Queen of the Scalpel - Chapter 69 - Unintentional Major Accident

Chapter 69: Unintentional Major Accident

Elise inwardly sighed. She felt like she was going to faint from the dizziness. But since the speech was almost over, she could see the end. Now she only had to wait a bit more. ‘Since the announcement of his fiancee will be quick. As soon as it’s over I can leave.’

“That is it.”

The speech was finally over. Normally, the anniversary wall would continue again. But this year was different. There was still something left.

“I have something to say to everyone today. It’s about the fiancee of Crown Prince Linden de Romanoff”

It was the moment the Crown Prince’s fiancee would be announced. The Emperor’s voice was a lot more relaxed than when he was reading the speech. This was because it was the Emperor’s personal announcement, and not an official one. All the nobles looked at him with expectancy. Who would be the First Lady of the empire?

“And before that, I have something to say. It’s that I wasn’t able to consider something.”

The Emperor spoke formally to the audience. It was because an emissary of the Qing from the east was present as well, and their manners were different.

“It’s that the lady I chose as the Crown Prince’s fiancee hasn’t finished her adult ceremony.”

“…?!”

Elise, who had been looking blankly ahead from her cold, shot to attention and looked at the Emperor with a surprised face. Wait. What did this mean? ‘No way. It’s another lady, right?’ She couldn’t be the only lady who hadn’t finished their adult ceremony. Even the princess from the Spana Kingdom of the lady of the Buckingham family hadn’t finished their adult ceremonies. ‘It can’t be.’ The Emperor continued to speak.

“And even if it wasn’t for the adult ceremony, there’s a personal promise I made with that lady. To push back the engagement ceremony to after her adult ceremony.”

“…!”

Elise’s hand trembled. What was he saying? Could it be? And it was then.

He turned his head. His gaze landed on the Clarence family, precisely on Elise. Manchester de Romanoff brightly smiled.

“So I apologize to everyone, but before then. Until Lady Clarence finishes her adult ceremony, the engagement won’t be announced. Sorry. Please wait a little longer.”

“…!”

Everyone turned to look at Elise, and Elise froze. Just what was this nonsensical announcement?

***

She didn’t know what happened after that. ‘No. There’s no way!’ Elise’s body trembled when she returned to her room in their residence. They made the bet, but he still made this kind of announcement! But the Emperor hadn’t technically broken the rules of the bet. Since he hadn’t announced her engagement.

-Until Lady Clarence finishes her adult ceremony, the engagement won’t be announced.

But this was basically the same thing. Everyone would think of her as the Crown Prince’s fiancee. ‘Did father know?’ She didn’t think he did. He also looked surprised when he heard it. Even though he expected something like this, he probably couldn’t have predicted this.

‘I can’t let it go this way.’ She couldn’t repeat her old life. It was a tragedy to everyone. To her, her family, and to the Crown Prince! And there was something she couldn’t give up, the life of a doctor. Elise was living as the Elise in the past, but her personality was closer to her time as a doctor. ‘I have to settle things with the Emperor.’

She bit her lips. It was something that her future depended on. It wasn’t something that would be fixed on its own. ‘Tomorrow when he comes out to the anniversary ball, I have to finish things. It can’t go like this.’

***

That night, she tossed and turned in bed because of her dreams. They were dreams about the past Elise’s life.

-Repent in hell.

An icy sentence. In her dream, she was unhappy. They were memories she didn’t even want to think about. At the end, she was under the guillotine, and Elise burst her eyes open then.

“Gasp!”

She breathed in.

“It was a dream.”

She shivered at the feeling of the blade on her neck. It was a dream, but it hurt like it was real every time. Like when she was sentenced to death back then.

“Sigh.”

She drank some water and tried to calm herself down. Her body was drenched in sweat. On Earth, the nightmares endlessly continued. Like she was suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

She couldn’t even count how many times she had spilled tears at the pain of her past. How many nights she had stayed awake to avoid the nightmares. Maybe the reason why she pushed her everything to become a doctor was to avoid the pain. Because when she focused on her patients, she didn’t think of the past.

‘No. I’m never going to repeat my life from the past.’ She looked out the window. Her body’s condition seemed worse, but she couldn’t stay in bed. ‘I have to speak to the Emperor today.’ She took an excessive amount of fever reducers and pain relievers. It might be bad for her body, but she had to have a clear mind today.

‘Before it’s too late. I have to finish things.’ She hardened her resolve.