I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 38

Azaid stiffened at the news that the Duke of Greenwood had arrived. His heart, which had been pounding moments ago, quickly settled into a steady rhythm. The thought of meeting with the Duke already exhausted him.

“Is he here because of that matter again?”

That matter referred to the position of Empress. For years, the Duke of Greenwood had been subtly pressuring her about it, persistently trying to arrange an engagement with Ophelia Greenwood. Azaid thought Ophelia had been quiet for a while, but it seemed things were starting up again.

Fortunately, the grand nobles were still divided on the issue, each recommending their own child for the role of Empress. If they had united and lent their support to the Greenwood family, refusing would have been far more difficult.

Leonard shook his head as he replied, “I’m not sure. He mentioned he had something urgent to discuss regarding the hunting festival.”

“We’ll see what he has to say.”

Azaid let out a dry chuckle and muttered under her breath. The Duke of Greenwood was a sly man, one whose outward appearance often betrayed his true intentions. Falling for his smooth words would only lead to being bitten in the end.

Azaid was well aware of the scheming that took place behind the Duke’s seemingly benevolent scholarly demeanor.

When Azaid entered the reception room, the Duke rose to his feet.

“I greet the sun of the empire.”

“It’s been a while, Duke Greenwood,” Azaid said, taking his seat in the center with a regal air. The Duke followed suit and sat down.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to address some approvals needed before the hunting festival,” the Duke said, presenting a set of documents with a smooth smile.

Azaid briefly reviewed the documents. They requested approval for the use of a portal—a long-distance transportation system that required the joint approval of the Viscus duchy and the royal family.

The portal system had originally been developed by the Viscus family, but when a former empress from their house married into the royal family, the usage rights were also granted to the imperial family. This meant that every use of the portal required approval from both the Viscus family and the imperial household. Contracts were typically renewed annually, and it appeared the current term was nearing its end.

“It’s already time to renew the contract, is it?”

“Yes. The approval was delayed as we were negotiating the fees with the Viscus family.”

“I assume the Viscus family tried to raise the fees again?”

“Given that our family gained control over last year’s mana stone distribution rights, it’s likely a move to check our influence.”

The Duke shrugged, as if it were of little consequence. Many rights previously held by families caught up in the imperial rebellion had reverted to the imperial family. But holding onto so many rights slowed economic progress, so the imperial family had delegated several to prominent houses.

One such right, the distribution of mana stones, had been transferred to the Greenwoods last year, naturally prompting resistance from the Viscus family.

“Excessive fees would be problematic. I’ll instruct them to agree on a reasonable price,” Azadeh said.

“I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”

The Duke bowed gracefully in gratitude. At Azaid’s signal, Leonard brought over the imperial seal. She affixed it to the document and handed it to the Duke, who received it with due courtesy.

For a brief moment, their hands brushed. Azaid, who disliked physical contact, quickly pulled her hand back.

The Duke froze in place for a moment, prompting Azaid to ask, “Is there anything else?”

“….”

“Duke Greenwood?”

“Ah, no. Everything else will be handled on my end.”

The Duke’s expression briefly hardened before he forced a smile. Azaid waved her hand dismissively, signaling him to leave.

The Duke hesitated briefly before rising from his seat.

“Then, I shall see you next in Greenwood territory.”

“Very well. I’ll see you there.”

Azaid stretched and barely paid attention as the Duke departed.

The Duke walked to his carriage, neither too fast nor too slow, but his face had darkened significantly. His teeth ground together in frustration.

‘I was certain it worked. Why…?’

He was lost in thought when he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone coming from the opposite direction.

“Oh!”

Serena, caught off guard by the impact, dropped the medical bag slung over her shoulder. The Duke, snapping out of his thoughts, turned to see whom he had collided with.

Deep purple hair and golden eyes. He recognized her immediately and quickly softened his expression.

“My apologies. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t looking where I was going either. I’m sorry,” Serena said with a cheerful smile, picking up her medical bag and dusting it off. She checked its contents to ensure nothing had broken.

Meanwhile, the Duke discreetly observed her. Most grand nobles were already keeping a close eye on her, as she was the Emperor’s favored physician and the subject of his unusual affection.

‘She’s even listed on the hunting festival’s travel roster,’ the Duke recalled. Whenever the Emperor traveled, he took only a small number of palace physicians, and her name was at the very top of the list.

The Duke found her presence unwelcome, as it had disrupted his plans to install Ophelia as Empress.

Serena felt the intensity of the Duke’s gaze and found it unnerving, especially since his eyes seemed fixated on the badge pinned to her chest.

‘Now that I think about it, his silver hair and ash-gray eyes…’

It finally dawned on Serena that the man before her bore a striking resemblance to Ophelia Greenwood.

‘Could he be… the Duke of Greenwood?’

Her eyes blinked in realization as she pieced it together. The Duke offered a soft smile.

“You should be careful.”

“Pardon?”

She looked at him in confusion, unsure of what he meant.

The duke’s tone was soft, but his gaze was piercing. He murmured something incomprehensible.

“A butterfly that stands out becomes a target.”

“…”

“Well then.”

The duke offered an elegant bow, adhering to proper etiquette, before disappearing. Serena belatedly understood the meaning of his words and frowned deeply.

‘What is he even saying, that old man?’

The more she thought about it, the more unpleasant the warning felt. His words essentially meant she should know her place and avoid drawing attention.

‘Did I just get marked by Duke Greenwood?’

Narrowing her eyes, Serena stared at the empty spot where Duke Greenwood had vanished.

It was understandable, though—after all, she had caused Ophelia Greenwood to retreat into seclusion in such a manner. It was only natural for the duke to view her with disdain.

‘This is all because of that damn emperor. What kind of mess has he dragged me into now?’

Now, she was even receiving warnings from a high noble to stay out of his sight.

If this was what being “successful” meant, she had certainly achieved it. Shaking off the dirty feeling, Serena turned on her heels and walked away.

The Duke of Greenwood arrived at the Greenwood estate.

“You’re here, Father?”

Ophelia came out to greet him in advance. As the duke brushed past her, he added a single remark.

“You lost to someone insignificant.”

“What?”

Ophelia tilted her head, puzzled by her father’s abrupt, cold reaction. The duke turned to look at her and spoke in a frigid tone.

“I saw Serena Vincent.”

“…”

“They say she’s coming to the hunting festival this time as well. You ought to be careful.”

“My apologies.”

Ophelia bowed her head, her expression utterly drained. Seeing this, the duke softened his anger and patted her shoulder.

“You are the woman most suited for the position of empress. Weren’t you trained for that very role from birth?”

“…”

“You should gain some weight. From what I’ve observed, the emperor doesn’t seem to favor skinny women.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Ophelia bit her lower lip and answered submissively. The duke’s word was absolute in Greenwood.

Even when Ophelia had accidentally injured the emperor, she hadn’t been allowed to visit him because of the duke’s orders. He had handled it himself, claiming it wouldn’t do any good to appear weak.

The duke firmly gripped her shoulder once more before releasing it.

“That’s right. That’s how it should be.”

When he smiled gently, Ophelia’s face brightened.

Raising her with a mix of whip and carrot had been worth it, he thought. Seeing his otherwise independent daughter so utterly obedient to his words was proof.

After giving her one last smile, the duke headed to his study. Someone was already waiting there—a man with ash-gray eyes and neatly tied dark blue hair.

“You’re here on time.”

“As usual, you summon me without notice,” the man replied dryly.

“I heard you’re heading to the Greenwood territory tomorrow.”

“Yes. Since Your Grace prohibits the use of portals, I have no choice but to travel by carriage.”

The man, Nocturne, smirked as he spoke. The duke cast him a sharp glance.

The son who once desperately sought his approval was no longer present.

Had he remained by the duke’s side like a loyal dog, he might have outmaneuvered his siblings and claimed the position of duke. But the duke could only lament his foolishness as he criticized him.

“Fool. Did you side with the emperor just to obtain a mere countship?”

“To you, Your Grace, it’s mere, but to me, there’s no title more fitting.”

“Pathetic. That’s why you’ll never amount to more than this.”

Nocturne shrugged off the duke’s harsh words.

“So, why did you summon me? As you can see, I have a long journey ahead and plenty to prepare for.”

If the duke didn’t get to the point quickly, Nocturne was ready to abandon decorum and walk out.

The duke opened a cabinet, took out a whiskey bottle, and poured himself a glass.

“I heard something strange at the palace. They say you secretly intercepted a gift Ophelia sent to the emperor.”

“Ah, so you finally found out?”

Nocturne smiled knowingly, as if only now understanding the reason for his summons.

He had intercepted Ophelia’s gift on the day she injured Azaid’s thigh.

That the duke was only learning about this now suggested it might be time for him to step down.

The duke abruptly slammed the bottle down with a loud clack and stared at Nocturne. The air in the room turned icy, the tension thick enough to cut.

The duke spoke in a commanding tone.

“I told you before—I have no need for a dog that bites its master.”