The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away

The attendants entered with practiced steps, each holding a plate in one hand.

One, two, ten... the dishes kept coming. The sheer number was astonishing.

What on earth did he prepare?

Even for a royal banquet, it was rare to have more than five or six dishes. But here, the scent of each dish was distinct and layered, teasing her nose with a mélange of unfamiliar aromas.

Just as Asella’s confusion deepened, the attendants surrounding her and Ambrosia moved in perfect unison, setting the dishes down like a choreographed military formation.

By the time her anticipation reached its peak, the silver lids were lifted, and steam gently wafted upward.

“Huh?”

But the moment she saw what was inside, her expression froze.

There was no steak, no familiar fare—just a colorful array of vegetables, some of which looked better suited for livestock feed.

The presentation was beautiful, she had to admit. The bite-sized portions, each arranged with careful artistry, resembled miniature paintings.

The problem was that eighty percent of it was greenery.

What the hell is this?

The source of that rich, savory scent she'd been anticipating turned out to be a pale, semi-liquid sludge.

Its gooey appearance reminded her of a dead slime—utterly unappetizing. Her hunger vanished instantly.

“Head maid, it seems you’ve brought the wrong dishes.”

Asella immediately spoke with imperious sharpness.

She could’ve tolerated such a mistake in private, but Ambrosia—her father’s closest physician—was present.

And sure enough, the woman looked visibly startled. This meal was far from what anyone would expect for a royal.

Who knows what she'll tell His Majesty.

Asella extended her arm with poised control.

“We have a guest present. I will forgive this one mistake. Now remove these plates and bring me the proper meal.”

The head maid bowed and ordered the attendants to retrieve the dishes. The servers covered the plates again and exited with disciplined grace.

“There appears to have been a mix-up.”

“Hmm, but the aroma was quite pleasant.”

“Pleasant or not, it was just a pile of weeds. That’s hardly fitting for His Majesty’s personal physician to put in her mouth.”

Hopefully Ambrosia won’t report this incident.

Asella tapped her elbow lightly with her fingers, anxiety flickering beneath her composed expression.

Soon after, the attendants returned carrying another set of plates.

“Ah, finally.”

They placed them down just as neatly as before. Once again, the lids were lifted.

And once again—

Asella frowned.

The dishes were exactly the same.

“Head maid. Summon the physician.”

The maid bowed and exited with quick backward steps.

Moments later, he entered the dining hall with unshakable composure.

“You called for me, Your Highness?”

“Physician, what exactly is the meaning of this meal?”

Las bowed smoothly and replied without hesitation.

“Of course. It is prepared with the utmost care, for the sake of Your Highness’s health.”

“You intend to feed livestock scraps to the Third Princess of the Empire and His Majesty’s personal physician?”

“Your Highness, I, Las Gotberg, swear upon my name and house that I have no intention of endangering your esteemed body.”

His voice rang with confidence.

And then, he smiled.

“Have I ever disappointed you even once?”

Of course you have. Just thinking about it brings twenty examples to mind immediately.

Asella bit back the retort. Criticizing him in front of Ambrosia would only undermine her own dignity.

“Perhaps I failed to explain adequately. Let’s begin with this dish—lactose-free milk porridge.”

“What is this? Slime?”

“The cheese Your Highness favors is made from milk. But your body struggles with lactose. So I’ve processed the milk to be easily digestible—this is the result.”

“...And this is supposed to be like cheese?”

Asella’s instincts remained suspicious.

Survival in the imperial court meant assuming deceit first. Even if Las had always, frustratingly, delivered on his promises.

“Please, trust me. Just try one bite.”

“Haa...”

With a reluctant sigh, Asella picked up the spoon.

She carefully scooped a bit off the top of the porridge. Steam curled upward, carrying with it that same rich, nutty aroma.

Fine. One more time. I’ll fall for it just once.

If this turns out not to be cheese... Las, you’re getting locked in the dungeon.

She slowly raised the silver spoon to her lips.

And then—

“...Mmh.”

A breathy hum escaped her lips before she could stop it, swallowed up with the first bite.

It wasn’t cheesecake.

But it was delicious.

Soft and velvety, it spread warmth through her body.

The deep, rich flavor of milk saturated her palate and climbed to the very top of her head.

“Oh ho. What a mysterious taste. Soothing and gentle on the stomach.”

Ambrosia was already moving onto her next spoonful with a pleased look.

“Hmph. It’s not bad, I suppose.”

Even Asella set aside her pride and continued eating the porridge.

Cheesecake was bold and intense, but too rich in large amounts.

This, though, felt like something she could keep eating forever.

“Now, please try the salmon-wrapped sesame leaves. Today’s main dish.”

“There’s salmon in this?”

Asella rarely ate fish.

But the soft salmon had been shaped and portioned into easy, bite-sized pieces.

She pricked one with her fork, dabbed it in the dark sauce on the side, and brought it to her mouth.

“Mm.”

As soon as she bit down, the sharp burst of sesame leaf aroma and the tender texture lit up her tastebuds.

“Lord Gotberg, what is this sauce?”

Ambrosia lifted a piece of the black-glazed salmon and asked with curiosity.

“It’s soy sauce, common in the Eastern lands, aged with grated radish. Normally it’s much saltier, but since meats are typically served with generous sauce, I adjusted the salinity.”

“A sauce from the East, hm? The flavor is excellent. Is it also beneficial to health?”

“Our capital is inland, so we often lack salt. While excessive intake is harmful, small amounts help with osmotic balance and assist in waste removal through circulation.”

“And the vegetables? Why wrap them?”

“Those are sesame leaves. Rich in vitamins, good for illness prevention and skin health. They’re more effective raw, so once Your Highness gets used to the flavor, I plan to serve them as seasoned greens.”

“Seasoned greens. You mean those raw vegetables tossed in sauce?”

“Exactly.”

Asella’s gaze shifted toward the rest of the vegetables.

She had written them off as fodder a moment ago, but now she couldn’t help but wonder: could these be good too?

“Your Highness, just one bite. Please.”

“...Fine.”

She picked up a piece of seasoned deodeok, sniffed it, and hesitantly bit down.

“Mmh...”

Her small mouth moved, cheeks puffed out slightly as she chewed. Her other hand rose to cover her lips.

Her golden eyes slowly widened, lids lifting involuntarily.

“How is it?”

Asella glanced at Las’s smug face. She didn’t ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) want to answer, but...

She closed her eyes and answered curtly.

“It’s good.”

“Knew it.”

“It’s a flavor I’ve never had before! There’s real depth... What did you use?”

“Haha, that’s a family secret.”

Las winked, placing a finger to his lips.

Even if she guessed, extracting MSG from sugar beets was something only Las could do.

“Hmph, hmm.”

Asella’s hands began to move faster.

Before she realized it, she was sampling all the vegetable dishes, poking around with her fork here and there.

And then—frustration bubbled up.

There’s not enough.

It wasn’t a full portion—just tasting sizes. Not nearly satisfying.

“These may not all be to your taste, Your Highness—”

“Huh?”

Asella turned her head, startled, not realizing Las had moved beside her. A grain of rice clung to her lips.

“These are meals for your health. Please think of them as medicine. If you finish them all, dessert awaits.”

He signaled to the head maid, who brought in another plate.

Wait, is that coffee?

Asella’s eyes snapped to the cup on the tray.

It looked like coffee... but the color was slightly different.

And there were dark blobs settled at the bottom.

“Oolong bubble tea, with tapioca pearls,” Las said confidently.

“I’m sure you’ll love it.”

***

“Physician, I want bubble tea.”

“You had it yesterday. No.”

During morning rounds, I denied her flatly, and Asella pouted her lips.

Oolong tea was healthier than coffee, but it still contained caffeine. I couldn’t give it to her too often.

“Then what are you making for dinner?”

“Ask the head maid. It’s not my turn today.”

“...What?”

Asella’s jaw dropped.

A week into her health-focused diet, her appetite had noticeably improved.

Maybe that’s why her forehead was looking especially radiant.

“Why aren’t you cooking?”

“Because I’m your physician, not a chef? I fell behind on other duties while developing the new system.”

“What if it tastes bad? I don’t want steak!”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be based on menus I designed. I’ve already made enough seasoning.”

Though I’d check in from time to time, the head maid would be in charge of kitchen operations moving forward.

We still needed to use the Imperial Kitchen for premium ingredients, so it couldn’t be avoided. The head chef there was already giving me the stink eye with all the extra traffic, but oh well. It was a win-win—Moonlight Palace had a functioning system now.

“Your examination’s done. Bloodwork shows marked improvement in circulation. How’s your spellcasting lately?”

“Hmm... I do feel like mana flows a little more smoothly.”

“Good. Let’s keep this up. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Wait.”

Asella tugged the hem of my coat.

“You’re really not going to make bubble tea again?”

“Nope.”

“Then I’ll drink coffee.”

“Go ahead. You remember how badly it turned out when you snuck tapioca into your coffee last time.”

She narrowed her eyes at my jab.

Tapioca pearls and coffee were a terrible match. She’d sabotaged herself.

“I’ll pay the price.”

“One cup, ten thousand gold.”

“You’re the worst.”

She thumped my stomach and stood to start her day.

Asella’s health diet was a success.

At this rate, I could start prepping to relocate my office.

There were even rumors that the Emperor would adopt the winner’s methods as standard. The Imperial Kitchen’s overall culinary style might change because of this.

As for Simon’s exorcism massage?

...I wasn’t particularly curious.