2. Flirt with the maids!!
In his room, Arthur stared at the mysterious book in his hand, frowning. The book contained details of events that would occur in his future.
On the first page, in blue letters, it read: "By healing the maid, Good Deed Points +1. Achievement unlocked," followed by a section filled with black text that simply said "??????."
"So… does this mean that my actions from here on out will change the future?"
The phrase "Good Deed Points," which had echoed in his mind when he healed the maid, came back to him. That healing must have impacted his future. While it hadn't been enough to avoid his execution, the future described in the book mentioned that the maid's friends had opposed his execution. This was an important change.
In other words, if he did more good deeds, he might improve his future and escape the guillotine.
"Hahaha, as expected, God has not forsaken me!"
Arthur laughed maniacally while holding up the book. He was completely acting like a suspicious person. And the reason he so easily accepted the idea of rewriting his life, which would normally be unimaginable, was due to two reasons.
The first was that, being born with the ability to use healing magic and a special constitution, he was used to strange things happening and could take them in stride. The second was his flexible mind that easily believed anything that was convenient for him.
"Good deeds... so all I need to do is do good things, right? In other words, if I make people happy, that should work, right? Fine then, I'll flatter the common folk and the world! Everything is for my survival!"
Arthur declared proudly, raising the book. Then, as he thought about what to do next, a question arose.
"However, how exactly do I make people happy?"
Arthur was by no means a villain, but he wasn’t exactly a saint either. As the second prince and someone with powerful healing abilities, he had been spoiled rotten. While he could be selfish and quick to anger, he never used unreasonable violence on his servants, nor did he give them impossible orders. But this wasn’t necessarily a virtue—his indifference to others was the reason behind it.
Therefore, he didn’t know how to make people happy. After thinking for a while, something finally came to him.
"That's it... I have powerful healing abilities. If I heal injured or sick people, they’ll be happy! After all, with my abilities, I can usually cure almost anything!"
He had always been thanked whenever he used his healing magic. Nobles who followed him would bring important people to be treated, and after the healing, they would express their gratitude. At the time, he didn’t understand why they were so grateful for something so simple, but now, after being captured, beaten, and facing the guillotine, he finally understood.
Pain is truly awful. It was a childlike realization, but for Arthur, it was a valuable and significant breakthrough.
"Then, if I heal everyone with injuries or illnesses, they’ll surely be grateful. Hahaha, this will be easy!"
Since childhood, his healing magic was considered precious, and he had been warned not to use it recklessly. He had obeyed the nobles, but now, his life was on the line. He didn’t care about their words.
Arthur, who had been discarded by the nobles to save themselves, now valued his life far more than their empty words.
"Hahaha, is there anyone here who can serve as nourishment for my life?"
Arthur stepped outside his room, looking around for anyone who might be injured. His words were straight out of a villain’s script, but he wasn’t intending to do anything good. It was all about his own survival.
"Seriously, no one is around..."
Arthur wandered aimlessly, but it was to be expected. This wasn’t a battlefield, but the mansion where he lived. It would be a problem if injuries were a common occurrence here.
Just as he was wondering what to do next, he heard a loud crash followed by a woman’s scream.
Come to think of it, there had been a commotion earlier today when a painting fell, and the maid got injured... He hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but now, he quickly rushed toward the source of the scream.
"Ugh..."
What appeared before Arthur was a glass frame, about his height, shattered on the floor, and a blonde maid in a maid's outfit, bleeding from her forehead.
The amount of blood indicated a deep wound, one that would likely leave a scar.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Arthur-sama...?"
When Arthur called out and rushed over, the blonde maid flinched and quickly bowed her head.
"I apologize. I have stained the precious painting you gave me with my blood..."
"What are you talking about? That’s irrelevant. Let me see your wound."
Arthur, completely ignoring the maid’s nonsensical words, moved closer. He didn’t care about paintings; he didn’t understand the value of art, and this painting had been a gift when he treated some nobles—he had no attachment to it.
Right now, her treatment was his priority. It was a perfect opportunity to rack up Good Deed Points.
"Arthur-sama, what are you...?"
The wound on her forehead... A large scar would be troublesome for a woman whose beauty was one of her key assets. On the other hand, healing her could lead to even greater gratitude.
With this calculating thought in mind, Arthur began the treatment.
"Focus. Stay quiet."
When Arthur placed his hand on her forehead, a warm light appeared, and the girl’s wound began to heal.
"This... This is... healing power! Such a precious ability, it's too much for someone like me!!"
"It’s already healed. Now, look in the mirror."
Arthur gently wiped the blood from the maid's forehead with a handkerchief. She, unable to believe it, touched her forehead and quickly pulled out a hand mirror.
"Ah... Ah! It’s true! There’s not a single scar! Arthur-sama, you’re so kind!! Thank you! Marianne will never forget this kindness!"
With that, she burst into tears and embraced Arthur. The soft sensation and sweet fragrance overwhelmed him.
As he watched her joy and gratitude, Arthur unexpectedly felt a sense of happiness himself, which made him uneasy.
—Why? I only healed her to protect myself, but why does my chest feel warm?
"Um... I’m terribly sorry for behaving so improperly due to my joy…!"
Misunderstanding Arthur's confusion, Marianne hurriedly pulled away from him. Her face was as red as an apple.
"Hmph, don’t worry about it. I healed you specially. You should just be grateful to me."
Arthur answered her bluntly. For him, the healing was done solely for his own survival, so he made sure to remind her not to forget her gratitude. Yet, for some reason, Marianne’s eyes filled with tears as if deeply moved.
"Yes, I will never forget this kindness!! But... are you sure it’s alright for someone like me to be healed? I’ve heard that only those introduced by Lord Goyoku and who have made large donations are allowed to receive your healing..."
"Donations, you say…?"
Arthur was caught off guard by Marianne’s words. Goyoku was a nobleman who acted as his caretaker. He had indeed introduced people for Arthur to heal, but he had never heard of donations being a requirement.
—Wait, maybe I just didn’t notice... If it’s that scoundrel, it’s not surprising.
Arthur frowned, recalling what Goyoku had ultimately done to him in his previous life, feeling both understanding and displeasure.
"Yes, because Arthur-sama’s power is special, Lord Goyoku said it requires an appropriate price. That’s why I was so surprised to receive your healing, I never thought it would happen..."
"Hmph, such things..."
Just as Arthur was about to dismiss it as irrelevant, the words of his former fiancée crossed his mind. It was from his past life, during a time when the public’s dissatisfaction had been growing. He had once asked her,
—"If I heal people one after another, won't everyone come to admire me?"
—"Listen, Arthur. Yes, your power is indeed remarkable. But if you use it too easily, people will take you for granted, and those who wish to exploit you will use it for their own benefit. Also, people will start to depend on you. Those you've healed before will think they can always count on you to heal them when they're injured, and they’ll become reliant on it. And don’t forget, your ability has a daily limit. You can't heal people every time, can you? If there's inequality, that will lead to dissatisfaction. There will be people who resent you, and even those you've healed may end up resenting you, thinking, 'Why you and not me?' So, if you truly want to save this country, you need to think of ways beyond just using your healing power."
Her words, spoken with a sigh, were almost like a lecture to him, and they left him feeling unsettled. Yet, she was always right. At least more so than the flattery from those who were just trying to gain favor... As for Goyoku, he could disregard him, but he should trust her.
"Fine, I'm big-hearted enough to listen to you this time," Arthur told himself in his mind, reluctantly justifying his thoughts. "Instead of healing everyone indiscriminately, I’ll set some conditions."
Even though he was unwilling to follow his former fiancée’s advice, Arthur couldn't help but make excuses in his head. He then turned to Marianne and came up with a suitable excuse.
"The reason I healed you is that you're special. You've always worked hard in your duties, haven’t you, Marianne?"
"You... you remembered my name...?"
Although Arthur had merely called her name because she had introduced herself earlier, Marianne’s eyes widened with joy.
"And... I'm special? I’ve always worked hard as a maid, but I never thought Arthur-sama would think of me like this..."
Marianne blushed deeply and mumbled to herself, but Arthur, deep in thought, didn’t hear her.
—Can I make people happy in ways other than healing?
Marianne’s joy had been sparked by the healing, but she seemed so happy just from him calling her name. And, for some reason, seeing her happy made Arthur feel pleased too.
This was an emotion Arthur had never felt in his previous life, and it left him confused.
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