I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 10

“Gasp! Really? Who is it?”

Marie’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Oh, we’ve arrived.”

At that moment, Serena opened the door to her room and carried Marie’s basket inside. Marie hurried after her, asking eagerly, “Lady Serena, who is it? Huh? Who?”

“Hm.”

Serena hesitated for a moment, debating whether to reveal the information. However, mentioning a name felt too personal.

No matter how frustrating the emperor could be, she felt it was improper to divulge details of his private life, so she refrained from speaking further.

“Well, I can’t say that much.”

“Lady Serenaaa.”

“If you look around carefully, you’ll figure it out. Like you said, there aren’t many women around His Majesty, are there?”

“That’s true, but…”

“It might even be someone you know.”

After all, Lucy Carter often visited the imperial palace.

Serena smiled subtly, deciding to keep the rest to herself. Now that they were at her room, she planned to continue her research.

“Thanks for helping me carry this. Here, a little gift.”

Serena took a lemon candy from her pocket and handed it to Marie as a token of appreciation. She always kept candies or chocolates handy while looking after the emperor’s childlike whims.

Marie, caught off guard by the gift, alternated between looking at the candy and at Serena.

“Take care.”

Serena waved her hand and closed the door. Marie stood in front of the closed door for a while before suddenly muttering under her breath.

“Could Anna have been right…?”

Excitement flushed Marie’s cheeks as she recalled what Anna had said about the relationship between Serena and the emperor.

“Marie, I’ve uncovered something huge!”

“What kind of information? Is it something worth selling?”

Selling information to nobles was a common practice among palace attendants, so Marie teased Anna with the comparison.

Usually, Anna would be offended and retort angrily, but this time she lowered her voice conspiratorially.

“Well… The imperial physician and His Majesty seem to have a special relationship.”

“A special relationship?”

“They might even be spending nights together!”

“What are you talking about? What about the count?”

“Are you still rooting for the count and His Majesty?”

“Shut up, Anna.”

“Anyway, it’s true. I overheard them meeting secretly with my own ears.”

“You’re probably just imagining things again.”

“Seriously? This time, I’m absolutely sure!”

At the time, Marie had dismissed Anna’s words as another one of her wild misunderstandings.

Marie was a loyal supporter of the Lilia-Zaid couple, while Anna rooted for Lilia-Leonard. Marie assumed Anna was just trying to sway her allegiance and hadn’t taken her story seriously.

But now, hearing something directly from Serena herself…

‘She must have been embarrassed to admit it outright, so she hinted at it instead!’

Marie bit her lower lip, her face glowing with excitement.

‘And here I was talking about Count Lowell to Lady Serena. What an idiot I am!’

She slapped her mouth lightly with her hand, horrified at the thought that she might have caused a misunderstanding by mentioning the count in front of an already-established couple.

‘This isn’t the time for this. I have to tell Anna right away!’

Marie’s thoughts immediately turned to Anna, and she hurried down the corridor. Thus, the misunderstanding between the two maids only deepened.

Shortly after Serena placed the flowers she received from Marie on the sunlit terrace, there was a knock at her door, followed by a familiar voice.

“Are you in?”

Serena quickly dusted herself off and opened the door. Standing there was Leonard Carter, his striking red hair unmistakable.

“Sir Leonard? What brings you here?”

“His Majesty is asking for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. He’s feeling unwell.”

“Oh, then I’ll go immediately.”

The mention of the emperor’s illness sent a jolt of urgency through Serena. She grabbed her medical bag and followed Leonard without hesitation.

It was rare for the emperor to summon her first, and Serena’s heart raced with worry. She mentally reviewed all possible treatment methods as she spoke.

“Is he very unwell?”

“Ah, well… Not really. Just tell him it’s a routine check-up.”

“What?”

Serena tilted her head, confused.

He said he was sick, but now it’s not serious?

Leonard gave an awkward laugh before explaining.

“Actually, there’s an unexpected guest. And, well, His Majesty can’t just throw them out.”

“A high-ranking noble, I assume?”

Serena replied tactfully, and Leonard nodded briefly.

“Yes. Because of that, His Majesty might be in a bit of a foul mood, so I apologize in advance.”

Leonard bowed his head slightly, as if entrusting her with the emperor’s care.

When has that emperor ever been in a good mood?

Serena held back the urge to retort, knowing any words would only reach Azaid’s ears.

And calling the emperor a “brat” would land her in trouble for insulting the imperial family.

This must be someone he really doesn’t want to deal with, she thought.

After all, for him to call her over to help dismiss someone, the person had to be even more unwelcome than she was. Curious, Serena asked, “Who’s the guest?”

“Lady Ophelia Greenwood.”

“Ah.”

Serena nodded knowingly. She was already aware of Jade’s strong dislike for Ophelia Greenwood.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Ophelia herself he disliked, but her association with the Greenwood Duchy.

“I’ll check the situation inside first,” she said.

Leonard entered the room with a warm smile after a soft knock. Serena, waiting outside for a moment, was startled by a sudden commotion from within.

Clatter—!

“Ahh!”

“Your Majesty!”

Ophelia’s scream was followed by Leonard’s frantic voice.

No way…!

“Hah, I can’t take my eyes off for a second!”

Thinking that the emperor might have collapsed, Serena pushed the door open without knocking.

A short while earlier.

Azaid stared intently at the woman before him. She was seated, dressed to impress, her attire meticulously adorned. The hem of her dress billowed out like a balloon, making her movements appear cumbersome at a glance.

“What brings you here unannounced?”

Azaid’s mood soured at the sight of an uninvited guest. Typically, one could not enter the imperial palace without the emperor’s permission. After all, seeing the emperor wasn’t a privilege granted to just anyone.

Yet, the woman before him, backed by the Greenwood family, managed to find reasons—any reasons—to frequent the palace freely.

So Greenwood is involved in preparing for this banquet. She must be using that as an excuse to visit.

Azaid massaged his temples, already throbbing with the headache induced by her presence. Strictly speaking, her visit wasn’t entirely without permission, as it was he who had allowed her access.

Still, he didn’t care for how she used her family’s influence to approach him. It was all too transparent to him, which explained why he skipped formalities and went straight to asking about her purpose.

Unbothered by Azaid’s cold reception, Ophelia Greenwood smiled sweetly.

“I came by the palace on business, but I had something I wanted to give you, Your Majesty. I’m glad I didn’t miss you.”

“…”

“I recently made some preserves using fruit from the Kingdom of Pion, and they turned out quite well.”

At her signal, the maid standing beside her presented a neatly wrapped box to Azaid.

Azaid merely nodded, showing no intention of opening the gift. Taking the hint, the maid set the box down nearby.

“Would you like to try some?” Ophelia asked.

“Later.”

Azaid curtly declined, stretching into a lazy yawn. His disinterest was obvious, yet Ophelia paid no heed and instructed her maid, “Bring the tea set.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The maid hesitated briefly before scurrying off. Azaid looked at Ophelia in disbelief.

He had clearly stated he’d try it later, but she disregarded his preference entirely. Sensing his annoyance, Ophelia replied gently, “I wanted to prepare it for you personally. I believe you’ll enjoy it, Your Majesty.”

“The Greenwood lady seems to have plenty of free time,” Azaid remarked with a derisive chuckle.

Ophelia answered with a playful smile, “For Your Majesty, I always have time.”

Her lack of reaction only deepened Azaid’s frown.

Her intentions were as clear as day. With the empress’s seat vacant, she aimed to claim it for herself.

The Greenwood family was a prestigious noble house that had contributed greatly to the founding of the empire. Back when Azaid was merely a prince, they were so powerful that he wouldn’t have dared to approach them—or her.

Now, seeing these same nobles grovel before him stirred a deep distaste within him.

Power was such a futile thing. Once so unattainable, it now came too easily. But what meaning did it hold?

After all, my mother is already dead.

Azaid’s expression grew icy, his simmering rage impossible to suppress.

When his mother was dying, everyone had turned a blind eye. No noble would align themselves with a disgraced, exiled prince.

And yet now, they dare…

As Azaid worked to suppress his fury, Ophelia was brewing tea with the set her maid had brought. Just as she was about to place a cup before the emperor, he spoke.

“Apologies, but I’ll save the tea for another time.”

Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, Azaid rose from his seat.