The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 3 by Natsu Hyuuga

Author:Natsu Hyuuga [HYUUGA, NATSU]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Published: 2021-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

The people gathered in the reception room all wore brooding looks. They were dressed in every kind of finery, and when Maomao came in having removed her makeup, she found herself feeling distinctly out of place.

Consort Lihua was there, as were Jinshi and Gaoshun, and a slim woman with a classically beautiful face. At a word from Lihua, the rest of the ladies-in-waiting withdrew. The quack doctor looked like he would have liked nothing more than to be part of the assembly, but he had other work to do and decided to give it precedence. Quite frankly, having him there would have been no particular help.

The beautiful woman was Shin, Consort Lihua’s chief lady-in-waiting. They were cousins, and as a woman of distinguished blood herself, Shin had a proud streak; she was, to be fair, lovely enough to attract attention even here in the rear palace. Her face even somewhat resembled that of Lihua, perhaps another sign of the familial connection. She was only a chief lady-in-waiting, but her social status could have qualified her for a position as high as middle consort herself.

So, is that why she was made chief lady-in-waiting?

The consorts weren’t the only ones who might gain the Emperor’s affections. Cases in which even lowly maids had fallen under the Imperial gaze and become mothers of the country were not entirely absent from the annals. So why have just one beautiful flower in one spot when you could have, as it were, a bouquet?

If a lady-in-waiting became the Emperor’s bedmate, and that lady had a social background distinguished enough to warrant being a consort herself, the rank would almost certainly be given to her immediately.

So what does that mean for them? Maomao wondered. She didn’t know anything about Lihua’s family background, but she could guess that feelings between her and Shin must be complex. It would make one feel secure indeed to forge a bond of trust that would transcend such conflicts.

How lucky Consort Gyokuyou is. Her chief lady-in-waiting, Hongniang, hadn’t been put here to serve some special purpose, but seemed to exist purely to oversee Gyokuyou’s women. In the service of this cause, she’d even missed the usual window for getting married, so hopefully Gyokuyou would be able to arrange a good match for her someday. The consort’s other ladies-in-waiting likewise were all sweet and attractive, but none of them harbored ambitions of drawing the Emperor’s interest.

But as for Consort Lihua’s ladies-in-waiting...

“What is the meaning of this?” Jinshi demanded, pounding the table with his fist. On the table was a collection of perfume oils and spices—the ones that had been found in the sick woman’s chamber. No one of them alone was particularly conspicuous, but together they produced a noticeable aroma.

An aroma that clung to the chief lady-in-waiting, Shin. Even though the last time Maomao had been here, she’d worn no perfume at all. Did that mean her purchases hadn’t been confiscated? Or had she simply managed to hide them?

Shin stood silently with her eyes closed.

Not

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