The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away

Chapter 67: Sleeping Together (1)

“Based on everything I’ve studied so far, curses don’t affect the body—they act on the soul itself,” Hugo explained.

I found his theory intriguing.

“I didn’t know that. So they’re more like soul-borne diseases?”

“You could say that. I’m not entirely sure how these internal imaging photographs work, but they definitely capture curses.”

“That blackened part—is that the curse?”

Hugo nodded.

“Yes. The soul mirrors the shape of the body. The curse forms as a mass that either wraps around or replaces part of the afflicted area.”

He pointed to the X-ray I’d shown him.

Just as he said: the Death Dragon’s skull, and the entire exterior of the undead corpse, were shrouded in black clumps of energy.

“Can we try imaging my hand right now?”

“Sure.”

I scanned Hugo’s hand and projected it through the crystal.

His arm looked normal, but the outer edge of his hand was surrounded by a dark rim.

“When only part of the body is cursed, this is what it looks like.”

“I see.”

“Do you notice anything different between the first image and the others?”

“There’s a curse inside the body.”

“As expected—sharp as ever, Doctor. That’s exactly the strange and unusual part.”

Hugo pointed to the dark mass within Asella’s abdominal cavity.

“If this curse were affecting the organs, you’d expect to see the outline along the abdomen. But instead, the black is concentrated inside. That means—”

“There’s another soul in there. One that isn’t hers.”

“Precisely.”

“Makes sense.”

Hugo emphasized his conclusion.

“I believe the soul is the source of the curse. It’s essentially a malevolent spirit. The fastest way to break the curse is to extract and destroy that spirit.”

Could it be the soul of the Grand Witch?

So in exchange for accessing the magical talent of that soul, Asella also inherited its curse—and its pain.

“Is there no way to extract the spirit without harming the host?”

“Impossible. It has to be physically removed. But it won’t be easy. You can’t exactly cut open a living person’s abdomen...”

A valid point.

“And if the spirit is strong and self-aware, it could go berserk once it’s out.”

“If that happens, can you handle it? What if it starts casting magic?”

Hugo seemed to understand what I was implying.

The surgery plan. The idea of physically extracting the curse.

He met my gaze with unwavering resolve.

“I’ll stop it. No matter what.”

“Good. Then let’s keep identifying what kind of spirit this is, and how powerful it might be.”

“Understood. I’ll deepen my re

“...That’s right. Reflect on that.”

Her voice was slurred, the painkiller making her drowsy.

“Be punished.”

“Uh... Can’t you let it slide just this once?”

Hearing her say the word punish sent a chill down my spine.

“...Doll.”

“You want your doll? I’ll go get it.”

I stood, but Asella grabbed my coat.

I lost my balance and fell onto the bed—my shoulder brushing against her small frame.

My head sank into the softness of the mattress. When I opened my eyes, her golden hair glinted in the dark, tickling my nose.

Her thin fingers fumbled through my coat, sneaking under my arm and pulling me into a full-body hug.

“Your Highness...”

“...Be quiet.”

My chest burned with warmth. Every time she exhaled, heat rose against my solar plexus.

Before I could say anything else, she was asleep—clinging to me like sticky rice.

You’ll catch a cold if you sleep without a blanket.

I reached down and gently pulled the fallen blanket up to her shoulders.

...Which meant I was now under it too.

Whatever.

It was late.

I closed my eyes, deciding to think about it tomorrow.

***

The next morning, I woke to a peculiar sensation on my cheek and ear.

Golden eyes glared down at me. Her mana was calmly circulating, pupils sharp and focused.

For some reason, her hand was on my face. Poking at it. Playing with it.

Smooth.

Cold.

“Your High—”

“Shh.”

She squished my cheek for a while, then pinched my nose into a pig shape and giggled before finally pulling her hand away.

“Your professionalism’s gone to hell. You didn’t do your job last night and you let your liege wake up first?”

“I apologize.”

“What kind of punishment should I give you?”

“You already punished me.”

“Huh?”

“I couldn’t sleep properly. I spent the night in a cramped position. I’ve got a kink in my neck. That’s punishment enough, don’t you think?”

“Are you saying sleeping in my bed was a punishment?”

She scowled at me, clearly furious.

“No, no. Your bed is very comfortable. I meant the posture, the situation...”

“So you’re saying I’m the problem?”

“That’s not what I meant! Honestly, last night was partially your fault too.”

“...Excuse me?”

Asella looked utterly scandalized.

But I wasn’t done.

“I told you to let me know when you’re in pain. You’ve had episodes at night before and never said a word. If you’d told me right away, maybe it wouldn’t have gotten this bad.”

She clammed up, struck right in the nerve.

“See? We’re both to blame. Let’s call it even.”

“But your faults don’t end there.”

“What now?”

“That’s... never mind.”

She bit her lower lip, glowering at me.

Then, sharply:

“Whatever. I’m not telling you next time either.”

“What? You have to tell me. What if it’s serious?!”

“Nope.”

“Come on.”

This was bad.

There was no guarantee she wouldn’t suddenly blow out her circuits again.

She was really, really stubborn.

Extreme measures were necessary.

I gave her a suggestion.

“Then from now on, I’ll sleep with you every night.”

“W-what?!”

Asella jolted upright, face burning.