Chapter 14 – Part 5

Evan quickly stepped over and supported her. Wrapped in a sheet, she seemed to struggle to take even a single step.

“Where do you think you’re going in this state?”

“There’s a patient. As a medic, I go wherever the patient is.”

“D*mn it. Can’t you set aside that sense of duty just this once?”

Anne nodded. She hadn’t heard who the patient was during the conversation.

But if the royal physician couldn’t handle it, her modern medical knowledge might be necessary.

Anne wasn’t purely altruistic, either.

She was still suspected of attempting to poison the Empress. By treating a patient in the royal palace, she hoped to alleviate some of those suspicions.

Anne smiled faintly and said,

“This is what I want, Evan. You’ve always respected my work more than anyone.”

Evan cursed inwardly. Knowing how much she prided herself on saving lives, he couldn’t dissuade her further.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Alright.”

Evan sighed deeply and reopened the door. The knight, who had been standing there uncertainly, brightened at the sight of Evan.

“Just this once. And I’m coming along.”

“Then I will wait here until you are ready.”

Evan grabbed the doorknob again, and just before closing the door, a small voice from inside said,

“Please wait a moment. It will take some time to get ready….”

“Yes! Yes!”

The knight responded twice foolishly and sidestepped in the hallway, nervously clasping his hands together.

‘Ah, they really are a devoted couple, aren’t they?’

The knight tried to calm his racing heart after witnessing the rumored affectionate interaction between the two.

***

“Ah.”

Anne groaned softly as she slowly put on her chemise, her back aching.

Evan approached her, and despite recalling the marks concealed by the chemise, she felt at ease taking his offered hand.

Evan’s careful hands supported her waist and helped her dress, making Anne squirm with embarrassment.

“Could you turn around for a moment?”

“I’ve already seen everything.”

Anne playfully nudged his shoulder, but he didn’t budge.

“Evan, could you get me one of the dresses over there?”

Evan nodded and walked over to her luggage.

He searched for a dress that would cover the marks on her shoulders, looking for something that wouldn’t reveal too much skin.

However, none of the dresses he found had fabric that covered her neck.

“Are these the latest fashion in dresses?”

“Yes. It seems so. I didn’t choose them, though….”

“You look beautiful in anything, but this time, it’s quite a dilemma.”

Evan bitterly criticized himself for not considering this complication beforehand.

Seeing his apologetic expression, Anne smiled softly.

“It’s okay. I have a light fabric shawl. I’ll just wrap that around. You should get dressed too.”

Anne dressed herself in the dress he handed her and then took out a shawl from another bag.

The reason she could dress so skillfully in this complicated outfit was thanks to her diligent practice while staying at Vanessa.

She didn’t want anyone to discover the seal on her waist…

Even during the night with Evan, she had tried to cover her waist as much as possible. Fortunately, Evan seemed unaware, behaving as usual.

When Anne grabbed Evan’s arm, he finished fastening his cufflinks and looked at her.

“Let’s go, Evan.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

The guard, hearing Anne’s voice in the hallway, stood tense with his arms at his sides.

As soon as they stepped outside, he addressed them eagerly.

“Thank you very much for responding to the request.”

“No problem. How is the patient?”

“Well, um… his eyes are unfocused, his body limps… he’s sweating a lot.”

Thinking about what illness matched these symptoms, Anne asked another question.

“Does he have a fever?”

“Yes, a high fever, and he’s not in their right mind.”

“Got it. Lead the way quickly.”

Though her legs felt weak, Anne trusted Evan and walked briskly, praying the patient’s condition wouldn’t worsen.

* * *

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought Anne Vanessa.”

Javier exhaled with a semblance of relief and looked at Anne Vanessa.

Ailon still seemed to be hallucinating, with rapid breaths and unfocused eyes that hardly seemed normal.

“Hurry up!”

At the emperor’s words, Anne urgently approached the patient.

“Your Majesty? This person is….”

Prince Ailon?

She had thought it would be one of the nobles affected by the poison, but a gaunt Ailon lay on the bed.

Though puzzled, Anne pretended not to notice and inquired about the patient’s condition.

“What are the symptoms?”

“…He doesn’t recognize people. He’s sweating and has a high fever.”

The emperor spoke while holding Ailon’s hand, looking as if he had aged considerably over the past few days.

Anne carefully examined Ailon’s fingers and asked another question.

“When was the last meal?”

No one answered that question.

The palace servants, who had rushed over upon hearing the emperor’s arrival, remained silent, only exchanging glances.

They had followed the order to confine Ailon in the room, checking occasionally to see if he was alive, and force-feeding him when he seemed close to death.

But all of this had been done with the emperor’s tacit approval.

“Speak up!”

“Well… he’s been eating about once every three days. It’s not exact, as many different servants came and went….”

At those words, the emperor shouted even more, approaching Anne to urge her on.

“What is this nonsense! How could you neglect your duty so much! Lady Vanessa, quickly treat Ailon. Make him able to walk properly.”

Evan then stepped in front of the emperor and spoke.

“Please don’t rush. Time is needed, Your Majesty.”

Anne sensed something odd in the emperor’s face, visible over Evan’s shoulder.

‘This is very different from how the emperor has treated the prince until now.’

Though the emperor was urging Anne, his expression was strangely calm.

It seemed he was more interested in Ailon appearing healthy soon rather than truly caring about his condition.

Most importantly, he was unusually lenient toward the servants who had failed in their duty to properly care for Ailon.

And above all, Anne’s instincts sensed something amiss.

‘Am I imagining that the emperor exhibits all the characteristics of the sociopaths and psychopaths described by experts on TV?’

The emperor had particularly strong sociopathic tendencies.

Initially, she thought his confidence as an emperor made him feel superior.

But now, seeing his complete lack of empathy for Ailon’s suffering, she was almost certain.

Even if it was an act, his behavior didn’t match the mindset of an ordinary person.

The emperor was close to being mentally deranged.

Before she had been reincarnated, there had been numerous documentaries in Korea about the brutality of psychopaths.

‘Rehabilitation was mostly difficult for them.’

The most important thing for them was their own desires. They considered everything as tools to achieve their goals.

Meanwhile, the crown prince’s complexion continued to worsen.

Moreover, with his sunken cheeks, parched lips, and pale skin, he was clearly suffering from malnutrition.

A body deprived of proper nutrition could have a weakened immune system, making it susceptible to even minor illnesses.

The continuous coughing and fever suggested he might have pneumonia.

‘Could pneumonia bacteria like Mycoplasma exist in this era?’

Anne looked around the room. The floor and furniture were covered in dust, and the floor itself was dirty with outdoor grime.

Even the blanket covering Ailon was not well-maintained.

Seeing cobwebs on the ceiling, Anne sighed softly.

It was unimaginable that this was the room of the empire’s crown prince. He was so neglected that it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had already died.

In such a dirty room, respiratory diseases could have worsened significantly.

Anne glanced at the emperor.

Would the emperor really harm the crown prince?

Anne still didn’t know what had happened to the baby in the empress’s womb.

She could only speculate that the emperor was trying to keep Ailon alive now because the baby was in critical condition.

But was such a life truly a happy one?

Even though he was his son, the emperor had abandoned and neglected him when he was not needed, and now, when he became necessary, he was desperately trying to keep him alive.

This aspect of the emperor seemed too cruel even to Anne, who had lived a hard life.

Was it really right to keep him alive this way? Anne feared what the emperor might say once Ailon recovered.

In that case, it might be better to temporarily separate the emperor and Ailon.

Anne lifted her head decisively.

“Everyone, please leave the room immediately. And don’t let anyone in here for the time being.”

“What do you mean by leaving the room?”

The emperor frowned and asked.

Anne spoke urgently.

“His Highness is currently infected with a contagious disease. If you stay close, you might catch it. I’ll request the necessary items for treatment later.”

At those words, the emperor took a step back, frowning.

“Is it a serious illness?”

A servant asked, and Anne shook her head.

“I need to observe further. However, if the disease spreads outside, it could cause great turmoil. So, please go outside and wash your hands first.”

“…”

As the emperor left without a word, the other servants quickly followed suit.

Anne realized once again that he had no paternal love whatsoever.

Then, she addressed Evan, who looked at her as if he didn’t understand.

“Evan, please leave quickly.”

In truth, the likelihood of a bacterial outbreak causing turmoil in the empire was very low.

However, for Ailon, showing symptoms of pneumonia, rebuilding his immune system through proper nutrition and rest was crucial.

So, she had to send Evan away to prevent the emperor from becoming suspicious and to create a conducive environment for treatment.

“Anne, how can I leave you here?”