I Am The Dying Emperor’s Doctor

Serena froze, her Mana attempting to access Azeid’s Mana Core only to be swallowed by a blue aura.

“This was easier than I anticipated.”

It absorbed quickly, like metal melting in boiling lava.

Hesitant, Serena touched Azeid’s chest repeatedly, deep in thought.

“The state of the Mana Core is rather unclear… Hmm.”

She considered confirming again but anticipated difficulty.

Serena reluctantly stopped there, knowing further research fell on her shoulders. Merely reaching this point through touch marked significant progress.

“We’re done.”

Azeid’s face looked tense, perhaps from anticipation. Serena calmly gave her opinion.

“The strength of your Mana Core is good, but it’s slightly unstable. Have you ever forcefully activated your Mana Core in the past?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

Diligently, Azeid replied, taking a deep breath. Serena continued probing.

“Think carefully. If it’s this unstable, you might have used your Mana excessively when you were quite young.”

“I don’t know. I rarely used my powers when I was young.”

Azeid bluntly replied, gulping down water.

He couldn’t explain the sudden heat in his body. Ever since Serena’s Mana entered, he felt different.

“It’s strange. It was just a simple touch of the Mana Core, but my whole body feels unsettled.”

“It seems like our Mana compatibility is terrible.”

Azeid gathered his thoughts and dismissed his distractions.

“Are we done now?”

“Oh, yes. Your Highness, can I come for the morning examination starting tomorrow?”

“Every morning? You want to do this every single day?”

Azeid’s blue eyes flickered. The idea of going through this examination every morning was maddening.

Ignoring Azeid’s concerns, Serena replied casually, ‘Yes, it’s tough for you to wake up alone, so I’ll continue waking you like today.

Her grin suggested it was the best idea ever, marking the brightest expression yet seen on her face. It seemed the palace had its first person to enjoy the morning examination.

“Are you a workaholic? You seem to enjoy increasing your workload.”

Azeid spoke wearily.

“Alright. I’ll manage to wake up on my own…”

Yet Serena paid no heed to Azeid’s words, continuing with her own.

“Oh, and I’ll change all the blackout curtains.”

“Why change the blackout curtains?”

“Because it’s hard to distinguish between night and day. I’ll change them to a slightly lighter tone. Changing the room atmosphere can also help with mood…”

“Moderate it.”

Azeid growled in frustration.

Nevertheless…

“Okay. I’ll change them to a suitable curtain.”

Serena didn’t bat an eye and asserted her opinion before leaving.

Azeid looked at Serena with a bewildered expression. He was fully awake now.

* * *

Upon Serena’s exit from the bedroom, Anna stepped back, clearly surprised. It seemed as though she had unintentionally overheard a private conversation.

“Is, is everything finished?”

Anna’s voice trembled slightly. Serena glanced at the maid’s behavior oddly before nodding.

“Yes, it’s done. You can go in now and attend to your duties.”

“Oh, I see.”

Anna’s gaze wandered aimlessly, her cheeks noticeably flushed.

“Come to think of it, the corridor is quite chilly?”

The corridor felt colder than outside as it faced away from the sun. Kindly, Serena asked, ‘Have you been standing here too long and gotten cold?’

“Huh? Oh, yes…”

As Anna mumbled, Serena took out a scarf from her pocket and handed it to her.

“Wrap this around; it’ll help.”

“Th-thank you.”

Taking the scarf, Anna looked unsure of what to do.

Anna’s flushed cheeks weren’t due to the cold but from the conversation she overheard in the bedroom.

She didn’t intend to eavesdrop from the start. The door was thick, and even when she tried to concentrate, she couldn’t hear well. She had to press her ear against the door crack to barely catch anything.

Anna was worried about the newly appointed court physician. Her curiosity led to a mistake, wondering if she might face the emperor’s wrath from day one.

The conversation that caught Anna’s ear happened to be quite intimate.

“Do I really have to touch it? That place…”

“Is it really that bad? … Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

Taking a deep breath at the suggestive conversation, Anna stepped back, surprised, covering her mouth and inhaling deeply.

Strangely, the emperor’s voice trembled, while Serena’s voice remained calm.

It felt as if she was controlling the emperor. Familiar with the emperor’s temperament, Anna felt skeptical.

“Come to think of it, didn’t His Majesty give Ezring to the court physician once?”

At that moment, she wondered if the emperor might have known her before she came to the court.

Or perhaps, the emperor became interested in her at first sight.

Driven by curiosity, Anna quietly pressed her ear against the door crack. The ensuing conversation was even more intriguing than before.

“Since you seem to enjoy it, I’ll finish quickly. Just bear with me a little longer.”

Upon hearing Serena’s words, Anna stepped back from the door, trembling.

“What exactly is she finishing? And what does she mean by ‘bear with me’?”

Questions swirled in Anna’s mind.

“Oh!”

But then Serena exclaimed in surprise, and Anna was certain of the reason why the capricious emperor had given her the Violet Ezring.

“He must have liked her from the start. It’s obvious! There must have been a liking!”

Anna had already completed a romance novel in her mind.

Unaware of Anna’s thoughts, Serena continued, recalling the examination details.

“Oh, and when His Majesty goes to bathe later, please remove the curtain. Replace it with one similar to what’s in my room.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“A ‘couple’s curtain’… It’s definitely less risky than jewelry.”

Anna nodded in agreement with her thoughts. Serena, unaware of all this, continued speaking.

“Every morning, I’ll measure His Majesty’s temperature, but just in case, please check it regularly.”

“Of course, I will.”

“Oh! And most importantly!”

Serena raised her finger, a sudden thought crossing her mind. Noticing Anna’s quizzical look, Serena spoke.

“Please don’t let anyone disturb me during my examinations.”

‘I anticipate the emperor’s resistance to intensify in the future, so it would be troublesome if someone interfered.’

With that in mind, Serena smiled slyly. It seemed beneficial from an image protection perspective as well.

Considering her plans to playfully manipulate the emperor later.

‘Quite passionate from the morning…’

With a bewildered expression, Anna stared at Serena.

Serena’s statement confirmed Anna’s suspicions. Anna’s expression changed rapidly, replying with determination.

“Yes, of course… Going in there would cause big trouble.”

“Huh?”

Why would it cause big trouble?

Upon Serena’s questioning look, Anna responded firmly.

“When you’re with Ms. Serena, no one will disturb you. Just trust me!”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

Serena looked puzzledly at Anna’s overly tense shoulders.

‘She’s acting strangely today. Her shoulders are stiff for no reason… Could something be wrong with her shoulders?’

Recalling Anna’s previous considerate nature, Serena spoke cautiously.

“If you’re feeling unwell, don’t hesitate to come to me. I know it’s difficult to spare time other than what’s spent on His Majesty…”

“Oh, no! I’m fine!”

Waving her hand dismissively, Anna stepped back. Her strong refusal made her look awkward.

‘This is really strange.’

Their conversation felt out of sync somehow, but she didn’t dwell on it.

“Yes, understood.”

Greeting lightly, Serena turned around.

A smile blossomed on her lips. She felt good thanks to successfully completing the morning mission, especially getting rid of that cursed curtain for the emperor.

“A good start, huh?”

Serena left the hall with light steps, humming a tune.

***

The afternoon was perfect for a nap.

Having finished his meeting early, Azeid headed to his chambers to enjoy some quiet time by the water.

“Greetings, sir!”

Anna, who was on duty today, greeted Azeid. He passed by the unusually cheerful maid and entered the room without much thought.

Yet, he paused, noticing the room’s unusual brightness compared to before. Something had changed.

The heavy curtain that always covered the bedroom was gone, replaced by a lavender curtain.

“What’s this…”

Furrowing his brow, Azeid muttered. Anna chuckled softly, offering an explanation.

“Oh, this morning, Ms. Serena asked to change the curtain.”