I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 60

‘Why did I forget about that?’

While listening to the three people’s conversation, Serena suddenly realized whose emblem she had seen in her dream.

A pure white lily resting between an open shell. It symbolized the god of destiny, Pherianus.

‘I thought they didn’t look like ordinary mercenaries or soldiers.’

The empire had countless temples devoted to various gods.

Although the Croten Empire worshipped Agnis, the god of fire, it didn’t reject other deities.

The emblem felt familiar to Serena because she had once volunteered for medical service at a charity event held by the Temple of Pherianus long ago.

Having frequently volunteered at various temples, she had grown accustomed to such symbols but eventually forgot about them.

Pherianus was one of the gods followed by those who loved fortune-telling. It was said the god occasionally descended to predict the future or reveal the past, but Serena had never met anyone who had encountered the deity.

In the Croten Empire, Pherianus wasn’t particularly popular.

“Serena, what are you talking about?”

Elda asked, her face puzzled. Everyone’s attention had turned to Serena because of her sudden outburst. Even Jack chimed in to support Elda.

“Yeah, what’s with the mumbling? Share it with us.”

“Oh.”

Startled by their gazes, Serena smiled awkwardly. She found it hard to explain.

“It’s nothing. I just remembered something I’d forgotten.”

“Seriously? And here I thought it was something important.”

Jack frowned in disbelief before resuming his conversation with Elda.

‘Why would a holy knight of the Temple of Pherianus appear there? Could that boy be someone connected to the temple?’

While the three continued their chat, Serena was lost in thoughts of her dream. But she couldn’t extract any further clues from the unclear memories.

“Hey.”

Jack nudged Serena, snapping her out of her reverie. She flinched and looked at him.

“Do you want to pick up the item while we’re here?”

“Now?”

“Yeah. If you’re busy, we can do it later.”

“No, let’s go.”

Since she was already out, she had planned to visit the Gordon Merchant Guild anyway. When Serena readily agreed, Jack led her to the guild.

The guild’s main headquarters, commonly known to the public, was located in the bustling downtown area of the capital. However, Jack headed in a different direction that day.

“Isn’t this away from the guild?”

“Ah, that place is for official business. Where we’re going is for personal acquaintances.”

Jack explained casually as he guided her to the outskirts, a little away from the busy streets. Shortly after, a rather grand mansion came into view.

“This is… just a house, isn’t it?”

“Yep, it’s a house.”

Jack replied nonchalantly and opened the door to the mansion. The creaking sound of an unoiled hinge greeted Serena first.

“Most personal commissions are done here. It’s too much hassle to take them to the main office.”

Jack kicked away some clutter, whether it was trash or clothes, clearing a path.

Despite earning considerable money, did he not hire any maids?

As if reading her thoughts, Jack began to explain.

“The cleaning lady went back to her hometown for personal reasons. They offered to find me someone new, but I refused, and now the place is a mess.”

“She’ll probably scold you badly when she returns.”

“I’ll do a thorough cleaning before she gets back. Whoa, careful with that ball over there.”

Jack nudged a small ball Serena almost stepped on.

“You play ball at home?”

“Well, when I’m bored.”

Serena looked around warily, disgusted by the state of the house. Entering a place that seemed like a breeding ground for germs made her want to clean it immediately, but it wasn’t her house.

A little while later, Jack opened the door to the reception room.

“The hallway’s a mess, but the reception room’s fine.”

“Seems like it.”

Serena felt relieved that the reception room was tidier than the rest of the house. As she sat on the sofa, Jack asked her,

“Tea? Or coffee?”

“Just water. My throat’s dry from all the dust.”

“Water. Got it.”

Despite Serena’s sarcastic tone, Jack cheerfully brought her a glass of cold water. As she gulped it down, he placed something in front of her.

“Here’s the item you mentioned.”

“It’s heavier than I expected.”

Lifting the box, Serena opened the lid.

“Huh? This looks a bit different from the blueprint.”

“I figured it’d be more convenient to carry, so I modified it into a bracelet.”

She had already planned to redesign it for portability after ensuring its functionality.

The blueprint she gave Jack was just a thick, clunky piece of metal focused purely on function. Jack’s version, while called a bracelet, resembled handcuffs more than anything else.

What a peculiar taste.

As Serena examined it closely, Jack added,

“Technically, I could cast a weight-reduction spell on it…”

“But that would compromise its functionality, right?”

Jack nodded at her quick understanding.

“Exactly. To avoid interference, we’d need a divine stone, but we don’t have one at the moment.”

“I see.”

Serena’s expression reflected her disappointment as she fiddled with the bracelet. Divine stones, also known as the traces of gods, were mysterious and rare artifacts.

Since magic and divine power were opposites, divine stones were often used to prevent magical interference because of their unique properties.

“Pilgrims from the Temple of Pherianus will be returning soon, so I’ll try to get a divine stone then.”

“Are you close with the Temple of Pherianus?”

At her question, Jack blinked a few times before bursting into laughter. Serena, confused, blinked back at him.

“What’s so funny? Let me in on the joke.”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just funny that you didn’t know. Then again, it’s not something widely known.”

Jack mumbled to himself, and Serena frowned.

“What didn’t I know?”

“Well, it’s not like we’re strangers, but it’s complicated. I do visit the temple at least once a year.”

So, are you close or not?

Serena tilted her head, sensing that Jack was deliberately avoiding giving a clear answer. While she remained clueless, Jack shifted the topic.

“By the way, Mydia’s death anniversary is approaching. How is His Majesty holding up?”

“Not well. He often seems lost in thought.”

“Take good care of him. He always struggles to stay grounded around this time.”

Jack took a sip of his coffee with a bitter smile. Serena glanced at him sideways. She had been curious about something, and now seemed like the right time to ask. After a long pause, she cautiously spoke.

“I heard that His Majesty leaves the palace on the day of the anniversary. Do you know where he goes?”

“Of course. I go with him every year.”

“Where does he go?”

“Well, where do you think?”

Jack smiled faintly but chose not to elaborate.

“That’s not for me to say. If His Majesty hasn’t told you himself, I can’t either.”

In other words, if she wanted to know, she would have to ask the Emperor directly. Jack was notoriously tight-lipped about such matters, which was perhaps why he was trusted by Azaid.

“Where does he go, exactly?”

In her previous life, Serena had been in a much more restricted environment, unable to keep tabs on Azaid’s movements. She had no idea where he went on that day.

Everyone treated it as a sensitive topic, and she had never been curious enough to ask. On that day, the Emperor would disappear with only his guards, leaving the palace security noticeably relaxed. Of course, external security was strengthened to prevent any incidents that might involve the Emperor in the capital.

‘He really has a knack for making his subordinates worry.’

Serena clicked her tongue, internally criticizing Azaid.

Not that she couldn’t make an educated guess.

Since it was Mydia’s death anniversary, he was likely spending the day at a shrine dedicated to her memory.

Even though Mydia had been a maidservant, she was part of the royal family, having borne an imperial heir. Thus, a public shrine was situated within the palace grounds. However, given that Azaid left the palace on that day, it seemed more likely that he was visiting a private gravestone built outside the palace.

It wasn’t uncommon to erect a gravestone in a place meaningful to the deceased during their lifetime.

In her previous life, Serena hadn’t cared about Azaid at all, so she had no idea where such a shrine might be located.

She had only lamented at the time, thinking: Well, if he’s leaving, so be it. Just don’t come back injured. It’s not like I can tie him up to stop him from getting hurt.

“A doctor can’t meddle in private matters.”

“You people have clear boundaries, don’t you?”

“It’s rude to prod at wounds unless someone speaks of them first.”

“Surprising. The way you charged in fearlessly while treating me last time, I thought you’d always be like that.”

“I can’t stand seeing someone in pain. Anyway, thanks for making this on such short notice. But can’t you do something about the weight?”

It was far too heavy for Serina to wear. Carrying around something like a boulder on her hand felt like a sure way to break her wrist.

“Why? You’re not the one using it.”

“His Majesty’s wrist is important. If he hurts it, will you take responsibility?”

“You treat His Majesty like he’s made of glass. He’s not that fragile. Anyone would think he’s on his deathbed.”

Jack frowned at Serena’s overprotectiveness. But having witnessed his death twice, Serena couldn’t help but be overly cautious.

“Anyway, I need to test its stability immediately, which means I have to wear it. But at this weight, I can barely lift my hand.”

Serena groaned as she struggled to raise her arm with the bracelet on. It was clearly too heavy for an ordinary person to wear.

After examining the bracelet closely, Jack muttered to himself, almost as if thinking out loud.

“It’s not that there’s no solution… Would you be okay with a temporary fix? It might be inconvenient since it’ll need constant recharging, but it’s doable.”

Serena’s eyes lit up as she immediately responded.

“What’s the solution? Tell me!”