"Well, what you are saying isn't wrong. To be completely honest, this Emperor cherishes our Lady, but in the corner of our heart, I'm worried if you could properly do your royal duties. I've worried about it for a while."
Unexpectedly, he seemed to bear no ill will towards her, rather, she felt warmth emanate from him instead.
She bowed her head once more.
"What you say is correct. I am too lacking to become Crown Princess."
She felt so relieved that the Emperor and she were on the same page. Unfortunately, she soon found out he didn't feel the same way as her at all.
Instead, he said something completely unexpected.
"However, after seeing the way you acted today, all my worries are gone."
"...What?"
"Right now, if we are to look at your demeanor today, you look like you could do your royal duties extremely well."
"....."
He continued on with a satisfied voice.
"Today, I was greatly moved by your temperament, for you were able to actually suppress your own personal desires to become Empress and have searched your heart for any personal defects! Self-introspection is not an easy feat to do. You are praiseworthy! Admirable, indeed!"
"..."
Elise's face blushed beet red.
This conversation was flowing in a strange direction!
"That-that is not true. I really am lacking a lot to become Empress. I only think of myself and my personality is terrible..."
She tried her best to think of all her negative qualities but the Emperor cut her words off.
"Stop. I understand completely what you are trying to say"
"Your majesty..."
"How old are you this year?"
"...Sixteen."
The Emperor turned his sight to his rose garden.
Roses of all colors were going through the last part of their current life cycle.
Then they would bloom magnificently .
"Sixteen is such a fragile and young age, just like this rose."
As he spoke, he stared at a rose that was about to open. The bud had a deep crimson color. When it will finally bloom, it would definitely be beautiful.
"I know what you are so worried about. Now, that you are going to become a Crown Princess you feel burdened by the responsibilities that come with the title, but who in the world is not lacking? What is truly important is how and what you are going to do now. If you always act like how you acted today, you will be a great Crown Princess and later, Empress."
"...!"
'No! That isn't true!'
She felt so much frustration that she felt like she could burst at any moment. She didn't know what was blinding him, but he was emanating endless vibes of affection her way.
'What should I do? I need to cancel the engagement today no matter what.'
If she backed off now, she had no idea when she could meet with the Emperor again.
'And what if the engagement got officially announced?
Then it was no longer something they could cancel no matter what, even if they changed their minds.'
What should I say? Should I just say I don't like the Crown Prince anymore?'
She bit her lip.
Her head was spinning from trying to think up ideas to breakout from this disaster when she suddenly came up with an idea to break the engagement.
"Your Majesty, there is actually one more reason why I want to break the engagement."
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment.
She was worried how they would react, but she forced herself to just spit it out.
"To be honest... There is something I want to do."
"What is it?"
"I want to be a doctor."
"..."
Once again, a heavy silence fell over the whole area.
They couldn't keep track of how many times she shocked them into silence. However, before they were silent because of surprise and awe. This time, they were simply taken aback by the absurdity of the situation.
"...El-Elise? A doctor?"
Her father asked with a stutter.
His tone seemed to imply the internal question: "What kind of unbelievable joke is this?"
But Elise just nodded her head.
"Yes, father. I want to be a doctor."
"Why are you suddenly sprouting such unbelievable nonsense...?"
Marquis El's head ached from all of Elise's continuous spontaneous actions. He thought she had recently settled down, but here she was causing big trouble right in front of the Emperor!
"Lady Elise, are you serious? Do you really want to be a doctor?"
"Yes, it is the truth."
"No matter how much I cherish you, Lady, I will not forgive lying."
The Emperor looked her directly in the eye.
He looked as if he could see straight into her heart.
Elise accepted his gaze without flinching.
'I did bring it up suddenly, but I really do want to be a doctor.'
She reflected back on her life on earth.
A bloody scalpel.
The trembling vital signs.
The happiness of saving a dying life.
*Doki Doki*
When she thought of her past as a doctor, her heart started beating faster.
She may have entered Elise's delicate and soft body, but she was a doctor down to her very core.
Once again, in this life, she wanted to feel the tension and satisfaction you can only feel when you switched death with life.
"Huh, huh... This sudden talk of becoming a doctor coming out from nowhere..."
The Emperor laughed a hollow laugh when he realized she was serious.
"Marquis, did you know your Lady had such a dream?"
"...I had no idea."
"Doctor. Yes. It's good, it is a meaningful job, but Lady, do you even know exactly what a doctor actually does?"
"Yes, I do know."
Elise nodded her head.
Did a person who knew more about being a doctor than her even exist in this Empire?
"It is a much harsher job than you think."
"Yes, I know, but I think it makes it that much more meaningful."
The Emperor let out a small sigh.
"This doesn't seem to be a joke. Is this why you read so many medical books? Is it because you wanted to become a doctor?"
The Emperor thought back to how knowledgeable she was during their earlier conversation.
"You think a spoiled and protected daughter of a Marquis can become a doctor?"
"I am sorry... but there is no law prohibiting a woman in becoming a doctor. In fact, there already exists a precedent of a case where a lady from the Viscount Lione house became one. "
"..."
Then, Elise realized what the Emperor really meant.
The medical field was a professional field just like Alchemy, law and the executive field, which was one of the most respected professions in the Empire.
Therefore, just like modern earth, the medical field was very respected and there is a fierce competition if you want to break through in the field.
'It wasn't always a respectable job, but in the last hundred years, the concept of medicine became more widespread and the public perception had changed greatly. The Empire also came to respect those in the medical field.'
Therefore, even among nobles, many wanted to become doctors. So if you wanted to become one, you had to belong to the bourgeois class or at the very least, be a very rich citizen.
'He is probably asking me if I think I can fight among them and defeat the competition to become a real doctor.'
The Emperor continued to talk.
"In order to be acknowledged as a doctor in this Empire, you must pass the test by the medical council. No matter how noble your rank is, you can't receive any special treatment during the test."
He seemed to be asking "Can you even do it?", but Elise nodded her head without worry.
"Yes, I can do it.'
"...!"
The Emperor tapped the table wordlessly for a while.
It was a habit when he was troubled.
"This is problematic. We have already decided on you to be the Crown Prince's wife. To think you would say out of nowhere that you want to become a doctor, and yet it seems you are not joking..... This is a problem."
Elise had nothing to say, so she nodded her head.
"Why did Lady suddenly want to become a doctor?"
At his words, she remembered her far away past.
The reason she wanted to be a doctor on earth was simple.
"I wanted to try and save people's lives."
The first reason was because she had lived a meaningless life, so she had wanted to live a meaningful life. That why she chose a job to save people lives.
However, after she became a doctor, she fell deep into her work. She ended up becoming addicted to it.
"Huh, huh. To think that you want to save lives..."
The Emperor looked as if he was speechless after hearing her answer.
"...I am very sorry, your majesty."
"Why are you sorry? It is a worthy and great job. Huh huh."
The Emperor once again laughed an empty laugh.
If some other daughter from a noble house said this he would find it admirable and look at her with praise. But... To think this was from the daughter of the Clarence house. She was supposed to marry the Crown Prince.
Finally, the Emperor spoke as such.
"Lady."
"Yes, your majesty."
"You do understand that if We command you to marry the Crown Prince you must follow it, even if you don't want to."
"........Yes, I do know, your majesty."
"However, We do not wish to force Lady to do something she doesn't like. Do you know why?"
"...."
Elise suspected the answer but didn't answer him.
"I really cherish lady as my own niece. It is because I truly cherish Lady that I want to greet her as part of my family and do not want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."
"...!'
She felt a lump form at her chest at his words and the warmth in his voice.
He was like this in the previous life too.
The Emperor always looked upon her loser self with endless affection as if she was his biological niece -no, as if she was his real daughter.
"Therefore, let's do this"
"...?"
"Let's make a bet."
'Bet?'
"It might be a bit unfair to you, my lady."
The Emperor laughed brightly as Elise looked taken back
Then he said something completely unexpected.
It was not just "a bit unfair" at all.
"Well, what you are saying isn't wrong. To be completely honest, this Emperor cherishes our Lady, but in the corner of our heart, I'm worried if you could properly do your royal duties. I've worried about it for a while."
Unexpectedly, he seemed to bear no ill will towards her, rather, she felt warmth emanate from him instead.
She bowed her head once more.
"What you say is correct. I am too lacking to become Crown Princess."
She felt so relieved that the Emperor and she were on the same page. Unfortunately, she soon found out he didn't feel the same way as her at all.
Instead, he said something completely unexpected.
"However, after seeing the way you acted today, all my worries are gone."
"...What?"
"Right now, if we are to look at your demeanor today, you look like you could do your royal duties extremely well."
"....."
He continued on with a satisfied voice.
"Today, I was greatly moved by your temperament, for you were able to actually suppress your own personal desires to become Empress and have searched your heart for any personal defects! Self-introspection is not an easy feat to do. You are praiseworthy! Admirable, indeed!"
"..."
Elise's face blushed beet red.
This conversation was flowing in a strange direction!
"That-that is not true. I really am lacking a lot to become Empress. I only think of myself and my personality is terrible..."
She tried her best to think of all her negative qualities but the Emperor cut her words off.
"Stop. I understand completely what you are trying to say"
"Your majesty..."
"How old are you this year?"
"...Sixteen."
The Emperor turned his sight to his rose garden.
Roses of all colors were going through the last part of their current life cycle.
Then they would bloom magnificently .
"Sixteen is such a fragile and young age, just like this rose."
As he spoke, he stared at a rose that was about to open. The bud had a deep crimson color. When it will finally bloom, it would definitely be beautiful.
"I know what you are so worried about. Now, that you are going to become a Crown Princess you feel burdened by the responsibilities that come with the title, but who in the world is not lacking? What is truly important is how and what you are going to do now. If you always act like how you acted today, you will be a great Crown Princess and later, Empress."
"...!"
'No! That isn't true!'
She felt so much frustration that she felt like she could burst at any moment. She didn't know what was blinding him, but he was emanating endless vibes of affection her way.
'What should I do? I need to cancel the engagement today no matter what.'
If she backed off now, she had no idea when she could meet with the Emperor again.
'And what if the engagement got officially announced?
Then it was no longer something they could cancel no matter what, even if they changed their minds.'
What should I say? Should I just say I don't like the Crown Prince anymore?'
She bit her lip.
Her head was spinning from trying to think up ideas to breakout from this disaster when she suddenly came up with an idea to break the engagement.
"Your Majesty, there is actually one more reason why I want to break the engagement."
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment.
She was worried how they would react, but she forced herself to just spit it out.
"To be honest... There is something I want to do."
"What is it?"
"I want to be a doctor."
"..."
Once again, a heavy silence fell over the whole area.
They couldn't keep track of how many times she shocked them into silence. However, before they were silent because of surprise and awe. This time, they were simply taken aback by the absurdity of the situation.
"...El-Elise? A doctor?"
Her father asked with a stutter.
His tone seemed to imply the internal question: "What kind of unbelievable joke is this?"
But Elise just nodded her head.
"Yes, father. I want to be a doctor."
"Why are you suddenly sprouting such unbelievable nonsense...?"
Marquis El's head ached from all of Elise's continuous spontaneous actions. He thought she had recently settled down, but here she was causing big trouble right in front of the Emperor!
"Lady Elise, are you serious? Do you really want to be a doctor?"
"Yes, it is the truth."
"No matter how much I cherish you, Lady, I will not forgive lying."
The Emperor looked her directly in the eye.
He looked as if he could see straight into her heart.
Elise accepted his gaze without flinching.
'I did bring it up suddenly, but I really do want to be a doctor.'
She reflected back on her life on earth.
A bloody scalpel.
The trembling vital signs.
The happiness of saving a dying life.
*Doki Doki*
When she thought of her past as a doctor, her heart started beating faster.
She may have entered Elise's delicate and soft body, but she was a doctor down to her very core.
Once again, in this life, she wanted to feel the tension and satisfaction you can only feel when you switched death with life.
"Huh, huh... This sudden talk of becoming a doctor coming out from nowhere..."
The Emperor laughed a hollow laugh when he realized she was serious.
"Marquis, did you know your Lady had such a dream?"
"...I had no idea."
"Doctor. Yes. It's good, it is a meaningful job, but Lady, do you even know exactly what a doctor actually does?"
"Yes, I do know."
Elise nodded her head.
Did a person who knew more about being a doctor than her even exist in this Empire?
"It is a much harsher job than you think."
"Yes, I know, but I think it makes it that much more meaningful."
The Emperor let out a small sigh.
"This doesn't seem to be a joke. Is this why you read so many medical books? Is it because you wanted to become a doctor?"
The Emperor thought back to how knowledgeable she was during their earlier conversation.
"You think a spoiled and protected daughter of a Marquis can become a doctor?"
"I am sorry... but there is no law prohibiting a woman in becoming a doctor. In fact, there already exists a precedent of a case where a lady from the Viscount Lione house became one. "
"..."
Then, Elise realized what the Emperor really meant.
The medical field was a professional field just like Alchemy, law and the executive field, which was one of the most respected professions in the Empire.
Therefore, just like modern earth, the medical field was very respected and there is a fierce competition if you want to break through in the field.
'It wasn't always a respectable job, but in the last hundred years, the concept of medicine became more widespread and the public perception had changed greatly. The Empire also came to respect those in the medical field.'
Therefore, even among nobles, many wanted to become doctors. So if you wanted to become one, you had to belong to the bourgeois class or at the very least, be a very rich citizen.
'He is probably asking me if I think I can fight among them and defeat the competition to become a real doctor.'
The Emperor continued to talk.
"In order to be acknowledged as a doctor in this Empire, you must pass the test by the medical council. No matter how noble your rank is, you can't receive any special treatment during the test."
He seemed to be asking "Can you even do it?", but Elise nodded her head without worry.
"Yes, I can do it.'
"...!"
The Emperor tapped the table wordlessly for a while.
It was a habit when he was troubled.
"This is problematic. We have already decided on you to be the Crown Prince's wife. To think you would say out of nowhere that you want to become a doctor, and yet it seems you are not joking..... This is a problem."
Elise had nothing to say, so she nodded her head.
"Why did Lady suddenly want to become a doctor?"
At his words, she remembered her far away past.
The reason she wanted to be a doctor on earth was simple.
"I wanted to try and save people's lives."
The first reason was because she had lived a meaningless life, so she had wanted to live a meaningful life. That why she chose a job to save people lives.
However, after she became a doctor, she fell deep into her work. She ended up becoming addicted to it.
"Huh, huh. To think that you want to save lives..."
The Emperor looked as if he was speechless after hearing her answer.
"...I am very sorry, your majesty."
"Why are you sorry? It is a worthy and great job. Huh huh."
The Emperor once again laughed an empty laugh.
If some other daughter from a noble house said this he would find it admirable and look at her with praise. But... To think this was from the daughter of the Clarence house. She was supposed to marry the Crown Prince.
Finally, the Emperor spoke as such.
"Lady."
"Yes, your majesty."
"You do understand that if We command you to marry the Crown Prince you must follow it, even if you don't want to."
"........Yes, I do know, your majesty."
"However, We do not wish to force Lady to do something she doesn't like. Do you know why?"
"...."
Elise suspected the answer but didn't answer him.
"I really cherish lady as my own niece. It is because I truly cherish Lady that I want to greet her as part of my family and do not want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."
"...!'
She felt a lump form at her chest at his words and the warmth in his voice.
He was like this in the previous life too.
The Emperor always looked upon her loser self with endless affection as if she was his biological niece -no, as if she was his real daughter.
"Therefore, let's do this"
"...?"
"Let's make a bet."
'Bet?'
"It might be a bit unfair to you, my lady."
The Emperor laughed brightly as Elise looked taken back
Then he said something completely unexpected.
It was not just "a bit unfair" at all.
