I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 5

Serena froze in place. The mana she was channeling to access Azaid’s mana core had been instantly consumed by a blue aura.

‘I didn’t expect it to be devoured this easily.’

The speed at which her mana was absorbed was astonishing, like metal melting into bubbling lava in an instant.

Serena pondered deeply while repeatedly touching Ajade’s chest.

‘More importantly, the state of the mana core feels a bit ambiguous… Hmm.’

She glanced at Azaid to gauge his reaction, wanting to reassess the situation, but he seemed to be struggling. Reluctantly, Serena decided to stop for now. Further study would be her responsibility. Just being allowed this level of examination was already a significant breakthrough.

“It’s done.”

Azaid’s face was slightly flushed, likely from tension. Serena calmly shared her findings.

“The power of your mana core is impressive but slightly unstable. Have you ever overused your mana core in the past?”

“I’m not sure… I don’t think so,” Azaid replied hesitantly, taking a deep breath. Serena pressed on.

“Think carefully. With instability like this, you might have overexerted your mana when you were quite young.”

“I told you, I don’t know. I barely used my powers when I was a kid,” Azaid snapped back curtly, gulping down water.

His body felt unusually hot. From the moment Serena’s mana connected with his, he had been feverish. It was strange. All she did was examine his mana core, yet his entire body was pulsing.

‘It must be that our mana compatibility is terrible.’

Azaid dismissed his swirling thoughts and refocused.

“Are we done now?”

“Oh, yes. Your Majesty, would it be alright if I visit each morning for a check-up?”

“Every morning? You plan to do this every day?”

Azaid’s blue eyes wavered. The idea of her touching him like this every morning was maddening.

In contrast to Azaid’s growing concern, Serena remained composed, nodding as if it were only natural.

“Yes. Since it may be hard for you to wake up on your own, I’ll come to wake you like I did today.”

Her beaming smile lit up her face, the brightest he’d ever seen. It was the first time Azaid had encountered a palace physician who seemed to enjoy their work so much.

‘A workaholic? She’s adding more tasks for herself and seems thrilled about it.’

Ajade sighed and replied with an exasperated expression.

“Forget it. I’ll wake up on my own…”

But Serena ignored his objections, too busy sharing her thoughts.

“Oh, and I’ll replace the blackout curtains entirely.”

“Why the curtains?”

“Because it’s impossible to tell day from night with those. I’ll switch them to a lighter tone. Changing the room’s atmosphere might help lift your mood.”

“Enough.”

Azaid growled, narrowing his eyes.

But.

“Understood. I’ll replace them with suitable curtains,” Serena replied without flinching and stepped back.

Azaid stared at her in disbelief. He was now fully awake.

As Serena exited the bedroom, Anna, the handmaiden, stumbled back in surprise. Her expression was as if she had been caught eavesdropping.

“Are… are you finished?”

For some reason, Anna’s voice trembled slightly. Serena tilted her head at the odd reaction but nodded.

“Yes, we’re done. You can return to your duties now.”

“Oh, alright.”

Anna’s gaze wavered restlessly, and her cheeks were unusually flushed.

‘Come to think of it, the corridor is quite chilly.’

Since it faced away from the sun, the hallway seemed colder than the outdoor temperature. Serena asked kindly.

“You must be cold, standing out here for so long?”

“Huh? Oh, yes…”

When Anna fumbled for a response, Serena pulled a scarf from her pocket and handed it to her.

“Wrap this around yourself. It should help.”

“Th-thank you.”

Anna took the scarf hesitantly, unsure of what to do.

In truth, Anna’s reddened cheeks weren’t due to the cold. It was because of the conversation she overheard from inside the bedroom.

She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop. The door was thick and soundproof, so hearing anything required pressing her ear against the crack. She had only done so out of concern for the newly appointed palace physician, worried Serena might incur the emperor’s wrath on her first day.

But the snippets of conversation she caught left her flustered.

“Does you really have to touch there? That’s…”

“That spot is a bit sensitive? Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

Anna gasped audibly and stepped back, covering her mouth in shock.

Azaid’s voice had wavered slightly, while Serena’s tone remained calm and composed. It sounded as if she had completely overpowered the emperor. Knowing Azaid’s usual temperament, Anna couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

‘Now that I think about it, has His Majesty ever given the imperial physician an Isring before?’

A sudden thought struck her. Perhaps the emperor had known Serena before she came to the palace. Or maybe he had taken an interest in her at first sight.

Driven by curiosity, Anna pressed her ear to the door again. What followed was even more startling.

“…It seems to be working, so I’ll finish quickly. Just endure a little longer.”

Anna pulled away in shock, trembling.

‘What on earth is she finishing? And what does she mean by ‘endure’?’

Her mind was spinning with questions.

“Ah!”

When Serena let out a startled exclamation, Anna felt certain. The moody emperor had given Serena the violet Isring for a reason.

‘He must already like her. It’s obvious!’

Anna had already concocted an entire romance novel in her head.

Meanwhile, unaware of Anna’s musings, Serena was mentally reviewing her examination notes.

“Oh, when His Majesty heads for his bath later, please remove the curtains. Replace them with ones similar to those in my room.”

“Yes, understood.”

‘Matching curtains… Definitely more subtle than matching jewelry.’

Anna nodded, thinking to herself. Serena, oblivious, continued.

“I’ll check his temperature every morning, but just in case, measure it throughout the day as well.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Oh! And the most important thing!”

Serena raised a finger as if she had just thought of something. When Anna stared at her blankly, Serena spoke.

“Please don’t let anyone in while I’m examining.”

‘The Emperor’s resistance is only going to get stronger, and it would be troublesome if someone came in and interrupted.’

Thinking this, Serena smiled faintly. It also seemed better for the sake of protecting the patient’s image.

After all, she was planning to handle the Emperor quite thoroughly.

‘So energetic… from the very morning.’

Anna stared at Serena with a confused expression.

Serena’s remark only confirmed Anna’s assumptions. Anna’s expression shifted rapidly before settling into one of determination.

“Yes, yes… Of course. It would be disastrous if anyone went in.”

“What?”

Why would it be disastrous?

When Serena looked at her blankly, Anna replied resolutely.

“When you’re alone with him, I’ll make sure no one enters! You can count on me!”

“Oh, uh, thank you.”

Serena glanced curiously at Anna’s overly stiff shoulders.

‘She’s acting unusually strange today. Her shoulders are so tense… Could it be that she has shoulder pain?’

Remembering how Anna had taken care of her in the past, Serena spoke cautiously.

“If you’re in pain anywhere, don’t hesitate to come see me. I might not have as much time for you as I do for His Majesty, but…”

“Oh, no! I’m fine!”

Anna waved her hands and stepped back quickly. Her strong refusal felt awkward.

‘This is really odd.’

Though Serena had the nagging feeling that their conversation kept going off track, she didn’t dwell on it.

“Alright, then.”

With a light nod, Serena turned on her heels.

A full smile had blossomed on her face before she knew it. She was in a great mood after successfully completing her morning mission.

Especially since removing that cursed curtain of the Emperor’s had gone perfectly.

‘This is a good start.’

Humming a cheerful tune, Serena left the corridor with light steps.

***

A Perfect Afternoon for a Nap

Azaid, having risen early, decided to enjoy an afternoon nap after finishing his meetings.

“You’re here?”

Today’s attendant, Anna, greeted Azaid. Without much thought, he passed by the unusually cheerful maid and entered his room.

Then, he paused, noticing that the room seemed much brighter than before. Something had changed.

The thick blackout curtains that always covered the windows were gone, replaced with lilac-colored ones.

“That’s…”

As Azaid squinted at the curtains, Anna spoke with a shy smile.

“Ah, this morning, Lady Serena instructed us to replace the curtains.”