I Am The Dying Emperor’s Doctor

When Azeid showed interest in the garden, the Viscountess smiled satisfactorily. She seemed to have forgotten the recent scolding her daughter received from the Emperor.

The glass garden was the Viscountess’s pride and joy. It was filled with expensive and rare breeds, making it impressive to anyone who saw it.

Azeid asked the Viscountess, “Is that where Serena used to tend?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. That’s right. But now it’s maintained by a gardener.”

The Viscountess smiled slyly, trying to gauge Azeid’s reaction. She didn’t understand why he suddenly brought up Serena. Moreover, how did he know she worked in the garden?

‘Could it be… Lydia?’

With a skeptical expression, the Viscountess looked at Lydia. Even though Lydia was known to be outspoken, she wouldn’t dare speak casually about the Emperor’s personal physician, Serena, in front of him. At that moment, Azeid commented briefly.

“The garden doesn’t seem to suit the palace.”

“…What?”

“It’s aesthetically displeasing. Especially since it obstructs the view of the palace.”

“I see…”

“I’d prefer it not to be visible from the palace.”

“Understood?”

The Viscountess couldn’t comprehend and kept asking for clarification.

The distance between the palace and Viscount Manor was quite significant. So, it was impossible for the palace to have a view of Viscount Manor, let alone its garden.

Moreover, the palace was the largest and tallest castle in the capital. Even if by some chance the garden of this small Viscount Manor was visible from the palace, it wouldn’t detract from the palace’s aesthetics.

But Azeid was determined to eliminate that particular garden.

“Build a new garden elsewhere.”

With that statement, Azeid flicked his fingers. Suddenly, a blue light emitted from his fingers, igniting the Viscountess’s beloved garden.

“!!!”

The Viscountess was shocked, her eyes wide open. Setting fire to the garden in front of its owner, especially when that owner was the Emperor, was unthinkable.

“This, this is…”

The Viscountess couldn’t finish her sentence and trembled. A servant nearby noticed the burning garden and shouted, “Fire!”

Hastily, they went to fetch buckets of water to extinguish the flames. For a moment, Viscount Manor was in chaos.

Clatter and commotion filled the air as servants rushed around. But the magical fire was not easily extinguished even with several buckets of water.

Since the arsonist had no intention of putting out the fire, it only burned slower. The garden blazed brightly. Very brightly.

The Viscount and Viscountess, along with Lydia, watched in shock as their cherished garden burned. Azeid casually told the Viscount, “Send the maintenance bill to the palace.”

“Wha… What is this?”

The Viscount looked at Azeid with a pale face. Setting fire to someone’s garden without warning was akin to advertising to society that you were mad enough to anger the Emperor.

At that moment, as the communication device buzzed, Leonard, who had left the scene earlier, turned his attention to the commotion. Belatedly discovering the burning garden, Leonard exclaimed, “Jack, sorry, it’s a bit inconvenient to communicate right now. I’ll contact you later…”

Just as he was about to end the call and deal with the Emperor’s reckless act, the voice of the sought-after protagonist came through the communication device.

“…Lady Serena?”

Startled, Leonard muttered, causing Azeid to react upon hearing her name.

Here’s the translation:

“Serena?”

Then, he saw the Viscount and immediately took over the communication device.

“Where are you?”

Do you know how worried I was?

Azeid felt the words rising to his throat but held them back. Once he confirmed she was fine, that would be enough.

But Serena’s following words made it impossible for Azeid to stay calm.

– Me? I’m at the inn right now.

Serena’s calm voice echoed through the communication device. Azeid muttered momentarily, wondering if he had misheard.

“Inn? Why at the inn…?”

Azeid looked puzzled as he stared at the communication device. Then suddenly, his doubt about how Serena knew Leonard’s private communication code was resolved by the appearance of another person.

– Well, Your Majesty. It’s Jack. How have you been?

“!!!”

Azeid couldn’t understand how Serena and Jack were together. Especially after Serena mentioned being at the inn, he became even more confused.

Azeid’s mood sank. Just a moment ago, watching the burning garden had somewhat lifted his spirits.

Was this his way of avenging young Serena?

However, upon hearing that Serena and Jack were together at the inn, a coldness akin to overturning cold water settled over him.

“Why? Why are you with my personal physician?”

Naturally, his voice became sharper. Jack, seemingly unaware of the tension, replied casually.

– Huh? Oh, we’ve been together all night.

“…What?”

All night together?

Who? Serena, with that lecherous man?

Azeid’s thoughts didn’t immediately come together.

The moment he heard those words, it felt like he had been doused with ice-cold water. Especially since Jack knew Serena quite well, the fact that she was with him bothered him immensely.

‘Why? Why were they together at the inn? Why?’

Azeid’s face grew increasingly fierce. A man and a woman spent the day at the inn.

The woman was his personal physician, and the man was the most dangerous among his close friends.

In the midst of Azeid’s panic, Jack’s voice sounded sluggish as he touched a nerve.

– She’s looking for the physician. I’ll send the coordinates; come here. We’re both in a situation where moving is difficult right now.

“Difficult to move…?”

Why? Why? Why?

Azeid felt his logical thread snapping under relentless questioning. He wanted to tell Serena to leave immediately, but Jack took the lead.

– You’ll understand when you come. Hurry up.

“Hey, this…!”

Click, click, click, click…

The communication ended. Azeid squeezed the communication device as if to crush it. An extremely intense energy emanated from him.

The atmosphere grew tense in Azeid’s silence. The Viscount’s expression changed constantly as Azeid and Serena communicated.

First, he was surprised that Serena spoke so freely to Azeid, then he was surprised again by Azeid’s nonchalance.

Considering all the circumstances, Azeid seemed to hold Serena in high regard.

‘As the rumors say.’

The Viscount rubbed his lips as if he had just taken bitter medicine. His missing daughter was now in the Emperor’s favor.

It was an opportunity and a crisis.

Depending on what the Viscount did with Serena, the fate of the Vincent Family seemed uncertain.

It was as uncertain as the once beautiful garden that was now burning.

“Your, Your Majesty.”

The Viscount finally overcame his fear and spoke up.

“Leonard, go immediately.”

Ignoring the Viscount’s nerves, Azeid got into the carriage. The Viscount, feeling the intense pressure, couldn’t stop the carriage from moving.

And so, the carriage carrying the Emperor left Viscount Manor smoothly. The fire ignited by the Emperor still blazed fiercely.

The fire raged until it consumed the entire garden before gradually dying out.

It was as if the fire had decided to stop after burning only the garden. It was a high-level magic that could not have been done without considerable control. Of course, he didn’t want to see magic like that in this way.

“Ah, ah…!”

The Viscountess collapsed to the floor, her expression full of regret.

“Mom!”

Lydia cried out as she supported the Viscountess. The Viscountess wept bitterly over the completely ruined garden, and Lydia comforted her.

‘Serena, you wretched woman… How dare you bring such disgrace to our household?’

Although Serena hadn’t done anything, Lydia openly blamed her. In her mind, Serena had slandered the Vincent Family to the Emperor.

The Viscount glanced silently at the garden, Viscountess, and Lydia. The household was in complete disarray.

* * *

Azeid headed straight to the inn. Leonard stuck close to him and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down first…”

Azeid stared coldly at Leonard. With his eyes going crazy, Leonard felt awkward.

If they were left alone, chaos would surely ensue. In fact, Leonard didn’t know why Jack and Serena were together.

The missing Serena happened to be with Jack.

Leonard, feeling a mix of emotions, arrived at the inn where Jack and Serena had stayed the night.

Azeid turned the doorknob without knocking. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked and easily opened. Upon entering the room, Azeid found Jack.

“Jack Gordon!”

Serena was sitting on the sofa, and she blinked in surprise when she saw Azeid.

His gaze shifted to her. She looked exactly as she did when she left after her morning examination yesterday.

“Oh you came, Your Majesty?”

Serena greeted the Emperor with a calm smile. That only provoked Azeid further.