I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 65

Jack fiercely grabbed Azaid shoulder and turned him around.

“You little shit, if I hear you say that again, I’ll really break your legs… Huh?”

Jack stopped grumbling and let out a strange sound when he belatedly noticed Serena.

Serena missed her chance to speak because of the terrifying expression on Jack’s face. She awkwardly smiled and raised her hand.

“Hi, Jack?”

“You… you heard everything?”

“Sort of, I think I heard some blasphemous things I shouldn’t have.”

As Serena muttered, Jack’s face turned pale. It was no surprise, considering he had called the emperor a little shit in front of her.

“So you really are close.”

I can’t believe you would say that right to his face.

“Serena.”

“I got it.”

Serena closed her mouth straight, noticing Azaid’s hint to stop talking. Jack, belatedly noticing the bandage wrapped around Serena’s neck, spoke up.

“Wait, hey. Are you hurt?”

“Oh, it’s just a cut from a sword…”

“What?! What kind of crazy person would attack in broad daylight…!”

Jack shouted in shock.

‘Yeah. The crazy person right next to you is the one.’

Serena glanced at Azaid and kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t bring herself to say that Azaid almost cut her throat. Then Jack, still grumbling, pressed further.

“Did you catch the culprit? Security must be tight today, so who would be crazy enough to do that!”

“Jack. It’s fine…”

Please keep the crazy person comment to yourself.

Serena started to subtly gauge Azaid’s mood. Fortunately, he didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t look okay either.

Still, calling the emperor a crazy person is a bit…

Of course, it wasn’t something Serena, who complained about Azaid in her daily journal like a patient observer, should say.

But that’s written, and saying it out loud is a different matter, she optimistically thought.

As Serena replied nonchalantly, Jack snapped back like someone even more irritated.

“Fine? You’re saying that with a bandage wrapped around your neck? Did you see the culprit’s face?”

“…Yeah. I did.”

When Serena subtly avoided his gaze, he grabbed her shoulder and asked. The shaking made her head ring and her neck ache.

“Describe their appearance. I’ll go catch them and take their head… Ugh!”

At that moment, Azaid pulled Jack away from Serena. It seemed he wanted to intervene before Jack could say anything worse.

Just as she was about to shout that it hurt, she was grateful. Did Jack even realize he had just conspired against the emperor?

Serena fiddled with her neck and tried to dissuade Jack.

“Whose head are you going to take?”

“Then your neck will be the first to fall, you fool.”

Even though Serena was giving him hints, Jack still couldn’t calm his excitement.

“Whose neck? Of course, it’s the criminal’s neck.”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea, Jack.”

“What?”

“Don’t you have something to explain to me instead?”

“Ah.”

Jack let out a shallow gasp at Serena’s calm rebuttal. Then he started to subtly glance at her.

Seeing that he had something to feel guilty about, it seemed that Jack had indeed called her here on purpose.

“You were just using the excuse that the Holy Stone isn’t here, right?”

“No, that’s not it… it’s true…”

Jack dragged out his words and slowly avoided her gaze.

You scammer!

Serena wanted to scream but held it in. If she did, the wound she had just treated would surely burst.

Thinking about it, it was strange. If Jack had connections to the Temple of Pherianus, especially with Bishop Raffaello, he should have been able to get a Holy Stone.

Yet he had specifically made her come to the Temple of Pherianus, on a date that was the anniversary of Lady Mydia, when outsiders were prohibited from entering.

If Jack weren’t a friend of Azaid, Raffaello wouldn’t have allowed her entry today.

With the circumstances this clear, it was impossible not to realize that there was some hidden intention behind it.

“I did it because of someone!”

At that moment, Jack shouted as if he felt wronged. It was exactly the case of the guilty party getting angry.

“What are you shouting about?”

“Wait a minute. Am I the only one who doesn’t understand this situation?”

Azeid, who had been quietly listening, interrupted the conversation between Serena and Jack. He looked at Jack and asked.

“Are you saying you brought Serina here?”

“Well, um, Azaid…”

Jack awkwardly smiled and looked at Azaid. Just by looking at his expression, it seemed to say, “Yes, that’s right. I’m the criminal.” Azaid’s face immediately hardened.

“I clearly told you not to say a word…”

“Then what should I do? On a day like today, when someone is running around like a madman and getting hurt, which friend would just sit still and do nothing?”

“Jack Gordon! Can you shut your mouth?”

Azaid growled, cutting off Jack’s words. But Serena couldn’t overlook Jack’s statement. She raised her hand as if seeking the floor and said.

“…Wait a minute. I feel like I’ve just heard something very dangerous.”

What is Azaid going to do?

“No. You heard wrong, Serina.”

As Azaid immediately rebutted—

“No. You heard correctly, you.”

Jack quickly agreed. His expression clearly showed he wanted someone to scold that guy. But when he saw Serena’s fierce face—

“Ha, damn.”

Jack wore an expression that clearly said he was doomed and kept muttering curses. Serena, with a sharper gaze than usual, looked directly at Jack and asked.

“Say that again. What does His Majesty do today?”

“Well, that is, I mean…”

Jack stammered, glancing at Azaid. Although he was angry and had acted recklessly, he hadn’t thought about the consequences.

He never expected to blurt it out at such a time, making the atmosphere feel as uncomfortable as sitting on a thorny cushion.

When Azaid saw Jack staring blankly, he composed his expression with a dry laugh.

He had always known that Jack would get into trouble because of his mouth, but he never imagined it would be like this.

Now, among the three, Serena’s face had become the most fearsome. The other two were just glancing at each other, avoiding speaking up. Seeing their behavior, Serena shouted with conviction.

“Your Majesty, are you really out of your mind?!”

How could he, how could he lay hands on his own body? What kind of body was it?

Serena realized that this was the reason she had been anxious as the date approached, and she felt stunned.

Why would the calm before the storm be just a calm? That stillness was a warning. Prepare for the storm.

“I really have lost my touch lately. How could I miss something like this?”

Serena tried hard to suppress her overflowing anger. But even if she suppressed it, the boiling emotions would not settle down in an instant.

What if Jack hadn’t pulled such a scheme?

Today, she wouldn’t have known what happened to Azaid and would have thoughtlessly gone for a morning check-up the next day!

The more she thought about it, the more her anger flared up and wouldn’t subside. Azaid opened his mouth to calm Serena.

“Serena, first, don’t get too worked up…”

“Your Majesty, what kind of body do you have to act like that! Do you really want to see me go crazy?!”

Him telling her to calm down only made it harder for her to do so.

‘I worked so hard to save that body, and what if it died while I wasn’t there? Would I then have to regress again?’

As her thoughts extended to the hardships of her previous life, her discomfort grew even more.

Azade seemed somewhat surprised at how visibly angry Serena was. He had never seen her this angry before.

“Serena. First, let’s calm down a bit. If you keep shouting, the wound will reopen.”

“Right. You’re the one who… ah, I get it. I’m the sinner, right? The sinner.”

Jack tried to lighten the mood but received a sharp look from Azaid and quickly backed down.

Hearing Azaid’s words, she felt a pain in her throat. Seeing the bandage was damp, it seemed the blood had started to seep out again.

“Look at this.”

Azaid reached out with a sympathetic expression, seemingly wanting to rewrap the bandage. Serena brushed his hand away and said coldly.

“Why are you so flustered over such a minor injury when you don’t even take care of your own body?”

“A minor injury? Serena, you might not know since you’ve never been cut by a sword, but if it’s not treated well…”

“That sounds like you’ve definitely experienced it, Your Majesty?”

“Ah.”

Azaid noticed the blind spot in his words and let out a shallow gasp. Serena’s eyes folded into a triangle, becoming even more terrifying. Azeid averted his gaze and muttered.

“It’s an old story. Just, every time this day comes around, I regret it so much…”

“It is an old story. You were like that last year too, you know.”

“…Jack. Can you shut up?”

Azaid growled as he called out to Jack.

“What did I say? I didn’t make anything up.”

Jack stood at a distance, arms crossed, maintaining his ignorance.

Serena let out a hollow laugh at the mention of a similar incident last year. She felt her rationality snap.

“Hahaha.”

“Serena?”

Azaid called her, sensing an ominous feeling. She smiled brightly and said,

“Your Majesty, how long were you planning to keep this hidden from me?”

Serena grabbed his hand to prevent Azaid from stepping back, pulling him closer.

“Serena?”

Before Azaid could react to the reduced distance, a sharp voice erupted.

“If you don’t want me to examine your body thoroughly every day…”

“…”

“Then it would be better for your well-being to speak openly. Every single detail.”

Serena was smiling. And it was very frightening.