Morning sunlight slanted down between the palm trees of the palace garden.
Taeho was strolling around the fountain as usual. It was the only thirty minutes in his days, otherwise filled entirely with examinations and treatments, when he could catch his breath.
‘Rema, what’s today’s schedule?’
-At 10 a.m., there is a rhinitis treatment session for the Third Prince, Hasim, and at 2 p.m., a follow-up examination for the Fourth Prince, Ali.
Clinically, the princes had nearly fully recovered, but they were in the final stage of observation to rule out the possibility of lingering aftereffects. In particular, the youngest, Prince Ali, showed stable signs across the board, but there was something that didn’t sit right, so Taeho had scheduled an additional consultation.
“Still, one or two more times and it’ll be over.”
Just as Taeho sat down on a bench and breathed in the morning air, he saw a woman in a white abaya slowly walking over from afar. The moment he saw her silhouette, he knew at once who it was.
‘Amira…….’
Amira approached as naturally as if she were out for a stroll. Behind her followed two middle-aged women.
“Doctor Kang!”
Amira’s trembling voice.
She was still beautiful—no, more beautiful than before.
The eyes visible beyond her veil had grown deeper.
“Princess Amira.”
When Taeho rose and greeted her politely, Amira took one step closer.
Her fragrance reached Taeho before she did, wrapping around him.
“I heard you had arrived, but I never thought I would meet you like this by chance. You came out for a walk alone.”
Seeing how she placed particular emphasis on the word “chance,” it seemed she had been quite determined to meet him.
Taeho responded with a smile.
“Yes. The morning is the quietest time, so it’s perfect for a walk.”
Even if there was no official reason for the two of them to meet inside the palace, he had guessed that Amira would come looking for him.
He was glad his guess had been right.
Because it meant he could see her even a day sooner.
Amira lowered her veil slightly and looked at Taeho. The longing she had built up in her heart made her forget even her shyness. As though she were seeing someone she had thought she would never see again, Amira gazed at Taeho with aching tenderness.
Her face shone brightly. The pure light held in those black eyes made Taeho’s heart flutter.
“Doctor Kang, all this time……”
Just as Amira tried to continue, calming her overflowing heart—
“Doctor Kang!”
A child’s clear voice rang through the garden. The seven-year-old youngest prince, Ali, was running toward him as fast as his short legs could carry him. Behind him, a young woman followed gracefully.
“Prince Ali.”
A natural smile spread across Taeho’s face.
Amira quickly took a step away from Taeho to maintain some distance.
“Doctor Kang!”
Ali clung tightly to Taeho’s leg and hung on.
“You were in my dream yesterday! Doctor Kang came riding a horse with wings and flew through the sky with me!”
“Is that so? It sounds like we had fun in your dream. I’m glad.”
When Taeho stroked Ali’s head, the child smiled even more brightly.
At that moment, the young woman behind him approached and bowed politely.
“Doctor Kang, greetings to you, Princess.”
It was Latifa, Prince Ali’s nanny.
A classic Middle Eastern beauty. Her large eyes, full lips, and elegant figure were in perfect harmony.
“You have no idea how much Prince Ali likes you, Doctor Kang. Ever since he recovered, all he talks about is you.”
Latifa smiled gently.
“Doctor Kang! Let’s play! Brother Rayan said you cured Sahara. Let’s go see Sahara together.”
Prince Ali held Taeho’s hand and clung to him, but Latifa gently coaxed him.
“Not now. We were on our way to see the queen, remember? You have an examination this afternoon, so you can see Doctor Kang again then, Your Highness.”
“Can’t we go see Sahara first?”
“No. The queen specifically cleared her morning schedule for you. You must see her now.”
“Tch, fine! Then, Doctor Kang! After my examination this afternoon, let’s go see Sahara together!”
“Very well, Prince Ali!”
“Wow! You really promised!”
Ali said, hopping up and down like the child he was.
Latifa soothed Ali and urged him along their way.
After Ali and Latifa left, Amira turned her head toward Taeho.
But Taeho was still staring after Ali and Latifa.
The two had already left the garden.
“Prince Ali’s nanny is named Latifa, correct?”
When Taeho asked while still keeping his gaze fixed on them, Amira’s face quickly fell.
“Yes. I heard Latifa is twenty-seven this year. She’s called a nanny, but she’s in charge of the prince’s education, so she’s an excellent talent with outstanding academic credentials and foreign language skills. Shall I find out her contact information for you?”
At the unusual tone in her voice, Taeho quickly turned his head.
“Huh? Amira, are you upset?”
“No, why would I be?”
Amira’s cheeks were puffed up in a pout.
Finding the sight rather adorable, Taeho burst into laughter.
“Amira. Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I was interested in Latifa as a woman.”
“…….”
“It’s true. I met Latifa a few times while treating Prince Ali. I didn’t notice it then, but seeing her now reminded me that there are some things I need to ask regarding Prince Ali’s illness.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Amira.”
When Taeho called her by name, Amira looked up at him.
Her feelings had been hurt because of jealousy, but just looking at his face like this made her anger melt away on its own. She had longed so much to see him again; how foolish would it be to waste time sulking like this?
Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes.
“I missed you. So very much.”
It was a simple confession, but the longing she had held back all this time was packed tightly within it.
Taeho carefully extended his hand.
Amira took it without hesitation.
“I missed you too.”
At Taeho’s words, Amira smiled shyly.
“Ahem.”
The middle-aged women behind Amira cleared their throats and turned their eyes away.
***
After parting with Amira and returning to his quarters, the first thing Taeho did was summon Rema.
“Rema, investigate Prince Ali’s nanny, Latifa.”
-What aspect would you like me to look into?
“Everything about her. Especially her financial flows. Oh, look into her family’s money too. The virus was adjusted to match each prince’s genetic characteristics. This isn’t something an outside intruder could do. Only someone who could come into the closest contact with the princes could have done it.”
-Understood. Beginning investigation.
After a few minutes of silence, Rema’s voice sounded.
-I have found some interesting results regarding Latifa Al Maktoum.
“Tell me.”
Taeho leaned back deeply in his chair and waited for Rema’s report.
-I will begin with her educational background. Latifa majored in biotechnology at Imperial College London, and after graduating, she worked for two years as a virology researcher at the pharmaceutical company Roche in Basel, Switzerland.
“Virology?”
Taeho’s gaze sharpened.
-Yes. In particular, her specialty was research into “targeted viral vectors.” Simply put, technology that creates viruses designed to attack only specific genes or cells.
“Then she’d be able to make a virus tailored to the princes’ genetic characteristics?”
-It is entirely possible. What is even more interesting is the reason she left Roche. Officially, it was due to “family circumstances,” but in reality, she had been under internal investigation for suspected research ethics violations.
“As expected…….”
When Taeho had met Latifa in the garden earlier, he had seen something that other people could not.
It was a new ability activated upon reaching Platinum grade: Pathogen Connection Visualization.
Thin red lines had spread out around Latifa like a spiderweb. The lines trembled faintly as though alive, each extending in a different direction.
It was something he had not seen when he had met Latifa before.
‘What is this?’
He had been deeply startled inside, but he controlled his expression.
The thickest and clearest red line was directly connected from Latifa to Ali. Like a sticky blood vessel, that line linked the two of them, and on Ali’s side, it grew thinner and glowed faintly.
Faint but clearly visible lines stretched toward various parts of the palace.
Most shocking of all was the dark-red aura surrounding Latifa’s entire body. Around her, tiny particles were constantly drifting about.
‘Is that woman the source of infection?’
When Latifa stroked Ali’s head, Taeho had also seen the red line connecting her and Ali become momentarily darker.
Goosebumps rose on his skin.
“Rema, explain in more detail the visualization function I saw when I looked at Latifa just now.”
-The pathogen network visualization function activated upon reaching Platinum grade is the pinnacle of twenty-second-century medical technology. It tracks viral particles down to the nanoscale and maps infection routes in real time.
It was an ability he would not have believed even if someone had told him about it, had he not seen it with his own eyes.
If the links between those infected by a virus were visible, then it would be possible to infer who had spread the virus.
‘An asymptomatic carrier?’
A chilling possibility flashed through Taeho’s mind. Outwardly, Latifa looked perfectly healthy. Was she carrying the virus inside her body without showing any clinical symptoms whatsoever, while transmitting it to those around her?
Several new questions arose in Taeho’s mind.
“What about Latifa’s financial flows?”
-This part is the most suspicious. There are no financial flows into Latifa’s personal account other than her official salary from the Abu Dhabi royal family. However, fifty thousand dollars has been deposited into her mother’s account every month for the past six months. The source is presumed to be funds laundered through a paper company in the Cayman Islands.
“What does Latifa’s mother do?”
-Her mother is currently a homemaker. There is more. Her younger brother, Hasan Al Maktoum, runs an imported car dealership in Dubai, and his business has recently expanded suddenly. Until six months ago, it was a small used car dealership, but now he operates official Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships.
The situation was becoming clearer and clearer.
“When did she enter the palace?”
-Exactly eight months ago. And the first time a prince fell ill was six months ago.
“Two months would be enough preparation time.”
The person who managed the princes’ daily lives most closely was the nanny. Food, toys, even the tools used by the medical staff—she could access everything.
The innocent face of Prince Ali rose in his mind.
Taeho clenched his fist tightly.
“What a perfect position.”
Taeho organized the files on his desk and sorted through his thoughts.
-Master, what will you do? Will you report this to King Mansur?
“No. There’s no solid evidence yet. Circumstantial evidence alone isn’t enough.”
Taeho sat back down in his chair and began forming a plan.
“Rema, during Prince Ali’s examination later, observe Latifa’s behavior closely. I especially need to see every item she brings with her.”
-Understood.
***
Taeho prepared for Prince Ali’s examination earlier than usual. Today, he had to make maximum use of Rema’s monitoring function.
The examination room door opened, and Ali entered with Latifa.
“Doctor Kang! You remember our promise, right? You said we’d go see Sahara!”
Prince Ali still looked to be in a good mood.
Behind him stood Latifa demurely.
The way she looked at Prince Ali with affection made her appear, to anyone’s eyes, like the perfect nanny.
Taeho smiled and spoke to Ali first.
“Of course, Prince Ali. Let’s do a simple examination first.”
While Taeho seated Ali on the examination table, Latifa naturally took something out of her bag.
“Your Highness, if you behave well during the examination, I’ll give you your favorite pomegranate juice.”
Taeho glared sharply at the pomegranate juice.