I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 74

As Marie had predicted, if Serena had gone out, she would have missed the visitor from the temple. Following Marie’s guidance, Serena headed to the reception room.

Marie couldn’t stop praising the guest who had come to see Serena. From her reaction alone, Serena could guess who the priest was.

“He was an incredibly kind gentleman.”

“Really?”

“And he was surprisingly eloquent for a priest.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“I heard he’s not just casually acquainted with you. What’s your relationship?”

Marie slyly probed Serena. It seemed her curiosity was the reason for her excessive chatter.

“We just knew each other a little when we were young.”

“Is this the start of a love triangle?”

“Marie, you should cut back on those romance novels. Does everything in the world look like romance to you?”

“Well, reality is often stranger than fiction, you know.”

Marie pouted and refrained from speaking further. Serena had already resigned herself to Marie’s wild imagination. Explaining wouldn’t help, so she had given up trying.

When Serena entered the reception room, as expected, Benjamin was there.

“Rena.”

Benjamin stood up with a bright smile and greeted her warmly. He strode over and even gave her a hug, causing Marie to exclaim in delight.

Serena, displeased, pushed Benjamin away. She had been thinking for a while that his behavior was a bit over the top. Worried that Marie might misunderstand, Serena spoke curtly.

“What brings you here?”

“You don’t seem very glad to see me.”

Benjamin put on a wounded expression. Serena ignored it and got straight to the point.

“Did Lord Raffaello send you?”

“Yes, that’s right. He asked me to deliver the items you requested.”

Benjamin awkwardly smiled as he took a box containing an artificial mana core out of his bag. Meanwhile, Marie left to bring tea.

Serena meticulously inspected the completed item. Although it was infused with divine energy, the fact that it came with extra divine stones confirmed her suspicion that she had been deceived by Jack’s scheming.

Still, if it weren’t for Jack, she wouldn’t have known about Azaid’s unusual behavior every year on Mydia’s memorial day, so she wasn’t too upset.

‘I should use the divine stones for research material.’

“What kind of magical tool is that?” Benjamin asked.

“Hmm, something like a healing device.”

“I see. You’ve really become a proper doctor.”

“I’m not just like a doctor. I am a doctor.”

When Serena smiled faintly, Benjamin nodded emphatically.

“Yes, of course, you’re a real doctor.”

“Thank you for bringing this all the way here. I was just about to visit the temple.”

“We almost missed each other, then.”

“Please also send my thanks to Lord Raffaello.”

“I will. By the way, Rena—”

“Could you not call me that?” Serena began to protest, but Benjamin shyly smiled and interrupted.

“Do you have time today?”

“No, She doesn’t.”

Azaid, who appeared just in time, answered in her stead.

What is His Majesty doing here?

Serena looked at Azaid with a bewildered expression. Seeing Marie behind him, it was clear that she had spilled everything to Azaid.

Benjamin was wide-eyed at Azaid’s sudden appearance.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Serena will be extremely busy soon, so she won’t have the leisure to sit and drink tea with you. You should leave.”

“W-What? No, but—”

Benjamin broke out in a cold sweat under Azaid’s resolute dismissal. Serena, caught off guard by Azaid’s sudden interference, tried to mediate.

“I don’t have any pressing matters right now, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Pardon?”

“You will.”

Azaid’s ominous declaration left Serena dumbfounded. From behind, Marie’s crescent-moon-shaped eyes were unnerving her.

‘Mari, you…’

When Serena mouthed a reprimand to Mari, the latter rolled her eyes and avoided her gaze.

‘Sorry, Serena. But I’m part of the AzaRena faction (the group rooting for Azaide and Serena’s romance). The beauty of a love triangle lies in jealousy!’

Marie felt secretly proud of her dramatic actions.

‘Look at the Emperor’s fiery gaze! This is prime jealousy material!’

If it weren’t for Marie and Anna’s collaborative scheming, Azaid wouldn’t have shown up at the perfect moment.

As avid romance novel lovers, Marie and Anna were wholly committed to this pairing. For once, the two, who usually had opposing tastes, were rooting for the same couple.

Moreover, the romance was progressing smoothly. The recent change in the Emperor’s way of addressing Serena—from “Hey” to “Serena” and then to “Rena”—was evidence of that.

‘In the early stages of love, there’s always interference from a third party.’

Apologies to the priest, but Serena already belongs to someone else.

Unaware of Marie’s mischievous inner thoughts, Serena grew slightly concerned.

‘Was His Majesty’s recent kindness just a prelude to dumping a mountain of work on me?’

It was a reasonable suspicion. Azaid had a tendency to overload his close associates with work. From the moment he considered Serena one of his close aides, her life might have been filled with nothing but work, work, and more work.

‘Having too much work is better than losing my head, but still…’

Since Azaid openly declared there would be no more holidays moving forward, Benjamin’s suggestion seemed out of the question for now.

“I’ll contact you when I have some free time, sir.”

“That won’t happen.”

“…Alright then, Rena. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Benjamin awkwardly smiled as he cautiously glanced at Azaid.

Azaid raised an eyebrow when the word “Rena” escaped Benjamin’s lips again. Under Azade’s piercing gaze, Benjamin flinched and fled in a flash.

“Take care, sir.”

“Yeah, see you later, Rena.”

As soon as Benjamin disappeared from sight, Azaid leaned against the chair opposite Serena. With his legs crossed, he looked as if he had stepped straight out of a photoshoot.

Marie poured tea into a new cup for Azaid and quietly left the room.

“Why are you so eager to pick a fight with the young master?”

“I just don’t like him.”

“What’s there not to like?”

“Everything. From A to Z.”

“You’re being excessive.”

Serena pursed her lips as she fiddled with the artificial mana core. She suddenly recalled Nocturne offering to assist with its stabilization check.

‘I need to tell Mr. Nocturne quickly.’

But Nocturne had been absent frequently, leaving her with little opportunity to bring it up.

On the day of the ceremony, the atmosphere between Nocturne and the other three companions had been a bit chilly, hinting at a possible dispute. Serena decided to probe Azaid subtly.

“Did you by any chance have a fight with Mr. Nocturne?”

“Why bring up Nocturne all of a sudden?”

“It’s just… he didn’t seem in a good mood that day.”

“It’s weird to always be smiling too, isn’t it?”

“True, but…”

“It’s nothing to worry about. It’ll sort itself out eventually.”

Azaid lightly tapped the back of Serena’s hand, seemingly trying to reassure her. Lately, he’d been initiating physical contact more often. Serena stared at the back of her hand and muttered.

“That’s unusual.”

“Hm?”

“Are you the type to get clingy when you grow close to someone, Your Majesty?”

“Who knows… I don’t act like this with just anyone.”

Azaid replied with a slightly dissatisfied expression, then suddenly grabbed Serena’s hand.

“It’s only with you.”

“Thanks for the special treatment.”

“That’s such a dull response.”

Azaid frowned at Serena’s indifferent reaction, showing no awareness of his intentions.

Just holding her hand was enough to make his heart race unbearably. Somehow, he felt so wronged that he didn’t want to let go. As he held her hand and stared at it, Serena finally spoke.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

“Do you think I’m a pet or something?”

“No, it’s just that you keep staring at my hand.”

Serena scratched her cheek with her free hand. It was as if she didn’t even see him as a person. Azaid opened his mouth, unwilling to let go of her hand.

“Fine, a walk might be nice.”

“So you did want to go for a walk. You’re not very honest, are you?”

“…”

Serena smiled slightly, adjusted her grip on his hand, and stood up.

“The weather is nice today. How about two laps?”

“Three laps would be fine.”

As long as he could keep holding her hand.

Azaid concealed his true thoughts and smiled broadly. Then, he pulled Serena to stand beside him. Today, he felt like walking side by side.

Though he had learned to walk well without being pulled along, Azaid stubbornly refused to stop holding her hand.

Walking hand in hand had become a routine, and Serena allowed it, finding it more comfortable than being dragged around.

She had never once felt uncomfortable with Azaid’s touch. Seeing his delighted smile, Serena thought to herself:

‘Habit really is important. His Majesty must feel restless now if he doesn’t go for a walk.’

She couldn’t help but silently commend herself for her clever handling of the situation.

***

After that, Serena continued receiving invitations from Sebastian to attend gatherings. It was difficult to refuse, especially since it was her superior arranging them personally.

Of course, if she had deemed the gatherings unnecessary, Serena would have declined outright. But there was one program that captured her interest:

The auction of rare medicinal herbs.

Serena was a physician deeply passionate about herbal medicine. The effectiveness of herbs varied greatly depending on how they were combined. Her first published research paper as a doctor had been about herbal combinations.

‘If I’m lucky, I might find high-quality herbs there.’

Deciding that it was worth the effort, Serena agreed to attend the association’s meeting.

• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •

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