I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 25

Serena hastily administered first aid to Jack before taking him to a nearby inn.

Dragging an unconscious adult male behind her drew shocked expressions from the innkeeper, but since she was a familiar face, they helped her carry him to a room.

Once Jack was laid on the bed, Serina inspected his wounds under better light.

‘One eye is already too late.’

The stab wound was too deep. The damage to his eye was beyond repair, and it was unlikely he’d regain vision in that eye.

‘Still, I have to save his life. It’d be too much to leave him as a corpse and face the innkeeper later.’

Serina washed her hands and pulled out herbs and suturing tools from her ever-present medical kit, placing them on the table.

She crushed the herbs into a paste, applied it to Jack’s eye, and wrapped it with a bandage. These herbs were known to be highly effective for wound healing.

Thanks to the first aid she’d already performed earlier, the treatment went smoothly.

Next, she painstakingly removed Jack’s blood-soaked shirt, disinfected the wounds, and began stitching them up.

“Ugh…”

Even unconscious, Jack groaned in pain. Serena took a paralysis herb from her bag and placed it under his nose.

A few minutes later, his expression eased, and the groans ceased.

Serena carefully finished stitching his wounds and wrapped them in bandages. When the treatment was complete, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight.

‘Great. I’ve broken curfew.’

The imperial palace was sealed off after midnight, and no one was allowed in or out. Returning now was out of the question.

Serena sighed. She’d been so focused on tending to her patient that she hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. A breach of curfew would surely land her in trouble with the palace overseer.

But I was saving the Emperor’s friend—surely that counts for something.

Rationalizing her situation, she stood up and fetched a cloth and a basin of water. She placed the damp cloth on Jack’s forehead.

Although the treatment had gone well, the significant blood loss and deep wounds made it impossible to avoid a fever.

Having already missed curfew, Serena resolved to stay and give her patient the best care she could. She murmured softly to Jack, as if casting a spell:

“You’ve endured well. Just hang on for today, and everything will be fine.”

Exhausted from her efforts, Serena eventually fell asleep while tending to Jack, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding in the imperial palace.

The Next Morning.

In the palace, Azaid found himself puzzled by Serena’s absence. For the first time, she had failed to show up for her morning rounds.

Worried she might be unwell, he sent someone to check on her. Instead, the palace overseer delivered shocking news.

“Actually, Lady Serena stayed out overnight without permission.”

“What? Serena didn’t return last night?”

Azaid’s eyes widened in disbelief at the overseer’s report. Trembling slightly, the overseer stammered:

“Y-yes, Your Majesty. We’ve been unable to contact her, and she left no explanation.”

The overseer glanced nervously at the Emperor, whose sharp gaze was like a blade. Lowering his head, the overseer braced himself.

An unauthorized overnight absence?

Serena had never done such a thing before, leaving Azaid deeply unsettled. Under normal circumstances, he might have let it slide, trusting her to handle things. But this was the day after she’d mentioned visiting Baron Vincent’s estate.

Could the Baron have detained her?

Azaid regretted not forbidding her from going. As the thought crossed his mind, his grip tightened.

Crack.

The pen in Azaid’s hand snapped in two, then burst into flames, leaving nothing but ashes.

Witnessing this, the overseer dropped to the floor, groveling in fear.

“P-please have mercy, Your Majesty!”

It was no secret in the palace that the Emperor held Serena in high regard—though he had never openly admitted it, anyone with sense could tell.

Now, the overseer, Sebastian, found himself on the verge of life and death. If Serena failed to return safely, he knew he wouldn’t escape responsibility.

Lady Serena, where are you? Please, send word!

As Sebastian sweated in silent agony, Azaid’s thoughts were elsewhere.

If she really is being held at Vincent’s estate, should I go and get her myself?

No, that’d be humiliating if it turns out to be nothing. And even if he has detained her, he’d just deny it.

His mind spun with countless speculations. It was only natural; Serena had left so boldly but hadn’t returned, and that alone was cause for alarm.

Wait until she comes back? What if she doesn’t?

The thought of Serena being absent from the palace left Azaid feeling an unsettling void, as if eating a cream bun without the cream.

The mere notion of something happening to her sent a chill down his spine, igniting a simmering fury.

Whatever the case, Azaid wouldn’t feel at ease until Serena was back safely. Resolving himself, he thought:

She hasn’t even cured my illness yet. Leaving now would be a breach of contract.

Yes, Serena had agreed to a one-year term with Azaid, and it hadn’t even been six months. Leaving the palace now would be unthinkable.

Right. This is about tracking down a runaway doctor. It’s not because I’m worried.

Convincing himself, Azade finally spoke.

“Leonard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It’s been a while since my last incognito outing, hasn’t it?”

“Pardon? Do you mean now?”

Leonard stared at Azaid in disbelief as the Emperor avoided his gaze, feigning nonchalance.

“Right. Since I’m at it, I might as well see for myself what the nobles’ reputation is like and how the citizens of the empire are living.”

Leonard, observing Azaid’s demeanor, belatedly realized his true intention.

‘You’re planning to personally search for Lady Serena, aren’t you? You’re not being honest, as always.’

“Are you worried about Lady Serena?”

“Worried? No, it’s not that. Leonard, what nonsense are you saying? I’m merely trying to gauge public sentiment.”

Azaid vehemently denied it, but Leonard chuckled lightly.

“Of course, Your Majesty. I deeply admire your boundless concern for public sentiment.”

“…”

“Well then, I’ll make the preparations.”

“Do that.”

Azaid replied reluctantly, letting out an unconscious sigh.

Watching this, the palace chamberlain was certain: Serena Vincent had the emperor wrapped around her finger.

The next morning, with the sun shining brightly.

Jack, who had been on the brink of death the night before, had his life saved thanks to Serena’s devoted care.

“Ugh.”

The pain came rushing in as soon as he awoke, likely because the anesthesia had worn off. The left eye, which was injured, hurt terribly. As he instinctively reached for his eye, he stopped upon feeling the bandages wrapped around it.

“Who treated me?”

His memory of the previous night was hazy. While investigating an illegal trade of magic stones, he had been ambushed by assassins.

Unarmed at the time, he had fought back with a short dagger and struggled against the overwhelming number of assailants.

He vaguely remembered escaping, but everything after that was a blur.

‘Who could have attacked me? There are too many suspects.’

Grinding his teeth, Jack vowed not to let the humiliation go unanswered. As he tried to sit up, sharp pain shot through his abdomen.

“Tch. Damn, it hurts.”

Cursing under his breath, Jack leaned against the headboard and noticed a woman curled up asleep on a sofa nearby.

His defenses immediately went up as he narrowed his eyes at the unfamiliar figure. With one eye bandaged, his gaze looked almost piercing.

‘That woman…’

Upon closer inspection, the woman with long, deep violet hair looked familiar.

‘Serena Vincent, was it?’

Jack recalled seeing her at the apothecary the previous day. Now that he thought about it, he vaguely remembered catching a glimpse of violet hair before losing consciousness.

‘Did she treat me?’

He squinted as he scanned the surroundings. On the table, there were blood-stained cloths and medicine bottles scattered haphazardly.

The bandages around his abdomen and eye made it clear that she had been the one to treat him.

‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t she introduced as Azaid’s personal physician?’

Still sitting on the bed, Jack studied Serena intently.

In truth, Jack had been secretly investigating the illegal trade of magic stones on Azaid’s orders. Publicly, he was a merchant guild leader and Azaid’s friend, but in reality, he also acted as a civilian intelligence operative.

His frequent absences from the guild were a result of being caught up in tasks assigned by his overbearing friend.

When Jack had last visited the capital to report, he had only heard about Azaid’s new personal physician in passing.

At the time, he had dismissed it as unimportant, assuming she wouldn’t last long, and returned to his investigation.

But upon his return to the capital this time, the rumors surrounding her had completely changed. While most of the talk centered on alleged romantic tensions between the emperor and his physician, what truly caught Jack’s attention was something else.

“Every morning, the emperor starts his day with his physician’s greeting. She is the one who must wake him, though occasionally, he wakes early and waits for her instead.”

“What? Azaid wakes up in the morning?”

Jack knew just how much Azaid loathed waking up early. No, to be more accurate, he knew just how unmotivated the emperor was in general.

Yet here he was, waking up in the morning—and even waiting for someone?

“That can’t be true.”

Jack dismissed it as idle gossip, exaggerated by those with too much time on their hands.

Still, he couldn’t help but be curious about the kind of woman she was. That curiosity had led him to notice her at the apothecary.

Contrary to his expectations, Serena seemed ordinary. She was a little pretty, perhaps, but nothing remarkable. Certainly not someone who looked capable of “taming” the emperor.

‘Now I owe her.’

Deciding this wasn’t the time to linger, Jack began to get dressed quietly. He moved as stealthily as possible, but a cold voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Hold it.”