LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5
A refreshing autumn breeze gently flows into Acella’s room.
The temperature and humidity were perfectly pleasant, but my head felt a bit dizzy, as if I had a little too much to drink.
Could it be that my heart is tightening from Acella’s steady gaze on me?
Or maybe it’s the aroma wafting from the table?
‘The scent of flowers?’
As I was lost in thought, something damp brushed against my hand.
Huff huff.
It was Max’s tongue.
Thanks to that, my tension eased a bit.
Dogs tend to genuinely like people when treated well, and I can’t help but grow fond of them too.
After a little petting, Max lifted his upper body and came over for some affection.
What a cute little thing.
“Max, come here.”
Acella called, but Max snuggled up to me and didn’t seem ready to move away.
“Max?”
This is a bit awkward. Hey, your owner is calling you.
Look, he looks upset about something.
At this rate, I might die, Max.
[No. 056: The Wicked Woman’s Hatred 12% → 11%]
[Changing]
Hmm?
Isn’t he a bit less angry than expected?
In fact, Acella’s probability of reaching a furious ending seems to be slightly decreasing.
“Max!”
When Acella called again with vigor, Max finally returned to her side and settled down.
Acella gestured for me to come closer while sitting in her chair.
“Come here.”
As I took a couple of steps closer, I noticed it was the yellow roses she had picked from the garden earlier.
She has picked quite a lot since then.
It looks like at least a hundred!
[No. 003: The Execution of the White 64% → 63%]
[Changing]
The numbers in the status window shifted slightly.
‘Looks like the flowers are the key here.’
Then, all of a sudden, Acella turned her head and glared at me with a fearsome look.
‘Yikes! My heart might actually drop.’
She looks pretty when she stays still.
Almost like a doll.
“Did you bring a knife?”
“Yes, for now.”
“Cut off the thorns like you did before.”
“Of course.”
I stood next to the table and took out a dagger, starting to snip off the thorny parts of the rose stem.
“Why are you doing that?”
Acella asked me, and I was puzzled, unsure of her intent.
You told me to.
“…Because I’m cutting the thorns?”
“There’s a chair over there.”
“Do you want me to sit down?”
“Do I really have to teach you everything?”
“Of course not.”
I immediately pulled out a chair and sat down at a right angle to Acella.
Was she just being considerate?
No, she probably means to keep me from being distracted.
I continued the task. The sound of me snipping the stems filled the air snip snip.
Acella watched me like a hawk with her hand resting on Max’s head.
…Time passed.
As I repeated the same action, my tension began to ease.
Just as I started to zone out for a moment…
“…Ouch.”
Suddenly, I heard Acella’s short gasp, which startled me wide awake.
She was holding a rose, and the thorny part still hadn’t been removed.
“It won’t just fall off. Why does this one have to be such a pain?”
A drop of her crimson blood trailed from her slender finger.
‘Oh no, I messed up.’
I should’ve been careful not to let her touch it.
She’s quite the curios Royal Princess.
My image is already troubled enough.
If someone saw me and thought I hurt Acella, I’d be in deep trouble.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t the head the only pretty part? The rest isn’t really needed, is it?”
As she said this, Acella pop took the flower from the stem.
The yellow rose got stained red with her droplets of blood.
Suddenly, the ending list percentage shifted.
[No. 003: The Execution of the White 63% → 65%]
[Changing]
Based on my prior experience, I could guess.
‘The more negative experiences Acella has, the higher the probability seems to become.’
The more intense an impression leaves on Acella’s memory, the easier it might be for me to pull off some mischief.
I figured that if I treated her wound, it might work out.
“Your Highness.”
“What?”
I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket.
Grabbing Acella’s wrist, I noticed her pulse was weak, her thin white wrist didn’t feel alive.
“…What is it?”
“If you’re hurt, you need treatment. It’s simple. There’s no real need to take off the flower.”
I dampened the handkerchief in the nearby teapot and wiped Acella’s blood away.
Carefully cleaning around so the wound doesn’t get infected.
“Where…?”
There was a linen scarf in the room.
I sliced it thinly with the dagger to create a strip.
I fashioned a makeshift bandage.
I wrapped it gently around her wounded finger, making sure not to tie it too tight.
Acella tilted her head.
“What is this? Is it a healing spell?”
“It’s not healing; it’s treatment. The blood will clot, so this will naturally heal. Using healing spells would make it worse.”
I smiled lightly as I said.
“Your Highness, you’re not really suited for healing spells.”
“…Hmm, true.”
Acella carefully inspected the finger I wrapped.
Her curious eyes slowly turned towards me.
“Did you treat Max earlier?”
“It was just simple emergency treatment like now. Part of the healing process.”
“You said it was medicine.”
“That’s correct.”
“I like it. Is there more?”
“Excuse me?”
“Is there more?”
With a devilish grin, she seemed to be looking for something more entertaining.
‘What should I say?’
[No. 003: The Execution of the White 68% → 42%]
[Changed]
The probability noticeably dropped.
Not that it bothers me.
I really want to avoid execution.
I need to get it lower as much as possible.
Acella seemed to pay a bit of attention when I mentioned she didn’t need to pluck the flower’s head.
Maybe I should push a little further.
“Also, roses look prettier with stems.”
“Why?”
“Look closely.”
Acella seemed intrigued as she adjusted her seating to face me.
I picked up a rose that still had thorns.
“As you can see, roses have thorns.”
“Yeah. Thanks to that, I got hurt. And yet, Prince, you still say the stem is pretty?”
I tucked the thorny rose into my pocket. I didn’t want Acella to accidentally get hurt again.
“The prettier the flower, the sharper the thorns. Beautiful beings also have many foes trying to harm them, so they defend themselves.”
“Hmm, and?”
Acella raised her chin as if she were watching me intently to see what I would say next.
I gently bent the rose stem in my hand.
It was relatively pliable.
The yellow rose is a unique breed that only exists in this world. I had confirmed this while researching herbs in the past.
This should do.
“From now on, what I’m going to show you can only be made with flowers that have stems.”
I neatly arranged the roses I had trimmed.
Then, I folded one stem horizontally and braided it, repeating the process.
“…Wow.”
Acella observed my hands moving back and forth with awe.
As time passed, a crown made of roses had formed on the table.
“If you cut the head off the flower, you can’t make this.”
Acella carefully picked up the crown I made and examined it from different angles.
Is she pleased, or not?
It’s hard to judge just by looking at her face.
“Why is it in a ring shape?”
Oh, so she didn’t realize it was a crown.
I gently lifted the crown and placed it on Acella’s little head.
“This is a decoration worn on the head.”
Since Acella hadn’t thought about its purpose, she blinked her large eyes a few times.
“Does it suit me?”
She asked.
“You are the most beautiful in the world.”
I replied.
Please let that be the right answer.
“I see.”
Acella answered me.
It was such an unexpected response that I couldn’t help but ask back.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I prefer it without taking off the head.”
Huh?
Does that mean she’s accepting my opinion?
I cautiously glanced at Acella.
Her golden eyes, absorbed by the crown, didn’t seem to meet mine.
This was quite unexpected.
She had never listened to me before.
Maybe with the passage of a decade, this sort of thing happens.
Or maybe she’s just in a good mood today.
I decided not to think too deeply about it.
I checked the status window.
[No. 003: The Execution of the White 42% → 31%]
[Changed]
I felt like I was walking on thin ice.
‘Even though Acella seemed convinced, the ending hasn’t been deleted. Seeing how the fluctuations are reducing, it doesn’t seem to be a major incident.’
However, compared to the beginning, I lowered it quite a bit.
I grew curious about what kind of major event could inspire her.
I asked Acella.
“By the way, Your Highness, what are you planning to use these roses for?”
“Um….”
Acella’s lower lip slightly puckered.
“Keep it a secret from others.”
“Of course.”
“I plan to give it to Mother later.”
“…As a gift?”
“Exactly.”
Acella answered cheerfully.
Hold on, why is she picking flowers from someone else’s garden to give to her mother?
Couldn’t she just steal something from her betrothed instead of paying for it?
Her thought process is completely different from mine.
Well, she’s a princess, and she will someday be the Empress. The Empire will soon become hers, right?
She’s absolutely right.
‘Then the flower issue likely has more to do with the Empress than with me.’
While I was sorting out my thoughts, Acella spoke up.
“Gothberg Prince.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do well in the attending physician exam.”
It seems she’s quite determined to have me as her attending physician.
“Why are you so eager for me?”
“Because I like you.”
It seems she has her eyes on the medical field.
I did save Max after all, so it’s understandable why she’d take an interest.
She’s a tyrant who pushes her own thoughts no matter what happens.
Given how Acella looks at me, I shouldn’t refuse her proposal; her retaliation could be a disaster.
At this point, I felt it was impossible to avoid entanglement with her.
After all, I need to eliminate all the bad endings she might cause.
In order to do that, for the time being, it would be more convenient to stay by her side.
To build a good reputation, raising my social status is also essential.
Even if I change direction later, her proposal will definitely serve as a good stepping stone.
…It’s decided.
I’ll become the imperial family’s attending physician.
Instead, I’ll see it as best to attach favorable conditions.
“I’d like to tell you about the conditions when I am appointed as your Highness’s attending physician.”
Acella raised an eyebrow.
“I intend to primarily use medicine. You need to provide an environment to implement treatment based on medicine.”
“Alright.”
“I also have a family to care for as the eldest son. I will occasionally need to be away, so I will need your understanding. During that time, I will train a nurse to service Your Highness.”
“That works for me.”
“Finally.”
I took out a letter-sealing envelope prepared in the room and began to write on it.
Sealing it with wax, I stamped it with my seal.
“If I achieve significant contributions as your attending physician, you must fulfill the requirements written in this envelope.”
“What did you write?”
“It’s not something unrealistic, like asking for the Empire itself. It’s something simple that you can agree to right now.”
“Fine by me.”
When Acella reached for the envelope, I subtly pulled my hand back.
“I want a definite engagement.”
“You’re so bold. Should I use Geass?”
“Sure. You can use magic or artifacts to verify that I didn’t lie when I said it isn’t anything serious.”
A grin curled on Acella’s lips as she regarded my attitude.
It was an expression that seemed to say, “Go ahead, throw your little schemes at me if you can.”
Acella traced a circle in the air with her finger, her golden mana swirling out like a wisp.
Geass. The magic of binding pledges.
It’s a magic that ensures promises are kept no matter what.
“I, Acella von Württemberg, do hereby declare.”
Her voice rang melodiously, reverberating through the magic circle.
“When Gothberg’s esteemed physician makes remarkable contributions to me, I shall open the envelope and fulfill the requirements written therein.”
Three magic circles spun clockwise, gleaming brightly.
“In the name of the great sage Delipharkus.”
Boom!
The gathered light in Acella’s hand exploded outward.
The contract has been established.
“I’m really curious about the contents.”
“I think it will please you too, Your Highness.”
She’ll be thrilled, I’m sure.
I know all too well how much you dislike me, though.