I’m the Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Episode 85

“I’m sorry.”

Duke bowed his head repeatedly in apology. He could have held his aching shin, but he clenched his teeth and endured the pain.

“It was because Miss Serena entered suddenly…”

“If you had taken more time and been more careful from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you make another mistake, that will be the end, Duke.”

“Yes.”

As Duke responded with a heavy heart, Sebastian, whose anger had somewhat subsided, asked,

“Did you find anything on Miss Serena?”

“No. She’s always so focused on her research that the only ‘flaw’ I could find is how diligently she works.”

“No one is completely spotless.”

As Sebastian spoke with clear determination, Duke muttered under his breath,

“…Couldn’t we just persuade her to join our side?”

“Nonsense. Do you really think she’d ever join us?”

“Well, we won’t know unless we try. She doesn’t seem entirely devoid of ambition.”

“Tsk.”

Sebastian dismissed Duke’s complaint and continued,

“There are people you can read even without speaking to them.”

Then he glared sharply at Duke, who failed to understand his point.

In truth, the Duke had also suggested persuading Serena first and resorting to exploiting weaknesses only if that failed. However, Sebastian bypassed that entirely and went straight to finding her weakness. It was driven purely by his own insecurity.

‘She won’t join our side.’

Sebastian bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hide his nervousness. Serena was like a striking red rose, someone who would stand out anywhere.

Unlike Sebastian, who had clawed his way to this position by handling all manner of dirty work, Serena had walked a clean path, rising swiftly thanks to her exceptional skills.

Since she entered the imperial palace as part of the royal medical staff, Sebastian had been keeping an unconscious but constant watch on her. He always felt as if his position could be shaken by her presence.

Thus, he had subtly twisted the Duke’s orders, focusing solely on finding faults in Serena.

Not only was it impossible for her to join their side, but if she ever did, his position would be the first to crumble.

Sebastian clicked his tongue, as if dispelling a terrible thought, and said,

“Hurry. We need to find a weakness before anyone else does.”

“Understood.”

Duke bowed silently and retreated. Sebastian also disappeared into the shadows beyond the corridor.

Azaid’s seizure erupted suddenly and without warning.

— This is bad! His Majesty’s fever has spiked to 40 degrees, and he’s starting to ramble nonsense!

Anna’s panicked voice was like a hammer blow to Serena’s head.

Everything had been going smoothly—it must have been the calm before the storm. The moment Serena received Anna’s emergency call, she rushed to Azaid’s chambers.

“Your Majesty!”

Serena shouted as she stormed into the bedroom, where Sebastian was already present. Azaid’s eyes looked red and unfocused, and he was clearly in severe pain.

As Anna had said, Azaid’s fever was alarmingly high, and he was groaning weakly in distress.

The emperor’s pained expression and the faint sighs escaping his dry lips were pitiful to witness.

As Sebastian finished his examination and began to withdraw, Serina questioned him.

“What happened?”

She was terrified that Azaid might die from the seizure.

However, Sebastian remained composed, his expression unreadable, as if this were no big deal.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious? His fever is this high!”

Serena glared at Sebastian, who still acted indifferent. Sebastian replied,

“This isn’t the first time. Occasionally, His Majesty’s mana overwhelms him, causing his fever to spike. It’s not a big—”

“Step aside!”

Serena shoved Sebastian away and began unbuttoning Azaid’s shirt.

She was furious at Sebastian’s nonchalance, but above all, she was worried about Azaid.

‘Just as I thought.’

As expected, Azaid’s mana core was glowing with an ominous blue light.

Sebastian, watching Serena undress the emperor without warning, looked at her as if she had committed an outrageous act.

“What are you doing?! How dare you touch His Majesty without permission!”

“Does this look like something you can just ignore, Captain of the Imperial Physician?”

Serena pointed at the glowing mana core, her voice sharp and icy. Sebastian, stunned, couldn’t find the words to respond.

Serena smirked bitterly.

“I can’t believe you thought this was nothing. I’m truly disappointed in you, Captain.”

“Serena, I—”

“Everyone, leave. You’re interfering with my treatment.”

“No, I might be of help. I can’t just—”

“Do as she says.”

Azaid, who had been groaning, managed to speak. Sebastian had no choice but to retreat, and the others followed suit.

“Haa…”

Azaid let out a hot sigh. Though leaning weakly against the bed’s headboard, his gaze towards Serina was warm.

“Sebastian was right. You didn’t need to be woken up for this. I’m sorry for disturbing your rest.”

“What are you talking about? Your fever is this severe!”

“This happens often. Though, it’s been a while since the last episode.”

Azaid chuckled weakly, as if accustomed to this. That casual smile made Serena’s chest tighten with sorrow.

Perhaps her expression showed it, as Azaid added softly,

“It’s fine. I’m fire-aligned, so this fever feels like a light cold. I’m used to it.”

“Enough. Don’t speak anymore; you must be dizzy.”

Serena placed a cool hand on Azaid’s burning forehead. Seeing her unexpectedly gentle reaction, Azeid’s heart skipped a beat.

“A-Are you… mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at Your Majesty.”

“Then who?”

Azaid’s feverish eyes locked onto hers. Serena didn’t look away.

She was angry—angry at Sebastian’s negligence, angry at Azaid for defending him, but most of all, angry at the way he pretended he was fine when he clearly wasn’t.

“If you’re in pain, you’re in pain. Being used to it doesn’t make it any less serious.”

“Is that so?”

Azaid tilted his head slightly, a faint smile on his lips.

“Are you… worried about me, Rena?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t be?”

Serena spoke in an irritated voice to Azaid, who kept asking questions as if trying to confirm something. But seeing him smiling brightly, seemingly pleased, she felt at a loss for words.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Just… I feel like it wouldn’t be so bad if I stayed a patient forever.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? You should be thinking about getting better!”

I’m working so hard to end your terminally ill emperor life!

Serena was about to lose her temper at Azaid’s carefree response but held it back. After all, the person in front of her was a very, very sick patient.

“Still, it’s a relief. The artificial mana core just arrived yesterday.”

Serena took out a ring-shaped artificial mana core from her bag. After passing safety verification, it had arrived yesterday, specially commissioned from Jack.

Originally, she had planned to share the procedure with the attending physician, Rhine, but given the circumstances, it seemed better to have Azaid wear it immediately.

‘Now that I think about it, the palace chief must definitely be aging and losing his eyesight. The symptoms are so obvious.’

Even considering the data she had accumulated over a long period of observation, Sebastian’s diagnosis was terrible.

The completed artificial mana core was now in the form of a thin ring, unlike the initial bracelet that resembled handcuffs.

During the verification stage, the bracelet was found to be too heavy and unsightly, so it had been redesigned for simplicity.

“I thought a simple ring would be better than something that looks like handcuffs.”

Serena explained as she gently placed the ring on Azaid’s finger.

“This white stone embedded here is a holy stone. It’ll prevent interference from other mana sources.”

She continued speaking while frequently checking if Azaid’s mana core was stabilizing.

“I know you don’t like wearing accessories, and it might feel uncomfortable, but please wear it for your health, at least for now.”

When Azaid didn’t respond, Serena finally looked up at him and asked,

“How is it? Is it uncomfortable or…?”

But her words trailed off when she realized how close he was. Azaid was staring at her with a flushed face.

In truth, Azaid’s gaze had been fixed on Serena the entire time she had been moving around fussily. Even now, he didn’t answer her question—he just kept staring.

Thump. Thump.

Maybe it was because of his fever-clouded mind, but Serena looked exceptionally lovely today.

‘No… Was there ever a time when she wasn’t lovely?’

Azaid smirked faintly, confirming the severe state of his emotions.

“Your Majesty? Are you alright?”

At that moment, Serina touched Azaid’s cheek and asked. His silence and intense gaze made her worry that the artificial mana core might not be working.

Azaid gently shook his head. Then, he placed his large hand over Serena’s. Startled by the warmth that enveloped her hand, Serena flinched.

“I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes. After all, it’s a ring given to me by someone special.”

“No, I meant… not about the design, but whether it’s comfortable to wear…”

For some reason, Serena couldn’t bring herself to meet Azaid’s eyes directly.

Then, suddenly, Azaid impulsively turned his head and pressed his lips to Serena’s palm.

Perhaps it was because of his illness, but Azaid, unusually bold, let out a warm breath, tickling her hand.

“I like having you by my side more than I like this ring, Rena.”

And the moment Serena met his gaze—

— You mean you’ve never been nervous with such a handsome statue right beside you?

For some reason, Lucy’s words came to mind at that exact moment.