Chapter : 14
After finishing his rounds, the imperial physician stood in front of Regis’s office, letting out a deep sigh.
Every time he tried to knock on the door, it felt as though an invisible hand was constantly pulling him back.
Over and over, he raised his hand and lowered it dozens of times.
What crime had he committed to be subjected to such a trial?
He raised his hand again, intending to knock, and brought it to cover his eyes.
If he were to be precise, as an imperial physician, had he been simply following Regis Euriel’s request? If that were the case, his sense of injustice only deepened.
Back when the current empress held the throne, the only order Duke Euriel had given was to report on Casielope Clemens’s condition.
Revealing the emperor’s state recklessly would have been a grave crime, yet Regis had been by Casielope’s side from the very first time she was examined by him.
In other words, from the very beginning, he already knew about Casielope’s symptoms.
The physician, recalling the words he had relayed to Regis in the past, froze midair.
“…Could it be that Duke Euriel was waiting for Her Majesty’s condition to worsen?”
He couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that a rebellion was triggered after confirming Casielope’s poor health.
For a moment, the thought that he might have aided in betraying her made the physician’s face go pale.
“No. How could I have seen a face like his and thought it belonged to someone who would betray?”
Whenever he had reported Casielope’s symptoms, Regis’s expression had always been twisted—not in malice, but in worry and helplessness.
It was the look of a man deeply concerned for the wellbeing of his beloved.
Anyone who had seen Regis Euriel’s face at that moment would have understood immediately: this was not the expression of someone planning betrayal. That much was certain.
Trying to console himself, he stared blankly into the air, unable to shake the thought that it was utterly pointless.
Just as he steeled himself with a determined expression, Regis’s voice came from the door, as if he already knew everything:
“Come in already.”
The physician entered with an awkward expression. Bowing quickly, he straightened his posture, only to be startled at the sight before him.
“Y-Your Majesty…!”
Blood marked his face down to his jawline, a sight that could be somewhat understood—it was the same as when Casielope had been on the throne.
But as he looked lower, he could no longer maintain composure.
Dried blood on his lips, a roughly bandaged thigh without proper treatment, the bandages soaked through with blood.
The metallic scent of blood hit him as soon as he entered the room, giving him a rough idea of how much had been lost.
That he had not fainted from anemia and was holding himself upright was astonishing.
“W-Where on earth did you get hurt like this…?!”
The physician rushed over, fumbling to pull medical supplies from his bag.
Cutting the bandages on his thigh with scissors revealed deep lacerations, making him gasp in shock again.
“Why didn’t you call me immediately after sustaining such injuries?!”
The physician’s words were almost instinctive; normally, he would have treated the wounds first, but the situation was far more serious than expected.
Regis said nothing for a moment.
A brief silence lingered in the room, broken only by his quiet question:
“Casielope… how is the empress’s condition?”
The physician’s hand froze. It was a question Regis always asked when they met, yet in this situation, it seemed almost inappropriate.
His eyes involuntarily trembled as he looked at Regis, who seemed only concerned about Casielope’s condition, ignoring his own state.
Under that calm, intimidating gaze, the physician accidentally touched Regis’s wounds.
Yet Regis did not flinch, appearing almost unaffected by the pain.
“Does the chest pain still persist? Ringing in the ears?”
“…Fortunately, all symptoms have subsided.”
The physician stammered, answering Regis’s relentless questioning about Casielope’s condition.
A faint smile appeared on Regis’s face, and when he finally laughed, the physician stared at him in disbelief.
“After letting your own body get to this state, you still smile because the empress’s symptoms have disappeared…?”
The physician couldn’t find a place to look, overwhelmed by Regis’s genuine relief.
Finally gathering his wits, he began treating the wounds with steady hands.
But his speed gradually slowed. He remembered that after this treatment, he would have to relay Casielope’s words.
Sensing the physician’s hesitation, Regis asked first:
“Do you have something to tell me?”
Unable to answer directly, the physician’s face filled with anxiety. Two options remained:
Should he deceive Regis, as Casielope had instructed, or tell the truth?
The former would mean deceiving the emperor; the latter, betraying the empress.
Cold sweat ran down his spine, and his facial muscles tensed as his hands trembled slightly. After a long struggle, he closed his eyes tightly and spoke:
“Today, while confirming the empress’s symptoms, I conducted a separate examination as well…”
“Has another problem arisen with the empress’s body?”
The question, thrown out sharply, made the physician’s resolve waver slightly. Regis’s gaze seemed pitiful, and he hesitated for a moment.
But biting the inside of his cheek, he pressed on with his initial choice:
“Her Majesty… is unable to conceive.”
It was undeniable that the current emperor had been betrayed. Yet it was equally clear that he loved the empress.
At least the physician believed so.
What kind of reaction would a man have when hearing that the woman he loves could not bear a child?
Ordinarily… despair.
The physician had been part of the imperial medical corps for only five years. Before that, he had witnessed similar situations as an ordinary doctor.
Nine out of ten patients had looked at him with faces filled with despair. Though they whispered that they were fine, none truly were.
Hence, he feared lifting his gaze, knowing this emperor cared for the empress more than anyone.
“…Is that true?”
Regis’s low voice was almost a whisper.
The physician nodded softly, barely audible at that distance.
“That… really…”
Regis did not finish his sentence, making the physician swallow nervously. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.
Then the words came, and his eyes widened slowly:
“That’s good.”
…What?
The physician stared at Regis in disbelief. “Good”? Could this truly be said?
As his initial shock faded, he slowly calmed down, assuming Regis had misspoken and expecting him to correct it.
Unfortunately, Regis said nothing else.
His gaze was fixed on Regis, and the physician was left speechless by the expression on his face.
Regis Euriel smiled. Smiled, upon hearing that Casielope Clemens could not conceive.
“I-I should take my leave, then.”
Flustered, the physician grabbed his bag in haste, unaware it was open, and awkwardly left the office.
“That’s a relief, Lope…”
Regis, without even glancing at the physician, wiped his face with a large hand in relief.
It was true that he had wanted a child with Casielope, but that was the past.
The current Regis did not desire a child. He loved the woman so dearly that he would willingly give his life for her.
If a child were to be born from that love, misguided resentment could ruin everything.
