Serena tilted her head at Ajade, who was silent for some time. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
‘Looks like it was no good…’
One thing for sure, he is more accepting of my words than before. Might as well push it further while I’m at it. Serena added calmly.
“I’m not saying that I’ll touch you anytime I want. I’ll only touch you when it is needed for the treatment.”
Azade, who found his composure, asked with a gentle smile again.
“What if you’re actually faking it and attempting to kill me with a knife?’
“Then my neck also would be blown off.”
That has already happened twice.
Azade swept his chin when Serena boldly refuted.
“Hmm.”
“If I have to get permission to come into contact you every time, what do you think would happen?”
“What?”
“I apologize for saying this, but if I have to get permission every time, Your Majesty might as well meet the underground god.”
“……”
“Golden Time’s easy to miss. How can I get permission from an unconscious emperor when there is no empress I can ask?”
(Note: Golden Time/Hour is defined as the most likely time to prevent death by receiving internal surgery treatment when traumatized.)
Azade tapped his finger on the armrest while Serena continued to persuade him with logic.
She did not appear to be conspiring with the nobles. On the contrary, she seemed to actually be very concerned for him.
‘Why so? Have we ever met?’
Azade was very unfamiliar with her character.
How does she know what I’m thinking as if she’s a fortune teller?
But no matter how much he tried to look into her, he couldn’t figure out why.
Serena waited for him to speak with a nervous face. Once she gets permission to touch him as she needs, she is going to fix the emperor’s complacent state of mind and lazy behavior one way or another.
As Azade kept quiet, the anxious Serena proposed.
“One year.”
“???”
“I’ll cure it within a year. In return, don’t argue with me as I examine you.”
“That’s a lot of requirements.”
Azade smiled and looked at Serena with interest.
“I’m confident I can do it.”
Serena said proudly, not avoiding Azade’s gaze. She looked really confident that she could save him.
‘You’re one bold doctor.’
Azade took interest in her, who was neither afraid of him nor pitied him. After a while, he declared.
“All right.”
“……”
“One year. If you don’t cure it in a year, I’ll slice your neck.”
Azade muttered coolly and tapped his neck. The average person would tremble, but Serena was the opposite.
She smiled as if she had hoped he would do that.
‘If you die, I’ll also die. And you always die first before I die anyways.’
She said, bowing politely.
“Thank you. I will treat your illness with all my heart. If I can’t save your life, please cut my neck cleanly.”
I don’t want to die in pain from poison again.
Azade’s laughter rang again at Serena’s brazen request.
“Sure, I will cut your neck as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
“You may leave.”
At Azade’s command, the irises in Serena’s golden eyes turned.
‘I’ll save that bastard emperor by all means.’
No one knew of her resolution.
* * *
Deep in the night, in the emperor’s study.
Instead of returning to his bedroom, Azade went to read some documents. This behavior was quite different from the behavior of a lazy emperor who spent time in his bed all day.
Just then, Leonard Carter, an aide and bodyguard, asked.
“I heard you appointed the new imperial doctor as your doctor.”
“I did.”
“Don’t you think this is a bit too hasty? I heard she was quite uncharacteristic for a doctor. Wouldn’t it be better to think about it more carefully?”
“Carefully?”
“Yes, it wouldn’t be bad since she will stay by your majesty’s side every……”
Suddenly Azade began to laugh at Leonard’s advice. Leonard paused and looked dubiously. Azade said with his chin resting on his palm.
“Well, she said that I’ll meet the underground god.”
“Huh?”
“She looked me in the eye and said, ‘please let me touch you.’”
“Huhh?”
Leonard’s eyes widened. Azade kept giggling at him as he had no intention to explain it in detail and vaguely murmured.
“I don’t want to meet the underground god.”
“Your Majesty.…”
Leonard’s eyes wavered aimlessly. It’s been a while since Azade laughed like this, so he was even more confused.
Then Azade spoke plainly.
“Well, it’ll be for only a year at the most.”
Azade grinned, unaware of the impending future.
And the next day.
When the tightly closed windows in his room opened and the blackout curtain was ripped off.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
And when he saw Serena saying good morning with a cheerful face.
Azade realized that something was wrong.
* * *
The first thing Serena thought of when she became his doctor was improving his environment. In particular, the bedroom where Azade stays the most is the key point.
The emperor hated sunlight the most. I would understand if he had a sun allergy, but it wasn’t that.
He just seemed to like the dark. Day and night, he covered all the windows with blackout curtains and relied on the lights inside.
It was a perfect habit to get sick and die because it meant he wasn’t going on walks.
‘I’ve always wanted to tear up all those curtains. Today is the day I finally get to do it.’
Serena went to Azade’s bedroom early in the morning and the maid stopped her.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Serena Vincent, the new doctor.”
“Oh! You’re the imperial doctor who was promoted.”
The familiar maid said with sparkling eyes.
‘Was her name Anna?’
Serena already knew Anna. She was someone who always made sure Serena was comfortable in her previous life.
“I’m going to see His Majesty.”
“Ahh…”
Anna’s face seemed to mangle rapidly, but she continued.
“I’m sorry, but he hasn’t coughed or anything. What brings you here?”
“I’m here to do his morning checkup.”
“His Majesty doesn’t do morning checkups. There was no word of this.”
“No, there wasn’t. But now you know, I’ll be doing this from now on.”
“What?”
Serena’s bold words made her blink.
“I’m going to wake him up.”
“What? But…..”
Anna looked flustered. Because Azade hated to be touched when he’s in bed.
There was no way to wake him up on time, so the servants suffered, waiting for him.
‘Yes. Someone has to step up in this damn house.’
Serena held her hand up to Anna, holding in her proudness.
Then, the ring with the imperial crest glittered on Serena’s finger. Anna saw the ring and opened her mouth.
“Huh? This is…..”
“When I was assigned as his doctor, His Majesty granted me this.”
The ring worn by Serena was called “Isling.” Just wearing this ring was a sign that the emperor favored that servant.
In other words, it is given only to those who can meet the emperor alone without an appointment.
For generations, the emperor gave part of his power to a servant who swore allegiance through the ring.
When the emperor died, the power naturally disappeared, but the nobles with it gained enormous wealth and honor.
Of course, not all the rings gave the same amount of power. The degree of favoritism varied depending on the color of the jewel in the ring.
Red, orange, yellow, blue, navy, purple.
The deeper the red, the higher the favor, and purple was last. And the ring that Serena wore was purple.
Although this ring had no power, there are many things that could be done just by having it. There were many aristocrats who would try to curry favor to get their hands on even the purple ring.
Serena recalled the time when Azade handed over Isling.
–
‘This, this is…’
‘Violet Isling.’ You risked your life, so it would be appropriate to give you that.”
‘……’
‘I’m looking forward to what color of the ring you will wear in a year.’
–
The haughty emperor, who put on a proud smile, seemed to find it amusing.
Does this mean I’m going to live in the end?
Serena looked at Anna with her mouth curled up. Anna changed her attitude as soon as she saw the ring.
“It’s violet.”
“Yes, it is. He gave it to me, saying that I can do anything as long as it is for the treatment.”
“I see.”
“So don’t worry that I’m going to harm him. I just came to give him a morning checkup. Morning checkups are a basic need, but I see that His Majesty has never been examined in the morning.”
“He always oversleep, so….”
Anna murmured awkwardly. She seemed to consider her own answer to be a poor excuse.
“I’m here for his treatment, so relax. I’ll take responsibility if it goes wrong.”
“I understand. You may come in.”
Anna bit her lip in doubt at Serena’s firm voice.
‘Nice. Things are going well.’
Serena hummed in her head and opened the door.