I've secured insurance from Asella, so there's nothing to worry about regarding the royal physician exam.
*Well, let's try to think positively about this.*
The benefits of becoming the imperial physician.
The compensation is substantial. The annual salary easily exceeds one hundred gold coins. And if I'm assigned to the imperial family members? I could see two hundred.
Working just five years would be enough to buy a mansion in the capital.
The social status is considerable too. In the nine-tier social hierarchy, it's equivalent to the third tier. That's on par with a mayor.
Even within the imperial palace, it ranks above the head butler.
*Personally, I have many things to accomplish as well.*
I've secured a promise of support, and as a physician, I can build achievements.
Being close to Asella means more opportunities to delete the bad endings she might trigger.
I'll have chances to get involved in imperial politics.
It'll be easier to prevent the extinction of our family.
*But the drawback that outweighs all those benefits...*
Having to see Asella's face every morning,
Having to see Asella's face every lunch,
Having to see Asella's face every evening.
Come to think of it, I don't even need the ending list.
When I see Asella, all the scenes of my death naturally flash back.
She's like a living recording crystal.
Her face is still round with baby fat too.
Enough. I've already decided on my direction, and once I've committed, there's no need to whine about it anymore.
*Since the head maid will supervise the exam, I should prepare.*
It seems the written test has already been conducted, filtering out some candidates.
What remains is the practical. I'll have to take a separate written test too, but that's a piece of cake anyway.
The crucial practical exam to select the final candidates is in a week.
I need to prepare for that.
But.
*Today, let's finish deleting this one.*
[No. 003: Beheading of a Hundred People 31%]
A bad ending where Asella gets inspired by the incident of gifting yellow roses to the Empress.
Asella is examining a flower crown carefully.
After contemplating for a while, she nods as if she's made a decision.
"This one is good."
Asella picks up the flower crown and rises from her seat.
She walks out to the balcony with soft footsteps.
The head maid greets her and prepares to escort her.
"Where is Mother?"
"She's in a meeting with the Marquis in the main hall."
"I want to see her."
"As you wish."
Asella leaves with dignity, not looking back.
Left behind, I turn to Max.
With his tongue out and bright eyes looking at me, he's the only cotton candy in this thorny path.
"I'll be back soon, Max."
When I pat his head, Max responds with a "Woof."
***
Following the garden path from the east wing to the central hall.
I end up trailing behind Asella.
The noble princess is followed by her maids while I, the rascal, stroll along casually by myself.
She doesn't seem to notice me following her.
The Empress was talking with my father in the well-maintained reception courtyard in front of the main hall.
I hide behind a willow tree and observe.
*Third Empress Camilla von Württemfelt, right?*
She certainly wasn't from a particularly powerful faction in the imperial court.
*Silver hair. A witch.*
The Empress was clearly a mage.
As evidence of extensive magic use, her natural hair color had completely faded, now shimmering with a silvery glow.
The very same color Asella would have in ten years.
*Did the witch who fell out of the Emperor's favor want to use our family's power?*
I know that the arranged marriage between Asella and me was established with the Empress's intentions.
Asella stands quietly at the entrance of the central hall, a little distance away.
She seems to be waiting for the Empress.
Father notices Asella first.
He mentions her to the Empress.
The Empress excuses herself from my father and walks toward Asella with soft steps.
They move to a different spot. They hide in a shaded location as if about to have a secret meeting.
I move behind a nearby willow tree to hear their conversation.
"Asella, what brings you here?"
"I have a gift for you, Mother."
Asella meekly presents what she had been holding.
It was the yellow rose flower crown I had made.
A surprise gift from a daughter.
As I wonder if I should give something like this to Father to score some points, the Empress's cold voice strikes my ears.
"What is this?"
"Yellow roses... they are."
The Empress takes the flower crown.
She examines it slowly, turning it around.
"Asella."
"Yes."
The Empress's voice is now frozen, piercing my eardrums like a spear.
"I believe I ordered you to stay quiet and dignified at the Marquis's residence."
The Empress strokes a rose with her wrinkled finger, then snap.
She tears the rose from its stem.
"I can't believe you interrupted an important meeting for something so trivial."
The Empress sharply rebukes Asella.
Asella can't respond and bites her lower lip hard.
"Learn to prioritize. Do you think I came all the way to this countryside just to appoint your physician? I need the cooperation of the Gotberg family to secure power in the imperial court."
So that was the purpose behind pushing for the engagement.
It's common in high society.
There are various factions within the imperial court. Nobles are always watching carefully to decide which side to take.
Father is a devout believer, so he's weak in politics.
Geographically, the Gotberg family's territory is far from the capital.
But it could become a valuable family in the future.
*Because as a family of healers, there's a high probability of producing a Saintess.*
In these peaceful times it doesn't matter, but if a Demon King appears, the faction that possesses a Saintess would naturally gain power.
The Empress must have bet on that and set her eyes on our family.
The Empress continued to berate Asella.
"So go back to your room and prepare to seduce that stupid rascal. You two make a perfect match in stupidity. This engagement must not be broken. Use your body if necessary to keep that rascal."
Did that woman just call me stupid?
"Otherwise, your head will someday fall off your body just like this."
The Empress holds up the yellow rose she had torn off in front of Asella's eyes.
She used magic.
It must have been poison attribute. The rose instantly bubbled and melted.
The rose, now bright red and dripping, falls helplessly to the ground.
Asella watched the scene with an expressionless face, like a doll.
The Empress let go of the flower crown.
The rose that Asella had carefully selected crumples as it hits the ground.
The Empress turns and leaves Asella.
Asella slowly bends down to pick up the flower crown.
Red letters light up and the probability increases.
[No. 003: Beheading of a Hundred People 31% → 77%]
I can't help but slap my forehead.
*Who's the one who doesn't know how to prioritize?*
The probability more than doubled.
Wait, does this mean it increased because I didn't intervene sooner?
Is this my fault?
*This is ridiculous.*
Well, I can tolerate being called stupid.
But.
*I can't tolerate her calling me stupid.*
I walk toward Asella.
She turns to look at me.
She seems surprised to see me here, like a child caught doing something wrong.
I take the flower crown from Asella.
Suppressing the rising veins in my temples, I address the Empress with respect.
"It's an honor to see you, Your Majesty."
The Empress turns to look at me. I bow slightly, bending my knee to show respect.
Her expression flinches momentarily upon seeing me, then quickly softens.
"Oh, Young Lord Gotberg. I didn't realize you were here."
"Haha, even from a distance, Your Majesty's dignity is too radiant to fully capture. Please forgive my rudeness for rushing over."
"Not at all. Thanks to you..."
"However."
I cut off her words.
Shocked at such rudeness, the Empress's face hardens.
She must be upset by this level of shock. But this is just the beginning.
"It seems Your Majesty is quite displeased with our family."
"Young Lord? What do you mean?"
"About this flower crown."
I smoothly present the yellow rose flower crown to her.
"Yellow roses are a specialty of the Gotberg family, bred by our founding patriarch and cultivated to this day."
That's obviously a lie.
Even I don't know who the founding patriarch was.
"Ah, I see. I wasn't aware."
A hint of embarrassment crosses the Empress's face.
"And I made this flower crown myself. I asked the Princess to present it to Your Majesty as a tribute."
"I... I see."
The Empress has no excuse.
If Asella didn't mention that this was my tribute, it's a demerit for the fiancée.
But if she says she intended to reject the tribute, it would be an even greater insult to our family.
Of course, a marquis family is below the imperial family.
But while Asella might be different, the Empress has fallen out of the Emperor's favor and needs our family.
She doesn't want to sour relations with my father.
But what if the marquis's son were to cause a scene because the imperial family offended him?
The meeting, engagement, everything would be ruined.
It's entirely possible, even against the imperial family.
After all, I'm notoriously known as a troublemaker.
"...Young Lord."
She's in a dilemma.
The Empress must think this is a trap I've set.
Seeing her eyes grow fierce, I've clearly earned her enmity.
But I'm not afraid of you at all.
You might not be able to kill me, but Asella actually does.
What are you going to do about it, lady?
But staying like this won't end the stalemate.
I offered her a deal.
"If you accept the tribute now, I believe this matter won't reach the Marquis. What do you think?"
"...Very well."
The Empress slowly received the flower crown from me.
Her nose keeps twitching, showing how angry she is.
It's kind of funny.
"...Not just a rascal after all, playing politics above his station."
She muttered under her breath.
"Ha, really now."
Why does she have to add one more comment to preserve her pride?
If she had just accepted it quietly, this would have ended well.
But I'm not mature enough to ignore provocation.
"Oh dear, one flower has fallen."
I took out a rose from my pocket.
It was one I had put in my formal wear earlier for safety, with its thorns still intact.
"Please take this as well."
The Empress's hands were already occupied with the flower crown.
I insert the rose into her hand.
"Ouch...!"
The Empress's face contorted in pain.
It's fine. I made sure not to draw blood.
Her lips trembled as if she was about to curse but swallowed it back.
What could she do anyway?
Finally, the Empress left, grinding her teeth.
*Phew. Let's see.*
I check the system window.
[No. 003: Beheading of a Hundred People 77% → 0%]
[Changed]
[Ending has been deleted.]
*Success.*
I couldn't help but rejoice inwardly.
It was the moment when the future of my beheading disappeared.
It feels like indigestion suddenly clearing up. This is it.
As I was enjoying the sense of liberation, I suddenly felt someone tapping my back.
"Young Lord."
I turned around and was startled to find Asella's face right in front of me.
I instinctively stepped back.
I still can't get used to this.
While I was clutching my startled heart, Asella stomped toward me.
It was like a scene from a horror movie.
"Young Lord, I have a question."
"Yes, Princess."
"What's your name?"
She still didn't know.