Chapter 3
Sersna tilted her head at Azaid, who had remained silent for a long time. She couldn’t tell if he was agreeing to her proposal or rejecting it.
‘Still, it doesn’t seem like he’s completely opposed to the idea….’
His reaction was definitely more favorable than before. It seemed like a good chance to push forward. Serena added calmly:
“I’m not saying it should happen arbitrarily. I’m asking for approval strictly within the scope of medical treatment.”
Azaid, regaining his composure, gave a languid smile and asked:
“And what if, in an unnecessary moment, you draw a blade and try to kill me?”
“Then my neck will follow yours. Why would I do such a thing?”
I’ve already lost my neck twice before, after all.
When Serena retorted boldly, Azaid stroked his chin.
“Hmm.”
“You’re not seriously thinking I’ll ask for permission every time I need to make contact, are you?”
“And if I am?”
“Apologies, but if you insist on that, Your Majesty will meet the god of the underworld sooner rather than later.”
“……”
“You could miss the golden hour. The Empress isn’t here, and if you’ve lost consciousness, how am I supposed to get your approval?”
As Serena logically countered his points one by one, Azaid tapped his fingers on the armrest.
She didn’t seem like someone conspiring with nobles to seduce him. If anything, she appeared to find him utterly bothersome.
‘Why? Have we met before?’
Azaid found her demeanor puzzling.
How does she so precisely detect and dismantle my thoughts?
No matter how much he scrutinized her, he couldn’t find an answer.
Serena, her face tense, waited for his response. All she needed was permission to make contact. After that, she was determined to fix the lazy emperor’s complacent mindset and lethargic habits by any means necessary.
As Azaid remained silent, an increasingly anxious Serena proposed:
“One year.”
“???”
“I’ll cure you within one year. But you mustn’t interfere with my treatment.”
“You have a lot of demands.”
Azaid let out a soft laugh, looking at her with growing interest.
“Because I’m confident.”
Serena met his gaze without flinching, her words brimming with conviction. She truly believed she could save him.
“A brazen doctor, huh?”
Azaid found her neither fearful nor pitiful—something he found intriguing. Moments later, his verdict came down.
“Fine.”
“……”
“One year. If you fail to cure me within that time, I’ll have your head.”
Azaid murmured coldly, tapping his neck as he spoke. A normal person would have trembled, but Serina was the opposite.
She smiled slyly, as if this was what she had hoped for.
‘If you die, I die too. Besides, every time I’ve died, you’ve always gone first.’
She then bowed politely and said,
“Thank you. I’ll dedicate myself to curing Your Majesty. If I fail to save you, feel free to take my head cleanly.”
I’d rather not suffer through poison and a painful death.
Azade laughed heartily at her audacious statement, his voice echoing in the room.
“Very well. I’ll grant you the swift death you desire.”
“Thank you.”
“Now go.”
At his command, a glimmer appeared in Serena’s golden eyes.
‘I’ll save that lazy emperor, no matter what it takes.’
No one had any idea what reckless plans she had in mind.
***
Late at night, in the emperor’s study.
Azaid was reading documents instead of retiring to his bedroom. It was a stark contrast to the lazy emperor who had spent his days idling in bed.
His aide and bodyguard, Leonard Carter, broke the silence.
“I heard you appointed the newly arrived palace doctor as your personal physician.”
“I did.”
“Isn’t that a bit rash? It’s unlike you. Wouldn’t it be better to decide more cautiously?”
“Cautiously?”
“Yes. It wouldn’t hurt to be careful about who you allow close to you, Your Majesty…”
At Leonard’s advice, Azaid suddenly began to chuckle. When Leonard stopped talking and looked at him in confusion, Azaid rested his chin on his hand and said:
“Well, I heard ‘you might end up meeting the god of the underworld if you did.’”
“What?”
“She looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Let me touch you.’”
“…What?!”
Leonard’s eyes widened in shock. Azaid, seemingly uninterested in explaining further, kept chuckling and muttered something vague.
“I’d rather not meet the god of the underworld.”
“Your Majesty, what on earth…”
Leonard’s gaze wavered, uncertain. It had been a long time since Azaid laughed like this, which only added to his confusion.
Then, Azaid calmly remarked, “Well, it’s only for a year, anyway.”
Smiling as though unaware of the impending future, Azaid grinned.
And the next day—
When the tightly shut windows of Azaid’s bedroom were thrown open, and the blackout curtains were ripped apart—
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
And when he saw Serena, beaming with pride as she greeted him—
Azaid realized something had gone terribly wrong.
***
The first thing Serena thought of after being appointed as the Emperor’s physician was environmental improvement. The most critical task was addressing Azaid’s bedroom, where he spent most of his time.
The Emperor had an extreme aversion to sunlight. While it would have been understandable if he had a sun allergy, that wasn’t the case.
He simply seemed to prefer darkness. Day or night, he kept his windows sealed with blackout curtains and relied entirely on artificial lighting.
Since he never went outside for a walk either, his habits were perfectly suited for slowly withering away.
‘I’ve always wanted to tear down those curtains, and today’s the day.’
Early in the morning, Serena approached Azaid’s bedroom, only to be stopped by a maid.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Serena Vincent, newly appointed as the Emperor’s personal physician.”
“Oh! You’re the one who received the extraordinary promotion.”
The familiar-looking maid spoke with sparkling eyes.
Was her name Anna? Serena already knew Anna, as she had been a helpful ally in her past life.
“I’d like to see His Majesty.”
“Ah…”
Anna’s face quickly turned pale as she hesitated before replying.
“I’m sorry, but His Majesty hasn’t woken up yet. May I ask what brings you here?”
“I’m here for a morning examination.”
“His Majesty doesn’t usually have morning examinations. I guess you weren’t informed.”
“I was informed, but that’s about to change.”
“What?”
Anna blinked at Serena’s bold statement.
“I intend to wake him.”
“What? But…”
Anna looked troubled. Azaid despised being disturbed while sleeping. Since he didn’t wake up on his own, those waiting for him often suffered in silence.
‘Right. Someone has to take charge in this cursed place.’
Determined, Serena held out her hand to Anna. A ring engraved with the imperial seal gleamed on her finger. Anna’s jaw dropped at the sight.
“Oh? Is that…”
“This was bestowed upon me when I was assigned as His Majesty’s physician.”
The ring Serena wore was called the Isring. Simply possessing it signified being a favored servant of the Emperor, granting her access to him without an appointment.
Throughout history, Emperors imbued part of their power into these rings and bestowed them upon loyal retainers. When the Emperor passed away, the ring’s power faded, but its holder gained immense wealth and honor.
However, not all rings contained power. The favor was denoted by the color of the gem: red indicated the highest favor, while violet was the lowest. Serena’s ring, naturally, was violet.
Even though it was merely ceremonial, having such a ring still allowed considerable influence. Many nobles would go to great lengths to obtain even a violet Isring.
Serena recalled the moment Azaid handed her the ring.
—
“This… this is…”
“The Violet Isring. Since you’ve risked your life, it’s only fair to grant you the appropriate rights.”
“…”
“I’m curious to see what color your ring will be a year from now.”
—
The Emperor’s arrogant smile suggested he was merely playing a game. Was it luck that came with reckless resolve?
With a triumphant smile, Serena looked at Anna, who immediately changed her attitude upon seeing the ring.
“A violet one, I see.”
“Yes, that’s right. His Majesty said it’s fine to use it for treatment purposes.”
“I see…”
“So, don’t worry about any repercussions. I’m truly here just for a morning examination. Typically, that’s standard practice, but His Majesty hasn’t been following it.”
“Well, that’s because he always sleeps in…”
Anna muttered awkwardly, clearly finding her own explanation lacking.
“I’m here for treatment, so don’t worry. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Understood. Please proceed.”
At Serrna’s firm tone, Anna stepped aside, her doubts dispelled.
“Excellent. Things are going so smoothly.”
Humming to herself internally, Serena opened the door and stepped inside.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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