I Am The Dying Emperor’s Doctor

“Still treating your children like dogs, I see. The esteemed Duke of Greenwood, known for his moral standing.”

Nocturne responded with a smile, unfazed. The Duke’s eyebrow twitched slightly before he continued.

“You must have had a reason for doing it.”

“Are you finally acknowledging it? Now?”

Nocturne chuckled sarcastically as the Duke spoke.

“Did you really think I would have Ophelia poison the Emperor?”

“You’re certainly capable of it.”

“……”

“Of course, I know Your Grace isn’t one to use such petty tricks. I was merely checking. It was just ordinary fruit syrup.”

At Nocturne’s words, the Duke gave him a cold stare. As a child, that gaze was terrifying, but now it wasn’t.

The lower Nocturne’s status, the more he could distance himself from the Duke. Though not completely free, it was better than before.

“Then why did you discard it? Your sister would have been pleased.”

“She’s never liked me anyway. I just told them to throw it away because it was awkward to put it back.”

Nocturne smiled to hide his expression. The real reason for discarding it was discovering too late that Azeid was allergic.

There was no need to confess that to the Duke. Judging by the Duke’s reaction, he was unaware of Azeid’s allergy.

Sweat soaked Nocturne’s hands inside his gloves. His hands always tingled when facing the Duke.

“Have you said everything? I’d like to leave now.”

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“I heard the Emperor’s physician has been consulting you recently.”

Nocturne’s smile faded as he looked at the Duke at the unexpected name.

“Are you referring to Lady Serena Vincent?”

“Yes, that woman.”

The Duke referred to her as “woman” rather than “lady,” which felt like an insult directed at Nocturne, but he held back and waited for the next words.

For the Duke, obtaining that information would have been easy. Just as Nocturne had spies in the Duke’s castle, the Duke would have done the same.

“She has a good look in her eyes. Keep an eye on her.”

“If someone heard, they’d think I was approaching her on your orders.”

“You might as well use that handsome face of yours to charm her. Women like her can be reckless when in love.”

The Duke smirked and sipped his whiskey.

“That’s enough.”

Nocturne’s lips twitched as he tried to hide his agitation. He was disgusted by the Duke treating people as pawns in his political game.

“Getting upset means you care about her, doesn’t it?”

“Your Grace.”

“You’re using tricks on her too.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play dumb.”

The Duke downed his whiskey and set the glass down with a scoff.

“I’ll let it slide this time. Remember who holds your life.”

The Duke’s cold smile and words made Nocturne bite his lower lip. The Duke’s habit of controlling his children was still strong.

What frustrated Nocturne the most was his own helplessness. The lingering weaknesses from his youth made it hard to break free from the Duke’s grip. Though he never stopped preparing to do so.

The Duke waved his hand dismissively.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, then.”

Nocturne bowed his head and left the study quickly. As soon as he was out, he hurried down the stairs, his face twisted with anger.

‘Senile old man.’

Nocturne bit the inside of his mouth as he climbed into his carriage.

* * *

Before leaving for Greenwood Territory, Serena visited the Gordon Trading Company. She had already contacted Jack through a communication stone, so he was there.

“What’s up? You actually called.”

“I have a request.”

Serena got straight to the point and handed over a piece of parchment.

“You mentioned you made the communication stone last time.”

“Well, as long as there are blueprints.”

“I have a magic tool I want to make.”

“Hmm. Let me see first.”

Jack, who had been lounging against the backrest, leaned forward with a serious expression.

His eyes shone sharply like a seasoned merchant. The way he examined the blueprints showed his expertise.

“What’s this for? It looks like a pump inside.”

He looked up from the blueprints at Serena.

“It’s an artificial mana core. A medical aid.”

“Huh?”

Jack tilted his head, not understanding. Serena calmly explained.

“It’s a medical device for people whose mana core is malformed or temporarily nonfunctional.”

Before Serena could finish, Jack interrupted.

“You want to become an Awakened?”

Serena paused and looked at Jack sternly. His thought process seemed childish. She shook her head.

“Why would I bother with that?”

“Then?”

“Why can’t you listen when I say it’s a medical tool, Jack?”

“Oh.”

Jack finally remembered that Serena was Azeid’s physician.

“It’s a support tool to prevent mana overload. It’s not for non-Awakened people.”

“You’re making this for Azeid?”

“Yes. His mana core seems to be the problem, so I designed this to help.”

“Wait, you designed this?”

Jack looked at Serena in surprise. It was indeed remarkable for a physician to design such a sophisticated magic tool.

‘Nocturne’s help was significant.’

Since discovering Azeid’s illness was related to his mana core, Nocturne had helped her create the tool.

Serena recalled her conversations with Nocturne.

‘Nocturne, please don’t think this is ridiculous and listen.’

‘What is it?’

‘If the mana core’s function is the problem, how about using a supporting magic tool?’

‘That sounds like a good idea. Wizards with low mana often use tools to draw pure mana.’

‘Right? If we design it to support the mana core, it could help His Majesty. Maybe even non-Awakened people could use magic…’

‘No. Non-Awakened people can’t use magic with just a support tool. Their bodies can’t handle mana.’

‘True. That would go against nature.’

Thanks to Nocturne, Serena’s research progressed quickly. Combining his knowledge of magic with her medical expertise made for rapid progress.

Once the safety tests were confirmed, she planned to make a portable version to give to Azeid.

She hadn’t yet told Nocturne about her mana compatibility with Azeid. She was hesitant to reveal that she was Awakened and wanted to confirm some data first.

Fortunately, the data was said to be in the Duke’s library in Greenwood Territory, so she planned to check it out during this trip.

Azeid’s illness was crucial, but so was Serena’s malfunctioning mana core. She feared that ignoring it could cause future problems. Jack broke her thoughts.

“You really did pass the imperial exam at a young age.”

“Your compliments make me uncomfortable.”

Serena frowned, and Jack laughed heartily. She had long gotten used to his casual demeanor.

Surprisingly, though she hadn’t known Jack long, she felt comfortable around him. Perhaps her commoner-like upbringing made her feel at ease with him.

Jack rolled up the parchment and handed it to an employee.

“When do you need this? Is it urgent?”

“No. I’ll be in Greenwood Territory for the hunting festival, so you can give it to me afterward.”

“Alright, let’s see what we can do.”

Jack smiled confidently and offered his hand for a handshake. Serena took it and said,

“I trust Gordon Trading Company’s skills.”

“Anytime.”

Jack shook her hand firmly, full of confidence.

* * *

On the day of departure for the hunting festival in Greenwood Territory,

Serena realized just how comfortably the wealthy nobles lived.

Reaching Greenwood Territory in an hour instead of four days of travel was quite the luxury.

She had heard that operating a portal required a significant amount of magic stones.

Buying time with money, indeed.

Serena lightly nudged Marie, who was staring in awe, and asked.