I Am The Dying Emperor’s Doctor

“Would there be any other reason for you to come to the library to read books?”

“Well, I suppose not.”

Nocturne replied lightly with an elegant smile. Serena couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere and quickly searched for the book she needed, intending to escape.

“I’m actually busy…”

“Oh, wait. I have something for you.”

“For me?”

Curious, Serena looked at Nocturne as he took an ID out of his pocket and handed it to her.

“Wow! This is…”

“I had a feeling we might meet someday, so I kept it close.”

“How did you get my palace badge?”

Serena asked as she looked at the badge, which had once disappeared, but she had given up trying to find it as it seemed to be lost.

But now Nocturne had it, which was quite intriguing. With a playful grin, Nocturne explained.

“I like shiny things. That day, when you were in Young Ae’s embrace, I secretly saw you wearing it.”

“A real dream catcher, huh?”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. Thank you for finding it for me. I was about to get a replacement because it was a nuisance without it.”

Serena accepted the badge with a casual smile, and Nocturne replied politely.

“Oh, I should have told you before.”

“That’s true.”

Serena honestly showed her feelings and pinned the badge to her dress.

Nocturne watched her with an interesting look. He had known for a long time that she was an illegitimate child, unrecognized in the Vincent family line.

But it wasn’t just that knowledge that piqued his interest. Nocturne remembered the time when he had arrived in the Empire and had informally visited Ishid.

“Is the woman who left earlier the new court physician?”

When Serena left, Nocturne immediately asked Ishid, who seemed to be waiting for her.

“You manage to keep up with the news even outside the realm. Anyway, let’s sit down and talk.”

Ishid shrugged nonchalantly and led Nocturne to the sofa.

“You always had Ophelia to keep me up to date with your news.”

“Yeah, right. You were in Greenwood too.”

“Forget Greenwood. I just think of it as a convenient dog to use whenever I need it.”

“Little do you know that the dog you think is easy to handle has fangs and is waiting for the right moment to bite, Lord Greenwood.”

With Serena gone, the two of them relaxed and faced each other.

“I hear you’re being incredibly generous with her.”

“Why? Do you want Ophelia to investigate?”

“Well, I guess I can’t deny that.”

“Since when have you taken such an interest in my affairs?”

Ishid shook his head and chuckled.

“Not that I’m interested, but being around you amuses me.”

“It amuses you?”

“Yes. It’s fun and fascinating.”

Soon a smile spread across Ishid’s lips. As Nocturne stared at him intently, he spoke.

“You know, after talking to me a few times, you should be able to understand the meaning of what I say, right?”

“Well, I think so.”

Indeed, there seemed to be some truth to the rumors. For the first time, Ishid had seen him being friendly with someone.

Usually he was cold to everyone outside his circle. Even Nocturne, who was inside that circle, sometimes found him too distant.

While Nocturne was lost in thought, Serina had already gone in search of a book. She had no shared experiences or information to continue the conversation. It was very difficult to talk to someone she barely knew.

“Let me quickly find the book and go to the outdoor reading room.”

Today, Serina didn’t visit the library for leisure. She was there to find magical kernels or useful elements for alchemy.

“It should be around here…”

Serina checked the title and location of the book she had researched beforehand. Finally, she spotted the somewhat dull-sounding book with the title “Cases of Anomalies in Mana Cores”.

It was placed a bit higher, so she had to look for a library ladder, but none was in sight.

“It seems within reach.”

As Serina was about to estimate the distance, she suddenly heard a small voice behind her.

“Is that the book you want to get out?”

“No, it’s the one next to it.”

When Serina lightly tapped the spine of the book with her finger, Nocturne pulled it out and stepped back.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

Though startled by the sudden appearance of his shadow, she was grateful that he had pulled out the book. At that moment, Nocturne mentioned the title of the book and asked.

“Cases of Anomalies in Mana Cores. Are you investigating something related to His Majesty’s illness?”

“No, I have a personal interest in it.”

Serina smiled playfully, telling a white lie. She couldn’t reveal information about the Emperor’s health, not even to Nocturne, who was close to the Emperor.

“He seems quite generous to those close to him.”

Nocturne asked with a strange expression, “Are you an Awakened?”

“Why should I be?”

“Then it is just curiosity as a non-Awakened?”

“Well, yes, something like that.”

Serina smiled awkwardly and stammered. Technically, she was a non-Awakened in mere words. There was no need to mention the fact that she couldn’t use magic to someone she barely knew.

Ishid was the only one who knew about her inability to cast spells, and she had to tell him for medical reasons.

“Would there be any other reason for you to come to the library to read books?”

Nocturne chuckled and handed her another book.

“If it has to do with anomalies in mana cores, this book explains it much better. It’s suitable for beginners.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. The book you chose is more like a collection of cases without much explanation about the underlying causes.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Serina nodded, comparing the two books. Indeed, the case book contained only examples, while the one Nocturne gave her explained the processes of the events in detail.

“I almost made a stupid mistake.”

Her knowledge of magic was shallow, and she didn’t fully understand the contents of the book she had chosen. Serina replied with a wry smile.

“Thank you for suggesting a good book. I’ll take your suggestion. It may come in handy in the future.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s best to be thorough. Besides, His Highness wouldn’t mind.”

“Speaking of His Highness, isn’t it strange to call him ‘Awakened’? There are rumors about his health all over the palace.”

“Well, you see, not all diseases are obvious.”

“True. If the body can’t handle the power, even the strongest abilities will be useless, right?”

“That’s a secret of His Majesty.”

Serina giggled, teasing. Nocturne smiled back and checked the time on his pocket watch.

“I must leave now. I’ll keep your suggestion in mind. It may come in handy later.”

“You’re surprisingly thorough. Sure, I feel more comfortable with that approach too.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk more.”

“Yes, I was also surprised at how well the interview went.”
Thanks to it, I got some good books.

As Serena shook the book and chuckled, Nocturne held out his business card.

“If you need any more books, please contact me. I’ve already read all the books here.”

“Come to think of it, Count, you’re a bookworm too. As fellow book lovers, I feel a certain camaraderie, don’t you?”

With a sincerely impressed expression, Serena accepted the business card. In response, Nocturne chuckled slightly and made a casual bow.

“Alright then. See you next time.”

“Yes. Take care.”

When Serena returned the gesture, Nocturne left. Afterwards, she looked through a few more books before leaving the library.

***

It had been a month since Serena had started working as the royal physician.

By now, everyone in the palace knew Serena. Especially in the main palace, she had become a prominent figure.

It wasn’t just because of her investigation with Ishid.

“The royal doctor who changed the lazy emperor in one fell swoop!”

That was the title Serena had heard a lot these days. Needless to say, the people around her were very impressed with how she managed to change the Emperor’s sleeping habits.

Seeing the Emperor, who never let others touch him, obediently follow the doctor’s orders, left everyone in awe.

Now Ishid didn’t need to be woken up by Serena every morning. He would get up on his own and wait for the morning examination. Well, what could they say?

Thanks to this change, the noble council meetings, which usually dragged on lazily in the afternoon, were pushed forward, and the courtiers had less to endure.

Calling the Emperor back from work at the time of their usual departure now seemed obvious.

Serena was deeply moved by Ishid’s transformation. She felt a certain pride in having accomplished something she had never been able to in her previous life.

Of course, not all of Ishid’s unhealthy habits had disappeared.

He still slept a lot and climbed onto his bed whenever he had the chance.

But for Serena, just getting him to wake up in the morning was a good start.

“He’s more obedient than I thought.”

It seemed that the Emperor was the type who needed some coaxing and nudging to get him to do something. And that just happened to be Serena’s area of expertise.

Her experience treating commoners and providing medical care at home had honed Serena’s skills.

Gone were the days when she trembled in front of the Emperor during their first and second encounters.

“I can only make an absent will rise if I also torture those without a will.”

With a meaningful smile, Serena arrived at Ishid’s bedroom.