The warmth of her skin felt alive against my fingertips.  

As I pressed my palm against that warmth, a heavy breath escaped her crimson lips.

The girl with the red hair lay sprawled on the bed, looking utterly disheveled.

“Haah, haah…”

Her gaze wavered as it fixed on me.

Though we hadn’t even begun the real treatment, she had exhausted herself from struggling against me.

The leaf-like eyes dripped with malice.

“You… dare to do this again?!”

Her tightly clenched fists seemed ready to unleash violence at any moment.

Behind her cool, simmering voice lay shame and horror about her current predicament.

Perhaps she finally realized her resistance was futile.

Elise slumped her limbs, merely glaring at me with wide eyes.

In response, I smiled.

“It’s the same as last time. You won’t feel any pain, so rest easy.”

“I clearly told you… to get lost!”

“I didn’t plan to go this far, but given Your Highness’s condition, I decided to take a firmer approach.”

“Don’t! Ugh, don’t touch my body…!”

“I’m afraid I cannot honor that request.”

I shook my head firmly.

It was clear that nothing I said would be heard in her current state.

Even if I adopted a somewhat coercive method, I believed I had to restore her broken state.

Still holding her soft warmth, I continued.

“Then… I will begin the treatment.”

At that moment, shadows flickered at my fingertips.

The dark essence that coated my fingers began to seep onto her skin.

A sluggish sensation.

Elise’s pupils trembled in surprise.

As she exhaled the breath she had been holding, a faint groan followed.

Her breath was unsteady and filled with anxiety.

“Ugh…?!”

A particularly vivid sound rang out.

Her frail body trembled as if gripped by fear, but the coiled serpent had no intention of releasing its prey.

It merely flicked its tongue over her nape.

“You’ll feel better soon.”

This marked the true beginning of the treatment.

If yesterday was merely a light taste, today would be about addressing the root cause.

I consumed a bit of output.

Srrr-.

The thin darkness spread, penetrating her abdomen.

Before long, unseen changes began to manifest.

“...?!”

Elise flinched, her shoulders twitching.

Perhaps it was due to the unfamiliar sensation.

At that moment, her body was heightened in sensitivity, nearly doubled.

By keeping the stimuli received by the patient at maximum, I could easily detect the flow of mana throughout her body.

Consequently, she was more sensitive than ever.

“W-Wait, what are you doing to my body…?”

The sensations she experienced likely exceeded what she could comprehend.

The stimuli coursing through her surged from 100 to 200.

Although I had adjusted for any painful sensations that could be dangerous, her other senses remained fully active, which must have been overwhelming.

For example, her sense of smell, hearing, and touch... or perhaps even pleasure.

It was no wonder her reactions were so intense.

“Ugh, ahh… this is strange, why so suddenly…?!”

I gently patted her head, as if to soothe her.

Perhaps it felt alien to her.

She turned her head sharply, forcing me to withdraw my hand.

‘She seems to be struggling more than I expected.’

It appeared I needed to set aside other thoughts for now.

I stopped delaying.

Focusing my output at the point of contact, I pressed my palm firmly against her white belly.

“Ugh?!”

Her breath escaped in a burst.

Was it due to the high intensity of the stimuli?

Her waist arched slightly, but the pressure from my hand held her down.

The frail body trembled helplessly.

“You mustn’t move.”

It seemed the beginning was indeed difficult.

I had anticipated this level of reaction, so I calmly waited for her to settle.

With my other hand, I continued to stroke the rose’s hair.

“Ah, ahh… what are you doing?”

“As I mentioned, this is treatment. Since it requires precision, please refrain from any sudden movements.”

The surgical method was straightforward.

I would restore the heavily corrupted mana pathways one by one.

Injecting mana into the central core and allowing it to flow through delicate channels, pushing out the reverse energy.

Though I simplified the explanation, it was nearly impossible in practice.

I had to manipulate the mana individually.

While dealing with it in granular units, I also had to ensure the pathways didn’t misalign.

This process had to be applied sequentially to numerous channels, making both the complexity of the procedure and the time required to achieve treatment substantial.

It was something ordinary doctors wouldn’t even dare attempt.

‘Of course.’

For me, it was the best approach.

I could take my time, allowing for gradual treatment, and thus create a portrayal of steady recovery while placing a manageable burden on the patient.

In the time given, I could leisurely consume the princesses.

The difficulty of manipulation posed no issue for me.

With a mere gesture, I could revert even a chimera; anything less would be deemed catastrophic.

With a faint smile, I continued the treatment.

“You’re holding up well.”

I pressed down again on her abdomen.

Elise’s shoulders quivered.

Her erratic breath had turned feverish.

Her weak movements clutched the bedspread tightly, and her lips pressed together as if to stifle her sounds.

She was desperately enduring.

“Ugh… I told you, I don’t need this treatment…!”

“Ugh, it’s not like you need it. Hah…”

Elise squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

Her panting breath bubbled like a fever.

Perhaps frightened by the alien sensations, tears glimmered at the corners of her eyes.

Yet her gaze remained fierce.

Like a rose that defiantly keeps its thorns raised.

Perhaps it was this resilient demeanor that struck me.

I stroked Elise’s hair several more times.

“Very good. You’re getting used to it.”

“I’ll… kill you, you garbage…!”

“That wouldn’t be a bad end. Of course, that’s only after your treatment is complete.”

“Ugh…!”

I pressed down once more.

The pitiful girl wavered.

She seemed to be searching for someone to help her, but sadly, the dark room held no one.

Only the ailing rose and the golden serpent were present.

Now that she had agreed to follow my words completely, Charlotte was waiting in the next room with her maids.

Shouting from this side wouldn’t reach the other.

After all, soundproofing had been arranged like yesterday.

“You can continue like this.”

Squeeze, squeeze-.

I repeated the motions.

The first treatment concluded after about three hours.

Perhaps due to the prolonged output I had consumed.

As I withdrew my tingling fingers, Elise’s breath reached my ears.

She lay there, exhausted.

“Haah, haah…”

The girl was drenched in sweat.

As a result, her wet nightgown clung to her body, and the sticky scent of her skin permeated the air.

Her unfocused gaze seemed unusually beautiful.

“You’ve worked hard.”

I offered her gentle words.

Elise, in disarray, revealed her chest through the damp fabric, barely covering herself with the thin hem.

A few finger marks remained on her white abdomen.

“You should feel much better now. If you continue with treatment regularly, you’ll recover.”

I snapped my fingers.

Taak-!

With a light sound of rupture, the disheveled girl returned to a neat appearance.

She might have felt uncomfortable due to the sweat, so I made this consideration for her.

It also served to tidy up the mess around us.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“…”

“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

“…Die already.”

Elise muttered, gathering her words.

The venom in her eyes was clear as she looked up at me.

Perhaps she hadn’t yet been defeated.

In response, I smiled and stroked the cheek of the still-warm girl.

Beneath the soft touch lay hidden thorns.

“You’ll come to realize.”

I whispered with a sly tongue.

“That even such resistance is ultimately meaningless.”

The sweet breath tickled her ear.

Elise merely clenched her fists, trembling in a body nearing exhaustion.

Though she resisted now,

there would come a time when she could no longer do so.

“I can do as I please with you at any time.”

Her pale complexion was particularly fragile.

Feeling the warmth of my fingertips, a voice brushed against my ear.

One of the shattered fragments of the past.

- Oppa… I’m in pain.

- I cried because I missed you, but I stopped when the nurse told me to.

- Hehe! So hurry up and pet me!

I vowed as I felt her fragile warmth.

To prevent the tragedy that awaited and to rescue Charlotte from despair, to achieve a happy ending for all.

That your fairy tale would be different from mine.

“I will surely save you, Your Highness.”

I will save you for certain.