Table of Contents
Table of Contents Page
Imperial Court Map and Relationship Chart
Copyrights and Credits
Chapter 2: Reirin Hits the Town
Chapter 3: Reirin Recommends a Dish
Chapter 7: Reirin Navigates a Nightmare
Newsletter
Imperial Court Map and Relationship Chart
Cast
Prologue
Prologue
IT WAS MORNING IN THE PORT CITY. Not even the light spring haze that had settled over the area could hope to obscure the buzz of people on the streets. Shops crowded the steps that led down to the ocean, strings of lanterns and colorful draperies swaying in front of the eaves. Past the narrow alleyways was a grand market, where the fragrances of mixed spices and silk goods hung in the air. Ships out to sea rocked back and forth with their sails unfurled, while workers offloaded box after box of cargo from the ones docked at the wharf.
Our story begins in Hishuu, a port city located in the Kin clan’s western domain. From a watchtower that overlooked the harbor, a lady dressed in elegant finery looked over her shoulder with a smile.
“Oh, good, I see the ship from the West docked without issue. Still, it will be at least an hour until the prince disembarks. Feel free to enjoy the view of Hishuu until my uncle sends the signal.”
The ocean breeze caressed her gorgeous, aristocratic features. This woman’s name was Kin Seika, and she represented the Kin clan as one of Crown Prince Ei Gyoumei’s Maidens.
“Thank you, Lady Seika. I can’t imagine I’ll ever tire of observing Hishuu’s hustle and bustle. It’s like ‘A Pearl in Blue Waters’ come to life: A thousand vessels racing to port, the prosperous harbor shines as a pearl in the boundless sea.”
Another girl alluded to a poem with a sage nod. She boasted a different brand of exquisite beauty than Seika. Her skin was as smooth and clear as porcelain, and each gentle gust of wind sent long, silky black hair cascading over her shoulders. Even her most casual utterances sounded as melodious as the gentle chime of a bell. Her name was Kou Reirin, and she was the Maiden of the Kou clan. Both the current empress’s niece and the leading candidate to succeed her position, she was known to all as the prince’s “butterfly.”
She was dressed in the same ceremonial Maiden attire as Seika. The girls were presently waiting to commence a certain ceremony.
“I’m honored to hear that, Lady Reirin,” Seika said with a laugh. “Hishuu is a thriving hub of commerce, celebrated as a gathering of treasures and delicacies from every corner of the continent. Even the food sold at the commoners’ street stalls is reputed to be the best of its kind.”
“My, truly? I’ve long harbored a deep fascination with street food.” Reirin had remained politely seated for the conversation thus far, but as soon as Seika turned the topic to food, she got up and leaned over the balustrade with a flush on her cheeks. “I can see the banners from here. There’s steamed buns, toasted rice cakes…oh, and meat skewers! Once we’ve seen the ceremony through, why don’t we buy some meat skewers together to celebrate?”
Here was the most distinguished of the Maidens, going starry-eyed at the thought of commoner fare. Seika giggled as though she’d just heard the most delightful joke. “My, as a native of this domain, I’m flattered that you would show such interest in how our populace eats. I thank you for the sentiment.”
Apparently, she had written off Reirin’s enthusiasm as a form of polite flattery.
“Erm, no, I was actually quite serious about—”
“However, I’m afraid most street food is made of cheap ingredients and strongly seasoned to mask the taste. I’ve heard stories of all sorts of uncivilized cuisine, from fish served raw and unprocessed to dishes spicy enough to make the eyes water.”
“They serve the fish straight-up raw?!” Shock overtook Reirin’s delicate countenance, and she clutched at her chest to still the beating of her heart. Her elegant bearing made her the picture of a celestial maiden horrified by the corruption of the mortal realm.
Unsurprisingly, Seika took that to mean that Reirin was scandalized by the thought of this so-called “uncivilized” cuisine. She responded in a soothing voice, hoping to put her idol’s mind at ease. “I would never subject you to such barbarism, of course. Hishuu may not be the regional capital, but we still have a fair number of competent chefs back at the family estate. Rest assured, you will be safe from any overpowering flavors or extra spicy foods.”
Another murmur spilled from Reirin’s lovely lips. “Overpowering flavors… Extra spicy foods…” It was unclear whether the words had actually registered with her.
Seika felt a twinge of regret for frightening such a sensitive girl. She then cast a glance at the third member of their group, who had yet to say a word. “I suppose I should ask for the sake of it: Are there any foods you can’t handle, Shu Keigetsu? Right, I didn’t think so.”
“I’m sensing quite a difference in treatment here,” said the recipient of the question, her face twitching where she sat slumped with post-travel fatigue. Freckles dotted her cheeks, her eyes were fixed into a permanent glare, and she was rather tall for a woman. She was Shu Keigetsu, the Shu clan’s Maiden.
As she battled with the relentless sea breeze sweeping through the watchtower, she glowered at Seika. “You’re the one hosting this Quay-to-Carriage Ritual. I only came along to help you. Why, technically speaking, I’m a guest here—a visitor from another domain! Would it kill you to show me a smidgen of fairness and decency? At least your uncle understood a thing or two about hospitality!”
“Oh, but I am being decent and fair,” Seika shot back, not the least bit daunted by the sharp look thrown her way. “It would be the height of injustice to offer a sophisticated lady like Lady Reirin and a churl like you the same treatment.” Upon noting that Keigetsu had taken advantage of the downtime to dump her bulky hair accessory onto a nearby chair, she gave a snort of abject disdain. “Might I suggest you show a little more concern for your appearance? Just look at Lady Reirin. She has her poor health to contend with, yet her poise betrays not a hint of exhaustion from the journey.”
In Seika’s eyes, beauty trumped all. Nothing could dissuade her from the notion that Kou Reirin, the ethereal celestial maiden, was pure good—and Shu Keigetsu, the uncouth country bumpkin, deserved all her scorn.
How delusional can she be?! thought Keigetsu. Kou Reirin isn’t the least bit daunted by street food. She’s obviously not thinking anything deeper than, “Oh boy, overpowering flavors! Oh goodie, extra spicy food!” It shouldn’t take a genius to figure that out!
The way Reirin barely suppressed the excitement in her voice as she mused “Do they ever eat their seafood live, I wonder?” made it clear that she was genuinely enchanted by commoner fare. Even the two attending court ladies seated in a corner of the room—Tousetsu and Leelee—could guess what was going on in their mistress’s head, judging by the disconcerted looks on their faces. Only Kin Seika seemed determined to never reevaluate her perception of Kou Reirin as a delicate, refined gentlewoman.
Ugh, this is unbearable. Will I be forced to indulge this butterfly fangirl’s fantasies until we make it back to the capital? Remind me, how did I get stuck participating in another clan’s ceremony? Stewing in her frustration, Keigetsu gazed out at the ships sailing the sea.
The West was a common nickname for a kingdom located west of Ei. Citizens of Ei formally knew it as the Kingdom of Seiruba, the closest approximation of its name in their own language, and its native pronunciation was the Kingdom of Sherba.
One of Sherba’s ships had just docked at the harbor. Practically the size of a mountain, it had come bearing the kingdom’s firstborn prince, Nadir, for the purposes of a diplomatic meeting. Maidens Seika, Reirin, and Keigetsu were there to be his welcoming committee.
Prince Nadir isn’t blameless in the matter. Why couldn’t he just take the Kou domain’s biggest river straight to the capital? Why bother dropping in at the Kin domain?
Naturally, the prince who had forced the whole ceremony to happen wasn’t spared Keigetsu’s irritation. She reflected on the events of half a month ago, when she and Reirin had been roped into assisting Seika with the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual.
***
“Our next topic is the rituals involving other countries. Before we go into the specifics of these ceremonies, we must first learn about said countries’ geography and history…”
The time was midafternoon. The Repose of Souls was done and dusted, and the days were getting warmer with the advent of spring. As usual, Keigetsu was spending class fighting off a wave of post-lunch drowsiness. The Maidens’ lectures covered a wide range of topics: the four scholarly arts of the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting; performing arts like song and dance; as well as foreign relations, history, and economics. Keigetsu always stayed alert for lessons on the arts—skills that would directly impact her performance as a Maiden—but she struggled to stay awake whenever the topic turned to challenging academics.
Women in the Kingdom of Ei were expected to adhere to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. This essentially entailed obeying men and cultivating feminine virtues like beauty and artistic talent. An intelligent woman was considered desirable, but it was a turnoff if she was shrewd enough to best a man. Keigetsu thus found it a waste of time to study all this difficult material. The greatest dancers and painters in the entire capital were hired to teach the arts, while elderly court women from the main palace handled the academic lectures, suggesting that the educators didn’t place much importance on this field of study themselves.
Why even add these lectures to the curriculum if nobody cares about them? Keigetsu thought as she stifled a yawn. Misbehaving in even the most unpopular of classes would affect her grades; as a representative of one of the five clans, she couldn’t afford to slack off. I bet Kou Reirin is the only one actually bothering to take notes.
Keigetsu flicked her gaze to the seat to her right, where she found the Kou Maiden—Kou Reirin—eagerly sweeping her brush across the page. Her textbook was crammed full of annotations, to the point that it was impossible to tell which parts had been the original text, and she was practically glowing with a thirst for knowledge. Her excellent work ethic combined with her already high level of education left everyone else in the dust.
Upon glancing around the room, Keigetsu found the second-most diligent student to be the flawless Kin Seika. This likely wasn’t owed to any particular interest in politics or academics so much as her all-encompassing perfectionism. Ran Houshun, meanwhile, recognized that appearing attentive was more important than actually absorbing any of the information, so she focused all her energy on nodding along. Gen Kasui was staring off into space, chin in her hand, though she always managed to have the answer when called on. Truly a difficult woman to read, that one.
While Keigetsu was busy appraising her fellow Maidens, the elderly court lady brought over a gigantic map and tasked another court lady with unfurling it. “This is the latest edition of the world map. The majority of our populace couldn’t even tell you the shape of our own country. You girls are fortunate to be Maidens and have access to such valuable documents.”
Keigetsu didn’t care for the instructor’s patronizing tone. What good is this knowledge to us? Women can’t participate in politics. She wanted nothing more than to ditch this boring lecture and go take a nap.
The moment the instructor turned back to the map, a small, folded piece of paper landed on Keigetsu’s desk. Shkt! It was from Reirin, who had been busy scribbling notes only moments ago.
Keigetsu cast an instinctive glance over her shoulder, which Reirin met with a cheerful wave. The Shu Maiden let an amused snort slip. Why bother passing notes in secret if she was going to be so obvious about it?
Discreetly unfolding the note revealed the following message:
Would you care to join me for afternoon tea under a pavilion this weekend?
Clearly not a matter that demanded any sort of urgency. What’s more, Reirin’s complete lack of subtlety had managed to draw Houshun’s and Kasui’s attention.
Inviting me for a one-on-one while the other Maidens are watching? You’re going to make them jealous. Although Keigetsu pulled her face into an exasperated scowl, she was helpless to stop a smug smirk from tugging at her lips.
Now that Kou Reirin had discovered the pastime of passing notes in class, she did it almost every day. After how well behaved she had been all her life, the thrill of delinquency was probably irresistible. Of course, Keigetsu herself had never had a friend to pass notes to, so the very thought of one finding its way to her desk was mildly—okay, extremely—exciting. She was wide awake now.
Drinking tea under a pavilion all the time gets to be a bit dull. But sure, why not? I don’t have anything better to do.
Keigetsu eagerly wrote her response, taking care to hide it in the corner of her textbook so no one would reprimand her. In truth, she had come to look forward to these tea parties, but she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone else.
“Lady Kou Reirin, would you kindly explain to the class what exactly the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual is?”
“Certainly. As the name suggests, it involves a transfer from quay to carriage. It is a ceremony to welcome a foreign dignitary who arrives by boat, then see them off to one of our own carriages. His Majesty and His Highness must devote their efforts to receiving the visitor in the capital, so the ritual is typically carried out by the consort of the domain where the guest disembarks.”
Reirin rattled off a smooth answer as soon as she was called on. One would never guess she had just been indulging in mischief behind the instructor’s back.
Hmph. Overachiever, thought Keigetsu, brooding over how unfair life could be. As soon as the instructor’s back was turned, she tossed the piece of paper back to Reirin.
“Correct. Now take another look at the map. The majority of guests who arrive by sea take this channel that runs through the Kou domain, straight to the capital. Consequently, the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual is most often performed by the consort of the Kou domain—in our generation, Her Majesty the Empress. Can you tell us what the exceptions might be, Lady Ran Houshun?”
“Y-yes, ma’am! Guests who arrive from the east are generally received by the Ran, and those from the west by the Kin. As the majority of guests who come from the north make the trip by land, the ceremony performed in the Gen domain is called the Canter-to-Carriage Ritual—a transfer from horseback to carriage.”
Ran Houshun was the next to be singled out. She gave a perfect answer, pretending to stumble over her words a few times in the process.
“I can see you’ve been studying,” the instructor remarked, writing something down in her grade book. Reirin took that opportunity to pass the note back.
Would you prefer something salty or sweet to go with the tea?
Another utterly trivial question.
Obviously sweet, Keigetsu thought with a snort. Yet right as she was about to circle the word “sweet,” she stopped and stared down at the paper. Not long ago, Reirin had prepared a smorgasbord of potato-themed snacks to go with their tea. Choosing “sweet” might end up being a vote for dried sweet potatoes. But if I choose “salty,” she’ll probably serve fried potatoes sprinkled with salt.
Keigetsu’s mind wandered, involuntarily filled with thoughts of potatoes.
“Next, Lady Shu Keigetsu. Tell the class how to complete the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual, and include important considerations for the hostess to keep in mind.”
Of course, it was precisely then that Keigetsu’s turn came around.
“Y-yes, ma’am!” she replied, hiding the note from view and rummaging through her memories and textbook for the answer.
The Quay-to-Carriage Ritual, the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual…
As soon as she located the relevant passage, she started by explaining the ceremony requirements. “During the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual, the hostess must first greet the visitor and treat them to a gourmet meal. Once the guest declares themselves ‘content,’ the ceremony is considered complete, and they proceed to the imperial capital by carriage.”
The point of the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual was to get the visitor to say “juuraku,” one of Ei’s words for “content.” This tradition traced back to a story about a foreign ambassador getting his fill of Ei hospitality and returning home having only learned how to say he was “content” in their language. Reciting that cliché was all it took to bring a diplomatic exchange to a peaceful end, so a good handful of modern ambassadors likewise set out to master the pronunciation of that word and that word alone. On Ei’s end, formalizing that charming little convention provided the perfect pretext to make foreigners speak their tongue. The moment someone set foot in the realm and spoke their language, they were officially on Ei’s home turf. Basically, it was a form of cultural policy.
“However,” Keigetsu went on as she flipped through the textbook, “in the past, a handful of visitors have complained about their meal and refused to say they were ‘content,’ causing the banquet to drag on longer than planned. It is thus important that the hostess be aware of the guest’s preferences in advance.”
It was a perfect answer. All her studying had paid off. Even the instructor seemed pleased with Keigetsu’s recent efforts, as she nodded and said, “Very good.”
Keigetsu puffed up with pride, but that confidence turned to confusion when she cast a glance to her right. Mere moments ago, Reirin had been smiling in her direction, but all of a sudden the girl was staring down at her own textbook in surprise—or, more accurately, at a small piece of paper hidden inside. Another note. Making the most of her keen eyesight, Keigetsu squinted to get a better look, only to recognize the handwriting of Kin Seika, seated to Reirin’s right.
What? Is Kin Seika butting in on our tea party?
The message started with the sentence “I have a request.” Keigetsu strained her eyes in hopes of making out the rest, but it was then that Kin Seika raised her hand.
“May I have permission to speak?”
“Go ahead, Lady Kin Seika,” the instructor replied, puzzled. Seika had good grades, but she rarely raised her hand in class.
“I would like to add a more practical perspective on the considerations a hostess must keep in mind.”
“What do you mean?”
Seika stood from her seat and looked straight at the instructor. “In half a month’s time, the crown prince of the western kingdom of Sherba will be arriving in Ei for a diplomatic meeting. This prince is interested in broadening his horizons, so rather than sailing directly to the imperial capital, he will first stop at the Kin domain’s port city of Hishuu and proceed by land from there.”
Under normal circumstances, this Quay-to-Carriage Ritual would have been hosted by the Kin consort, Pure Consort Kin.
“As much as it shames me to admit, Pure Consort Kin is not fit to engage in diplomacy at this time, so it falls to me—her Maiden—to preside over the ceremony. That being the case, I fear it might be disrespectful to receive the prince of another kingdom with only a single Maiden.” Maidens were the crown prince’s fiancées, not his official wives. The instructor nodded in agreement, and Seika seized on that concession to pronounce, “I am of the opinion that it would be more appropriate to enlist the help of another Maiden than leave the Kin to handle this alone. May I request that you convey this suggestion to His Highness and Her Majesty?”
The instructor wasn’t the only one surprised to hear this. Even the other Maidens and their attending court ladies broke into whispers. The Seika everyone had come to know should’ve considered this a perfect opportunity to showcase her skills and reject any offers of outside help. What had possessed her to actively request another clan’s assistance?
“It would reflect well on His Highness for us Maidens to set our squabbles aside and work together to receive the guest of honor. It will impress upon our neighbors that the current crown prince has good control over his future harem.”
“I do see your point. But when you say ‘another Maiden,’ who precisely are you imagining?”
Seika grinned, having seen that question coming. “Why, the Maiden of our eastern neighbor, the clan most versed in the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual: the Kou. With Lady Reirin’s aid, the ceremony’s success would be all but guaranteed.” She glanced over at Reirin, the look in her eyes tender.
Keigetsu rolled her eyes. Here comes the regularly scheduled butterfly worship.
Seika valued all things beautiful and had zero regard for anything else, and that stance of hers hadn’t changed since the day she first entered the court. Kou Reirin, with her heavenly beauty and brilliance in arts and academics alike, was the embodiment of her ideal. In contrast to her cool indifference toward the bumbling Keigetsu, Seika never showed Reirin anything less than the utmost respect and affection. It followed that she would call upon the Kou—and Kou Reirin specifically—to help her in a situation like this one. She probably honestly believed that the ceremony would be safe in Reirin’s hands, and it provided a wonderful opportunity to bond with her idol.
What a nuisance. Taking part in a ceremony always calls for a huge amount of preparation. Keigetsu grimaced, reminded of how much work it had been to organize the Harvest Festival.
The instructor appeared to share the sentiment. “I do understand your logic, Lady Kin Seika, but a woman of the inner court ought to make these proposals through the proper channels. I can’t imagine Lady Kou Reirin appreciates being put on the spot.”
You tell her! There’s no reason to get mixed up in someone else’s mess. Put your foot down, Kou Reirin! thought Keigetsu, making every effort to telepathically convey her will. If her friend got saddled with ceremony preparations now, their tea party would have to be postponed for the foreseeable future.
Contrary to expectations, Reirin raised a hand and smiled. “Oh, not at all. I would be delighted to assist Lady Seika, if she’s willing to have me.”
“Huh?!” Keigetsu blurted out.
Ignoring her friend’s reaction, Reirin went on, “As a matter of fact, Lady Seika first consulted me about this matter some time ago.”
Upon catching a glimpse of the paper hidden in Reirin’s hand, Keigetsu did her best to make out the words. Seika’s neat brushstrokes read:
I have a request. Would you be willing to join me for the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual soon to be held in the Kin domain?
That single note was apparently all the advance notice Reirin required.
She made that decision far too quickly… And she’s a bit too indulgent, if you ask me.
Keigetsu was already surprised, but what Reirin said next would truly shock her speechless.
“Ah, but alas, I still lack experience. To be perfectly honest, I’m not confident I can provide Lady Seika the support she needs all on my own. And so…”
It was rare to hear Reirin sound so unsure of herself. Keigetsu braced for the worst, a terribly ominous feeling coming over her.
After shooting her friend a sweet smile, Reirin spoke in the most beautiful voice she could muster. “As the saying goes, ‘The wisdom of three is worth a hundred plans.’ If we add Lady Shu Keigetsu to our ranks and welcome him as a team of three Maidens, I haven’t a doubt in my mind that the Western prince will walk away satisfied.”
“Say whaaat?!” Keigetsu shot to her feet, slamming both hands on her desk. “Wh-wh-why me?!”
“You did such an excellent job hosting the last Harvest Festival, and you made a good showing at the Rite of Reverence. It would be quite reassuring to have an expert like you around,” Reirin replied, all cheer and warmth.
“But, Lady Reirin,” Seika protested, “when it comes to ceremony etiquette, Lady Keigetsu isn’t exactly the most, well…”
“I implore you to reconsider, Lady Reirin,” the instructor said. “I wouldn’t necessarily object to the idea of three Maidens hosting the event together, but I struggle to believe that Lady Shu Keigetsu would be the most suitable pick for the task.”
Reirin tilted her head to one side, a smile still sitting on her lips. “Oh, yes, I forgot another example! His Majesty went out of his way to address Lady Keigetsu directly during the Repose of Souls Service. I truly couldn’t be prouder to have her as a friend.”
Translation: She had just played the trump card of the emperor’s acknowledgment.
Her interest piqued, Houshun attempted to stick her nose in. “Um, Miss Reirin? If you’re looking for more people to help, I wouldn’t mind—”
Reirin rebuffed her with an intimidating smile. “That won’t be necessary, Lady Houshun. If we bring more than three Maidens, we risk coming across as obsequious. The last thing we want is to undermine our own kingdom’s authority.”
Keigetsu was still gaping like a fish as Reirin brought the conversation to a close. “It’s settled, then! The three of us will be the ones to go.” She clapped her hands together with finality. “As the Kin domain borders the West, I hear its grand market is a melting pot of cultures. There will never be a dull moment, I’m sure.”
Hold on… She’s a little miffed about my earlier message, isn’t she?! Keigetsu resented Reirin for being so surprisingly vindictive, but she was kicking herself most of all for calling their tea parties “dull” out of a petty desire to assert her dominance. I hardly needed such headache-inducing excitement in my life!
“Is that all right with you, Lady Seika?” Reirin asked for confirmation.
Seika nodded, somewhat befuddled. “O-of course.”
Later on, Keigetsu would learn that Seika’s note had ended with “I will gladly accommodate any requests you may have. Thank you for your consideration.” Reirin’s immediate response was to impose the condition that Keigetsu come along.
And so, thanks to a single note passed in class, Reirin ended up traveling all the way to a Kin port city, and Keigetsu was forced to accompany her.
***
This is miserable… Being here with Kou Reirin wouldn’t be the worst, but I can’t stand being stuck around that snooty Kin Seika. Keigetsu heaved a deep sigh, soaking in the sea breeze from her spot in the watchtower.
In addition to the two-plus days of travel, the girls were scheduled to stay in the Kin domain for a week. Today was the second day of their stay, so they still had five left to spend in present company. Close to eight, counting the return trip. Keigetsu found it easy enough to converse with Reirin without overthinking every little thing, but Seika was a different story. She was always nagging.
“My, look at that dreadful bed hair.”
“Your idea of conversation is so utterly lacking in wit.”
“Even on the road, you ought to carry yourself like a proper Maiden.”
Each nasty comment left Keigetsu more irritated than the last. She ought to be grateful I came along at all when she’s treating me as part of a package. Ugh… The one thing I’m looking forward to is the leisure time we’ll have once the ceremony is over.
Gazing out over the bustling port city helped to lift Keigetsu’s spirits. If the girls finished the ceremony early, they were free to spend the remainder of their stay however they pleased. The Kin domain’s markets were vibrant hubs of foreign cultures, and they were known to be especially picturesque at night, with thousands of lanterns lighting up the streets. A life confined to the inner court often felt quite suffocating, so the prospect of venturing over to the market was an exciting one.
Keigetsu went over the procedure in her head. All we have to do is welcome the prince, hold a banquet, get him to say he’s “content,” and the ceremony will be over. The prince will head off to the capital, and we’ll be free to go out on the town.
Just in case the prince dragged his feet about saying the key word, the itinerary accounted for him staying up to three days, but that would still leave the Maidens almost three days of free time. Of course, with Seika of the extravagant, glamorous Kin clan as the hostess and the flawless Reirin as her assistant, there was every chance that the prince would consider himself satisfied even sooner. In the best-case scenario, he might say he was “content” during tonight’s welcome banquet. That would give Keigetsu five whole days to put her studies on pause and have all the fun she wanted.
I like the sound of that. It’s been a while since I grabbed some food to go, and I can buy trendy fabrics on the side. Heh heh, I can’t imagine a goody-goody like Kou Reirin knows her way around a market, so for once I’ll have the upper—wait a minute…
The grin ran away from Keigetsu’s face, her expression turning dead serious. A rush of memories came flooding back to her.
Think, Keigetsu! That woman can get mixed up in a string of incidents within merely half a day out on the town! It’s practically second nature to her! Won’t more free time increase her chances of getting into trouble?
Taking part in the Harvest Festival had gotten Kou Reirin kidnapped. Taking part in the Rite of Reverence had gotten her burned, dropped into a spring, and shoved down a well. Going out on the town had landed her in a brawl with a bunch of thugs, and participating in the Repose of Souls had seen her pitted her against the emperor and subjected to water torture. The girl in question was so unflappable that it was easy to overlook, but objectively speaking, she could be classified as a walking trouble magnet.
It might be a little risky to leave all the chaperoning to me.
Keigetsu cast a nervous glance around the room. The only people waiting in the watchtower were the three Maidens and the high-ranking court ladies Tousetsu and Leelee. This was partly because the room was too small to fit anyone else, but Reirin hadn’t arranged for any other court ladies or military escorts to join her on this trip in the first place.
I liked the casual feel of it at first, but we probably should have brought a guard along at the bare minimum.
Chewing on her nails out of habit, Keigetsu recalled how much fuss there had been back when this trip was first decided.
Reirin’s impulsive decision to travel to the Kin domain had initially caused quite a stir among her posse of worrywarts. Her guardian Kenshuu, the overprotective Gyoumei, and the two overzealous Kou brothers had rushed over to the Maiden Court pavilion where Reirin and Keigetsu were relaxing and fussed over her like a newborn infant.
“Shall I accompany you?” Kenshuu asked.
“I can deploy the guards to escort you,” Gyoumei offered.
The Kou brothers were the worst of the bunch, having already whipped out their ceremonial Kou uniforms and scrounged together a bunch of maps.
“You’ll obviously be appointing us as your ceremonial officers, right?!” cried Keikou.
“You can count on me,” said Keishou. “I’ve already started studying maps of the Kin domain.”
Reirin declined their offers with a smile as impregnable as an iron wall. “The upcoming ceremony is to be held on Kin territory, so Lady Seika will arrange for our security detail and attendants. Providing my own would be tantamount to declaring war on the Kin clan. I would do best to keep all Kou personnel to a minimum and forgo a ceremonial officer for this trip.”
Such was her logic. Those on the receiving end of the rejection childishly dug in their heels, but Reirin refused to budge. After a heated, hour-long debate, the group ultimately retreated, choosing to indulge the baby of the family on the condition that she keep in close contact and report back the moment anything happened.
Only Kou Keishou stuck around the girls’ table, cracking a sardonic smile. “I swear, those overprotective sorts can be such a pain to deal with. So, anyway, where do I get my hands on the uniform for Shu ceremonial officers? Or can I just provide my own?”
“Excuse me?” Keigetsu shot him a bewildered look. “Why would you need a Shu uniform?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?!”
The pair stared at each other from across the table.
After a few long moments of silence, Keishou tilted his head in puzzlement. “I mean, the Kou may have chosen not to put forth a ceremonial officer, but the Shu still will, right?”
“Um, no? It would look bad if I arranged for a ceremonial officer when the Kou didn’t, and supposing I were to appoint one, I would ask someone from my own clan.”
Ceremonial officers accompanied their Maiden for the duration of a ceremony, so the role was typically filled by one of her relatives. During the past trip to Unso, Keigetsu had asked the Kou brothers to double as her ceremonial officers, but that was a onetime exception to combat the Shu Palace’s staffing shortage. She intended to treat it as such.
I can’t remain dependent on the Kou forever.
Kou Keishou had shown Keigetsu a good deal of kindness even after the Unso trip, and she had come to feel fairly comfortable around him, but that was all the more reason to show off for him every now and then. She wanted to prove that she had matured enough to handle her own travel arrangements.
Kou Keishou, meanwhile, looked like he’d just been hit with a bolt from the blue. “What? But—” Furrowing his brow, he made to argue, only to be cut off by the first bell signaling the closing of the gates.
“Oh dear, it’s almost curfew. Time for you to go,” said Reirin, putting an end to the conversation. The inner court was the women’s domain; once the second hour of the monkey rolled around in the late afternoon, all adult men were required to leave, relatives included.
Keishou attempted to say something more, but Reirin chased him out with the ruthlessness only a little sister possessed.
Afterward, Keigetsu made the formal decision to follow the Kou clan’s example and refrain from appointing a ceremonial officer. Accordingly, Keishou would not be accompanying them on this particular trip.
Lord Keishou looked awfully surprised. Dismayed, even. I don’t think I did anything particularly wrong, though…
Keigetsu ran her hands through her hair, mulling over his reaction. Something about the way the sea breeze tousled her hair no matter how many times she smoothed it down reminded her of Kou Keishou. That slippery man would always sweep through as he pleased, leaving Keigetsu’s emotions a mess in his wake.
I didn’t expect him to sing my praises, but couldn’t he have given me a little credit for exercising good judgment? Thrown me a “Wow, you’ve really grown,” maybe? Not that I actually care or anything. I really, truly don’t. Still, perhaps I should have taken him up on his offer… Keigetsu’s thoughts grew as jumbled as her hair, until she was finally forced to give up on both. Oh, who cares?! It’s too late to do anything about it now. Let it go! I’ll just have to be extra careful during my free time. End of discussion!
Enough was enough. She wanted to be able to relax and turn off her brain during her downtime, at the very least. Once the prince was done getting ready to disembark, someone would send the Maidens the signal; surely sticking her hairpin back in could wait until then.
Ignoring the reproachful look Seika shot her, Keigetsu slumped back against her chair.
Meanwhile, Reirin smiled as she watched Keigetsu cycle through expressions from the neighboring seat.
Lady Keigetsu certainly wears her heart on her sleeve.
One moment the girl would sigh, the next she would grin, then she would suddenly get serious, only to rake her hands through her hair in frustration. Ultimately, she appeared to abandon her thoughts as she threw herself back against her chair, but even that struck Reirin as intriguing. A tender look came to her eyes whenever she was watching Keigetsu.
No! Bad Reirin! Lady Keigetsu surely considers this trip a burden, so it wouldn’t be right to think, “Wow, she’s so cute when she’s making faces!”
Sensing the smile that had spread across her face, Reirin hurried to school her expression. She knew how much Keigetsu hated ceremonies, so she couldn’t get giddy after forcing her to take part in one.
But still… Helpless to suppress her grin despite her best efforts, Reirin discreetly slapped her hands over her mouth. If we finish the ceremony with time to spare, I might actually get to go out on the town with Lady Keigetsu!
She was secretly looking forward to strolling the city alongside her friend. Looking back, she and Keigetsu had been in separate groups for their trip into the outer city, so they’d never had the chance to go shopping together.
Anytime Reirin set out to have fun with Keigetsu, she always seemed to get caught up in some sort of incident. She longed for the chance to engage in more of the day-to-day activities people did with their friends, like shopping and dining out. Her true wish was to make more mundane memories, more ordinary snippets of everyday life to cherish. In that sense, an invitation to visit the Kin domain and its bustling markets was just the thing she had been waiting for.
I hear the Kin domain’s markets are exceptionally beautiful at night. They’re still a lovely sight during the day, of course, but I want to see them in the evening too!
Merely picturing the shops crowding the twilit streets sent her heart aflutter.
Reirin pulled her hands away from her mouth and started counting off all the dreams she wanted to make come true on this trip. I want to eat food from a street stall, stick my fingers in my mouth and whistle at a street performance—oh, I do hope I can make the sound come out—and this time for sure, I’ll succeed at haggling and impress Lady Keigetsu! Oh, and we obviously have to have a pillow fight when we get back to the estate!
She wouldn’t have enough time to do all the things she wanted to do. Even after ranking them by priority, she wasn’t sure how much of the list she would manage to tick off.
Oh, yes, I also wish to deepen my bond with Lady Seika. She has a rather inflated opinion of me, so I’d like her to get to know me for who I truly am.
She glanced over at Seika, who was leaning over the railing to look out at the sea. As soon as the other girl noticed Reirin staring, she turned around to offer a smile and a respectful bow. Reirin couldn’t help but cringe.
Most people fretted over Reirin’s poor health, but Seika had taken it a step further and developed a romanticized view of the girl based on her slender build and placid air. Reirin was used to being handled with care or put on a pedestal even prior to entering the court, but now that her friendship with Keigetsu had taught her the joys of having a true confidante, she desired to break the ice with the other Maidens as well.
I would love to enjoy a more casual conversation with Lady Seika. If only she, Lady Keigetsu, and I could chat all night long over drinks. Reirin abruptly stopped counting on her fingers. I’m certain that would make it easier to broach the more sensitive topics.
Her smile took on a bitter edge. She didn’t have enough time.
Reirin gave an aggressive shake of her head and made an effort to fire herself back up. Stop that! I must first focus on seeing the ceremony through.
As she clenched her hands into fists, a voice rang out from behind her. “Apologies for the wait, ladies.”
Turning around, she found a portly, middle-aged man with a luxurious beard standing in the doorway, dressed in extravagant enough robes to rival the Maidens’. His name was Kin Seiwa, and he was Seika’s half uncle.
Seiwa was the son of Seika’s grandfather—lord of the Kin domain—and his branch family concubine. That made him Pure Consort Kin’s younger brother. Unlike his sister, he had chosen to remain in the Kin domain, where he currently served as Hishuu’s governor.
“Most of the cargo is ready to be unloaded from Sherba’s ship. We ought to head to the wharf to greet His Highness.”
He was also acting as the field supervisor for the ceremony. Seika had sent instructions from the imperial capital while he prepared the banquet here in Hishuu. Once Seika arrived in Hishuu, he was supposed to step down and transfer all authority to his niece, but he had volunteered to give the signals during the disembarkation process because he was the most familiar with the area and even ran a shipping business of his own.
“Thank you, Uncle. I hate to see you take on all this drudgery yourself.”
“Anything for you, Seika, my dear!”
Seika expressed her appreciation with a smile, while Seiwa gave his potbelly a playful slap. At a glance, the uncle-niece pair appeared quite close, but anyone familiar with the Kin clan’s history would realize there was more to the words than their surface meaning.
And that’s exactly why Lady Seika brought me along.
Reirin said nothing, the usual tranquil smile on her face. It was strange for the perfectionist Kin Seika to invite another Maiden to a ceremony by as informal a means as a note passed in class. Reirin had a vague hunch that the explanation lay with the Kin clan’s fraught internal relations. That was another reason she had accepted the request so readily.
Still, one’s intelligence was reflected in what they said, and one’s character was reflected in what they left unsaid. If she hoped to support Seika as a fellow Maiden, her best move was to smile like nothing was amiss.
“Come along now, Lady Kou Reirin, and do watch your step. This way, please—I’ve prepared palanquins to take you all to the wharf. I couldn’t stand to see that beauteous face marred with fatigue, ha ha ha!”
Crinkling his face into an exaggerated smile, Seiwa offered Reirin a few friendly pointers. Between the delicious meals and high-caliber attendants and bodyguards he had provided the Maidens thus far, it might appear that he was receiving them with open arms—but it had not escaped Reirin’s notice that he hadn’t spared Keigetsu so much as a glance this whole time. Kin Seiwa was a merchant to the core. Behind that smile, he was always sizing people up, determining whether they were useful enough to deserve his help.
Seika had evidently also picked up on this, judging by the chilly look she was shooting Seiwa. When Keigetsu bounded over to one of the lavish palanquins, eyes sparkling, Seika lowered her voice and said, “Lady Keigetsu, do not relax even after boarding the palanquin. Should anyone catch you drooling as you alight, there’s no telling what gossip they might get up to.”
To Keigetsu’s ears, it only sounded like her usual nagging. “Hmph, does Kin Seika ever give it a rest?” she whispered to Reirin. “Her uncle seems friendly enough, though. Just what I’d expect from the generous Kin.”
Hearing this actually warmed Reirin’s heart. She prayed her friend would never lose the innocence to embrace calculated hospitality as “generous.”
“Hurry along now. It won’t be long before the prince disembarks,” said Seiwa.
“I appreciate the concern,” Reirin replied. Without betraying a hint of the thoughts swirling in her head, she boarded the palanquin with a smile.
***
I truly owe Lady Reirin for her patience. Seika breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Reirin elegantly board the palanquin. She had to hand it to the Kou Maiden for tolerating the branch family’s shameless flattery without the slightest hint of disapproval. It takes quite a bit of self-control to remain smiling in my uncle’s presence. Ugh, I simply cannot stand his gaudy accessories and over-the-top flattery! That fawning, pasted-on smile!
Seika snorted as she boarded her own palanquin. The rivalry between the Kin clan’s main line and branch family was a deep-seated one. No matter how friendly Seiwa acted—no, all the more if he did—the man made Seika’s skin crawl.
The western domain had a unique history. It was ruled by two family lines that despised one another: the mainline descendants, formerly known as the “Haku,” and the “Kin,” the collateral line that had split from them long ago. Originally a line of priests, the Haku were a bunch of high-minded artists. The Kin, who had opposed their lofty ideals enough to seek independence, were business-minded sorts primarily concerned with making a profit. The latter had risen to prominence as the economy expanded, managing to seize the clan leadership a handful of times and even change the name of their land from the “Haku” domain to the “Kin” domain.
Nevertheless, we direct descendants of the Haku are the true main line.
Seika glared out over the coastal city of Hishuu—a place she would be within her rights to call enemy territory. Although she had made her fair share of visits as a little girl, she had hardly been back since her appointment to the court soured relations with the branch family. Her family of direct descendants had their own estate in Tensa, the regional capital. Tensa had long been a major hub for land travel, a cosmopolitan city where Eastern and Western cultures collided. Meanwhile, the collateral branch had built their residence here in the port city of Hishuu, located on the southern end of the Kin domain. To differentiate themselves from the land route and its complex web of interests, they had championed free maritime trade and established Hishuu as a key point on the sea route.
There was Tensa to the north and Hishuu to the south. Even within their own territory, the direct and collateral lines divided themselves into two factions and vied for power.
The branch family has held power ever since Hishuu’s candidate, Kin Reiga, became the Pure Consort. Now that she has been relieved of her duties, the time is ripe for the main line to reclaim our rightful authority.
Seika was careful to maintain good posture despite the constant rocking of the palanquin. About three months had passed since the purge of the arrogant, flamboyant Pure Consort Kin. Immediately following the Rite of Reverence, Seika had confined the consort to a Kin Palace room with nothing to eat and sealed the door. Granted, actively killingher would have provided the collateral line a justification to revolt, so she had made a point of releasing the woman after about ten days. The Pure Consort had turned a good bit more…docile after that, which had done wonders for the atmosphere around the Palace of the Metallic Shade.
Nevertheless, the collateral descendants weren’t ones to sit on their hands as their standard-bearer fell out of relevance. They had stepped up their attacks on Seika in an effort to regain lost ground, taking every chance they saw to oust her from her position. Lately, much of Seika’s time had been devoted to staving off relentless sabotage from the branch family.
Uncle Seiwa has been particularly unsubtle about it. I reached out to him as soon as I heard the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual would be happening, and I didn’t receive a response for a whole week. My court ladies have been steadily replaced with collateral descendants, so everything I do gets back to the branch family eventually. All my most vital correspondence gets intercepted.
Seika had allies of her own. Chief among them was Kin Eisen, the man who had once served as her ceremonial officer. He was her maternal uncle, a fellow descendant of the Haku, and someone she felt she could trust. Unfortunately, he took a more moderate position in the clan conflict, and he was far too busy to run to his niece’s aid every time a problem arose.
I have no choice but to get through this ceremony all on my own.
If she simply sat around and waited for help from her fellow Haku, she would never get everything ready for the banquet in time. It wouldn’t be her uncle, the governor, who was disgraced as a result; Seika was supposed to be in charge of the ceremony, so she would take the fall. Amid the mounting pressure, Seika had gone behind the backs of her spying court ladies and brought Kou Reirin into the fold. That was her reason for broaching the topic by passing a note in class.
Right afterward, Seika had received a response from Seiwa, and suddenly the arrangements to go to Hishuu were moving along smoothly. It was so flagrant a change in tune that it was hard not to laugh.
Kou Reirin was the favored butterfly and niece of the current empress. Not even Seiwa would risk meddling if the crown prince’s and empress’s darling was coming along on the trip.
I cannot thank Lady Reirin enough for agreeing so readily to such an informal request. Seika nodded sagely as she watched the palanquin straight ahead, upon which Reirin sat with perfect posture.
Kou Reirin truly was Seika’s ideal: beautiful, an excellent conversationalist, and strong-willed despite her mild manner. Shu Keigetsu loved to fuss about her being a “wild boar” or a “wrathful deity,” but what could have possibly given her that impression? Seika had to doubt her sanity.
Admittedly, she revealed herself to be oddly knowledgeable about the casting process when we were making the mirror for the Rite of Reverence, and I was surprised by how terrible an act she put on for the shaman…but metalwork could be considered a more advanced form of handicrafts, and I’m sure her acting was so wooden because she was speaking in Shu Keigetsu’s voice.
Sure, Reirin had engaged in a few instances of eyebrow-raising behavior, but only when she was wearing the form of Shu Keigetsu. Seika valued beauty above all else, which meant she tended to judge based on outward appearances. She had written off the several abnormalities as the influence of Shu Keigetsu’s body at work.
Someone shrieked from a palanquin ahead of Seika, the one to Reirin’s right. A glance at the source revealed Shu Keigetsu flailing wildly, one arm outstretched. “Th-there’s a spider! A spider fell on my robes! Someone get it off!”
A spider must have dropped onto her when she passed under a tree. As the hostess, Seika was sorry to hear that a bug had landed on one of the guests’ clothes, but her annoyance with all the shrill carrying-on overshadowed any guilt she felt. Her face scrunched into a scowl.
Does she not have the slightest bit of shame, shouting like that in front of an audience? Not to mention, she grew up in the countryside, but she can’t even handle bugs?
Were this happening to the fragile, delicate Kou Reirin, Seika would find the panicked reaction understandable. In fact, she would order the men to stop the palanquin and deal with the issue before the Kou Maiden’s weak heart could give out. But this was Shu Keigetsu, the boorish country bumpkin. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to leverage her brazen, aggressive personality as a strength, so Seika was frustrated to see her squander it by screaming her head off.
My opinion of her improved after the Rite of Reverence and Repose of Souls, but she is still completely lacking in dignity.
Seika hated the thought of that bumbling girl passing herself off as the ladylike Reirin’s best friend. She was filled with a renewed determination to bond with Reirin over the course of this trip and solidify her position as the Maiden Court’s second-in-command.
After hollering up a storm, Keigetsu eventually turned to the neighboring palanquin for help. Seika huffed. Oh, wonderful, now Shu Keigetsu is reaching for Lady Reirin’s palanquin. What is she planning to do if the spider crawls over? A sheltered girl like Lady Reirin might faint from the shock. I had better order the palanquins to sto—
Before Seika could lean forward to give the order, Reirin extended a hand from the palanquin on the left. “Oh my. What a large spider we have here.”
Without the slightest hesitation, she ran her slender fingers over Keigetsu’s robe and snatched up the spider.
Um, what?
What stunned Seika most of all was not Reirin grabbing the creature—though catching a moving spider was a rather impressive feat—but what the girl did next. As naturally as she drew breath, she said, “Hee hee, such a rambunctious little fellow. You’re bothering Lady Keigetsu, so I’ll have to ask you to sit still for a bit,” and cupped her hands around the arachnid.
Seika’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Huh?!
Face frozen in horror, Keigetsu shouted, “Wh-wh-why are you holding on to it?! Release it at once!”
“Oh, that’s hardly necessary. This little one isn’t venomous. Spiders eat pests, so they’re one of a farmer’s strongest allies. If I take good enough care of it, I might even be able to tame it.”
“Would you quit assessing everything based on its agricultural value alone?! And I fail to see how you’re doing anything to take care of it!”
“Goodness,” said Reirin, Keigetsu’s frantic yelling leading to her some kind of epiphany. She took another peek at the creature in her hands. “This spider has very shapely legs. It would be the perfect pet from an aesthetic standpoint as well.”
“It most certainly would not!”
Keigetsu was running out of breath from all the screaming, so Reirin opted to let the spider go out of concern for her friend. With a polite tilt of her head, she asked, “Would you like some water, Lady Keigetsu?”
Following a few beats of stunned silence, a smile suddenly rose to Seika’s lips. Aha. I see what’s going on here. As outlandish as her behavior may seem, that was actually a reference to a scene from one of the classics, in which a celestial maiden lowers a spider’s thread into Hell to save a sinner. As usual, Lady Reirin’s culture shines through in even the most trivial of exchanges.
Seika managed to find an interpretation of Reirin’s actions that made them easier to swallow. Even with a spider cradled in her hands, Kou Reirin genuinely radiated celestial beauty with that benevolent smile of hers, so it wasn’t even that much of a stretch.
Lady Reirin is as merciful as a celestial maiden. She overflows with compassion for all things, including the bugs crawling on the ground. I must strive to live up to her example. I will work as best as I can with those branch-family pests and ensure this ceremony’s success.
Sitting up taller, Seika looked straight ahead. Past Reirin’s and Keigetsu’s palanquins, over by the wharf, a crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of the foreign prince. Kin military officers had roped off a wide enough path for the procession to get through, but the excitement in the air rivaled that of a festival.
At last, the ceremony begins. Prepare yourself, Prince Nadir of Sherba. I, Kin Seika, shall welcome you with only the finest of hospitality.
Seika narrowed her eyes as she gazed out over the city. Her guest was Nadir, crown prince of the Kingdom of Seiruba—or Sherba, rather. He was three years older than Gyoumei. According to the portrait miniatures she had procured in advance of his visit, he was a strapping man with rich brown skin, eyes as blue as gemstones, hair the color of honey, and a strong build. Miniatures placed much more emphasis on realism than Ei’s artwork, so he probably wouldn’t look significantly different in person. His subjects also celebrated him as the “Blue Blaze of Sherba,” suggesting he was every bit the valiant warrior he appeared to be.
On the other hand, Seika had also heard rumors that he was flamboyant and spendthrift. He would go through ten bottles of perfume in the span of a week, line his table with no fewer than a hundred dishes for every meal, and buy a thousand outfits each month. Sherba was a great power to rival Ei; as the heir to its throne, he must have been instilled with a love of luxury from the day he was born.
Still, Seika herself hailed from the Kin domain, a thriving hub of trade. In preparation for this ceremony, she had arranged for the finest delicacies in all of Ei, wine sweet enough to be mistaken for nectar, and a bevy of exceptional beauties. The Quay-to-Carriage Ritual to welcome Prince Nadir was set to be the most lavish of any in history.
“All hail the Maidens!”
A Kin valet rang a gong, and the palanquins came to a stop right before the crowd. The girls were to walk the rest of the way to the wharf. As the hostess, Seika was the first to elegantly lift her skirts and alight.
“Ooh, here comes the Kin Maiden!”
“I’ve scarcely seen such beauty!”
“Welcome to Hishuu, Lady Kin Seika! Honored Maidens!”
The crowd clamored and buzzed. Everyone leaned forward in hopes of getting a step closer to the action, straining the rope barrier. Seika calmly observed the bustle, then turned back to watch the other Maidens descend.
“It’s quite flattering to receive such a warm welcome. We’re not even meant to be the guests of honor here,” Reirin remarked as she gracefully stepped down from the palanquin.
“Yes, this is one enthusiastic crow—eep!” Keigetsu, in contrast, was back to shrieking the moment she set foot on the ground.
Why? Because the moment she alighted, a few dozen men surged toward the Maidens with enough momentum to make the barrier creak under their weight. Each wore a red kerchief on his head and carried a brush and paper in his hands.
“We extend you our warmest greetings, Lady Kou Reirin, Lady Shu Keigetsu!”
“The Kou Maiden’s beauty surpasses all imagination! Hey, painter, are you getting this?! Make sure to capture her face from the side as well!”
“What is your mindset heading into this Quay-to-Carriage Ritual?! Tell us your impressions of the Kin domain!”
“Wh-who are these people?!” Keigetsu shouted, her eyes flitting this way and that as she was bombarded with questions.
Seika stepped in and shooed the men away. “Must you scream at the slightest provocation? A few questions from the newsmongers are no reason to get so worked up.”
“What’s a newsmonger?” Keigetsu asked, completely lost.
“Oh? Do they not have them in the Shu south?” Seika shot back, lifting an eyebrow, but she knew full well that newsmongers were unique to her own domain.
The Kin’s western domain was home to many a bustling market, so its merchants were constantly exchanging information. With how tuned in they were to current trends, they would always be sure to peruse the monthly bulletin the Chamber of Commerce distributed. These men in red kerchiefs, the newsmongers, were the ones who put that bulletin together. In light of the importance the Kin domain placed on information, their position came with quite a few perks. Presently, they were taking full advantage of those privileges to stake out the best spots on the wharf and make a record of the ceremony. Some of them described the scene in writing, while others drew pictures.
Having the newsmongers write an article is a much faster, more reliable way of spreading news than word of mouth. By tomorrow, our entire domain will know that this Quay-to-Carriage Ritual was unparalleled in its splendor and attention to detail.
As a matter of fact, it was Seika herself who had called them here. It was a good way to highlight her own achievements and prevent Seiwa from interfering.
I was braced for my uncle’s machinations to result in a low turnout, but… Heh. I suppose there are limits to how far his wiles can get him.
The crowd was larger than Seika had anticipated, which brought a smug smile to her face. She wasn’t about to let the branch family have their way.
Seika strode straight ahead, skirts fluttering. Each step she took rippled like a wave through the audience, bringing spectators to their knees.
After leisurely cutting through the sea of people, Seika and her fellow Maidens finally reached the ship docked at the wharf. Capable of carrying hundreds of people at once, the ship was so enormous that it would be insufficient to describe it as anything but towering over the harbor. The topmast featured the same design as Sherba’s flag: a mighty tree with the sun behind it. Most of the cargo had been unloaded and piled up dockside, so all that remained was to wait for the prince to disembark.
“Presenting Lady Kin Seika, Lady Kou Reirin, and Lady Shu Keigetsu!” the Kin valet boomed, ringing the gong once more.
A shipboard gong immediately sounded in response, accompanied by a shout in a foreign language. “Presenting the crown prince of Sherba, His Highness Prince Nadir!”
The time had come. The moment the prince stepped off his ship and set foot on Ei’s soil would mark the start of the ceremony.
“Clear the way!”
And yet, what came down the gangway a moment later was not a prince but vibrant red fabric. A young man—presumably a valet—held a gigantic roll of it high overhead before rolling it down the stairs, laying out a red carpet on the wharf. Fwsh!
The Maidens went goggle-eyed.
“All units, move out!” the valet cried for all to hear, punctuated by a resounding blast of his trumpet. “Enter His Royal Highness Prince Nadir of Sherba!” Another piercing blare of the trumpet, this time mingled with the reverberations of a bass drum and the voices of a female choir.
By the time gorgeous women clad in gold and silver robes came dancing down the carpeted gangway, Seika could no longer keep her mouth shut. “I beg your pardon?”
“Rejoice! His Highness Prince Nadir has arrived!”
The dancers flashed their teeth in bright smiles, tossing flower petals in the air. Gold coins were also sprinkled into the mix, and the crowd erupted into cheers every time one landed on the ground.
“Behold him in all his glory!”
The singing and dancing continued unabated, as did the parade. Male sword dancers, a band of musicians, a rainbow of parrots, and eventually even peacocks and camels came streaming out of the ship one after another.
For once, Seika raised her voice. “Excuse me?!”
In the background, Reirin tilted her head to one side. “Goodness me, do you suppose we’ll get to see an elephant?”
“Curb your excitement, Kou Reirin!” Keigetsu snapped. “There’s no way an elephant would fit on a ship!”
Not that any of that mattered. Seika couldn’t even register their banter at the moment.
The ship kept on churning out more personnel, more showers of flower petals and coins and gold-and-silver confetti until every inch of the wharf was overrun with glitz and glamour. Only then did the music finally stop.
“Presenting His Highness Prince Nadir!” boomed the same valet who had blown the trumpet at the start.
A shoe embroidered with gold landed on the gangway, breaking the expectant silence. When the prince raised a hand and revealed himself at last, the citizens of Ei burst into thunderous cheers.
“Omigooosh!”
“Whoa, there he is! It’s Prince Nadir!”
As Seika covered her ears to block out the din, she couldn’t help blurting out, “How can anyone be so ridiculously gaudy?!”
“You must calm yourself, Lady Seika,” Reirin pleaded with her.
“‘Must you scream at the slightest provocation?’” Keigetsu snidely threw Seika’s own words back at her, but the Kin Maiden was in no state of mind to care. The man making his way down the gangway was so eye-searingly bedazzled that she couldn’t focus on anything else.
I’ve scarcely seen such ostentatious fashion!
His turban was larger than his head, a garish purple in color. It was adorned with jewels of various sizes, and a huge peacock feather was attached to the front. His tight-sleeved top, form-fitting pants, and floor-length outer robe were likely also purple. Why only “likely”? Because they were all so lavishly embellished with jewels and gold-and-silver embroidery that it had transformed them into a mishmash of hues.
Behind him, women paraded back and forth with peacock feathers fanned out in their hands, vocalizing their awe at fixed intervals. Due to the prince’s bold fashion and the cloth obscuring most of his face, it was difficult to make out much beyond his blue eyes. The sensory overload had Seika seeing spots.
I’d often derided my aunt and her ilk for their gaudiness, but he puts them all to shame!
If the Pure Consort’s attire could be described as “flashy,” then this man’s was a flash-bang. A veritable explosion.
Seika briefly faltered, but she psyched herself back up the moment she noticed her own reaction. Get it together! Lady Reirin and the newsmongers are watching!
She cleared her throat and put on her most diplomatic smile. After offering the guest a bow, she said loud and clear, “Welcome to Ei, Prince Nadir. On behalf of Crown Prince Gyoumei, I, Maiden Kin Seika, along with Kou Reirin and Shu Keigetsu, extend you the warmest of greetings.” Once the prince and his entourage had drawn closer, she switched to speaking Sherban. “However brief a stay it may be, I pray you will make yourself at home in Hishuu before heading to the capital.”
The valet had been waiting to interpret, so he looked surprised to discover that she was already fluent in their language. The admiring “oohs” Seika heard from her fellow countrymen—particularly those wearing red kerchiefs—helped to restore her confidence. Recently, she’d been studying common diplomatic phrases to reinforce her already strong proficiency in the language.
“The residence where you’ll be staying is stocked with the finest delicacies, liquor, and beauties in all the realm. You ought to take some time to relax and unwind after the long journey. Once you are content, we shall see you off on your path to the—”
Fwsh! Before she could finish her speech, the prince raised a hand high in the air.Seika stopped talking.
After a moment’s pause, he pompously announced, “I decline.”
Seika stared back at him blankly. “Beg pardon?”
A stir swept through the prince’s entourage.
“Ooh!”
“His Highness has spoken!”
“Praise be to God!”
Just a couple of words from their prince, and the crowd went wild.
“C-could you please elaborate?” Seika asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“I, Hasan, His Highness’s loyal valet, shall convey my lord’s words!” The valet standing beside the prince with a trumpet in his hands—Hasan, apparently—projected his voice, his expression sobering. Given his muscular build, it was possible he doubled as the prince’s bodyguard. His blond, braided hair complemented his bronze skin tone, and his blue-gray eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. “Prince Nadir of the Blue Blaze, the esteemed crown prince of the mighty Kingdom of Sherba, speaks thus! ‘I have no interest in your hospitality!’”
The audience broke into whispers over his bombastic translation.
“He doesn’t want to be entertained?”
“But why?”
Why, that good-for-nothing valet! Couldn’t he have picked a more tactful way to translate it?!
A negative impression was spreading through the crowd like wildfire. Seika had to work hard to keep her face from twitching.
She pressed on nonetheless, concealing her panic and saying as brightly as she could manage, “Please, do not hold back on our account. The Kin domain is the largest trading hub in all of Ei. I guarantee I can find something that will leave Your Highness satisf—”
Fwsh! Once again, the prince cut her off before she could finish. This time, he had thrown both hands in the air and tilted his head to one side.
“Enough.”
Another exceedingly short response. And yet, upon hearing it, the women waving peacock feathers and the men hefting drums all gave an exaggerated cheer. “Ooh!”
The valet, Hasan, blared his trumpet. “Allow me to translate!” he bellowed, even more loudly than before. “His Highness Prince Nadir, descendant of the Great Prophet and herald of the dawn over the dunes, speaks thus! ‘I find your lackluster welcome highly disappointing! I brought an entire procession of dancers, yet Ei sends me naught but three little girls! I can only assume your kingdom is quite destitute, so you need not spare the resources to entertain me!’”
“What?!”
For a fleeting moment, Seika entertained the thought of ripping this valet’s tongue from his mouth. How could anyone possibly spin the single word “enough” into such a long-winded string of insults? Hasan was clearly just making things up.
Or was he? Flanked by his entourage, Prince Nadir only nodded gravely. He apparently saw no problem here.
Wait, does that mean his interpretation was correct?!
There was always the possibility that the prince simply didn’t speak Ei’s language, but still. Either way. Really? So many thoughts swirled in Seika’s head at once that she feared it might explode.
Nevertheless, her pride as a Kin was at stake. Seika did her best to keep a smile on her face. “A harsh assessment, but fair enough. I would appreciate a chance to redeem myself, then. Once I’ve escorted you to the estate, I shall serve you the most exquisite meal we have to offer. Oh, I have an idea! As you appear quite fond of dances, we Maidens shall perform—”
“Bah.” For the third time now, the prince cut her off with a snort. Giving an exaggerated shake of his head, he beckoned Hasan closer and whispered a few words into his ear.
“Oh, of course, Your Highness. Your loyal servant understands perfectly.” Hasan nodded with the most solemn expressions, then sounded his trumpet once more. “Hear ye! The wise Prince Nadir, son of Venus and bearer of divine wisdom, speaks thus! ‘I was hoping to see the dances of those beguiling consorts! Alas, I could never enjoy the playtime activities of these babes fresh out of the cradle!’”
“Excuse me?!” Seika flushed a deep red, outraged by the insult.
Hasan jabbed a finger in her direction. “His exact assessments of you three are as follows! ‘A pretentious snob!’” He then turned to Reirin and Keigetsu, who had been watching this all unfold in the background, and pointed to them as well. “‘A feeble weakling! A homely mediocrity! My time would be better spent napping in my room than having Maidens of this caliber wait on me!’”
“Say whaaat?!” Keigetsu was the next to shriek.
“Goodness,” said Reirin, the only one calm enough to put a hand to her cheek. “I daresay he just besmirched our kingdom.”
Correction: Reirin only looked calm. She was actually gripping her face hard enough to turn her knuckles white, but for better or worse, Seika failed to notice.
Chapter 1: Reirin Skulks
Chapter 1:
Reirin Skulks
THE KIN VILLA HAD BEEN BUILT on prime real estate in Hishuu, and it was expansive enough to be mistaken for the imperial palace. Exotic rocks gathered from foreign lands dotted the landscape, and a number of ponds had been strategically placed throughout the property. The gravel strewn over the ground shone like pearls, and beside it a cobblestone path drew a perfectly calculated curve around the premises. Each guest suite took up an entire building, all placed far enough apart to spare visitors any disturbances by their fellow guests. Or that was the idea, at least.
Dun! Dun! Dun! Dun!
Clang, clang, clang-ka-clang!
Unfortunately, the estate was currently filled with a symphonic din loud enough to blast through ten walls in a row. Reirin sighed as she watched each vibration of sound send ripples dancing across her tea.
“It’s shaping up to be another noisy day, I see,” she said.
Across the table, the Shu Maiden—Shu Keigetsu—pressed a finger to her temple. “I’ve had it up to here with all this racket. All they do is party from morning till night. And the smell of their incense is so strong.”
It was now the sixth day of Reirin and Keigetsu’s stay in the Kin domain. They were spending their morning in a room in the Kin estate, drinking tea across from one another. Was this because they had finished up the ritual as quickly as planned and headed into their free time? No, quite the contrary: It was because the ceremony was going nowhere fast.
“What in the world could be going on in that garish numbskull’s head?” Keigetsu griped, gazing out the window at the building in the distance.
Reirin only remarked, “He’s a very peculiar fellow, that’s for certain.” She didn’t even bother chiding Keigetsu for her crass choice of words. After all, the crown prince of Sherba was himself about as far from proper or respectable as you could get. “Time marches on, yet Prince Nadir shows no inclination to declare himself content.”
Her expression darkening, Reirin reflected on all that had transpired since the prince’s arrival.
***
“His Highness Prince Nadir, soaring golden-winged eagle and subjugator of the celestial luminaries, speaks thus! ‘This is the Kins’ idea of a banquet? The food is hardly worth eating!’”
That was the first thing Nadir (well, technically his valet) had to say after being shown to the Kin residence and observing the sumptuous spread of food. Following his initial arrival, Seika had persuaded him to come to the estate by sheer force of will, but his reaction to the welcome banquet was beyond salvaging. One would never guess that the table was laid out with all manner of exquisite cuisine: bird’s nest soup, meat braised for three whole days, hot pot containing fifty different kinds of vegetables, and fresh raw fish carved into flowers. Prince Nadir refused to so much as touch his chopsticks, instead making a series of theatrical gestures that Hasan then interpreted.
“His Highness Prince Nadir, youthful conqueror and unifier of all creation, speaks thus! ‘Do not insult me with this meager excuse for hospitality! I stopped by the Kin domain with the aim of enjoying myself, so imagine my disappointment! I demand only the warmest reception and the best entertainment your dominion has to offer!’”
Prince Nadir and his entourage summarily withdrew from the banquet venue and shut themselves up in the chambers assigned to them. Thereafter, he asserted the superiority of his own kingdom’s tastes by remodeling the interior, sending a horde of his own valets and maids to take over the kitchen, playing loud music late into the night, and burning pungent incense.
“His Highness Prince Nadir, whose extraordinary feats shall be passed down in a thousand epics, speaks thus! ‘This is how the royalty of Sherba lives! Mere servants can enjoy the most luxurious of lifestyles in my employ!’”
With the prince throwing informal parties for his servants every single day, the estate was perpetually filled with unfamiliar cacophonies and the overwhelming aromas of foreign foods and incense. The worst part was that none of it was going to stop until the prince sat down to be entertained and declared himself content.
Of all the Maidens, Kin Seika was the one most riled up by the prince’s behavior. “Curse you, Prince Nadir! How dare he subject us to such humiliation!”
The ceremony had followed protocol to the letter and by all rights should have finished up without incident; Seika never could have imagined that it would be turned upside down right out of the gate. With how much value she placed on the proper order, she had come to view the maverick prince as an enemy to be subjugated. A fire raged in her eyes. She did away with the diplomatic smile she’d worked so hard to keep plastered on, whapping the fan she always held so elegantly against the corridor that led to the guest suite. A declaration of war.
Meanwhile, her uncle Seiwa and his cronies had cast themselves as idle spectators. Having the ceremony drag on for so long was an inconvenience, yes, but they were more than happy to see Seika humiliated. They had encouraged the newsmongers to cover the whole debacle at the wharf with headlines like KIN MAIDEN DISGRACED IN BOTCHED WELCOMING CEREMONY! and even invited a few newsmongers under their thumbs to the estate to document Seika’s failures to entertain the prince. It was underhanded, to say the least.
Obviously, Seika wasn’t the sort to sit back and let this all happen. Fired up and ready for a fight, she kept her worried companions from interfering with assurances that the hostess ought to handle everything, then repeatedly accosted the prince on her own.
Alas…
“I gathered a collection of your favorite fine wines. Why don’t you join us for tonight’s banquet? I would be honored for the opportunity to compare drinks together.”
On the first day of his visit, Seika assembled an assortment of wines and tried inviting Nadir to the dinner table once more, only for the prince to respond with a haughty jerk of his chin. “Hah!”
According to his valet, Hasan, that meant the following: “The brilliant and decisive Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘I find Ei’s alcohol to be dreadfully weak and bland!’”
To further support this claim, his entourage took to partying with the Sherban spirits he had brought along for the trip, sparing not a glance for the alcohol of Ei. Seika looked at the leftover jugs with a glare that said, Perhaps I should use these to pickle that stupid prince.
“Your Highness, a shipment of the most beautiful pheasants just came in, and we plan to release them in the gardens. What do you say to a round of hunting?”
On the second day, Seika changed tack and invited the prince to go hunting, but Nadir only shook his head with a shrug. “Gracious!”
According to his valet, Hasan, that meant the following: “The brave and daring Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘I prefer gigantic elephants to plain, ordinary pheasants!’”
It stood to reason, honestly. Even the most gorgeous of pheasants would pale before a prince who covered himself head to toe in peacock feathers.
Seika backed off without a fight, but as soon as she had dismissed all her attendants, she banged her fist against a wall. “Yes, I would have done well to have an elephant on hand…to trample the prince and his lackeys underfoot.”
It was the first time Reirin and Keigetsu had ever seen her wish harm on someone.
On the third day—meaning yesterday—Seika proposed every form of entertainment she could conceive of: a poetry recital, a stroll through the gardens, a bestowal of paintings and jewelry. Each time, the prince responded with an exaggerated gesture, accompanied by only a word or two. His overzealous valet would interpret every single one of those as bombastically as possible.
“The unyielding and indomitable Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘Poetry is a waste of time. Is this the best the Kin domain can do?’”
“The brilliant and gifted Prince Nadir speaks thus!”
“The peerlessly sagacious Prince Nadir…”
Wondering to herself how he could come up with such flowery, glowing descriptors for such a nutty prince, Seika would always just smile and offer the occasional round of applause.
“I simply cannot stomach any more of that prince’s ridiculous posturing or his valet’s over-the-top turns of phrase. It’s giving me indigestion…”
Or so it seemed. As soon as Hasan was gone, her expression would go blank and she would claw at the wall in frustration.
By this point, the prince’s visit was already running a day over schedule. If all had gone according to plan, the Maidens would be sharing a toast to a job well done right about now. Seika did her level best to maintain her composure, but it was slipping more and more with each passing day.
***
Reirin set her teacup down with a sigh. “Today marks the fourth day of His Highness’s stay. This is the longest it has ever taken for a visitor to say the key word.”
Today was the girls’ sixth day in the Kin domain. They were scheduled to head home on the eighth day—the day after tomorrow—so they would have to rush the ceremony to completion and send the prince off the very next day if they hoped to enjoy a single day of free time.
“The lack of leisure time may turn out to be the least of our worries,” said Reirin. “At this rate, it’s questionable whether we will even see the ceremony through.”
“Ugh, what does Prince Nadir expect to accomplish by overstaying his welcome? He’s making me embarrassed of my Western heritage,” Leelee added indignantly, preparing the tea opposite her. Despite her mother hailing from Sherba—or maybe because of that—she was outraged that the kingdom’s prince was making so much trouble for the Maidens. “My mother used to tell me that the Western prince is a very vibrant man, but I guess that was code for ‘gaudy and inconsiderate.’ I’m not surprised that the grand vizier has been overshadowing him recently.”
“Prince Gyoumei told me that Prince Nadir isn’t a bad person at heart, and they’ve known each other since childhood,” said Reirin. “Alas, I have yet to see evidence to support his claim.”
Hovering near Reirin, Tousetsu set out the tea cakes before covering her ears with no small amount of irritation. “At this point, I believe we would be well within our rights to lodge a formal complaint.” As far as she was concerned, anyone who inconvenienced her mistress was an enemy to be eliminated, foreign prince or not.
“You mustn’t, Tousetsu!” Reirin protested. “He may be depriving me of quality time with Lady Keigetsu, but that’s no excuse to stalk over to him threatening to rearrange his ribs. What would his attendants think?”
“I don’t believe Tousetsu quite said that,” Keigetsu remarked from across the table, face twitching mid-sip at Reirin’s alarming response. She had been looking forward to their free time herself, but the Kou Maiden was overly fixated on the idea of hanging out with a friend.
“But—” Reirin opened her mouth to argue back, only to launch into a coughing fit.
She took out a handkerchief and hacked for quite a while, until Keigetsu grew concerned enough to hold out a fresh cup of tea and ask, “Hey, are you all right?”
“Yes, apologies. The scent of the spices in the air was just a touch overwhelming. Someone must be cooking.” Reirin looked back up, forcing a smile upon her ashen face.
If you took this out of context, she really would look like your stereotypical fragile beauty, thought Keigetsu. The pale, slender wrists peeking out from her sleeves had not a blemish in sight, and all the coughing had left her large, round eyes misty with tears. Keigetsu rarely thought of Reirin as anything but brash and fearless these days, but moments like this reminded her that her friend was, in fact, the prince’s elegant, delicate butterfly.
“Hmm, judging by the smell, today’s main dish is a spicy pork stew. All meat and no potatoes? Their eating habits are simply pitiful.”
“Seriously, why do you think potatoes are the answer to everything?”
Of course, she immediately overwrote that impression by utilizing her talents in the strangest of ways and flaunting her potato obsession. No matter how fragile Kou Reirin appeared, she was still an audacious eccentric at her core.
“Lady Reirin, you ought to go to the bedroom and lie down. I shall charge into the prince’s quarters and eliminate the offending odor at once!”
“Easy, Tousetsu. You’re overreacting,” said Reirin.
Tousetsu was likewise being her usual overprotective self. A few coughs from her mistress were all the incentive she needed to launch an assault on a foreign prince.
Folding up her handkerchief and tucking it away in the breast of her robes, Reirin turned the conversation back to the original topic. “That said, the prince and his entourage truly have stepped out of line. I imagine the unfamiliar scents and loud noises are keeping a good deal of the manor’s residents up at night. Above all else, it pains me to think of how much Lady Seika must be struggling. Although I may not be the hostess of this particular ceremony, I was still brought along to help. I wish there was more I could do. I find the branch family’s meddling a bit too much to bear.”
Reirin took a sip of her second cup of tea, her expression darkening. Despite bringing them all the way to the Kin domain, Seika had yet to seek the aid of her fellow Maidens. Whenever they offered to help, she would insist, “You need not trouble yourselves over a guest’s bad manners or the Kin clan’s petty squabbles. I shall call upon you once it’s time for an actual banquet.” She would then run off on her own to solicit Nadir’s company, standing strong against Seiwa’s underhanded tricks all the while. “I consider you no less valuable guests than His Highness. I couldn’t bear to see you inconvenienced,” she would often say before relegating the girls to their guest suite with premium tea and sweets.
The girls regularly kept in contact with Gyoumei back in the capital, but Seika seemed reluctant to own up to her failures in the crown prince’s presence. She would always put on a brave face and tell him something like, “The circumstances are less than desirable, but I expect to turn things around soon enough.”
“It feels terrible to sit around drinking tea when Lady Seika has hardly taken the time to sleep or eat,” said Reirin. “If only I could talk to Master Seiwa, perhaps something would change.”
Reirin was the empress’s niece. Were someone of her status to have a word with Seiwa, he might join the effort to talk some sense into Nadir. Exploiting someone else’s authority when the situation called for it was a valuable life skill she had learned from Keigetsu.
Keigetsu’s response to her mumblings was curt. Nibbling on a tea cake, she said, “Don’t butt in if no one’s asked for your help. Going over someone’s head to fix a problem can come across as arrogant. All the fights we’ve had ought to have taught you that lesson by now.”
“That’s a fair point…but Lady Seika did request my assistance when she passed me that note. Surely she would like my help with this ceremony.”
“Those are two completely separate issues. Using you to her advantage is all well and good, but she wouldn’t want you swooping in to save her out of pity. Sure, the Kin clan’s internal affairs seem messy, but she hasn’t asked for you to intervene, has she?”
Distressed, Reirin put a hand to her cheek. “But, Lady Keigetsu, wouldn’t you be begging me to do something in her shoes? Like this: ‘Use the empress’s influence or whatever other connections you’ve got! Just get me out of this mess!’”
“Close but not quite,” Keigetsu conceded with a grin. “You left out the part where I’d yell, ‘And be quick about it!’”
Lately, Keigetsu had learned to lighten up and crack jokes. Perhaps hearing the emperor praise her talents had boosted her confidence, or perhaps her walls had come down around Reirin as a result of the many fights they’d worked through. Either way, it warmed Reirin’s heart.
Reirin broke into a smile of her own, only for Keigetsu to wag a finger at her with an exaggerated frown. “But Kin Seika is different. She doesn’t want to look weak in front of you.”
“Why not?”
“It’s embarrassing,” Keigetsu said bluntly.
Reirin’s eyes widened. “It is?”
Taking stock of her friend’s bewilderment, Keigetsu thought, She’s never going to get it. Kou Reirin couldn’t see how much she dazzled the people around her. She was beautiful, intelligent, and well versed in all manner of arts, and she had a heart of gold beneath it all. Her overwhelming charisma made others yearn to stay on her good side, to be allowed to stand beside her. Her mere presence could make people self-conscious about everything down to the way they breathed.
Whenever Keigetsu was at rock bottom, it made her more angry than grateful to have someone so perfect reach out to her. Well, more accurately, she’d grown to take issue with it. In the past, she had longed for Kou Reirin’s support and attention, only to throw a tantrum and resort to villainy when she didn’t get what she wanted. But now that she had built a sense of self-esteem over the course of many trials, she no longer took well to being coddled like a helpless infant. Rather than pleading for help, she was more likely to lash out in frustration at the inequality of the relationship.
Kin Seika was as prideful as they came. If even Keigetsu hated the idea, Seika would probably die of shame if her lepidopteran inspiration were to see her at her lowest point.
“Forget it. You’re probably too dense to understand what I mean,” Keigetsu concluded with a shrug.
Surprisingly, Reirin cast her eyes down and said, “No, I think I do. It’s never easy to ask for help or show weakness.”
Keigetsu boggled. “Wait, you actually get it?!”
Reirin smiled and nodded. “Mm-hmm. I will refrain from taking open action until Lady Seika requests my help.”
“A loose cannon like you is actually agreeing to respect boundaries? What’s next? Is the sky going to fall? Are fish going to sprout legs and start walking the earth?”
“That’s a terrible thing to say, Lady Keigetsu. What exactly do you take me for?”
“A loose cannon.”
“Saying it once was bad enough…” Reirin pressed her hands to her chest, dejected.
Just then, a bell tolled somewhere beyond the estate, announcing the second hour of the snake. It wouldn’t be long before morning gave way to afternoon.
“All we can do is waste the time away,” Reirin lamented. Then, struck with a sudden idea, she turned to Tousetsu. “It’s only a matter of time before Lady Seika starts contemplating what to serve us for lunch, but she’s busy enough as it is. Seeing as we’ve just had tea, would you kindly ask her to postpone our midday meal?”
“I must protest. It would be unwise for me to leave your—”
Tousetsu seemed unwilling to leave her mistress’s side, but Reirin overruled her. “Please, Tousetsu? Only someone of sufficient rank can make requests of another clan’s Maiden.” She faced Leelee. “Go with her, Leelee. Present it as the consensus of both our clans.”
The good-natured court lady sprang out of her seat and snapped straight to attention. “Gladly, milady!”
Both attendants left the room—one with reluctance, the other with a spring in her step. After watching them go with a smile, Reirin sipped her tea for a bit, only to abruptly rise to her feet. “Dear me, I suddenly need to use the ladies’ room. Alas, I would feel unsafe without someone to accompany me. Would you be a dear and join me, Lady Keigetsu?”
“Excuse me?!”
Before Keigetsu could say yes or no, Reirin grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room. The Kin maids Seika had assigned to wait on them were standing by in the adjacent room, but much to their dismay, she marched right past them.
Keigetsu was no less confused. Her friend hadn’t shed a single tear after being dumped into a well in the dark of night. Since when was she afraid of going to the bathroom in broad daylight? “Why do I have to come along? You aren’t one for taking bathroom trips in pairs!”
“Oh, but I am. I’m a widdle scaredy-cat who can’t even walk to the lavatory by myself.”
“Go look up the definition of ‘scaredy-cat’ in a dictionary!”
“I have. I believe it was ‘someone just like Kou Reirin.’”
Reirin seemed a bit distracted as she breezed down the cloister. Keigetsu had a hunch this couldn’t mean anything good.
“Hey, this isn’t the cloister that leads to the bathroom. Doesn’t this one go to the back of the estate?”
“Does it?” Reirin replied nonchalantly, putting a hand to her cheek. “Oh well. A loose cannon like me never takes the conventional path.”
“You’re still hung up on that?!”
Before they knew it, the two Maidens had made it to the far end of the property. A large storehouse with impressive white plaster walls loomed straight ahead.
Reirin scanned her surroundings and murmured, “Wonderful.” Then she burst into the unguarded storehouse.
“What are you doing?!” Keigetsu demanded.
“Hm? I thought this might be the bathroom. Oh dear, it would appear I was mistaken.” Reirin rattled off the words like she was reading from a script. Obviously, this was a premeditated case of trespassing.
“What gave you the bright idea to break into another clan’s storehouse?! This is illegal!”
“Don’t be silly, Lady Keigetsu. This storehouse wasn’t locked, so we couldn’t have broken in. We simply wandered our way into a nonrestricted area.”
“It’s only left unlocked because the servants have to come in and out of here!”
As Keigetsu yelled, she cast a sweeping glance around the room. The structure looked grand from the outside, but the inside was crammed full of useless odds and ends: old pots, worn ropes, used clothes, mismatched pieces of timber, broken wagon wheels, and so on. By the looks of it, this was the Kins’ junk room. No one would suspect the girls of theft for trespassing on a place with nothing worth stealing, but poking around in another clan’s storage without permission would still be considered highly inappropriate behavior. Keigetsu tugged on Reirin’s skirts, pleading with her to get out, but Reirin only ventured deeper into the room and began rummaging through the shelves.
“Over the past few days, I’ve heard talk of the Kin discarding anything that gets even the slightest bit worn out. Such items are kept in this storehouse until they can be properly disposed of. Anyone interested in its contents is free to help themselves.” Reirin mentioned that the Kin maids had made a point of boasting to her about all this before muttering, “Oh, I imagine they’re somewhere around here.”
“Stay out of the shelves!”
It occurred to Keigetsu a moment later that Reirin was focused solely on picking out used clothes. The Kou Maiden helped herself to a wide variety of uniforms: a kitchen maid’s, a seamstress’s, a cleaning lady’s, and a menial worker’s.
“Hmm, perhaps the menial worker would be the safest option. Which is your preference, Lady Keigetsu?”
Keigetsu was getting a bad feeling about this. She was torn; part of her wanted to ask more questions, and part of her didn’t want to know the answer. “What are you going on about now?”
Reirin replied oh-so-matter-of-factly, “I’m talking about our disguises, naturally. It would be difficult to wander the estate freely dressed as Maidens.”
Maidens were too important to do anything but sit in their rooms with a host of maids to wait on them. Reirin’s idea was to disguise themselves as servants and roam the estate in search of information about the prince.
“If we get a better idea of what sort of person Prince Nadir is, it might help us to devise a winning angle of attack,” Reirin said lightly. “Alternatively, uncovering the branch family’s weak points might encourage them to be more cooperative.”
Trembling with fury, Keigetsu screamed, “You just agreed not to take action!”
“I said I wouldn’t take open action. As long as we’re discreet enough not to embarrass Lady Seika, it shouldn’t be an issue.” Reirin shot her friend a wink.
Keigetsu jabbed a finger in Reirin’s direction, red-faced and fuming. “So much for respecting boundaries!”
“Thank goodness fish didn’t have to sprout legs.” Reirin returned everything but the menial worker uniforms to the shelves. “In all seriousness,” she went on, lowering her voice, “we needn’t go ahead with the undercover investigation if you’re truly so opposed. All I really wanted was an opportunity to chat with you without any maids around.”
“Are you kidding me? What an utterly ridiculous reason to send our head court ladies away. Don’t come crying to me later if Tousetsu flies into a rage and places you under house arrest.”
“Not to worry. Tousetsu will let me get away with almost anything these days, so long as I have my heart set on it.”
“Oh, great. Sounds like that overbearing court lady isn’t even doing her job as chaperone anymore,” Keigetsu grumbled. “Well, out with it. What did you want to talk about?”
As a matter of fact, Keigetsu herself was sick and tired of being shadowed by attendants around the clock. She made a point of keeping only Tousetsu and Leelee by her side, but it was hard to relax and speak freely with another clan’s maids right around the corner. Particularly ones from the branch family at odds with Seika.
Reirin leaned in, glad that Keigetsu was giving her the time of day. “The thing is, you see—”
Tap, tap, tap!
Someone entered the storehouse with firm, decisive footfalls, prompting Keigetsu and Reirin to hide behind the shelves in the back.
“You claim the rare vintage wine Prince Nadir might like is kept in this dilapidated shed?” came a voice that managed to sound both dignified and domineering at once. It was Seika.
Reirin and Keigetsu exchanged glances, surprised to find that all three of them had coincidentally assembled in the storehouse.
***
Today marks the fourth day of Prince Nadir’s visit. If I cannot get him to say he’s content today, I’ll never live it down!
Seika was anxious, and she had every reason to be. This ceremony was supposed to take no longer than a day or two. Now almost double that time had passed, and she still hadn’t brought it to a close. No matter how many delicacies of the East and West she set out on the table, no matter how many novel activities she organized, it never mattered. The prince refused to declare himself content and leave for the imperial capital.
Her whole time as a Maiden, Seika had been a model student who swiftly and expertly completed every task given to her. The thought of being branded incompetent over this fiasco was deeply upsetting to her. With the newsmongers and her idol Kou Reirin watching, she couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. As soon as she heard there was a rare vintage wine in the branch family’s storehouse, she rushed over in the desperate hope that this might be the key to finally piquing Nadir’s interest.
“You claim the rare vintage wine Prince Nadir might like is kept in this dilapidated shed?”
“Yes, milady,” said a maid. “It should be strong enough to satisfy even the heaviest of drinkers. If you don’t believe us, why not check for yourself whether there are any jugs?”
“This type of wine is aged in the dark, so I imagine it would be somewhere toward the back,” said another.
It was the branch family maids who had informed Seika of the wine’s whereabouts, yet they stopped just outside the storehouse door and ordered the highborn Maiden to find it herself. Not one of the six stepped up to help.
Losing patience with their lazy attitudes, Seika said sharply, “Must I remind you of your own duties? It’s your job to find it. We are scheduled to hold a luncheon for His Highness when the hour of the horse comes to an end. He finally expressed interest in showing up, but we won’t finish the preparations in time if you dawdle.”
The maids only tittered in response.
“You wish to speak of duties? All the more reason milady should be the one to search. Are you not the hostess of this ceremony? That makes you solely responsible for entertaining the prince.”
“In the event that we have no drinks to serve, His Highness will simply assume it was the Maiden’s blunder.”
“Besides, His Highness is certain to cancel his attendance at the last minute. That’s what he always does.”
Not a single one of them set foot inside the storehouse. All they did was talk down to Seika.
“I’ll have you know…!” Seika came close to raising her voice, but she let out a breath to calm herself. “Fine. I have no time to waste on ne’er-do-wells.”
It would be faster to find it on her own. She strode straight into the shadowy storehouse without so much as a hint of fear.
“It’s terribly dusty in here. You there, bring me a handker—”
As Seika turned back to the door, she was greeted with a shocking sight.
Creeeak!
The maids standing on the other side of the iron door had abruptly swung it shut.
“What?!”
Seika gulped as the darkness around her deepened. She whirled back in a panic and tried to force her way out of the storehouse, but the heavy iron door wouldn’t budge. Not with several women leaning their weight against it.
“How dare you! I demand that you open this door at once!”
A metallic clunk rang out, as if to sneer in the face of her pleas. It was the sound of someone turning the lock.
“Hey!” Seika pounded on the door, but no one paid her any mind.
“Oh dear, some careless fool left the storehouse door wide open. Best to leave it locked.”
“Not that we really need to worry. I highly doubt anyone would sneak into a run-down shed like this.”
“Only a have-not or a buffoon, I’m sure.”
The maids’ staged conversation carried through the crack in the door. They were giggling.
“Enough of this nonsense!” Seika cried, banging on the door harder than ever. “Do you realize what you’re doing?! We are due to host a banquet for a state guest, and you are obstructing the proceedings. That is equivalent to defying His Majesty’s orders! If you would rather not be put to death, you will let me out of here this instant!”
On the other side of the door, Seika sensed the women falter for the briefest of seconds.
The very next moment, however, a surprising voice rang out from behind them. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Seika dear, but you will be the only one held accountable.”
It was a man’s voice, rich and full of hidden insinuations. It belonged to Kin Seiwa, Seika’s uncle and the governor of Hishuu.
“After all,” he went on, “the newsmongers are about to spread word that the mainline Maiden spurned the branch family’s numerous offers of help before ultimately giving up on the banquet.”
“You set this up, Uncle?!”
Seika groaned with the realization that there had never been any vintage wine. She was ashamed to have fallen for such an obvious trap out of sheer desperation.
“You would make the neighboring prince a casualty in our family feud?! Have some shame!”
“Oh, His Highness won’t be a casualty at all. I plan to do an impeccable job of entertaining him in your stead. You can sit back in this storehouse and savor your fall from grace. I can already picture tomorrow’s headlines: ‘Stuck-Up Maiden Fumbles Ritual and Flees in Shame!’”
In short, Seiwa’s plan was to swoop in, steal all the credit, and smear Seika as an incompetent Maiden who’d run off after botching a ceremony. That was his true aim in inviting newsmongers to the estate.
“I tried everything I could, and none of it worked. I struggle to imagine that His Highness will suddenly find himself satisfied once you take over,” Seika warned him, voice dark and low.
Her wily old fox of an uncle wasn’t fazed. “Ah, but he will. I have a secret weapon up my sleeve—one that would never even occur to a sheltered Maiden like you.” With a mocking snicker, he added, “There’s a reason politics have always been a man’s domain. It should be your job as Maidens to lend a little color to the festivities. All you women know how to do is put on performances and look pretty, and you want to stick your nose into diplomatic negotiations? Don’t make me laugh. Now, be a good girl, stay put, and learn to mind your place.”
He uttered the last part like he was talking down to a child. The maids hanging behind him burst into giggles.
“You fancy yourself a brilliant Maiden, yet you can’t get a clue until things are spelled out for you? The main line clearly doesn’t know how to raise girls right!”
“All that pride of theirs must get in the way. She’s probably gone her whole life hearing nothing but flattery. No one has ever cut her down to size.”
“I almost pity her! There’s no more embarrassing a sight than an undisciplined child.”
As the maids heaped on ridicule and snide comments, Seiwa made a painfully phony attempt to admonish them. “That’s enough, ladies.” It was easy to picture his sleazy smile from the other side of the door as he went on, “I’m not as heartless as you may think. If you swear to kneel before me with the newsmongers watching, I promise to let you out of here come evening. Oh, here’s an idea: Our guest ought to be all oiled up by then, so you can be his nighttime entertainment, if you catch my drift.”
Seika gasped. “What?!”
She didn’t know what Seiwa’s “secret weapon” was, but she could make a few guesses, given his depraved sense of morality. Perhaps he was planning something in the obscene vein of the matchmaking fair—sending inexperienced girls to wait on the prince, dressed in nothing but a strip of sheer silk.
“I swear, your side of the family comes up with the most sickening ideas! I demand you let me out of here at once! I’ll die before I kneel to one of you despicable collateral descendants!”
Seika banged furiously on the door, but Seiwa was unmoved. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. It doesn’t take much to change a person’s mind,” he said. “Didn’t you learn how much imprisonment can weaken the spirit from what you did to the Pure Consort?”
In other words, this doubled as a way of getting payback for his sister Reiga.
“Listen here, you shameless swine! This is a futile effort! If I disappear, Lady Reirin and Lady Keigetsu will step up to carry out the ritual in my stead!”
Seika’s threat did nothing to dampen his mockery. “Ha ha ha! What do you expect an ailing butterfly and a talentless sewer rat to accomplish? Particularly after you’ve spent the last few days rejecting their help. It’s time you faced the facts: You three are nothing but powerless little girls.”
Over the past few days, he had evidently deemed both Reirin and Keigetsu unworthy of his notice.
“Now then, I have a banquet to prepare, so you will have to excuse me. Hmm, perhaps I’ll come back to check on you right before lunch. I wouldn’t want to miss my chance to hear you beg.”
“Stop right there!”
“Much obliged for all the hard work you’ve put in thus far. I’ll be taking the final victory for myself.”
“Come back here, Uncle!”
Heedless of Seika’s demands, Seiwa cut the conversation short and left the storehouse behind. The tittering maids went with him.
Seika continued to pound on the door, clenching her fair hands into fists. “Open up! We don’t have time for this nonsense!”
It was pitch black inside the storehouse. Fear and anxiety washed over her. Her fists trembled before the untamable malice poised to swallow her whole.
I hate this!
Kin Seika was known as a proud, brilliant woman. Since childhood, she had made every effort to become someone worthy of her prestigious bloodline. She had honed her skills, accomplished every task given to her, and vanquished every enemy in her path to uphold her reputation. How, then, had she ended up here, locked in a shed because she couldn’t fend off the childish spite of her own relatives?
“All you women know how to do is put on performances and look pretty.”
Seiwa’s insult echoed over and over in her mind. He was right, in a way—her knowledge of the arts had always been her greatest weapon, and it had proven useless against the prince. Between that and everything else happening, she was plagued with the most shame and impotence she had ever felt.
I’ve worked so hard to better myself. I have perfected my arts and upheld my integrity. And for what?! No matter how hard I cultivate these feminine virtues, I still can’t win against the men of the branch family and their underhanded “politics”!
For Seika, this was no longer an ordinary ceremony. At some point, her quest to entertain the prince had turned into a means of showing up the branch family and proving her way of life to be correct. It was a battle to establish the legitimacy of the main line and Seika’s rightful place within the Kin clan.
“Someone help m—” Seika cut herself off mid-plea. She was in enemy territory. How many people here would be willing to lend her a hand? “Lady Reirin, perhaps? No, I mustn’t trouble a delicate lady like her.”
“Um…”
Reirin and Keigetsu were the only ones she could trust, but that was all the more reason not to involve them in her mess. Besides, she didn’t want the favored butterfly she so idolized to see her in such a sorry state.
“What are the odds of someone passing by? Anyone at all?”
“Er…”
All her pounding on the door was turning the porcelain skin of her hands red and swollen. Still, she had to get out of this storehouse fast, or she wouldn’t have the banquet ready in time. Showing up late would doom the ceremony to failure—and result in her own defeat.
“I’m begging you, someone, anyone! Please realize I’m in here!”
“Excuse me, Lady Seika.”
Someone abruptly tapped Seika’s shoulder from behind.
“Eep!” she yelped, practically jumping out of her skin.
“Apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Took you long enough to realize we’re in here.”
Straining her eyes against the darkness, Seika found none other than Kou Reirin and Shu Keigetsu standing before her.
Heart in her throat, she stumbled backward, clutching her hands to her chest. “Y-you scared me… What are you two doing here?”
“Ah, right, about that… Let’s just say we have our reasons.” Despite approaching Seika herself, Reirin was a bit flustered to be asked that perfectly natural question. She couldn’t very well come out and say, We were planning to help you out by searching the estate in disguises.
Unfortunately, Seika drew her own conclusions from Reirin’s vague reply. She sucked in a sharp breath, then her expression morphed into a dark scowl. “Did my dastardly uncle plot to trap you in here with me?!”
She’d jumped to the immediate conclusion that Seiwa had dragged Reirin and Keigetsu into his schemes.
“Oh, no, you have it all wrong! We just, um…happened to stumble in when we were out for a walk.”
“You stumbled into a storehouse?”
Reirin’s desperate attempts to explain herself only seemed to deepen Seika’s suspicions. “You’d tell such far-fetched lies for my sake?” she said to herself, her voice small and ashamed. With a guilt-ridden shake of her head, she clenched her hands into fists and dropped her gaze to the floor. “Say no more. I know my uncle lured you here. I offer you both my deepest apologies for getting you mixed up in this mess.”
“No, you really didn’t!”
Reirin tried her best to correct the misconception, but Seika wasn’t listening. She was too dogmatic. Once she decided something was true, nothing could change her mind—which could be dangerous in combination with her pride and conscientious nature. Her fists were shaking so violently that it was noticeable even in the dim light.
“It would be one thing to go after me, but to trap our guests in this run-down shed and obstruct the proceedings?” Her voice hitched with humiliation. She couldn’t give in to Seiwa’s demands, but neither could she let another clan’s frail, eminent Maiden end up as collateral damage. A surge of indecision and agitation brought tears to her eyes. “I’m so ashamed!”
“Oh, don’t say that…” Reirin reached out to Seika, only to pull her hand back. She wanted to tell the other Maiden not to worry about it. Seika wasn’t responsible for the prince’s arrogant whims or the branch family’s schemes, to say nothing of the fact that Reirin and Keigetsu had come to the storehouse of their own free will. And yet…
Lady Seika wouldn’t want me to comfort her.
The words Seika had said a few minutes ago played back in her mind.
“No, I mustn’t trouble a delicate lady like her.”
She remembered what Keigetsu had told her too.
“She doesn’t want to look weak in front of you.”
When I tell people not to worry, it only makes them more concerned.
Reirin was a frail, sickly girl. The prince’s butterfly. Any insistence that she was fine would come across as a weakling’s efforts to put on a brave face. Any encouragement she could give would sound like condescending pity. This was all the truer when she was dealing with Seika, who believed her to be the ideal delicate Maiden.
Ah… How I wish I could have formed a genuine friendship with Lady Seika.
Kou Reirin was the object of Kin Seika’s admiration and adoration. For that very reason, anything Reirin could say to her right now would only push the prideful girl closer to her breaking point.
What do I even do here?
Reirin was so disillusioned with herself. For all her knowledge of poems and classics, she couldn’t come up with the right words to say when it counted. The Maiden Court was the place she had chosen to call home, so it pained her that she had failed so miserably to build a comfortable rapport with the other people in it. As she recalled the sight of the other four Maidens bantering under a pavilion during the Repose of Souls, she chewed on her lip miserably.
“What a sorry sight you are,” Keigetsu cut in, punctuating her point with a smug snicker. “Everyone knows Kin Seika as a master of the arts and connoisseur of beauty. Meanwhile, back in her own home, they despise her enough to lock her in a storehouse? I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Wha…?!”
Seika snapped her head up, taken aback, only to find Keigetsu pressing her fingers together with a delighted sneer.
Reirin gasped. What?! You’re really going to kick her while she’s down, Lady Keigetsu?! She knew her friend had a knack for playing the bad guy, but she hadn’t expected her to indulge that habit in this particular situation.
Keigetsu paid her friend no heed as she jabbed a finger in Seika’s direction. “‘Loser’ is such an unflattering look on you. You’ve never gotten a taste of humiliation in the Maiden Court, so I suppose you don’t know how to cope when it’s your turn to be the victim. Tell me, how does it feel to have your ceremony in shambles, your relatives laughing in your face, and news of your failures set to make the rounds?” Twisting her lips into a smirk, she asked, “Shall I pass the moniker of the Maiden Court sewer rat over to you?”
“Why, you despicable little—” Overcome with fury, Seika raised a hand to slap her.
Tmp!
Right before she could make contact, Keigetsu caught the blow head-on.
“This is just scratching the surface, though. It barely even counts as bullying.” The look on Keigetsu’s face was surprisingly earnest, and there wasn’t a trace of glee left in her voice. “So what if you were locked in a storehouse? I’ve been trapped in a tinier storeroom than this more times than I can count. So what if your maids laughed at you? One of my court ladies tried to murder me. So what if your uncle tricked you? Welcome to the club—the Noble Consort used me as a tool and almost had me killed.”
Keigetsu menaced the other Maiden coolly, keeping a firm grip on her hand. Seika tried to wriggle free, but Keigetsu refused to let go.
“My ceremony was sabotaged. My erhu was snapped in two, my robe was soiled, and I nearly went up in flames along with my reputation. What do you even have to complain about in comparison? Your guest throwing a little tantrum and your uncle going on a power trip? Get over it.”
Losing her patience, Seika snapped, “What is your point? Do you just want to brag about how you had it so much harder?!”
Keigetsu didn’t deny it. Instead, she roared, “Why, yes, I do! I have you beat when it comes to being an ill-fated loser! Don’t go head-to-head with a sewer rat in a contest of misery!”
“Excuse me?!”
“Listen here, Kin Seika! What you’re going through isn’t the least bit pitiful. You have nothing to be embarrassed about!”
Her emphatic shout left Seika’s mouth hanging open in shock. It was an incredibly arrogant thing to say, but somehow tremendously encouraging to hear.
“Stop getting weepy over nothing. So what if you don’t make it in time for the banquet? The ones who locked you up are to blame, so you can just explain what happened to the prince later. It’s no different from suddenly coming down with an illness.”
“Are you…trying to cheer me up?”
“This isn’t about you.” With a snort, Keigetsu jerked her chin at Reirin, who had been standing back and letting their conversation play out. “I was worried she was going to tear through her lip with her silly brooding, and all the gloom was making it even harder to see in here.”
“Oh, Lady Keigetsu!” Reirin’s hands flew to her mouth as she realized her friend had been worried about her. Borderline hyperventilating, she exclaimed, “Goodness gracious, dearie me! I have the most dashing friend in the world! It’s too much to take—I think I might start coughing up blood!”
“Knock it off! That doesn’t sound like a joke coming from you!” Keigetsu retorted, but it did nothing to stop the surge of emotion washing over Reirin.
With how long they’ve been at each other’s throats, I can’t believe that Lady Keigetsu gave Lady Seika a pep talk! And she even dredged up her own past to do it!
Best of all, she’d partly done it to break Reirin out of her funk. The Kou Maiden was radiating delight.
Oh! My goodness! I simply cannot believe how inspiring Lady Keigetsu can be! I must do everything I can to prove myself worthy of her friendship!
Reirin dabbed at the tears of joy welling in her eyes. Then, smiling elegantly, she said, “She’s right, Lady Seika. You have no reason to be ashamed. After all, it won’t be long before we blow this joint sky-high.”
“Pardon?”
The butterfly’s tone of voice was perfectly ladylike, while the actual words leaving her mouth were anything but. Seika’s head automatically whipped around the storehouse. The mismatch was so extreme that she assumed she must have been hearing things.
“Um, Lady Reirin? Did you just say we’re going to ‘blow this joint…sky-high’?”
“Correct. Prince Nadir refuses to cease his selfish demands despite being a guest in our kingdom, while Master Seiwa would lock a delicate young lady in a storehouse to bend her to his will. Something must be done about them both. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but that is no longer a concern now that you’ve actively sought my help.”
“Huh?”
“Am I mistaken? You uttered the word ‘help,’ did you not?”
Reirin took a set of used clothes off the shelf and handed them over. Seika flew into a tizzy, completely lost as to what was happening. Keigetsu, on the other hand, had been roped into enough of the butterfly’s foolhardy schemes that her face went taut with a sense of foreboding.
“Hold it. What are you planning, Kou Reirin?” she asked.
“As I said, I seek to put both Master Seiwa and Prince Nadir in their place. The other Kins appear unwilling to help with hosting His Highness, so I propose that we head into town and pick out something to present to him ourselves.”
“What?! You want to head into town?!”
Keigetsu boggled. Her friend apparently wasn’t content to stop at prowling the estate—she wanted to take her efforts into the city. Earlier, she had claimed she wouldn’t pressure Keigetsu into an undercover investigation, but she had somehow come around to upping the stakes.
“Yes. The luncheon His Highness is set to attend will be held toward the end of the hour of the horse. It is currently the second hour of the snake, which gives us three hours until then. All we need to do is finish our stroll of the city in two hours and spend the last hour getting everything ready.” Smiling tenderly, she added, “Fortunately for us, it seems Master Seiwa will be distracted with his own preparations in the meantime.”
“Um, I don’t think that’s why she asked,” Seika nervously interjected in place of Keigetsu, whose face was twitching at this turn of events. “L-Lady Reirin? The door is locked. I’m afraid there’s little point in making plans to head into town when we have no way out.”
“Oh, Lady Seika, you silly dear. There’s hardly any need to leave through the door, is there?” Reirin asked with a gentle tilt of her head.
Seika instinctively nodded along. “Um, p-perhaps…so?”
A beat later, she thought, Wait, isn’t a door actually quite necessary for exiting or entering a room?
Seika cast a confused glance around the storehouse. The only window was high overhead and too small to function as anything but a source of light. A person had no hope of fitting through, and they wouldn’t be able to reach it no matter how high they piled odds and ends to stand on. The iron door was far too sturdy to ram open, and the walls were reinforced with plaster.
Keigetsu was clearly thinking the same thing. With a perplexed look, she asked, “What, do you want me to make a flame call to Tousetsu or something?”
“Regrettably, Master Seiwa is in possession of the key, so I doubt Tousetsu would have the means to rescue us. No, I suggest that we break through one of the walls. That way, we’ll emerge toward the back of the estate, and we can head into town without anyone noticing. It’s the perfect solution.”
“And how, pray tell, do you propose we do that? Even with my flames, it’ll take time to burn a hole through a plaster wall.”
“Goodness, Lady Keigetsu, didn’t you know? Plaster may be quite resistant to fire, but it is weak to rapid changes in temperature.”
Reirin’s gaze was fixed on a large jug full of alcohol in the back of the storehouse. The look in her eyes was tranquil enough at a glance, but a fierce emotion danced in their depths.
Say, Master Seiwa, she thought. If my ears did not deceive me, you called us an ailing butterfly, a talentless sewer rat, and powerless little girls, did you not?
He was the one who had picked this fight. Any self-respecting woman would rise to the bait and pay him back twice over.
“We are sad little trapped rats.”
Reirin surveyed the room anew. They had plaster. Alcohol. Used clothes, timber, all sorts of old bits and bobs—and Keigetsu’s flames. A plan was coming together in her mind.
“Then we must make like cornered rats and go for the cat’s throat.”
The smile on Reirin’s face was chilling enough to leave Seika shivering. “I-Is it just me, or is Lady Reirin behaving strangely?” She nudged Keigetsu with her elbow and whispered, “Explain, Shu Keigetsu! What is going on with her?!”
Keigetsu heaved a sigh of total resignation. “You can’t tell?” She pressed a finger to her temple, long accustomed to dealing with this wild boar and her rampages. “She’s mad that someone took you and me for fools.”
“She’s mad?” Seika’s eyes flitted about in confusion. That wasn’t the answer she had expected to hear.
Meanwhile, the reputedly “mild-mannered” Maiden rolled up her sleeves and bared her slender arms. “Come, let’s do this with a bang.”
Her voice sounded as lovely as gold filigree swaying in the wind, yet it was simultaneously brimming with menace. Seika rubbed her eyes. For a moment there, she could have sworn her ethereal celestial maiden looked more like a brawny, enraged warrior god.
Chapter 2: Reirin Hits the Town
Chapter 2:
Reirin Hits the Town
PACKED WITH CROWDS, the port city’s market was buzzing with a different kind of vibrancy than the one in the capital. Sunshine glinted off the paving stones, and the merchants’ colorful awnings flapped in the breeze. The stalls in one particular corner were piled high with exotic, eye-catching fruits, and pungent spices imported from lands far to the west tickled the nose. Silk goods hung fluttering in the wind. In the center of the market, jesters and dancers put on impromptu performances, earning hearty applause from their audience.
Having successfully made their way to the market, Reirin, Keigetsu, and Seika sat down on a set of stone steps nestled between stalls to catch their breath. Reirin let her petite frame go limp, hunching over with her face buried in her hands.
Seika, seated to her left, gingerly stroked her back. “Are you all right, Lady Reirin? I should have known this was too far for someone with your constitution to walk.”
Her fleeting transformation into a warrior god notwithstanding, Kou Reirin was still the prince’s dainty, delicate butterfly. Seika began to worry that she might faint if she spent too long walking under the hot sun.
“…ket…”
“Hm? What was that, Lady Reirin?” Seika leaned forward in a fluster, hoping to catch the other girl’s faint mumblings.
Reirin looked up so fast, she nearly headbutted Seika. She all but gurgled, “There’s really nothing quite like a market…”
She trembled with joy, hands falling away to reveal cheeks flushed with exhilaration. She was short of breath, yes, but it seemed excitement had been the cause.
To her right, Keigetsu gave a dismissive shrug. “Don’t waste your time worrying about her, Lady Seika. She may look fragile on the outside, but she’s a wild boar at heart.”
“Why, I never! Mind what you say in front of a delicate, sensitive lady like—”
“Wake up and face reality!” Keigetsu shot back. “Would a delicate, sensitive lady run around wrecking storehouses?!”
Seika immediately fell silent. As a matter of fact, the girls hadn’t escaped the storehouse by simply forcing the door open—they had blown a hole through one of the walls.
Reirin spoke up in Seika’s stead, putting a hand to her cheek and calmly protesting, “‘Wreck’ is such a strong word. All we did was pry an itty-bitty hole in the wall to use in place of the door.”
As far as Kou Reirin was concerned, the word “wreck” was reserved for actions on the magnitude of total obliteration.
By her standards, this escape plan had been on the tamer end of the spectrum. First, she had gone around knocking on the storehouse walls to pinpoint a spot without stones in the core. She had then asked Keigetsu to scorch a section of it just big enough for one of them to squeeze through. It wasn’t so easy to burn through a plaster wall, but after letting the flames flicker awhile, Reirin had splashed a jar full of vintage wine onto the flames to bolster them.
Alcohol also happened to absorb a great deal of heat when it evaporated. Once they had given the wall a thorough roasting, Reirin had asked Keigetsu to put out her flames, poured even more wine on the offending area, and waved a fan in its direction. The rapid change in temperature had caused the plaster to crumble away. Next, Keigetsu had set the exposed laths on fire, then snuffed out the flames once more. Reirin had grabbed a hoe from the storehouse and hacked away at the weakened area. The girls repeated that process several times over, and in no time at all, they had managed to open a hole in the storehouse wall.
Keigetsu was completely exhausted by the time they were done, however. According to her, extinguishing fires consumed more qi than starting them.
Seika had livened up the scene with all her frantic shouting in the background:
“Huh?! You’re going to set fire to the storehouse?! But we’re trapped inside! Wait just a—”
“Shu Keigetsu! N-need you summon such enormous flames?! Eek! Put them out! Quickly!”
“Lady Reirin! What are you holding that hoe fo—Lady Reirin?!”
The whole ordeal appeared to have given her a newfound appreciation for the power of Keigetsu’s magic. Reirin had also enjoyed Seika’s astonished reaction upon seeing her brandish a hoe. Hefting such a heavy tool had sucked the breath right out of her current frail vessel, but it was worth it just to see the look on the other Maiden’s face.
After all the disrespect Seiwa had dished out, it wouldn’t have been satisfying to slip through the hole and call it a day. Reirin came up with the idea to strip themselves of the outer robes that identified them as Maidens, drape those over piles of timber, and make it look like the three of them were sprawled over the ground. For the finishing touch, as soon as they were all safely outside, she had tossed wood chips into the air and asked Keigetsu to set them on fire. With any luck, it would cause a gigantic explosion and bring people flocking to the scene, where they would discover the charred remains of the three Maidens’ robes. Even Seiwa was bound to lose his cool if he believed himself responsible for the deaths of two other clans’ Maidens.
“Alas, no crowd-pleasing dust explosions today,” Reirin lamented. “I suppose reality doesn’t always go according to plan.”
Keigetsu had regained enough composure at this point to size up the food stalls, but she didn’t neglect to retort, “Don’t sound so disappointed. And I assure you it’s no crowd-pleaser!”
For whatever reason—maybe they needed more wood chips, or maybe they hadn’t timed the ignition just right—the explosion hadn’t come to pass, at least not by the time the girls left the premises. Still, they had made a point of leaving a few embers burning, so a small fire had probably broken out in the storehouse by now. The part of the plan where a crowd stumbled upon the incinerated remains of the Maidens’ robes still stood a decent chance of playing out.
“I feel bad for Tousetsu and Leelee. I can’t believe you just rattled off an explanation and cut the flame call before they could ask any questions,” Keigetsu grumbled.
Reirin was unrepentant. “The best trick to avoiding a lecture is to run through your report and follow-up requests too fast for anyone to comment.”
Shortly after escaping, Reirin had requested that Keigetsu make a flame call to Tousetsu and Leelee. She told the court ladies they had “gone out for a walk” and “inadvertently” ended up locked inside a storehouse with Seika, informed them of the plan to procure a nice gift in town as a way to outwit Seiwa and Prince Nadir, and asked that the two of them rush to the storehouse and make a big fuss in front of the newsmongers so that word of the branch family’s meddling would get out. Not once had she stopped to let them get a word in edgewise.
Tousetsu had thrust herself toward the flame, her face white as a ghost’s. “W-wait, Lady Reirin! You cannot go shopping without an escort! Nor are you in any condition to—”
Reirin brightly cut her off mid-sentence. “We’ll be back in two hours. Oh, and do be careful around the storehouse.” With that, she had blown out the candle she’d snuck out of the storehouse and tucked it away in her sleeve.
Back in the present, Keigetsu was in a huff. “Think about it, Lady Seika. Every last thing she’s done today has been madcap and bullish. What kind of highborn lady gets locked in a storehouse and suggests burning down a wall to escape?”
“Madcap? Bullish?! Don’t you dare talk about Lady Reirin that way! Upon further reflection, there’s a perfectly good explanation for her chosen course of action. You see, um…mastery of heat control has long been considered a desirable feminine skill, so if you take that to its logical conclusion—”
“Frying a wall is not the same thing as frying a pastry,” Keigetsu interjected, uninterested in humoring Seika’s far-fetched defense.
Reirin cracked an awkward half smile. “Now, now, you two. Try to rein in your tempers,” she said gently.
Keigetsu glared at her. “Look who’s talking!”
Seika, on the other hand, responded with an earnest nod. “You’re right, Lady Reirin. This is no time to be fighting. We need to work out a plan—and quickly.” She cast her eyes down, looking glum. “Do you think three hours will be enough time to find something to His Highness’s liking?”
The past few days of back-and-forth with Nadir appeared to have done a number on her morale.
“I took offense to my uncle’s insistence that women are useless, but it’s true that I have no knack for politics or diplomacy,” she went on. “I hoped that I could leverage my knowledge of the arts to keep our guests happy, but that has proven to be an ineffective strategy against Prince Nadir.” For once, there was a self-deprecating twist to her smile.
Reirin’s face fell. “Oh, don’t say that, Lady Seika…”
Keigetsu only snorted, as belligerent as ever. “I wouldn’t call it ineffective. That prince just has terrible judgment. Listen to the way he talks! And need I mention all his exaggerated gestures?! He’s a total clown. Meanwhile, all his valet ever does is mess around and raise a ruckus.”
After spending the past few days constantly subjected to foreign music and the valet’s theatrics, she had a personal bone to pick with the prince.
“According to the maids’ gossip, he only got his Blue Blaze moniker because everyone overstated a decent showing in his first battle. His people actually call him Prince Half-Wit. The grand vizier is supposedly the real power behind the throne, and it won’t be long before he takes full control of the kingdom. If the alternative is a shallow prince like that, I’m not surprised.”
Surprisingly, it was Seika who objected to Keigetsu’s merciless critique of the prince. “No, I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t believe he’s entirely ignorant of art and culture.”
Reirin and Keigetsu exchanged glances. Given how high Seika’s standards for beauty were, it was rare to hear her acknowledge someone like this.
“Why do you say that?” Reirin asked with a tilt of her head.
Seika explained, “Over the past few days, I have noticed something about the way His Highness dresses himself: He always incorporates twelve different colors into his outfits. There also happens to be exactly twelve provinces in the Kingdom of Sherba. Each province has its own emblematic color, and he makes a point of wearing every last one. All twelve colors every single day? I highly doubt that’s a coincidence.”
According to Seika, anytime he didn’t wear all twelve colors, he would represent the missing provinces with a colorless local specialty instead.
“For example, the fabric of his buttons might be woven Antep style, or he might fasten his turban with a pearl from Rize. He always finds a way to make his outfits evoke all twelve. And the most impressive part is how well he manages to coordinate them. The end result may be gaudy, but it is never mismatched.”
Reirin and Keigetsu looked at each other again. This was a perspective neither of them had ever even considered—one that only a fashionista like Seika could have.
“Furthermore,” Seika continued, counting off points on her fingers, “although I tire of his pungent spices always lingering in the air, I can tell from the scent that he alternates between using northern and southern varieties. He doesn’t simply slather spices on his food for its own sake.”
“…”
“While I was quite indignant when he took it upon himself to redecorate, the furniture he brought in consisted of traditional crafts from every province. It all looks the same at a glance, but the color of the wood differs slightly between them.”
“…”
“The same applies to his entourage of singers and dancers. Upon closer examination, the styles of their makeup and weave patterns of their fabrics are all different. He must have rounded up performers from all twelve provinces. In light of all this, I believe that His Highness actually gives a good deal of consideration to his relations with—” Partway through her smooth explanation, Seika noticed that the other two had gone silent and tilted her head quizzically. “Is something the matter, Lady Reirin? Lady Keigetsu?”
Reirin and Keigetsu debated how to respond.
“Not at all,” Reirin eventually said for both of them. “We were simply blown away by your observations. Your aesthetic sense and keen eye make for truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind skills.”
“Enough that it’ll sound disingenuous if you try to be modest about it,” Keigetsu added.
Seika looked conflicted about the backhanded compliment. “You flatter me, but no careful analysis of his character is going to help the situation,” she said meekly. “The ceremony is still running behind schedule.”
“At the moment, yes, but we’re about to turn things around.” Reirin’s voice was firm. She took Seika’s hands in hers. “His Highness would have found some reason to nitpick and withhold the key word no matter who was hosting the ceremony, but with you in charge, we shall bring it to a successful close within the day.”
The look in her eyes, framed by those long lashes, was perfectly serene. Yet deep within, there was a powerful gleam of unadulterated trust and conviction.
“I know you can do it. We will be here to help you however we can.”
“Oh, Lady Reirin…”
A bit flustered by the gratitude in Seika’s expression, Reirin rose to her feet and brushed off her skirt. “Come now, Lady Seika, it’s time to get down to business. Before we set out to find the perfect gift, we must first pep ourselves up with some sweet treats.”
It was right before lunchtime, so most people would be feeling peckish. Reirin wasn’t particularly hungry herself, but she figured it was best to feed the other two before they began their stroll of the city. Besides, “grabbing snacks to go” consistently ranked high on her list of dream activities, so she had to seize every opportunity she saw to make it happen.
“Just follow me. Believe it or not, I previously mastered the capital market, so I’m practically an expert at navigating a city. I’ll be sure to find something sweet for us to enjoy. Oh, over there! Look at those beautiful candy sculptures!”
When Reirin took off to buy a huge candy sculpture of a dragon on a pedestal, Keigetsu yelled, “Did you have to go straight for something difficult to walk around with?!” She then tried to go for the safe choice of dried sweet potatoes, only for Keigetsu to once again shoot her down with, “Not everyone likes potatoes as much as you.” Her next suggestion was a fruit with an exotic shape and smell, but her friend reacted by plugging her nose and crying, “Putrid!”
In the end, Reirin opted to let Keigetsu pick what to eat.
“There! Hawthorn tanghulu! We don’t have time to sit around and enjoy our treats, so something easy to eat on the go is the obvious choice.”
Reirin was profoundly moved by the offering. “Excellent pick, Lady Keigetsu! The red of the hawthorn berries matches the Shu’s clan color, and their gorgeous spherical shape symbolizes cosmic harmony. The string of five berries represents the Five Virtues, and the way they’re arranged on a handheld skewer reflects the precept that we must always bear these traits… It’s perfect in every regard!”
“Would you stop reading so much into it?! It’s just candy! It’s not that deep!” Keigetsu snapped—though, adorably enough, that didn’t stop her from flushing to the tips of her ears.
“My, this is exquisite! It would be a waste to eat it all in one go. Perhaps I’ll have one hawthorn now and savor the rest over the next four days… Here, I’ll wrap it in a handkerchief so I don’t break the skewer.”
“Oh, please, you sound like an old lady enshrining her grandchild’s homemade dumplings on the household altar! Hurry up and eat it already!”
“I’m afraid I cannot. My heart is too full.”
Amid their banter, the pair noticed that Seika had yet to say a word and turned toward her. They found her frozen in place with the skewer of five candied hawthorns in her grasp.
“What’s wrong, Lady Seika?” Reirin asked, cocking her head to one side. “Do you also wish to save Lady Keigetsu’s handpicked candy as a special treat?”
“Um, no. I’m not sure how to go about eating it.” Seika wrinkled her brow into a confused frown. “We have no plates or chopsticks, so I’m afraid I might stab myself in the throat when I get down to the last few berries.”
Keigetsu snorted. “Are you serious? You’ve never eaten candy off a skewer? Should we really be letting someone this sheltered loose in town?”
“Fret not, Lady Seika. I’ll teach you how it’s done. First you bite off the top two candies, then you slide the others down the skewer with your teeth. If one gets stuck, try twisting it back and forth to loosen it up.”
Reirin dove right into an explanation, delighted for the chance to show off her street smarts. From Keigetsu’s point of view, it just looked like a child leading another child by the hand.
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Unbelievable. Am I doomed to spend the day supervising a pair of overgrown babies?”
Taking offense to that remark, Seika polished off her skewer. With Reirin’s advice to guide her, she did an excellent job of shifting the last few candies with her teeth. She then got to her feet with an indignant jerk of her chin. “Thank you for the candy, Lady Keigetsu, but you can save the concern. I certainly don’t need you to show me around. I happen to have a couple friends of my own in the area.” With that, she took off at a brisk pace. “Come along now. I’ll take you to where one of them lives. I’m sure she would be happy to provide us some assistance.”
Reirin and Keigetsu traded looks of surprise before rushing after Seika.
“I heard that you weren’t particularly familiar with Hishuu, Lady Seika. I wouldn’t have expected you to have such a close friend here,” said Reirin.
“Mm. She was one of the senior pupils under our shared dance instructor. She is a Hishuu-born commoner, but our mentor saw her potential and invited her to join practice. In my youth, I paid more frequent visits to Hishuu. We were introduced to one another due to our proximity in age, and we ended up spending a lot of time together.”
“Huh. You never struck me as the type to have a childhood friend,” said Keigetsu. Both she and Reirin seemed intrigued by this surprising connection of Seika’s. “And she’s a commoner? I assumed you would dismiss them all as lowly riffraff.”
“Rude. As far as I’m concerned, a person’s background is irrelevant. I embrace the talented and shun the incompetent, no matter who they are. That’s precisely why I used to have so much disdain for you.”
“What was that?!”
Keigetsu and Seika loved to pick fights at the slightest opportunity. Reirin couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.
About half an hour later, they finally reached this mystery friend’s home on the western end of the market, but the girl in question was nowhere to be found. That is to say, the tiny row house where she once lived had clearly been vacated quite some time ago. All the doors were sealed shut, and the building was covered in cobwebs.
“Perhaps you recalled the address incorrectly?” Reirin suggested.
Seika stared at the row-house-turned-ruin in a stupor. “No, I’m positive this was it. She showed me around during a visit to Hishuu.”
“Well, erm…perhaps she moved elsewhere. Shall we ask around?”
Keigetsu elbowed her friend in the side. “Quiet, you dummy! It was obviously an imaginary friend. Don’t push her about it.” Dropping her voice to a whisper, she carried on, “Oh, the poor thing… She must have felt pressured to make up a friend because she doesn’t have any in real life.”
Seika whipped around in protest. “I beg your pardon?!” She opened her mouth to argue, but upon catching another glimpse of the abandoned row house, she cleared her throat and opted to change the subject. “N-no matter. I can navigate the city safely even without a local to guide me. We are in the Kin domain, lest you forget, the most economically prosperous region in all of Ei. Even the common folk are well-off around here, so the community standards are quite high.”
No sooner did she say that than the girls stumbled upon a man and woman arguing across the street.
“Hey! Would ya let go already?! Damn it, woman, I told ya I’m just running out to do some errands!”
“Liar! I know you’re actually going to the Heaven-Scented Pavilion! What kind of deadbeat husband abandons his wife and kids to patronize a brothel in broad daylight?! I have half a mind to stab you dead!”
It sounded like a fight between a husband headed off to the pleasure district and his wife trying to stop him.
Keigetsu sneered. “Oh, yes, I’m truly in awe of the sophistication on display.”
“Ack!” Seika faltered, but it didn’t take her long to rally. “The Kin domain is renowned for its abundance of beautiful women, so its pleasure districts are quite popular. With such a large sample size, there are bound to be a few foolish patrons who let their vices get the better of them. Beyond that, it’s really a safe—”
“Interesting,” Keigetsu interrupted. “What’s that about, then?”
She was pointing at a shabbily dressed fellow surrounded by a group of burly men.
With a pleading smile plastered on his face, the man said, “I-I promise to pay up! Just give me three more days!”
“It’s already been three damn days since the last time ya said that!”
“Didn’t we say to sell off yer wife or mom, if that’s what it takes to get our money?!”
From the sound of it, he was being pressured into paying back the money he’d borrowed from a loan shark.
Elsewhere, an emaciated woman sat in a daze on the side of the road, and one out of every five shops that lined the streets appeared to have gone out of business. It would certainly be a stretch to call the area “well-off” or “safe.”
“B-but…just a few years back, it really was a nice neighborhood. All the major shops kept order on the streets,” Seika stammered in protest, but it was a difficult argument to make in light of all the desolate houses they had passed along the way. Even the larger residences that presumably belonged to big-time merchants had fallen into disrepair, their yards overrun and their stone walls dilapidated. “Perhaps there was an economic decline limited to this particular area…” She chewed on her lip, sensing that she was on the back foot here.
Reirin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Lady Seika. As I mentioned before, I have already experienced all the highs and lows of the capital’s outer city. Why, I even know the ins and outs of the gambling dens! I am a master of walking the streets. Allow me to put my wealth of experience to work and serve as our guide.”
Keigetsu was quick to intervene. “Hold it right there!”
She’s practically the poster child for sheltered ladies! Where does she get all this unfounded confidence?!
It was hard to sit back and watch her friend keep strutting off to get herself lost. Keigetsu looked at the pair of naive Maidens and asserted, “I have a leg up on both of you pampered princesses when it comes to street smarts. I’m in charge for the time being, got it?”
Part of her resented the hassle, but another part of her liked the idea of assuming leadership over the two most distinguished ladies of the Maiden Court.
“We’re short on time, so let’s get going. We should start by migrating back to a more populated area.”
“Goodness!” Reirin clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. “You’re so dependable, Lady Keigetsu!”
“Hmph. I suppose all those years out in the countryside had to be good for something,” said Seika, as snide as ever.
Say what you want, but you would end up lost the moment I turned my back on you, thought Keigetsu, the prospect bringing the smallest of grins to her face.
But that smug sense of superiority wouldn’t survive past the first half hour.
“Oh, this is terrible, Lady Keigetsu! This shop says it’s going out of business today! Ah, but fate must have brought me here. If this vendor is so determined to clear out his inventory that he would sell it at a loss, I shall honor his sacrifice with a generous tip.”
“With shops like these, ‘closing sale’ just means that it’s closing up for the day! Put the money away!”
As soon as Keigetsu looked the other way, Reirin would get tricked by a vendor and set out to buy all sorts of things she didn’t need.
“Ugh! There are so many flies. Don’t just stand there, Shu Keigetsu! Burn them up with your magic!”
“I’m not your errand girl! And would you stop swatting them in my direction?!”
Bossy Seika would start demanding feats of magic just to deal with the bugs buzzing around the fish and meat.
“Oh, stop that, you two. I feel sorry for the poor flies. They’re actually rather cute if you squint, you know. I wonder if giving them a bath would make them a little more popular… Here, little ones! Have some water!”
“You’re drowning them!”
And then Reirin’s unique idea of kindness would have Keigetsu sympathizing with the insects.
“Someone just bumped into me as they were walking by! Go tell them off for me, Lady Keigetsu. Isn’t that what you do best?”
“Can you believe it, Lady Keigetsu?! Just a whiff of the air near this spicy hot pot stand leaves the nose stinging! Uh-oh, I-I feel a coughing fit coming on… Koff, koff!”
“Eek! Revolting! There are ants crawling all over the back of this peach!”
“Come look at this, Lady Keigetsu! There’s a sale on these lucky chamber pots!”
Seika fussed over the grime of the city, while Reirin went around with “Scam me!” practically painted on her forehead. Keigetsu was far too busy trying to stop the sheltered ladies from running amok to revel in her position of power.
“Enough! Would you both just pipe down and follow me?!”
She felt almost like a mother looking after her troublemaking tots.
It’s already been an hour since we left the storehouse. We only have two hours left before we’re supposed to have the banquet ready.
Despite migrating to the busiest part of the market, they had yet to find anything that struck them as the right gift. Keigetsu was starting to get nervous.
Seika had already presented Prince Nadir with feasts fit for a king and all manner of opulent jewelry, and he had rejected every last offering. Simply handing over all the highest-end items they could find wasn’t going to cut it. Keigetsu agreed with Kou Reirin that seeking out a folksy novelty was the better approach, but the appeal of most street food came from eating it on the spot. The prince was unlikely to be impressed if they brought something home cold.
“Say, do we really need to limit ourselves to looking at food items? What if we found a household good that gives insight into the lives of common folk and had it engraved with his name? Or we could round up a handful of the most popular performers among the—”
When Keigetsu looked over her shoulder to seek a second opinion, she was startled by what she saw. A vendor was trying to overcharge Kin Seika for a cheap length of silk, and she was arguing him down with a scowl—though that wasn’t exactly what Keigetsu was reacting to. The real issue was that Kou Reirin was nowhere to be found.
Oh no! Did she get lost?!
Keigetsu hastily retracted their steps, tugging Seika along by the sleeve. And there she found Reirin, sitting right in front of a fried potato stand.
“Oh, hello, Lady Keigetsu. What has you in such a hurry?”
“Don’t give me that! You can’t just stop without saying anything!”
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to. I simply noticed how delectable these potatoes looked, and suddenly time was slipping away from me.”
Keigetsu clutched at her head and screamed, “Hate to break it to you, but potatoes do not have the power to bend space and time!”
“Please, Lady Keigetsu, only an imbecile would take her literally. Lady Reirin would never be so entranced by mere potatoes. All she actually wanted was to stop for a rest, but she had to come up with a silly excuse to keep you from worrying.”
“You know something? It’s almost impressive how deeply you can read into things just to make them fit your worldview!”
Seika chiming in with her heavy-handed defenses of Reirin wasn’t doing anything to improve Keigetsu’s mood.
Reirin’s lashes fluttered as she gazed into the distance. “Hm? Do you see that?”
“Don’t try to change the subject, Kou Reirin!”
“No, I’m serious. I believe I spotted Hasan in the crowd just now.”
“Huh?!” Keigetsu whirled around in surprise.
Hasan normally accompanied Prince Nadir day and night. Straining her eyes, Keigetsu did indeed catch a glimpse of his distinctive blond braid within the sea of people. He was wearing a plain gray robe in lieu of his usual gold-embroidered white garb, but his stature left no doubt as to his identity.
There aren’t many other people with such stunning blond hair. Not even Westerners.
As Keigetsu craned to get a better look, the distant figure turned around with a flick of his long braid, and she could have sworn they locked eyes for the briefest of moments. She reflexively shrank in on herself and ducked back into the crowd.
H-he didn’t recognize me, did he? What is Hasan even doing here?!
Perhaps he had come to the market to run some errands on behalf of his shut-in prince. Whatever the case, if Hasan were to stumble upon the girls and inform Nadir of their trip into town, they could say goodbye to any chance of their gift getting a reaction out of him.
“I sure hope he doesn’t spot us,” said Keigetsu, crouching down to better blend into her surroundings.
“Hold on,” Seika groaned. “Something tells me we should be more worried about them.”
She pointed at a group of newsmongers wearing red kerchiefs. The men were surveying their surroundings with interest, occasionally stopping to jot something down with their lightweight brushes. As it dawned on the girls that these newsmongers were on the hunt for a newsworthy story, they exchanged nervous glances. If the men discovered them now, their plan to denounce Seiwa for imprisoning the poor, tragic Maidens would be ruined. Besides, all other factors excluded, it would be a scandal for the Maidens to get caught strolling the city in disguises.
“This way!”
The trio abandoned the crowded street and its tightly packed rows of shops, instead turning down one of the smaller side streets. Their nostrils were immediately assailed with the pungent aroma of foreign spices. Judging by the number of patrons wearing turbans and the unfamiliar words scattered throughout conversations, it was safe to assume that this quarter mostly dealt in goods imported from the West.
Salesmen with chiseled features turned to look at the girls all at once. As intimidating as this was, the trio didn’t have the option of turning back whence they came. They plucked up their courage and ventured further down the side street.
Within moments, the salesmen were swarming them from both sides of the street.
“Welcome! Can I interest ya in trying one of our pistachios? Just two hundred berik for the bunch!”
“We take Ei’s copper coins here!”
“Hey there, cuties! Our figs are great for the skin!”
The good news was that the crowd was effectively shielding them from the newsmongers on the main street. Unfortunately, Keigetsu had never been much of a linguist, so she was wildly disoriented by the rapid-fire barrage of foreign words.
“Wh-what’s going on? What language is this? What are they saying?”
“It’s Sherban,” Seika replied. “This is the Westerners’ commercial district. They’re just trying to sell us their products.” As a native of the thriving trade hub that was the Kin domain, she was fluent in the language. Still, this was her first time being accosted from all sides by merchants with thick accents. She clutched her fists to her chest in an effort to protect herself.
Only Reirin, the frailest and most petite of the bunch, wore her usual placid smile. “Oh, is that what pistachios are called in your language? They look delicious. And these apricots and olives are all so plump and magnificent.”
“Good eye, li’l lady! Those pistachios are from Antep! You’ll find merchants from all twelve provinces in this quarter, but I guarantee our nuts are the best around!”
“If I took alternating bites of sweet and salty things, I don’t think I’d ever be able to stop. Can you imagine? It would be like an infinite happiness generator…”
“After the pistachios, you’ve gotta try these Mehrtiya apricots! And a teensy sip of chai!”
“Hey now, don’t skip Rize’s salted olives! These babies’ll make any Sherban see Heaven!”
“Oh dear. It would take a truly stalwart soul to withstand this kind of temptation.”
Reirin and the merchants stuck to speaking in their own respective languages, yet they somehow managed to communicate seamlessly.
Taking the ever-smiling Reirin for a high-end client, the merchants grew steadily more brazen, going so far as to grab for her hands and start piling her upturned palms with nuts, fruits, and eventually what looked like a cup of wine.
“Go on! Have a taste!”
“C’mon, Kou Reirin! Get a move on!” Loath to watch her friend get sucked into a vortex of sales pitches, Keigetsu snatched the cup and shoved it back at one of the salesmen. “We’re good, thank you!”
She attempted to grab Reirin by the elbow and march off. The sudden movement sent nuts spilling through the other Maiden’s fingers.
“Oh no!” Reirin crouched down and scrambled to pick them up.
Keigetsu clicked her tongue and once again urged, “Let’s go!”
“What’s the big idea?!”
The surrounding salesmen’s attitudes took a sharp, hostile turn.
“You’ve got some nerve to refuse our chai!”
“Who just walks off without paying for something they took?! And then you add insult to injury by throwing it on the ground!”
“You messin’ with us on purpose?!”
“Huh? Wh-what’s happening now?”
Fear gripped Keigetsu as the group closed in, shouting harsh-sounding words. The Sherban language was heavy on plosives, so this felt dozens of times more intense than being berated in her own tongue.
A cold sweat trickling down her face, Seika babbled, “Now you’ve gone and done it, Shu Keigetsu! Offering chai is one of the fundamentals of Western hospitality. Sending it back without taking a single sip is considered a grave insult. The same applies to refusing to sample food you’ve already accepted!”
“How was I supposed to know about that custom?!” She sure wished Seika had mentioned this vital piece of information sooner. And the merchants were no better—was a minor breach of etiquette really worth getting this confrontational?
Seika addressed her indignant misgivings like so: “For the record, some of the less scrupulous merchants will exploit that difference in business practices to coerce patrons into paying unreasonable prices for their wares. It’s important not to give them an opening.”
“You’re on the hook for all those samples we gave you!”
“Fork over the copper coins!”
“You ain’t going anywhere till you’ve paid what you owe!”
The salesmen ranted and raved, drowning out Seika’s explanation. Keigetsu didn’t speak Sherban, but she could infer what was going on by the way they groped at her sleeves and ganged up on her from all angles. This was a scam.
“What do we do?!”
Keigetsu flicked her gaze around the street, halfway to tears, only to spot a group of men in red kerchiefs approaching the group of salesmen from behind. All the commotion had drawn their attention.
As if things couldn’t get any worse!
When it rained, it poured.
What mattered right now was extricating themselves from this situation as quickly as possible. Perhaps the best move was to just pay however much the salesmen asked for. What if they demanded an exorbitant sum, though? Depending on how predatory these merchants were, the girls might be better off calling for help, but a news article about the Maidens hitting the town and getting mixed up with shady street vendors would do serious damage to their reputations. Keigetsu’s flames were off-limits for similar reasons.
How do we get out of this?!
It was over. Newsmongers were creeping closer and closer to the source of all the shouting. They appeared to be operating as a group of at least three men.
“C’mon! Pay up!”
“It’s five hundred berik for the lot! If you haven’t got any copper coins, ten silver oughta cover it!”
“Get out yer wallets!”
The men continued to shout, their spittle flying everywhere. Keigetsu was petrified.
I don’t know what to do!
Just as Keigetsu screwed her eyes shut, a light sound rang out from right beside her. When she cracked an eye open to see what it was, she found Kou Reirin extending her slender arms to slam something against two men’s foreheads.
“Ouch!”
“Huh?”
A voice tinkled through the air like a bell. “Will two taels of gold suffice?” asked Reirin, smiling as she quite literally threw money at the problem.
Keigetsu and Seika automatically raised voices of protest.
“What are you saying?!”
“Lady Reirin, no!”
What was she thinking? Ten silver coins already seemed like a rip-off for what they were selling, and two taels of gold was over ten times that value.
Even the greedy merchants were stunned by the sum she was offering, yelping, “G-gold?!”
“You can’t let them push you around! Hurry up and put the money—”
“It’s fine, Lady Keigetsu. This is a fair price for what I intend to purchase.”
Reirin refused to back down, her smile as serene as ever.
“It is?”
“Yes. Let’s see… I’m thinking everything from here…to here.” For some reason, she walked from the stall selling nuts all the way to ones selling dried foods and tea, gesturing like she was sectioning off the space. “I’ll take all of it. Are you selling?”
This had to be the most reckless purchase Keigetsu had ever seen anyone make. “Say whaaat?!”
Paying no heed to her friend’s shouting, Reirin next pointed at the dumbfounded vendors. “Oh, and I’ll have you all as part of the package.”
“Huh? Us?”
“She wants us?!”
“Couldn’t be!”
The shopkeepers were no less confused by her nonsensical behavior.
Her demands didn’t stop there. “Those men too.” She turned around and waved to the newsmongers pushing their way down the side street. “Any chance I could buy your time, good sirs?”
The newsmongers shot her questioning looks, unsure why she was suddenly smiling their way.
“What are you going on about?!” Keigetsu shouted.
“Do you have some kind of plan, Lady Reirin?” asked Seika.
Neither girl could keep up with what was going on.
“Yes, of course,” the butterfly said gently, putting a hand to her cheek. “A plan to ‘entertain’ Prince Nadir.” She turned to look at Seika. “I’ve been searching for a way to utilize your remarkable aesthetic sense in the political arena, milady, and I believe I may have found it at long last.”
The famously brilliant Kou Maiden sounded almost like an instructor as she asked, “You are intimately familiar with Sherba’s geography, correct?”
Chapter 3: Reirin Recommends a Dish
Chapter 3:
Reirin Recommends a Dish
LET US RETURN TO THE LAVISH ESTATE in Hishuu of the Kin domain. One spacious guest room was appointed with the finest of furnishings, its every inch decorated with paintings so storied and jewelry so opulent that even the prince of a major power would rarely have the privilege to behold them. Not that anyone would know it, as all this fabulous decor was currently buried beneath heaps of dirty laundry.
Upon laying eyes on the clutter, Hasan looked to the ceiling in dramatic desperation. Then he pumped a fist in the air in a perfect imitation of his master. “What a wreck this room is!” he exclaimed in his native tongue, attempting to imitate the man’s distinctive style of speech as well.
His master gave a disappointed shake of his head. “Hrm, I’ll give that sixty points! Too much explanation. Keep it brief!” Nadir sat perched on the windowsill in a state of partial undress, blond hair hanging loose from its usual style. He shrugged, his bare chest rising and falling with the motion, and turned his palms upward. “But I will concede that you’ve gotten much better at imitating me. I commend your efforts!”
“Well, I’ve gotten quite a bit of practice at this point. I never used to be the vociferous sort, but lately I’ve picked up all your speech quirks!” The valet puffed up with pride, more pleased by the compliment than he cared to admit, but it didn’t take long to snap himself out of it. “Wait, don’t change the subject! You are incorrigible! First you disappear without a word, then you make a mess of everything the moment you’re back!”
The hardworking valet gathered up the clothes strewn over the floor, grumbling all the while. “Would you please try to keep your room a little tidier?! We’ve already upset the Kin enough with all the constant noise and strange smells! If their fastidious Maiden were to see what a mess you’ve made, she might shoot enough daggers with her eyes to strike us dead! My stomach is killing me with the stress of it all!”
“Sorry, friend! The place is bound to get a little messy when I have to change so many times in one day.”
“I’m not asking you to stop changing clothes! I’m asking you to pick a single place to do it!”
The pair squabbled back and forth at the top of their lungs. Throughout it all, Hasan never once objected to the prince’s routine wardrobe changes. There was no point. Prince Nadir was the star of Sherba, an unrivaled wonder from the moment he was born. The man wore whatever he wanted and acted however he pleased.
“May I add one more thing? When you take off an outfit, don’t wait to change into your next one. And just look at that unkempt hair! You need to make the bare minimum effort to look presentable!”
Nadir and Hasan had been raised like brothers, so their interactions were more casual than one might expect, given the former’s status. Hasan had no qualms about scolding the prince, especially not when he was flaunting his naked body on the windowsill, wearing nothing but one of Ei’s flowing robes draped over his bare shoulders. In Sherba, it was customary for grown men to either hide their hair under a turban or wear it braided in the presence of others, but he was letting his long, bushy locks flow free. Between his bronze, muscled body and his unruly blond hair, he was the spitting image of a ferocious lion.
“There we go! Hasan the nagging sister-in-law is at it again! What does it matter? I don’t intend to go out like this.”
“Part of the problem is that you don’t intend to go out at all! Don’t you think it’s excessive to turn down every single invitation you receive?! You hinted that you would show up to today’s luncheon, but I can tell you’re planning to cancel at the last minute. Absolutely heartless! Lady Seika valiantly perseveres in the face of Lord Seiwa’s sabotage, yet you show her not a shred of compassion!”
Hasan lived at the mercy of his master’s selfish whims, so he was quite sympathetic to his fellow victims.
Nadir responded with nothing but a cynical shrug. “Ha ha ha, valiantly indeed! She’s been trying every trick in the book, I’ll give her that much.” Smiling knowingly, he glanced down at the outfit he had cast aside. He took a slow look around the rest of the opulent room before spreading his hands in a theatrical gesture. “Here are my honest thoughts on the matter: ‘Oh, Seika! That poor soul! May God’s grace be upon her!’” He grinned at his valet, cocking his head to one side. “Translation?”
“‘Such a shame that her ceremony has been held up by a pompous guest and obstructed on account of a family feud. Alas, that pales in comparison to what I’m up against, so I’m afraid she will just have to live with it!’ Something along those lines, I assume?”
“Got it in one! Except you forgot to throw in some praise for me!” The blithesome prince snapped his fingers and mimed shooting his valet.
Nadir knew all about the Kins’ internal conflict. Kin Seika was fighting to bring the ceremony to completion in enemy territory, while Kin Seiwa stood by and waited for her to fail miserably. He had probably gotten his fill of watching his niece panic by now, so it wouldn’t be long before he stepped in to steal her thunder.
The prince was no stranger to the distress Kin Seika was feeling. Sherba had power struggles of its own, contests between rivals seeking to undermine one another at every turn. But Seika’s petty problems couldn’t hold a candle to the conflict in which Nadir was currently embroiled, so he had no intention of becoming her ally. Nadir’s greatest priority at the moment was to put off saying the key word and extend his stay in Hishuu for as long as possible.
“It is what it is,” he said bluntly. “The fates of my subjects are riding on my capable shoulders!”
“Even so.” Hasan gave a regretful shake of his head as he picked up another set of clothes. “How can you watch a young girl so admirably persist in her duties, undeterred by the devious adults who stand in her way, and not want to help her?! I’m rather fond of people like her, so it pains me to see her struggle. And it’s hard to resist the urge to look out for Lady Kou Reirin.”
“Good God, listen to yourself, man! You’re starting to sound like you’re from Ei!” The prince wagged his finger back and forth with a tut-tut. “All this for a bunch of dainty, powerless girls waiting for a man to rescue them? Yes, I imagine those Maidens are close to Ei’s idea of the perfect woman. They’re plenty ‘admirable,’ as you so aptly put it. But too bad! It takes a woman as tough as your average Sherban to catch my eye!”
In a patriarchal society like Ei, women were expected to walk three steps behind men. The more unassuming and demure they were, the better. The ideal wife was meant to care for her family, and her husband was meant to cherish her in turn.
Things were different in Sherba, where women had brandished swords since the nomadic ages and a fair number of queens had come into power over the years. A woman needed the unyielding strength of a warrior goddess to be a good match for Sherba’s burly fighters. Out in the unforgiving desert, one could only entrust their life to those capable of standing on their own two feet.
And hey—a woman had to be a bit of a shrew, or there could be no fun in taming her.
All this was to say that Nadir held no interest in the beauties of Ei, who were known for being “gentle as celestial maidens” or “delicate as snow fairies.” Some men might have gone for that, but Nadir found them to be like food without flavor. Like most Sherbans, he was into spicy women—the ones with an unforgettable kick, hot enough for a single taste to get the blood pumping.
When he refused to come to the table, the Maidens had done nothing but fret, gauge his intentions, and cater to his moods—all just ways of capitulating to him. Consequently, no matter how the girls agonized, Nadir was unmoved by their plight. Anyone who would meet selfish demands with accommodations instead of anger was begging for the ill-intended to exploit them.
“Gyoumei and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, but our tastes in women seem to be an exception!” Throwing an exaggerated glance to the heavens, he prayed, “God have mercy on my poor, misguided friend!” No doubt Gyoumei would have popped a vein had he overheard. This man had no concept of minding his own business.
Just then, a woman’s hysterical cry carried through the window. “Are you listening?! We told you to open the storehouse!”
Nadir and Hasan looked over to see what was going on. Down below, Kin Seiwa was being hounded by two court ladies wearing yellow and red robes respectively. The one dressed in yellow had gone so far as to grab him by the collar, her fury palpable at a distance.
“We heard our mistresses’ voices coming from the storehouse just now! They were calling for help! Lord Kin Seiwa, you have more to answer for than your treatment of your own niece. Lady Reirin is Her Majesty’s kin! Should it come to light that you imprisoned her in a storehouse, I assure you there will be consequences!”
“I-I think you must be confused, Lady Kou Tousetsu!”
Nadir and Hasan exchanged glances as they listened to this conversation.
“What’s going on here, you think? Did the court ladies just discover that Lord Seiwa trapped their Maidens in the storehouse?”
“Hm? That can’t be it,” Nadir muttered to himself, tilting his head to one side. After puzzling it over for a few moments, he suddenly went “Aha!” and leaned toward the window with interest.
“Let me make your position quite clear, Lord Kin Seiwa! It matters not if it was some kind of mistake or misconception. If harm has come to a single hair on Lady Reirin’s head because you locked her away, then you will have made an enemy of the empress!”
“Uh-oh! I think I smell something burning in the storehouse! There, see that?! There’s smoke leaking out from under the door!”
The two court ladies continued to press Seiwa, projecting their voices like actresses in a play. They were making enough of a ruckus to attract the attention of both the residents of the estate and the newsmongers hanging near the premises. Things only got worse when the redheaded court lady pointed out that the storehouse might be on fire.
“What?! A fire broke out in the storehouse?!”
“How did this happen?! Hardly anyone goes in there!”
“Well, that’s not quite the case, if these ladies are to be believed!”
“It’d be a catastrophe if someone really was inside!”
Unrest rippled through the rubberneckers like wildfire, and soon Kin Seiwa was under fire by a much larger crowd of people.
“Why do you refuse to open the door?!”
“Why was a storage shed even locked in the first place?!”
“It doesn’t matter! Just let us inside so we can put out the fire!”
Seiwa faltered. “Um, b-but, you see—”
BOOM!
All of a sudden, a roar loud enough to shake Nadir’s room ripped through the air, and the storehouse door went flying off its hinges.
The crowd screamed.
“Eeeeek!”
“Whoa!”
“What?!” Even Hasan, who was indoors and a safe distance away, threw himself at Nadir like a shield. “What just happened? Did the storehouse explode?!”
Alarmed, he strained his blue eyes to get a better look. Down on the ground, Kin Seiwa snapped his head up, shook himself out of his daze, and sprinted over to the storehouse.
“P-put out the fire, quickly!” he shouted. “Th-there are Maidens inside!”
“Is that a confession that you imprisoned the Maidens, Lord Seiwa?!”
“Oh no! I just caught a glimpse of Lady Keigetsu’s red robe past the door!”
It was pandemonium.
The color drained from Hasan’s face as he processed the shocking tragedy. “This is insanity! Lord Seiwa trapped his own niece and her fellow Maidens in a storehouse and got them incinerated?!”
Nadir had likewise been observing the events unfolding outside. Without warning, he burst into laughter and applause. “Ha ha ha ha! Things have gotten interesting!”
“Your Highness?” his valet prompted, taken aback.
The prince spun around. An electrified blue gleam came to his eyes, dancing in a frame of golden lashes. “That settles it! I’m showing up to the luncheon!”
“Pardon?”
“I changed my mind! The time to throw my lot in with the Maidens…has yet to come, but I am curious to find out what they’re like up close and personal!”
Hasan didn’t understand what he was getting at. “You might as well forget about the banquet. The Maidens are trapped in a burning storehouse! Obviously, it’s going to be canceled!”
“Maybe, maybe not! The fun is in seeing what happens next!”
“Don’t you think it’s a little tasteless to be enjoying this?”
“Didn’t occur to me, no!” Nadir brushed off the criticism as he fished yet another outfit from his gigantic wardrobe. The prince of Sherba would never deign to change back into something he had already worn. “Hey, Hasan, you’d better get changed too. Put on something appropriate for a banquet!”
Naturally, his valet didn’t get to sit this one out.
“As I’ve been trying to tell you, there isn’t going to be—”
Hasan doubled down, but his prediction ultimately proved incorrect. Not long after he changed clothes, it would indeed be time for a banquet.
***
“Bring all the water you can carry!”
“No, everyone should stay back! What if there’s another explosion?!”
Kin Seiwa observed the chaos unfolding outside the storehouse, stupefied.
How did this happen?!
His only goal in luring Seika to the storehouse and locking the door had been to teach that impertinent little brat a lesson. An explosion certainly hadn’t factored into his plans. The building may have been stuffed with junk, but none of it should have been capable of starting a fire.
Was it a dust explosion?
Seiwa engaged in a wide range of business activities, so he had heard all about the tragedies that occasionally struck mills and storehouses. Lighting a fire in a room full of fine particles could cause them to ignite in a chain reaction and set off an explosion.
There were wood chips in that shed. Plenty of dust in the air too. No candles, as far as Seiwa knew, but there was every chance that Seika had set out to make a light, struck iron in place of flint, and created the ruinous spark herself. Or perhaps oil had seeped into an old set of clothes and accumulated heat over time.
Tell me this is some kind of joke!
Seiwa hadn’t meant to kill his niece. Not because of any ethical concerns, mind you, but because he didn’t consider her worth the trouble. Kin Seika was plenty feisty, but at the end of the day, she was just a sheltered little girl. A few threats should have been all it took for her to break down crying and admit defeat. He’d never imagined things would escalate this far.
Worse yet, what’s this about the other Maidens being in there?!
That was the part that had Seiwa the most worked up. He had no idea what the other Maidens would’ve been doing in the storehouse, but if the court ladies were right and the girls had assembled there by some twist of fate… If they had been locked in with Seika and caught up in the explosion…
I-IfI got Her Majesty’s niece killed, I’ll be lucky to get off with a death sentence!
Seiwa went white as a sheet.
“Maidens! A-are you in there, Your Ladyships?!”
A few steps away, white smoke spewed from the doorway. He reached a hand in its direction, but he couldn’t bring himself to move any closer. Thankfully, the flames weren’t leaping particularly high, but the thought of a second explosion paralyzed him with fear. He stayed where he was and craned his neck to peer into the darkness, and there he spotted several robes fluttering in the shadows.
That scorched golden-brown robe dancing among the smoke… That’s the outer robe the Kou Maiden always wore!
Seiwa crumpled to his knees, his whole body turning cold.
The Kou and Shu court ladies likewise spotted the robes and started shouting.
“Those are Lady Reirin’s clothes!”
“I see Lady Keigetsu’s robe too!”
The crowd buzzed with distress.
“Quick, g-go to their rescue!”
“Someone head inside!”
“But what if there’s another explosion?!”
They didn’t have a moment to lose in rescuing the Maidens, but everyone was too terrified of a second blast to move a muscle. Perhaps someone could dump water on themselves before heading inside? But who would be the one to go? Despite the fuss, no one had the courage to act.
“What’s going on over here?!”
To make matters worse, the newsmongers Seiwa had gathered to report on Seika’s fall from grace had heard the commotion, barged into the estate, and surrounded the storehouse. Seiwa had bought them off with large sums of money to control the flow of information within his domain, but he would still be ruined if they wrote an article about his negligence resulting in the Maidens’ deaths. No bribe would be enough to stop them from covering a scandal like this.
Seiwa snapped back to reality and attempted to shoo away the newsmongers drawing sketches of the storehouse. “Stop! Leave this place! Don’t get any closer!”
More and more smoke belched from the storehouse. The Kou and Shu court ladies screamed their Maidens’ names and tried to push their way inside. Others in the crowd held them back, while servants rushed to point fingers at one another. The mayhem seemed endless, the situation completely out of control.
“Nooo! Lady Reirin! Lady Reiriiin! This cannot be happening! O Great Ancestor, how could you let this come to pass?! Damn those Kins! Particularly KIN SEIWAAA! I shall carry this grudge to my grave!”
“You have to calm down, Lady Tousetsu! I understand your anger, though! How could Kin Seiwa let this happen to Lady Keigetsu?! Curse you, Kin Seiwa! KIN SEIWAAA!”
Every single time someone tried to bring order to the scene, the gamboge gold and blazing scarlet would go on another rampage, sending everything spiraling back into chaos.
“Would those blasted court ladies shut the hell up?!” Seiwa muttered under his breath. The way they kept hollering his name in front of the newsmongers had his usual facade of politeness slipping.
In the end, the menial workers were saddled with the task of putting out the fire. Thanks in equal part to the steady stream of water they poured on the fire and the contents of the storehouse burning to nothing, the flames eventually died down.
One Kin finally approached the robes fluttering in the veil of black smoke. Voice shaking, he broached, “Um, excuse me…”
“What’s wrong?! What’s become of the Maidens?!” Seiwa edged toward the door, a quiver in his own voice. He didn’t want to know the answer to his own question. The girls had to be dead. They might even be so badly burned as to be unidentifiable.
Who do I set up to take the fall for this?!
“I-I see three sets of charred remains and robes here…”
“Eep!”
“But, uh, I’m not sure these are actual bodies?”
The crowd immediately stopped buzzing. “Huh?” They exchanged confused looks, wondering what the man could have meant by that.
Right on cue, a voice rang out from behind to take command of the scene. “Quite the party you’re having here.”
When everyone turned to see who it was, there stood Kin Seika, who was supposed to have met a fiery end in the storehouse. Her fair, famously gorgeous features were unmarred by so much as a speck of soot, and she was dressed in full formal Maiden attire.
“Well, I suppose it’s convenient that you’ve all gathered in one place,” she went on, glaring at the group. “I have an announcement to make.”
“Apologies for the interruption, but we came to inform you that it’s almost time for the banquet,” came another voice.
“Prince Nadir actually plans on showing up for once. It wouldn’t do for the hosts to be late,” a third person chimed in.
On either side of Seika stood Kou Reirin and Shu Keigetsu, likewise decked out in proper Maiden garb.
“L-Lady Kou Reirin! You’re alive?!” Seiwa sputtered. Whether it was the relief or the shock that stole his speech, that was all he managed to say.
The blazing scarlet and gamboge gold breezed past him and went down on their knees. It was as if their earlier screaming fit had never even happened.
“Congratulations on finishing the banquet preparations, Lady Keigetsu,” said the redhead.
“All that hard work must have been quite draining, Lady Reirin. I shall see to it that you get plenty of time to rest later.” The court lady named Tousetsu sounded vaguely reproachful.
Seiwa didn’t have the presence of mind to care about those details. He stood there, gaping like a fish, until Seika smiled and said, “We took it upon ourselves to prepare the banquet while you were all preoccupied with the storehouse. Come along now, everyone. I have already sent for Prince Nadir. Let us proceed to the banquet hall at once.” Before anyone could object, she turned on her heel and strode further into the estate.
Struggling to keep up with this turn of events, Seiwa grabbed her by the arm. “H-hold it right there, Seika! What is going on here?!”
His niece glanced back with a contrived look of distress. “Goodness, are you sure you wish to go into the details in public? I assumed you would rather not talk about how you locked me up in a hazardous storehouse to sabotage the ceremony. Let alone how your actions nearly got Her Majesty’s niece incinerated.”
The newsmongers had been craning forward to listen in on their conversation. The moment they heard that comment, they whipped out their brushes and peppered her with questions.
“Lady Kin Seika, could you elaborate on that?!”
“Are you suggesting that this was premeditated, not an accident?!”
The smallest and slenderest of the Maidens spoke up in the sweetest of voices. “I fear that this is not a topic to be discussed without due care.” It was the Kou Maiden, Reirin. She fixed those round, innocent eyes of hers on the newsmongers and said oh-so-earnestly, “The events would be traumatic to recall, and I doubt anyone would take our word for it that Master Seiwa is capable of such wicked deeds. We shall only share our story with those who swear to stand by us and refrain from victim blaming.”
Behind the girls, three newsmongers were already taking down her statement with an air of superiority. From the looks of it, they had been the first to pledge their loyalty to the Maidens.
“What?! They got an exclusive interview?!”
“No fair!”
A newsmonger’s strongest instinct was to be the first to a scoop. The men in red kerchiefs exchanged nods before dropping to their knees in front of the Maidens.
“We consider it our mission to maintain our neutrality and report only the facts. No matter how much pressure we face from the authorities, I swear to support the vulnerable and ensure that the truth is heard.”
“As do I!”
“You can count on us!”
“Thank you very much,” said Seika.
As Seiwa watched the newsmongers flock to Seika’s side, he finally caught up to what was happening. His niece had somehow escaped the storehouse, deliberately caused an explosion, and lured newsmongers to the scene.
“Wh-wha…?”
Kin Seika was plenty feisty, but at the end of the day, she was just a sheltered little girl. She shouldn’t have had the verve to break through her predicament with a literal explosion.
Seika brushed her stammering uncle’s hand aside, shooting him the same kind of look she would give a lowly insect. “Needless to say, a heinous criminal like yourself will not be welcome at the banquet. I shall ask His Highness to pass down his judgment later. Kindly remain in your room until then.” She took out a handkerchief and fastidiously wiped the part of her sleeve he had touched.
Her uncle was too distraught to manage an adequate response. “Huh?!”
“Oh, and one last thing.” Seika smiled sweetly. “Much obliged for all the hard work you’ve put in thus far. I’ll be taking the final victory for myself.”
Never had a smile looked quite so charming.
***
Cut to a cloister connecting to the banquet hall. Seika had gone ahead to greet Prince Nadir, while Reirin and Keigetsu had picked something up from the kitchen to bring to the feast.
“Heave-ho!”
“Did this have to be so heavy?”
It was a gigantic silver platter, as big as a dining table and covered with an enormous lid. Even loaded onto a cart, it was too heavy for a pair of Maidens to transport on their own. Tousetsu, who was known for her outlandish strength, and Leelee, who was used to grunt work, helped push from the sides. As they all made their way down the cloister, drenched with sweat, the two court ladies took turns bombarding their mistresses with questions.
“What is the meaning of this, Lady Reirin?!”
“First you ramble at us over a flame call, then you rope us into your scheme before we even know what’s going on! We’re totally lost! Don’t you think you owe us an explanation, Lady Keigetsu?”
“I shall graciously overlook everything up to the part where you broke out of the storehouse. But why blow it up? Why head to town from there? Do you have any idea how irresponsible you’re being?!”
“And what was the point of stopping by the kitchen just now? What’s even on this giant silver platter?!”
Reirin glanced back at the pair from her place at the front of the procession. “For all your confusion, you demonstrated some remarkable improvisation skills outside the storehouse. It was brilliant how you goaded and goaded Master Seiwa, only to drop everything and stride right over to our sides. Why, I had to stop myself from applauding!”
“Save the compliments! We’d rather have an explana—”
“Apologies again for the trouble. We were working on a rather tight schedule. Let’s hurry along, shall we? The banquet is about to begin.” Reirin turned her eyes forward again, ignoring the court ladies’ perfectly reasonable questions.
It was actually true that they hadn’t had much time to spare. They had negotiated with the merchants and newsmongers in town, hurried back to the estate, taken care of their preparations for the banquet, made themselves presentable, and jumped into the commotion outside the storehouse to strike back at Seiwa. With the banquet fast approaching, there hadn’t been a moment to waste on explanations or briefings. The closer the deadline loomed, the more coordinated the three Maidens’ teamwork had become; by the time they were done with their preparations, they were capable of communicating with merely a glance. Considering how shallow their relationship had been for most of the time they had known each other, it was a miraculous degree of synchronization.
As I always say, nothing builds unity quite like climbing a mountain together!
Reirin nodded to herself. The three of them were currently hiking up the metaphorical mountain that was the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual. So far, they had managed to clear Kin Seiwa out of their path.
All that remains is to make it past the peak: Prince Nadir.
She took a deep breath to get her panting under control. At the end of the cloister, the banquet hall came into view. The venue was as large as one might expect, considering Seiwa had picked it out himself. Huge pillars and beams adorned one of the sunniest spots in the estate, transforming it into a truly majestic space. Upon opening the set of double doors—complete with doorknobs, a rarity in Ei—the first thing to catch the eye was the abundance of light filtering in through the large glass windows. The ceiling was high, the walls were red, and the pillars were painted with colorful traditional patterns. Strings of red lanterns evoked the spirit of Ei, while the curtains hanging from the windows, the carpet laid out over the floor, and the tablecloths and silverware were all Sherban. It was a gorgeous fusion of contrasting cultures.
Master Seiwa knows how to host in style, I’ll give him that.
Reirin sighed, impressed, as she peered around the venue. Be it Seika or Seiwa, a Kin’s aesthetic sense was always in a league of its own. Had the Maidens been in charge of setting up the venue themselves, they would have either run out of time or been forced to scale back. In a way, they owed Seiwa one for taking over the arrangements.
“Presenting His Highness Prince Nadir!”
Not a second after the girls wheeled the silver platter to the edge of the room, the doors behind them flew open once more. Reirin and Keigetsu exchanged a series of quick glances and nods. It was finally time for the banquet to begin.
“Let the fun begin! Come, friends, lift your voices in melody!” As soon as the doors opened, the valet called Hasan burst into song and sounded his trumpet loud and clear.
Seika was leading the way alongside Hasan. Contrary to expectations, she tolerated the noise without so much as grimacing. Her secret was that she had plugged her ears with cotton beforehand.
“Pave the way with petals! Prince Nadir is coming through!”
Women took Hasan’s announcement as their cue to start singing, while men danced and waved peacock feathers. It was one of their signature parades, with flower petals and gold coins dancing through the air as they captivated the audience with their performance. But the Maidens were ready for it this time. Pages they had assigned to stand along either side of the path caught the gold coins in baskets. Everyone rode out the deafening crescendo of the drums by discreetly covering their ears.
“All hail our hero, Prince Nadir, explorer of the Four Seas!”
“Huzzah!”
“All hail our hope, Prince Nadir, whose blue eyes oversee all of creation!”
“Hear! Hear!”
They even clapped their hands and chanted along with the introductions rattled off in Sherban. On reexamination, the girls had come around to appreciating the spectacle. The organizers were normally supposed to be in charge of arranging the entertainment, so it saved them a good bit of hassle if the guests were willing to provide their own song and dance.
As the Maidens smiled and applauded, Prince Nadir and his valet settled down on the dais toward the back of the room, and his entourage and dancers took their seats among the audience. The spacious hall had space to accommodate over a hundred people. Nadir had brought a group of roughly fifty with him. About ten members of the Kin branch family were present as well, their darting eyes betraying their dismay over losing their leader and being coerced into attending the banquet. That left room for at least forty more people.
The prince looked out over the empty seats from the table of honor. With a theatrical shrug, he said, “Gracious!”
Hasan, who was standing behind him, offered yet another grandiloquent interpretation. “His Highness Prince Nadir, the golden lion who reigns over the desert, speaks thus! ‘Why, I’ve never seen empty seats at a banquet before! This doesn’t bode well for the entertainment to come!’”
Seika, who was seated next to Nadir, flashed him a flawless smile and responded in Sherban. “Ah, you misunderstand. Those seats are reserved for the special guests who will be joining us shortly. An extra bit of spectacle to keep things interesting.”
Unlike all the strained smiles she’d been forcing thus far, this one exuded genuine confidence. The prince and his valet traded looks of surprise.
Satisfied that she had taken charge of the conversation, Seika gracefully clapped her hands together and announced, “We shall hereby begin the banquet to welcome His Highness Prince Nadir! Let us begin with a few words from your hostess. ‘Welcome to the Kin domain.’ Done! The toast? Cut in the interest of time! Next up would be a musical performance, but I believe the parade we all just watched ought to have covered that. Moving on to the meal! I have already set out appetizers for you to enjoy. Help yourselves!”
Seika’s delivery was hasty and perfunctory, two words no one would’ve ever associated with her. Nearly the entire banquet—the opening speech, toast, entertainment, and meal—was over in the span of a few seconds. Not even Nadir and Hasan could stop themselves from gaping.
“Huh?” The prince was too taken aback to get in one of his usual pompous interruptions.
Seika took advantage of his stunned silence to proclaim, “It is time for the final part of the program: the bestowal of the welcome gift.” In the language of Ei, she added, “Lady Reirin, Lady Keigetsu, bring it here.”
At her signal, Reirin and Keigetsu traded nods one last time, then enlisted Tousetsu and Leelee’s help to bring a certain something to the table of honor: that silver tray the size of a grown adult, covered with a lid and loaded onto a handcart.
Curious voices carried over from every corner of the hall, some speaking Sherban, others Eian.
“What do you think that is?”
“Food?”
“Smells sweet.”
“When did the Maidens have time to prepare a gift?”
After the cart was wheeled all the way over, Keigetsu and Leelee stayed put, while Reirin and Tousetsu retreated to the door. They had one more job to do.
Upon confirming that Reirin and her attendant were in position, Seika said to the prince, “Without further ado, allow me to present the one-of-a-kind dessert we put our hearts and souls into making.”
At the word “dessert,” Hasan whispered something into the prince’s ear. The prince responded with an over-the-top snort of disdain, which his valet interpreted like so:
“The supremely sublime Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘So what if it’s one of a kind? As the heir to a great power like Sherba, I encounter all sorts of rare, valuable curiosities on a daily basis! Nothing exciting about it!’”
Seika rose to the challenge. “Try to keep an open mind, hm? We went into town, procured the ingredients, and prepared this dish all by ourselves. If you’re so accustomed to a life of luxury, shouldn’t that homestyle quality lend it a degree of novelty?”
After another whispered exchange, Hasan replied, “The knowledgeable and erudite Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘I make regular trips to the bazaar to gain insight into the lives of my subjects. Your assumption that I would be unaccustomed to commoner fare implies that you think me ignorant!’”
In other words, angling for originality was a nonstarter.
The Kins in the audience whispered among themselves with equal parts bewilderment and interest.
“What options are even left, then?”
“No luxury goods, no novelties. Would anything actually make him happy?”
“Seems to me like Lady Seika wasted her time.”
Seika, meanwhile, was unfazed by the firm rejection. She simply turned to Keigetsu, who was standing beside the cart. “Disheartening as your lack of interest may be, I have faith that you’ll change your mind once you see it for yourself. Would you do the honors, Lady Keigetsu?”
It was the moment of truth. Keigetsu and Leelee took their cue to lift the gigantic silver lid.
Fwoosh! A sweet fragrance immediately wafted through the air. The whole audience leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the tray’s contents, only to go wide-eyed at what they saw.
“What is that?!”
It was a gigantic pastry, crisped to a mouthwatering golden brown.
“Some kind of cake, I figure? Baked, not steamed.”
“Is that baklava? Never expected to see it here in Ei.”
“It’s huge!”
“Smells wonderful.”
The local residents and the Sherban entourage took turns murmuring their impressions, until someone finally asked, “Why is it so oddly shaped?”
The pastry was neither perfectly round nor molded into the shape of a flower; it was flat, with irregular dips and bumps along its surface. The treat was evenly browned and garnished with flowers and other such colorful decorations, so this was obviously a deliberate design choice, not the result of a mishap. However, the dancers and the lower-ranked Kins could only scratch their heads and puzzle out what it was supposed to be modeled after.
Yet the prince and his valet, along with the more educated members of the Kin, nearly sprang out of their seats with a gasp.
“Oh!”
“Wait, I know what that is!”
As the audience stared in disbelief, Seika explained herself without batting an eye. “This treat was made with wheat flour instead of rice. We baked the diverse array of food items we purchased at the market into designated sections. For example, what you and I see as the upper-right corner is studded with some exquisite pistachios.” A hint of menace seeping into her smile, she went on, “It is precisely as you suspect. We modeled this cake after the Kingdom of Sherba. All twelve of the provinces’ specialty products are incorporated into their corresponding areas.”
She proceeded to point out the various sections of the pastry. In the upper-right corner were the northeastern Antep’s pistachios. In the center were central Delvet’s figs. The bottom-left sported Mehrtiya’s apricots, while the very bottom used Rize’s salted olives. Tea leaves were sprinkled here and there to represent the entire country’s penchant for drinking chai.
The prince let a sigh of admiration slip. This was one of the most involved displays he’d ever witnessed. “The placement and shape of the provinces are all accurate… And you included each region’s specialty? Even the coloring is right…”
Still, it didn’t take him long to shake his surprise and whisper something to his valet, upon which Hasan said, “The sharp-eyed and clearheaded Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘I must admit that this is rather innovative. Alas, I am not in the mood for something swee—’”
“Now for the finishing touch,” said Seika, cutting off the valet’s pompous declaration with a clap of her hands. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
Reirin smiled back at Seika from her spot near the entrance, then flung open the doors. “Come on in, friends!”
Right on cue, a huge crowd flooded into the venue.
“Holy smokes, this estate’s got one enormous banquet hall!”
“Y’see that?! Everywhere you look, there’s one of Hishuu’s big shots!”
“Think our shops could make it big if we get in good with the right person?”
“Whoa, look over there! Toward the back! It’s His Highness! I’ve never seen him in person before!”
Working-class Sherban slang bounced around the room. Indeed, these were the Western merchants who sold their wares in Ei—the very same vendors who had tried to scam the Maidens earlier that day. And it wasn’t just the shopkeepers. The salesmen had brought their families and friends of friends along, resulting in a considerable turnout.
A second group followed along behind the mass of people.
“Never thought I’d make it all the way into the banquet venue. Three cheers for Lady Kin Seika!”
“This might be our one and only chance to get a look at the prince up close! You better capture every single detail!”
“Don’t need you to tell me that! I made sure to bring the most skilled artist I’ve got!”
These men were wearing red kerchiefs. It probably went without saying, but these were the newsmongers the Maidens had “bought,” sworn to loyalty, and tasked with reporting on the banquet in excruciating detail.
The merchants and newsmongers were shown to the empty seats. Their number equaled forty, but the ill-mannered men’s excited shouting, laughing, and singing managed to amplify the crowd’s enthusiasm tenfold.
“What is going on here?” Both Nadir and Hasan were dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected to encounter a stream of their own countrymen on foreign soil.
“Your attention, please.” Seika abruptly raised one hand in the air. This wasn’t one of the prince’s bombastic gestures but a graceful movement honed through dance. The merchants stared intently at the table of honor, drawn in like spectators to a performance. “Allow me to explain from the beginning.”
Having taken complete command over the venue, Seika flashed a brilliant smile before opening her mouth to speak. Her voice was one of her greatest weapons, trained to ring clear and travel far through years of singing practice. “This cake is modeled after the West, and every section features the specialty product of its corresponding province. These specialties were purchased from respectable Western merchants making an honest living here in Ei.” Skilled linguist that she was, she provided her own translation for the merchants. “We baked your prized merchandise into this pastry. His Highness will be sampling it shortly. O venerable merchants, we salute you for navigating the countless challenges that come with conducting business on foreign soil!”
She had taken a few liberties, sure, but nothing that wouldn’t fall within the scope of a dynamic translation.
These vendors were used to being belittled; this was their first time being commended by a foreign noble. That little speech struck just the right chord to get the crowd stirring.
“Ooh, you hear that?! She called us ‘merchants,’ not ‘hawkers’!”
“Aww, way to make us sound like a big deal! I’m gonna blush!”
“We are a big deal! His Highness is about to personally sample our wares!”
The men playfully elbowed each other before looking to the table of honor with eyes full of expectation.
Taking note of their eager gazes, Seika smiled wider and went on, “I’m sure you’ve faced your fair share of hardships as foreign merchants. I pray that seeing His Highness partake of your stock makes all your struggles feel worth it.”
“Yeaaah!”
“Your Highness!”
“Go on, dig in!”
Whipped into a frenzy, the merchants clapped their hands, stamped their feet, and cheered. Beside them, the newsmongers jotted down accounts of the Westerners’ unique displays of emotion.
Now that Seika had the audience dancing to her tune, she pointed to the pastry. “Eat up, Your Highness. This cake is the culmination of your subjects’ hard work and dreams.”
The gesture was almost insufferably elegant.
Look at that. Kin Seika is positively beaming.
Seika was wearing one of the most dazzling smiles the world had ever seen, clearly delighted to be getting payback for the indignities she’d suffered over the past few days. Keigetsu had to stop herself from making a face.
Although the same could be said of Keigetsu when she was bad-mouthing others, nothing seemed to fill Seika with glee quite like a chance to let off some steam. In fairness, she was well within her rights to feel a little petty, seeing as her one-day ceremony had dragged on four times longer than scheduled and ultimately gotten her locked in a storehouse.
It ended up becoming my problem too.
Keigetsu stared off into space as she recalled the events of the past hour.
Of all the things I ever expected to do, baking a pastry in another clan’s kitchen was not on the list.
After hurrying back from town, Reirin had won Seika over with the argument that baking was a quintessential feminine hobby and dragged her fellow Maidens off to the kitchen. Keigetsu had taken her initial proposal to incorporate local specialties into a pastry modeled after Sherba in stride. (She was no stranger to her friend’s crazy stunts.) But when Reirin followed up with “Right then, let’s look up how to make it,” Keigetsu had sputtered, “Wait, you expect us to make it ourselves?!” Seika, for her part, had never even lit a stove on her own, so chaos soon reigned in the kitchen.
“I-I’m supposed to crack these eggs?! But won’t a chick come crawling out?!”
“No! What kind of stupid question is—ack! Don’t turn the map around! Great, now I’ve lost track of which way is north!”
“Hmm, why don’t we sprinkle more tea leaves around Rize’s section and make the color a tad darker? Pistachios are a northeastern specialty, so those should go right around here. The apricots belong in this section. The olives go here, the raisins go there… Oh, that reminds me, this mountainous region is the birthplace of an ancient martial art, so muscles are arguably its greatest specialt—”
“Didn’t ask!”
“Eek! I pricked my finger on the eggshell!”
The cooking process had been filled with no end of shouting.
As the kitchen descended into pandemonium, Reirin alone had kept on smiling serenely. “I have often fantasized about how much fun it would be to make sweets alongside my friends. Hee hee, I suppose the lesson here is to never give up on your dreams.”
She always had been an expert at concocting medicines, so she turned out to be a skilled cook by extension.
Back in the present, the product of Reirin’s thinly disguised self-indulgence—the homemade pastry—was sitting on a silver platter in all its perfectly baked glory, filling the room with a delicious aroma.
Well? What’s your next move, Prince Nadir? Keigetsu wondered. The satisfaction finally kicked in as she watched the newsmongers and merchants buzz with excitement and the prince and his valet clam up. Now this made her unprecedented foray into baking feel worth the effort.
She thought back to what Reirin had told her in the kitchen: “Consider this a refresher on our geography lectures.”
With that preface, Reirin had gone on to explain that the Kingdom of Seiruba was founded by a confederation of twelve nomadic tribes and thus had a weaker central government than Ei. The heir to the throne was not appointed by the previous king but instead elected by a council of all twelve provincial governors and the grand vizier who presided over them. This forced the royal family to be mindful of their relationships with the provinces, and the crown prince was no exception.
“Prince Nadir tends to play the fool, so I initially assumed he wasn’t giving the matter due consideration. However, Lady Seika’s observations suggest that no matter how uninhibited he may seem, he is actually quite careful to balance his relations with the provinces. If we attack from that angle, we can get the prince dancing to our tune.”
Merchants from his own kingdom are looking to him with hope, and newsmongers are recording every move he makes. He’s in no position to reject our offering. Keigetsu flicked another glance at the merchants and newsmongers they had summoned to the banquet hall.
Nadir was in the habit of hosting informal parties every single day. Assuming those were a way of pandering to his attendants and other such everymen, it implied that he cared quite a bit about how his people felt about him. If his reputation was riding on this meal, he had no choice but to see it through.
Reirin, for her part, was assured of her victory. She kept her eyes trained on the table of honor and a placid smile on her lips.
Appearances can be deceiving, all right, Keigetsu reflected. She looks like she wouldn’t hurt a fly, but she never hesitates to go for the kill.
She finally understood why Kou Reirin took her studies so seriously. As far as the Kou Maiden was concerned, both the performing arts and challenging academics were weapons to be wielded against her enemies.
Kin Seiwa had claimed that women only knew how to put on performances and look pretty. Kin Seika had lamented that her skill in the arts would never help her in politics. How wrong they both were. A proper combination of the arts and academics could exert tremendous power in the political arena. Kou Reirin had exploited a stereotypical feminine pastime like baking to put pressure on the prince of a neighboring kingdom.
Over at the table of honor, Prince Nadir shut his mouth and narrowed his eyes. He could tell he was being strong-armed.
“Well? Does it seem to your liking, Prince Nadir?” Seika asked from the neighboring seat, another nail in his coffin. Not a trace of cajolery or deference could be found in her eyes any longer. They gleamed with a determination to stop desperately trying to please this man, to stop getting discouraged and assuming she must be the party at fault.
Nadir had come to Ei as a guest, and she and her companions had met him as the organizers of his ceremony, participants in the realm of politics. They couldn’t meet unreasonable demands with groveling and concessions; they had to leverage the importance of appearances, grab the malcontents by the scruffs of their necks, and drag them to the negotiating table.
The first to break the long stretch of silence was not Nadir, surprisingly enough, but the man standing behind him, Hasan. “Bwa ha ha!” He cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed to have reacted before his master, then swiftly cut up the pastry on the silver tray and presented a piece to Nadir. “Have a bite, Your Highness!”
At last, Nadir responded with a nod. He pinched the small piece of the pastry between his fingers and brought it to his lips. “Mm!” was all he said.
Hasan quickly provided one of his usual verbose translations. “The majestic and commanding Prince Nadir speaks thus! ‘This is exquisite!’” In Sherban, he added, “His Highness is delighted to encounter the taste of Sherba on foreign soil! O compatriots scattered far and wide, not a day goes by that we are not grateful for your efforts to promote our goods and culture!”
The merchants sprang out of their seats with more excitement than ever.
“Yeaaah!”
“Long live His Highness!”
“Glory to Sherba!”
The room erupted into cheers, whistles, and applause. The crowd was going wild.
“Did you see that?! His Highness just ate my pistachios! Antep’s pistachios!”
“Your Highness! You have to try Rize’s olives next!”
“No, go for my apricots first!”
Naturally, Nadir wasn’t about to stop at sampling only one province; he devoured his way through one section after the next. Each time, natives of the province in question would leap to their feet and whoop it up with their neighbors.
“How is it, Your Highness?!”
“Did you like it?!”
“Please say yes!”
It didn’t take the rowdy Westerners long to start throwing their arms around each other’s shoulders and clapping their hands.
Eventually, a chant started up in the crowd, punctuated by jaunty, rhythmic hand-clapping: “Juuraku! Juuraku!” It didn’t escape Keigetsu’s notice that Reirin had been the one to start it, but she feigned ignorance and joined in the chorus.
“What’s ‘juuraku’?”
“It’s a fancy noble word that means ‘content.’”
Given the Westerners’ penchant for revelry, the word caught on before most of them had a good grasp on what it even meant.
“Juuraku?”
“Juuraku!”
Their questioning murmurs soon became excited exclamations. One person’s cheers grew into a collective chant. As the word rippled through the crowd, it steadily swelled into a tidal wave that swept over the whole venue.
“Juuraku! Juuraku!”
At this point, the prince had no choice but to go with the flow. Once Nadir had sampled a piece of each province’s section, he set his spoon on the table to signal that he had eaten his fill. “Hasan!” he shouted.
“Your wish is my command, my glorious prince!” The prince had said nothing but his name, yet Hasan nodded back in complete understanding. He gave the entourage a signal. “Drumroll, please!”
The skilled drum corps got into position and proceeded to beat their instruments in perfect unison.
Ratta-tatta-tatta-tat-tat!
Hasan raised a hand in the air, at which the rumbling abruptly ceased.
Amid the silence that had fallen over the room, the prince spoke Ei’s language for the first time thus far. “Juuraku. I am content.”
Seika’s face lit up. She glanced over at Reirin and Keigetsu, and the trio exchanged ecstatic looks.
He finally said it!
The girls gave a victorious whoop on the inside, while the audience exploded into cheers.
“Woo-hoo!”
“Juuraku! Juuraku!”
The whole room buzzed with excitement and delight. The Quay-to-Carriage Ritual to welcome Prince Nadir, crown prince of the Kingdom of Seiruba, turned out to be the most sensational in history.
The newsmongers would go on to describe the event like so:
The hostess, Kin Seika, embodies a pioneering spirit balanced with respect for long-standing obligations. In the most recent ceremony, she treated the prince to an innovative dessert while simultaneously honoring those who have settled on this land and established themselves as a cornerstone of our economy. This Quay-to-Carriage Ritual could be considered truly emblematic of the Kin domain, which has long been a flourishing trade hub and a rich tapestry of cultures. Not even the most exacting of guests could leave this event without claiming themselves “content”—not just as a formality but in the truest sense of the word.
Chapter 4: Interlude
Chapter 4:
Interlude
MEANWHILE, back in the imperial capital…
It was late afternoon, around the same time the Maidens had coaxed the key word out of Nadir and brought the banquet to a close. Two figures occupied the archery range tucked away in the inner court.
“A successful hit,” one man remarked dispassionately as an arrow struck the target with a thunk. “Excellent aim, Your Highness.”
His hands were clasped behind his back, both his posture and expression unyielding. He was Captain Shin-u of the Eagle Eyes.
“Come now, Shin-u, you could at least try to sound like you mean it.”
The other man, Crown Prince Gyoumei, scowled at his half brother’s reaction and nocked his next arrow. Even as he bantered, he drew the bowstring all the way to his mouth and loosed it with a steady hand.
Thunk!
“All hits.” Even after watching every single arrow strike true, Shin-u sounded apathetic. Weary, even. “Bravo, impressive, I’ve scarcely witnessed such unparalleled skill. No one in the realm could hope to best you in a contest of archery. Anyone could see that you require no further training, so why not focus on your official duties instead?” He even tacked on an unenthused round of applause and prompted Gyoumei to leave.
The reason for his disgruntlement was simple: For several consecutive days now, Gyoumei had shown up at the Eagle Eyes’ station to whisk Shin-u away and squeeze in an afternoon training session.
The Eagle Eyes were afforded limited windows in which to eat. If Shin-u got back too late, he would miss out on lunch. He had every reason to want Gyoumei to cut his training short and head back to the main palace.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Aren’t you supposed to be an expert archer? Surely you can take a more critical look than that. Don’t you think I should have aimed that fourth arrow a little more to the left? It certainly looks that way to me. Here, let me try one more time.”
Gyoumei digging in his heels and refusing to leave the archery range was the last straw. “Your Highness.” Shin-u narrowed his blue eyes into an icy glare. “I know you keep coming to the archery range so you can use flame magic without fear of prying eyes, and I must kindly request that you leave me out of it. Entry to the range is restricted to prevent disturbances, not to facilitate trysts.”
Over in a corner of the grounds, a single cresset blazed brightly in broad daylight. Shin-u’s accusations were spot-on; Gyoumei’s true objective in visiting the archery range was to keep out of sight and take all the time he wanted on his flame call with Keigetsu. Worrywart that he was, he still wasn’t happy about letting the Maidens go to the Kin domain without any ceremonial officers. He had ordered Keigetsu to reach out to him via flame call every day during the hour of the sheep until the ceremony was over. Since Gyoumei was incapable of casting the spell himself, he had to keep his schedule open and a fire lit so he would be ready and waiting whenever Keigetsu made the call.
This was easier said than done. Every last half hour of the crown prince’s schedule would end up packed with something or other, so he had to invent the excuse of a training session to secure time for the call.
Shin-u’s remark had hit where it hurt, but Gyoumei didn’t let it show. He just cocked an eyebrow and said, “‘Trysts,’ really? You make it sound so scandalous. What other options do I have? Back in the main palace, I’m perpetually shadowed by ministers and pages. I would have no hope of engaging in a lengthy conversation by means of forbidden magic.”
In recognition of Keigetsu’s contributions during the Repose of Souls, the emperor had suspended his crackdown on the Daoist arts, but public perception wasn’t going to change overnight. The prevailing notion was that magic was an ignoble corruption of the dragon’s qi, the ultimate power. Gyoumei insisted that his image as the virtuous crown prince would be tarnished if he was caught relying on dark sorcery.
Shin-u’s keen eyes didn’t fail to spot the hole in that logic. “You are dodging the issue, Your Highness. Even in the main palace, it shouldn’t be that difficult to find some privacy for a quick daily briefing. You keep sneaking out to the inner court’s archery range because you wish to enjoy a nice, long conversation with Lady Kou Reirin, not out of any concerns about forbidden magic.”
Stern-faced, Gyoumei argued, “For the record, all three Maidens are present for every flame call. I don’t get to spend the whole time talking to Reirin.”
“You don’t get to? That sounds like an admission that you want to,” Shin-u said flatly.
In fairness, even the notoriously cold-blooded Shin-u could understand why Gyoumei would look forward to his flame calls with Kou Reirin. The Maidens were only betrothed to the crown prince, not married. As a general rule, they weren’t supposed to meet with him outside of court functions. Gyoumei could pay the occasional visit to their respective palaces to check in on them, but it would invite criticism if he did it too frequently, and he rarely had a free moment between his duties anyway. Under normal circumstances, he could only hope to see Reirin and the other Maidens once a week at most.
With the power of a flame call, he could see and talk to anyone from afar. That meant he could enjoy a one-on-one conversation without any intermediaries, room dividers, or entourages of court ladies and pages hanging around. Even during official trips, his and Reirin’s assigned rooms were always far apart due to the strict segregation of the sexes, so spending nearly half an hour talking to each other each day was an unprecedented level of intimacy for the couple. It was only natural for a man Gyoumei’s age to delight in conversation with his sweetheart. By the same token, it was understandable that he would trek over to the archery range early, anxious that the call might come as soon as the hour of the sheep began, and kill the time with actual practice to hide his true motives from his companion.
No, I still struggle to wrap my head around it.
Upon remembering that today’s lunch was his favorite food—duck noodle soup—Shin-u reconsidered his sympathetic stance. No matter how far back he reached into his memory, he couldn’t recall ever feeling so excited over the mere act of speaking to another person.
Shin-u sighed as he watched Gyoumei steal impatient glances at the cresset. It was starting to look like he was in for yet another late lunch. “Were anyone to discover that you have been sharing intimate conversations with one specific Maiden, it could jeopardize the balance between the five clans.”
“The whole point of these trips to the archery range is to ensure that no one finds out. Besides, I’d hardly call our conversations ‘intimate.’ Haven’t you been listening from the side? Reirin never bothers with anything but dry progress reports.”
“Fair point.” Shin-u had to concede to that.
It had been eight days since Kou Reirin and her companions left the capital. That made it the sixth day of their stay in Hishuu. Although the pair had been conversing via flame call every single one of those days, Reirin had yet to end up absorbed in idle chatter with the crown prince. The other two Maidens tended to get nervous in Gyoumei’s presence or exaggerate to catch his attention, but Reirin always just gave a coherent account of the facts, never once stopping to offer her personal opinion. Beneath her warm, gentle demeanor, she was as down-to-earth and pragmatic as any member of the Kou clan.
I don’t know how His Highness can stay so smitten with someone so plainly uninterested, Shin-u thought to himself. And he was relieved to find that he felt that way.
The folly of pursuing a woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day was clear to him now. His past self must have been out of his mind to ever get so hung up on that impetuous, foolhardy Maiden. He no longer felt anything when he caught a glimpse of Kou Reirin, renowned as the greatest beauty in all of Ei, through the fire, nor did seeing Gyoumei so infatuated with her spark the slightest hint of jealousy. His attempts to seduce her on the Unso trip and his plans to gift her a dagger had been nothing more than momentary lapses in judgment. There had never been any need for Kou Keikou to intervene.
“You weren’t supposed to agree, Shin-u. You know, if you read between the lines, it’s probably not entirely impossible to detect a hint of affection in her bland—”
“There you are, Your Highness!” Gyoumei’s ramblings were interrupted when a young man threw open the door to the archery range and stepped inside. Kou Keishou, a military officer assigned to the main palace and the second son of the Kou clan, looked as dashing as ever in his uniform. “The ministers have been looking everywhere for you! Bureaucrats aren’t allowed to set foot in the archery range, so they had to send me to fetch you.”
“I’ve already taken care of all my morning tasks,” Gyoumei huffed. “I could be taking a break right now, and instead I’m spending my time on training. No one has grounds to criticize me.”
Keishou walked over with the familiar ease of a cousin. “Perhaps the minsters don’t, but I have every right to complain about getting mixed up in your mess. Shoo, back to the main palace with you. I won’t get to eat lunch until I’ve turned Your Laziness over to the ministers. And they’re serving duck noodles today!”
“You would sell me out for duck noodles? And in what world am I being lazy? I’m in the middle of training.”
“Someone as skilled as yourself hardly requires the extra practice. Yes, yes, I see you never missed a shot, hats off to you and all that.”
Keishou strode right into the range and began gathering up the arrows. Shin-u was impressed by his lack of restraint. Perhaps he, too, should’ve forced the issue rather than wasting time trying to reason with his half brother.
“Your intervention is appreciated, Lord Keishou,” said Shin-u. “This is the eighth afternoon in a row that he’s come to the archery range. It’s been quite a headache.”
“Wow, eight whole days? Rather accommodating of you to keep indulging him, Captain.” With a shrug, Keishou picked up a water jug and moved to put out the fire. “Why is this cresset even burning in the middle of the—”
“Wait, Keishou!” Gyoumei yelled before he could stop himself. “Don’t put out the fire!”
Keishou blinked. “Why not?” With a look that hinted at the many thoughts swirling in his head, he stared first at the cresset; then at Gyoumei, who was avoiding eye contact; then at Shin-u’s weary expression; and then at the empty archery range. “Aha… You’ve been coming to the archery range at a designated time for eight days now, hm? What a coincidence. It also happens to be the eighth day since the Maidens departed the capital.”
Kou Keishou lived up to his reputation as both the crown prince’s sharp-witted aide and ridiculously obsessive brother to Reirin.
“Trying to sneak around behind my back, Your Highness? Don’t you find that a little cruel, considering I’ve been worried sick about my baby sister and her friends?” Keishou lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and jabbed a finger in Gyoumei’s direction. “Back in Unso, you used one of my brother’s birds to spy on Reirin, so I was surprised that you were quick to back down this time around. I should have known you were using Lady Keigetsu’s flame calls to keep in daily contact with her!”
Gyoumei stood his ground. “I invite you to recall all the trouble Reirin has gotten herself into thus far. I’m exercising a perfectly justified level of caution. Furthermore, my concerns have proven prescient. Over in Hishuu, Kin Seika has faced resistance from her maids due to her mainline origins, and the ceremony is running late because Nadir keeps throwing tantrums and refusing to attend any banquets. In times of crisis, it is essential to maintain close communication.”
“You call that a crisis? It could easily be addressed by shortening the prince’s trip to the capital and cutting a few of the events you have planned for him here,” Keishou pointed out, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Organizing banquets was considered an important task even in the men’s world of politics. Gyoumei was long accustomed to dealing with these matters in his capacity as crown prince, so he had the good sense to keep the arrangements flexible. That way, Nadir’s reception in the capital could be truncated if the ceremony in the Kin domain ran overtime.
“It seems to me like you’re simply using these reports as an excuse to chat with the Maidens.”
“Precisely,” said Shin-u. “His Highness always stakes out his spot in front of a fire well before the scheduled time and spends a good half hour in his conversation. Can you talk some sense into him?”
Alas, his tattling didn’t lead to quite the result he expected.
“Your Highness,” said Keishou, his expression suddenly sobering. He returned all the arrows he had collected to the quiver. “Earlier, I looked at the target and decided you needed no further training, but I see now that I placed too much importance on the goal of hitting the mark. Archery is more than just a skill—it is a philosophy. Reflecting on your spirit of respect should take precedence over honing your skills for its own sake. And who’s to say how long that could take?”
Shin-u made an incredulous face. “What?!”
Gyoumei ignored that interjection and bobbed his head in emphatic agreement. “Indeed. Archery training can be a lengthy endeavor.”
Keishou nodded back, then turned to the cresset. “Meditation is often considered one of the best methods of soul-searching. In particular, gazing at natural objects for extended periods of time is said to refine the spirit. Oh, and would you look at that?! We happen to have a flame right here.”
“The perfect meditation tool, yes. I think I’ll gaze at it for a while. All a necessary part of my training.”
“It should be my duty as a military officer to join you.” Keishou was apparently intent on being part of the flame call.
“Hey,” Shin-u protested, indignant that the military officer had so readily abandoned his duties, but neither of his companions bothered to turn around. Their remarkable rapport in moments like this really highlighted that they were the same age.
Then, in his excitement over having gained an ally, Gyoumei said something that shifted the winds. “Once you’ve gotten a taste of fire magic, it’s hard to imagine life without it. Lately, my mind is always filled with thoughts of Shu Keigetsu as noon draws near. ‘Shu Keigetsu, O Shu Keigetsu, I eagerly await your call!’”
For some reason, that drew a slight scowl from Keishou. “Forgive me for saying so, but I find that comment inappropriate.”
Gyoumei’s eyes widened in surprise. It wasn’t often that Keishou took such a sharp tone with him. “Which part do you object to, exactly?”
“Well…I’m Reirin’s brother. I would hate for outsiders to form the mistaken impression that your affections have shifted to the Shu Maiden.”
“Hmm.” Gyoumei stared long and hard at his subordinate, an amused gleam coming to his eyes. “Yes, I suppose that’s a reasonable stance to take. You know, what with you being Reirin’s brother.”
Keishou kept his eyes trained on the fire, refusing to meet Gyoumei’s gaze. “And a Kou military officer, might I add.”
The prince stroked his chin in thought, then cracked a mischievous smile. “That reminds me, Keishou, I heard that Shu Keigetsu rejected your offer to be her ceremonial officer. Everyone says that Kou Keishou sends a stream of court ladies swooning each time he strolls through the inner court. I never thought I would see the day when you were snubbed.”
This remark was open to interpretation. It could be taken as the prince teasing Keishou about his chummy relationship with Keigetsu, or it could come across as a warning to back off. It might even sound like he was trying to provoke a reaction and ascertain the man’s true intentions.
Keishou chose to go tit for tat. “I could say the same to you, Your Highness. I can’t believe Reirin turned down your exceptionally generous offer to lend her your personal guard. And without a moment’s hesitation, at that! Do allow me to apologize on behalf of my oblivious baby sister. I’m ashamed that she’s grown up to be so completely and utterly unreceptive to your affections.”
Gyoumei smiled wistfully. “Nothing could be more senseless than two defeated soldiers gouging at each other’s wounds. Wouldn’t you agree, Keishou?”
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean, but yes, let’s leave it at that. Meditation isn’t supposed to involve talking.”
The compatible pair of cousins came to the unanimous decision to bury the hatchet, leaving Shin-u to his confusion.
At that exact moment, the fire in the cresset flared, and a woman’s voice sounded faintly from within. “Your Highness, is now a good time to talk?”
Speak of the devil. It was Shu Keigetsu.
“Hm? Oh, is that you, Shu Keigetsu? Yes, you’re in luck. I’ve just finished up a training session,” Gyoumei replied with affected nonchalance. Considering he had been hanging around waiting for her call, there was nothing “lucky” about it.
On the other end of the call, Keigetsu dipped her head in a sheepish bow and stepped into the crimson contours of the flame. “I’m reaching out with the daily update. Oh, will Lord Keishou be joining Your Highness and the captain today?”
“I figured I might as well, since I just so happened to be at the training grounds,” Keishou responded, likewise acting as if this were all no big deal. It would have been embarrassing to admit that he had more or less muscled his way into joining the call.
“Oh. All right, then.”
And yet, he found it strangely unsatisfying that Keigetsu immediately bought the lie. He placed a hand to his chest, attempting to identify the grain of emotion nagging at him.
Meanwhile, Keigetsu started in on the Maidens’ report. “First, we have some good news. This flame call will likely be the last we make. After stubbornly declining invitation after invitation, Prince Nadir finally took part in a banquet and uttered the key word.”
“Oho. Nadir relented? When even the most extravagant Kin hospitality failed to win him over? How did you manage it?” Gyoumei asked.
“Lady Seika was the hostess, so I shall leave it to her to explain that part.”
A rustling sound carried through the flame as the girls shuffled their seats. All three of them were probably gathered around a single candle.
After some time, Kin Seika’s magnified image showed up in the fire. She offered a respectful bow. This was now her eighth flame call, so she had figured out the right volume to speak at and how best to position herself. “If I may speak on the matter, Prince Nadir has known wealth and privilege from a young age. No amount of money or treasure could ever hope to win him over. I abandoned the approach of lavishing him with luxury goods and instead presented him with a gift he could not refuse in a public setting.”
Seika smoothly explained her winning strategy against Prince Nadir. Instead of offering extravagant gifts, she had gathered up local Sherban specialties, baked them into a pastry, and served it to the prince with the newsmongers watching. To put it another way, she quit sucking up and broke the deadlock with intimidation tactics.
“Seiruba’s royal family attaches great value to its relationships with the provinces. In light of the savvy grand vizier’s recent rise to power, Prince Nadir would have no path forward if he lost the governors’ support, so he’s particularly desperate not to offend any of the provinces. All we had to do was invite merchants from each region and lay out their local specialties on the table, and suddenly he was feasting with relish.”
Seika spoke proudly, her smile glowing with the satisfaction of a revenge well served. Despite her efforts to play it cool, she must have been quite irritated to have her invitations repeatedly rebuffed and her ceremony prolonged.
My Maidens are all so very confrontational.
A more conventional crown prince probably would have reprimanded her, but Gyoumei found her story oddly heartwarming. After all the times he had watched his dearest Reirin wage war like a boar, this kind of behavior no longer struck him as anything out of the ordinary. His first thought was simply, Well, I suppose that’s the natural reaction. It was normal for fellow Maidens and consorts to be at odds with one another, so it was almost sweet to see them join hands and triumphantly vanquish their foes.
Besides, he was just glad to see Reirin get through at least one ceremony without things getting out of hand. For whatever reason, his beloved butterfly tended to get tangled up in trouble with alarming frequency. It was a relief to hear that the event had ended without incident, a few moments of friction notwithstanding.
I’m doomed. Centering Reirin all the time is making me lose sight of what’s considered normal. Gyoumei snapped back to his senses and cleared his throat.
Still, from his perspective as crown prince, he was all for upholding Ei’s reputation—and on a personal level, he agreed that his inscrutable, troublemaking friend had a smack in the face coming.
“I see. Excellent work.”
“I am undeserving of such praise. I owe you no end of apologies for allowing the ceremony to run so much longer than planned.”
“No need to be modest. Didn’t you mention that your uncle, Kin Seiwa, was making an effort to stand in your way? You did well under the circumstances. Has the branch family tried anything else since last we spoke?”
He already knew about the branch family’s refusal to cooperate from the previous reports.
Seika straightened, a hesitant look crossing her face. “Yes, about that… I do not wish to trouble Your Highness during a busy time, so I was planning to tell you after we made it back to the capital, but…to tell you the truth, earlier this morning, my uncle locked me in a storehouse in an attempt to sabotage the ceremony.”
Gyoumei frowned. “He what?!”
Seika took her time responding, making an effort to choose her words carefully.“Fortunately, I was able to escape and see the ceremony through. I would like to see my uncle punished, but, erm, I will wait to relay the details until I have properly organized—”
Before she could finish, Keigetsu interjected from the side, eager to take the spotlight back from Seika. “It was such an inconvenience for me and Kou Reirin too! Especially me! To get us out of there, I had to—”
“Quiet, Shu Keigetsu!”
A muffled sound came through the flame. Probably Seika stepping on Keigetsu’s foot.
Stickler for manners that she was, Kin Seika dragged Keigetsu out of the frame and whispered something that only partially made it through the call. “Don’t say…worry…Highness!”
“Hey, that hurt! You’re the one who wanted to bring charges against Kin Seiwa for the attempted assassination of the empress’s nie—”
“Shh! Telling…wait until…ceremony is officially…”
Unfortunately, Keigetsu’s shrill voice carried through the flames no matter how hard she tried to keep it down.
“Did you say ‘attempted assassination of the empress’s niece’?”
The men’s expressions turned dark when they overheard that unsettling combination of words. Did that mean Seika hadn’t been the only victim of the branch family’s sabotage? It also occurred to them that they hadn’t seen Reirin this whole time.
“Hey, where is Reirin?” Gyoumei asked, leaning forward slightly.
Seika walked back in front of the flame, her smile even more radiant than before. “Hm? Lady Reirin? She’s right here next to me.”
“I can’t see her. You’re standing too close, Kin Seika.”
“Kou Reirin, you dummy! Get over here!” Keigetsu hissed.
Kou Reirin finally stepped into view, looking much more flustered than usual. “Yes, hello. I extend my greetings to Your Highness. I’ve been listening from the side this whole time.”
As always, she gracefully put a hand to her cheek. The men were briefly relieved to find nothing amiss, but it wasn’t long before they were back on tenterhooks.
“Lady Reirin! You Maidens will not finish that report without us, or my name isn’t Tousetsu! At the very least, we must inform His Highness and your brother about the explosion in the storehouse, the fire, and your trip into town!”
“Hey! Did you seriously just bar the door?! Now you’ve really made us mad!”
More voices carried through the fire. From the sound of it, these were coming from just outside whatever room the Maidens currently occupied.
“Open the door!”
“We know you’re in there! Come out with your hands up!”
They must have been yelling at the top of their lungs. Their cries came through clearly even though they were far out of frame.
“Explain,” Gyoumei demanded, voice low and threatening. “Now.”
Seika flapped her hands back and forth, the color draining from her face. “Er, well, you see… As I mentioned earlier, my uncle trapped me in a storehouse, but Lady Reirin and Lady Keigetsu devised an ingenious solution to get me out of there. I wish to hold my uncle accountable, but, um, respectfully, I would prefer to save the more comprehensive report for when we have returned to the capital!”
She babbled off a string of excuses, but it was too late. The men were already in fight mode.
“If my ears do not deceive me, I believe I just heard several phrases I shouldn’t have, including ‘attempted assassination,’ ‘explosion,’ and ‘trip into town,’” said Gyoumei.
“May I remind you three that I only withdrew my offer to be a ceremonial officer because you promised you would keep yourselves safe?” said Keishou.
“Something rather serious must have happened to have that Gen-hailing head court lady shouting like that,” said Shin-u.
The three men leaned toward the fire in perfect sync.
Reirin’s eyes darted nervously around the room. She then made an awkward attempt to fake a transmission glitch, cutting herself off and abruptly freezing in place every few seconds. “Um, uh… Your High…? Hello, are you…? Oh no. You’re breaking up. Must be the wind.”
“You are obviously indoors!” Gyoumei yelled at his fiancée. “Why is now the time you suddenly develop acting skills?!”
“That’s enough, Reirin. Let us talk to Tousetsu or Leelee,” Keishou said, the light gone from his eyes.
The three Maidens averted their eyes. A moment later, they exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
Seika spoke first. “Um, my apologies, Your Highness. I feel terrible that we’ve kept you so long during this busy time!”
Keigetsu said, “I-Indeed! We’ll let you get back to work now!”
“The ceremony was a success, so as per our agreement, today will mark our last report via flame call. We look forward to seeing you back in the capital. Good day to you, sir,”said Reirin. For the finishing touch, she gave an unconvincing cry of “Oh no! Here comes a gust of wind!” just before the fire in the cresset went out. She had cut the flame call.
Gyoumei and Keishou fell silent. After the pair had stared expressionlessly at the targets for quite some time, Gyoumei smiled softly and said, “This is how it always goes. Your thoughts, Keishou?”
“I believe you should do exactly as you see fit, Your Highness.” Keishou smiled back and, for reasons unclear, grabbed the bow from its resting place and handed it over to Gyoumei. For reasons equally unclear, he turned to Shin-u and said, “Bring His Highness his arrows, Captain.”
“Huh? Fine.”
Despite his puzzlement, Shin-u handed over the arrows without further question. Gyoumei nocked one with lightning speed and fired it straight at the target. With a thunk far louder than any of his previous shots, the arrow struck the dead center, drawing a look of wide-eyed surprise from Shin-u.
Gyoumei handed the bow over to Keishou. “Have a turn.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
With just that brief exchange, the prince’s aide and childhood friend picked up on his meaning perfectly. He took aim.
Thunk!
The arrow hit so close to the center that it split the one Gyoumei had shot moments earlier.
He telescoped it, Shin-u observed, recoiling from the intensity radiating from Gyoumei and Keishou.
The men of the Kou were known to be unflinching in the face of calamity, but even they had their limits. Although they wouldn’t yell and scream like a Shu or let grudges stew like a Ran, they had all the menace of an earthquake when their emotions boiled over.
As gentle sunlight filtered into the archery range, the two men narrowed their eyes into baleful glares.
“Here I thought things had resolved peacefully for once, but I should have known better. Whenever Reirin reports on one incident, ten more are happening behind the scenes—and that’s on a good day. As we speak, that number could be climbing to a hundred or a thousand. Wouldn’t you agree, Keishou?”
“Absolutely, Your Highness. It is my humble opinion that someone coolheaded and sensible ought to intervene.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself. If that’s how they want to play it, then we’ll beat them at their own game.”
“I have never once contradicted you, Your Highness, and I don’t intend to start now. You have my full support.”
Their smiles couldn’t have looked any phonier.
Looks like Lady Kou Reirin might find herself under house arrest as soon as she gets back, Shin-u thought as he watched them from behind, a tiny sigh escaping his lips. The girls would be back in a few more days. There was little Gyoumei or Keishou could do until then, but the moment the Kou Maiden set foot in the capital, her actions were going to catch up with her.
“Hey, don’t just stand there daydreaming, Shin-u. We don’t have a moment to waste.”
“What?”
Later on, Shin-u would look back on this moment and realize that he had completely underestimated the true power of the Kou.
In most circumstances, those of Kou blood were self-possessed and slow to act—but if they made up their minds to do something, they wouldn’t bide their time. They would leap into action with all the force of a landslide, swallowing up everything in their path.
Chapter 5: Keigetsu Imbibes
Chapter 5:
Keigetsu Imbibes
AS THE CURTAIN OF NIGHT FELL, Hishuu’s market was instilled with a different kind of energy than the daytime hustle. Red lanterns swayed in front of the eaves, their soft light illuminating the faces of the passersby. Stalls crowded either side of the streets, filling the air with the aroma of delicious food. In keeping with the domain’s reputation for artistic talent, someone was dancing or singing on every busy street corner. One such example was a parade of hostesses dancing down the main street. As the trill of their flutes and beat of their drums came into earshot, people gathered on the side of the road, craning their necks to listen.
Amid all the hubbub, five women sat around a table on the second-floor balcony of a teahouse, leisurely observing the crowds below. Once the waiter had passed out the cups and left, the most extravagantly dressed member of the group cleared her throat and said, “Well, everyone, here’s to the completion of the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual. Cheers!”
Although she kept her voice down, she raised her cup high in the air. The two women sitting on either side of her followed suit.
“You did an excellent job, Lady Seika,” one said.
“It’s about time we had a chance to breathe,” said the other.
The remaining two women in the room responded with silent bows.
Needless to say, it was Kin Seika who had led the toast and Kou Reirin and Shu Keigetsu who had happily followed her lead. Head court ladies Tousetsu and Leelee wedged themselves between the three Maidens, bringing them bottles of wine and serving them appetizers.
“Lady Reirin, please refrain from leaning so far over the railing. It is both dangerous and inappropriate. I must also ask that you limit yourself to one drink of alcohol and stick to tea thereafter.”
“Same goes for you, Lady Keigetsu. Don’t get so drunk that you lose control of your magic.”
In stark contrast to the way the Maidens were relaxing with wine cups in hand, the court ladies were keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings, their faces tight with apprehension. And it was no wonder why—the crown prince’s fiancées would never be allowed to share drinks in a teahouse patronized by commoners, let alone this late at night, so they were currently undercover.
A day had passed since the banquet in which they called upon the newsmongers and merchants to pressure the prince into declaring himself content. Afterward, Seika had rushed through the remaining bits of the ceremony and successfully sent the prince off to the capital. He had taken his mass of dancers and animals with him, their procession so grandiose that it looked like a moving castle.
His valet, Hasan, had stayed behind in Hishuu to take care of some unfinished business (supposedly, he had to check whether the massive entourage had done any damage to the estate), but otherwise Seika had been blessed with some long overdue peace and quiet. Unfortunately, due to the considerable deviation from the original itinerary, the Maidens were already set to head home the next day, meaning they wouldn’t get to enjoy even one full day of free time.
In spite of that—no, all the more because of it—the Maidens were determined to make the most of the one evening left to them. And thus had they set out to enjoy a night on the town.
Reirin had brought Tousetsu with her, and Keigetsu had brought Leelee. After trouncing the branch family with her showing at the banquet, Seika had chosen to head into town without a single maid to accompany her. Not long ago, she hadn’t even known how to eat candy off a skewer, so this was quite a bit of courage she’d developed over the course of a single day.
“Ugh, finally. A bit of leisure time at last,” said Keigetsu. “That Quay-to-Carriage Ritual dragged on forever!”
“For how long His Highness held out, he was surprisingly quick to pack up and leave once he said the key word,” Seika mused. “If only he had been so amenable from the start.”
It was hard to say whether it was owed to the lack of people around or the relief of finishing an important task, but the two girls were at their friendliest. Keigetsu wasn’t picking fights with Seika, and Seika wasn’t making snide remarks back at her. The pair grabbed their drinks in unison and chugged them down in one go. It warmed Reirin’s heart to see how much closer they’d grown.
“His Highness was an enigmatic man indeed. He claimed he came to the Kin domain seeking excitement, but he spent the entire time shut up in his room.” Reirin gave a puzzled tilt of her head.
The alcohol was already hitting Keigetsu and Seika, judging by the flush on their cheeks. “There’s a simple explanation,” the Shu Maiden said. “He’s the kind of self-centered nuisance who demands that everyone else entertain him while making no effort to enjoy himself. The ceremony never would’ve ended had we kept indulging him.”
“We were absolutely right to change course from appeasement to coercion.” Seika chuckled cynically, then gazed thoughtfully at her wine cup. “I have truly learned a lot over the course of this ceremony. You two taught me a very valuable lesson: It is always better to stand strong and confront someone head-on than grovel and curry favor.”
One of Seika’s best qualities was her ability to be open and honest with those who had won her respect. She sat up taller in her seat and bowed her head to Reirin and Keigetsu. “Allow me to thank you once more for everything you’ve done. Were it not for you both, I might still be trapped in that storehouse.”
Reirin flapped her hands back and forth in a fluster. “No need for such formality, Lady Seika! I have every confidence that you would have found a way to blow up the storehouse even without our help.”
“Um, y-yes, I suppose you’re right,” Seika stammered, looking befuddled. “Perhaps…perhaps I still would have blown it up…”
Keigetsu gave an incredulous snort. “Just come out and say it: Most people wouldn’t resort to an explosion. Is it finally dawning on you what a boar this woman is, Lady Seika?”
“What? No! I would never call her a boar!” Seika insisted. After a few beats, she added in a much quieter voice, “But, mm… How should I say this? Lady Reirin, you are…gamier than I initially assumed.”
“Beg pardon? I’m ‘gamy’?”
“I think you do an impressive job of covering that up, though! You’re as well put together as a pot that seals the odor of its contents!”
“You think I have…an odor?”
Every single one of Seika’s frantic reassurances only made Reirin more dejected. She’d wanted Seika to get to know the real her, but apparently her authentic self was the equivalent of gamy, stinky hog meat. And here she’d been hoping Seika would be the one person to spare her the boar comparisons.
Ignoring the sad slump of Reirin’s shoulders, Keigetsu nibbled on a bit of dried meat with a snicker. “Well said, Lady Seika. Sounds like you’re becoming a better judge of character. I’d written you off as a stuck-up, sheltered, friendless princess, but there’s hope for you yet.”
“Who do you think you are to speak to me that way? Furthermore, I already told you that I have a childhood friend.”
Keigetsu dismissed the protest with a shrug. “Right, right, that imaginary friend of yours. How could I forget?”
Seika’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. Reirin put a hand to her cheek and made an effort to pacify her. “Speaking of which, I’ve been a bit worried about your friend. We never did manage to find her. I wonder if she left the area.”
“Perhaps. I’d like to think she’s living a happy life in the imperial capital, but…I pray that nothing terrible has befallen her.”
Reirin gave a mystified tilt of her head. “Such as?”
Seika dropped her gaze sadly, long lashes shrouding her eyes. “As I mentioned yesterday, my friend was originally my fellow pupil.”
“Right, you said you learned under the same dance instructor.”
“Yes. Despite her humble origins, she had a remarkable talent for song and dance. The Kin branch family adopted her at our mentor’s recommendation, which is how we became acquainted.”
Given Seika’s antagonistic relationship with the branch family, it was surprising to hear that she had formed a friendship with someone under their care. This childhood friend must have been a charming girl indeed.
“Our instructor was a hostess who taught the arts all over the area. My friend would occasionally join her on visits to the regional capital of Tensa, and she would show me a good time whenever I came to Hishuu. We got along swimmingly and even came to think of one another as sisters.”
Her gorgeous eyes softening with nostalgia, Seika went on to explain that even after moving to the imperial capital in preparation to join the court, she had kept in touch with her friend. Although said friend had been adopted into the branch family, her commoner background disqualified her from freely entering the Kin estate, so she’d rented a unit in a row house on the city outskirts instead. In her letters, she always promised to bring Seika to all the most popular shops the next time she visited Hishuu.
“But then,” Seika went on, her expression darkening, “about two years ago, her responses stopped coming. That was when I started to grow concerned. Here in the Kin domain, you see, we have an abominable tradition called the matchmaking fair. Of the branch family’s invention, of course.”
“What does it entail?”
“A family-wide husband hunt—or that’s how they like to dress it up. In simplest terms, it is a ritual in which Kin girls of marriageable age are dressed in a strip of sheer cloth and sold off to unscrupulous merchants. The whole clan essentially trades their daughters for money and connections to affluent merchants.”
Putting two and two together, Seika was worried that her childhood friend had halted communication because she was entered into the matchmaking fair.
Seika balled her hands into fists of fury. “I swore that if she were ever forced into a matchmaking fair, I would rescue her by whatever means necessary. Yet I never found her name on any of the annual lists of participants. I eventually came to the conclusion that she must have made it big as a hostess and avoided that outcome.” At that, she unclenched her fists and looked over the railing at the bustling nighttime market. “I had no idea she had disappeared altogether. I can only hope she’s off living the life of her dreams somewhere.”
The buzz of the crowd seemed so distant.
As silence fell over the table, Seika snapped back to reality and sat up straight. “My apologies. We are here to have fun. I didn’t mean to go on and on about my own problems.”
Though her hair wasn’t coming loose, she tucked a lock behind her ear before glancing down at the menu. They already had more than enough alcohol and appetizers to go around, but Kin Seika seemed intent on flaunting her financial clout and ordering a few more items for the table.
“Come, ladies, order as much as you like and eat to your hearts’ content! Word of this teahouse’s excellence has made it all the way back to the imperial capital. This establishment sees a good deal of foreign patrons, so the menu offers a wide variety of items. Why, you can order just about anything here.”
Seika lifted a bamboo blind, revealing a diverse array of diners from all over: pale redheads, men in turbans, women wearing head coverings, and so on. The languages flying around the restaurant and aromas wafting through the air had a fresh and fascinating appeal, fueling the expectation that there were all sorts of never-before-seen foreign cuisines just waiting to be discovered here. (Well, the girls’ noses had grown accustomed to pungent smells after Nadir’s stay, so that part struck them as less unique.)
Reirin clapped cheerfully. “I’m so excited to try foreign cuisine! I think I’ll ask for the most exotic thing on the menu.”
“I must protest, Lady Reirin. That would be far too much stimulation for you to handle,” Tousetsu cut in, immediately putting a damper on her excitement. “You should stick to foods that are low in fat and spices. Anything you order ought to be thoroughly cooked, have a mild flavor and aroma, and contain no unfamiliar ingredients.”
Reirin clamped her hands over her ears to block out Tousetsu’s rapid-fire advice. “Hardly anything would fit that description aside from congee!”
Still, Tousetsu refused to back down. “You must chew every bite of food thirty times, and you cannot stay out too late. Regardless of whether the main course has arrived, I insist that you return to the estate as soon as we hear the bell for the first hour of the boar. If you refuse, I will carry you back myself.” She was starting to sound less like a court lady and more like a nagging mother.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too strict, Tousetsu?” Keigetsu couldn’t help but interject. “You can be so overprotective sometimes.”
While Kou Reirin did tend to push herself too hard, Keigetsu had long been of the opinion that her head court lady was borderline smothering her.
“What’s the harm in allowing her to let loose for a few hours now that the ceremony is finally over? We were originally supposed to have at least three days to spend however we wanted, and now this evening is all we get. Just let her enjoy it.”
The stubborn court lady was unmoved by Keigetsu’s rebuke. “I hate the idea of my lady being out and about for several hours at a time. If I had my way, I would drag her back to the estate right this instant.”
At this point, Keigetsu was starting to feel sorry for Reirin. She leaned back against her chair with a snort. “You’re out of line, Tousetsu. You wouldn’t even let Kou Reirin out of her room to watch the send-off this morning. I think she’s heard more than enough of your lectures by now.”
Yesterday, after Reirin took an impromptu stroll through town, blew up a storehouse, took the prince down a peg, and attempted to withhold information from her report to Gyoumei, Tousetsu had declared that she could abide this no longer and locked the Maiden in her bedroom. She hadn’t released Reirin until earlier that evening—only an hour before this trip to the night market. Tousetsu had adamantly maintained that Reirin was tired and needed to rest, but Keigetsu had not a doubt in her mind that the fussy court lady was imprisoning her headstrong mistress as a form of punishment.
“I assure you I’m being entirely reasonable,” Tousetsu snapped. “Lady Reirin has already taken too many risks over the course of this trip. I repeatedly advised her against going out tonight at all.”
“Well,” Seika chimed in with an awkward shrug, “I suppose it’s true that we engaged in some rather reckless behavior.”
“You think? If you ask me, we found a relatively benign solution,” Keigetsu said without thinking, only to scrunch up her face like she’d taken a bite of something sour.
Ack, just listen to me! I’ve grown completely desensitized to the celestial boar’s antics!
It was an alarming realization. In retrospect, Keigetsu had blown up a storehouse, walked through town, and clashed with the prince of another kingdom, yet she was hardly fazed by any of it. Compared to all the previous threats to her life or the time she had gone to war with the emperor, it was hard to appreciate the severity of the situation.
I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel worth getting worked up over if it’s not a matter of life and death… Wait, no, I can’t think like that!
She couldn’t believe she’d entertained such a stereotypically Kou-esque thought. What were the odds that muscle-brain was a contagious affliction?
It’s fine! It’s not that I’ve turned into a fearless fool! I walked away with a positive impression because the ceremony was a triumph on a personal level, that’s all.
Keigetsu reflected on the events once more. During every ceremony at court, she messed something up or damaged her reputation somehow, but this time she had seen it through without making any notable blunders or blowing up at Kou Reirin and getting into a fight. Heck, putting it that way, she could probably classify this episode as a rousing success.
Exactly. This trip went far more smoothly than any before it.
Slowly but surely, experience was shaping her into a problem solver.
Tousetsu spoiled Keigetsu’s moment of self-satisfaction by roaring, “It was most certainly not ‘benign’!”
That was the last straw for Keigetsu. How long has Tousetsu been serving as Reirin’s head court lady again? She ought to have learned to tolerate a certain amount of daredevilry by now.
Keigetsu’s irritation led her to say, “You’re making a big deal over nothing, Tousetsu. She’s not going to die anytime soon. A stubborn woman like her would just crawl right back out of the grave.”
Sure, the butterfly looked the part of a frail, ephemeral beauty, but she had nerves of steel and enough luck for a dozen people. Lately, she was cutting loose more than ever before, to the point that she might as well have been standing against a backdrop that read, I’m fit as a fiddle! Keigetsu was starting to think it might be time to drop the whole “sickly” label.
And yet, Tousetsu sucked in a sharp breath and twisted her face into a grimace. “Mind your tongue!”
Even Seika and Leelee scowled, interpreting the remark as an insult to their precious Reirin.
“What a terribly rude thing to say!”
“Watch it, Lady Keigetsu!”
Of the outraged trio, Tousetsu was the one angry enough to thrust herself toward Keigetsu, determined to say her piece. “For your information, Lady Keigetsu—”
“Oh dear,” Reirin’s gentle voice rang out, putting a stop to her tirade. “Would you look at that? A flower slipped right out of my hand.”
As she said this, she plucked a branch of peach blossoms from the table and cast it over the railing with a flick of her wrist. The lightweight branch fluttered down gently enough to melt into the surrounding twilight, ultimately landing on the shoulder of a candy seller below.
“Hello up there! Is this order for delivery or pickup?” came the man’s enthusiastic shout in response.
Peddlers of candy, fruit, and sweet drinks would roam busy streets like this all day long, and people sitting upstairs could wave their sleeves or throw lightweight objects to get their attention. If you were ready to leave, you could head down and pick up the order yourself; if you weren’t quite done with your teatime, you could ask the peddler to make a delivery to the teahouse.
“I’ll send someone down to pick it up!” Reirin called back, then asked, “Would you mind, Tousetsu?”
“Lady Reirin, please!”
“Now that we’ve already stopped him, it would be bad manners not to order something.” To the seller, she added, “We’ll have ten skewers each of candied hawthorns, apricots, and grapes, thank you!”
“T-ten of each?! Coming right up! Thanks for doing business!”
Reirin had managed to change the subject and sneak in a chance to buy candy all at once. Tousetsu raised her voice in protest, but her mistress shooed her downstairs with a smile. “We mustn’t keep him waiting.” Once the court lady was gone, Reirin said, “Goodness, I can be such a klutz.”
“You expect us to believe that you accidentally hit a candy seller’s shoulder with perfect aim?” Keigetsu huffed.
“Sometimes these things happen. Especially the day after eating delicious hawthorn tanghulu,” her friend replied, utterly unrepentant. It wasn’t much of an excuse.
Beside her, Leelee breathed a sigh of relief. “Frankly, I’m glad Lady Tousetsu is gone. She’s been super uptight since yesterday. Maybe even before that.”
Reirin’s face fell. “I’m afraid I’m to blame. Tousetsu is on edge because I keep giving her cause for concern. When she gets back, I’ll make sure she eats her fill of sweets.”
Classic Kou Reirin. She seemed to be under the impression that most problems could be solved with a sugar binge.
“Well, if we already have sweets on the way, let’s hold off on ordering appetizers for now and get to drinking,” Seika said to brighten the mood.
“Yes, let’s!” Reirin exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her cup.
With Tousetsu keeping a watchful eye out earlier, she had only been allowed a teardrop’s worth of wine. Now that she was free to grab for the bottle, she poured herself a generous helping. Reirin beamed as she watched the liquid slosh over the sides of the cup, threatening to spill.
“Hee hee, look at that. I filled it all the way to the brim.”
Keigetsu gave a curious tilt of her head. “I didn’t realize you were that fond of alcohol.”
While she had drunk plenty of tea with Reirin, it occurred to her that they had never shared a bottle of wine before. Judging by her looks, I’d assume she would turn red and pass out after the first drink, Keigetsu thought, basing her assumptions on her friend’s ghostly pale skin and waifish frame.
“Hmm,” Reirin began, cocking her own head to the side. “I wouldn’t say I’m especially partial to wine on its own merits. I’ve simply always wanted to go out for drinks with friends, and I should never let a chance to make a dream come true pass me by.” She took an adorable little sip from her cup, her eyes crinkling with joy. “Brother Junior always says that the closer the company, the longer it takes to finish your drinks. By that logic, I imagine the three of us are going to be here for ten hours.”
“I hope not!”
“Rest assured, I have every intention of sticking around until the bitter end, whether the rest of you become inebriated enough to cry or dance or make a scene. Lady Keigetsu, you could start breathing fire in a drunken frenzy, and I swear to you that I still would not move from this spot.”
“You won’t have to worry about that!”
Keigetsu banged on the table indignantly, but Reirin paid that no heed as she broke into a dreamy smile. “Oh, what bliss. My nostrils are filled with the intoxicating aroma of the wine, while peals of merry laughter echo all around me. This is like a dream come true.”
“Uh, for what it’s worth, that wine’s pretty cheap,” Leelee interjected.
Keigetsu snarled, “And that’s not laughter you’re hearing! It’s my enraged screams!”
None of that put a crack in Reirin’s euphoric grin. “Oh, and then there’s all those pungent foreign fragrances. Just breathing them in fills my chest with an invigorating—urk!” No sooner had she taken a big gulp of air than she broke into a coughing fit.
“Sounds like regular old gagging to me!” Keigetsu yelled before she could stop herself. “Look, I think you ought to settle down.”
“M-my…apologies. The spices are…a little too… M-my saliva got stuck in my—koff!”
“It’s fine. Don’t force yourself to talk.”
Keigetsu rubbed Reirin’s back, but the coughing carried on unabated. Although the tables in the establishment were positioned fairly far apart, a heady aroma redolent of perfume and spices wafted over from the neighboring balcony seat. The bamboo blinds hanging between the tables prevented the girls from seeing who was sitting there, but they were likely Sherbans.
“Forgive me… I got a little too excited. I should probably use the downstairs bathroom.”
“Get a breath of fresh air while you’re at it. Do you need someone to go with you?”
“No, I should be fine… Koff!”
Reirin’s eyes were watering from all the coughing. Keigetsu saw her off with a look of exasperation. She was a bit worried about sending a sheltered Maiden to the bathroom all on her own, but luckily, Tousetsu was already downstairs. The two were likely to bump into each other, so it would all work out.
Keigetsu snorted as she watched Reirin slowly descend the stairs, her shoulders heaving every so often along the way. “Oh, give me a break. She’s actually just a scatterbrained goof, but people go on and on about her being sickly because of moments like this.”
“Must you always talk like that, Lady Keigetsu?” said Seika. “All that coughing has to be hard on her frail body. Whatever the cause, it’s concerning to see her like that.”
“You’re too easily deceived by appearances.”
As they bantered, Keigetsu gazed out over the railing. The nighttime street was packed with a diverse crowd dressed in an eclectic mix of fashions. The scene looked so chaotic that she was starting to second-guess whether she should have let Reirin go alone. Fortunately, after watching for a while, she saw Reirin meet up with Tousetsu, who was picking up the candy. They were too far away for Keigetsu to hear their voices, but Tousetsu started shouting and waving skewers in the air the moment she spotted Reirin.
“Ooh, someone’s in trouble,” Keigetsu muttered, idly fascinated.
Just then, the sound of a flute reached her ears from afar. The people on the street began to clamor and move off to the sides.
“Wow, it’s a hostess parade!”
“Don’t those lanterns belong to the Heaven-Scented Pavilion?”
“Woo-hoo! Tonight’s my lucky night!”
With everyone rushing under the eaves, Tousetsu and Reirin ended up trapped in place with hands full of candy.
Keigetsu and Leelee cocked their heads, puzzled. “What’s going on?” This wasn’t a form of spectacle they ever saw around the imperial capital.
“It’s a parade of hostesses,” said Seika. “Here in the Kin domain, we highly value artistic prowess. Hostesses skilled at dancing and music will sometimes march through the streets at night to represent their respective brothels. It doubles as an advertisement for their workplaces.”
Keigetsu frowned, propping her chin in her hand. “Wait, so courtesans can wander freely outside the pleasure district? That seems rather…debauched.”
“Don’t conflate hostesses and prostitutes,” Seika snapped. “Hostesses sell their performances, while prostitutes sell their bodies. Only hostesses are allowed in the parades.” But then a pained look crossed her face, and she added, “Unfortunately, young girls can’t be expected to know the difference. I hear some will dream of becoming glamorous hostesses, foolishly go knocking on a brothel door, and end up working as prostitutes. Ideally, the authorities should place regulations on parades of this nature.”
The hostesses danced in the majestic glow of the lanterns, their extravagant hairpins swaying with each step, and the passersby watched in fascination. The sight of it made Seika’s face twist in disgust. Her sense of feminine modesty must have won out over her love of the arts.
“If I had any actual authority here, I would downsize the pleasure district and cut it off from the rest of the city, but my uncle has a vested interest in the profits generated by this line of—” Seika abruptly stopped mid-sentence. “Huh?” She abandoned her ramrod-straight posture and thrust herself over the railing. “Kinyou?!”
Her eyes were wide with shock, fixed on the hostess leading the procession coming down the street. She hastily grabbed another branch of peach blossoms from the table and threw it over the railing. Alas, with how far the parade still was from the teahouse, the branch was never going to reach; it instead dropped limply to the street below. To make matters worse, just when it looked like the parade was headed their way, the hostesses turned a corner right before the teahouse and disappeared into the distance.
“Wait!” Seika cried out weakly, but her voice didn’t make it. She dithered for a moment, fists clenched to her chest, then came to a decision and whirled toward Keigetsu and Leelee. “My apologies, Lady Keigetsu, but I’m afraid I must step away for a bit. I shan’t be long.”
“Huh?”
Seika didn’t wait for a response before taking her leave. Keigetsu and Leelee, the only ones left in the room, traded blank looks.
“What was that all about?” Keigetsu wondered aloud. “‘Kinyou’ is a woman’s name, right? Do you think she recognized someone in that parade?”
“That would be my guess,” said Leelee. “You don’t suppose it was the childhood friend she was just talking about, do you?”
As she said this, she looked out over the railing. Down below, Seika had just flown out of the restaurant. Reirin and Tousetsu, who happened to be standing outside, asked her what was going on. Seika shot back a brief response, bowed, and took off. Reirin and Tousetsu exchanged glances, and a few moments later, Reirin spun around and rushed after Seika.
“What?! Now Lady Reirin’s chasing after Lady Seika!”
“What is she thinking?! That’s like sending one lost little kid to track down another!”
“Lady Tousetsu went right after her, so hopefully it’ll be fine.”
“Tousetsu should be stopping her, not following her! For someone who loves to nag and lecture, she sure is quick to capitulate to her mistress’s demands!”
Keigetsu and Leelee were on tenterhooks as they watched the scene play out below. They gravitated toward the stairs, debating whether they ought to go supervise, but neither was familiar with the area. Upon determining that getting involved risked complicating matters further, they awkwardly returned to their table.
Their convivial party of five was down to two. To fill the silence, Keigetsu asked Leelee, “Well, care for a drink?” She figured this was as good an opportunity as any to show her attendant some appreciation.
Alas, Leelee didn’t move from where she stood leaning over the railing, peering in the direction the trio had gone. “I’ll pass, thanks. I’m more concerned about Lady Reirin and the others right now.”
Keigetsu was a bit miffed that Leelee hadn’t even glanced at the proffered cup. “Ugh, do you ever talk about anything but your precious ‘Lady Reirin’? Here I thought you were supposed to be a Shu Palace court lady. You ought to take a page out of Tousetsu’s book and dedicate yourself to your own mistress.”
“Excuse me?!” Leelee spun around, visibly annoyed. That comment clearly hadn’t gone over well. “For your information, I already put up with quite a lot in service of you!”
“What is that supposed to mean?! You make it sound like working for me is some terrible ordeal!”
At this point, they were going tit for tat. Emboldened by the fact that no one else was around to hear them, the pair of excitable fire types raised their voices louder and louder.
“You expect me to pretend otherwise?! Hah! I’ll be nice enough to refrain from getting into whose fault it is, but objectively speaking, the current staffing shortage makes serving as your head court lady a pretty! Big! Ordeal!”
“Then quit! Nobody’s stopping you!”
“Wow, did you really just go there?! That’s it, I’ve had it! Maybe it is time I thought about a job change!”
Keigetsu knew that the exodus of Vermillion Stallion court ladies was putting a lot of strain on Leelee, and she was grateful for the girl’s commitment to the Shu Palace despite a previous invitation to work for the Kou. Still, Keigetsu resented the implication that she was forcing Leelee’s hand. It would be so much easier to come out and express her appreciation if Leelee would only say that she was staying at the Palace of the Vermillion Stallion of her own free will.
As for Leelee, she knew how much work Keigetsu had been putting in recently. She had also come to appreciate that once you adapted to her quirks, Shu Keigetsu was a much more decent and straightforward individual than the rest of the diabolical aristocracy. That said, she believed her mistress really needed to work on her habit of withholding her true feelings until she was sure she had the upper hand. It wouldn’t kill the Maiden to put her ego aside every once in a while and take the initiative to say something nice. After all the trials they had weathered together, Leelee refused to let Keigetsu’s bad behavior slide without comment.
Keigetsu scowled, frustrated that her court lady wouldn’t meet her halfway. “Fine! Go ahead! I doubt anyone else is looking to hire a smart-mouthed back-talker, but best of luck to you!”
“What was that?! If I got serious, I bet you anything I could get a job offer or two by the end of the day! Actually, you know what? Make that ten or twenty!”
Both girls slammed their hands on the table as hard as they could. Tensions were boiling over.
“Good evening,” a voice abruptly rang out from the side.
“Eep!” the girls yelped, clasping each other’s hands with a start.
Glancing over, they found a man lifting their table’s privacy curtain. He appeared to have come from the neighboring balcony seat. It was a larger dining space than the Maidens’, and a group of portly men waved to the girls from within. Said men were in the midst of being wined and dined, judging by the handful of stunning women waiting on them.
Keigetsu and Leelee hurried back to their seats, assuming they must have been making too much noise, but the men hadn’t come to tell them to keep it down.
“The moon is so enchanting tonight. Would you care to join us for a drink? Our treat.”
The pair whipped their heads to look at each other. With how long they’d been cooped up in the inner court, neither of them had prior firsthand experience, but this sounded almost like…
A proposition?!
The moment it dawned on the girls that these men were making a pass at them, they turned red and broke into a nervous sweat—not exactly the most graceful reaction. The male patrons were all old and leering, so this was far from some romantic fantasy, but the very idea of a man attempting to woo them left the girls paralyzed with disbelief and jitters. The men drew their own conclusions as to what that reaction meant, and soon the youngest of the group approached the girls’ table with a wine bottle in hand. He was an Ei native with a well-built physique, roughly in his thirties.
“Sorry to interrupt. We heard you were looking for a place to work, so my boss was hoping he might be able to help. See this here? I brought a gift as a gesture of goodwill.”
The swarthy young man smiled pleasantly and pointed behind him. The man he referred to as his “boss” was sitting at the table farthest in the back, surrounded by women. It was too dark to make out his features, but his turban and flowing robe suggested he was a foreigner. All his fingers were adorned with rings opulent enough to shine amid the darkness of night, so odds were good that he was a wealthy Western merchant. That explained all the exotic smells in the air. The tanned man talking to Keigetsu and Leelee was likely either his interpreter or roundsman.
“My boss is a business tycoon who runs a variety of enterprises here in Hishuu,” the Eian explained in hushed tones. “He’s never been the sort to turn a blind eye to a young lady in need. Here, try this. We call it our precious elixir, and only the loveliest of beauties get to partake.”
He didn’t wait for permission before pouring a mysterious, blue-tinged drink into a cup on the table. Garnished with blue petals and flecks of gold, it shimmered in the moonlight like beautiful, molten lapis lazuli. The choice of a glass carafe for the serving bottle was almost certainly motivated by a desire to showcase its vibrant hue. Its curious nickname of the “precious elixir” was also fitting. In the West, legend had it that alcohol first came into existence when the gods steeped precious gems in a spring, so this was probably a Sherban specialty drink.
Keigetsu cleared her throat and attempted to play it cool. “My, what an exceptionally beautiful drink.”
Her plan was to go on, Unfortunately, I can’t say I find blue wine particularly appetizing and send him packing, but just as she lifted her chin, the man held out the wine cup to Leelee.
“Go on, little miss redhead! Drink up!”
Leelee pointed at herself with a vacant look. “Who, me?”
“Say what?!” Keigetsu screeched, going red in the face.
The man had been focused on the girl “looking for a place to work” from the moment he introduced himself, but they still hadn’t expected him to pass over the Maiden and go straight for her attendant. To be fair, he had no way of knowing their respective positions—but if you asked Keigetsu, that didn’t justify his rude behavior.
“What?! Don’t… Excuse me!”
“Yeah, not interested.” After stealing a glance at Keigetsu’s face, the man shoved her aside and aimed a smile at Leelee. “Hmm, any chance you’ve got some Western blood in you, little miss? Nice! A lot of people will go for that in a cosmopolitan city like Hishuu. Between your pretty face and gorgeous figure, I bet you have what it takes to become a heavenbloom in no time. You’re just to my boss’s tastes.”
Well, “smile” might not have been the right way to describe it. It was more like he was ogling her. His lustful gaze swept over Leelee’s fair skin and pale eyes before lingering on her overdeveloped bust longest of all.
“Ah…”
Leelee didn’t know what a “heavenbloom” was, but she could tell that this man wasn’t simply flirting with her. He was trying to recruit her as either a prostitute or some man’s mistress—both equally unsavory propositions. She glared at the man, her face red with shame, but he paid that no heed as he pushed the cup into her hand.
“Come! Take a nice, big swig! What do you say to chatting with my boss over there until you finish your cup? Should you acquire a taste for our precious elixir, you can come on over to the Heaven-Scented Pavilion. Our screening process is normally pretty strict, but with the Redolent Rising coming up, we’re eager to recruit lovely ladies like yourself.”
“I’m not—” Leelee moved to smack his hand away, but something shot out from beside her first.
“Give me that.”
It was Keigetsu’s hand. She wasn’t grabbing for the cup, though. She took the wine bottle out of the man’s hand, brought it to her lips, and chugged the whole thing in one go.
“Lady Keigetsu?!”
Keigetsu grimaced when she was done, suggesting it was a fairly strong drink. After turning the see-through bottle upside down and giving it a good shake to prove that it was empty, she shoved it back into the man’s hand almost hard enough to shatter it.
“Oh, look, it’s all gone. You can head back to your table now.”
The man looked back and forth between the wine bottle and Keigetsu, disbelief written all over his face. “Are you kidding me?! I’ve never seen anyone drink that much of the precious elixir!”
Keigetsu swept back her hair with a snort, then jabbed a finger at the man’s chest and drove her point home. “Need me to spell it out for you? I’m this girl’s mistress. Your boss has no business with her. Now get out of our sight, you disgusting lecher!”
His expression darkened at the outburst, but his boss called out to him before he could do anything else. “Enough. To me, Chuugen.”
The man retreated with one last click of his tongue. As soon as he was back at his own table, he started in on a wheedling, obsequious apology. “My apologies, Master Zayn. I didn’t mean to waste the precious elixir on that shrew.”
After a brief exchange—perhaps the boss said something like, “Forget it” or “Let’s take this conversation somewhere else”—the party next door got up and left the establishment.
Keigetsu tut-tutted in disapproval as she listened to the men storm out. “Hmph. Good riddance.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Keigetsu,” said Leelee, meekly holding out a cup of water. “I was their target, so it’s not fair that you ended up paying the price. Are you sure you can handle that much alcohol? I can’t believe you guzzled a whole bottle just to stick up for me!”
“I’ll be fine. There wasn’t much of it left, and it was better than I expected. It tasted like cinnamon.” Keigetsu hicupped, and a sneer curled her lips. “Besides, I didn’t do it for you. It was about spiting the fool who failed to give me my proper due.”
“Oh, Lady Keigetsu…”
Leelee chewed on her lip, overcome with a mix of gratitude, guilt, and concern. Keigetsu observed this with satisfaction. She felt like a heroic warrior who had vanquished a foe, or perhaps a powerful matriarch who commanded the respect of her staff.
I get to drink for free andwin points with my court lady? That’s like killing two birds with one stone.
Keigetsu wasn’t a particularly heavy drinker, but she could hold her liquor. She opened her mouth to say that this was no big deal—but then she noticed that Leelee was swaying back and forth. “Why did you suddenly start dancing?” she asked.
“Come again?”
“And when did you grow a third eye?”
“Huh?!”
Keigetsu shuddered at her court lady’s bizarre transformation. The shivering quickly spread to the rest of her body, and spasms racked her arms.
“Wh-what’s…happening to me?”
She felt hot. She felt cold. She couldn’t stop shaking. A metallic ringing filled her ears, and then her whole body was seized with euphoria and a strange floating sensation.
“Ah!”
Powerless to withstand the intense rush of pleasure, Keigetsu braced herself against the table with a gasp.
***
“Lady Seika, please wait!”
“Stay close, Lady Reirin! It’s not safe!”
Reirin and Tousetsu were swept along by the crowd as they gave chase. The mob was moving in step with the hostess parade, hopelessly mesmerized by the performance. Seika was still in sight, but the wall of people kept the pair from reaching her, and their voices were lost in the din before they could alert her to their presence. As they squeezed and elbowed their way forward, they often found themselves pushed in entirely the wrong direction, so it took them quite some time to catch up to Seika. Once the parade made it back to its starting point of the pleasure district, the spectators there for a free show finally dispersed, allowing the girls to move around more freely.
“Lady Seika!”
Seika spun around under the entrance to the pleasure district, a towering gate painted in red and gold. “Is that you, Lady Reirin?! What are you doing here?”
“Do you truly have to ask? I ran after you because I was worried. It’s dangerous to walk around this area alone.”
Chastened, Seika bowed her head in apology. “Forgive me. I didn’t expect to be swept out this far. I was hoping to get a closer look at one of the dancers in the parade, but I found myself trapped in the crowd.”
She seemed a bit uncomfortable, and her surroundings were probably to blame. Beyond the gate, lanterns of a sensational hue dangled from the curved eaves of the brothels, and women’s squeals drifted over on the breeze. This was the world of the night—certainly no place for a Maiden to be.
“Oh, did you recognize one of the hostesses in the parade? Were you able to confirm her identity?”
“No. All I ever saw of her was her back,” Seika replied haltingly. “But it’s too late now. I can’t very well go past this gate.”
Only men and female entertainers were allowed beyond the enormous red gate and into the lantern-filled quarter beyond.
“Perhaps I was mistaken. Come, let’s head back to the—” Seika attempted to cut the conversation short and head back to the teahouse, but her brow creased into a worried frown when she noticed how hard Reirin was panting. “Goodness, Lady Reirin, you’re looking rather unwell. I suppose it’s my fault for making you chase me all this way. I sincerely apologize.”
“I’m fine. I simply…lack stamina. Sorry, but would you mind if I stopped to rest for a bit?”
“Go right ahead.”
Keen on making up for all the trouble she had caused, Seika helped settle Reirin against the stone wall that ran alongside the street.
“Please allow me to carry you back, Lady Reirin,” said Tousetsu, ever the worrywart.
“No need. I will be fine after a short break,” Reirin insisted, wiping the sweat from her brow. For a change of subject, she asked Seika, “Who was it you were trying to find? Could it be the childhood friend you mentioned earlier?”
Seika hesitated briefly, but her guilt over getting Reirin involved seemed to win out. “You guessed it,” she said eventually. “It was my friend and fellow dance student. Her name is Kinyou. I could have sworn I spotted her in the hostess parade.”
Reirin clapped her hands together with a smile. “That’s wonderful news! That must mean that she escaped the matchmaking fair and established a career as a hostess.”
The prostitutes were caged birds, forbidden to leave the pleasure district. If Kinyou was wandering outside the gates, she had to be a hostess who made a living off her performances.
Seika responded with a reluctant shake of her head. “I’d like to think so, but…their lanterns bore the crest of the Heaven-Scented Pavilion, a brothel better known for its prostitutes than its hostesses. I struggle to imagine that an honorable woman like Kinyou would align herself with such an establishment.”
She gazed wistfully upon the gigantic gate, beyond which lay the pleasure district. The only way to know whether her friend was there to show off her arts as a hostess or sell her body as a prostitute was to go inside and find out for herself.
“I must’ve been mistaken.”
Kinyou’s life was bound to be hell if she hadn’t dodged the matchmaking fair, but she was no better off as a hostess if her employer was the Heaven-Scented Pavilion. Seika was torn. Part of her hoped that the woman she had spotted in the parade was indeed Kinyou, and another part of her hoped it wasn’t.
Levelheaded girl that she was, Seika ultimately banished those thoughts with a shake of her head. “Whatever the case, the Kinyou lookalike already passed through the gate to the pleasure district. There’s nothing more I can do here. As soon as we’ve returned to the estate, I’ll try writing a letter to the Heaven-Scented Pavilion.” She paused, then went on, “I must apologize once again for making you chase me all this way. It would reflect poorly on us if we were caught lingering near the entrance to the pleasure district, so let us return to the teahouse at once.”
“Please, Lady Seika, you needn’t worry about—”
Just as Reirin had steadied her breathing enough to sit up, she overheard someone jabbering in Sherban behind Seika.
“Hey, I thought we had a deal! I need you to actually do your job!”
Seika’s eyes went round. She could have sworn she recognized that voice.
Just to be safe, she tugged Reirin and Tousetsu into the shadow of a lamppost and watched from a distance to see who was speaking. What the girls saw would soon have them exchanging looks of surprise.
“What, you want more money? Sheesh. Demanding little scamp, aren’t you? Here, will this suffice?”
Foreign hawkers had set up a row of stalls just outside the gate. A man with a honey-colored braid handed one of them a Sherban silver coin—and it was none other than Hasan, Prince Nadir’s valet.
Seika and Reirin whispered back and forth, their confusion evident.
“Sir Hasan?”
“What is he doing here?”
This was now their second time seeing Hasan in town. They knew he had stayed behind in Hishuu to clean up after the prince’s freewheeling entourage, but they hadn’t expected to encounter him near the pleasure district this late at night.
“Aha. He must be taking advantage of the prince’s absence to let his hair down.” Seika narrowed her eyes with scorn, immediately jumping to her own conclusions.
Hasan appeared to be on friendly terms with the vendors. He carried on chatting with them in Sherban, speaking too quickly for Seika to catch the words.
“I doubt either of us would want to cross paths here,” Tousetsu whispered. “We ought to sneak back to the teahouse while we have the chance.”
The trio attempted to slink away, but alas…
Right as they were about to pass behind Hasan, he sensed them and spun around. “Oh? Is that the Maidens I see?” His blue-gray eyes widened with surprise. “So it is! What brings you here?!”
The ladies snapped to attention, then made the excuse that they’d gotten swept away by the crowd during a walk. Seika struck back with a question of her own. “What are you doing here, Sir Hasan?”
Judging by his involved conversation with the vendors, he hadn’t ended up there by chance as the Maidens had. The girls eyed him warily. This seemed to give the vendors the impression that they were under suspicion, and they all started babbling in Sherban.
Seika couldn’t make out the words when they were talking so fast. “What are they saying?” she asked Hasan, scrunching her brow in confusion. Beside her, Reirin brought a hand to her cheek.
“Oh dear!” Hasan grinned sheepishly. “This is awkward! I’m not entirely sure how to explain.”
“What? Do you expect us to keep it a secret from His Highness that you neglected your duties to spend a night out on the town?” There was a chill in Seika’s voice.
“No! You have the wrong idea!” Hasan insisted, then puffed up with pride. “I suppose I’ve no choice but to come clean. I am actually here on Prince Nadir’s orders!”
“The prince sent you to the pleasure district? Whatever for?”
“There’s a popular heavenbloom in the area. His Highness was eager to woo her during our stay!”
“‘Heavenbloom’? What’s that?” The ladies tilted their heads in question, unfamiliar with the term.
Hasan spread his hands in an exaggerated shrug. “What?! You don’t know?! Very well, Your Ladyships, I shall take it upon myself to teach you your own language. The word ‘heavenbloom’ refers to the highest class of prostitutes in the Kingdom of Ei’s pleasure districts. Put simply, it is the term for a brothel’s poster girl!”
Seika covered Reirin’s ears, meeting Hasan’s smug look with a glare. “Should I be embarrassed not to know such an obscene term?”
The clownish valet brushed off her hostility with a whistle. “Well, regardless! His Highness tasked me with making regular contributions to her brothel and finding out what she likes. To that end, I’ve been gathering information from anyone and everyone familiar with the pleasure district!”
“Fascinating.” Seika frowned, making no effort to mask her disdain. “I finally understand why Prince Nadir was so intent on remaining in Hishuu. He claimed to be dissatisfied with my hospitality in order to buy himself time to court this prostitute. I assume he left you behind to handle the ‘cleanup’ for the same reason?”
“Ha ha ha! I shall leave that to your imagination!”
Hasan didn’t deny it. That meant she was right.
When they spotted Hasan in the city the other day, he must have been on his way to the pleasure district. In short, the whole time the prince was holed up in his room complaining about everything under the sun, he had been sending his valet on secret trips to the brothels.
Seika huffed, overcome with fury. “Ridiculous. Truly absurd! All that effort, wasted on account of some womanizing prince’s base desires!”
It was hardly a surprising reaction. She was prissy and a bit of a misandrist at the best of times, and the way the prince demanded sacrifices of others to indulge his own selfish desires clashed with her commitment to the proper order of things.
“Now, now, I’m afraid I cannot let an insult to His Highness go unchallenged!”
“I simply call it like I see it. For the record, you’re no better for indulging such a self-centered order. Doesn’t this strike you as a waste of time? Even if you are his valet—no, because of that—you have an obligation to hold your master accountable for his deficiencies.”
“Oho, you propose that a mere valet stand up to the prince? A bold position indeed!”
Hasan made a show of boggling at her, but the gleam in his blue-gray eyes betrayed more amusement than antagonism.
Well, goodness.
Meanwhile, Reirin stood by and listened to their conversation, her curiosity piqued. She was hoping to verify something she’d heard the vendors say.
She waited for the pair to finish bantering before leaning forward to pose her question. “Excuse me, but—”
“Lady Keigetsu! Wait! Come back!” a frantic voice rang out from behind the group, cutting her off mid-sentence.
“Leelee?”
Turning around, they found Leelee running toward them with a look of panic. Even more surprisingly, Keigetsu was tottering a few steps ahead of her.
“Where? Where is it?” Keigetsu muttered deliriously, clutching at her chest. Her eyes were watery and feverish, and she swayed back and forth with each step. “Where’s the precious elixir?!”
“Lady Keigetsu!” Leelee tried to hold her mistress steady from behind, only to be shoved away every single time. She was barely holding back tears.
Tousetsu, Seika, and Reirin rushed over to the pair, their bewilderment evident.
“Leelee? What is going on?!”
“What on earth happened?”
“Stay with us, Lady Keigetsu!”
The group formed a circle around Keigetsu as she wheezed and gasped for breath, finally stopping her in her tracks.
The tension bled out of Leelee as if a taut thread had snapped. She began to tell her story, her voice choked with sobs. “B-back at the teahouse, the Westerners sitting next to us offered us this weird wine… Th-they were harassing me, so Lady Keigetsu drank the whole thing in my stead… A-and that’s when she started acting strange…”
“Pfft… Ha ha ha ha!” As if to prove Leelee’s point, Keigetsu abruptly burst into laughter. “Gosh, that’s hilarious!” She clapped her hands as though a delightful spectacle was playing out before her eyes.
“This doesn’t seem like a simple case of getting drunk on strong wine,” said Reirin, frowning as she took her friend’s pulse. The palpitations and shortness of breath were too severe to be explained by the buzz of intoxication, and it didn’t make sense for Keigetsu to be roaring with laughter when she was clearly in physical pain.
All of a sudden, Keigetsu resumed her struggle. “Let me go! I want the precious elixir! Where is it?!” Her glassy eyes swept over her surroundings. The moment they landed on the gate, she started staggering in its direction. “I’ve got to go…”
Leelee scrambled to hold her back. “Where do you think you’re going?!”
“They told us to come to the Heaven-Scented Pavilion, remember?!” Keigetsu screeched. “They’ll have more of the precious elixir… I want more! Give me more elixir!”
Everyone observed her erratic behavior in breathless silence. Cravings? It dawned on them that Keigetsu must have consumed a highly addictive substance.
As Hasan watched this from the side, he exclaimed, “Wait, I recognize this scent!” He whipped around and asked Leelee, “You there, court lady. What did this precious elixir taste like?”
“I-I’m not sure. It was a bluish color, and there were flower petals and flecks of gold floating in it… Wait, I remember now! Lady Keigetsu told me it tasted like cinnamon!”
Hasan looked to the skies and lamented, “Oh God, I was right! It’s zehir!” Everyone else shot him a puzzled look.
“What’s, um…zeiru?” Seika asked, doing her best to parrot the unfamiliar Sherban word. It was difficult for her to pronounce, so this was the closest she could get.
Hasan switched to speaking Eian and explained, “Zehir! It means ‘poison’ in Sherban, but it has taken on another meaning as of late. It’s the name of a Sherban narcotic derived from a blue, night-blooming flower.”
Stunned by the word “narcotic,” the whole group stiffened.
Reirin thrust herself toward Leelee, looking the most horrified of them all. “Tell me, Leelee, how much did Lady Keigetsu consume? Are those men still at the teahouse?”
“Th-the bottle was over halfway full, and she drank it all in one go. The men got up and left right afterward.” Leelee shook like a leaf, tears welling in her eyes. “They told us to come to a brothel called the Heaven-Scented Pavilion if we developed a taste for the drink. Oh, what are we supposed to do?!”
“Perhaps this is how they recruit their marks. They get the women addicted to the drug and force them into becoming courtesans,” Seika murmured, her fists trembling with rage as murder flashed across her face.
“Save theorizing for later!” Hasan said firmly. “For now, we need to focus on getting the drug out of her system! First comes inducing vomiting. Allow me to fetch us some water! Fleet-footed fellow that I am, I shouldn’t be long!”
The man ran off with one last flick of his long braid. He was likely planning to ask around at the stalls or the teahouses.
“Ugh… Hrk!” Keigetsu’s body appeared to be making its own efforts to expel the drug. She began to moan, only to hunch over the side of the road and retch violently.
“That’s the way, Lady Keigetsu! Get it all out!” Reirin knelt beside her friend and rubbed her back, her mind racing. She didn’t know the right way to purge a narcotic from the system, but she figured it had to be the same as any other poison: flushing it out of the body.
We must give her water, make her vomit…and we might need charcoal too.
Should they give her charcoal to absorb the toxins? Or were they better off administering medicinal herbs that combated pyemia? No, Hasan had mentioned that it was a plant-based narcotic. They couldn’t afford to cause an adverse reaction and make matters worse.
She doesn’t have a fever yet. The symptoms appear to be largely psychological and include a heightened state of excitement. Still, it may not be long before this leads to respiratory complications… Oh, get it together, Kou Reirin! What good is the knowledge you’ve cultivated through illness if you can’t put it to use now?!
The devastating knowledge that a narcotic was eating away at her beloved friend had Reirin trembling from head to toe. She smacked her cheeks in an attempt to muster her courage, but the fear was making her heart race and her breath come in gasps. She squeezed her eyes shut. Why did this have to happen now? She didn’t have time to be preoccupied with her own problems.
Once Keigetsu had emptied the contents of her stomach, she let out a rasping scream. “Eek… Aiiieee!” Still crouched on the ground, she rubbed frantically at her arms, her whole body quivering violently. “No! Nooo! Stay away, you revolting insects!”
She’s hallucinating!
Formication, the symptom was called. Keigetsu was likely experiencing a horrifying sensation akin to ants crawling all over her skin. She might even be seeing the imaginary bugs causing it. This phenomenon tended to occur whenever the effects of a highly addictive drug wore off, signaling that the body craved more of the substance. Keigetsu had just ejected however much of the narcotic was sitting in her stomach, so she was experiencing withdrawal symptoms as her system tricked itself into thinking that it wasn’t getting enough of the drug.
Why, I’ve never heard of a narcotic inducing such extreme symptoms!
Or was the problem just that she had taken too much of it at once?
“No! Aaahhh! Nooooo!”
Keigetsu pushed up her sleeves and scratched at her skin hard enough to draw blood. Reirin hugged her sobbing friend from the side to hold her still.
“You must stay calm! There’s nothing on your arms! It is all an illusion!”
“Nooo! Nooooo!”
“You must not fight—agh!”
Unfortunately, with her petite frame and brittle arms, Reirin couldn’t hope to keep the taller Keigetsu in check. She succumbed to Keigetsu’s wild flailing and landed flat on her backside.
“Get off! Begone! Aahh! Aaaahhhh!” Keigetsu screamed, tossing her hair this way and that.
As if in response to her cries, the fires in the countless lanterns adorning the gate and eaves began to flicker.
No! The flames!
Keigetsu’s qi was spiraling out of control.
“You mustn’t!” Reirin shouted.
“No! Stooop! Help me! Someone help!”
“Calm down! Please, get a hold of yourself!”
The fires flared up high enough to scorch the lanterns and send them crashing to the ground. After colliding with the earth in a shower of sparks, the flames shot back up into the air and whizzed every which way.
“Lady Keigetsu!”
The moment Reirin called her name, Keigetsu’s eyes regained their focus and locked straight onto her. Her lips formed the feeble plea: “Save me.”
Almost instinctively, Reirin reached for Keigetsu with both hands. “I promise I will!”
Keigetsu squeezed her hands in return. Reirin was shocked by the strength of her grip—and even more than that, by the strange sinking sensation that washed over her.
FWOOM!
The flames roared. A wave of heat swept over her. An all-consuming light shot straight down the length of her body. It was a strange yet familiar sensation, one that made her feel like she was melting away from the inside out.
“Eeeek!”
The gigantic pillar of fire soared toward the skies, drawing screams from both Leelee and Seika. By the time the flames died down and their surroundings were plunged back into darkness, Reirin already knew what had happened.
She and Keigetsu had swapped bodies.
Reirin was hit with a ringing in her ears and an intense wave of dizziness—the withdrawal symptoms racking Keigetsu’s body.
And yet, Reirin paid no mind to the discomfort creeping over her. The very first thing she did was shout, “Lady Keigetsu! Are you all right?!”
“Ugh…”
Keigetsu slowly pulled herself upright in Reirin’s body. That blast of fire had slammed her flat against the ground.
A moment ago, her head had been throbbing with noise and her vision dancing with a kaleidoscope of colors, but now she could finally think straight again. That hideous swarm of bugs was nowhere to be found, as if it had evaporated into thin air. As a trade-off, her head was killing her. Her whole body felt a fever-induced kind of sluggish, and an unbearable nausea churned in her chest.
It was hot. It hurt. And there was something else.
What is that strange sound?
“Lady Keigetsu!”
All those sensations vanished the moment she heard the woman wearing her face—Kou Reirin—shout her name. Keigetsu stared up at her in a daze, feeling as though a gigantic hand had loosened its grip on her heart.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, but the color drained from her face with the gradual realization of what she had done. The sheer agony had driven her to steal Kou Reirin’s body once more. “What was I thinking?! A-are you all right, Kou Reirin?!”
“I could ask you the same! Tell me, are you experiencing dizziness? Lethargy? Do you have a headache? Do you need to cough?” Reirin grasped Keigetsu’s outstretched hand. “I’m so sorry. Are you nauseous? Is the pain too much to bear? Oh, whatever shall I do?!”
Keigetsu stared at Reirin in bewilderment. “Wh-what are you talking about?”
Under the circumstances, the only one they ought to worry about was whoever occupied “Shu Keigetsu’s” body. Had it not dawned on Reirin that they’d switched places?
“I’m fine. Nothing hurts anymore now that you’ve taken my place. How are you feeling?”
“You’re fine… Nothing hurts… I see. You’re going to be all right, then. That’s…wonderful news.”
Reirin tried to ease Shu Keigetsu’s face into a tender smile, but her lips began to tremble and her eyes lost focus. It was too dark to see much, but sweat gleamed in the faint light the lanterns cast on her forehead.
“Listen carefully, Lady Keigetsu. The symptoms I am experiencing will likely…persist through the night. Make sure I keep drinking water…even if I lose consciousness… Ask Tousetsu…to administer medicine…to ease the pain…”
She sagged to the ground, her breathing labored and uneven. The rest of the group called out to her in dismay.
“Kou Reirin?!”
“Lady Reirin!”
Hasan’s voice joined the chorus as he came running back with a bottle in hand. “I brought water!”
Reirin no longer had the strength left to respond to any of them. “Lady Keigetsu…” A tear trickled down her face as her eyelids drooped shut. It was one of the tears Keigetsu had shed right before switching bodies. “I’m so glad you’re…”
With one last shuddering breath, she collapsed lifelessly onto the paving stones.
Chapter 6: Keigetsu Anguishes
Chapter 6:
Keigetsu Anguishes
“YOU DON’T HAVE A FEVER. No headache or fatigue either? Still, your pulse is a bit fast. Are you certain you’re feeling all right?”
“I told you, I’m fine!”
Keigetsu, now in the form of “Kou Reirin,” smacked Tousetsu’s hand away, rebuffing the woman’s careful efforts to take her pulse.
The group had rushed the unconscious “Shu Keigetsu”—meaning Reirin—back to her guest bedroom in the Kin estate and ordered all outsiders to leave. There, Tousetsu was in the midst of giving Keigetsu a checkup, while Reirin lay moaning beside them.
“Give it a rest. Do you not see your mistress whimpering in pain?! You must have better things to do! Go brew her more medicine! Nab us a doctor, for mercy’s sake!”
Tousetsu was unmoved by Keigetsu’s outburst. “I’m afraid I have done everything I can for Lady Reirin at this time. All that remains is to wait for the narcotic to clear her system,” she replied matter-of-factly, returning the acupuncture needles and moxibustion tools to their boxes.
Not long after Reirin was brought to the room, she’d briefly regained consciousness. She had fired off a series of orders to give her plenty of water, continue to treat the symptoms, and restrain her if she turned violent, then passed out once more. Her faithful head court lady had been following her instructions to the letter.
Seika was doing everything in her power to keep the news of a Maiden overdosing on drugs from getting out, and Leelee was boiling water so they wouldn’t have to ask the Kin branch family maids for help. That left Tousetsu, who was skilled at first aid, and Keigetsu, who had the biggest stake in the matter, to stay in Reirin’s room and provide her care.
Reirin appeared to be having nightmares. She was drenched in sweat and shaking her head back and forth atop the bed.
“Ngh…”
Every now and then, a moan escaped her lips. Her fever was running so high that it left her freckled face looking not so much flushed as deathly pale. She clenched her hands into tight fists, as if determined to hold back her cries even in the privacy of her dreams. Add to that the palpable tension hanging over her nurses, and the room had the atmosphere of a funeral.
“This ‘zeiru’ is a Western narcotic, so I have no hope of finding a doctor who knows how to deal with it. I asked Sir Hasan, the only native Westerner around, and he claims there is no antidote for zeiru. All we can do is take steps to improve her circulation, expel the narcotic, give her analgesics for the pain, administer sedatives for the hallucinations…and hope for the best.”
“Surely there’s more we can do!”
“It is more imperative that you get some rest, Lady Keigetsu. You run the risk of collapsing if you remain in a state of constant tension.”
Tousetsu pushed Keigetsu toward the bed reserved for attendants, but Keigetsu brushed her off with a sharp glare. “Something fishy’s going on here,” she said, her voice low and threatening.
The so-called glacial court lady met that look with unflinching defiance. “Such as?”
“The way you two are acting.” Keigetsu curled her fingers tightly in her hair. It was the only way to keep the fear and anxiety at bay, to stop herself from throwing every single thing she laid eyes on. “What’s the matter with you? I stole Kou Reirin’s body. I foisted my own suffering on her! The old you probably would have flown into a rage and set out to torture me. Why are you bothering with a checkup?”
“Oh, were you looking forward to our torture session? Apologies, I had no idea you were into—”
“Be serious! It’s not just you, you know. Right after we switched bodies, Kou Reirin asked me if I was all right. Why would she do that? Why worry about me when she’s in the body suffering from an overdose?!”
The more rational part of Keigetsu knew that she had to stop beating around the bush and ask point-blank, but it took her a tremendous amount of courage to put her next question into words.
“Does she have reason to believe that this body—her own body—is in an even worse state?”
The candle flickered.
Tousetsu averted her eyes and started putting away the needles, washbasins, and other tools. “I haven’t the slightest clue where you got that idea.”
Keigetsu stomped in front of her and held her ground. “Answer me, Tousetsu.”
Once upon a time, head court lady Tousetsu had cowed Keigetsu with her stony countenance and overwhelming aura of water, but the Maiden had come to appreciate her as a flesh-and-blood human who was fiercely loyal to Kou Reirin. No number of orders or threats of torture could get her to break her silence, but if you asked her something in good faith, she would agree to talk after some hesitation.
“What could possibly matter more than the health of your dearest mistress? Covering it up won’t do her any good. Is Kou Reirin’s condition really that dire? Just tell me. The more people who know the truth, the more we can do to help her.”
Tousetsu swallowed hard and gnawed at her lip. “Lady Keigetsu, I…”
An excruciating silence fell over the room. Tousetsu spent every passing second locked in internal debate. Keigetsu clutched her fists to her chest and waited. Kou Reirin had long since taught her the lesson that screaming at the top of her lungs was no way to convey her concern.
Eventually, Tousetsu turned her back to Keigetsu. “It happened right after the Repose of Souls.”
Her voice was as calm and even as ever, but her hands shook with pent-up emotion as she idly smoothed out the wrinkles in the hand towels she had piled on a tray.
“Lady Reirin remained in good health for the first ten days after returning from Tan Pass. But then…” Tousetsu crumpled up a hand towel she had just gone to the trouble of folding. “She collapsed in the cloister on her way back from that tea party.”
Keigetsu’s hands flew to her mouth. She never told me that!
She scrambled to dig up memories of the Maidens’ informal tea party. She did recall Kou Reirin cracking jokes, laughing heartily, and enjoying herself even more than usual. Why, she had been doing well enough to harvest the morning dew and brew the group a pot of first flush tea.
“So…she fainted? She pushes herself to the point of passing out all the time. Perhaps it was just a symptom of overwork.”
“No.” Tousetsu mercilessly shot down Keigetsu’s optimistic theory. The glacial court lady folded up the hand towel she had wrinkled and switched it out with the one on Reirin’s forehead. “Her symptoms were the worst I have ever seen. She came to, coughing up blood, and spent the next half day in a stupor. Since then, she has experienced persistent bouts of severe lightheadedness, and she will occasionally lose consciousness if she does not remain alert.”
“No way!”
Behind Tousetsu, Keigetsu pressed a hand to her forehead and did her best to recall what had happened around that time. The day after the tea party had been a day of rest. When classes resumed after a two-day break, Kou Reirin hadn’t been in attendance. This was unusual behavior for her, but she hadn’t been the only Maiden to skip that day. Everyone was worn out from all the trips and ceremonies, so Keigetsu had assumed that Kou Reirin was simply resting and recuperating like the rest of them.
“Lately, Lady Reirin has been endeavoring to come to terms with her impending death.”
“How can this be?” Keigetsu’s voice wavered. Her emotions raged like fanned flames despite all her efforts to keep them in check. “It doesn’t make sense. I mean…she’s been so full of life…”
She shook her head weakly, helpless to stop the tears welling up in her eyes.
That’s right, she’s been in great shape… Wait, has she? Really?
All too late, moments that had once seemed innocuous were cast in a more ominous light. Back when Kou Reirin volunteered to participate in the Quay-to-Carriage Ritual, she had acted so excited about going out on the town. She claimed it was about making mundane memories, but perhaps that hadn’t meant that she wanted to escape the privileged livelihood of a Maiden; all she wanted was to do normal things like laugh and have fun with a friend before she died.
Despite how hard she trained her ailing body, a short walk to town had left her sweating and strapped for breath. Her constant gagging on the spices, the time she sat down in front of a stall and pretended to buy potatoes, and the excuses she made for hardly touching her candy were all ways to cover up her coughing fits, dizzy spells, and lack of appetite.
“Tousetsu will let me get away with almost anything these days, so long as I have my heart set on it.”
“I should never let a chance to make a dream come true pass me by.”
Why was Tousetsu so willing to indulge Reirin’s selfish whims? Why was Reirin so eager to make all her silly little dreams come true? The answer was simple: They knew her time was running out.
I never even picked up on it.
How could she have been so blind?
“She’s not going to die anytime soon. A stubborn woman like her would just crawl right back out of the grave.”
Keigetsu could only imagine how much it must have hurt Reirin to hear that insensitive remark. A rush of self-loathing sent tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Is she really…doing that badly? A-are you sure? I-Is there anything I can do?”
She didn’t want to believe it. Reirin couldn’t be that close to death. Keigetsu knew that her friend had always been sickly, but there had to be a way to save her. What if they found her a potent medicine? A skilled doctor? What if Keigetsu could do something to help?
Tousetsu dropped her gaze and silently shook her head.
A maelstrom of fiery emotion consumed Keigetsu’s whole being. “Why?!”
It wasn’t that she blamed Tousetsu or Reirin. Whenever Keigetsu was overcome with helplessness or hopelessness, criticism spilled from her mouth of its own accord.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”
“Milady tried to tell you!” Tousetsu drowned out that screech with her own gut-wrenching cry. She threw her arms around her mistress in a protective embrace and looked back at Keigetsu, tears streaming from her cold, monolid eyes. “Lady Reirin had every intention of telling you about her deteriorating condition. That is why she nominated you for this trip. She kept His Highness and her brothers away, distanced herself from the inner court and its many prying eyes, and endeavored to find some time alone with you! All because she wanted you to be the first to hear it from her own mouth!” She raised her voice, her usual measured tone nowhere to be found. “This was unprecedented! The old Lady Reirin would never have done such a thing!”
Keigetsu sniffled. “But…but why couldn’t she tell me sooner?”
Tousetsu choked out her next words between sobs. “When Lady Reirin came to after collapsing in the cloister…do you know what the first thing she said was?”
A tear slid down her cheek and landed on Reirin’s nightmare-plagued pillow. Tousetsu’s face was flushed red, her lips trembling like mad.
“‘I wanted to have a pillow fight.’”
After regaining consciousness atop her bed and letting her eyes wander vacantly around the room, Reirin had supposedly said the following:
“I wanted to have a pillow fight. I hoped we could lay our beds out next to each other and stay up late chatting. We would all have the time of our lives…and eventually someone would get carried away and throw the first pillow.”
Her hazy, long-lashed eyes were drawn to the sunlight filtering in through the window.
“However…that may prove difficult.”
With a sad smile, she had glanced at the medicines stacked beside her bed. If she didn’t prepare those medicines with the utmost care and take them around the clock, she would immediately fall ill. She was in no position to pop over to another palace for a sleepover, and she wouldn’t have the stamina to throw pillows late into the night.
“Perhaps a tea party would be doable. I like the idea of making sweets and appreciating the blossoms together. I’m sure the Palace of the Vermillion Stallion would look simply lovely with all the summer flowers in bloom.”
Out in the gardens, the springtime peach blossoms had just begun to bloom, yet she wasn’t even sure if she would be around to see the cotton roses in the summer.
“I hope I make it.”
Despite it all, Reirin did not cry. She simply stared off into space, as if seeking to pin down the time slipping away from her.
“No. I cannot think that way. I must set out to make as many memories as I am able.”
By the time she next spoke, she had found her resolve. She wasn’t about to leave things to chance. She had to capture all the precious moments she could in whatever time she had left.
“Lady Reirin wished to make memories.”
Tears poured down Tousetsu’s face. She’d held strong and hidden the truth from Leelee, her own peer; from Kenshuu, her mistress’s keeper; from Gyoumei, the man the Maiden was meant to marry; and from the brothers Keikou and Keishou, but she could hold herself back no longer.
“H-however, if milady were to disclose the declining state of her health, she would be forced to leave the Maiden Court. An ailing woman cannot become the mother of the nation, and His Highness would prioritize her treatment over keeping her in his service. Lady Reirin wished to avoid that outcome. ‘My friends are all here in the Maiden Court,’ she said. ‘This is where I belong.’”
As Tousetsu went on, her voice shook to the point of being unintelligible. “My mistress never used to feel desire. She harbored no interest in glory or becoming the next empress. The only thing Lady Reirin has ever wished for…is to enjoy the simple moments with a friend. With you. F-for as long as she is able…” Gulping down a hitching sob, Tousetsu bowed before Keigetsu. “W-we should not have waited so long to inform you. Allow me to apologize…on my mistress’s behalf. I beg your understanding on the matter.”
Keigetsu didn’t know what to say as she watched Tousetsu prostrate herself. Kou Reirin knew her death was close at hand. Her condition had deteriorated to the point that she would rather treasure her remaining time in the Maiden Court than leave and prolong her life whatever little she could.
“But I feel fine.”
Keigetsu clasped her hands to her chest in a daze, her eyes swimming with tears. How could any of this be true? Sure, when she and Reirin traded bodies earlier, she had been in too much pain to stand, but her pulse was strong and full now. She wasn’t running a fever, she didn’t feel dizzy, and she had no difficulty breathing.
“Look at me. I’m in perfect health.”
“And we should count our blessings for that. However, please continue to exercise caution.” Tousetsu dabbed at her own eyes with her sleeve.
As Keigetsu clutched at her grief-stricken heart, a question nagged at the edge of her thoughts. Why am I always so healthy after we switch bodies?
This wasn’t the first time she had contemplated as much. When Tousetsu coerced her into taking bitter medicine back in Unso, she remembered thinking, Why bother? I’m fine without it.
Kou Reirin was known to be chronically ill, but discounting the first switch, when Noble Consort Shu cast a venomcraft curse, Keigetsu had never experienced any noteworthy health problems in Reirin’s body. Between that and the girl’s cheery disposition, Keigetsu occasionally found herself wondering if her friend’s constitution wasn’t actually as weak as everyone claimed.
Fire produces earth. Perhaps my soul’s affinity for fire bolsters Kou Reirin’s earthbound body? Or does a healthy soul encourage the body to follow suit?
Keigetsu had never switched bodies with anyone but Kou Reirin, so she had no reference for comparison. She was so used to being in good health that she hadn’t thought twice about remaining so even after trading places. Now she was faced with the chilling realization that the gorgeous flower garden she thought she’d been strolling through had been a mountain of corpses all along.
Consider the options, Keigetsu. She had to use her head. She couldn’t let panic win. She needed to concentrate and think things through.
If…
A sudden temptation came over her.
If Kou Reirin and I were to remain in each other’s bodies indefinitely, would it keep her maladies at bay?
Indefinitely. The mere notion was enough to send a chill down Keigetsu’s spine. Doing so would mean fully assuming Reirin’s identity. It would mean making someone else’s life—someone else’s fate—her own to keep. Keigetsu wasn’t sure whether to see this sudden epiphany as a ray of hope or a dark summons to trample on the dignity of another.
“Ngh… Agh!”
Reirin’s moaning snapped Keigetsu back to her senses. This was no time to be fretting over whether to keep the swap in place. Right then and there, Kou Reirin was suffering on her behalf.
Knock, knock!
Just as Keigetsu reached weakly for her agonized friend, someone rapped on the door to the bedroom. Keigetsu and Tousetsu exchanged glances; knocking on the door before entering a room wasn’t a common custom in Ei. “Enter,” they said, discreetly wiping the tears from their eyes, and in came Hasan with a glass bottle on a tray.
“Pardon the intrusion!” the man said. “Your friendly neighbor Hasan has come bearing a get-well gift!”
“What kind of gift?”
“Some medicine I believe Lady Keigetsu could use.”
Hasan approached the bed, but neither Keigetsu nor Tousetsu saw this as cause for alarm. Earlier, after “Shu Keigetsu” passed out in front of the main gate, the valet had come running back with water, made every effort to tend to her needs, and carried her all the way back to the estate. Hefting the whimpering Maiden, he had repeatedly exclaimed, “Sherba is responsible for producing this heinous drug! Allow me to apologize on behalf of my country!”
Afterward, he had worked with Seika to spread the story that Shu Keigetsu had collapsed from exhaustion and keep the other Kins’ suspicions in check.
“Medicine? Didn’t you say that there’s no antidote for zeiru?” Keigetsu asked, eyeing the foreign valet suspiciously as he set his tray on the table.
Hasan gazed out at the moon through a window left open for ventilation, then gave a sad shake of his head. “Correct. There is no antidote. Nevertheless, we must prepare for the dawn!”
“Pardon?”
The women frowned, unsure what he meant by that.
Hasan stared straight back at them. Despite his bombastic mannerisms, he was at least capable of looking serious every now and then. “Zehir is supposedly derived from a flower that blooms only at night. Much like its source, it is at its most potent during the evening hours. At night, the body tricks itself into thinking that it has a sufficient amount of the drug, providing it a temporary respite. However! As the effects wear off with the dawn, the agony intensifies.”
“Why? Wouldn’t alleviating the effects of the drug reduce the strain on the body?” Keigetsu asked. A natural question.
Hasan shook his head with a frown. “On the contrary, milady! If the body is deprived of too much of the substance at once, it goes into withdrawal. The higher the initial dose, the worse the symptoms will be. I can promise you this much: The pain will be incomparable to what she’s experiencing now!”
“Worse than this?! How is that even possible?!”
Keigetsu and Tousetsu stared at where Reirin lay on the bed, their expressions grim. She looked to be in more than enough pain already, but apparently this was the calm before the storm.
“I have good news and bad news.” Hasan gave the speechless women a thumbs-up. “The good news is that it’s relatively easy to recover from zehir as long as you have only taken it once. If you get through the withdrawal symptoms and steer clear of the drug thereafter, you can clear it from your system without developing a dependency!” But then he stuck up his index finger as well. “Now for the bad news. Lady Keigetsu took an abnormally large dose, so her withdrawal symptoms are more severe than usual. It’s bound to get even worse around dawn. The hallucinations, pain, and emotional distress will be particularly devastating.” He dropped his hand and let his shoulders slump sadly. “The fear and agony are such that many victims don’t make it through the night.”
Keigetsu and Tousetsu turned a shade paler. “You mean they die?!”
“Yes, at a reasonably high rate! It can happen in a variety of different ways. Sometimes their heart gives out from the pain, sometimes they become delirious with fear and mutilate themselves.”
While the women were still reeling, Hasan picked up the small glass bottle. Inside it swirled a liquid of such a dense shade of blue that it bordered on black. With the utmost gravity, he said, “This is undiluted zehir.”
“Wha—”
“Give this to Lady Keigetsu. One drop is all it will take to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms and spare her the mortal agony!”
Keigetsu backed away slowly. All of a sudden, her perception of the bottle-toting Hasan morphed into something much more sinister. His chiseled, handsome features and the cheerful twinkle in his blue-gray eyes made him look the part of a pleasant Sherban man…but why would he have the raw form of the narcotic?
“Where did you get that?” she all but gasped. “Don’t tell me…?”
Hasan flapped his hands back and forth. “Wait, allow me to explain! I am not a dealer! Far from it, in fact! My goal is to wipe out their entire ring. This is the zehir I confiscated and held on to for research, investigation, and emergency purposes!” He added that he only had one other bottle on hand, which implied that the substance was quite hard to come by. As for why he hadn’t brought this up back at the start of the caretaking process, he claimed he had been torn over whether to use it on a foreigner.
“Clearing the drug from her system would be the best way forward, if that were an option!” he went on. “However, Lady Keigetsu’s prognosis is not good. If nothing is done, I suspect she will be dead by dawn. I couldn’t bear to hold out on her any longer!”
“Praise be to the Heavens…” Tousetsu dropped to her knees before Hasan and the proffered glass bottle. “We cannot thank you enough!” She pressed her forehead to the floor over and over again, the force of the motion shaking her hair loose from its formal style.
Watching her mistress straddle the line between life and death had stretched Tousetsu’s heart to its breaking point. She was ready to cling to any hope of rescue, even if it came in the form of a narcotic.
“I shall administer it at—”
“Wait,” Keigetsu said when Tousetsu reached out to take the bottle. “I need to ask something first.”
Her pulse quickened. Her lips trembled as they formed her next question.
“If she takes that second dose of zeiru…will she develop a dependency on the drug?”
Hasan didn’t respond right away, but he eventually looked Keigetsu straight in the eye and nodded. “Correct!” he said bluntly. “As the price for surviving the night, she will spend the rest of her life dependent on zehir.”
“You mean she’ll have to keep on taking the drug until the day she dies?!”
“What other options are there?!” Hasan spread his hands with an indignant pout. After a moment, he softened his tone in concession. “The drug was originally designed to induce euphoria. Taken in smaller doses, it should not cause the kind of anguish she experienced earlier. Granted, within six months, perhaps a year…it will gradually eat away at her mind and body. Still, this solution will buy her more time! Otherwise…” The blond valet shrugged and forced a smile. “Tomorrow’s dawn will be the last she ever sees.”
“No!”
In short, it was up to the girls to decide whether Kou Reirin’s soul lived or died.
Keigetsu stammered, “You can’t…ask me to…”
She thought back to when she had imbibed the zehir earlier that night. At first, it was like walking on air. She was ready to take on any challenge, her feet seemed to hover off the ground, and the whole world was in her grasp. That was probably what it felt like to take the proper dosage of the drug.
Still, she hadn’t felt like herself, and it didn’t take long for her to get hit with severe side effects from overdosing. After throwing up the narcotic, she had been plagued by hallucinations she would rather not remember. She couldn’t conceive of asking anyone to take that abominable substance on a regular basis.
“The answer is no. Out of the question.”
It would compromise a Maiden’s dignity—Kou Reirin’s dignity—to prolong her life with narcotics.
And yet, just as Keigetsu refused the offer, another low moan sounded from the bed.
“Ugh… Ah…” Reirin groaned, bathed in a clammy sweat. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, and she whipped her head back and forth in desperate refusal.
A lump formed in Keigetsu’s throat. Reirin’s face had gone from flushed to pale and sallow. Her breathing grew more and more erratic with each pained whimper. Worst-case scenario, Keigetsu could end up bearing witness to the moment her friend’s soul was forever lost.
“No…”
She didn’t know what to do. Should she give Reirin the drug to keep her alive in the short term, or should she stand by and watch her friend suffer? With two paths to hell laid out before her, she was paralyzed with indecision.
“How am I supposed to make that kind of choice?”
“Apologies, milady, I didn’t mean to make things harder on you. Frankly, I didn’t expect this to be such a difficult call to make.” Hasan scratched at the back of his head. It was clear from the look on his face that he had expected her to be jumping for joy.
Eventually, he came to the conclusion that waiting around wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Well, there’s still time before dawn! I will be taking the zehir with me, so come let me know when you’ve made up your mind.”
He snatched up the bottle and left the room.
“Lady Keigetsu,” Tousetsu muttered in a daze once they were alone again. “This choice will have consequences for your own body. Therefore…” After a moment’s hesitation, she went down on trembling knees and bowed. “You must be the one to decide. My mistress and I shall abide by your will, whatever it may be.”
Keigetsu was conflicted. Part of her thought it cruel of Tousetsu to foist the decision on her, but another part of her knew that the court lady was right. This choice would affect the Kou Maiden’s survival and dignity along with the Shu Maiden’s body and future.
If only I hadn’t switched us…
She gritted her teeth. No matter how hard she concentrated, she couldn’t summon enough qi to undo the switch. Letting her magic run out of control earlier had drained her reserves. If her previous experience with this in Unso was any indication, it was going to take her about three days to recover. No, that was an optimistic estimate. This was the western domain, a region aligned with the element of metal. The lack of fire qi meant it was bound to take even longer.
If I could put us back in our own bodies, this would be an easy call to make.
Was the pain bearable or not? If Keigetsu were the one whimpering in bed, she would be able to answer that question with certainty.
“I need to think about it on my own for a while,” she squeezed out at last.
Tousetsu dipped her head in a bow and left the room without another word.
After watching her go, Keigetsu collapsed onto the chair beside the bed.
“Ugh… Ngh…”
The time slipped away as Keigetsu watched her own face—her best friend—cry out in agony.
“Don’t do this to me.” Keigetsu brought both hands to her mouth. Reirin was the one hurting, not her, yet she could hardly bear to watch. “I don’t want to see you suffer.”
Oh, how she had once longed to shatter this woman’s perfect composure. Back then, she never could have guessed how horrifying it would actually be to behold a friend’s anguish.
Reirin’s torment was only going to get worse. Every last bit of it originally meant for Keigetsu.
“I won’t let them get away with this. They’re going to pay—the men who drugged this body and the supplier at the root of it all. I swear I will find every last one of those who hurt you and rip them to shreds. So…”
As Keigetsu made that frenzied vow, she seethed with all-consuming hatred for whoever had produced this heinous narcotic.
“So…!”
At the same time, she was equally furious with herself. She clenched the fingers clamped over her mouth almost hard enough to break skin.
It’s all my fault.
A strangled sound escaped her throat. Looking back, this was the way things always played out between the two of them.
It all began when Keigetsu pushed Reirin out of a tower and stole her body. As a result, Reirin was locked in a cage with a beast and ensnared in a conspiracy. When they swapped bodies in Unso, she was abducted by the villagers. During the Rite of Reverence, she dove into a spring because the shaman had it out for Keigetsu. The time Kou Reirin got dropped down a well was the first time Keigetsu was the one doing the saving, but that move wound up drawing the attention of the emperor and his secret service and getting Reirin tortured.
This is how it always goes.
Like a celestial maiden of legend, Kou Reirin always showed up before Keigetsu in her hour of need. But her salvation did not come without a price. Every single time, she bore Keigetsu’s suffering on her own shoulders.
Even now, she was intent on remaining in the Maiden Court so she could stay with Keigetsu. Tousetsu seemed to believe that their friendship gave her mistress something to live for, but Keigetsu couldn’t see it that way—not when it was driving the girl to lie about her health and refuse treatment.
All she ever did was drag Kou Reirin down.
“I-It’s all…my fault.”
Her friend was going to die because of her. Did she really have it in her to just stand by and watch that body writhe in agony, that face twist in the throes of hallucinations?
“What do I do?” Keigetsu whispered between sobs.
She didn’t know what to do about Kou Reirin’s looming end. Or whether to give her more drugs to save the body she had swapped into. Merely one of these problems would have been hard enough to confront; her heart was in pieces after getting hit with all of them at once.
I should report back to His Highness, she thought hazily, tears tracking down her cheeks.
Reirin and Keigetsu were both Maidens. Any matters pertaining to them had to be relayed to Gyoumei, their future husband. If Keigetsu reached out to him via flame call, he would be sure to respond, even this late at night.
If I tell His Highness, then perhaps…
The dependable crown prince would make the call right away. She could leave everything to his righteous, principled judgment.
But…
In this specific situation, however, Gyoumei’s righteous and principled nature scared Keigetsu. His strong sense of justice meant that he would put dignity above all else. Even if a life hung in the balance, even if that life belonged to his beloved butterfly, he was likely to insist against turning to narcotics. In that event, Keigetsu would be the one forced to watch as Reirin’s soul expired. She didn’t think she could bear it.
“Help me.” Keigetsu gazed at the candle through tear-filled eyes. “I can’t do this alone.”
The flame blazed brighter, its contours swelling and billowing. Almost subconsciously, imploringly, she pictured the face of a certain man in the fire.
“Please, Lord Keishou!”
Perhaps she did have a reason for picking him that could be put into words. But in that moment, much like a drowning swimmer flailing for help, it was pure instinct that drove Keigetsu to call his name.
***
“Ouch!” Seika yelped when she cut her finger on the edge of a piece of paper. That was what she got for flipping through books in the dead of night without sufficient light to see by.
Seika endeavored to imbue her every gesture with the grace of a dance, so it wasn’t often that she made this kind of blunder. Nevertheless, she ignored the blood beading on her finger to turn page after page.
“Oh, surely there must be some way to detoxify zeiru!”
Her neat and tidy desk had been transformed into an avalanche waiting to happen, its every inch covered with chaotic piles of books and documents. This was the collection of medical manuals, herb encyclopedias, and Sherban lore that she’d managed to scrape together in the past few hours.
Calling for a doctor would’ve been the best option. Yet finding a physician with adequate knowledge of a Sherban narcotic was bound to be a struggle, and Seika couldn’t trust any of Hishuu’s doctors in the first place. This left her no choice but to seek out a solution on her own.
Since bringing “Shu Keigetsu” back to the estate after her drug-induced blackout, Seika had been too busy to take the time to eat. Unfortunately, she had little to show for her efforts thus far. Reirin’s suffering continued unabated.
Where do I go from here?
Outside the window, the moon was low in the sky. The hour of the rat was approaching, and midnight with it. Seika had yet to take off her makeup, and she had a headache from leaving her ornamental hairpin in all night. She tugged the accessory free in a sluggish motion and discarded it on her desk.
Should I have disclosed “Shu Keigetsu’s” drug overdose and sought a doctor’s help after all? She stared at the dim reflection of the moonlight off her hairpin, her bleary eyes glazing over. It didn’t take her long to weakly shake the thought from her head. No, that would only complicate matters.
The one currently suffering in the body of Shu Keigetsu was actually Kou Reirin. The bystanders at the scene had assumed that the spontaneous blaze outside the pleasure district was caused by the lanterns falling off the gate, but Seika recognized it as a sign that the two Maidens had swapped bodies. Although the emperor had resolved to end his crackdown on magic, it usually took six months to a year for edicts issued by the capital to reach every corner of the realm. Out in a Kin port city—particularly Hishuu, where any form of supernatural power was suspected of being foreign alchemy—it was still dangerous for a Maiden to be outed as a practitioner of the Daoist arts.
It would be even worse for anyone to find out about the narcotic.
Grimacing, Seika pressed her hands flat against the desk. Sickness would go away with recovery, but drugs were difficult to break free of once they invaded the body. The Maidens were meant to birth the heirs to the kingdom, and a woman whose body had been ravaged by poison would never be accepted as a mother of the nation. For a Maiden, taking drugs was as much a point of no return as losing her chastity. Either would taint her for life.
If anybody learns that “Shu Keigetsu” overdosed on drugs, she will no longer be able to remain a Maiden. That would amount to Lady Reirin losing her position. Or would His Highness cover it up out of consideration for her circumstances? No, that’s not an option. No matter how much faith I have in His Highness, the branch family will raise a fuss should word somehow reach them.
Her thoughts were in a jumble. Keigetsu would never have imbibed the drug if not for her incognito trip into town. As a member of the Kin clan, Seika bore a great deal of the responsibility for allowing drug dealers in and out of her territory in the first place. Here Reirin and Keigetsu had saved her from her own predicament, and she had repaid them with nothing but trouble. Seika’s upright nature and heavy sense of responsibility had her nearly tearing through her lip with guilt.
Knock, knock!
Suddenly, there came a few taps on the door. Seika had kicked nearly everyone out of this section of the estate, so there was only one person around who would knock like a Westerner.
“Sorry to disturb you so late at night!”
And lo, after opening the door a crack, Seika found none other than Hasan standing there. She cast a quick glance around before inviting him inside. It wasn’t appropriate for her to be alone with a man, but she didn’t want to leave a loudmouth like him standing out in the corridor.
“Do you need something?” she asked.
“I’m glad you asked, milady! I have a get-well gift for Lady Keigetsu. I suppose I could have brought it directly to her room, but I already went to check on her a short while ago. I would rather not start any scandalous rumors by visiting the same woman’s bedroom over and over! Oh, my consideration knows no bounds!” With a wink, Hasan held out a small tub of water and a heap of cotton.
“What are these?”
“Nursing supplies we often use in Sherba. If a fever lasts too long, the afflicted can die of dehydration, correct? To prevent this, we will soak cotton in water and squeeze it over the mouths of struggling patients!”
Seika nodded in understanding. “Oh, so that’s what you had in mind.”
Even in Ei, wringing cotton near the mouth was a common method of getting an unconscious patient to drink water.
Hasan pointed to the tub. “And this water happens to be mixed with the juice of a fruit with fever-reducing properties!”
When Seika brought her face closer, she could indeed detect a faintly sweet scent emanating from the clear liquid.
“Hm, is that so?” She moved to dip a finger in the water and taste it for poison, but Hasan promptly pulled the tub out of her reach.
“Whoa there! I would advise anyone in good health against drinking it. Stick to giving it to the patient, if you please.” Stressing that he trusted Seika with this, he held it out for her once more.
Seika did not take the proffered tub.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Lady Seika?”
“What did you actually put in that water?” she asked, an authoritative note in her voice.
Hasan cocked his head curiously. “As I said, a fever-reducing—” he began, but Seika didn’t miss the split second when his blue-gray eyes took on a dangerous edge.
“Fruit juice, you say? My, how curious. I do smell something sweet in that water, but it isn’t fruit juice. It has the same scent of cinnamon hanging over Shu Keigetsu’s drugged body.”
Hasan tried to laugh the accusation off. “Don’t be silly! You must be imagining—”
“I know my incense. You can’t fool my nose,” Seika said sharply. “Oh, and one more thing. Women are better at coordinating with each other than you think. Tousetsu already informed me of your suggestion to give ‘Shu Keigetsu’ the raw form of the narcotic to ease her suffering.” She took a step forward, determined not to yield ground to the towering Hasan.
It had been a busy night for Seika indeed. She had snuck the unconscious “Shu Keigetsu” back to the estate, dismissed all attendants and onlookers, gathered whatever information she could about zehir, and kept in close contact with court ladies Tousetsu and Leelee to avoid any nasty surprises.
“What exactly are you plotting, Sir Hasan?”
Seika regarded the man before her—the prince’s valet—with the utmost caution. Although she didn’t take well to his flair for the dramatic, he had made a much better impression on her than the arrogant prince. He worked hard, always kept a smile on his face, and never hesitated to lend the Maidens a helping hand.
“Why lie about the contents of this water? Why try to use me to slip ‘Shu Keigetsu’ a narcotic?”
Now, the friendlier Hasan acted, the more unsettling Seika found him. No decent person could lie with such good cheer.
“Don’t tell me you’re in league with the men who drugged—”
“Absolutely not!” Hasan huffed, offended by the suggestion. With a small sigh, he set the tub down on a nearby table. “Now that you’ve caught me, I suppose I’ve no choice but to come clean. Yes, I mixed this water with zehir! However, as I explained to Lady Reirin earlier, I have no intention of doing Lady Keigetsu harm. If my goal was to turn her into a drug addict, I wouldn’t be nursing her back to health in the first place!”
“That could be a ruse to earn our trust. Or perhaps you’re looking to put the Shu clan or His Highness in your debt?”
“Oh, please! I doubt saving the life of the Maiden Court sewer rat would win me any favors worth mentioning!” With a snort, Hasan added, “For your information, milady, I do know a thing or two about your hierarchy.”
Seika’s brow wrinkled in a frown when she heard the words “sewer rat.” “However unrefined she may be, a foreign valet has no right to disparage her. You take that back. Furthermore…” She glowered at Hasan once more, as if to stress the importance of her next point. “If you have nothing to gain from this, why go to the trouble of tricking her into taking the zeiru?”
“This is my way of showing compassion!”
Seika blinked. This wasn’t the answer she had expected to hear. “Compassion?”
“Indeed. A Sherban man will always pay respect to a woman he has deemed worthy of it. He will cherish her dearly and do his utmost to spare her any suffering.”
“How does that relate to you trying to slip her a drug?”
“Must you ask? I couldn’t possibly put a woman through the agony of the withdrawal symptoms! I lied because I did not wish to burden any of you further. Lady Reirin already seemed quite overwhelmed! It would be cruel of me to force you ladies to make this call.”
The nonchalant way he said this left Seika speechless.
An affectionate gleam in his blue-gray eyes, Hasan cheerfully carried on, “The way you handled the banquet was truly impressive. The prince and I took a liking to you girls after that. That is what inspired me to make this decision on your behalf. No woman should have to make the harrowing choice between prolonging her friend’s life with drugs or leaving her to die!”
His reasoning appeared to go something like this: If Keigetsu actively chose to give Reirin the drug, she would be the one responsible for turning her friend into an addict. If all she did was give Reirin something Hasan claimed to be water, she would have a clear conscience and bear no fault in the matter.
“Rest assured, Prince Nadir will be sure to tell Prince Gyoumei that I tricked you girls into administering the zehir. We will go with the story that Prince Gyoumei was not around to assume authority, so Prince Nadir made the call on his behalf and ordered me to see it done. That way, none of you will be held accountable. You have nothing to worry about!”
Seika’s reaction was swift. She raised a hand high in the air and swung it at Hasan’s cheek.
Thwack!
Alas, despite the considerable speed of her slap, Hasan caught her hand with ease.
“Whoops, I’m afraid I’ll have to stop you there! A Sherban man’s reputation will suffer if he lets a woman lay a hand on him.” He regarded her with interest, holding Seika in place with little effort. “Why are you so angry? I’m a bit lost, to be honest! I intended this to be a heartfelt gesture of goodwill!”
Seika swung her other hand as well, but this attempt ended the same way as her first. Hasan peered down at her from spitting distance, both of her hands in his grasp.
Rather than feebly imploring him to let go, Seika shot Hasan a look that could kill. “Do you not hear the contradiction in what you’re saying? You claim to respect capable women, but you don’t actually trust their judgment. All you do is coddle them.”
“That’s not—”
“How disgustingly arrogant! You insult us! You’re implying that the women of Ei…that we are spineless ditherers who cannot make decisions without a man to guide us!”
“I swear I didn’t mean it as an insult!” Hasan shook his head in dismay, maintaining his effortless grip on Seika. “Isn’t that the standard a woman is held to in Ei? She’s supposed to obey her husband, protect her home, and devote herself to her children. In exchange for her submission, men protect her from suffering. That sort of wimpy…pardon, demure disposition makes Ei-hailing courtesans very popular in Sherba!”
Seika’s vision went red with fury. She couldn’t believe this man had just likened her to a courtesan.
Even more infuriating than that, however, was the fact that Hasan wasn’t wrong about Ei’s notion of the perfect woman. As a matter of fact, Seika herself adhered to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues as part of her Maidenly duties. She obeyed her father, she obeyed her future husband, and one day she would obey her sons. She remained chaste, maintained her appearance, practiced modesty, and applied herself to housework and the arts. She revered Kou Reirin for embodying those standards, and she scorned Shu Keigetsu for straying from them.
Did that really make her look this weak and pathetic in the eyes of another country’s populace? Did it make her fair game to be tricked, locked out of making her own decisions, and mocked with Isn’t this what you wanted?
As Seika clammed up with humiliation, Hasan’s face fell, his confusion plain to see. “Yeesh, what a scary face! Was what I said really so offensive?” He seemed genuinely perplexed as to what the problem was.
A moment later, his face lit back up with a sudden epiphany. “Wait, I get it!” He stuck out his tongue, giggling like a naughty child who’d gotten an answer wrong in his lessons. “I’ve been offering my help where it isn’t wanted! You would rather Lady Keigetsu didn’t pull through. I suppose that makes sense! No matter how close you Maidens may seem, at the end of the day, you’re all rivals for the crown prince’s affections!”
***
“Lord Keishou!”
Despite calling his name, some part of Keigetsu was certain the flame call wouldn’t connect. It was the end of the hour of the boar. Most people would have blown out the lights and gone to sleep by now. On the off chance he did still have a fire going, it wouldn’t matter if the conditions for the spell weren’t met. A flame call had to be consensual to connect, so at the very least, he had to be unopposed to the prospect of a conversation with Keigetsu.
At the moment, Keigetsu wasn’t confident that Keishou would want to hear from her. After all, he had been a bit curt with her on the flame call the other day.
The flame expanded, only to shrink back down to its original size. Just as Keigetsu had feared, nothing showed up in its depths. At least, not at first.
“Whoa! Oh, come on! Now? Really?!”
Something white flashed across the screen of fire, accompanied by a startled cry from Keishou. He was holding open a white robe, ready to wrap it around himself.
From the looks of things, Keigetsu had caught him putting on his nightgown.
“What the…?!”
She had accounted for the fact that it was past bedtime, but she hadn’t expected him to be in the middle of changing. Keishou hastily pulled the front of his robe together, flashing a quick glimpse of his toned body.
“Sheesh, could you give me a heads-up on this kind of thing? It’s bad for my heart if you spring flame calls on me out of nowhere.”Keishou promptly turned his back to the fire and finished donning his nightgown. As soon as he was done tying the sash around his waist, he looked over his shoulder with a grin. “Peeping, Lady Keigetsu?”
“Of course not!”
“Hm?”His expression immediately sobered. “Why are you in Reirin’s body? Wait, are you…crying?”
The moment he noticed that it was “Kou Reirin” who had made the call, not “Shu Keigetsu,” he realized this had to be about something serious.
“What happened?”
His voice had a sober edge, not a trace of his usual teasing to be heard. The shock of catching Keishou in the nude had dried Keigetsu’s tears, but they came rushing back the moment he locked eyes with her through the flame.
“I-I switched us.”
“Yes, I can see that. What led to it this time? And where is Reirin?”
Keishou didn’t yell at her. He simply asked for an explanation. The relief brought big, fat tears streaming down Keigetsu’s cheeks.
“K-Kou Reirin is bedridden, a-and it’s all my fault. After I took this narcotic, I was in so much pain that my magic ran out of control and I accidentally switched us. And n-now she’s…”
Keishou echoed the most alarming part of her explanation.“A narcotic?”
Choking on the words, Keigetsu went on to explain everything that had happened that night, including her dilemma over whether to give Reirin more drugs by dawn.
Partway through, Keishou transferred the fire to a torch and moved to a different location. He appeared to be somewhere outdoors, not in his bedroom. It was probably a garden or wooded area, judging by the sound of birds flapping their wings in the background. Perhaps he had gone out for a late-night cleansing ritual or workout. Whatever the case, he didn’t act annoyed about the interruption, nor did he cut Keigetsu off even once while she was speaking.
Every now and then, Reirin’s anguished moans would punctuate Keigetsu’s explanation. “Urgh… Ah…”
Once Keishou had heard the full story, he simply said, “I see.”
“Wh-what should I do? She’s already in so much pain, and it’s supposed to get even worse around dawn. I wish I had more qi. If only I could put us back in our own bodies, I could bear all the suffering myself. If I don’t do something, she’s going to…”
Die in my place. The words were too horrible to say.
The longer Keigetsu talked, the more she leaned toward giving Reirin the zehir. She could never ask Reirin to make the ultimate sacrifice for her. As long as she kept Reirin alive with the drug, they could switch back a few days later and leave Keigetsu to bear the damage it wreaked on her body. It was only fair. Of course, Reirin would have to grapple with her own terminal illness after returning to her body, but it was already over if she didn’t make it through the night.
Keigetsu wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “I-I’m sorry. The answer should have been obvious. I’ll give her the zeiru and switch us back once I’ve recovered my qi. It’s the only way.”
Keishou appeared to think differently. “No. Don’t use this so-called ‘zeiru.’” He leaned in from across the flame, his tone firm. “My sister wouldn’t want to survive at the cost of becoming a drug addict, not even if you were to return to your original body and shoulder the burden. In fact, that would make it worse.” His powerful voice seemed to leap through the fire to pound in Keigetsu’s ears. “If I were in Reirin’s shoes, and I learned that you’d ruined yourself with drugs because I couldn’t hold out against the pain, I think it would drive me mad.”
“Don’t tell me that!” Keigetsu shook her head weakly. She hadn’t expected Keishou to take the pragmatic view. “Think about it! She’s in so much pain that it could kill her!”
“Think about it? I could say the same to you. A Kou can endure any amount of torment for a loved one’s sake.” Keishou didn’t budge. He didn’t blame Keigetsu, nor did he second-guess himself. He simply told her to have faith. “Trust Reirin to be strong. Trust in your bond with her. Stay at her bedside and make her all sorts of promises she can look forward to. I’m confident that will give her the motivation she needs to push past the pain without relying on zeiru.”
Keigetsu’s tightly pursed lips trembled. More tears rolled down her cheeks.
She recalled what Tousetsu had told her earlier.“‘I wanted to have a pillow fight.’”
However long ago, Reirin had mumbled that same heartfelt desire. “Weh… But I wanted to stay up talking…and have a pillow fight…”
Promises?
All Reirin wanted was to enjoy the little things in life with a friend. For the sake of that modest dream, she had concealed her worsening health problems and stayed in the Maiden Court. Once upon a time, she had been a celestial maiden unconcerned with the affairs of the mortal realm, but she was different now. She had learned to develop attachments, to feel desire, to struggle against her fate.
Do I have the right?
To do what? To pin the butterfly to the earth as she took off for the skies.
Do I have it in me?
To do what? To ask her friend to hold out for her sake, even knowing how much she would suffer in the process.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Keishou went on gently in the face of Keigetsu’s silence. “I won’t make you do this alone. I’ve been Reirin’s ally since before you even knew her, lest you forget. You better believe I’m going to care for her right alongside you.”
He swore to run to her side. To weather this difficult night together. The words carried a sincerity that no amount of flippant phrasing could hide.
Keigetsu cracked a bittersweet smile. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Even on the fastest horse, it would take two days to get from the capital to Hishuu. Keigetsu realized as much, yet his promise to be there soon made her weak with relief. His decision to leave Reirin to her torment was as righteous and ruthless as the Kou were known to be, but his resolve to come running was warm enough to melt Keigetsu’s cold, numb heart. The amount of trust packed into the words “alongside you” filled Keigetsu’s buckling knees with renewed strength.
Even if he didn’t make it before Reirin’s pain reached its peak, everything was going to be all right now. Just knowing that someone else shared her feelings gave Keigetsu the courage she needed to watch over her friend’s fight.
“Don’t believe me? Just you watch. I’ll come running fast enough to make your jaw drop.”
“Big talk.” Keigetsu had finally regained enough composure to talk smack. She wiped the wetness from her face and looked back up again. “Don’t keep me waiting. We’re in the Hishuu estate.”
“Got it.”
Keishou grabbed the outer robe he had just taken off. It looked like the plan was to change out of his nightwear and head out immediately.
“Hang in there. I’m going to cut the call for now.”
Before Keigetsu even had time to thank him, the candle went out. The fact that he was in too big a hurry to wait for a response just made Keigetsu all the more appreciative.
Reirin’s moans filled the room once more. She was sweating hard enough to make her nightgown stick to her skin, and her occasional audible breath rattled harder than ever. But Keigetsu was no longer afraid. She took Reirin’s hand and held it firmly in her own.
This woman was stronger than anyone Keigetsu knew. No matter how much she suffered, no matter how hard she had to struggle, she would never lose sight of herself.
“I’m right here with you.”
Keigetsu squeezed Reirin’s hand, praying that she could absorb even a fraction of the fever, sweat, and pain that plagued her friend.
Her eyes landed on the tendrils of smoke rising from the candle. With enough concentration, a flame call could connect the caster to whomever they wished to speak to. Was there a chance it could pass on her feelings to the girl who was so close and yet so far?
“O flame, convey my words.”
Keigetsu couldn’t take on Reirin’s agony herself. Nor could she banish the girl’s maladies, purge the drug from her system, or force her to open her eyes. All she could do was stay by her side and pray.
Even so…
No, for all the more reason.
“I’m here,” Keigetsu said with all her heart.
As the words left her lips, the candle’s flame whooshed back into existence. Keigetsu poured every fiber of her being into her next plea.
“Be strong. You have to pull through this! Don’t let the enemy win without a fight!”
Keigetsu squeezed her eyes shut and pressed Reirin’s hand to her forehead. Every single candle in the room danced in silent encouragement.
***
Pow!
Hasan boggled at the sudden impact he felt in his gut. When he looked down to see what was responsible, he found a woman’s foot lodged firmly in his stomach.
With both hands blocked, Kin Seika had instead raised a leg and kicked him.
“Wha…?”
“What did I just do, you want to ask? Why, I gave a good-for-nothing, nonsense-spouting man the boot.” Red-faced with rage, Seika ground the tip of her shoe into his gut for good measure, then curled her lips into a smirk. “I hear a Sherban man’s reputation will suffer if he lets a woman lay a hand on him, so I settled for a foot.”
“N-nice kick…”
“I’m glad you agree. I give my legs a good workout with my daily dance practice.”
For her finishing move, Seika distanced herself from Hasan with a firm shove. Or rather, she distanced Hasan from herself.
“You appear to be under a gross misconception, so allow me to enlighten you. We Maidens may be in constant competition with one another, but we wouldn’t stoop to killing our rivals in pursuit of a man’s favor.”
Kin Seika was stunningly gorgeous and bursting with talent, believed to be the second-most likely candidate to become empress after Kou Reirin. While she was never anything less than beautiful, her eyes always shone brightest when she was fighting to uphold her pride.
Three Obediences. Four Virtues.
Women were to obey men and cultivate feminine virtues. Seika recited the standards a Maiden was expected to adhere to in her thoughts, then opted to add one more precept to the set.
And One Kick.
She would only obey those who she respected from the bottom of her heart. Any fool who would look down on her and mistake decorum for weakness had to be kicked to the curb.
“Do you believe women to be animals who can think only of winning a man’s affections? Who would backstab anyone else to that end? Wrong. We Maidens push each other to grow in order to become worthy of our exalted status. The only ones who deserve a stabbing are worthless men like you.”
This had been Seika’s consistent philosophy ever since joining the court—or even before then. Those with skill deserved to rise to the top, and those without it deserved to step aside. All people were equal before talent, and that absolute order was not to be disrupted over ugly emotions like jealousy or ambitious greed. The reason Seika used to pick on Keigetsu had nothing to do with vying for Gyoumei’s favor; it was simply because the girl didn’t have what it took to be a Maiden. Ever since learning that the Shu Maiden possessed a unique talent of her own, Seika had ceased referring to her as a sewer rat.
Gone was the era of the Pure Consort and her unsightly ilk, who were consumed by jealousy, pandered to authority, and sought to bring down any woman who posed a threat. The new generation of Maidens was going to restore the Maiden Court to the place of learning it was originally meant to be.
And yet, this man saw women as powerless, pathetic puppets who cared only about earning love.
Absolutely unforgivable!
No one could lash out harder than Kin Seika when her dignity was violated. She stood tall and stepped forward with all the gravitas of a queen.
“We can walk on our own two feet.” She jabbed a finger against Hasan’s muscular chest as he gawked at her. “We can make our own decisions and think for ourselves. It is when those with the power to stand choose to kneel that it becomes a noble act. At the moment, however, our thoughts are preoccupied not with our husband but with the crisis that has befallen us. This is a serious dilemma with our dignity as Maidens on the line. We must find our own answer. Therefore…”
Punctuating each and every word so that even this outlander could understand, Seika finished, “We do not need you men to decide for us. Keep your nose out of it.”
She grabbed the tub on the table and thrust it back at Hasan, water sloshing against the sides. He scrambled to adjust his hold on it, then covered his face with one hand.
Seika frowned, skeptical of his sudden silence. “Sir Hasan?”
Abruptly, he threw his head back and burst out laughing. “I didn’t see that one coming! Hah! Fascinating!”
Has he lost it? Seika wondered, instinctively edging away.
Hasan got his laughter under control and wiped at his eyes; he must have cried a few tears of mirth. The blond valet then slid his hand from his eyes to his chest, offering a sweeping bow. “You will have to pardon me for being so rude! It would seem I underestimated you ladies.”
Sherban men didn’t generally go down on their knees, so bowing the head deeply was a gesture of the utmost respect one could offer.
“Very well, milady! I shall take my leave! If this answer of yours ends up involving the zehir, come let me know. There isn’t much to go around, but I will be gracious enough to offer it once more!”
He turned on his heel as soon as he straightened up again, so Seika couldn’t see what kind of face he was making. But then, just as he had passed through the door and taken a few steps into the corridor, he cast a quick glance over his shoulder. “Oh, and one more thing! Sherba has nomadic roots, so women with powerful legs tend to be a hit with the men. I thought you might find that interesting, Lady Seika of the Killer Legs!”
“Wha…?!”
Seika flushed bright red at his outrageous quip. Seeing as female beauty standards in Ei favored slender figures and dainty feet, that was the last compliment she wanted to hear.
Perhaps I had that coming after I kicked a man, but still!
She had always prided herself on her exemplary conduct, so she was appalled to be seen as an uncouth woman.
Live and learn. I shouldn’t have kicked him. I should have stabbed him in the crotch with my hairpin.
Seika watched Hasan stroll down the corridor with a glare as sharp as a drill. Blinded by her annoyance, she failed to catch the moment when his eyes glowed a brighter blue in the candlelight.
Chapter 7: Reirin Navigates a Nightmare
Chapter 7:
Reirin Navigates a Nightmare
REIRIN FOUND HERSELF in a strange place.
Waves roared and crashed against a pitch-black void. Their spray danced like blue petals through the air, until those water droplets suddenly ballooned into giant spheres and swallowed Reirin whole. She instinctively shielded her face with her sleeve—wait, when had she changed back into her formal Maiden attire?—but she never felt anything wash over her. The very next moment, she was standing in a windswept field of grass.
“Gosh! Aaaah!”
A curious cry rang out across the skies—not a yelp strangled with fear but an exclamation of uncontainable joy. The voice was accompanied by a bizarre echo, and it was coming from Reirin’s own mouth.
“Do I really get to stay here?! I can grow herbs, experiment, and sleep all I want!”
Her vision bobbed up and down. Yes, it was all coming back to her. At the time, she had bounced around on the spot.
This was a memory of the very first time she switched bodies with Keigetsu. When precious little Leelee, still dressed in her pale pink robe, had led her to the storehouse on the outskirts of the Shu Palace and oh-so-spiritedly informed her that she would be living there.
“Wait… There’s no reason to keep my voice down now!”
She pulled her hands away from her mouth. Indeed, it was Reirin’s own hands that moved. Having become one with her past self, she basked in the caress of the breeze and the smell of the soil, a twinkle in her eye.
“My goodness! I found caterpillar fungus!”
“Time to stir-fry the rapeseed greens.”
“Let’s go with steamed potatoes as the starch, fried potatoes as the main dish, a side of stir-fried potatoes, and honeyed fried potatoes as the palate cleanser. The perfect meal!”
Like the sun sinking toward the horizon in fast motion, the whole scene rotated. Reirin was having the time of her life in every memory that flashed by.
Sometimes Leelee would make a guest appearance, screaming her lungs out.
“That’s…cleansing! That’s… It’s all potatoes!”
Curiously, her voice cut in and out, making the words hard to catch. Oh well. Reirin was pretty sure she’d reacted to the full-course potato feast with delight.
Oh dear! I’m having so much fun!
Reirin’s fingers itched with excitement, and her face broke into a smile of its own accord. She was reminded of how truly happy she had been in these moments. Strength welled up from somewhere deep inside her, and her newfound knowledge of what it meant to be healthy made her feel like embracing the sun.
“Hey, don’t distract me right now!”
A shrill voice rang out, and Reirin found herself sitting in an open-air pavilion by a pond, a chessboard set out in front of her.
“Great…now I’ve forgotten the last move I made.”
Her opponent chewed on her nails, irritation dripping from her words.
It’s Lady Keigetsu.
The moment Reirin laid eyes on her best friend, she felt like her heart was awash with particles of light. The sight of her hissing and bristling like a cat or yelling till she was red in the face was simply adorable.
“Stoooop!”
“W-we’ve spent enough time training my abdominal muscles.”
“W-we’re not close!”
Several different memories whizzed by, but whether Keigetsu was pounding on the table in the pavilion, working out with Reirin in the Maiden Court, or glaring at the other Maidens under a tent, she always seemed to be fuming about something or other. Reirin found those outbursts so hopelessly dazzling that her eyes would always crinkle into a smile at the sight. Every time Keigetsu let her emotions run wild, she radiated something that could very well be described as vitality. Much like how someone chilled to the bone would seek out the sunlight, Reirin couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
Tousetsu, Gyoumei, and the Kou brothers appeared behind Keigetsu.
“You ladies seem to be having fun.”
“Though, admittedly, it’s a relief to see you both remember my official status.”
“Come now, Lady Keigetsu. In situations like these, you’ve got to grab Reirin by the arms and hold her back, if that’s what it takes.”
Kenshuu, the other Maidens, and the captain of the Eagle Eyes were there too. These were Reirin’s loved ones, the people she had grown closer to ever since the switch. It warmed her heart to see them all smiling and having fun.
Oh, what bliss!
It felt like an invisible barrier between herself and the people around her had poofed out of existence. She was seized by the impulse to run over and hug every single one of them.
Things were so much easier now that she didn’t have to worry about anyone catching on to her fevers. She no longer had to conceal her pallor, fret over whether her sicknesses were contagious, or keep her wits about her to hide that the end was nigh.
See? I’m in such wonderful health!
It wasn’t a struggle to breathe. On the contrary, she was overcome with the urge to roar with laughter. Power surged through her legs, and the world around her sparkled and shone, as though each step she took scattered starlight in her wake.
This is so much fun! I can hardly believe it!
If she broke into a run, would it send bursts of light unfurling every which way? This place was so bright, so warm, so fragrant. Before she knew it, flowers were blooming all around her, and a crystal clear spring sprawled out before her eyes. Keigetsu must have moved at some point, as she was now standing by the water’s edge, holding out a hand in a sulk.
“Get over here already!”
Of course. She always hoisted Reirin to where it was brightest.
It was the same back then.
When Keigetsu rescued Reirin from the old well, when she came running to save her from water torture, she had extended her hand so decisively.
“So, get on with it—ask me for help!”
For some reason, Keigetsu’s expression darkened. Reirin picked up her pace.
I must go to where she is.
She forged a path through the field of flowers as fast as she could, only to lose her balance when her feet sank into the mud.
Huh?
The breeze rustling through the flowers turned fetid. All of a sudden, the rainbow of blooms blackened from the edges in, hordes of bugs crawling out of their corollas. As the mass of hideous insects writhed and squirmed, some of them turned to shadow and clumped together, transforming into a jet-black hand that assailed Reirin.
“Kou Reirin!”Keigetsu shrieked in the distance.
When Reirin saw that her best friend was on the verge of tears, she automatically reached out with both hands.
It’s all right. I will be fine.
She had to be. She was Kou Reirin, the Maiden of the clan that presided over the steadfast earth.
FWOOOOM!
At that very moment, a ghastly sound like the roar of a beast or a mighty thunderclap ripped through the air, shattering heaven and earth to pieces. The flowers, the bugs, the shadows, the people—everything was smashed to dust and sucked away.
Aaahhhh!
Not even Reirin could hold back a scream. As she was swallowed up in a vortex of blackness, she could have sworn she heard the crack of her bones breaking.
A voice rained down from above as she gasped for breath.“Lady Reirin! Are you all right?! I heard you cry out! How are you feeling?!”
When she looked up, she was startled to find a woman’s face taking up her entire field of vision.
Reirin’s lips moved of their own accord, and a young, babyish voice left her mouth. “Um, I’m fine. My apologies. I shouldn’t have…bothered you…so late at night.”
She was greeted by the sight of arms even skinnier than she was used to, as well as a familiar room. It dawned on her that she was back at the Kou estate, long before she joined the court, with one of her maids waiting on her. Apparently, it was time to revisit memories from her childhood now. This must have been a time when she came down with a fever in the middle of the night and woke up in pain.
“Shall I call for a doctor?”
“No, thank you. I just had a scary dream. Don’t worry, I’m going back to sleep now.”
“Very well. I will be right outside, so please don’t hesitate to call for me if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
Reirin dismissed the maid and lay down in bed all by herself. She counted in her head and took stock of her health issues as a way to dissociate. Her head? Aching. Her forehead? Hot. Her stomach? Queasy. She didn’t describe any of it as painful. She simply checked her body over like it was a collection of components and clinically assessed where the problem was occurring. This eliminated the emotion from the process and made things a little easier on her.
In Reirin’s mind, “experiencing pain” and “hurting” were two different things.
“Did Lady Reirin fall back asleep?”
“I believe so. Her breathing sounds rhythmic again. It seems like she just had a nightmare. No seizures or anything like that.”
On the other side of the door, the maids on the night shift were whispering among themselves. The women had no idea how sensitive to sounds a bedridden person could be.
“Goodness, she’s had nightmares so many nights in a row that it’s starting to feel routine.”
“Be honest—what do you think? Does Lady Reirin really come down sick as often as the rumors say? Surely she must have faked at least a few cases.”
“Shh! We aren’t supposed to talk about that! Lady Reirin’s at an age where she longs for company. It’s natural for her to seek attention.”
They didn’t notice the irritation that seeped into their late-night banter, nor did they realize that Reirin could pick up on it.
“I suppose we’ll have to give Lady Reirin even more love and care during the day—both for her own sake and so we can stop getting woken up in the middle of the night.”
“Agreed. She’s the beloved daughter Lady Seishuu gave her life to leave behind. We must bring her up well, lest our late lady be cross with us.”
It never occurred to them that for all their fussing over Reirin, their loyalty truly lay with Reirin’s mother, not the girl herself. Nor did they suspect that Reirin was aware of this.
That’s just how it is.
That repressed grudge of theirs was like a growing patch of rust. No matter how gorgeous the coat of paint covering the surface, it would corrode the metal from within, never to heal. If Reirin grew up to be a disappointment, they would lament that Seishuu had sacrificed her life for nothing, and if she turned out well, they would weep over how Seishuu wasn’t around to see it.
The women didn’t hate Reirin. They simply begrudged her. Since they meant her no active harm, they would still soften their tear-streaked gazes and dote on the “adorable” little girl.
It’s not painful. It doesn’t hurt, Reirin told herself over and over again, clutching at the covers.
Suffering was a state of mind. Once she threw out her fear of pain, all that remained was a touch of physical discomfort. She could bring down her fevers with medicine. She could breathe as long as she did it with intention. Her racing pulse wouldn’t seem so worrisome if she could attribute it to a training session.
She couldn’t cause any more trouble for the people around her.
I’m fine.
After squeezing her eyes shut, Reirin next heard a tender, raspy voice.
“Oh, my darling little girl. You are simply too precious.”
Someone gently stroked her hair. Reirin opened her eyes in a flutter of lashes, only to find an old woman in a goldenrod robe smiling at her. The hair near her ears was graying here and there, but her eyes were dark and dreamy. She was Reirin’s maternal grandmother and one of the girl’s greatest admirers.
“Don’t you ever leave me, my sweet Seishuu.”
Granted, she frequently confused her grandchild for her own daughter, Seishuu.
“You needn’t push yourself to have more children. You have already given birth to two splendid sons. What more could I possibly want? So please, don’t go. Think of the poor mother you’ll be leaving behind.” Tears plopped onto her grandmother’s tightly clenched fists.
Reirin adored her grandmother. The woman always treated her to the most scrumptious snacks every time they saw each other. And so she kept these private conversations a secret from everyone else.
“All right, Mother. Thank you for worrying about me.”
The way Reirin would play along and imitate Seishuu’s soft-spoken way of speaking was another secret.
It’s a secret.
As Reirin’s mind lingered on that word, her grandmother vanished into thin air. The chair she was sitting on transformed into a field of grass, the table into an enormous tree. Suddenly, she was on a mountain dense with foliage.
This is a secret.
The rich scent of greenery hung in the air. A breeze occasionally rustled the treetops. After snapping a fallen twig underfoot and parting a dense tangle of underbrush, Reirin came out into a clearing.
No. Reirin clenched her fists in front of her chest, her heart pounding with sickening thuds. I cannot go beyond this point.
There was something there she wasn’t supposed to see.
“Lady Reirin.” Out of nowhere, the soft voice of a man rang out behind her. Reirin gasped. “Come, have a look.”
The man was holding a lantern to light the way. His voice was deep and gentle.
But she couldn’t listen to him. She couldn’t go that way.
Not after everyone’s gone to the trouble of keeping the secret.
Secrets were secrets because someone would suffer if they came to light.
Go on, cover it up.
It was what she did best.
She would press a hand to her cheek to hide the guilt. She would stand up straight to banish the chills from her spine and look into the distance to avoid seeing the shadows near her feet. She would conceal the dark circles of despair with a powder of lies. As long as she smiled, people would believe she was happy.
“Kou Reirin.”
The man called her name, dragging out the sounds. She couldn’t face what that name signified.
Don’t look! Reirin shouted with all her might—or tried to, but much to her dismay, all that left her mouth was a weak cough.
“I wanted to have a pillow fight.”
A voice of her own formed soft-spoken words. It belonged not to a little girl but to a young woman—indeed, it was her voice as it sounded now.
Right outside the window, the peach blossoms swayed in a springtime breeze. Yes, she remembered this. This was after the Repose of Souls, the time she collapsed in the cloister that led to the Kou Palace. She had just regained consciousness after Tousetsu found her passed out and tended to her all through the night. The energy surging through her body had drained away, and she was back to being ravaged by the usual fevers and fatigue. Reirin realized then that her death was close at hand.
No, perhaps “realized” wasn’t the right word. She remembered. She remembered that she was never going to live a long, healthy life. She remembered that she was destined to crawl her way through her existence, fighting to bring her pain and suffering to heel.
Reirin was so ashamed of herself. This knowledge was supposed to be etched into the depths of her soul, yet she had let herself get carried away over a glimmer of hope.
What was she even thinking? She thought she had given up wanting and wishing long ago. She thought she had accepted her limitations.
“I hoped we could lay our beds out next to each other and stay up late chatting. We would all have the time of our lives…and eventually someone would get carried away and throw the first pillow.”
She wanted to stay up late. She wanted to laugh and get mad over the stupidest things. She wanted to mess around and throw pillows back and forth. She wanted to live in a world without regulations or deadlines, free to spend time with her friends however she pleased, unhindered by diplomacy or appearances. She wasn’t hoping for anything in particular to happen; she merely wanted to string modest little joys together like pearls on a necklace.
And some part of her had foolishly begun to believe that she could.
“However…that may prove difficult.”
Tousetsu’s shoulders shook as she put away the medicine bowl. Underneath her aloof demeanor, she was a kind woman. As she stared fixedly at the floor, her eyes were no doubt swimming with tears.
“Perhaps a tea party would be doable.”
Reirin didn’t want to make her cry. She didn’t want to burden anyone further.
“I hope I make it.”
And so, in the end, Reirin was always forced to reach the same conclusion.
“No. I cannot think that way. I must set out to make as many memories as I am able.”
She no longer had time to build her collection of happy moments. All she could do was thread the gaps of her cruel fate and hoard as many dazzling memories as she could. She would grab those tiny treasures, each as small as a grain of gold dust, and tuck them away in her heart, out of anyone else’s sight, out of destiny’s reach.
It’s all right. I can keep smiling.
In class, Keigetsu tapped her brush against her temple as she thought up a reply. She pounded the table in frustration over getting roped into a ceremony, scowled over the prince’s arrogant swagger, and lit up at the sight of hawthorn tanghulu. Reirin did her best to stifle her coughs so as not to inconvenience that expressive friend of hers.
She had every intention of telling Keigetsu the truth. She just wanted a little more time first.
Chin up. Eyes forward.
She would keep a smile on her face and conduct herself with composure, the way she had since she was a little girl. She would push down the fever, the dizziness, the nausea, and the pain and project serenity.
I’m fine. I can do this.
There were moments she longed to experience desperately enough to bear the torment.
“Save me.”
Seconds ago, Keigetsu had been sitting in the teahouse, sipping from her wine cup with a look of satisfaction, but now she was moaning in pain. Reirin thrust herself toward her in a panic. At some point, the pair had been transported to the main gate of the pleasure district. The countless lanterns in the background rocked back and forth, taking on a sinister hue.
“I promise I will!”
Reirin grabbed her friend by the hands. With a loud roar, a rush of heat and light surged toward her.
“Kou Reirin!”
At first, Reirin was sure she could brave the pain and fever that engulfed her whole body. She forced her parched mouth open, hoping to put her sobbing friend’s mind at ease.
I’m fine.
But her voice refused to come out. She grew increasingly frustrated. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t form words when she already didn’t have a moment to waste.
Get it together! I am the Maiden of the clan that presides over the steadfast earth, Kou Reirin—
The moment she attempted to pep herself up…
FWOOOOM!
Countless black shadows sprang out of the lanterns adorning the gate and descended upon Reirin.
Aaahhh!
The hands that grasped for her were made of shadows and black fire all at once. Any spot the flames touched was assailed by such horrible pain that Reirin couldn’t help but cry out.
Aaaaaahhhhhh!
Reirin thrashed wildly, but the flames licked their way up her robes undeterred. Her skin blistered, and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. She tried to crawl away, but she had already lost feeling below the waist.
No! Nooooo!
She couldn’t let the fear consume her. Experiencing pain and hurting were two different things…or so she tried to tell herself, but her mind was already clouding over.
Ugh… Agh…
Ravaged by the black flames, the lanterns and gate turned to ash and crumbled away. Keigetsu had disappeared along with the rest of the pleasure district, sealing off Reirin’s surroundings in darkness. As she lay motionless on the ground, she let her gaze wander aimlessly, wondering why she was pushing through this agony. It was too dark to see a thing, but a hellish roar and heat warned her that the shadowy flames were closing in from behind.
If I were to just…let the flames consume me…
Whenever she ran an especially high fever, she would have the same nightmare. One so excruciatingly painful that it made her afraid to sleep.
If I were to just die…
Every time she lay down in bed, she was gripped by anxiety. Would the torment come for her again? Would she survive it?
Why was she putting herself through this?
Would I finally be at peace?
Her eyelids slowly drifted shut. Once released from its tortured vessel, her soul would be free to float away and head straight for Paradise.
“Be strong.”
All of a sudden, Reirin’s eyes flew open. She could have sworn she heard a familiar voice.
“You have to pull through this! Don’t let the enemy win without a fight!”
A radiant light illuminated the dark space. It was a flickering, dancing vermillion flame. Although it was a fire, just the same as the one consuming Reirin, this one was warm and beautiful.
More and more flames flared up, filling the darkness with their glow. Reirin’s eyes, once shrouded in shadow, became a mirror for myriad sparkles of light.
***
Keigetsu was making every effort to communicate with Reirin.
“Can you hear me? I know you can. Say something already.”
How long had she been holding the girl’s hand now? Her palm felt so warm that she couldn’t tell which of them was running the fever anymore. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and talking nonstop had left her throat as dry as if she’d inhaled a sandstorm. Tousetsu had come over to change the water or wipe Reirin’s sweat several times now, and she would urge Keigetsu to get some rest on each occasion. Keigetsu always ignored her and kept on talking to Reirin.
Even Keigetsu was astounded that she could come up with so many topics of conversation. In her less than two years since joining the court—and less than one since the first switch—she and Kou Reirin had shared too many memories and feelings to recount. Keigetsu could only hope and pray that putting them into words might call Reirin’s mind back. Or drown out her ominous moans, if nothing else.
“It’s almost dawn. I know… It must be awful. You’re drenched in sweat. But once you make it through this part, everything is going to be all right. You just have to hang in there a little longer, I promise.”
Tousetsu and Leelee were in the same room, fighting back tears as they cleaned the nursing equipment for the umpteenth time. Kin Seika kept out as a courtesy, but she still contributed to the effort by making sure no one else came near the room.
Keigetsu was in no state of mind to care about any of that. The girl trapped in her body looked deathly pale. Her breathing was erratic, and her skin felt burning hot to the touch. Her pulse was alarmingly fast. No matter how many times Keigetsu called out to her, she never opened her eyes. Drawn-out whimpers were all that managed to escape her lips. Every now and then, her body convulsed violently, and her gently undulating moans morphed into screams that towered like tidal waves.
“Agh… Aaaahhhh!”
“Kou Reirin! Wake up!”
What did she see in the world of her dreams? Were hordes of hideous insects swarming her like they had Keigetsu? Were her limbs being ripped from her body? Was she getting burned alive? Or was she being forced to relive moments she would rather not remember? Whatever the case, the intense anguish would wear her down mentally and physically and take its toll on her heart. Keigetsu wanted Reirin to wake up before that could come to pass. She wanted to assure her friend that the nightmares were all an illusion, that nothing so horrible was happening in reality.
“I promise I will!”
Just like Reirin had snapped Keigetsu out of her frenzy outside the gate, bringing her back to the waking world with a steady voice and unflinching gaze.
“Aah! Aaagghhhh!”
“Hang in there! Open your eyes!”
“Ah…”
To Keigetsu’s horror, the strength abruptly drained out of Reirin’s body, causing her arms to go limp. Keigetsu scrambled to catch the fingers slipping through her grasp, her body rigid with tension.
Her fever is receding.
That didn’t seem like cause for celebration. Not when the girl’s hammering pulse had gone still with it. Keigetsu sucked in a sharp breath, but then she felt a faint pulse stir back to life beneath her fingertips. She’s not dead yet.
The realization didn’t fill Keigetsu with relief so much as a renewed sense of urgency. Tears blurring her vision, she cried out, “Don’t go!”
With Reirin’s hand in her grip, with her hair a disheveled mess, Keigetsu kept on shouting. For what had to be the some-dozenth time now, she tried drawing on the surrounding qi in the desperate hope of reversing the switch. Alas, this attempt ended the same way as all the others. Having expended her power earlier, she couldn’t cultivate the qi no matter how hard she concentrated, leaving it to scatter and slip right out of her body.
“Stop, I said! Don’t leave! Come back! I’m right here!”
She squeezed Reirin’s hand with every last ounce of her strength, hoping to impart however much warmth she could.
“You have to stick this out! You have to wake up and strike back at the ones responsible! Weren’t we supposed to spend ten hours drinking together?! W-we haven’t even managed half an hour yet…”
She had to make her friend promises. Give her something to live for. Grant her the warmth and strength she needed to return to her leaden body and lift her dragging feet off the ground.
“Didn’t you want to have a pillow fight?! Before we can do that, we have to have a sleepover. For the record, the nights we spent in those shabby little shacks in Unso and Treacherous Tan Peak don’t count. It needs to be in an immaculate palace with the most luxurious bedding and the finest of snacks. I refuse to settle for anything less!”
Keigetsu had received countless invitations from Reirin, been smothered with so many gestures of friendship as to leave no doubt about their bond. She couldn’t let this girl go before she had given her anything in return.
“You said you would show me how to pull off a summer look when the season rolled around. And don’t we have plans for tea under a pavilion?! We have to play chess, go for a stroll, and…oh, right, make sweets together too! Don’t forget about your promise to correct my calligraphy practice! What happened to all that talk about buying fabrics and making matching outfits?!”
Reirin’s pulse was alarmingly slow. Wet with something that could have been either sweat or tears, Keigetsu shouted herself hoarse.
“We still need to play the erhu together! And stay up all night chatting! Come on! You promised!”
Come back, she thought. Back to where I am.
“Get back here this instant!”
***
The flames that had materialized in the darkness flickered in time with the accompanying shouts.
Lady Keigetsu…
Reirin stared dazedly at the red blaze illuminating the pitch-black void. She could have sworn she heard a voice telling her to come back.
Wait… Where am I right now?
As the fog clouding her mind slowly lifted, it dawned on her that this was a nightmare. Moments ago, she hadn’t been able to tell the difference between dream and reality. Now everything snapped back into focus, allowing her to recognize the scene before her as a figment of her imagination. That certainly explained why she was floating in a black expanse.
I suppose I’ve been asleep all this time. Yes, that’s right, I switched bodies with Lady Keigetsu after she took the so-called zeiru…and then I must have fainted.
As she searched through her memory, a hand pressed to her cheek, she finally recalled that she was suffering from a drug overdose. If she was having the same dream she always did when she developed serious fevers, that probably meant she was running a temperature. This nightmare had been even nastier than her usual, but that could be attributed to the effects of the narcotic.
This one was a close call.
What set this nightmare apart from the rest was the happy scenes preceding the horrific turn. The intoxicating taste of sunshine had made the subsequent torment that much harder to bear. Maybe that was what narcotics were all about—letting someone enjoy a moment of bliss before plunging them straight into hell. If so, Reirin couldn’t imagine a more terrifying, reprehensible drug. She had come dangerously close to losing herself completely.
But…
“You have to wake up and strike back at the ones responsible!”
Reirin could still hear that voice. She strained her ears to make out the piercing cries, each as fierce as a flame forcing back the darkness.
“Weren’t we supposed to spend ten hours drinking together?!”
Reirin cracked a tiny smile. Oh, she actually remembered that. Despite her unenthused reaction at the time, her friend had committed that little exchange to memory.
“Didn’t you want to have a pillow fight?! Before we can do that, we have to have a sleepover.”
Reirin repeated Keigetsu’s words to herself, slowly and deliberately. That’s right. We still need to have a pillow fight. A sleepover.
“You said you would show me how to pull off a summer look when the season rolled around. And don’t we have plans for tea under a pavilion?!”
Yes, we need to do our makeup together, thought Reirin. Have tea under a pavilion.
“We have to play chess, go for a stroll, and…oh, right, make sweets together too! Don’t forget about your promise to correct my calligraphy practice! What happened to all that talk about buying fabrics and making matching outfits?!”
You’re right, Lady Keigetsu. You’re so right. Reirin pursed her lips into a thin line. It was the only way to stop tears of gratitude from streaming down her face. How could I have forgotten?
She had dreams she had to make reality. Promises she had to keep.
Each time Keigetsu shouted, her voice blew through Reirin like a fiery gale, suffusing her body with a renewed vigor before it could crumble into sludge.
I must keep my word.
A spark of dignity returned to Reirin’s eyes.
“We still need to play the erhu together! And stay up all night chatting! Come on! You promised!”
I know, Lady Keigetsu.
At long last, Reirin stood on her own two feet. Although she was suspended in a void, solid ground spread out beneath her with each step she took.
“I must live.”
Real sound had returned to her voice.
FWOOOOM!
Another ghastly roar sounded behind Reirin; the black flames had merged with the darkness and come back to roast her. She glanced back without so much as flinching. The black flames writhed as eerily as ever, sometimes taking on the shape of a hand, sometimes revealing a glimpse of something like an eyeball in their depths. But for some reason, the sight of this no longer frightened her.
Oh, that’s it. It’s because I have Lady Keigetsu’s flames to light my way.
After some thought, it occurred to Reirin that the ring of bright fire around her was casting its light on her surroundings and overpowering the darkness. Perhaps these red flames were a product of Keigetsu’s magic. Perhaps they were a manifestation of her prayers, or perhaps they were a symbol of the hope she had breathed into Reirin.
Wait, silly me! At the moment, I’m Lady Keigetsu in the flesh!
As Reirin reminded herself she was swapped, she clapped her hands in epiphany. What was she thinking, getting ready to lie down and die? If she let herself lose to the narcotic, Keigetsu’s body would perish. That was the absolute last thing she could allow to happen.
“I refuse to die—for I am none other than ‘Shu Keigetsu.’”
Just saying the words filled her with strength. Her perspective shifted higher. Yes, of course—whenever they swapped, this was how the world looked from the taller “Shu Keigetsu’s” point of view. That proud girl would always tower high over others, cutting straight through them with one effortless look from her fierce eyes.
The black flames shrank ever so slightly, as if shying away from her.
Onward.
Reirin took a step forward. She held her head high and looked straight ahead.
As she faced the black flames head-on, they flared up menacingly in response.
“My, my. You don’t seem to know who you’re dealing with. Did you think this was all it would take to kill me as I am now?”
Basking in her protective ring of warm fire, Reirin flashed the black flames a taunting smirk. She had no idea if the shadowy fire was a drug-induced hallucination or a manifestation of the maladies that so loved to torment her. She hadn’t come up with any concrete plan to beat it back. There was only one thing she could say with certainty.
In her current form, she had nothing to fear from these black flames—because the “Shu Keigetsu” she knew was the mightiest, most miraculous comet the world had ever seen.
It’s time to head home.
Reirin focused her consciousness upward, propelling herself toward the skies. Up and up she went, pushing her way through the dream world. She cut through the darkness toward the light in the distance.
The space where Reirin had just been standing fell apart like a bun with its hairpin pulled free.
Dun dun dun dun dun!
The ground crumbled, and the rest of the world was going with it. The realm of Reirin’s dreams was doomed to collapse when she woke, so this was the inevitable outcome.
Dun dun dun!
The earth caved in on itself, pulling the darkness in with it.
Dun…
In the final moments, the fissure closed up and vanished, snuffing out the black flames in the process.
***
Reirin awoke with a start, hoisted back to reality by a gigantic, invisible hand.
“Can you hear me?! Come back! Come on!”
She heard a shout right near her ear. Someone was gripping her hand tightly. When she scanned the room with bleary eyes, she saw a canopy and furnishings bathed in the morning sunlight, along with the hair whorl of the person pressing her hand to their forehead. Her own hair whorl. Reirin was momentarily disoriented, but she quickly realized that it was Keigetsu she was looking at.
“It’s dawn now! We made it to dawn. You’re going to be okay…”
Keigetsu’s voice and frame were trembling. She was the spitting image of a kitten.
Adorable, thought Reirin.
Although her own body should have been a familiar sight, it looked infinitely more charming when her friend’s soul was inside.
“Hey! I think I feel a pulse!” Keigetsu whipped her head up. Her eyes were puffy, bloodshot, and rimmed with dark circles from crying all night, and her hair was a mess, but even the sight of her sniffling dazzled Reirin. It was the kind of expression only she could make.
Oh, how truly precious…
She was really back. Reirin broke into a smile, savoring the moment.
Keigetsu stared back blankly, her eyes still wet with tears. “If…”
“If what?”
“If you’re awake, don’t just lay there smiling! Say something!” Keigetsu released the hand in her grip, practically slamming it against the bed.
“Ouch!”
Reirin grumbled in her thoughts about how that was hardly necessary, but then Keigetsu snatched up her wrist with lightning speed and gave it a hard squeeze.
“Your pulse! Is it back to normal?! Can you breathe? Are you fully awake? Surely you must be!”
“Yes. I’m wide awake now, and my breathing and pulse are stable.”
Keigetsu apparently couldn’t take a pulse to save her life. Clutching someone’s wrist that hard would do nothing but cut off the circulation, but Reirin didn’t have the heart to tell her that.
“I still feel feverish, but I believe most of the zeiru has left my system.”
Strictly speaking, she was still running a temperature, her legs felt weak, and she had a little nausea and a headache, but that was business as usual by Reirin’s standards. Considering how steady her breathing was, she was doing much better now than when she was back in her own body.
“Are you sure? Hasan said that zeiru’s withdrawal symptoms get awful around dawn, and that you might die if we weren’t lucky. I was faced with a choice of whether to let you die or give you more zeiru and keep you alive as a drug addict.”
“Goodness,” Reirin murmured, letting that sink in. The situation had escalated far beyond her expectations. No wonder the pain was the worst she’d ever endured.
Judging by the absence of the euphoria or delusions of grandeur that narcotics induced, Keigetsu had seen her through the withdrawal symptoms without giving her more of the drug. She had trusted Reirin to tough it out.
“You stayed by my side and believed in me, hm? Thank you.” Reirin offered her heartfelt gratitude, then furrowed her brow and asked, “Are you feeling all right, Lady Keigetsu?” Now that she was in recovery, Keigetsu’s condition was her biggest concern.
“If you ask one more question about how I’m doing, you’re getting a smack upside the head,” Keigetsu snapped, glaring daggers at her. Still, that exchange must have reassured her that the Reirin she knew and loved was back, as she suddenly teared up and collapsed into the chair beside the bed. “Oh, thank goodness…”
“I’m glad to see you well, Lady Reirin,” said Tousetsu from her place behind the girls, voice strangled with emotion.
Leelee buried her face in her hands and wept. “Thank Heavens…” This whole mess could be traced back to the thugs who’d had it out for her, so she had been burdened with just as much crushing guilt as Keigetsu. Maybe even more. “This was my fault to begin with… Lady Reirin, Lady Keigetsu, y-you have my deepest apologies…”
Had the unthinkable happened, it would have haunted her for the rest of her life. Thanks to Reirin holding strong, she now had the chance to apologize.
As Leelee prostrated herself, Keigetsu looked aside with a snort. “Didn’t I already tell you not to blame yourself? You have a terrible memory,” she said, wiping her own tears.
“But, Lady Keigetsu, I-I…!” Leelee burst into sobs she’d been holding back for hours.
Reirin ordered Tousetsu to prepare acupuncture needles and a decoction, then smiled warmly in the two girls’ direction. “Neither of you have the slightest reason to feel responsible for this.”
She slowly sat up, only to get hit with a wave of dizziness and brace herself against the bed with one hand.
“Lady Reirin! You mustn’t push yourself to—”
Tousetsu rushed over in a fluster, but Reirin called her to a halt. “It’s fine, Tousetsu. I need to say this now.”
She let a long breath go. Obviously, she wasn’t going to be back to full health right on the heels of an entire night of agony. Still, as long as she minded her posture and breathing, she could muster the energy to talk.
As everyone else looked on with bated breath, Reirin spoke as soothingly as she could manage. “Lady Keigetsu simply took a retainer’s suffering upon herself as her Maiden. Lady Keigetsu, I simply took your suffering upon myself as your friend. The only ones to blame are those who caused the suffering in the first place—that is, whoever is responsible for producing the zeiru. In hindsight, it’s actually quite fortunate that I was swapped into being the one to bear the pain.”
It took extreme mental fortitude to cope with the withdrawal symptoms, but Reirin’s own body couldn’t have possibly held out against the drug’s devastation. It was the combination of her resilient mind and Keigetsu’s healthy body that had gotten her through that horrific night.
“Switching bodies was definitely the right choice,” she concluded with a nod and a smile.
Leelee dropped her gaze to the floor, overcome with emotion.
Keigetsu pursed her lips and shook her head. “I disagree.” She looked down, tears welling back up in her freshly dried eyes before dripping down her cheeks. “Trading places with me always puts your life in danger.”
For the past several hours, Keigetsu had been so focused on calling her friend back that she’d put the self-blame out of her mind, but it was back with a vengeance now that Reirin was safe and sound.
Nearly a year had passed since the first swap on the night of the Double Sevens Festival. Keigetsu had learned to own up to her faults ever since getting close to Reirin. As a consequence, she could appreciate the full weight of her responsibility in the current matter, and it was a bitter pill to swallow—a foul taste like nasty medicine mixed with mud.
“Looking back, things started between us when I pushed you out of a tower in an attempted murder. And you’ve been suffering kidnappings and near-death experiences on my behalf ever since. I can’t imagine a more uneven, burdensome relationship.”
For all Keigetsu’s grumbling about Kou Reirin getting her mixed up in trouble, the truth was that Keigetsu brought suffering upon Reirin with much greater frequency.
“I’m practically a walking jinx.”
“That’s not tr—”
“It is,” Keigetsu interrupted. “I mean, you’ve been hiding your health problems because of me, right?”
Reirin’s breath caught in her throat. An embarrassed look crossed her face, like a child who had been caught hiding a failed test. “So you already heard.”
“She had to tell me. It was an emergency,” Keigetsu mumbled in Tousetsu’s defense.
The prudent court lady finished setting out the medical instruments, then prostrated herself. “Forgive me, Lady Reirin.”
Reirin turned to Tousetsu with a gentle shake of her head. “Stop that, Tousetsu. It’s quite all right. I shall explain everything to Lady Keigetsu in my own words. You tell Leelee for me. She still hasn’t heard, has she?”
“Correct. I have not told His Highness, the other Maidens, your brothers, or Her Majesty either.”
“Thank you,” Reirin said softly. “And I’m sorry. I realize I’ve asked quite a lot of you.”
The woman known as the glacial court lady bowed her head deeper and choked out, “Not at all, milady.”
With that, she took the confused-looking Leelee with her and left the room.
Morning sunlight streamed into the space, now down to two occupants. Daybreak had come at last.
Leaning against the bed, Reirin gazed half lidded upon the sunbeams. “It’s shaping up to be a nice day.”
Keigetsu stood from her chair, not to be distracted. “Don’t think you can change the subject. Tousetsu told me everything. You’ve been getting sicker and sicker since the Repose of Souls, haven’t you?”
Reirin stared back serenely. Keigetsu balled her hands into fists; it was the only way to stop her thoughts and emotions from gushing forth as a scream.
Her friend had just made it over the hump. Keigetsu knew this wasn’t the time for such an intense conversation. Yet anger, anxiety, sadness, and regret raged inside her with nowhere to go, leaking out despite her efforts to bottle them up.
“You get woozy just going about your business as usual, right? Then you ought to take better care of yourself and get proper treatment. Being a Maiden means getting caught up in endless conspiracies, so it would be safer for you to resign from your position. Even a child would realize that. But you…” As Keigetsu said this, her voice began to tremble. Her eyes filled with tears. “I heard that…you’re sticking around in the Maiden Court just so you can stay with me.”
This is how it always goes, she thought.
Reirin was always like this, putting Keigetsu before herself. If Keigetsu lamented her lack of skill, Reirin would set aside her own practice to tutor her. If Keigetsu was humiliated or caught up in trouble, Reirin would get angrier than the Shu Maiden herself and dive straight into fixing the problem. When all was said and done, she would gladly lay down her life for Keigetsu’s sake.
Tousetsu had framed Reirin’s choices as coming from a place of adoration, but Keigetsu knew her own shortcomings were to blame. Reirin was staying in the Maiden Court for the same reason a mother couldn’t bear to leave her helpless baby behind.
Keigetsu was all too aware of how much she depended on the Kou Maiden. But a lopsided relationship where one party reaped all the benefits couldn’t be called friendship. The time had come to set Reirin free.
“Take a step back and think about it. It’s not worth sacrificing your health—your life—for such a foolish reason. This ‘friendship’ you so cherish is completely twisted.”
Reirin was the first friend she’d ever made. While she would never admit it, she believed with all her heart that this girl would come to her rescue before anyone else in the world.
But if that bond meant so much to Reirin that she was willing to die for it, then to hell with it.
“Let’s put an end to our friendship. No, what we have never counted as one to begin with. It was only a pesky, one-sided obligation. You never had any friends in the Maiden Court. As soon as we’ve reversed this switch, you should pack up and leave. Focus on getting treatment…”
Keigetsu wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, feeling too guilty to meet Reirin’s gaze, so she had no way of knowing what the other girl’s reaction was.
That is, until she heard a light giggle. “How curious,” came the accompanying voice.
Keigetsu glanced up in surprise. Reirin was looking back at her with an impish smile.
“I know you’re trying to push me away, but it feels strangely like you’re clinging to me and crying, ‘I don’t know how I can ever apologize!’”
Keigetsu flushed bright red. “Wha…?!”
She was about to shout I most certainly am not! but she bit back the words before they could escape. The more she thought about it, the more she agreed that Reirin’s description was spot-on. After a whole night spent worried that she might cause her friend’s death, the burden of guilt had come close to crushing her.
“You are an intense, purehearted person indeed. You always skip straight past apologies and advise me to kill you or break things off.” Reirin inclined her head with another giggle. “Listen here, Lady Keigetsu. Please do not dwell on the time you tried to kill me. Also, I appreciate your concern about me putting my treatment first, but it is entirely unnecessary.”
She looked away from her tongue-tied friend, instead gazing at the bright sunlight filtering in through the window.
“Out of concern for his sickly daughter, my father bought an entire mountain and grew every manner of medicinal plant. There was not a single herb in this world that we did not have access to.”
Even as she leaned against the bed, she held her head high. A hint of a smile lingered on her lips. She spoke delicately, exuding the air of a sage who had forsaken the secular world.
“Naturally, he arranged for the finest of doctors from every corner of the world. We had an abundant supply of medicinal herbs and only the best physicians—but every single one of them admitted defeat. They said my illness was unlike anything they had ever seen.” Reirin held up her hands and stared down at her palms. “I don’t have a disorder of any specific organ. My blood is not thin, and my qi is not stagnant. And yet, simply walking around is enough to make me faint from exhaustion, a minor cold can keep me bedridden for ten days, and a single prick from a needle can bring on a fever.”
It was as if the maladies had the active desire to torment Reirin, and they would use any minor injury or illness as an excuse to do it. She fell ill so often that even she found it laughably absurd.
“If I concentrate on getting better and eliminate opportunities for the inciting injuries and illnesses, I may indeed buy myself a bit more time. But the thing is, Lady Keigetsu, there is no fundamental cure for my condition.”
Keigetsu didn’t know how to respond to that soft-spoken assertion.
“You claimed that a friendship born of a murder attempt must be twisted.” As Keigetsu stood there speechless, Reirin cut straight through her with a steady, piercing gaze. “Perhaps we did start off on the wrong foot. But you know what? Our friendship is all the stronger for the mistakes we made in the beginning.” A tender smile came to her freckled face. “You could come for my life, and I wouldn’t even be fazed. After all, it would be the second time around. So, I beg you, don’t ever suggest ending our friendship. I have you to thank—not to blame—for inspiring me to cling to a life I was ready to relinquish.”
Reirin told Keigetsu about the voice she had heard in her nightmare. About how it had motivated her to escape the darkness.
“You always manage to banish the darkness from my surroundings. You truly are my miracle comet.”
Keigetsu couldn’t stop the tears spilling down her face. The real Reirin had a policy of never crying in public, so why did she have to be such a crybaby? Was she shedding the share of tears that her friend always held back?
Where Keigetsu wept, Reirin remained as tranquil and serene as could be. “All that matters to me now is how many wonderful experiences we can share together. I cannot bring fortunes or status with me to Paradise, but I can lock memories away in my heart and carry them with me forevermore.” She reached for Keigetsu’s tearstained face with both hands. “Lady Keigetsu, I intend to remain your friend until the moment I breathe my last. May I ask the same of you?”
With that final request, she bumped their foreheads together. Keigetsu considered this in silence.
If we stay switched…
Would it let Kou Reirin escape the yoke of illness?
Ultimately, Keigetsu didn’t have the courage to toss out an idea she didn’t know would work, let alone one that involved taking her friend’s entire life from her.
Instead, she sniffled and gave a tiny nod. “Mm-hmm.” That was the most she could manage.
“Thank you, Lady Keigetsu.”
Reirin was smiling, but that tender acknowledgment sounded more like a farewell to Keigetsu’s ears.
A new day’s sunlight flooded in through the window. The world around them was so very bright. The light shone with greater and greater intensity, promising to dispel every last trace of darkness, to set in motion everything brought to a standstill. All this hope, and still they had no means of saving her life? Couldn’t they find some way to fight the inevitable?
Just as Keigetsu was pondering the dilemma, reluctant to put her thoughts into words, a rumbling like an earthquake reached her ears. She glanced up with a start.
“Sorry for the delay!”
The door flew open, giving Keigetsu one of the greatest shocks of her life. When she whipped around, she found none other than Kou Keishou standing there, panting and wiping the sweat from his brow.
“As per your request, I came as fast as I could! Tousetsu told me everything outside. Reirin! You did well to pull through!”
Keigetsu’s jaw nearly unhinged with the force of her next shout. “Whaaat?!”
Even Reirin gawked with surprise from where she was sitting up in bed.
What was Kou Keishou doing here? Sure, Keigetsu had been praying for him to show up the whole time she was caring for Reirin, but her astonishment at the speed of his arrival eclipsed any joy or relief she felt.
“Uh, you… Huh?”
The trip from the capital to Hishuu was two and a half days by carriage. Even on the fastest horse, it would take at least two days. How was he barging into the Hishuu estate only a few hours after their late-night flame call?
“What’s going on?” Keigetsu sputtered. “Did you teach yourself a teleportation spell?”
“Don’t be silly! Didn’t I say I’d come running fast enough to make your jaw drop?” Keishou said with a wink, but magic really did seem like the only possible explanation.
“No, seriously, how…?”
Her question would be answered by the next person to enter the room.
“You can’t just run off on your own, Lord Keishou. We are here on behalf of His Highness, so we must first pay our respects to Lady Kin Seika, the regional representative.”
“C-Captain?!”
It was indeed Captain Shin-u of the Eagle Eyes, still dressed in his traveling clothes, who followed after Keishou. In the background, Tousetsu and Leelee looked torn about whether they should have let visitors through under the circumstances. Leelee’s eyes were red and puffy, meaning she had probably just finished hearing the truth about Reirin’s condition from Tousetsu.
“‘On behalf of His Highness’?” Keigetsu echoed blankly.
“That’s right,” said Keishou, pulling out a chair from the table and taking a seat next to the bed. “It sounds like you girls took advantage of our absence to run riot. I recall something about attempted assassinations, a trip into town, and an explosion in a storehouse? We couldn’t sit still after hearing all that. You should have seen the look on His Highness’s face after you cut the flame call.”
Both Maidens’ faces went taut.
“Huh?”
“Is His Highness here too?”
Keishou’s expression turned wistful. “Unfortunately, no. He was actually the first to finish packing his bags, but that became his undoing. Akim and His Majesty noticed what he was up to, and the ministers took him to task for trying to sneak out with a council coming up. One dignitary after another threw himself at His Highness, weeping, ‘You’ll leave the capital over my dead body!’”
“Ack…” Keigetsu and Reirin huddled together instinctively. Before they knew it, word of their daredevil antics had reached the emperor’s ears and escalated into a huge debacle.
“It didn’t stop there,” Shin-u added, visibly exhausted. “Her Majesty rushed over to the main palace as soon as she caught wind of the commotion and took His Highness’s side.”
“Aunt Kenshuu flaunted the Imperial Seal and declared, ‘I am no less concerned for Reirin’s safety! Go on, Gyoumei! Cast off your crown and run to Hishuu! I shall shoulder responsibility for the consequences!’ Gave me the chills. She’s a woman of the Kou through and through.”
“Eep!” Keigetsu and Reirin took each other’s hands and tightened their embrace, horrified to hear that their own wild conduct had driven the crown prince and empress to make a spectacle of themselves.
“Seeing the empress lose all self-control actually brought His Highness back to his senses. He realized that his behavior was liable to spark a rebellion and reluctantly appointed me and Lord Keishou as his proxies.”
“I can still hear His Highness’s voice as he choked back tears of blood and entrusted us with the task… ‘Stay in touch! Do not forget to update me! I’ll do what needs to be done here!’ Heartbreaking, really.”
Shin-u shook his head wearily, Keishou solemnly.
“Th-that’s a lot to take in…” Keigetsu thanked the Heavens that Gyoumei was the responsible sort.
Meanwhile, she went over the timeline of events in her head. When she made that flame call last night, Keishou must have been en route with Shin-u already. That certainly explained what he was doing outside. He was probably camping out in a forest somewhere.
“The original plan was to arrive in Hishuu this afternoon and give you girls a good scolding, but then disaster struck. I dragged the captain out of bed and we raced through the night to get here.”
Keigetsu stammered, “Th-then why didn’t you…?”
Preempting her question, Keishou said mildly, “There was no time to explain.” He glanced over at his sister, still propped up in bed. “You gave me the fright of my life, you know. Thank goodness you made it through the night all right.”
He patted his body-swapped sister on her head. His shoes were spattered with mud, and he had gathered his hair into an uncharacteristically messy bun, forgoing the cap of his military officer uniform. One look at him revealed how hard he must have pushed his horse onward, gripped by anxiety.
Reirin grimaced apologetically, for once allowing her brother to stroke her hair without complaint. “I am truly sorry to have worried you so.”
“As you should be. How could you be so reckless? You left me no choice but to force my way through three checkpoints to get to Hishuu as fast as I possibly could.”
She jerked back, a smile still plastered on her face. She was clearly thinking, Pot, meet kettle. No matter how worried he was for his sister, it was inexcusable for a military officer to bypass the authorities.
Like sister, like brother. In Keigetsu’s opinion, both siblings were equally smothering and headstrong, so she refrained from commenting in the interest of fairness.
The silence was broken by a flurry of light footsteps, and a woman burst into the room.
“The gatekeepers informed me that a pair of ruffians just forced their way into the estate! Is everyone all right in here?!” It was Kin Seika, dressed in the same clothes from last night. She probably hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep. “Did my uncle send an assassin?!”
Hasan popped out from behind Seika, a glass bottle in his hand. “Or has the moment come to break into the zehir?!” He, too, appeared to have been hanging around in case he was summoned.
Tousetsu and Leelee, who had been standing outside the door, came back into the room to field the sudden influx of visitors. The whole gang was assembled.
Seika’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight of Keishou and Shin-u. She offered them a hasty bow. “My goodness, is that Master Kou Keishou and the captain? Whatever brings you two here?!”
“His Highness was so worried for you girls that he sent us after you,” said Keishou. “We came to give you a lecture and take over as your guards, only to discover much bigger problems at hand.”
“My deepest apologies for the trouble. At the very least, Lady Rei—er, Keigetsu seems to be over the worst of it.” Seika observed Reirin sitting up in bed with relief. “I’m truly glad. It looks like your help wasn’t necessary, eh, Hasan?” She glanced back at the man in question.
“Indeed. Wonderful news!” Hasan shot back cheerfully, but for some reason, he was gravitating toward the door. “It can’t be easy on a convalescent patient to have so many visitors at once. I shall see myself out!” With one last dashing bow, he attempted to take his leave.
Keishou called him to a halt from behind. “Just a moment, sir.” It was an oddly polite tone to take with a foreign valet. “May I ask what exactly you’re doing here?”
Seika interpreted that as an inquiry into Hasan’s identity and said, “Oh, allow me to explain, Master Keishou. While Hasan is an outlander, he poses no danger. He is Prince Nadir’s valet, but he stayed behind in Hishuu to settle a few matters. Insufferable though he may be, he aided us with detoxification—”
“Valet?” Keishou muttered. “Strange. When I last saw him at a council three years ago, he was going by a different title.”
“Huh?”
“Westerners have chiseled features and wear turbans, so our countrymen tend to have trouble telling them apart. I, on the other hand, never forget a face I’ve seen. Same goes for voices.”
Seika frowned, unclear as to what he was getting at. “What are you trying to say?”
Keigetsu, Tousetsu, and Leelee exchanged glances, caught off guard by this ominous turn in the conversation.
“‘Come now, surely you jest! You haven’t even figured out where he’s hiding the zehir? And you’re supposed to be one of our best and brightest intelligence agents?’” a voice rang out in fluent Sherban.
With the exception of Keishou, everyone whipped around to find the source of the voice, only to gape harder than ever upon realizing whom it belonged to. The eloquent Sherban speaker was the girl in bed, “Shu Keigetsu”—meaning Kou Reirin.
“‘Now that I’m supposed to have left, he’s bound to check back in on his base of operations. I don’t want to hear any whining about how you can’t investigate without female helpers! This is more than a mere domestic power struggle. It could have serious repercussions for Ei as well! We must put the matter to bed at once!’”
Hasan was the first to go goggle-eyed, then Seika inhaled sharply. Reirin’s intonation was so flawless that she could pass for a native speaker. Her use of masculine gender markers suggested that she was quoting somebody else.
“‘Your Highness, look behind you. Am I imagining it, or are those women staring in our direction?’” Reirin switched back to Eian to say, “And so ended your conversation outside the gate last night.”
Seika gasped. Reirin’s abrupt lapse into Sherban was her quoting Hasan’s conversation with the vendors just prior to Keigetsu and Reirin’s struggle with the zehir. At the time, the men had been speaking too fast for Seika to make out the words, but she could understand their meaning now that Reirin was repeating them more slowly.
“‘Now that I’m supposed to have left’…? ‘Your Highness’?” Seika turned pale, noticing something off about a handful of phrases.
For Hasan to have said all that could mean only one thing.
“Color me surprised!” The man leaning against the doorway—the man who was supposed to be a valet—gave a sardonic snort. “I knew the Kin Maiden was a skilled linguist, but I never would have guessed that the so-called sewer rat of the court had such a gift! Not very nice of you to keep it hidden all this time.”
Reirin smiled and responded without a hint of shame. “As a future wife of the crown prince and mother of the nation, I was raised not to speak other languages without prompting.”
Being the empress’s niece and marked to marry the crown prince from an early age, Reirin had been taught everything about the feminine virtues expected of a mother of the nation. In essence, this was the female version of lessons in kingcraft. Where the Kin would take the initiative to learn foreign languages due to their active role in cross-cultural exchanges, the empress’s family advocated for maximizing Ei’s influence and refused to pander to other nations. Supposing she could follow a foreigner’s conversations, she had no obligation to reveal it, and she certainly didn’t need to accommodate them by switching to speaking their native language.
“Hmm.” The man narrowed his eyes, studying her closely. “Is it just me, or have you undergone quite a change in attitude since you passed out, Lady Keigetsu?”
In hopes of diverting his attention, Reirin landed the finishing blow. “You, on the other hand, cannot hide your uninhibited nature no matter what disguise you wear. You live up to your name as Prince Nadir, the fearless Blue Blaze of Sherba.”
Seika sucked in another sharp breath. Keigetsu and the court ladies, who hadn’t been able to follow Reirin’s reenactment of the Sherban conversation, started in surprise and shot Hasan stiff glances.
No, not Hasan. The man claiming to be him: Nadir, the crown prince of Sherba.
“You are the true Prince Nadir. If I had to guess, your trusted valet, Hasan, is currently playing the part of the prince in your stead. I had hoped to press you on the matter when we ran into each other outside the pleasure district, but the effects of the zeiru prevented me from doing so.”
Though Seika comprehended what Reirin was saying, she was reluctant to accept it. “Wh-what is the meaning of this? The prince and his valet…switched places?”
She stared up at the man with the honey-colored hair, disbelief written all over her face. As soon as he noticed that look, he spread his hands with a grin.
“Oh well! You got me!”
He didn’t deny it. That was as good as a confession.
It can’t be! thought Seika.
After all, this man had been playing the part of a valet from the moment he arrived. That meant the prince and his servant hadn’t switched places partway through—they had been playing each other’s roles since before they even set foot in Hishuu.
“Wh-what an extraordinarily brazen play! You truly thought you could get away with this?!”
“You’d be surprised at how few people catch on! Had you all fooled, didn’t I?” Hasan—no, Nadir—replied nonchalantly. At this point, he had dispensed with all the “miladies” and other such formalities. This was probably how he normally talked. “It would’ve been trickier with the dignitaries I’ve actually met, but most people don’t know what the neighboring prince looks like outside of portrait miniatures. If a man with blue eyes dresses in extravagant enough clothes and carries himself with swagger, anyone will buy that he’s the prince!”
The mention of blue eyes drew a fresh cry of realization from Seika. Those Sherban miniatures were the source of her own perception of what the prince looked like.
“Wait, that’s right! Isn’t the prince extolled as the Blue Blaze of Sherba supposed to have blue eyes?!”
She frantically searched her memories. In every single miniature she’d seen, his blue eyes had been treated as a mark of his nobility and accentuated to an unnatural degree. That was why Seika had been so sure that the blue-eyed “prince” who stepped off the boat was exactly who he claimed to be. Meanwhile, the man standing before her, the one who had introduced himself as Hasan, had eyes of a much duller blue gray.
“Your eyes are gray! You clearly cannot be the real prince!”
Their clash over the zehir had made Seika significantly more skeptical of the man. She shot him a glare that said You had better not be misrepresenting your status! But his only response was to grin and cover his eyes.
“Oh, my eyes are as blue as they come.” Slowly lowering his hands, he tacked on, “But only when I get excited!”
By the time he unveiled them, his eyes had gone from blue gray to a vivid sky blue—like an azure flame rising from the ashes. Seika stared at him in round-eyed surprise.
Tousetsu, who had been quietly observing their back-and-forth, gasped and murmured, “What magic is this?! Does the Western royal family also descend from the dragon?”
“No,” the amber-eyed Leelee whispered. “Improved circulation can make the eyes of certain pale-eyed individuals look brighter. You see it a lot in the West.”
Nadir laughed. She had revealed his trick before he even had a chance to answer. “Precisely! It’s purely a physiological change. Most times I charge into battle, my eyes will be this color. That’s how I got my ‘Blue Blaze’ moniker. Everyone says that these eyes of mine have the power to bring our kingdom victory!” Without a hint of shame, he tapped beneath his lids. “The stories took on a life of their own, until every single portrait miniature started emphasizing their blue hue. Well, I suppose I can’t complain! It makes it much easier to employ a body double.”
Once you had the flashy, attention-drawing garments, face-obscuring giant turban, and theatrical mannerisms covered, all you needed were blue eyes, and you’d have yourself a flawless “Prince Nadir.”
This irrefutable proof of the blue in his eyes rendered Seika speechless.
Come to think of it…
A host of dormant memories came flooding back to her well after the fact. The first one to disembark from the ship had been the trumpet-toting “Hasan,” not “Prince Nadir.” The “prince” had stuck to whispering in his valet’s ear or uttering short sentences that could be interpreted any number of ways, while “Hasan” had made all sorts of rude comments under the guise of interpretation. During the banquet, he had been “allowed the honor” of partaking in the pastry alongside his master. Finally, before declaring himself content, the “prince” had glanced at “Hasan” first. He had actually been waiting for the signal from the true Prince Nadir, who was disguised as his own valet.
“Wait a moment,” said Seika. “Then who on earth did we load into a carriage and send to the capital yesterday?”
“My valet, Hasan! Who else?”
“Why would you have us do that?!”
After all that work, she had sent off a servant in place of the visiting prince. She was never going to live this down.
Surprisingly, Nadir met Seika’s shout with a deadly serious look. “To fulfill my duties as prince.”
“What duties?” Seika asked.
Nadir didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned to Reirin. “You heard my entire conversation with the vendors, didn’t you? I assume you must have a vague inkling of my goal.”
“To be perfectly honest, without the knowledge of what ‘zehir’ was, there wasn’t much I could glean from the conversation aside from the fact that you were the prince,” Reirin replied carefully, sitting up straighter. “What I do know is that zehir is a narcotic, someone is hiding it in Hishuu, and you hope to expose the culprit and prevent harm from befalling Ei.”
“Well, that’s just about everything!” Nadir cast a dramatic glance at the ceiling, then swept his eyes over the three Maidens. “Considering the dessert you served me at the banquet, I take it you’re all familiar with Sherba’s power struggle.”
Seika and Keigetsu exchanged glances. Although they had, in fact, served him a pastry featuring each province’s specialty, they weren’t sure how that connected to a power struggle.
What Nadir said next would answer all their questions. “That was a clever threat indeed! You sprinkled the provinces under my control with tea leaves, and you left the ones under the grand vizier’s control without. Our two sides are evenly matched, and if even one province switches allegiances, the balance crumbles. After throwing my predicament in my face, you next pushed me to take a bite—another way of saying, ‘Well? Are you willing to risk getting on a province’s bad side?’ Brilliant play!”
Seika and Keigetsu went wide-eyed with surprise. It was Reirin, the one holding the map, who had kneaded the tea leaves into the dough. They never would have guessed that the political maneuvering went so much deeper than their use of the provinces’ specialties. Everything down to the color of the dough had been a strategic decision.
“The more ways to shake you up, the better, I figured,” said “Shu Keigetsu”—Reirin—with a demure smile. In other words, all of that had indeed been factored into her calculations.
Keigetsu recalled the sight of Reirin’s textbook, so cluttered with notes that it was almost pure black. Not content to limit her learning to the instructor’s lectures, she must have set out to take her knowledge to the next level by studying foreign power dynamics and domestic politics on her own time.
“Hmph! You’re a force to be reckoned with.” With an exaggerated snort, Nadir pulled up a chair and plopped himself down. Then he grinned and said, “His name is Zayn.”
“Who?”
“My political rival. The man who has used his abundant financial resources to unite half of the twelve provinces! That scoundrel of a vizier who has presumptuously set his sights on the throne!”
The Maidens were visibly confused by the sudden change in topic.
Seika scowled, conveying an unspoken critique of Nadir’s inability to steer a conversation. “What does he have to do with anything?”
However, the next bomb he dropped nearly made her eyes pop out. “Gracious, try to keep up! He’s the one distributing narcotics in Hishuu!”
“He’s what?”
“Zayn has spent a fortune to win the provincial governors over to his side. Where do you think he gets all that money from? Believe it or not, he’s a drug lord! However, zehir is strictly outlawed back in our own country, making it difficult for him to do business there. And so…” Nadir reached out and picked up the small glass bottle left abandoned on the table. “He decided to take his wares to a neighboring country! The first targets on his list were all the port cities closest to Sherba. In the Kin domain, that’s Hishuu.”
Seika gulped. Nadir looked back at her through the glass of the bottle.
“Zayn is a slippery fellow. I have yet to obtain any hard evidence of how he’s producing or distributing zehir! The one thing I do know is that he makes frequent trips to Hishuu’s pleasure district. What place could be more tolerant of foreign cultures, more popular among affluent patrons, and more fertile grounds for new trends? It’s the ideal place to peddle drugs.”
The Maidens traded brief glances. This was the true reason that Hasan—or Nadir, rather—had been snooping around the pleasure district.
Seika shook her head dumbly, overwhelmed by this deluge of reveals. “Still…narcotics?” she murmured to no one in particular. “I struggle to believe that anything so disreputable could take root in the Kin domain.”
Even as she said this, there was no denying that Shu Keigetsu had been drugged in a perfectly ordinary teahouse in Seika’s own territory. Seika herself had theorized this might be a tactic to get women hooked on drugs and lure them to the brothels. Like it or not, narcotics were circulating near a Kin pleasure district—all while masquerading as a “precious elixir.”
“Do you now? Then open those big, round eyes of yours a little wider and take a good look around. Have you noticed any rich people acting odd lately? Seen any pleasure district regulars fall into ruin? The first signs will appear among those who live closest to the area.”
Seika sucked in a breath, as did Reirin and Keigetsu beside her. They were all probably thinking of the exact same scenes: A wealthy merchant’s residence in disrepair. A man who would cast his wife and children aside to run off to the pleasure district. A young man surrounded by debt collectors. All of these were things the trio had witnessed when they ventured out into town. The toxic influence of the narcotics was advancing, and it was already right under their noses.
“Eventually, the zehir will spread to those with no connection to the pleasure district. That moment will mark the end of your kingdom! The way I see it, Hishuu is at a critical juncture that could determine the fate of your entire country.”
The end of the kingdom. The girls were too stunned to say a thing.
In their stead, Keishou said, “It’s all coming together now. So that’s why you hid your identity and went sniffing around Hishuu.”
“Is this also why you refused to say the key word and prolonged your stay in Hishuu?” asked Shin-u.
“Correct! If I operated in plain sight, it would put Zayn on his guard. He was bound to be suspicious of me showing up on his turf in the first place, but that’s why I made a spectacle of my stay and ensured that my departure would be big news!”
His logic went as follows: If he spun the trip as one of “Prince Half-Wit’s” pleasure jaunts, Zayn’s faction would pay less attention to what he was doing. Nadir would draw attention by acting like his usual flamboyant self and create the impression that he was staying put in the governor’s estate, when in actuality, he would use that opportunity to investigate Hishuu. On top of that, he would stir up curiosity over when he was going to leave and make a big show of departing the Kin domain when the time finally came. That way, after lying low for a spell, Zayn’s faction would let their guard down and check in on their base of operations. Nadir’s plan was to make his move then and bust them in the act of selling drugs.
“Get people the slightest bit on edge, and they’ll completely unwind in the aftermath! Oh, what a master strategist I am!”
In summary, Nadir’s real work began only now that everyone was convinced the prince had left Hishuu.
Seika’s expression turned stormy. “Excuse me? You mean to tell me that everything from delaying your departure up to your grandiose exit was all just part of your plan?”
Were that the case, it would render every single action she and her fellow Maidens had taken utterly pointless.
Nadir flashed her an innocent smile. “Actually, I was originally planning to hang around for a few more days, but I opted to leave on the fourth out of respect for how well you girls outplayed me. Ha ha, no thanks necessary!”
Seika’s face twitched, her voice dropping to a guttural growl. “I wish I had never learned you were a prince.”
“Hm? How come? Wait, let me guess! Did you start developing feelings for my valet disguise?!”
Seika slammed a fist against the wall, that quip turning her fair features bright red. “Because, you odious man, I want to kick you a couple more times! Or stab you where it hurts! If you were merely a valet, I would have the authority to tear you limb with no repercussions, foreign guest or not!”
Given how prim and proper Seika always sounded, it was unthinkable for her to raise her voice to a foreign prince. If you asked her, however, she deserved credit for maintaining enough civility not to tell him to drop dead.
Nadir met that furious outburst with a mock-scandalized look. “‘Odious,’ she says! Ha ha ha, how harrowing indeed! I didn’t expect the women of Ei to be quite so feisty!” The words belied the amusement in his tone. “Anyway, that about sums up my situation! I swear to you that I have told no lies. I do feel responsible for getting another country dragged into Sherba’s power struggle, and I laid all my cards on the table because I deemed you lot worthy of my trust! You are free to relay everything I’ve told you to Gyoumei, if you so wish!”
Although his style of speech was overzealous, he came off as harmless and good-natured, and his arguments were sound. He would also need a strong sense of justice to act out of concern for the suffering a domestically produced drug was causing in a neighboring country.
“On that note!” Nadir brushed off his hem and shot up from his chair. After setting the glass bottle back down on the table, he extended his now-empty hand toward the group. “We know who the culprit is, but I am struggling to obtain evidence. After seeing your home ravaged by narcotics and one of your own fall victim to the drug, I imagine you girls have grudges of your own to settle. How about it? Care to help me out?!”
No reply came, only silence.
Nadir cocked his head to one side, puzzled. “What’s wrong? I didn’t realize the citizens of Ei were such wet blankets!”
“Excuse me.” The first one to speak was the gorgeous girl with the looks of a celestial maiden—meaning Keigetsu, surprisingly enough. She was rubbing her temples. “I understand the situation, but someone here just made it back from the brink of death. Would you kindly refrain from advocating for revenge in her presence?” She jerked her chin in the direction of the freckled Maiden—Reirin—who was hanging her head. As soon as the topic of the drug came up, she had suddenly lapsed into silence. Petrified, perhaps?
“Oh, whoops!” Something seemed to click for Nadir, and he scratched at his blond head. “I suppose she’s in no shape to be thinking about revenge! After the harrowing experience she just went through, she ought to focus on rest—”
“Quite the opposite,” Keigetsu cut in.
Nadir blinked. “Hm?”
“My point is that not even a near-death experience could teach this woman the meaning of restraint! Avoid dropping enticing words like ‘revenge’ where she can hear them!”
“Pardon?” He furrowed his brow, unsure what she meant by that.
That very moment, the other Maiden snapped her head to attention. The foreign prince was taken aback by what he saw.
“As you were telling your story, I considered the options, and I have a suggestion to make.”
Despite her lingering pallor, the girl who had only just skirted death wore a dazzling smile.
Heedless of the wary looks on her audience’s faces, she boldly went on, “If the zeiru is being distributed out of the pleasure district, the most efficient approach would be to infiltrate a brothel.”
A few beats of silence fell over the room.
“Um, what?”
“You wish to obtain tangible evidence of how the zeiru is being produced and distributed, correct? The quickest way to do that would be to send a woman straight into the brothel it’s coming from.”
Nadir blinked rapidly. Up to this point, he’d been dominating the room with his oblivious cheer. For the first time, he was the one awed by someone else’s sheer force of presence. “Uh, come again? Are you suggesting that a group of Maidens disguise themselves as…courtesans?”
“Yes.”
She looked straight back at the prince, her distress from earlier replaced by an uncanny menace. At long last, Nadir understood that she hadn’t gone quiet out of fear—she had simply been deep in thought.
“After all…” While the Maiden couldn’t drag herself all the way out of bed, she lifted her slender arms, pressed her hands together, and cracked her knuckles. “I must take the shortest route possible to pummel the dastards who drugged this body.”
There came a loud, satisfying pop.
Keigetsu, the first-class Reirin wrangler of the party, had seen this development coming. “Oh, give me a break! I had a feeling things were going to turn out this way!” She let her shoulders slump, only to glare resentfully up at Nadir. “This is why I asked you to watch your mouth around this complete boar of a convalescent!”
“Boar…of a convalescent? Huh?”
The only one anywhere near as confused as Nadir was Shin-u, who observed this with the wide-eyed look of someone totally lost. Keishou shook his head with a sigh, while Tousetsu and Leelee clutched their heads in their hands.
“It’s impossible to reason with her when she gets like this,” muttered Keishou.
“This will obviously end with her betting her life in a risky wager,” said Tousetsu.
“She won’t even let me have a moment to wallow in sadness,” Leelee lamented.
Even Seika, Reirin’s greatest admirer, darted nervous glances around the room. “I suppose that would be her reaction.” At some point or other, she had started to take Reirin off the pedestal.
At length, Nadir broke his blank stare with a burst of laughter and clapped his hands in delight. “Incredible! Every last woman from Ei is completely unhinged! I love it!”
Although the group’s first instinct was to call him the unhinged one, they couldn’t really argue with that.
Afterword
Afterword
WE’RE GETTING an anime!
Whoops, I got so excited that I skipped right past the introduction. Hello! Satsuki Nakamura here. Many thanks for picking up Volume 10.
We’ve finally reached the double digits. After passing out at the end of the last volume, here Reirin… Nope, I can’t do this. Everyone good if I start shouting from the rooftops? I can’t hold it in anymore. I need to let it all out.
Inept Villainess is getting an anime!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!!!!!
I went overboard on the exclamation marks, but I still don’t feel like it was enough to convey my excitement! My joy! I’m so delighted to be sharing this news with you all. Your support is what made this possible.
The studio behind the anime will be Doga Kobo, acclaimed for their portrayals of cute girls. It will be helmed by Director Mitsue Yamazaki, whose sunny personality and meticulous attention to detail shine through at every turn, and Yoshiko Nakamura-sensei, known for her well-crafted screenplays. I’ve had the privilege of regularly supervising the project in my capacity as the original author, and trust me when I say that the production team is amazingly talented. I have rock-solid peace of mind and wholehearted confidence in their work. These days, I’m so consistently overcome with emotion that it’s reduced me to a creature only capable of praise. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Back at the start, I was writing this story all on my own. Along the way, I gained a passionate editor. Kana Yuki-sensei and my designer, neither of whom could be described as anything less than brilliant, breathed life into the tale. Ei Ohitsuji-sensei harnessed her explosive talent to bring it to the next level. And now it will be coming to life on the screen thanks to the efforts of hundreds of people. It’s truly nothing short of a miracle. I have every hope that this work will satisfy my thousands of readers and the tens of thousands of future viewers.
Okay, that’s enough rambling about the anime. Time to touch on Volume 10. In this volume, we leave the Maiden Court behind, and the girls take their exploits to the Kin domain. And if the setting is the Kin domain, you know what that means: Seika, the most popular of the Maidens after Reirin and Keigetsu, gets to take center stage. I wrote the second arc to be the Houshun arc and the third to be the Kasui arc, so I’m glad we finally made it to Seika’s turn, six arcs in! It never would have happened without my dear readers keeping this series alive. Thank you all so much.
Seika is proud and haughty, yet also earnest—and prone to missing the mark every now and then. I had a ton of fun writing the banter between her, Reirin, and Keigetsu.
The first half of the volume features the neighboring prince (a perfect storm of the author’s personal tastes) and the usual(?) string of incidents, but the second half starts delving into the core mystery of the series. To no one’s surprise, I couldn’t fit the whole story into a single volume, so look forward to getting the resolution next time.
The series-wide mysteries are slowly coming into focus, so I’m aiming to carry the current momentum the rest of the way through. I hope you’ll stick with me till the end!
—Satsuki Nakamura, April 2025