn’t help but ask Faust.

“He said you were exactly the wicked woman he envisioned when he first met you.”

“…That makes sense.”

“He also said you seemed like a person from another world, living in a world that was completely different from his. Some of your actions were utterly incomprehensible to him.”

“…At first.”

Acella smiled bitterly.

“I wish I could go back to the beginning. Then things wouldn’t be like this.”

How long had it been since that first meeting?

At fourteen, it was a faint memory, and she was extremely dissatisfied that it had faded so much.

Yet she couldn’t forget.

In the cold, almost wintry end of what could have been spring, a fierce chilly wind blew during the season; it was in a garden filled with bright yellow roses that she first met Lars.

That scene was vividly etched in her memory.

Had she gained some transcendent magic or perhaps used a level 10 time spell to return to that very spot, that very body, right now…

She would jump straight into your arms.

“It can’t be like this anymore… Do you regret parting with him, Royal Princess?”

Faust’s question made Acella scoff.

“Of course not. It wasn’t my choice, and the engagement…”

Acella stared vacantly at her hands.

“I just like Lars… a lot.”

Acella let out a deep sigh.

“How could I forget? My betrothed, my attending physician.”

“…Then why haven’t you contacted your former country again? Lars believes that the diplomatic relationship between the Moonlight Palace and your former country is broken.”

“That’s…”

Acella couldn’t respond to that.

She couldn’t even share what she had seen with clairvoyance to Faust.

More than anything, confessing that she had seen all those futures would surely reach Lars one day.

“I had no choice. Faust, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Then let’s consider one assumption.”

Faust asked.

“What if Lars joined the party and fought alongside us?”

“…Is there a way to call him?”

“The teleport gate is open, so if you get in touch, he could join us right away. He could assist in strategizing.”

“Absolutely not.”

Acella narrowed her eyes at Faust, glaring at him.

“If Lars comes here, he will die.”

“…You seem quite assured.”

“Indeed. I warn you, Doctor Faust. Do not inform him that the princess is here, and do not pull him into the hero party. The Demon King…”

Acella’s expression turned fierce.

It was reminiscent of how she looked when ruling the Moonlight Palace.

“I will take him down myself.”

Hearing her reply, Faust tilted his head slightly, his demeanor distant as if staring into the void.

Lars had a similar habit, and in that moment, Acella felt a moment of discomfort, frowning.

“Understood. I fully acknowledge how much you care for him, Royal Princess.”

“Don’t act like you know me. You can’t even imagine how much I like Lars.”

“…Hmm, is that so?”

“Exactly.”

“Then what do you like about him?”

“Everything.”

“If you had to narrow it down to three?”

“Why three? Well… he understands my feelings best. So it’s even annoying when he tries to tease me. His fingers are really nice. You know, he’s not a girl, but his fingers are quite slender. He presses softly during check-ups. Even though he acts flippant, he has a surprisingly assertive side. When he truly steps up, he acts like a man. He knows a lot and we have good conversations. What, it’s annoying when I throw out a topic and get a completely unrelated answer, right? You get that?”

“I don’t quite understand. You just mentioned four.”

“Shut it, listen more. His hair is also pure white, it suits him well. The only downside might be that he’s a bit short. Oh, is Lars taller?”

“No.”

“Right. His sister too, the Gothbergs seem to come from a short family. It’s not a problem since I can adjust the height when healing. And more than anything, a man who wields a sword is sexy.”

“Lars can’t handle a sword, though.”

“He has his own knife.”

“You mean a scalpel.”

“Yup. Think about all the marriage proposals coming his way. Who wouldn’t want him?”

Acella sighed.

“I never had any right to begin with.”

But her eyes were clearer than ever.

“Then I will obtain that right first.”

Acella quickly finished her meal and stood up. She spoke to Faust.

“I will take my rest for tomorrow. Faust, you said it’s your duty to protect the party members.”

“Yes.”

“Fulfill your duty.”

Acella turned her body slightly and added softly,

“…I’m counting on you.”

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