Raven of the Inner Palace Vol. 2 by Kouko Shirakawa

Author:Kouko Shirakawa [Shirakawa, Kouko]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: light novel
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Published: 2023-02-04T08:00:00+00:00

KOSHUN HEARD the story of the mask from Ka Meiin, one of his vassals. He told him about it after the imperial council meeting when they were both gazing at the lotus pond from the outer passage of the palace building. The lotuses had already closed up, but their crimson-tinged buds were a refreshing sight. They had a gracious beauty to them as they faced the sky above. Dazzling sunlight bounced off the water’s surface, and the air was already hot enough to make you sweat—even if you were in the shade.

“I have another curious story for you,” Meiin said. He’d spent the past while telling the emperor about rumors and other talk from the area surrounding the imperial estate, but the man seemed to have even more tales. “Someone I know runs a silk shop. He’s doing quite well for himself and has a big shop in the town in the west. He’s a gifted merchant, but his pastime is a cause for some concern…”

The man’s vice was collecting antiques.

“Well, perhaps I should say ‘used things,’ rather than antiques. He doesn’t collect anything particularly luxurious. According to his wife, it’s just junk,” he said with an awkward laugh.

Meiin was over forty and had an intelligent look to him. His expression at that moment—one tinged with bitterness—suited him perfectly.

“It’d be bad enough if he were collecting expensive items that were of some value, but his wife laments that all he’s accumulating is junk. It’s not an appropriate hobby for a wealthy man like him—although I, for one, think it’s better than chasing after women for carnal pleasures. Anyway, their house is full of eclectic items now. There’re things like an ornament that looks half-cat, half-raccoon, metal fittings with unknown uses, exotic bits of glass that washed up on the beach… He likes to show them all off whenever someone visits, and that puts me in a bit of a difficult situation, too. Jumbled together with all that ‘junk,’ however, there was one mysterious item…”

“Mysterious? Do you mean to say that it was haunted?” Koshun asked.

“You would be correct,” Meiin responded. “He said that he bought it from a traveling secondhand peddler. It’s a cloth mask.”

“Like those that musicians wear during rituals?”

“Precisely. It’s a square linen piece with a face drawn on it. There are also holes for the eyes and mouth. You put it on your face like this, you see—and tie it in the back with string.” Meiin mimed putting something on this face.

“I think it would be warm and hard to breathe with something like that on your face,” remarked Koshun.

“I agree. The cloth mask that my friend bought was stained, and the ink was almost totally faded—obviously not worth buying—but he insisted he liked its features. Once he’d mentioned that, I could see his point. It had a bit of an odd charm to it as the eyes and nose had a certain melancholy look to them. That still wouldn’t have motivated me to buy it, but each to their own, I suppose.

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