I Married a Sick Husband

 

Meredith opened the door carefully and went inside. 

 

After a while, she saw the emperor lying on the bed reading a book. 

 

Meredith spoke in a slightly surprised voice. 

 

“I didn’t know you were reading.” 

 

The Emperor did not look at the door when he heard a crowd, but turned to Meredith.

 

Meredith greeted the Emperor while moving her mouth awkwardly.

 

“I see Your Majesty.”

 

“…..I didn’t know that the Empress would come here again.”

 

He looked back at the clock.

 

“It’s still morning, Empress.”

 

“I know, Your Majesty.”

 

“But?”

 

“But I need to be here now.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I’m on my way back from meeting the Empress Dowager.”

 

“You finally went?”

 

“I was told to keep an eye on Your Majesty.”

 

“You’re saying that openly?”

 

“Her Majesty asked me to keep an eye on your condition and let her know every morning. It means the same thing.”

 

“Ha.”

 

“I thought it would be okay to come here as soon as I heard that request.”

 

“The Empress Dowager doesn’t know we’re in contact yet, does she?”

 

“Well, I did my best to act.”

 

“I don’t think you’re very good at acting.”

 

“…you’ve never even seen it.”

 

“Well, I can guess without looking at it.”

 

“…then maybe she has already caught on.”

 

Meredith replied with a disapproving look.

 

“But if so, what can I do?”

 

“Right. I can’t help it.”

 

Perhaps it was not easy to talk, but the emperor replied with a slight tiredness.

 

“The Empress Dowager must have been wary of you from the beginning anyway. Even if you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

 

“I don’t think she is a normal person.”

 

“…not a normal person.”

 

The daughter of a humble noble family captured the emperor’s heart and climbed to the position of the empress at once.

 

For ordinary people, it was more so difficult to do.

 

“So, what are you going to do now?”

 

“For now, I’m going to report to Her Majesty that you’re still ill.”

 

Meredith glanced at the emperor after saying that.

 

“…I’m not lying, actually. But if you’re sick, you don’t rest.”

 

“That’s not your business, right?”

 

“……”

 

It wasn’t wrong, but it was a very unpleasant way of speaking.

 

Meredith forced up the corners of her mouth in front of the patient, thinking she should hold it in.

 

“Did you come all the way here to tell me that?”

 

“I have something to tell you, but I have something to listen to first.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I want to know exactly what’s going on with you.”

 

Meredith looked straight at the Emperor and said.

 

“I’d like to see the imperial physician* you trust.”

(t/n: 궁의를

궁 is palace, and 의사 meant doctor. that’s probably why it’s sometimes translated as just palace because 의 is just ‘of’ or ‘s’

Henceforth I will be using imperial physician instead of courtier.)

“…imperial physician?”

 

“I told you that I need to know exactly what your condition is, to cure it.”

 

“I didn’t mean to say it was impossible.”

 

The emperor opened his mouth after a brief silence.

 

“Jerome Bowner. That is his name.”

 

“Is there any way we can meet? If I call him separately, I’m sure someone will be suspicious.”

 

“It’s not difficult. Say you can’t sleep.”

 

“Sleep?”

 

“Yeah, there’s no one better at treating insomnia than Jerome Bowner in the Imperial Medical Center. And that’s our code.”

 

“Ah, yes, I see.”

 

Insomnia

. Meredith put these three syllables in her head and bowed to the emperor.

 

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

 

“….. did you come to ask only one question?”

 

“What?”

 

“Is there anything else you have to ask?”

 

“Oh, yes, there isn’t”

 

Meredith nodded quickly and then added.

 

“I’ll come to tell you as soon as I make progress. Then rest well, Your Majesty.”

 

With that sentence, Meredith left the emperor’s bedroom.

 

Felix immediately entered the emperor’s bedroom after Meredith left.

 

He looked somehow grumpy.

 

“You don’t seem to like something.”

 

“Your Majesty, do you really believe in the Empress?”

 

“I don’t think she is acting.”

 

If not, it would be quite a performance.

 

But in his judgment, which has seen quite a few of the world’s people lying and hiding their true feelings, that wasn’t acting.

 

“I don’t think she is cut out for it.”

 

“You can’t easily believe it.”

 

“Sir Felix.”

 

The emperor called Felix in a calm voice.

 

“I don’t trust anyone. Don’t you know?”

 

“But·····.”

 

“If you’re not going to bring in another wizard to cure my disease, you’re going to shut up about this.”

 

The emperor shut Felix’s mouth with a slightly sharp voice.

 

In fact, Felix had nothing to say about it either.

 

It was because Jerome Bowner said he did not know the cause medically.

 

Meredith was the only one who talked about the cause to treatment of the disease at once.

 

For now.

 

“I honestly don’t care about anyone right now if I can fix this bloody headache.”

 

“…can I ask you a question?”

 

“No, thanks. I’d better stop covering the book.”

 

The emperor waved at Felix as if he was bothered.

 

“Get out of here.”

 

Felix quietly bowed and then left the Emperor’s bedroom.

 

Left alone, the emperor looked lost in thought for a long time.

 

It wasn’t clear what he thought of with his throbbing head.

 

***

 

That night. Empress Palace.

 

“I can’t sleep at all.”

 

Meredith pointed to her forehead with a distressed expression.

 

“What do I do, Yulia. I’m going to stay up all night like this.”

 

“You can’t sleep?”

 

“Yeah, it’s been like this since yesterday.”

 

This was real.

 

Because I couldn’t sleep for a long time yesterday.

 

Although it was a problem caused by tension.

 

“Yesterday was just the first night of my marriage, so I thought I was nervous.…”

 

Meredith appealed with a face that she couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

“I don’t think we should let it go.”

 

“Shall I ask the Imperial Physician?”

 

“Will you do that?”

 

Meredith asked right back.

 

Yulia nodded as if it were natural.

 

“Sure, Hold on a second, Your Majesty.”

 

It wasn’t long before someone came into Meredith’s bedroom.

 

A man with dark blond hair, and green eyes resembling peridot.

 

He didn’t have a childish face, so he looked older than the emperor.

 

It wasn’t a very sharp impression, but the image that seemed somewhat silent gave off a blunt atmosphere.

 

Meredith estimated his age to be in early 30s.

 

“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.”

 

“You are······.”

 

“It’s Jerome Bowner.”

 

He introduced himself in a soft voice, and sat down in a seat.

 

“I have heard from His Majesty.”

 

“Then the story will be faster.”

 

Meredith brought up the story as if it were a good thing.

 

“I want to hear more about His Majesty’s disease.”

 

“I’m actually here to explain that, but there’s nothing special about it.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“His Majesty suffers as if he is about to die during the day, mainly from headaches, body aches, low energy and dry cough.”

 

“……”

 

“Sometimes he has a high fever, dizziness, and tinnitus. Sometimes he also suffers from chest pain.”

 

“……it is a complex illness.”

 

“Yes, so I don’t know if my story will help you.”

 

“Is there anything special about it?”

 

“Um·····.”

 

Jerome looked thoughtful for a moment and opened his mouth again.

 

“On the day when the full moon rises, the condition of His Majesty is less aggravating even during the day.

 

“Oh, that day ·····.”

 

Meredith said in a small voice as if she had something to point out.

 

“It’s the day when mana is known to be the weakest.”

 

A handful of suspicions that I might have been wrong were resolved in an instant as soon as I heard this.

 

Meredith said with a more relaxed look.

 

“Thank you, Sir Jerome. I’ll figure out a way for the rest.”

 

“Your Majesty is a healing wizard.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re amazing. It’s amazing that a wizard still exists, and I heard that there were fewer wizards in the field of therapy(healing).”

 

“It’s a natural ability. Sir Jerome, who has learned by himself and has abundant knowledge, is even greater.”

 

“I’m at a loss for words if that’s what you say so.”

 

“How long have you been in the Imperial Palace?”

 

“I was selected immediately after His Majesty’s ascension.”

 

“It hasn’t been long.”

 

“Yes, I didn’t want to be in the palace until then.”

 

“…..Ah.”

 

You said you lost your sister.

 

‘Did you come in for revenge?’

 

She was curious, but didn’t ask because she thought it would be a rude question.

 

Instead, she smiled and said a friendly word.

 

“I look forward to your kind cooperation, Sir Jerome.”

 

“I look forward to your kind cooperation, Your Majesty.”

 

“I feel reassured to think that there is a reliable physician in the palace.”

 

Upon hearing that, Jerome gazed at Meredith and asked.