I Am The Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Azeid’s face hardened at the mention of the Duke of Greenwood’s arrival. The heart that had been pounding from his interaction with Serena quickly returned to a steady rhythm. The thought of meeting the Duke already exhausted him.

“Is he here about that matter again?”

By “that matter,” he meant the Empress position. For years, the Duke of Greenwood had been subtly pressuring Azeid about the Empress seat, particularly pushing for an engagement with Ophelia Greenwood. It seemed that Ophelia, who had been quiet for a while, was making another attempt.

Fortunately, the great nobles were still divided, each recommending their children for the Empress position. If they had united behind Greenwood, it would have been much harder to refuse. Leonard shook his head.

“I don’t know. He said he had urgent matters regarding the hunting festival.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Azeid chuckled low, recognizing the Duke’s sly nature. The Duke of Greenwood was a man with a smooth exterior but a deceitful interior. Falling for his charming words could lead to disaster.

Azeid knew well what the Duke did behind the facade of a benevolent scholar. When Azeid arrived at the reception room, the Duke rose from his seat.

“Greetings to the sun of the empire.”

“Long time no see, Duke of Greenwood.”

Azeid seated himself regally at the center, and the Duke followed suit.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to get approval for some matters before the hunting festival.”

The Duke smiled gently, presenting a document. Azeid glanced through it. It was a request for the use of the portal.

The portal required the approval of both the Viscous Duke and the royal family for long-distance travel.

Originally developed by the Viscous Duchy, the rights to use it had been extended to the royal family when the previous Duchess married into the royal family.

Thus, every use of the portal required both the Viscous Duchy and the royal family’s approval. The contracts were typically renewed annually, and it seemed that the time had come again.

“It’s already time to renew the contract.”

“Yes. The approval was delayed due to negotiations over the fee with the Viscous family.”

“Did they try to raise the fees again?”

“Since our family acquired the distribution rights for mana stones last year, they must be trying to curb our influence.”

The Duke shrugged as if it were nothing. After the rebellion, many rights held by various houses had reverted to the royal family.

However, with so many powers centralized, the economy slowed, so rights were delegated to influential houses.

One such right, the mana stone distribution, had been transferred to Greenwood last year, so it was natural for Viscous to push back.

“Escalating fees are problematic. I’ll instruct them to set a reasonable price.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Duke bowed gracefully. Azeid nodded to Leonard, who brought the royal seal. Azeid stamped the document and handed it back to the Duke, who accepted it with due reverence.

For a moment, their fingers brushed. Azeid, who disliked physical contact, quickly pulled his hand back. The Duke froze in place momentarily.

“Is that all you needed?”

“…….”

“Duke of Greenwood?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll handle the rest myself.”

The Duke’s expression stiffened briefly before he forced a smile. Azeid, tired of the interaction, waved him away.

“I’ll see you next at Greenwood.”

“Indeed. See you there.”

Azeid stretched and barely acknowledged the Duke as he left.

The Duke walked briskly to his carriage, his expression turning fierce. He gritted his teeth.

“I thought it had worked. Why didn’t it?”

Distracted, the Duke bumped into Serena, who was approaching from the opposite direction.

“Oh.”

Serena’s medical bag fell from her shoulder due to the strong impact. The Duke, regaining his composure, looked at the person he had collided with.

Seeing her purple hair and golden eyes, he immediately recognized her and softened his expression.

“My apologies. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t looking either. I’m sorry.”

Serena smiled, picking up her medical bag and dusting it off while checking for any damage.

The Duke scrutinized her. The great nobles were all watching her closely, as the wary Emperor seemed particularly fond of her.

“And she’s on the list for the hunting festival.”

The Duke was not pleased with her presence. Her involvement complicated his plans to make Ophelia the Empress.

Serena felt uneasy under his intense gaze. The Duke’s eyes seemed fixated on her badge.

“That grey hair and ash-colored eyes… Could he be the Duke of Greenwood?”

Realizing who he was, Serena blinked. The Duke smiled gently.

“Be careful.”

“Pardon?”

Serena was confused, not understanding what he meant.

The Duke’s tone was soft, but his eyes were sharp. He muttered something she couldn’t quite catch.

“A conspicuous butterfly only becomes a target.”

“……”

“Good day.”

The Duke bowed gracefully and left. Serena finally understood his words and frowned.

“What was that old man talking about?”

It was a disconcerting warning. He meant she should stay out of sight.

“Am I on the Duke of Greenwood’s radar now?”

Serena narrowed her eyes, staring at the spot where the Duke had been.

Given that she had effectively sidelined Ophelia Greenwood, it made sense that the Duke would view her unfavorably.

“All because of that damn Emperor, I’m dealing with this.”

Now she was even receiving veiled threats from powerful nobles.

It was a mark of her rising influence. Serena shook off the unpleasant feeling and turned back.

—

The Duke of Greenwood arrived at his estate.

“You’re back, Father?”

Ophelia greeted him, but he brushed past her with a sharp remark.

“You’ve been outdone by a nobody.”

“Excuse me?”

Confused by his cold demeanor, Ophelia tilted her head. The Duke looked at her with a stern expression.

“I saw Serena Vincent.”

“…….”

“She’ll be at the hunting festival. You need to be careful.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ophelia’s shoulders slumped as she apologized. The Duke softened slightly and patted her shoulder.

“You are the most suitable woman for the Empress position. You’ve been trained for this since birth.”

“…….”

“You should gain some weight. It seems the Emperor doesn’t favor thin women.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Ophelia bit her lower lip and responded obediently. The Duke’s word was law in Greenwood.

Even when she accidentally injured the Emperor, she couldn’t visit him because of the Duke’s orders. He had handled the situation himself, not wanting her to appear weak.

The Duke squeezed her shoulder firmly and then released her.

“Good. That’s better.”

He smiled warmly, and Ophelia’s face brightened.

Years of careful grooming with both the carrot and the stick had paid off. Seeing his strong-willed daughter so compliant was gratifying.

The Duke smiled at her once more and headed to his study, where someone was already waiting. A man with neatly tied navy blue hair and ash-colored eyes.

“You’re here on time.”

“Still the same, I see. Summoning without notice.”

“I heard you’re leaving for Greenwood tomorrow.”

“Yes. Since you won’t allow the portal, I have to travel by carriage.”

Nocturne smirked, and the Duke gave him a cursory glance. The son who once sought his approval with such eagerness was no longer there.

Had he stayed loyal, he could have outmaneuvered his brothers and claimed the Duke’s title. The Duke felt a pang of regret as he rebuked him.

“Fool. You went to the Emperor for a mere countship?”

“It may be mere to you, but it’s the best title for me.”

“Pathetic. That’s why you’ll never amount to more.”

Nocturne shrugged off the Duke’s harsh words.

“So, why did you call me? As you can see, I have a lot to prepare for the journey.”

If the Duke didn’t get to the point soon, Nocturne was ready to walk out. The Duke poured himself a glass of whiskey and spoke.

“I heard something strange at the palace. They say you intercepted a gift Ophelia sent to the Emperor.”

“Ah, you found out about that now?”

Nocturne smiled, realizing why he had been summoned.

He had intercepted Ophelia’s gift the day she injured Azeid’s thigh.

That the Duke only noticed now meant it was time for him to step down.

The Duke slammed the bottle down, and a tense silence filled the room. He spoke with authority.

“I told you, there’s no need for a dog that bites its master.”