I Am The Dying Emperor's Doctor - Chapter 54

Azeid felt as if time had stopped.

‘Was Serena always this beautiful?’

There was no reason for someone who had been ill to look so radiant. Serena was pretty, but he had never thought of her as a breathtaking beauty that could make his heart skip a beat.

Yet today, she looked exceptionally beautiful. His eyes were drawn to her rosy cheeks and red lips.

Serena looked at Azeid, who remained silent. She thought his ears seemed a bit red, but it was probably due to the moonlight.

‘Why is he sitting here in the dark?’

With the moonlight behind him, she couldn’t see his face clearly. And the blanket she was under felt unusually comfortable, much different from the ones in her quarters.

To get a better sense of her surroundings, Serena tried to sit up and reach for the bedside lamp. Azeid stopped her hand.

“I’ll do it.”

“???”

“Just lie down.”

Azeid gently pushed her back down and turned on the lamp himself. The room lit up, and Serena looked around. This wasn’t her room.

“Where are we…?”

“My bedroom.”

“Why am I here?”

Serena looked confused. She remembered collapsing but couldn’t fathom why she was in his bedroom.

“More importantly, how many fingers do you see?”

Azeid suddenly held up three fingers.

“Three.”

“And now?”

“Two.”

“Good, your consciousness seems fine.”

Azeid sighed in relief after his rudimentary check. He had worried about her inhaling too much smoke, but it seemed her mind was unaffected.

After administering first aid, he had brought her to his bedroom, the closest place he could ensure her safety. He then secretly ordered another palace physician to examine her, avoiding involving the Duke’s household to keep things simple.

He had been worried sick when she didn’t wake up, but now he was relieved she had opened her eyes. He moved closer, speaking anxiously.

“How do you feel? If anything hurts, I’ll call the doctor.”

He touched her neck with his hand, seemingly checking her temperature. Serena, wide-eyed, was too stunned to respond. His actions were unexpectedly doctor-like, leaving her unsure how to react.

Moreover, the fact that she was lying in the emperor’s bed was disconcerting. If this got out, it could cause quite the scandal.

“I’m fine. But what about the librarian? And the forest?”

“The fire was quickly extinguished. The librarian was reprimanded but not fired.”

Azeid finished checking her temperature and pulled his hand away. Serena, feeling a tickle in her neck, rubbed it while muttering.

“That’s a relief. The place was cramped and full of books, so the fire spread quickly. If it had reached the forest, it would have been disastrous…”

“Yes, it would have been. If I hadn’t been passing by, you could have died. It was fortunate I assigned a guard to you.”

“What? Oh my…”

Serena realized that what she had seen before losing consciousness was indeed Azeid. It wasn’t the librarian who had helped her, but a knight.

‘It wasn’t a hallucination.’

She now remembered the shock she had experienced, leading to her collapse. The pain she felt in the storage was still vivid, leaving her confused.

Recalling the inability to breathe felt terrifying. Especially the sudden pain in her old scar, Serena became deeply contemplative.

‘What was that pain?’

The pain in a long-healed scar indicated a psychological trigger. Something had clearly stirred her subconscious.

Serena absentmindedly touched her forehead, feeling the scar. If Azeid hadn’t passed by, she might have died.

She had intended to save him, not expecting that he would end up saving her. Feeling a strange mixture of emotions, she murmured.

“You saved my life, Your Majesty.”

“Yes. Do you know how scared I was?”

“I’m sorry for worrying you. It all happened so quickly…”

“Were you afraid of the fire?”

Azeid asked, and Serena lightly shook her head.

“If I were afraid of fire, everyday life would be impossible.”

This was the first time such a thing had happened. Serena felt like her mind had shut down when she saw the fire spreading in that confined space. It seemed the situation itself had caused a mental shock.

“Then why?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t.”

Serena fidgeted with her fingers, feeling uneasy. She didn’t understand why she had reacted that way.

“Why am I here, though?”

“I didn’t know where your quarters were.”

“Oh.”

It made sense. Serena was usually the one who sought him out, so he wouldn’t remember her room. Especially since this wasn’t the palace.

Just then, Azeid pressed a cold ice pack against her eyes. She finally felt the sting and wetness in her eyes.

“Huh? Was I crying?”

“I thought you were having a nightmare.”

“Hmm. Maybe I was.”

Serena tried to recall her dreams. She felt like she had seen someone important, but their face eluded her memory.

She vaguely remembered the smell of burning and the acrid scent of smoke amidst the flames. It was probably because she had collapsed in a fire that her dreams had reflected that.

Meanwhile, Azeid moved the ice pack to her other eye. His attentive care made Serena feel a bit embarrassed.

“I can do it myself.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Azeid firmly rejected her offer, continuing to apply the ice pack himself. Feeling awkward, she fidgeted with the Ezring on her finger. Then Azeid spoke.

“I can never seem to feel at ease with you. You’re so fragile.”

“That’s what I always say to you.”

“Lately, you seem frailer than me.”

“That’s a bit unfair. It’s only happened twice.”

“Both times, it was serious.”

Serena fell silent, unable to argue. She had rarely been this ill before, so she had no counterargument.

“Were you scared?”

“A little. I almost died.”

Repeating the cycle of death and rebirth didn’t erase the fear of dying. In fact, it made her more desperate to cling to life.

Azeid murmured something cryptic.

“At least you won’t have to fear fire anymore.”

“Why do you sound so sure?”

Was he boasting because he was a fire mage? Serena found his confidence comforting and smiled.

Azeid, fixating on the Ezring on her finger, muttered,

“An emperor doesn’t boast. You don’t know, but the presence before you is quite extraordinary.”

“I’m aware.”

He’s known as the strongest fire mage in history and the weakest patient, after all.

Serena playfully replied, and Azeid met her gaze.

“If you’re aware and still act like that, it means you have quite the guts, Serena.”

“You keep saying that. So how will you eliminate my fear?”

“You’ll have to find out yourself.”

“That’s very unkind. Why don’t you just say you’ll extinguish every fire?”

A fire mage was practically a walking fire extinguisher. Serena thought he was making a mage’s joke and teased him.

“Well, I don’t need to personally put out every fire. I’m not a dog following you around. I’m quite busy, Serena.”

“The emperor I’ve seen seems quite free.”

“That’s your misconception.”

Azeid replied lightly, absentmindedly playing with her hair.

“You don’t need to think deeply about it. Just know that I care a lot about you, Serena.”

“What?”

Distracted, Serena blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected to hear such words from him.

Azeid seemed amused by her dumbfounded expression and chuckled. Placing the melted ice pack on the table, he said,

“So don’t get hurt when I’m not around.”

“…”

“Rest here tonight. It would be problematic if you were seen leaving in the early morning.”

“Where will you sleep, Your Majesty?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Azeid stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. Serena watched him leave, feeling dazed.

“Why is he acting so differently all of a sudden?”

His uncharacteristic behavior made her feel strange. Muttering to herself, she pulled the blanket up to her nose.

The familiar, refreshing scent of Azeid enveloped her. It made her feel as if she were wrapped in his embrace.

“…”

Serena quickly pulled the blanket back down to her chest. His presence seemed to have a profound effect on her.

Even Serena, who was usually indifferent to good looks, felt disoriented by his sudden closeness.

She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Azeid’s unusual behavior kept replaying in her mind.

“Why didn’t you act like you usually do? Why change now, making things complicated?”

Grumbling, Serena shut her eyes tightly. She was used to taking care of others, not being taken care of. It was an unfamiliar and ticklish feeling.

But strangely, despite her complaints, a soft smile lingered on Serena’s lips.