I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 23

Serena anxiously watched Nocturne, her gaze filled with unease. Then, Nocturne’s cold words pierced her heart like a dagger.

“Unlike pure mana, the mana of others acts as poison to an awakened individual, causing severe rejection. It’s like oil and water—they simply don’t mix.”

“…What?”

“No matter how hard you search, you won’t find any related research papers. Refining internal mana is already difficult enough, and injecting external mana is considered a violation of bioethics, so even experiments on it are prohibited.”

Thud!

It felt as if Serena’s heart, already pierced by a dagger, had dropped to the floor with a resounding crash.

Her heart pounded. The realization that her misguided treatment had endangered Azaid sent a chilling wave of guilt through her.

“Have I been killing Azaid this whole time?!”

Her mind was in a frenzy. Magic was not her area of expertise.

Though she had been self-studying magic since being swept up in a mana rampage during her second regression, her knowledge was far inferior to Nocturne’s professional grasp of the subject.

This was why quackery was terrifying—and she was the very quack in question. Serena opened her mouth nervously.

“Well… if it’s prohibited, that must mean someone tried it before…”

“Yes, someone did.”

“What happened to the test subjects?”

Cautiously, Serena asked while stealing glances at Nocturne. He stared at her, intrigued by her curiosity about the oddest details, before responding indifferently.

“They died as soon as their mana cores deteriorated following the injection.”

“Were there no exceptions?”

“None. If a thousand were tested, all thousand died instantly. A 100% fatality rate.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Before Nocturne could finish his sentence, Serena exhaled a deep sigh of relief. For some reason, Azaid had survived despite having been injected with her mana multiple times.

It couldn’t simply be called a miracle. Since the injections had occurred on several occasions, the situation differed from the cases Nocturne was familiar with.

“Maybe it has something to do with the mana rampage Azaid experienced in the second regression.”

After that incident, Serena gained the ability to wield mana—a capability that remained effective even now in her current timeline.

As her crest had always been an empty facade, she had never considered herself an awakened individual.

She vaguely assumed her mana reserves were so pathetically low that she couldn’t perform magic. But contrary to her belief, she did possess internal mana—and quite a lot of it.

Additionally, she found mana refinement relatively easy. While she didn’t understand why, she had a hazy intuition that it started back then.

Determining her next research direction, Serina spoke to Nocturne.

“Do you know of any simple, detailed papers or books about mana core rampages?”

Before long, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

The moment Serena left Nocturne’s office, she headed straight for Vincent Castle.

“Welcome, Lady Serena! I’ve been expecting you.”

The butler greeted her with utmost respect the moment she arrived—a stark contrast to her treatment two years ago, when she had been cast out of the castle.

It seemed they had forgotten how they’d scolded her for lacking nobility every time she made even the smallest mistake.

With a bittersweet expression, Serena glanced around the castle. She had thought this place, filled with painful memories, would stir nothing but discomfort.

But surprisingly, her emotions had dulled. Perhaps the happiness of the past two years and the resilience gained from two regressions had toughened her.

Serena deliberately arrived earlier than her scheduled meeting time. She wanted to avoid giving anyone a chance to gossip about her, even for being a minute late.

“The banquet hall is still being prepared, so I’ll guide you to the guest room,” the butler said obsequiously, leading her inside.

The guest room was three times larger than the attic Serena used to live in.

Lavish furniture, elegant sofas, fresh flowers, and exquisite paintings adorned the walls, filling the space with opulence.

When she thought of how her attic had consisted only of a bed and a desk, she couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions.

“I’ll just read a book,” she said.

“Understood. I’ll prepare some tea.”

The butler left, returning shortly with a steaming cup of black tea.

Serina, however, didn’t touch the tea and immersed herself in her book. It was then that someone entered the room without warning.

“Well, look who it is!”

“Hello, Lydia.”

Serena greeted the unannounced Lydia casually. Lydia, the daughter of a viscount and older than Serena, sat across from her.

A maid followed Lydia in and placed another teacup on the table. But Serena paid no mind and returned to her book.

“Still as obsessed with books as ever. I suppose that’s why you’re stuck being a lowly doctor,” Lydia sneered.

“And you’re the one who got expelled from the academy because you’re too dimwitted.”

“What?!”

“Oh, sorry. Technically, you dropped out, didn’t you?”

With a sly smile, Serena teased, prompting Lydia to glare at her with venomous eyes.

Lydia clearly hadn’t expected such a response from her. After a scoff, she retorted with a smirk.

“Looks like getting into the imperial palace has made you pretty full of yourself.”

“You’d probably find it tough to enter the palace because you’re not very bright.”

“Are you seriously going to keep calling me dumb?”

Lydia raised her voice, fuming. Serena shrugged casually and retorted lightly.

“I’m just stating the obvious. You get so worked up about it—it’s not a good look, Lydia.”

“Hmph! To be honest, you’ve been envious and jealous of me since we were kids. Is there really a need to twist your words like that just to admit it?”

“What? You think I’m jealous of your stupidity?”

Serena’s incredulous question made Lydia tremble with rage.

“To be precise, you’ve always been the one envying me, Lydia.”

“What could I possibly envy about you? You’re an illegitimate child with dirty commoner blood. You couldn’t even get into the academy.”

Lydia poked at Serena’s sore spot, though it barely fazed Serena, who was now in her third lifetime of struggling under the emperor. By now, comments like that were nothing more than a mild itch to her.

“Get your facts straight. I didn’t fail to go to the academy. I chose not to.”

“Liar. You desperately wanted to get in. Don’t you remember crying when only I passed?”

Serena chuckled at Lydia’s words. It was true; there was a time she had wanted to go.

When she had topped the entrance exam but was rejected solely because of her illegitimate status.

And the very next day, Lydia secured admission by making a substantial donation to the academy. It was then that Serena decided there was nothing worthwhile to learn in an academy riddled with discrimination.

After Azaid became emperor, the laws changed so illegitimate children wouldn’t face such biases. But back when Serena was young, it wasn’t like that.

Even so, Serena had brushed off her disappointment after a single day of grief and started looking for a different path. Now, with a calm expression, she posed a question.

“So, Lydia, did you get expelled after just one semester?”

“I wasn’t expelled! I left on my own!”

Lydia yelled furiously. Serena, expecting this reaction, had already covered her ears with her hands.

The only reason Lydia had insisted on attending the academy was to crush Serena’s spirit. It annoyed her to no end that, despite being an illegitimate child, Serena never showed any signs of inferiority.

But now, things had changed completely. Serena was no longer the troublesome outcast she used to be.

Though it wasn’t exactly accurate to say she followed the emperor like a shadow, her position as a palace physician was nothing short of a triumphant return.

Even the baroness and her servants couldn’t defy Serena anymore, which must have been a shocking reality for Lydia.

‘Despite knowing her parents had to plead for me to come, she still behaves like this.’

The baroness must have warned Lydia sternly about Serena’s visit, but knowing Lydia’s nature, there was no way she’d heed such advice. After all, Lydia was the little Lady Vincent.

Serena let out a silent sigh. Lydia had always wanted to maintain a position above her.

And her family had spared no effort in ensuring she stayed far above Serena. The only problem was that Lydia herself couldn’t live up to it.

That’s why Lydia must have resented Serena’s sudden rise to success. Stripped of her family’s name, Lydia couldn’t even hold a candle to Serena.

Lydia probably knew this too, which was why she kept picking fights. Once Lydia calmed down, Serena spoke in a composed tone.

“Calm down, Lydia.”

“…”

“If you lack intelligence, at least try to be pleasant. That way, things will go smoothly for you.”

“You really—!”

Another jab that ignited Lydia’s temper. Serena only dared to provoke her because it was a one-time encounter and she didn’t plan on seeing Lydia again.

Fuming, Lydia picked up a teacup, as if ready to throw it. Serena quickly covered her face with a book.

Splash!

Lydia’s forceful throw caused the tea to hit the book and splash right back onto her. Fortunately, the book’s glossy hardcover repelled the tea, leaving Serena unscathed.

“Ah! Hot—!”

Lydia screamed and shut her eyes tightly, but the tea had long since cooled, posing no risk of burns. Serena clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“Don’t exaggerate. The tea’s cold.”

“…”

“You still enjoy throwing water at people. Maybe you were born to be a gardener.”

“Do you think I’d stoop to doing menial work like that?”

“Or, as your father wishes, you could marry a rich man from a good family and tend to your garden in peace.”

With that remark, Serena glanced at the clock. It was almost time for dinner.

‘I’d rather take a walk in the garden than spend any more time with her.’

As Serena stood to leave, Lydia yelled after her.

“Where are you going?! We’re not done talking!”

“It’s almost time for dinner. Lydia, you should get changed since you’re all wet.”

Serena flashed a bright smile as she exited the room.

“Ugh!!”

Behind her, Lydia let out an enraged scream, unable to contain her temper.

‘Her personality is just like her father’s.’

Clicking her tongue, Serena strolled down the corridor.