I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 27

Before Jack’s communication arrived.

Azaid had already arrived at Vincent Castle. Officially, it was a covert visit, and his purpose was to find Serina.

Leonard, who was behind him, pressed his lips together to stifle a smile. But as the Baroness and her daughter entered the VIP room, he wiped the expression off his face.

“I, I greet the Sun of the Empire. I am Lydia Vincent of the Vincent family.”

Lydia blushed as she bowed to Azaid. The Baroness, seated beside her with a delighted expression, added:

“We were not informed in advance, so I apologize for not greeting you properly upon your arrival. The Baron has been summoned and should be here shortly.”

The Baroness and Lydia naturally took their seats before Azaid. It was customary for the lady of the house to receive guests in the absence of the master. The fact that her daughter accompanied her, however, was clearly intentional.

The Baroness was in high spirits over the Emperor’s visit. Ever since Serena had abruptly left the castle the day before, the atmosphere at Vincent Castle had turned frigid.

The Baron, unable to contain his anger, threw objects around, and Lydia, irritated by something, vented her frustration on the maids. Tyler had fled the castle, leaving the Baroness to handle the aftermath.

And now, the Emperor had arrived.

‘It must be because of Serena, right?’

The Baroness assumed that the kindhearted Serena had eventually given in to the Baron’s plea for help.

‘She’s so easy to manipulate. A little kindness, and she falls right into your hands.’

Although it was unfortunate that Tyler hadn’t returned, Lydia was here. She planned to introduce Lydia first and then find an opportunity to present Tyler later.

The Baroness, intent on leaving Lydia alone with the Emperor, stood up.

“I’ll check how far the Baron has come. Lydia, take good care of His Majesty.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Lydia blushed and answered shyly. The Baroness left with a satisfied smile.

In truth, Lydia had already been captivated by Azaid’s appearance.

This was her first time seeing the Emperor up close. Though she had caught glimpses of him at banquets, she had never spoken to him.

‘He looks even more handsome up close.’

Lydia couldn’t take her eyes off Azaid. It was only natural, given that she was witnessing his radiant appearance, enhanced by his transformation after meeting Serina.

Though Azaid found Lydia’s gaze unpleasant, he tolerated it, thinking it might make it easier to ask her about Serina’s whereabouts. In a soft tone, he said:

“Since the Baroness has left, I’d like to ask you something privately. Can you answer honestly?”

“O-of course! Ask me anything.”

Lydia beamed, mistaking his interest for something personal. The fact that he had started questioning her right after her mother left only reinforced her belief that he was drawn to her natural beauty.

But his next words were far from what Lydia had hoped for.

“I heard my physician visited here yesterday.”

“Oh, Serena, you mean.”

Lydia’s face briefly turned cold at the mention of Serena, but she quickly adjusted her expression. Reflecting on it, she realized it might be more natural to broach the conversation with a shared topic of interest than to reveal her feelings outright.

Her mind raced ahead, imagining herself walking down the aisle with Azaid. Smiling, she replied:

“Yes, she did. Though she left right after dinner.”

“She left?”

Azaid paused at her words. If Serena had left, there was little reason for him to stay longer.

At that moment, Lydia began spilling details he hadn’t asked for.

“Yes. She ruined the atmosphere of dinner and left.”

“She ruined the atmosphere? How?”

Curious about Serena’s actions, Azaid probed further. Lydia, thrilled that he was engaging with her, continued to chatter without restraint.

“She argued with my father. I hesitate to speak ill of family in front of Your Majesty, but…”

Lydia hesitated briefly before continuing:

“Serena thinks she’s the most important person in the world.”

“Well, she does seem exceptional.”

“Exactly, I mean, yes, but… Pardon?”

Lydia blinked in confusion as Azaid’s calm retort caught her off guard.

“Objectively speaking, becoming the palace physician at her age is quite impressive, don’t you think?”

“W-well, that’s true, but Serena’s personality is… insufferable.”

“Insufferable? In what way?”

“She never agrees with elders, and when she was younger, she ran away from home several times and was beaten by my father.”

“…”

“Not only that, she has a terrible habit of stealing other people’s belongings. You might want to check if anything has gone missing around you, Your Majesty.”

Lydia added this as though she were genuinely concerned. But Azaid’s expression grew darker as he listened, and even Leonard, standing behind, seemed displeased.

Oblivious to their reactions, Lydia continued her tirade about Serina with excitement. Subtlety was not her strong suit.

“One time, she mismanaged the garden, and all the expensive plants wilted. She’s only good at studying—what else could you expect?”

“Why was the Baron’s daughter managing the garden? What about the servants?”

“Oh, well… Serena enjoyed working, you see.”

Lydia awkwardly laughed, trying to gloss over the fact that Serena had been forced into the task. She saw no need to share that detail with the Emperor.

When Azaid said nothing, Lydia looked up at him with a naive expression, unaware of how irritating he found her pretense.

Unable to listen any longer, Azaid stood up and put on his coat.

“Your Majesty?”

Lydia, startled, quickly followed suit. But Azaid said firmly:

“I’ll be taking my leave.”

“W-what? But…”

“As you said, speaking ill of family isn’t exactly admirable.”

“I-I was just…”

“Whether thoughtlessness is innate or not, I suggest you be more mindful of your words. You strike me as the type to suffer consequences because of them.”

Lydia froze at Azade’s cold reaction, unable to continue speaking. Just moments ago, the atmosphere had seemed pleasant, but his sudden change left her flustered.

Azade’s gaze was piercingly cold. As if he no longer wanted to exchange words with her, he turned his eyes away and headed toward the door.

At that moment, the baroness entered and crossed paths with him.

“Your Majesty?”

“The tea was pleasant. I’ll take my leave now.”

“But… the baron’s carriage just arrived at the castle gates…”

The baroness, caught off guard, glanced between Lydia and Azaid with a puzzled expression. Lydia’s face had already turned pale.

What’s going on? Did I say something wrong?

No matter how much she thought about it, Lydia couldn’t figure out what mistake she had made. Naturally, she didn’t think she’d done anything wrong—Serena had always been someone she could openly criticize.

In fact, whenever Lydia mocked Serena, those around her usually sided with her, often joining in the ridicule. But Azaid’s entirely different reaction left her bewildered.

Ignoring the baroness’s words, Azaid kept walking. Lydia and the baroness hurried after him, trying to stop him, but he didn’t pause.

Just as he was about to pass the main lobby and board his carriage, a voice rang out.

“Y-Your Majesty, the Sun of the Empire! My deepest apologies for being late!”

At that moment, Baron Vincent hurriedly dismounted from the carriage and rushed to block Azade’s path.

“I tried to come quickly, but I’m truly sorry for the delay, Your Majesty.”

Baron Vincent, visibly out of breath, was relieved he had arrived before the emperor departed. But Azaid, his face brimming with displeasure, spoke curtly to the baron.

“I’ve made an unnecessary trip. I’m leaving.”

“Pardon? Please, Your Majesty, won’t you stay a bit longer…?”

“Ah.”

Azaid suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. As the baron’s face lit up with expectation, Azaid coldly advised,

“You should educate your daughter properly.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

The baron stared at Azaid in confusion, while Lydia, following behind, looked like she was about to cry.

The baroness, standing next to Lydia, jabbed her in the side and whispered, What on earth did you do?

But Lydia, feeling unjustly accused, kept her lips tightly sealed.

Azaid, maintaining his authoritative posture, spoke sharply.

“If one doesn’t know how to choose their words and timing, it might be better if they stayed silent altogether.”

“Gasp!”

Lydia clasped her hands over her mouth, genuinely terrified that Azade might literally cut out her tongue. His reputation as a tyrannical emperor only heightened her fear.

Azaid clicked his tongue, finding her reaction both amusing and irritating.

The baron, having just arrived, couldn’t fully grasp the situation, but he humbly tried to placate the emperor.

“It seems my daughter has behaved immaturely and offended Your Majesty. I sincerely apologize.”

“…”

“She’s still young, and girls of her age tend to act this way. I ask for your generous understanding.”

“Is that so? Is that truly how you see it?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a shame your perspective is so narrow.”

“…!”

The baron, flustered, couldn’t respond. Meanwhile, Azaid felt a strange sense of unease as he realized his own anger.

It was peculiar. Why did his mood keep souring?

Azaid glanced around absentmindedly and noticed a beautifully maintained glass garden nearby.

Looking at it made something inside him churn even more. The garden was quite large for a child to manage alone. It was filled with species that weren’t easy to cultivate.

As Azade stared at the garden with a sharp gaze, the baroness spoke up.

“The garden is lovely, isn’t it? Would you like to take a walk through it?”