# Chapter 23
Are you still joking even at this moment?
Edmund laughed sarcastically, but Olivia's head, who had been smiling at him, suddenly tilted to the side.
“Hey, little one.”
Edmund shook her gently, but her body looked as pale as a corpse.
“Don't joke! You're my assistant! You said you'd make me emperor!!!”
Edmund tightened his grip on Olivia. When he heard that she was being held in this shabby place, he lost his mind.
She was the girl who fainted from seeing death, who was trembling from the sound of fireworks. How scared was she in this dark place? Was she injured? He felt pain in his heart.
“Olivia!!!”
“Your Highness, the wound may get worse!”
Edmund stopped at Felix's words. His hands are shaking.
“Where is the doctor?”
“Coming now, put her back.”
Edmund carefully placed Olivia down.
“Dammit, kill those bastards.”
"Don't worry."
Felix looked outside. Blackwood and Blue Rose were being beaten badly by Felix's men.
"Isn't the doctor late? You'll bleed to death!"
“Your Highness, people don’t die that easily.”
"Look at her body! She's so tiny!!!"
“Your Highness is so great.”
Felix sighed. A foreign doctor arrived hurriedly.
“Where is the palace doctor?”
“It's urgent, and this speaks the language of the Empire!”
“Damn, where's the car?”
“Ready.”
“Shall we move it and check it?”
Edmund nodded, but the doctor said: “No way.”
"What?"
“In order to cure her.”
The doctor approached Olivia and began examining her wound.
“The bleeding is severe. She might die if we move her to the palace now.”
Edmund's face turned pale.
“Then just give first aid, and the palace doctor will take care of the rest.”
"Good."
The doctor quickly opened his bag. It was full of professional tools, so Edmund reluctantly backed down.
He heard the sound of movement inside the room. Edmund tried to enter several times, but Felix prevented him.
After a while, the doctor came out. Edmund rushed inside.
Olivia was wrapped in bandages from her shoulder to her chest.
“The bleeding stopped, and I took the bullet out.”
“I just said first aid.”
“Getting the bullet out was first aid.”
The doctor packed his bag.
“The stitching is fine, tell the great palace doctor to prescribe antibiotics.”
"Hey you!"
Edmund saw Olivia breathing more easily, so he turned to the doctor.
"What is your name?"
"I?"
The doctor's eyes widened in astonishment, then he smiled as he changed his blood-stained gloves.
“My name is Galerhead.”
***
Oh, it hurts.
But if I feel pain, I'm alive. I raised my heavy eyelids with difficulty, and saw a strange ceiling.
"Yes."
I tried to get up to see where I was, but the pain brought me back to bed.
"I woke up?"
“Your Highness?”
Why is he here? Edmund got up from the sofa next to the bed.
"Don't talk too much. The anesthesia is wearing off. It'll hurt."
I nodded. Every word caused pain in the bandaged area.
“That foreigner seems to be skilled. A young man, but the palace doctor said the wound was well stitched.”
Edmund muttered.
"foreign?"
“I wanted the palace doctor, but the situation was urgent.”
Young foreign doctor?
“What's his name?”
"What?"
Edmund replied questioningly.
“I want to know his name so I can thank him later.”
"logical."
Edmund paused for a moment, then said, “I'll take care of that, so you can rest now.”
“But...”
Comfort? What about work?
“The wards are being built, and you discussed the landscaping with the shop owner.”
"correct?"
“Dante manages loans well. What's wrong?”
No problem.
“But without me...”
“Our office staff are not stupid to stop when one person is absent.”
True, Edmund's office is full of elites. But saying they don't need me made me sad.
Edmund noticed my look and placed his large hand on my forehead, covering my eyes.
“I mean, am I useless?”
I like being a lazy employee, but doesn't Edmund hate those people?
“You got shot for me.”
Does he feel guilty? This is surprising. Edmund has a human side.
"But it was a stupid move. Felix was monitoring the situation."
“She was not going to pay 100,000 kroner.”
“Of course, for such an idiot.”
Edmund removed his hand and crossed his arms sarcastically.
“It was not your job to protect me. Your role is not to protect.”
“Right, I'll help you.”
But I got caught stupidly.
“So don’t worry, close your eyes and relax.”
“Can I really rest?”
“They said don’t move your arm for a week, so stay here.”
"here?"
Oh my God, Rowan! He will be worried!
I opened my eyes, and Edmund covered my eyes again.
Why does his hand smell? It's gloves!
“I sent someone to the temple.”
“No way! If they knew I was injured, they would collapse.”
“So I said you work nights for a week.”
“Wow, wonderful, Your Highness.”
I laughed and gave a thumbs up. I imagined Rowan cursing Edmund for this.
“I have to go to work.”
Edmund removed his hand, made sure my eyes were closed, then moved.
I heard the door creak as he ordered: “If she needs anything, do it immediately. I will send Amalie as a servant, do not allow anyone else to come near.”
"Yes!"
He looks like he's getting ready to go to work.
“Your Highness.”
I called him before he closed the door.
“Is it so hard to stay still?”
Edmund asked sarcastically, and I laughed with my eyes closed.
“When I recover, let's go on a date.”
“Huh.”
I thought he was going to leave, but his steps got closer.
I slowly opened my eyes and met his red eyes.
“You said that even before you fainted. I don’t understand.”
"What?"
“Why are you begging for a date?”
Edmund looked into my eyes as if trying to detect my intentions.
“When you first saw me, your look was just admiration.”
On the first day, I was really impressed with its appearance.
"But suddenly, you're confessing every day. That's suspicious."
He stroked my forehead with his finger.
“A girl I just knew, laying out her life for me and saying she loves me? For someone who sees the world through distorted eyes like me, don’t you think this is suspicious? I thought you were Lucid’s subordinate.”
“Ah, not so.”
That Lucid! Cause me problems.
“I know that now, I investigated you well.”
Edmund carefully covered me with the blanket.
“So I don’t understand why you say you love me.”
True, it wasn't love at first sight, I was arrogant at first.
We did not have an immediate connection like Ecla.
“Because we are meant for each other?”
I smiled, and he hit my forehead again.
“I'll be back tonight.”
"Good!"
I waved my hand excitedly, but my bandaged shoulder hurt, so I groaned for a while.