Chapter – 32
Yulion had been spending exceedingly busy days lately.
The main reason was the Kemer Count’s family. Only today had he finally managed to decide on their treatment and issue the official announcement.
It was still far from sufficient, but this seemed to be the limit.
“Haah…”
Yulion let out a sigh so deep it seemed the office might collapse from it. The head attendant, Frex, instinctively shrank his shoulders.
Perhaps because he was exhausted, Yulion had been particularly sharp-tongued these days.
With another sigh, Yulion roughly closed the documents he had been reviewing.
“Frex.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
At the overly spirited reply, Yulion glanced at him oddly before speaking again with a sigh.
“What is the Crown Princess doing?”
That question again.
Struggling to keep his expression neutral, Frex bowed his head.
“I heard she has gone to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”
Since the Crown Prince asked two or three times a day, Frex had to keep track of the Crown Princess’s schedule, even though it wasn’t technically his duty.
Despite his earnest answer, Yulion furrowed his brow as if dissatisfied.
“When is she returning to Garnet Palace?”
“…That much, I do not know, Your Highness.”
Fearing his expression might betray him, Frex lowered his head even further.
Clicking his tongue, Yulion muttered, “Then I suppose I should go see Her Majesty as well.”
“Pardon?”
“I heard she’s recovered considerably.”
“Ah, yes. But did you not visit her just yesterday?”
“She may be even better today.”
Frex nearly asked if that was truly the reason, but swallowed the question. Instead, he glanced nervously at the towering stack of documents on the desk.
“B-But, Your Highness… there are still so many papers…”
“I’ve dealt with the urgent ones.”
“Viscount Pailson specifically requested that the remaining documents must be handled today.”
Viscount Pailson was the aide Yulion had recently appointed. As the workload increased, he had no choice but to assign one, but the man was an unparalleled nag.
Yulion grimaced at the thought of Pailson’s lecturing and glared at the pile of documents as though they were mortal enemies.
“…Fine.”
In the end, Yulion picked up his pen again.
Sparks seemed to fly in his eyes as he tore through the paperwork at a frightening speed. Watching him, Frex clicked his tongue in amazement.
‘Does he truly like Her Highness that much?’
Frex still couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince had proposed to the Cassian duke’s daughter so suddenly.
Yulion had always shown open disdain toward Cassian. And yet, when had he even met the reclusive duchess? When had he fallen in love so deeply that he publicly proposed?
Especially since Rohiriel had been notorious—rumored to abuse servants and behave atrociously even toward fellow nobles at parties.
‘But she is nothing like the rumors.’
Far from a gloomy villainess, she was bright, cheerful, radiant—an elegant noblewoman who sparkled.
Not a single whisper of misconduct had emerged from Garnet Palace since she became Crown Princess.
Perhaps the Crown Prince had seen her true self and fallen in love with that.
‘I hope her health is stable…’
When she collapsed at the New Year’s banquet, Frex’s heart had nearly stopped.
Recalling the Crown Prince at that time still made chills run down his spine. Yulion’s aura had been so fierce that Frex lost noticeable weight over those few days.
“This should be the last of it.”
While Frex was lost in thought, Yulion flipped through the final document.
The sunset stretched long into the office, making Yulion’s golden eyes appear aflame.
“Your Highness, I’m here.”
Knock, knock.
An unwelcome guest entered.
A tall man with long green hair—appearing golden-green in the sunlight—strode in and added another stack of documents onto the desk.
Yulion looked between the papers and the man with disbelief.
“Pailson. You’re not about to say these need to be done today as well, are you?”
“Oh, of course not. Even Your Highness needs rest. These are for tomorrow. However…”
Pailson adjusted his slipping glasses and lifted the topmost file.
“This one should be reviewed immediately.”
Yulion’s face twisted in irritation.
“It’s a matter submitted from the Imperial Medical Bureau. It seems it cannot be delayed further.”
“The Medical Bureau?”
Taking the file, Yulion skimmed through it quickly.
The Moromik territory was urgently requesting an imperial dispatch—specifically insisting that a senior physician be included.
“This was originally decided by the Chief of the Medical Bureau.”
“Yes. Since the Chief’s position is currently vacant, Your Highness must approve it.”
“I’m not familiar with the Bureau’s internal matters.”
“Shall I delegate the authority to the Vice Chief, then?”
Yulion was about to agree—until he paused.
He recalled how the Vice Chief had failed to properly examine Rohiriel when she collapsed.
“No. I do not trust that man.”
“Then what would you have us do?”
Yulion hesitated.
There was one ideal solution—but it would be quite troublesome.
Still, as Crown Prince, he had to do his best.
“Summon the Vice Chief and Senior Physician Bamid. We’ll discuss it together before deciding.”
It had been the Vice Chief who summoned Physician Bamid to examine Rohiriel—proof of Bamid’s skill and authority.
Moreover, the Vice Chief was an Imperial native, while Bamid hailed from the Kingdom of Yalon.
With both present, the dispatch would be more impartial.
“A wise decision, Your Highness.”
At Pailson’s composed smile, Yulion felt the urge to throw his pen at him.
He should never have hired an aide.
Turning his gaze to the window, he saw the sky burning red.
For some reason, Rohiriel’s pale face came to mind—
a woman with nothing to do with red.
A strange tension filled Tishrit Palace.
Inside the curtained chamber where only the Empress and the Emperor’s personal physician were permitted to enter—
I stepped in and examined His Majesty’s countenance.
“He has grown so thin. He was once such a robust man…”
The Empress gently stroked the Emperor’s withered hand.
He had taken nothing but medicine dripped into his mouth; it was only natural.
“I shall begin the examination.”
I approached and lifted his eyelids.
‘He looks as though he’s simply asleep.’
His pulse and breathing were slow but steady—even peaceful.
I listened carefully to his lungs and conducted several tests.
But the only conclusion was that he seemed like a sleeping man.
“May I draw blood?”
“Draw… blood?”
The Empress’s voice trembled faintly.
This was the Emperor of the Empire—his blood was not something easily taken.
I opened my mouth to explain.
“His Majesty is currently—”
“Do it.”
Before I could finish, the Empress made her decision firmly.
“In truth, Physician Bamid suggested drawing blood before. But the Chief and Vice Chief strongly opposed it, so I refused.”
She gave a self-deprecating smile.
“I regret that decision. I wonder what might have happened if I had been more open-minded. I was planning to ask Physician Bamid again soon.”
“I see.”
After receiving treatment herself and improving, it seemed her perspective had changed.
Had I insisted before treating her, she likely would not have agreed so easily.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will… do my utmost.”
“I entrust him to you.”
Kneeling beside the bed, I carefully rolled up the Emperor’s sleeve.
His skeletal arm was darkened in color.
‘Green spots…?’
They were not visible on his face or hands, but the deeper along the inner skin, the darker the green blotches appeared.
Red or black spots were common in many illnesses. But green—never common.
Among all the diseases I had encountered, only one caused green spots.
‘Mother had green spots too. Very similar to His Majesty’s.’
An inexplicable dread surged within me.
Steadying my trembling hands, I located a vein and inserted the needle into the Emperor’s arm.
