When I rushed toward the large dog, chaos erupted around me.
"The rascal is strangling the dog to death!"
"He's beating that poor dog!"
"Is he drunk in broad daylight? Someone stop him!"
My, what prejudiced people.
This is medical treatment, not abuse.
I may not have a license—making this quack medicine—but what choice do I have? Time is of the essence.
When I touched Max's throat, I could clearly feel it.
Something the size of a fist was lodged there.
It seems he swallowed a large fruit pit or stone that got stuck in his airway.
That's the problem with this world.
It's common sense to heal ailments with healing magic, which treats both injuries and diseases without distinction.
As a result, identifying the cause of injury becomes an afterthought.
They say this healing magic supremacy wasn't always prevalent.
It's a phenomenon that emerged because ordinary citizens who couldn't afford education had to rely on healing magic, which strengthened the church's power.
This practice supposedly began in the theocratic Law Nation, but after hundreds of years, it's become deeply rooted in people's minds.
The problem is, healing magic isn't omnipotent.
It can heal any injury, but its efficiency varies.
Especially in cases like this.
When the airway is blocked, healing the oxygen-deprived lungs or brain only prolongs the suffering until death.
"Well, considering the times, it's understandable."
This is an era without concepts of hygiene or infection.
Anatomy hasn't developed either, so nobody understands body structure.
"This doesn't need healing—it needs treatment."
Emergency treatment.
The method is simple.
I wrapped my arms around Max's waist, lifting him so his hind legs were up in the air.
"Young Lord! Stop this at once!"
The healers caused an uproar, thinking I was doing something crazy. Father was also flustered, sweating profusely.
But one person.
Asella somehow had a different look in her eyes.
Half confusion. Half expectation.
An expression curious about what I was about to show.
I was bent at the waist, holding Max. I overlapped my hands, making a fist with my left hand and gripping it firmly. I slightly bent my knees to ensure proper force transmission.
I positioned my fist against Max's solar plexus and pulled with all my strength.
"Hup!"
Max's choking sounds grew louder.
I repeated the compression five times, but there was no change.
First attempt failed.
"Oh my goodness!"
"The Young Lord is killing the dog!"
I immediately relaxed my arms.
Then applied strong force again and—thwack!
—Kerlok!
This time, Max made a different coughing sound and spat out a large lump.
Gasping for breath, Max had expelled what appeared to be a hard fruit.
Well, he must have hastily put it in his mouth, attracted by the sweet smell, and choked on it.
Max finally stood on all fours and coughed a few more times toward the ground.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he wagged his tail with a nonchalant expression.
Well, hiding pain is also characteristic of dogs.
I collapsed onto the lawn, completely exhausted. Max was so heavy that I was drenched in sweat.
My body is too weak. I need to exercise more.
Max came over and nuzzled my face, so I patted his head.
"What in the world..."
"What did the Young Lord just do...?"
I answered the bewildered healers.
"It's called the Heimlich maneuver. It's an emergency procedure for airway obstruction by foreign objects. It's commonly useful, so remember it."
Not understanding what I meant, they just tilted their heads.
Maybe I should gather them later and give a lecture on CPR too?
Who knows. There might be someone who could save me in an emergency.
"My goodness, how remarkable. To think you'd use such an unexpected method."
Father closed his holy book, impressed.
For someone who had used healing magic his entire life, this must have been quite novel.
"If we couldn't save this dog, it would have been a great disrespect to Princess and ultimately to the Empress. It would have brought shame to our family. Thanks to you, we avoided that crisis, son."
Father patted my shoulder and helped me up. I rose and replied:
"As the eldest son of House Gotberg, it was my duty to step up."
"Haha, when did my son become so dependable? Have you been studying healing magic on your own?"
"Ah, it wasn't healing magic."
My answer startled Father.
"Then what technique was it?"
"Medicine."
"Medicine... so it was a discipline, not a technique."
Father smiled appreciatively.
A message appeared in my status window.
[No. 004: Sweet Poison 71% → 0%]
[Changed]
[Ending has been deleted.]
"Wow."
A bad ending was deleted. I couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Now I remember. It was the ending where Asella used magic to remove air and cause suffocation."
Ugh, what a terrible memory.
So because Max didn't die here, Asella won't develop a strong impression about suffocation.
It feels like one of my traumas has disappeared too.
My head feels refreshed, as if oxygen suddenly rushed in.
"This might be more doable than I thought?"
Erasing bad endings... could actually be fun.
Max, who had been rubbing against my legs, suddenly jumped to the opposite side.
To none other than his owner, Asella.
Asella had completely returned to her usual cold-blooded demeanor, with no trace of her earlier confusion.
Everyone in the room tensed at the intimidating aura emanating from this fourteen-year-old girl.
She raised a finger toward me.
"I want him as my personal physician."
What?
"Pardon?!"
"Princess?!"
Everyone was quite shocked by Asella's statement.
Her attendants, who also served as her advisors, were the first to try to dissuade their mistress.
"Princess, please wait..."
"I believe the Young Lord has barely studied healing magic."
"Perhaps you should reconsider..."
Asella shot them a piercing glance, and they fell silent.
Resistance also arose from our healers.
"F-Family Head! The physician selection test is still ongoing!"
"How can we pass up this opportunity to enter the Imperial Palace...!"
"If the Young Lord goes as the Princess's physician and makes a mistake, it would be disastrous!"
Father was also taken aback by Asella's sudden declaration, judging by his cautious demeanor.
Indeed, at this time, I was enrolled in the Healer Training Center but barely studied and was known as a rascal who just drank all day.
My engagement to Asella was due to political reasons between the Imperial family and our house.
"That's your problem."
It's not my concern.
"But I don't want to go either."
If I go to the Imperial Palace as her physician, I'll be constantly entangled with Asella.
True, that would give me more opportunities to erase bad endings.
And my social status would rise too.
But to see this woman every day? As her physician, I'd have to check her mana levels first thing every morning?
I don't need to die of a heart attack. If that were the case, I wouldn't have regressed 10 years.
"Preventing my family's destruction and succeeding here is the wise approach."
Personal physician?
A personal physician who stays on standby 24 hours in the adjacent room because you never know what might happen to your master?
A personal physician often called a lifetime position because handovers are so difficult?
A personal physician who, being essentially a political faction, gets executed alongside the Imperial family regardless of personal will if they fall?
"I must be crazy to accept."
The Imperial Medical Office, where court physicians work, is comparable to a university hospital.
The Emperor alone keeps three personal physicians.
Every distant relative of the Emperor has their own physician, each with a retinue of assistants.
It's crawling with healers.
The Imperial Medical Office is where self-important healers engage in politics.
Just like how private clinic directors earn more and own buildings compared to university hospital professors.
Less politics, less stress.
The bad endings occur 10 years later, so I can erase them one by one when opportunities arise.
Seeing Asella once a month would be enough.
Better yet, breaking off the engagement after a year and never seeing her again.
I need to sort out this situation.
I calmly spoke up.
"I'm honored by your proposal, Princess. However, the healers have a point. Our family is conducting a carefully selected test to determine the most suitable candidate for you, so if you could wait..."
I unconsciously paused as cold sweat ran down my back.
A number on my status window ominously flashed red.
[No. 056: Villainess's Hatred 21% → 64%]
"Oh shit."
If she really dislikes something, she'll threaten with a sword.
Glancing around, I noticed Asella's expression had turned quite menacing.
Everyone present sensed the atmosphere and kept their mouths shut.
She glared at me and asked.
"Are you refusing?"
"...As you've heard, I've barely studied healing."
"So?"
"I don't know how to use healing magic."
"You won't do it?"
The percentage kept rising, from 64% to 72%.
She looked ready to behead me on the spot if I didn't comply.
I needed to buy time.
"Then I propose this."
I took a step back as Asella slightly raised her chin.
"My greatest concern is my inexperience. I cannot risk making mistakes with the Princess's precious health."
Asella showed interest in my words.
I proudly declared with my chest out:
"I will participate in the ongoing physician selection test. If I can prove my qualifications through fair competition, I will gladly accept the position as your physician."
"Can you swear to take it seriously?"
"I swear."
Hearing my answer, Asella smiled like a demon.
"If you take it seriously, you'll naturally be selected, right?"
"...Pardon?"
"If you fail, I'll punish you for lying to me."
Asella gestured to her lady-in-waiting who also served as her advisor.
"From now on, supervise the physician test without missing anything. Ensure there's no cheating or favoritism."
"As you command, Princess."
Great.
This just got more troublesome.
Since it was a test conducted by our family, I had planned to deliberately fail.
Now I'm trapped.
Asella von Württemfelt. I underestimated the Empire's greatest villainess.
Even as a young girl, she was already above me.
"Anyone have objections?"
Nobody answered Asella's question.
Of course not.
Who would raise their hand to "Would anyone like to stick their neck into the hole on the guillotine?"
"Everyone leave. You, come to my room."
"Ah, why?"
I instinctively protested when Asella pointed directly at me.
She frowned, as if not understanding.
"I told you earlier to come to my room. Weren't you on your way?"
Ah, that's right.
"Of course, as you command, Princess."
I followed her weakly. Somehow, I ended up being escorted by her attendants.
Max had completely recovered and was happily wagging his tail beside Asella.
Excited without knowing what was happening. A dog's life is truly enviable.
Asella entered her room through the terrace first and beckoned to me.
"Come in."
I was a bit stunned by her casual attitude.
Even though it's a borrowed room and I'm her fiancé, does she normally invite men in?
But what choice do I have? When told to come, I must come.
I stepped onto the terrace and entered her room.