Yui Mei was bustling around today, as well.

She was one of the lowest-ranked court

ladies working in the inner palace.

“It feels so satisfying now that everything’s so lovely.”

She vigorously cleaned around the place while humming a tune. Suddenly, footsteps
echoed down the hallway.

Judging from the relaxed pace, it must be some big shot strolling around.

Yui Mei hid herself behind the hall pillar. She bowed her head as she clutched her

rag. “Hey, stop crouching against the pillar, somebody’s gonna trip on you.” A male’s

harsh remarks resounded overhead.

“Oh, it’s just Li Yong.”

Seeing that it’s somebody she knew, Yui Mei raised her head and relaxed her guard.
She leaned against the pillar.

“You’re disturbing my work so hurry up and go.”

Li Yong’s eyebrows twitched as she waved her hand and shooed him away.

“Is that so? I got some snacks from His Highness the Crown Prince, it’s a pity you
don’t want any.”

Li Yong dangled a beautifully wrapped package in front of Yui Mei.

“I want, please give me some!”

Yui Mei’s attitude did a 180 degree turn upon hearing the word snack.

It’s confectionary bestowed by the crown prince, so the quality must surely be excellent.
“Wait for a bit, I’ll just wash my hands!”

“Go bring some tea while you’re at it.”

Li Yong shouted after Yui Mei as she dashed off to wash her dirt-stained hands.

If this was a different era, their status won’t allow them to come into contact with
each other.

But the flow of time is so mysterious, and now both of them are here.

Let us unfold their story by starting from the beginning.

Chan Yui Mei lived alone in a remote village near the desert. This young girl of
sixteen had two secrets.

One was that she retained her memories from her past life.

Yui Mei lived in a country called Japan prior to her rebirth.

She had no recollection of her name, but she did remember that she was a former
registered nurse. After she retired, she spent her remaining years in the pursuit of her
hobbies. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Her so-called hobbies were Chinese dramas. South Korean dramas were not yet in
trend, and Chinese dramas were all the rage at that time. As a result, she was
thoroughly obsessed.

She even went to China with her friends to attend fan events; not just once but
multiple times at that.

After her reincarnation, she was perplexed as to why her memories of the past life
remained. She then noticed, amidst her confusion, that she was reborn into another
world closely resembling Ancient China.

She arrived at several conclusions as to where she might be, such as being reborn
into a Chinese drama, or maybe a time slip, or perhaps reincarnating into a fictional
universe that is similar to Ancient China.

Despite her speculations, it was also beyond her wildest dreams that she’ll be
experiencing that fictional universe first hand.

Yui Mei was born in a remote region of an empire called Sai. The empire’s capital
was called Kyou.

By the way, her village was a nameless one, and people refer to it as the borderland
village.

She lived in a dilapidated shack located at the outskirts of the village. She relied on
the crops of the barren field in front of her home, and in the blessings found in the
mountains to fill her stomach and get her through the days.

Aside from her memories, she also possessed another secret – that she might be the
illegitimate daughter of the emperor of Sai.

It was said that her late mother was a concubine in the imperial harem.

Her mother became the emperor’s maid, and later on, she gave birth to his child.
However, because of her lowly status, she became the target of jealousy and envy.

Hearsay about the father of her child spread like wildfire. It was said that the child was
not sired by the emperor, but by some other man that she brought into the palace.
Eventually, Yui Mei’s mother was driven out from the inner palace due to these rumors.

A woman did not have a choice but to spend her life in the nunnery after being
ousted from the imperial harem.

She brought her child with her, but the poor mother succumbed to depression, and
thus took her own life.

Yui Mei was raised in the nunnery until she turned seven; by then, she learned about
her own story through the gossiping nuns.

However, Yui Mei was skeptical about the credibility of those stories, seeing as there
was no evidence to support them.

The nuns gave Yui Mei a choice as soon as she turned seven. Apparently, it was the
standard age to choose a profession. She was told that she can stay and become a nun,
or else leave the nunnery and live on her own. Yui Mei promptly chose the latter.

During this time, Yui Mei thought it would be a waste if she were to spend the rest of
her life confined in such a small world. Since she reincarnated into an Ancient China
type of world, she might as well make the most of it.

Frankly speaking, the owner of the nunnery was surprised at the turn of events. The
possibility that children raised in the nunnery might yearn for the outside world never
crossed his mind.

He assiduously tried to persuade Yui Mei that the world was such a horrendous
place to live in, but Yui Mei stood her ground.

Despite her firm decision, she thought that the lord was a fair person, since he still
gave her the choice.

It was then decided that Yui Mei would then live in her present dilapidated shack
through the arrangements of the nunnery. And so, with complicated feelings, Yui Mei
came to live in this remote village, where everyone knew each other since birth,
with betrothals decided early on.

In this kind of society, Yui Mei’s existence was such that nobody spared any effort in
proposing marriage, not even as flattery.

It was no wonder, since she had never met her father since birth, her mother passed
away, and she did not have a penny to her name.

Moreover, her appearance was not attractive enough. Her beauty was mediocre at
best, and her figure lacked womanly charm. She only had her sky-blue eyes—a rarity
in this region—as well as her gorgeous hair as her praiseworthy features. Her black
hair was tinged with a shade of midnight blue; it was a marvelous sight, indeed.

She was also secretly delighted with it, and it was her pride, but it was meaningless
in the face of those feminine beauties.

And so, Yui Mei was living solitarily, while maidens her age were preoccupied with
choosing their marriage partners. Maybe it was for this reason that the village chief
decided to call upon her one day.

“Yui Mei, do you want to go to the capital?”

“Huh?”

Yui Mei listened to the story with a raised brow. According to the government
official who arrived that morning, the capital was recruiting maidens to participate
in the selection of court ladies for the inner palace.

Their village must also send at least one maiden, since a total of ten girls were required
from the villages around this area.

“Well, how about it? Would you like to go to the capital Yui Mei? I know it has been
hard on you, since you are living here all alone.”

The village chief said that while grinning ear to ear.

The court ladies of the inner palace attended to the needs of the emperor and the
imperial harem.

They had to do various duties such as cooking, laundry and cleaning. There was also
a possibility that they would serve the emperor.

Once they entered the inner palace, they generally wouldn’t be able to leave. with
only a few exceptions.

They could only leave when the emperor bestowed them on his retainers, or when
they entered the nunnery (as was the case with her mother), or when they died.

In other words, there was a huge probability that the woman’s whole life would be
tied to the palace.

A court lady could also be promoted, and there was also a slim chance that someday,
she might even reach the pinnacle by becoming the empress, but that was mostly
just a pipe dream.

Therefore, it did not come as a surprise that parents would rather have their
daughters marry someone near than send them to the palace, unless the household
was poverty-stricken and destitute.

’Well, I do understand, though.’

It was only natural that they would eye Yui Mei, who was not betrothed to anyone
and had nothing to worry about the matter of becoming a court lady.

The capital people also followed the same reasoning as this village. Thus, regardless
of their great population, candidates cannot be selected from the capital alone. If
numerous ladies were selected from the capital, the number of males would
outweigh that of the females, resulting in the decline of birth rate.
It will then affect the future of the empire, since revenue would also decline.

And so, it was decided that the court-lady selection will involve the whole nation
uniformly.

Similarly, there was also a period in Ancient China when the court lady selection was
held as a means of abducting beautiful ladies; later on, it was banned due to the
harmful repercussions.

‘Regardless, what kind of lecherous emperor is he that he would go so far as to recruit

women from remote villages?’

Yui Mei was sorely disappointed in the emperor, though he was her father (possibly).

The gist of the village chief’s story was that they did not wish to send their maidens,
and they were diplomatically getting rid of Yui Mei, who was an outsider living alone
in the outskirts of the village.

Considering Yui Mei’s background, one might say that the palace was a place that
she probably would want to avoid at all costs. As to why, it was only natural, since it
was the place that drove her mother out.

Although Yui Mei’s mother was a concubine, she also had the status of a beauty*—or
so they said.

A beauty had the lowest status among the empress and the imperial wives.
Moreover, she originally entered the palace as a court lady. She was only favored
because of her hair, which caught the eye of the emperor despite her plainness. By
the way, Yui Mei’s hair color was inherited from her mother.

Apparently, she was promoted since she gave birth to the emperor’s child. And it
also became the reason why she, a person with no connections, drew the ire and
envy of the consorts above her.

Indeed, the place called inner palace was hell swirling with the grudges and hatred
of women.

Nevertheless, it was also a fact that Yui Mei was somewhat interested. The inner
palace was a world that she obsessively stared at on the computer screen in her
previous world, after all.
Aside from that interest, she also planned to leave this remote area sooner or later.

“I understand. I’ll go.”

“Is that so!? You really agree!”

The village chief raised his hands in happiness upon hearing Yui Mei’s decision.

‘There’s no way someone as plain as me will be able to make a splash in the inner
palace, right?.’

Yui Mei thought optimistically. She already lost against her desire to see a real life
imperial harem.

However, she completely forgot that her mother became a concubine despite her
mediocre appearance, all because of her hair.

T/L Notes: * Aside from the normal context of appearance, beauty ( 美 人 ) also
referred to the concubines with the lowest status in the imperial harem (for this
story, anyway. Maybe it was inspired from the Song Dynasty, since beauties have
higher ranks in other dynasties.)
Yui Mei finally reached the capital.

“Huff, heave-ho!”

With a grandma-like shout, Yui Mei secured the bundle on her back as she alighted
from the baggage cart.

Her possessions were already meager from the start. Since meals were provided by
recruiters for the court lady selection, all she brought with her were the few clothes
she wrapped in a square scarf*.

She left the big items back at home. Somebody should have taken those things by now.

Nevertheless, the name “borderland village” was not just for show. Their journey
had been extremely long.

In her previous world, she traveled to China’s countryside by bus, and she declared
back then that she did it in the name of ‘pilgrimage’. That was also a long trip, but the
capital was definitely a lot further.

To be fair, she was riding a cart drawn by a donkey this time around.

It was not even a carriage.

Besides, the road was terrible, too.

Yui Mei’s bottoms were racked in pain from the stair-like bumpy path.

Finally, it was time to part ways with the donkey cart.

Yui Mei was standing in front of a relatively huge gate, in a corner of the city of Kyou.

Kyou’s city structure was similar to China’s Chang’an, with the grid pattern resembling
that of a Go board. The perimeters were surrounded with a wall. The north, south,
east, and west ramparts had three entrance gates constructed in each of them.

There were no rules as to who can use which gate; however, there was a tacit
agreement that the vermilion-lacquered gate in the middle was reserved for great
personages. The ordinary citizens had to use the other two smallish gates beside it.

And so, there was a crowd of people milling about in front of the city gate, where Yui
Mei was. They also wanted to enter the city of Kyou.

People clad in gorgeous clothes scrutinized Yui Mei’s group while pacing to and fro.
It must have been quite a rare sight for them to see country bumpkin girls appearing
in the capital.

However, Yui Mei and the girls paid them no heed, since they had already accepted
the fact that they were country bumpkins, indeed. They just continued observing
their surroundings.

They saw the disorderly pedestrian traffic, white earthen walls and the wooden
buildings. Far off in the distance, an enormous vermilion building stood. It must be
the home of the emperor.

‘So those TV and movie sets were made quite realistically, huh.’

Yui Mei was moved by the sight as she delved into the memories of her past world.
The girls surrounding her also looked around with shining eyes. They were also
recruited for the court-lady selection, and had travelled with her in the same donkey
cart from the countryside.

Supposedly, these girls would spend their whole life in the rural areas; but from now
on, they had to spend it inside the inner palace, instead.

‘Even if someone proposes to take us as brides, unless the emperor gives his
consent, we will probably never see this cityscape again.’

It was a disheartening thought. However, that scenery was originally something that
she wouldn’t have a chance to see in her lifetime, so she thought she already made a
great memory just by standing there.

The other girls were also chattering in high spirits. It was also their first time to go to
the capital.

“Stop dilly dallying and making a racket! Hurry up and go!”

The middle-aged man, who had accompanied them until now, clicked his tongue at
the excitement of the maidens.

“Move aside!”

Just when they thought they heard a man’s angry yell, somebody on horseback came
charging with great speed.

“Whoa!”

Yui Mei hurriedly moved out of the way, and the surrounding people also opened a
path.

The horseback rider galloped on without bothering to apologize or give thanks, with
clouds of dust rising in his wake.

All that was left were the footprints of the horse, and the dirt-covered girls, including
Yui Mei.

“Wait, isn’t that too dangerous!? Shouldn’t we capture him!?”

Some of the dust apparently went into Yui Mei’s mouth. It felt gritty, but she couldn’t
stop muttering angrily.

The mister, who accompanied them as their guide, suddenly grabbed her and ducked.

“Are you an idiot!? That was the armor of the Imperial Guards! Stop spouting
nonsense or else our heads will fly!”

“Heh, Imperial Guard – is it?”

Yui Mei was shaken at the sudden arrival of the horse earlier, so she didn’t see the
appearance of the rider, much less his armor.

She could have seen a real life Imperial Guard for the first time in her life.
There might be opportunities to see one in the future, but chances were slim. After
all, it was nearly impossible for an Imperial Guard, one of the palace’s elite, to cross
paths with a court lady, who was at the bottom rung.

‘No, we still have a long way to go. It might be possible as long as I carefully plan for it.’

Yui Mei’s curiosity burned. The other girls saw her grinning widely on her own. They
were creeped out, so they backed away from her.

Yui Mei was excluded from their group even though they all came from the
countryside; however, she was too immersed in her passionate thoughts that she
didn’t mind being left out.

Afterward, Yui Mei and the girls followed their guide. Their eyes were roaming
restlessly, taking in all the sights around them.

It was nearing the end of winter. The mountains were still thickly covered with
snow when they left the borderland village. The capital was in a more southern
location, so it was already spring there.

It was a great season for sight-seeing, as they could see cherry and plum blossoms
blooming here and there.

‘It’s as if we’re on a field trip.’

Just as she was thinking so, Yui Mei was drawn to the delicious-looking fried
manjuu* sold in a stall. A mouthwatering aroma wafted; the buns must be filled with
red bean paste.

The sun was already high in the sky. Usually, one felt hunger around this time.

Yui Mei was staring at the stall too hard until the other maidens also noticed. They
followed her line of sight. Someone finally blurted out that it looked delicious. Since
they obviously slowed down, the mister leading them sighed.

“So troublesome. Alright, I’ll buy one for each of you as a commemoration of your
trip to the capital.”

“Hooray!”
The girls squealed in excitement, so only Yui Mei heard him mumble –

“It might be the first and last time, after all.”

This was hard to say, but apparently, the girls didn’t know what ‘working in the
inner palace’ truly meant.

People living in rural areas were not well-informed regarding the rules of the inner
palace.

Just like what happened to Yui Mei, these girls were probably coaxed into
submission, and were led away with nary an explanation.

In fact, nobody expressed anxiety regarding their upcoming job. Based on the
conversations they had back at the donkey cart, all they had was admiration towards
the capital.

Yui Mei did not want to incite anxiety, so she decided to keep mum about the matter
of working in the inner palace.

Yui Mei made the decision to become a court lady herself, but some of the girls could
have been sold as collateral to debts. They might be hiding their anxiety behind their
cheerful demeanor.

They would find it suspicious if Yui Mei knew too much about the Inner Palace, since
she was also living in the remote village, just like them.

“The capital’s steamed buns are so sweet.”

It was not easy to obtain sweets and confections at the borderland village, so she
could only eat the nectar of the flowers that she gathered herself.

Yui Mei, who had never tasted the confectionery of this world, can’t help but smile
broadly at the sweet taste of the steam bun.

T/N: *Furoshiki, the traditional wrapping cloth of Japan which Yui Mei used to wrap
her baggage with, and how Yui Mei might have looked like carrying her bundle.
At last, they finally reached the Imperial Palace.

Yui Mei and the girls walked through the immense palace grounds. Their guide led
them until they reached the end, where a staff entrance was located. He knocked on
the wooden gate.

This must be where the Inner Palace was. The door opened from the inside, and a
middle-aged woman appeared.

“Hmpf, you sure they are all in great health?”

“Of course, that is the most important requirement, after all.”

The mister bowed his head servilely as the woman sharply assessed the girls.

“So long, you guys. Work properly.”

The mister promptly scurried off after he received a hefty-looking bag from the woman.

“You all come with me.

The woman instructed the abandoned girls, including Yui Mei, to follow her. After
being led for a while by the woman, they finally set foot inside the Inner Palace. The
intensity of Yui Mei’s curiosity matched the nervousness of the other girls, and her
eyes were burning as she followed the woman past the wooden gate.

The first thing they saw upon entering was the white earthen walls and the wooden
building.

It was different from the vermilion-lacquered building they saw from the street back
then. It looked like a house for an ordinary citizen.

Laundry was hung up, trash-looking objects were scattered around, and everything
was a mess. A few women, who seemed to be court ladies, were wandering around
restlessly.

This would be the girls’ workplace, apparently.

Without breaking pace, they were taken into another building that looked like an
assembly hall. They were first subjected to a physical examination according to the
woman’s instructions.

“All of you undress. Take off everything.”

All the girls except Yui Mei froze.

The emperor resided in the Inner Palace.

A physical examination was compulsory if one was to work there.

Aside from that, it was to verify whether they were virgins, and to ascertain that
they did not have venereal diseases. For this reason, even the most private parts
were examined carefully.

Yui Mei assumed this would happen, so she already prepared herself, but the rest of
the girls were on the verge of tears.

At least, there were no eunuchs present in this place.

After the physical examination, their listening comprehension was tested.

They were asked questions such as their age and health condition, among other things.

After the interview, the woman toured them around their workplace.

She explained about various places in the building, including the kitchen, the dining
hall, and the privy. Lastly, she took them to their lodging — a huge room inside the
house.

“This will be your sleeping quarters from now on.”

Folding screens were used to create partitions. A few people were sleeping, and
their soft breathing could be heard.
Yui Mei surmised that they must be the night shift court ladies. She headed towards
her assigned place.

“I see, so this is how it is.”

Yui Mei entered the space divided by the folding screen. Everything was within her
expectations.

There was a wooden bed*, as well as a round basket woven out of bamboo for her
things.

This was the only place where Yui Mei could be free. However, if she was promoted,
then someday she could also have her own room.

The court lady uniform was prepared on top of the wooden bed.

‘Oh, it’s cotton!!’

Yui Mei was deeply moved by the cotton clothes.

She had been wearing clothes made from hemp. It was fine during the hot days, but
she would be freezing in the cold, since hemp could not block the wind.

Layering did not help, so during the bitterly cold days, she would wear fur to keep
warm.

They were nothing fancy like the coats in her previous world. She would skin the
animal, and then she would wear it directly afterward.

She herself thought that she was like a bandit from some place.

The reality that she was in the capital hit her as she changed into the clothes made of
cotton.

It seemed that the other girls also felt the same, and she could hear them squealing
in delight beyond the screen.

The situation in the countryside didn’t change that much, no matter where that may be.

She needed to return back to the woman’s place after changing clothes and leaving all
her possessions.

It was necessary that valuable possessions should be brought along instead of

leaving them behind, as this was just a partitioned large room, but Yui Mei did not
have anything worth stealing.

She just took two sheets of cloth and slipped it in her obi, with the thought that these
might come in handy somehow.

She headed back to the assembly hall.

After all the girls had gathered again, the woman started to assign their work.

“Your main job is to do the laundry and cleaning. Do it properly.”

She would divide the girls into the laundry group and the cleaning group.

The number of people living in the Inner Palace would easily exceed a thousand if
the court ladies were included.

To sum it up, it would probably be a job wherein they had to do laundry all day long
— every single day.

Aside from that, touching the silken robes of the dignitaries was nothing but a pie in
the sky.

They first had to wash the clothes of the other court ladies.

As for cleaning, it needn’t be said.

It would be foolish to assume that it could be accomplished just by lightly sweeping

around, considering the sheer size of the Inner Palace.

It would definitely be a test of strength.

“Well, since this is just the beginning, I will let you choose. Cleaning or laundry, what
will it be?”

Her wish was unwittingly granted by the woman.

“Yes! I want to do the cleaning!”

Yui Mei had immediately hoped that she would be assigned to the cleaning group

She finally came to the Inner Palace at great pains, so it was but natural that she
would want her area of activity to be as wide as possible.

She would probably start with cleaning the court ladies’ quarters and the
surrounding areas around it, but if she was recognized, then it would be possible
that she would be assigned to clean the areas around the dignitaries.

Yui Mei was willing to labor in order to satisfy her curiosity.

The other girls were drawn, too, after Yui Mei declared her intention, and they
started to choose their jobs one after another.

The woman could have chosen to automatically divide them without saying
anything. However, the motivation and attitude they would show towards their
work were bound to be different if it was a job that they chose themselves.

“Alright. Now, listen to your respective supervisors.”

With that, the senior court ladies that were summoned by the woman earlier led
each of the separated groups away.

The one assigned to Yui Mei was a woman in her twenties.

She had a fairly pretty face, and had a womanly figure; she must be popular with men.

“We’re lacking manpower right now, so don’t think you can have it easy just because
you’re a novice.”

The woman already put on airs right off the bat, and said that overbearingly to Yui Mei.

Yui Mei was irritated, but she didn’t say anything.

The woman was not able to elicit any reaction from her, so finding it uninteresting,
she wrinkled her nose and glared at her. She then flung the tub with the rag onto the
broom and dustpan.
“Follow me.”

Yui Mei picked up the cleaning paraphernalia that fell on the ground, and obediently
followed her.

She had been certain that she would be cleaning the area near the court ladies’
quarters. Contrary to her expectations, however, she was led further from the
lodging house, and deeper into the palace.

‘Wait, how far are we going?’

They arrived at a building that looked like it could be a concubine’s residence.

“You will clean here. Make sure you polish it beautifully.”

The woman left it at that, and she returned back the way they came.

“Won’t you at least explain the details, like who’s living here?”

Upon seeing that she was left all alone, Yui Mei grumbled.

At first glance the place looked like it was owned by a stylish commoner, but the
glass windows gave it the air of luxury.

It was also located in a corner near the court ladies’ domain, so even if it was owned
by a concubine, her status should be relatively low.

She peered through the window to check the interior, and she saw that the furniture
was neatly arranged. That meant it was not an empty house, but occupied, instead.

However, not a single shadow could be seen, so the owner must have left.

‘But isn’t it too dirty?’

Even if the owner was someone low-ranking, it was still a place where the emperor
might come, yet it was very dusty for some reason.

She could also see some cobwebs high in the ceiling.

‘Did anyone ever clean this place?’

It really didn’t seem that way.

‘Clean this alone’ — That must be the woman’s intention when she left Yui Mei on
her own.

However, it was already past noon, so there was not much time left until dinner.

This country basically had two meals in a day.

It was the norm for people to rise at daybreak, and retire at sunset.

They did not have any electricity to illuminate the night; at most, they could only
make do with paper lanterns and candles to spend the night.

Compared to modern Japan, their activity period was much shorter; hence two
meals would suffice.

Their dinner was around the time when Japanese people had their afternoon snacks.
In other words, the countdown until dinner began at past noon.

That was the reason why Yui Mei’s allotted time was short.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

Yui Mei was the type of person who would become stronger when confronted with
tribulations.

sho gi– wooden bed

Before she proceeded with her work, Yui Mei went back to the place where trash
was left lying around.

A lot of time would be wasted if cleaning was not done efficiently, so she decided to
prepare some items beforehand.

“Can I have the things here?”

“Sure, we’ll just burn them anyway.”

Yui Mei asked permission from a court lady resting nearby.

This was the garbage dumping site, apparently.Yui Mei took a bamboo pole and a
worn-out old cloth, and returned to her work place.She stepped on the tip of the
pole to create a small crack, and she inserted the worn cloth in it.

“Alright, this will do.”

She fashioned a make-shift, long, cleaning duster for hard-to-reach cobwebs and
dust on the ceiling. Of course, there must be tools for such purposes, but she doubted
whether the ‘supervisor’ woman would hand those over, and she would be wasting
time if she were to look for it. As long as it did the job, it would be fine.

She must also take note of two other things. First, she should be careful not to
contaminate the place she already cleaned. Second, she should not touch those dirty
things to avoid infection.

And so, Yui Mei took out the two pieces of cloth she brought beforehand. She used
one as a hood to keep her hair back. She tied the other one to her face as a mask, so
she could avoid inhaling dust and sneezing.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t do much as a countermeasure against infection, since

there were no rubber gloves in this world. She could only wash her hands properly
after she was done.

She wanted to look for alcohol or antiseptics later on.

After finishing her get-up, it was finally time to start cleaning. She started doing the
hallway, since she was not sure whether she was permitted to enter the room.

Basically, cleaning should be done from top to bottom.

She used the make-shift duster to reach the ceiling. She then swept the floor with the
broom after. Next was scrubbing and wiping. She wiped the pillars, balustrades, and
even the glass windows. She was so preoccupied with cleaning that she did not
notice the sun was setting.

“Oh no, I’ll miss my dinner!”

Yui Mei hurriedly tidied the cleaning paraphernalia, and prepared to go home.

She was really grateful that the mister bought them fried manju before they entered
the Inner Palace.

Otherwise, she would not have the strength to do her job because of her empty stomach.

One would get hungry when doing physically demanding jobs, so workers who did
heavy labor usually ate between meals, somewhat like having lunch.

A lady, accompanied by a maid, came just as Yui Mei was on her way to return with
the tools under her arm.

The lady was not gorgeous, but she exuded an air of tranquility. She was wearing
silken robes. Yui Mei surmised that she must be the owner of the residence, so she
hastily bowed her head.

“Well, it has become lovely.”

“Finally, they must have sent one of the cleaning staff.”

The maid said that in a relieved tone as the lady admired the surroundings. Apparently,
Yui Mei’s job got a passing mark. Yui Mei did a tiny fist pump with her head still bowed.
Technically speaking, however, it was far from finished.

Yui Mei raised her head for a bit and reported.

“Pardon me, this one did not know whether permission was granted to enter the
residence, so the interior is not cleaned yet.”

She did not want the lady to feel disappointed after entering, so she recounted that
she was only done with the hallways that are visible from the outside.

She suddenly noticed that she forgot to remove her hood and mask as she was
speaking. Her muffled words must have been difficult to understand. She hurriedly
removed them to show her face.

‘That was dangerous. They might think I’m some suspicious guy.’

“Oh.”

The face behind the mask was surprisingly young, so the lady and her maid were
both surprised.

“Did you clean here all by yourself?”

The lady asked while blinking her eyes in amazement.

It was as if she tacitly implied that it should have been the work of a few people.
Naturally, the emperor and his imperial wives and concubines did not clean their
residences personally, but it was possible that she witnessed some cleaning
activities so she knew.

“There was no one else but me.”

Yui Mei answered honestly.

“It must have been hard on you.”

The lady answered sympathetically, so Yui Mei couldn’t help but be inwardly surprised.
Normally, concubines were chosen among maidens coming from well-to-do families.
Those pampered ladies would know nothing about the hardships of cleaning.
However, the lady standing before her expressed that she had an inkling about those
difficulties.

‘Maybe she was a former court lady.’

It was a plausible story, since Yui Mei’s mother had been one. Yui Mei suddenly felt a
sense of kinship after ruminating about it.

“Alright, please clean the interior tomorrow.”

The maid said while Yui Mei was getting arbitrarily hyped up at her self-perceived
intimacy with the lady. Yui Mei would have loved to do as she said, but she was
uncertain whether she would have a choice on her assignment.

“…I will ask my supervisor.”

Yui Mei gave that answer for the meantime. In order to make it on time for dinner,
Yui Mei briskly trotted back, with her cleaning tools clattering in her arms. She made
it in good time, and a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.

“But where should I put these cleaning tools?”

The supervisor-like woman strode towards her; she probably caught sight of Yui Mei
earlier when she was looking for another court lady to consult.

“Are you done cleaning?”

Contrary to the woman’s attentive tone, her expression betrayed her inner thoughts.
It was as if Yui Mei did nothing worth mentioning before coming back. Yui Mei
looked straight at the woman and answered.

“Yes, I’ve finished cleaning outside the residence, and I also received a request to
clean the interior tomorrow.”

“It’s done?”
The woman muttered under her breath while frowning when she heard Yui Mei’s
report.

“Why didn’t you clean inside?”

The woman asked accusingly, so Yui Mei thought it would be best if she didn’t say
she ran out of time. Regardless, even if she had enough time, she still wouldn’t be
able to enter the residence on her own.

“I wasn’t given permission to enter, and there was nobody around to ask.”

The woman wrinkled her nose upon hearing Yui Mei’s response. It must be her
mannerism.

“How insolent, even though you’re just a country bumpkin.”

The woman spun around and grumbled over her shoulder as she strode away. It
looked like the woman did not have any intentions of explaining, so she deliberately
withheld information. She must have planned to frame Yui Mei for stealing, had she
entered on her own.

It was the typical bullying trope used in Chinese dramas.

‘What a pain in the neck.’

Yui Mei sighed, and went to ask another court lady where the tools were kept.
Yui Mei felt refreshed when she woke up on her wooden bed the next morning. She
was grateful that she did not have any trouble falling asleep, even if her pillow and
bed changed. Yui Mei headed to the dining hall to have her breakfast after tidying
her bed and dressing up.

If yesterday’s agreement pushed through, she would be assigned to clean the

interior of that residence for today. Interior cleaning was more labor intensive than
normal, since she had to move the furniture aside on top of tidying up.

Yui Mei wolfed down her food. She had to eat as much as possible.

“Can you come with me for a second?”

It was the middle-aged woman they first saw yesterday.

Her name was Yang Yu Lin, and she was the overseer of the court ladies, and was in
charge of guiding them.

“……”

Yui Mei knew she needed to reply, but her mouth was too full; she couldn’t even swallow.

“I’ll wait, so make sure you don’t choke.”

Aunty Yang looked exasperated.

Yui Mei was not a glutton; it was the food’s fault for being too delicious. She hastily
chewed her food, and after gulping all of it, she asked anew.

“What might it be?”

“A Beauty made a request regarding the maiden who cleaned her residence
yesterday. Lady Wang wanted her to continue again today.”
“…Lady Wang?”

Yui Mei puckered her brows upon hearing the unfamiliar name. Aunty Yang made
another disgusted face when she saw Yui Mei’s expression.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know? Wasn’t it you who cleaned Lady Wang’s place yesterday?”

‘Oh, so she’s the owner of that residence!’

So she was a concubine with the status of a Beauty. It was the same as her mother,
so Yui Mei’s feeling of kinship arbitrarily increased again.

“I was not informed beforehand, and I thought it would be rude to ask the person
herself.”

“That girl, really…”

Aunty Yang’s expression turned grim after Yui Mei explained her situation yesterday.

Most likely, she never expected that the ‘supervisor’ woman would not explain anything.

Aunty Yang continued on. Apparently, Lady Wang was worried about Yui Mei’s
response, so she negotiated with Aunty Yang directly.

“I also went there after hearing her story. You did well with just half a day’s work,
and all by yourself, at that.”

“Cleaning is all about grasping the essentials and proper planning.”

It was important to follow the cleaning procedures carefully, and the scope must
also be established properly. She managed somehow, because she clearly decided
that she would only clean the exterior.

“…You know some big words, don’t you.”

Aunty Yang suspiciously stared at Yui Mei, and then she heaved a great sigh.

“You were the only one who worked that hard on her first day. The rest of the girls
just listened to their supervisors; they did not even do any work.”
So it seemed that right from the beginning, there was no intention to let the girls,
including Yui Mei, work on their first day. Everything was due to the reckless
behavior of that supervisor.

“The truth is— I was hoping Mei would also work responsibly if she’s paired with a
novice.”

The supervisor’s name was Li Mei, and it seemed that she was a slacker.

‘They already knew the circumstances. Why didn’t they assign that place to somebody
else? The trash piled up, and that residence’s condition was terrible.’

It was not that heavy a load if the residence was regularly maintained, but it was
neglected for too long, so it became troublesome to clean. They didn’t have to leave
it in the hands of Mei; they could have deployed the other court ladies, instead. But
since they did not do that, there must be a deeper reason behind it. This was the
Inner Palace after all – it bore all the grudges of women within its walls.

“Anyway, I’ll leave the cleaning of Lady Wang’s residence to you.”

Aunty Yang placed a manju wrapped in cloth on the table top.

‘Hurray! It’s today’s treat!’

And so, Yui Mei gathered her cleaning tools after eating breakfast, and went back to
the place she cleaned yesterday. Lady Wang and her maid were waiting for her.

“We will be going now, so please clean the residence while we are away,” the maid said.

“I understand. Is there anything I cannot touch?”

“……The vase and the mirror are gifts from the Emperor, so please take care in handling
them.”

The maid paused for a while before replying to Yui Mei’s question. After seeing the
two of them off, it was time to start cleaning. She wore her hood and mask just like
yesterday.

“Please excuse me!”

There was no one inside, but Yui Mei still greeted in a loud voice as she opened the
door.

‘Yeah, even the air feels dusty in here.’

Yui Mei opened the windows to improve air circulation. Even if the climate here was
warmer than in the remote regions, the wind was still cold, so Lady Wang and her
maid probably left the windows closed due to this reason. Regardless, as long as it
was cleaned, then ventilation would improve, too.

— ‘Finally, they must have sent one of the cleaning staff.’

The maid said that, so the dust must have accumulated since they didn’t clean the
residence themselves. If Lady Wang was indeed a former court lady, as Yui Mei had
guessed, then she must have been frustrated at the dirty condition. It must have
been faster if she did the cleaning herself, but since she became an esteemed person,
she could no longer do as she pleased.

Menial jobs such as cleaning were the work of court ladies, so she would be mocked
by the other concubines if word came out that she did her own cleaning. If that
happened, then her status within the Inner Palace would plummet.

‘The Imperial wives sure got it hard.’

But it’s not the time to wallow in sentimentality right now.

After improving ventilation, Yui Mei removed the blankets on the wooden bed and
brought them outside to be sunned. She hanged them on the sunniest part of the
balustrades she had cleaned yesterday. She took the make-shift duster and
vigorously beat the blankets with the bamboo end.

“Whoah, so dusty!”

A cloud of dust flurried around. No doubt about it; one won’t be able to stop
sneezing if she were to sleep on them. Furthermore. it would be a total disaster if
she had allergies.

After doing that, Yui Mei moved the various small items outdoors, and put it all
together in one place. She removed the mirror and the vase, which were allegedly
bestowed by the emperor, from the shelves. She put them in a place where she can
keep an eye on them, just for safety. She secured them right from the beginning, in
order to prevent their breakage.

After doing all these things, she did the same procedure as yesterday. She dusted the
ceilings, swept the floor, and scoured and wiped everything as a finishing touch. She
paid attention to places that were prone to dust accumulation. She thoroughly
dusted and polished the small objects, vases, and mirrors, then returned them to
their proper places.

She then took a break and ate the steamed bun she got from Aunty Yang. Thus, a whole
day of cleaning passed, and she managed to finish everything before the sun set.

“Well, I did a great job, right?”

Yui Mei was praising her handiwork, when Lady Wang returned. Yui Mei took off her
hood and mask, and bowed her head.

“How nice, everything has become so splendid. I can also breathe more easily.”

“Indeed, my lady.”

Lady Wang was moved to tears upon seeing the clean, dust-free residence, and the
maid also rejoiced along with her.

“Pardon me, but are you afflicted by any kind of illness?”

Yui Mei was drawn to Lady Wang’s words, so she blurted out the question, even though
she inwardly thought that she was being a busybody. Lady Wang answered her honestly.

“No, that is not the case. But it is true that I had been coughing a lot even in the past.
There were severe instances when I did not stop coughing for a long time. However,
it has been better now compared to when I was a child.”

‘Maybe Lady Wang has asthma?’

It should have been tough for her, living in such a dusty condition. Furthermore, her
cough worsened when staying indoors, so she spent her whole day leisurely
strolling, or resting in sunny places, from morning until sunset. The wind was still
cold during this season, yet she was inflicting suffering on herself just to escape.
“I already cleaned the interior carefully, so please rest assured that your tussis will
get better. Also, if possible, please boil some water indoors. The added humidity will
help make this arid season bearable, and it will also help prevent colds.”

She wanted to give advice based on her experience as a nurse in her previous world,
so she nosily said that, albeit unwittingly.

“Oh, is that so?”

“We received great information.”

Lady Wang’s eyes widened in surprise, while her lady-in-waiting nodded. The maid
must be itching to prepare the hot water immediately.

“I am truly grateful for the cleaning work you have done. What is your name?”

“It is Yui Mei.”

Lady Wang asked her while giving her thanks, so Yui Mei introduced herself.

“Well, Yui Mei, here is your reward.”

Lady Wang passed some mushipan to her maid.

The castella-like aroma assailed Yui Mei’s senses, right before dinner time.

“Is it really fine for me to receive this?”

“Of course. Didn’t I tell you? It’s your reward.”

Cleaning was Yui Mei’s job, so there was no need to reward her. But she was a little
bit happy that Lady Wang did not take her service for granted.

“Then, thank you for the food.”

Lady Wang smiled at Yui Mei, who can’t help but grin widely since she got some sweets.

“I am also happy that this place became beautiful once again,for a reason apart from
my own satisfaction.”
Lady Wang continued her story as Yui Mei’s eyes twinkled in curiosity.

“A Beauty also resided in this place before me. I had the opportunity to ask the
emperor before, and I was told that she was a very kind person.”

Yui Mei’s heart pounded.

It might be far-fetched, but she thought the Beauty that was mentioned might be her
mother.

She was speaking in past tense, so that meant the person in question was no longer
residing in the Inner Palace.

There were numerous Beauties, but only a handful of them were chased out.

Her mother stayed for only a short period of time as a Beauty, and she was driven
out soon after, so it was probable.

In that case, then Yui Mei might have been born here.

Although this theory was to be taken with a grain of salt, Yui Mei could not dispel
that nagging feeling of possibility.

‘So this means I’ve discovered my (provisionary) birth home.’

“Should you summon me, I will come again to clean.”

Yui Mei bowed and left.

T/N: Oh, curious coincidences

*Lady Wang was a concubine with Beauty status, with the original text written as 王
(ワン)美人. Since it’s weird to say Beauty Wang or Wang Beauty, I used the Chinese
counterpart – Mei Ren – for the title, and then Lady Wang for the rest of the chapter,
for the sake of a smooth reading experience (but mainly because I’m too lazy to
make an intricate set of numbered footnotes, so please pardon me )

Also, the steamed bun Aunty Yang gave was manju, while Lady Wang gave her a
mushipan. Both of them are variations of steamed bread.
Half a month had passed since Yui Mei entered the Inner Palace.

She had been very busy since the day she cleaned Lady Wang’s residence, as she was
flooded with requests continuously. Apparently, the other concubines heard about
her from Lady Wang. Those jobs had something in common; they were all under the
responsibility of Li Mei, her ‘supervisor’.

‘That person isn’t working at all.’

Moreover, she hadn’t seen Li Mei’s since that first day.

Fortunately, Yui Mei already completed a round of cleaning in those residences, so

she no longer spent the whole day working. Today, she even managed to return to
the quarters just past noon. Yui Mei finished her work, so she was carrying her tools
as she walked, when a court lady beckoned her. It was the woman who was resting
at the garbage dumping site on Yui Mei’s first day.

“Come here, I have some ma hua.”

The court lady’s name was Lu Mei Na, and she was around thirty-five years old. She
was assigned to work in the kitchen. Today, she was also using a suitable stone as a
seat to rest.

“Here, Ah Mei, they’re freshly made.”

Mei Na used a pet name to call Yui Mei as she handed the ma hua to her. It was
China’s version of karinto, and they were sweet and deliciously crunchy. Yui Mei
frequently bought it from food stalls in China, but she had never tried it in this
world. Sweets were luxuries in the countryside.

Mei Na was working at the kitchen, so she could bring freshly made ones. Yui Mei
took one from Mei Na, and popped it into her mouth.
“Hmm! So sweet, so yummy!”

Mei Na bitterly smiled upon seeing Yui Mei ecstatically beaming with her mouth full.

“Aren’t you unlucky, having to clean after Mei’s mess.”

Mei Na stroked Yui Mei’s head as she said that.

Yui Mei already thought that she was carrying the can for Li Mei, but she didn’t
expect others to see it that way, too.

“Why is she so belligerent towards me, and right off the bat, too?”

Mei Na laughed as she explained the answer to Yui Mei’s naï ve question.

Mei was born in the city of Kyou. The other court ladies didn’t mind, but those who
were born in the capital were inclined to be haughty, and to throw their weight around.

‘Oh, so that’s why she said that I’m JUST a country bumpkin.’

So there was a hierarchy among the court-ladies, too. Rather than working, Li Mei’s
true intention in becoming a court lady was to be promoted and enter the ranks of
the concubines. That was the reason why she didn’t bother doing any work, and
spent all her time polishing her beauty. Cleaning Lady Wang’s residence was also her
responsibility, but she kept on ignoring it. Apparently, she can’t forgive the fact that
a person, who was not as beautiful as her, actually became a concubine. She also
neglected several residences just for that reason.

‘Just as I thought, those dusty residences were all owned by concubines with low
status.’

Apparently, it was all due to Li Mei’s envy. But she’d be scolded if she didn’t work, so
she just haphazardly looked for places to clean, then did her job while cutting corners.

“But the emperor hasn’t noticed her even until now, so she might be frantic.”

A court lady must possess considerable skills in order to compete with the imperial
wives, but if that was not the case, then she could only rely on her youth as her
advantage. Li Mei, who had no special skills to show-off, was already approaching
half-past her twenties, so her time was running out. Thus, she made herself
disagreeable toward the concubines with low status. Her courage knew no bounds.
‘Maybe she’s not the emperor’s type?’

Yui Mei tried to analyze why Li Mei’s ambition was not realized. Men have different
strokes for different folks regarding women. Beauty was not a guarantee to a man’s
heart. Even in her past life in Japan, there was a woman who was unexpectedly
popular despite being on the plump side.

Yui Mei had not seen the empress or the higher-ranked consorts. However, based on
the concubines who lived in the residences she cleaned, rather than being
ostentatious, they were mostly tranquil, or gentle. Basically, they were all homely.

Only the most beautiful women should have been selected for the positions of empress
and higher consorts, since they represented the Inner Palace. However, perhaps the
emperor’s true preference was women who were plain – Yui Mei secretly thought so.

‘If that’s the case, then I understand now why Mother was a Beauty.’

And why ostentatious Li Mei, who possessed a beautiful face, wasn’t favored. It must
have been mortifying for one who prided herself on having good looks.

Yui Mei decided to set aside Li Mei’s affairs. She had long wanted to ask someone
about a particular matter, but she wasn’t able to, since she was previously busy
cleaning until sunset every day.

“Mei Na, where is the clinic?”

This clinic was where the exclusive physicians of the Inner Palace permanently stayed.

The clinic physicians were in charge of the Inner Palace’s court ladies, eunuchs,
concubines, and the low-ranking consorts. The emperor, empress and high-ranking
consorts were examined by the imperial court physician.

“Why, are you feeling sick?”

Mei Na puckered her eyebrows at Yui Mei’s abrupt question.

“No, I just want some utility-grade sake.”

Utility-grade sake was just another term for industrial alcohol.

Indeed, Yui Mei wanted to create an alcohol-based sanitizer, and she needed the
utility-grade sake for that. If there was anyone who uses industrial alcohol, then that
would be a physician.

“Don’t tell me you want to drink it?”

“No, you’re mistaken. I just want to use it for cleaning.”

Yui Mei explained honestly under Mei Na’s suspicious gaze; she didn’t want her to
think that she was an alcoholic. Nevertheless, the desire to drink industrial alcohol
was a symptom of an end-stage addiction. She was definitely out of that category.

“Then it’s fine.”

Mei Na taught her the directions to the clinic.

After putting away her cleaning paraphernalia, Yui Mei headed toward the clinic.

T/N: So many Mei’s in this chapter, lol. The author used the chinese readings in her
original work, and she placed the katakana in parenthesis for the benefit of the
readers. Yui Mei’s name comes from the characters rain(雨) for yu, and Sister(妹) for
mei. Li Mei’s name came from season ( 李) for li and Plum (梅) for mei. Lu Mei Na’s
name came from route (路) for lu, beauty (美) for mei, and grace (娜) for na. This is
just trivia to distinguish the multiple Mei’s

Here’s a photo of ma hua.

Karinto is a traditional Japanese snack. They are deep fried dough cakes shaped into
short cylinders, coated with brown sugar.
“So, it’s here.”

Yui Mei almost lost her way, but she finally reached the clinic. It was quite an
impressive building.

“Excuse me.”

When Yui Mei opened the door, she saw a middle-aged man who seemed to be a
physician. He was in the middle of packing several things into his bag, so he did not
notice her. He might be a physician, but he was definitely a eunuch, given that he
was working in the Inner Palace.

“Ahm, excuse me.”

The physician noticed her when she called out. He stared at her with wide eyes.

“You! The court-lady over there! Just in time, go, carry my bag!”

“Huh?”

Yui Mei stood perplexed at the abrupt command.

“We have to hurry! Hurry!”

Yui Mei just stood there, mystified at his momentum, while gripping the bag that
was forcefully given to her. It was full to bursting.

“Come with me!”

The physician rushed off, not bothering to check whether Yui Mei was indeed
following him.

“Eh, wait for me!”

‘What!? What’s happening!?’

Without rhyme or reason, Yui Mei could only clutch the bag and run after the physician.

The physician was unexpectedly fast as he hurriedly ran towards a wide yard
located in the depths of the Inner Palace.

They saw a crowd of eunuchs gathered near a man-made stream flowing through
the yard. Court-ladies and maids surrounded them at a distance.

“Oy! Where’s the patient!?”

The physician yelled at the throng.

“We took our eyes off her for just a moment, but she fell to the stream by herself, and
drowned.”

Yui Mei peeked through the gaps between the eunuchs, and she saw a drenched
woman lying on the ground.

‘Eh, she drowned!?’

Yui Mei couldn’t believe those guys were just standing there.

Anger boiled inside her, and she forcefully charged towards the crowd.

“Get out of the way!”

Everyone was shocked at her movements, so they spontaneously cleared the way for
her.

“Excuse me, are you alright!?”

Yui Mei tapped the woman’s shoulder with some force.

“Girl, stop that.”

She ignored the remarks of the insensitive eunuch.

‘No response even if I call her; no pulse and not breathing upon checking.’
Yui Mei calmly recalled the resuscitation techniques for drowned people.

Since the woman was no longer breathing, they all thought that she already died, and
thus left her as she was. Yui Mei was not sure how long the woman had been neglected,
but if it’s only just a short time, she might make it on time if she revived her now.

Yui Mei raised the woman’s chin to ensure the airways were clear and attempted to
do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The eunuchs were horrified as Yui Mei
alternately pumped her chest and did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“What is that punk doing!?”

“So disgusting.”

“She’ll be cursed!”

The physician stood confusedly amidst the murmurings of the other people, but Yui
Mei ignored them all and frantically continued what she was doing.

‘Still no response. Was I too late!?’

She had been doing the CPR for quite some time now. Seeing there was no change in
the woman, Yui Mei was about to give up when suddenly –

“Cough, cough!”

The woman spat out water.

“Good!”

Yui Mei smiled, relieved that she made it on time.

She turned the woman’s face sideward, so she could continue regurgitating water.

“Continue doing that.”

The physician had come nearer without Yui Mei noticing, and he wiped the woman’s
mouth with a beautiful cloth. He checked the woman’s airways for blockage.

Yui Mei did as she was told and continued pumping her chest, when the woman vomited
water again.

After repeating for several times, the woman’s breathing returned, albeit still weak.

‘It’s okay now.’

The only remaining thing to do was to warm the chilled body.

“Somebody bring a warm cloth right now! Hurry! Whatever is fine!”

Nobody moved, so Yui Mei yanked the outer robe of a nearby eunuch, and wrapped
the woman’s body with it.

“We need to bring her back to the clinic! You’re a nuisance if you’re not going to move!”

Yui Mei forcefully kicked the leg of one of the eunuchs after seeing that they were
still standing there.

“This is a patient! I will tell all the higher-ups that you are not doing your job!”

The physician also yelled threateningly at the motionless eunuchs. Upon hearing
that they will be reported, the eunuchs finally moved. Yui Mei sighed as she watched
the woman being carried away. The physician tapped her shoulder.

“Hey, court-lady. You got some skills back there.”

“…Thank you.”

Her body moved automatically due to her decades of working as a nurse until her
retirement in her previous life.

“I am very sorry for meddling.”

Yui Mei acted without waiting for the physician’s instructions, so it could be said
that she did not give him any face. Although a person’s life was more important, they
still had to consider the position of the woman they rescued. Yui Mei is only a court
lady, after all. The physician smiled wryly as he looked at Yui Mei’s bowed head.

“It’s fine, I would’ve kicked them myself if you didn’t scold them.”
They could’ve tried to revive her right after she drowned, but instead, they
neglected her. It was outrageous.

“The least they could have done was to warm her up.”

The physician continued scolding those motionless men.

“What curse, pathetic bunch of grown men…”

The physician scowled as he muttered under his breath.

‘Curse?’

Speaking of the curse, Yui Mei did vaguely hear them say that while she was attempting
CPR. Maybe those eunuchs had a reason why they did not want to touch that woman.
The physician jerked his chin at Yui Mei, who was tilting her head.

“Let’s go. Stay with me for a while longer.”

Yui Mei was also worried about how to return, so she decided to go along with the
physician.
Yui Mei listened to the story of the physician as they made their way back to the clinic.

They didn’t have time to introduce themselves to each other earlier. The physician’s
name was Chen Ziliang. Apparently, he received a notice that his patient, who had
high fever, left the clinic the moment he took his eyes off her. He then rushed out to
look for her and to give her medical treatment.

‘Maybe she was behaving abnormally due to the high fever, and then she fell into the
stream.’

“Isn’t it the fault of the one who left her alone?”

Yui Mei unwittingly glared reproachfully. There were a lot of times when feverish
people say or do some weird things out of confusion. Children were more prone to
developing such conditions, but some adults experienced it too.

Why would they leave a fevered person by herself?

The woman’s drenched clothes were snagged in the small stones of the stream, and
several places had been torn. Although they were in a wretched state, the designs
were exquisite. Furthermore, it was made of silk.

That person must be a concubine.

In that case, she should have several attendants. Concubines were constantly
accompanied by their maids. Lady Wang also had her attendant, and various matters
were also handled by court-ladies and maids. Judging from her clothes, she must
have a higher status than Lady Wang. She surely must have been surrounded by
plenty of attendants.

“Yeah, that is correct.”

Ziliang nodded at Yui Mei’s dissatisfaction regarding the current situation. They
reached the clinic while still in the middle of their conversation. The eunuchs who
brought the woman had long been gone. They left the woman as she was. The
woman was lying on the floor, without a single blanket to cover her.

‘I won’t forgive those bastards!’

Yui Mei’s anger returned. They did not even bother laying her on top of the wooden
bed inside the clinic. She also wanted to know why those good-for-nothing eunuchs
did not do their jobs.

“They’re probably too scared.”

Ziliang pressed his temples upon seeing the woman’s state.

“We must change her wet clothes immediately. Please give me some cloth.”

“Will this washed sheet do?”

Ziliang took a sheet from the shelf and handed it to Yui Mei. He also gave her a few
more sheets to wipe the woman’s body.

“Alright, can you please go out of the room? She has to change.”

“I’m glad I pulled you and took you with me.”

Ziliang praised his own decision as he closed the clinic’s door.

Even if Ziliang were to ask other court ladies and maids, judging from how they kept
their distance, he doubted someone would respond immediately.

However, as a physician, there was no way he would have left the woman in her
drenched clothes. If Yui Mei, that court lady, was not here, it would have turned into
an extremely troublesome situation.

It would be very dangerous for Ziliang to change her himself.

Even if the physician was a eunuch, he would not be able to escape unscathed should it
be known that he saw the consort’s bare body, moreover if there were only the two of
them. It was only natural that he would want to avoid being suspected with adultery.
By the way, the physicians had their own maid assistants in order to avoid
suspicions regarding infidelity; unfortunately, they were few, since specialized
knowledge was required. It was also for that reason that those few women became
the imperial court physicians’ attendants, and they didn’t stay around the clinic.

Furthermore, there had been female doctors before, but in order to become one,
they must undergo harsher trials compared to the men. Eventually, there were no
female doctors anymore; thus, they were not seen inside the Inner Palace.

Setting aside the clinic’s circumstances, Yui Mei must first change the woman’s
clothes. Yui Mei took out the mask cloth she always brought with her, and wrapped
it to her face.

A mask was indispensable when nursing a person with high fever.

“Alright, let’s change you now.”

Although Yui Mei knew that the woman was unconscious, she still talked to her just
in case.

She took off the eunuch’s robe and the soaked clothes. She must remove all the
drenched clothes before placing her on the wooden bed so she wouldn’t wet it.

Thinking about it now, there was also some merit with the eunuchs’ actions. But
those guys probably did not have the same reasoning when they left her on the floor.

Even if they couldn’t change the woman’s clothes, they could at least wipe her
clothes. Those guys did not even wipe the woman’s hair, and the infuriated Yui Mei
vowed to tell somebody about what they did.

She then set aside her grudges, and started to change the woman’s clothes.

It was unusually difficult prying the wet clothes off. Though they were already
ripped, Yui Mei did not want to tear it further. After painstakingly removing them,
Yui Mei wiped the woman’s whole body. She also respectfully wiped her hair.

She then spread the sheet, and arranged it so that no bare flesh could be seen. She then
placed the woman on top of the wooden bed, and covered her with the blanket. Yui
Mei’s body frame made it difficult for her to maneuver the woman’s body, but she
already had the skill to do it. Her profession as a nurse in her previous world was not
just for show.

Yui Mei mopped the floor. She then called out to the door.

“It’s alright now.”

“Then pardon us for the intrusion.”

A young-sounding voice answered. Yui Mei never heard it before.

‘Eh, who?’

As Yui Mei stood dumbstruck, a fascinatingly elegant man with smiling blue eyes
entered. His long black hair flowed down his back.

A eunuch – his attendant, most probably – and Ziliang entered after him.

“Huh, huh, huh?”

Yui Mei’s head was spinning.

The Inner Palace was a woman’s place.

The only men who could enter inside were the emperor, and his heir, the crown prince.

The rest of the males were eunuchs.

Grasping that reality, Yui Mei stared at the man before her.

He was around 25 years old, and his clothes were obviously not a eunuch’s.

Again, there were only two men who could enter the Inner Palace, and the emperor
should be a forty-something old man.

‘So this IS the crown prince!?’

The crown prince’s name was Liu Ming Xian, and he might be Yui Mei’s elder brother.

Yui Mei always thought that it would be nice if she could take a peek at the crown
prince’s face, but never did she dream that it would be this soon. Yui Mei was stupefied,
so she forgot to bow. She stared unabashedly at the crown prince, and that was how
she noticed that they had the same blue eyes.

Rather than that, it was the first time she met someone with blue eyes, aside from her.

“Cough!”

The eunuch coughed intentionally, and Yui Mei returned to herself. She hurriedly
bowed her head.

The crown prince was also staring at her, though.

“…Hmm?”

The crown prince muttered as he removed his eyes from Yui Mei, and he drew closer
to the woman lying on the wooden bed.
“I am glad that you reached the consort just in time, Doctor Chen.”

The crown prince gently stroked the face of the woman, which had turned red with
fever.

‘So this person is the crown prince’s concubine.’

Yui Mei grasped the true identity of the woman.

Now that she thought about it, the place where the woman drowned was near the
crown prince palace, or so she was taught.

“We are also gratefully relieved. It was all due to this person’s foresight.”

The crown prince turned his head in surprise at Ziliang as he replied with a solemn
expression.

“Doctor Chen, can she stay here?”

Ziliang knit his brows.

“Your Highness will not bring her back to the palace?”

“Even if I did, no one would be there to take care of her. She will be

pitiful.” The crown prince’s face clouded over upon hearing Ziliang’s

question. ‘Nobody will take care of her?’

Yui Mei had no idea when to straighten up, so she had bowed her head all this

time. “There’s no way that’s true.”

Yui Mei mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“Is it because of the curse?”

“Yes, a very troublesome matter, indeed.”

The crown prince continued their conversation with a dark expression.

Yui Mei, who was not supposed to interrupt, couldn’t keep it anymore. She raised
her head.

“Excuse me, what is this curse that you had been talking about since a while ago?”

Yui Mei rudely butted in their conversation. She had a feeling the crown prince’s
attendant was glaring at her, as if saying ‘Don’t interrupt the Crown Prince!’. She
ignored him. She had always believed in the saying that it was “better to ask the way,
than to go astray.” As for diseases, it was always necessary to ask the details; else, it
would turn into something that one cannot recover from.

“Why, you didn’t know about it?”

“I just entered the palace, and have been very busy from the start, so I don’t have the
time to join in idle gossip.”

The crown prince was stunned that she didn’t know about the curse, so Yui Mei
answered him honestly. The eunuchs were stupefied at her ignorance, while the crown
prince looked at her with deep interest. She exasperatedly thought that they were too
strict; it was true that she was very busy until yesterday, so she couldn’t help it.

Ziliang heaved a great sigh, and then he told her the story.

Apparently, it all started in a large outbreak of colds.

“We always have an outbreak of colds yearly at winter time, but this year was
exceptionally harsh.”

The fever was higher, and most of the patients experienced fatigue and nausea. To
make matters worse, it turned into pneumonia, and many commoners died due to
delayed treatment. They tried to prevent the cold from spreading into the Inner Palace
through strict control, but it was as if this epidemic had a life of its own. There was no
way humans could completely control it.

“The regular merchants brought the colds, and in a blink of an eye, it spread.”

The clinic had already prepared large amounts of medicine for the common cold, but
they were ineffective. They couldn’t eradicate the primary cause. They were
currently trying to mass-produce a drug that effectively treats the symptoms.

‘Wait, isn’t this familiar?’

To summarize Ziliang’s story, this year’s infection was worse, and it was easy to
exacerbate the condition. Symptoms included fevers that were higher than normal,
fatigue and nausea. If it worsens, it would turn into pneumonia, and there had been
casualties among the commoners. Cold medicines were not effective, and abnormal
behavior could be observed.

‘Isn’t these the symptoms of influenza?’

Colds were transmitted through hand contact, whereas influenza infection could be an
airborne infection, so its spread was instantaneous. The reason why those medicines
were ineffective was because it was a different disease altogether. Be it western or
Chinese traditional medicine, colds and influenza were treated differently.

In short, everything had been a mess because it was not handled properly, and
influenza turned into an epidemic.

“Then where did that story about the curse come from?”

In her previous world’s Japan, there was also an era when people blamed ogres for
the spread of diseases. However, this Sai Kingdom was relatively more modern than
that period, and medical care was considerably developed.

Yui Mei thought about the reason why this disease was being blamed on a curse.

Ziliang shrugged his shoulders at Yui Mei’s query.

“It was already known that when a patient has high fever, he may exhibit abnormal
behavior. This knowledge has been passed down among physicians since a long time
ago. However, those folks can’t get used to it, and they thought it was creepy. That
bunch of idiots made a ruckus, saying they were possessed, and the story spread.”
Rather than saying that they were devout, it should be said that they were just
boisterous cowards. Ziliang tried to appease them through clarification, but his
words fell on deaf ears, as they were too panic-stricken.

“And then those Taoists came butting in, saying it was a curse, and the empress
dowager supported their claim.”

‘Whoah, what a horrid person!’

Yui Mei stopped herself from voicing her true opinions.

The empress dowager was the mother of the emperor, and she stood at the pinnacle
of the imperial harem. Apparently, she was a devout person, and had always
participated in religious activities.

“Because of those Taoists, the treatment of patients could not proceed. I was also in
a hurry to secure the patient before the Taoists got to her.”

If those Taoists got the patients first, they would exorcise them for long periods of
time, all in the name of eradicating the curse. Of course, those methods could not
cure influenza, and the symptoms would progress. Occasionally, there were resilient
patients who managed to recover, but the Taoists would just claim that their prayers
had been effective.

Influenza was a highly individualized disease, so those were probable instances.

‘If they just gave them the right medicine promptly, then wouldn’t their symptoms be
mild, instead?’

To make matters worse, people were terrified of being acknowledged by the Taoists
as having the curse. The number of people hiding their symptoms increased, so
many were discovered too late.

“Because of that, a large number of people who could have recovered had they taken
the medicine died.”

The Imperial Palace sustained heavy damage due to the influenza, and a lot of places
stopped operating. Of course, the Inner Palace also lacked manpower.

‘It’s no wonder they were anxiously gathering court ladies.’

So the court lady selection was not done to lure beauties into the palace. Yui Mei’s
misgivings about her father being a womanizer somewhat eased, and she was a little
bit relieved.
“And so, the consort’s maids and court ladies feared the curse, and they refused to
nurse her.”

The crown prince took over in narrating Ziliang’s story, and he stated the reason
why he didn’t want the woman to return to his palace.

The palace maids and court ladies attending to a high ranking concubine were
brought with her from her family home, or they may come from well-to-do families.
Because of that, they naturally valued themselves more than their jobs. It was a
harsh reality, but if the position of concubine was vacated, then it would also be their
chance. It was not surprising that there were court ladies and maids who did not
take the initiative to do their work.

“So, Doctor, can you do me this favour?”

“…Oi, Yui Mei.”

Ziliang, who was once again requested by the crown prince, looked imploringly at
Yui Mei. Even if he didn’t say it aloud, Yui Mei already knew what Ziliang wanted. He
probably wanted her to nurse the crown prince’s consort. He had no choice but to
rely on her, since there were no assistant court ladies available.

“I understand. I can do it. But in exchange, please inform the higher-ups regarding
the current circumstances. But before that –“

Yui Mei crossed her arms before the crown prince, and declared.

“Your Highness, you and your attendant must be disinfected. If we do not do

anything, you will become infected. You too, doctor!”

“Disinfect, is it?”

The crown prince looked bewildered upon hearing the unfamiliar word, so she
explained further.

“Disinfecting means eliminating the bacteria—the source of illness that adhered to

your body.”

Yui Mei’s original purpose was to obtain the utility sake that she needed to make the
alcohol-based sanitizer.

After going in rounds, she finally reached her goal.

And so, Yui Mei got the utility sake, and started to make the sanitizer.

The formula was easy; she just had to mix 7 parts of alcohol and three parts of water.

She would have preferred if it was purified water for storage purposes, but since she
would not be storing it, she made do with water taken from a well. She just had to
put it inside a sprayer, and the preparation was complete.

“What a novel use of sake.”

Apparently, Ziliang did not use alcohol to disinfect wounds, and so he was impressed.

“Then I’ll go first.”

Yui Mei disinfected herself first. It was not to demonstrate that it was not poison; Yui
Mei prioritized herself since she did artificial resuscitation earlier.

‘I’ll definitely get infected.’

That was also the reason why she did not remove her mask earlier despite standing
before the crown prince, even when Ziliang kept on shooting her suspicious glances.
She wanted to get some medicine from Ziliang later so she can drink it as soon as
possible. Early medication was the key in dealing with influenza.

Yui Mei disinfected her hands carefully before doing anything else. She put alcohol on
her palms, and meticulously rubbed each of her fingers from the base to the fingertip,
then the back of her hands, down to her wrists. After she was done with her hands, she
sprinkled alcohol over herself, since she couldn’t change her clothes as precaution.
Afterward, she gurgled with tea as finishing touch. Tea had antioxidant properties, as
well as anti-virus properties too, so it was surprisingly effective.
It was the crown prince and the attendant’s turn.

“Please do it exactly as I did.”

Yui Mei instructed them to remove their rings and bracelets and other jewelry
before giving them alcohol. She then advised them that it would be better if they
refrain from wearing those things, unless absolutely necessary.

“The source of illness naturally sticks to jewelry, so they must be disinfected first. So
it would be best if you remove it first. This disease will subside once the weather is
warmer, so please refrain from wearing jewelry until then.”

“You did say that it would be better to lessen the danger, am I correct? I understand.”

After getting the crown prince’s consent, Yui Mei vigorously sprinkled the antiseptic
solution on the prince’s whole body. Ziliang quickly drew back in shock at the same
time.

“Yui Mei, you sure have guts…”

Ziliang commented as he watched Yui Mei’s natural movements.

How will they progress if the doctor himself had that attitude? Be it the crown prince or
the commoners, everyone’s equal in the face of influenza’s crisis. Besides, even if the
newly sprinkled alcohol stank, the smell would dissipate soon enough.They just had to
bear with it for a while. Yui Mei had them gargle tea afterward.

“Tea is very effective in killing the source of the disease.”

“Hmm, is that so.”

The crown prince was impressed at Yui Mei’s explanation.

“People who drink tea are less prone to catch colds. It is also known among the
physicians.”

Ziliang also supported Yui Mei’s claims. Apparently, the properties of tea had also
been discovered in this world. After Ziliang was also done disinfecting and gargling,
Yui Mei sprayed the antiseptic solution on the handle of the clinic door, which was
touched by everyone. She did this to prevent the spread of infection.
“It is important to note the room’s ventilation and the level of humidity to prevent
contagion. This disease thrives in arid and stagnated air. So pay attention to the
airflow, and boil water in the middle of the room to raise humidity.”

Yui Mei warned the eunuch. The eunuch probably thought she was a physician’s
assistant. Regardless of his suspicious stare, he did listen obediently, so she did not
dare disclose the fact that she was a low-ranking court lady.

“Speaking of which, I heard that boiling water has recently become popular among
Father’s concubines.”

The crown prince said, as if he just recalled it.

That was probably started by Lady Wang.

‘I see, so it became a trend, huh.’

Indeed, she did explain it as protection against colds.

At that time, she didn’t know the whole picture, so it might be considered as luck.

It was said that the concubines poured hot water in several beautiful containers, and
since it’s a good opportunity, they also dripped perfume oils in it to enjoy
themselves. The lives of the concubines were also in danger should they get infected
with influenza, so they must have been willing to try anything no matter how trivial
it may seem.

Aside from that, this method was cheaper and more convenient compared to buying
high-grade medicine. This was also one of the factors why it became popular.

“Then, it is also time for me to return to the palace.”

The crown prince seemed to be in high spirits.

“By the way, you said your name is Yui Mei?”

“Yes.”

Yui Mei was taken aback when the crown prince suddenly questioned her, so she
wasn’t able to come up with a lie, and just answered honestly.
“Were you born on a rainy day, perhaps?”

The character Yui was written as rain, and Mei, written as sister, could also mean girl.
The history of her name could be gleaned with just a single glance.

“Indeed, I was a girl born on a rainy day, so it’s Yui Mei. I also wished my parents
carefully thought it out before they named me.”

The crown prince narrowed his eyes at Yui Mei as she pouted and grumbled.

“Oi, give me some of that ‘antiseptic solution’, I want to bring it back.”

“Alright, I’ll make some more.”

The eunuch was observing the crown prince’s interested demeanor, so he requested
Yui Mei to give him some. She obligingly made another container of sanitizer, and
she also taught him the method.

But there was something strange about this eunuch.

Eunuchs were castrated males, and hormonal imbalances caused them to have
feminine appearances and high-pitched voices. But this eunuch attendant of the
crown prince, though possessing a beautiful face, was exuding an air of indomitable
masculinity, and his voice was also attractive, albeit low.

‘Let’s not think about it too deeply.’

Yui Mei instincts, being the die-hard Chinese drama fan that she was, screamed that
it was not something that she should meddle with.
Yui Mei sent the crown prince off after he learned how to disinfect. She started to
nurse the crown prince’s sleeping concubine back to health.

Yui Mei learned from Ziliang that the consort’s name was Jiang Yu Xiu. The crown
prince, who had yet to choose a future empress, favored this Honored Consort the
most.

‘So that’s why he came to see her in person.’

This fact added a grave weight to Yui Mei’s responsibility.

With regards to nursing a patient, one must take precautions to avoid dehydration
from excessive perspiration. According to Ziliang, it was the cause of death in this
illness. Apparatus such as intravenous drips were not yet discovered in this world,
so there was no other way but to let the patient drink water through her mouth.

‘Giving water to a patient is harder than I expected.’

There was a risk of aspiration if it was not done properly. Therefore, one must pay
careful attention to fluid intake.

“Alright, let’s try once more to make you drink water.”

Yu Xiu slightly opened her mouth when Yui Mei brought the cup near. At first, she
could only lightly lick the spilled drops on her lips. However, even if it was just
enough to dampen her mouth, as long water was patiently given to her, she would
gradually be able to swallow more. The amount being given would then be increased
to match her intake.

Yui Mei administered an oral rehydration solution made from water, sugar, and salt
to Yu Xiu.

She gave it to her in small amounts and encouraged her to sweat. If plain water was
given, minerals that were lost would not be replenished, blood would thin, and in
worse cases, disorientation and loss of consciousness could occur.

Medicine intake should be possible as long there is water intake to some degree,
since it could be dissolved in water. There was also fear of pneumonia from
aspiration, so food must wait until the patient was fully conscious.

In any case, it was just water first. Ultimately, people could survive on water for two
to three weeks only, anyway.

Yui Mei continued nursing the patient until the sky darkened completely.

“Yui Mei, I got your dinner.”

Ziliang, who entrusted the patient’s care to Yui Mei, returned while carrying a tray
with some rice gruel on a bowl. They both missed dinner, so he went to the kitchen
to get some. There were also some manju, but it was obviously a bonus that was
added by someone.

“Hooray, we got food!”

Yui Mei left Yu Xiu’s side for a while and cheerfully went to the table where Ziliang
placed the bowls. It was also important for the caregiver to replenish her strength.
One shouldn’t be restrained when it was time to eat, or else both of them will perish.

“How is she?”

“Her fever is not that high anymore, and it’s beginning to go down. The medicine is
probably taking effect now.”

Yui Mei ate her porridge and glanced at the wooden bed where Yui Mei was laid.
When she was just brought in, she was almost on the brink of death after drowning.
Her breathing was faint, but as her fever rose, it also became labored. However, it
gradually calmed down.

“Yeah, it’s a disease that is fatal when not treated right away.”

Ziliang had a bitter expression as he remembered the people who died because they
were not given medicine immediately.
“This person will surely survive.”

Yui Mei made her resolve to not contribute to the casualties further, even if it’s just
one person. She expressed her determination by gobbling down her gruel.

“Even so, it seems you know this disease well.”

Ziliang eventually asked. As expected, it was not a question she could evade.
However, Yui Mei already prepared an answer as to why she was knowledgeable
about that disease.

“I was raised in a remote region, so I sometimes heard stories from travelers.”

Yes, she planned to bluff with the story of ’hearing it from a traveler well-versed in
medicine, who passed through the remote regions.’

Ziliang’s eyebrow shot up when he heard Yui Mei’s reason.

“Oh, so an erudite traveler passed by.”

Ziliang’s tone said he didn’t believe a single word of it, but the first to react would
lose. Yui Mei avoided his eyes and reached for a manju after she was done with her
porridge. “So, what did that erudite traveler say about this disease? Is it a variation
of cold, or is it another disease altogether?”

Ziliang stopped prying, and he asked another question, instead. He probably thought
that Yui Mei also had her circumstances. Well, those ‘circumstances’ referred to the
memory retention of her previous world, though.

“It is a totally different disease from a cold. The initial symptoms were similar, so it
is easy to make a mistake, but effective medicine is different.”

Ziliang grinned when he heard Yui Mei’s words.

“Is that so! The physicians are also divided regarding this matter, but I stand on the
opposite side.”

Ziliang happily stated, since he was overjoyed that he had another supporter of his
theory. And so, the two of them passed the night nursing the patient while having
discussions about the field of medicine.
The day broke, and dawn came.

Yu Xiu had a low-grade fever, and some of her color returned.

“Her temperature is still slightly elevated, but she’s already safe.”

“Indeed, really, I’m relieved!”

Yui Mei and Ziliang raised their hands and rejoiced. Yu Xiu finally opened her eyes
after a while.

“……This is?”

“It is the clinic. It was His Highness the crown prince himself who requested that you
stay here for the meantime.”

Yu Xiu asked in a hoarse voice, and Ziliang told her the whole story.

“His Highness did…”

Tears welled in Yui Xiu’s eyes when she heard the name of the crown prince.

“This person is Yui Mei. She was the one who nursed you, changed your clothes, and
wiped your sweat.”

Ziliang introduced Yui Mei. He intended to clarify that it was not him, a male, who
did all these things, but a court lady, instead.

“Indeed, I was the one who accompanied you constantly.”

“…Is that so, thank you.”

A vague smile passed through Yu Xiu’s face upon hearing Yui Mei and Ziliang’s words.

Yesterday, the crown prince mentioned that no one would take care of her even if she
went back to the palace. Yu Xiu was the prime candidate for the seat of the empress, so
she had a lot of enemies. She would probably be too preoccupied in trying her best to
display her power to the bastards who wanted to take advantage of her illness. It was
not the place for her recuperation. Otherwise, in normal circumstances, the maids and
court ladies would have already stopped her abnormal behavior when she tried
to go to the stream.

‘So the person who wanted her to fall in disgrace should be one that is close to her.’

That desire was hindered by Yui Mei’s intervention. Yu Xiu should get better, so she
could cultivate the power to fight those malevolent people.

“Do you have an appetite? Would you wish to partake of some food?”

“…Yes, I do feel very hungry.”

Yu Xiu answered Yui Mei’s question with a troubled expression.

For a woman who was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, hunger must have
been a novel experience.

“It is good that you feel hunger. It means the body is trying to recover.”

Yu Xiu was relieved when she heard Yui Mei’s words. Even though she wanted to
eat, she must avoid rich foods since her stomach was still weak.

“Well then, I will go and prepare some soup. Ah, but will the crown prince’s palace
prepare Honored Consort Jiang’s food?”

Yui Mei thought that it was a hassle if she were to get it from there.

“No, the court lady’s kitchen will prepare the food according to the crown prince. So
get our breakfast, too.”

Ziliang ordered from her side.

“I understand.”

And so, Yui Mei headed towards the kitchen to secure their breakfast.
Mei Na was in the kitchen when Yui Mei arrived.

“Ah Mei, I heard about it, was hard on you.”

Mei Na approached Yui Mei as soon as she saw her, and she patted her shoulder.

Apparently, Mei Na also knew the story about how Yui Mei rescued the consort who
drowned. There were a lot of rubberneckers, so it was only natural that the story
spread in a blink of an eye.

“I was involved in something remarkable. Oh, since you already knew about it, does
that mean Mei Na was the one who sent that manju?”

Mei Na beamed broadly at Yui Mei’s question.

“Yeah, nursing a patient makes one hungry, after all.”

Yui Mei thanked Mei Na, and she relayed her agenda.

“I would like to have some soup suitable for a sick person, and can we have
breakfast for two along with it, please?”

“Alright, got it. By the way, Ah-Mei, isn’t it difficult to breathe with that cloth on?”

Mei Na nodded, then she peered at Yui Mei.

Indeed, Yui Mei did not remove her mask. She cannot remove it. Although she took
the medicine from Ziliang, a nurse in her previous world, she did not want to be a
source of infection.

“It’s not like that once you get used to it.”

Yui Mei waved her hand.

“Hmmm. Alright, wait a bit for your breakfast takeaway.”

Needless to say, Yui Mei disinfected Mei Na’s hands with the sprayer containing the
antiseptic solution, before she returned to the kitchen. Currently, Yui Mei was a
walking pathogen.

When Yui Mei returned to the clinic, Yu Xiu was already sitting and drinking the oral
rehydration solution by herself.

“Please pardon me for being late.”

Yui Mei placed their breakfast on the table, and then she moved to hand the tray
with the soup bowl when it struck her.

“Ah, does your Ladyship need a poison tester?”

Yui Mei suddenly remembered that dignitaries had poison testers, so she asked Yu Xiu.

“No need. I want to have something warm, just this for this occasion.”

Yu Xiu received the warm bowl of soup with a smile. She took her time and finished
the soup. She did not vomit, so it seemed they passed the critical stage. Yui Mei was
relieved from her duty, since Yu Xiu could already eat on her own. When they
informed the crown prince that she woke up, he sent an announcement that
someone would take over to care for her while she was at the clinic.

“I heard from Doctor Chen earlier that it was Yui Mei who saved me when I drowned
in the stream. You have my utmost gratitude.”

Yu Xiu bowed her head deeply as she said those words. Bowing towards a court lady
was something that a prideful consort could never do.

‘Maybe this is the reason why she was the prime candidate for the crown prince’s
future empress.’

Certainly, beauty alone was not enough. On the contrary, it might be a point that would
irritate and annoy the other concubines who were fighting for the empress’s position.

If Yu Xiu would stand in the pinnacle of the harem in the future, then the Inner Palace
would become a pleasant place to live in. Yui Mei was convinced that Yu Xiu must not
be discouraged and should continue striving.

“Tomorrow, I will visit and bring some

snacks.” “Well, I am looking forward to that.”

Yu Xiu looked genuinely happy when Yui Mei said those words. This would warrant
a careful selection of snacks.

‘Let’s consult Mei Na.’

Aunty Yang was waiting for Yui Mei when she returned from the clinic.

“Thanks for your hard work, Xiao Mei. Did Honored Consort Jiang recover?”

Aunty Yang rushed through her greeting, and asked about Yu Xiu.

“Yes. Her fever went down, and she ate her soup by herself when she woke up in the
morning.”

“Ah, what a relief. The crown prince’s palace managed to evade a

storm.” Aunty Yang looked relieved when she heard Yui Mei’s story.

“Xiao Mei, you stayed up all night, right? Rest, you don’t have to work today and
tomorrow.”

She also said gratifying words.

“Thank you very much.”

‘Hurray! It’s my first day-off!’

Yui Mei was so happy she was practically skipping on her way back to the lodging
room, despite her lack of sleep.

“Hmmmm…”

Yui Mei’s happiness withered away when she reached the place.
The few court ladies, who were in the room when they first came here, were still
sleeping.

‘This… They’re not night-shift court ladies, I guess.’

She already had her doubts the other day, and it was confirmed after she listened to
Ziliang’s story.

They were sleeping because they had influenza.

Since this large room was dedicated for the low ranking court ladies, then it might
have been discreetly converted into a quarantine room. In any case, if they were left
sleeping this way, then their body condition would probably worsen.

“I should clean first before sleeping.”

And so, Yui Mei quietly cleaned the room without disturbing the sleeping people.
She opened the window to improve ventilation.

Though it was being partitioned by folding screens, this room was way smaller than
the concubine’s residence.

She hurriedly swept with a broom, and she sprayed the disinfectant on the
surroundings of her sleeping space. Of course, she did not forget to get some hot
water to increase the humidity. Incidentally, she also checked the condition of the
sleeping women. There were three of them. She had a feeling the numbers
decreased, but it was possible that they got better so they went out.

‘As I thought.’

To avoid unpleasant conjectures, Yui Mei softly peeked through the gaps in the
folding screen.

“Would you like me to bring you some water?”

“…Dunno who you are, but water, please.”

She called out to one of them. The person replied in a hoarse voice, so she might have
been slightly dehydrated, but at least she was conscious. The other two also answered
in the same way, so Yui Mei went to the kitchen to make some oral rehydrating
solution. She used a teapot in lieu of a feeding cup, and brought it

over. “I’ll help you, can you drink it?”

She tipped the teapot to gradually pour water, but the three women unexpectedly
finished all.

It was not enough, so she went to the kitchen to make another

batch. “What are you doing instead of sleeping?” Mei Na was

exasperated to see her.

After everything was done, it was finally time to turn in.

‘Ahh, I’m beat.’

Needless to say, she fell asleep the moment she curled in her blanket.
【 】
It was the day after Yu Xiu woke up in the clinic. Liu Ming Xian, the crown prince of
the Sai Empire, had been walking along the palace hallways with his most trusted
confidante since morning. He headed towards the study of Zhi Wei, his father.

“Good morning, Father.”

He called out from outside the door. Zhi Wei, who was surrounded by several officials,
looked up from the memorials that were spread on his table, and glanced at him.

“Ming Xian. What brings you here so early in the morning.”

His side profile revealed his apathetic and unmotivated expression. His demeanor
exuded lethargy, as if humans were not worth his interest.

‘His condition is still the same as usual.’

It was said that he was a valiant and wise emperor twenty years ago, but now, his
appearance was as if he were a ghost.

Zhi Wei disregarded Ming Xian’s inner thoughts.

“Isn’t Honored Consort Jiang bedridden?”

The ruckus yesterday also reached Zhi Wei ears.

‘You shouldn’t be here right now.’

It was as if Zhi Wei was tacitly implying that with his words. However, Ming Xian
shook his head.

“There is no need to worry. Yu Xiu has recovered. I went to visit her yesterday
evening. She was lively, albeit still weak. Doctor Chen, the clinic’s physician, said that
she could return to the palace in two to three days’ time.”
“…Is that so. That is good.”

Zhui Wei narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin as he listened. Aside from Zhi Wei,
the rest of the officials in the same room also heard about it, naturally. With this, the
person behind the scheme would learn that their plan to eliminate Yu Xiu through
the disease had failed.

They targeted Yu Xiu in order to prevent her from becoming Ming Xian’s empress.
The true wielder of power in the Inner Palace was not Zhi Wei, the emperor, but his
mother — the empress dowager.

Ming Xian was not the son of the empress, who was the niece of the empress
dowager. Ming Xian’s mother came from a household that belonged to a faction that
opposed that of the empress dowager’s family.

During the changing of dynasty, only the empress dowager, being the mother of the
emperor, remained in the Inner Palace. If this continued on, the empress she raised
would have to leave the palace. Her power would then weaken.

The empress dowager was a power-greedy person, and she made several schemes in
her desire to continue wielding her power even onto the next emperor. This plan
was one of them, as she intended to make one of her blood relatives to become Ming
Xian’s empress.

And so, she sent a barely ten-year old child to Ming Xian. With this excessive action,
Ming Xian’s anger was immense. He was fed up. The girl herself was just an ordinary
child, so she was bewildered from being separated from her mother’s side.

Ming Xian decided to take her under his wing, so he let her enter the crown prince’s
palace. He intended to betroth her to the person she would like in the future. She
was just a pawn; she was blameless. Yu Xiu also agreed. However, should anything
happen to Yu Xiu, then that girl would automatically become the prime candidate to
become the empress.

‘Their plan would have been successful if the usual attendants were not there when she
fell into the stream.’

For Ming Xian, it was their good fortune.

The replacement of court ladies and maids attending to Yu Xiu did not push through,
and they were able to forestall the circumstances of the incident. Ming Xian frankly
thought that destruction had brushed past him.

From the information he gathered through the rubbernecking court ladies at the scene,
that girl’s actions were queer and ghastly— as if she was possessed by a curse.

‘She was kissing the corpse, and assaulting it by beating the chest fiercely.’

Those were the words of the frightened court ladies.

However, according to Doctor Chen, the girl’s actions were a form of life-saving
method that came from a foreign country, and was not well known among the
physicians. Without her, it would have been difficult to attempt that rescue method.

‘Well, it would have been difficult had Doctor Chen be the one to place his lips on my
consort.’

Even if it was in the name of medicine, he would be accused of adultery in a crowd of

bystanders.

It was a blessing in disguise. Thanks to that girl, Yu Xiu was saved. Moreover, he now
had a reason to push the blame onto the useless people to drive all of them at once. He
would be able to secure her safety by surrounding her with people that he trusted.

Yu Xiu was safe now in the physician’s clinic, and later on, he would send the court
lady he had picked beforehand to go there as an attendant. He also made
arrangements to station secret guards around the clinic for their safety. Instead of
the crown palace’s kitchen, he sent his subordinates to the court ladies’ kitchen to
prepare food that was safe.

‘I will never let that empress dowager interfere.’

It was a good resolve; however, it was not the purpose of his visit to the emperor.

“I obtained something interesting, so I would like to present it to Father.”

Ming Xian smiled as he drew closer to his father’s desk.

“Did you acquire something rare?”

“Indeed. Please see it for yourself.”

Ming Xian gestured to Li Yong, his subordinate standing behind him. Li Yong handed
a tray covered in cloth. Ming Xian removed the cloth himself. It held a sprayer.

“,,,Is there something wrong with that sprayer?”

After he gave those insinuating words, Zhi Wei brows puckered at the seemingly
ordinary sprayer.

“Father, the contents are important.”

Ming Xian took the bottle, and sprayed it onto Zhi Wei.

“What!? It stinks of sake!”

“Indeed, it contains watered down sake, after all.”

Ming Xian deepened his smile at Zhi Wei’s wry face.

“A person at the clinic told me that this is very effective against the current disease.
Apparently, it must be sprayed on the hands frequently. Ah, drinking tea is also
good, according to her.”

“…I didn’t hear anything like that from the physicians. Those quacks.”

The face of the court physician floated to Zhi Wei’s mind, and he scowled.

That physician used money and became the empress dowager’s underling, so his
ability can easily be surmised.

It was troubling that a mere physician from the clinic was more competent than the
court physician who was in charge of the emperor’s health.

“I offer this to you. I am praying for your health, Father.”

“Is that so, then I will receive it with gratitude.”

Zhi Wei closely inspected the sprayer upon receiving it.

After Ming Xian was done with his business, he excused himself from the study. He
strode on with nary a word for a while.

“Is it really fine without saying anything?”

Li Yong, his subordinate, whispered when they reached a deserted corridor.

“What do you mean?’

“About the girl that was in the clinic…”

Li Yong chose his words carefully, but the corners of Ming Xian lips lifted in a smirk.

“Really, why on earth did that girl decide to come here?”

Ming Xian was reminded of the court lady he saw at the clinic, and he gave a strained
laugh.

The girl’s hair was novel, with its marvelous tinge of midnight-blue. Also, the hue of
her eyes was the noble blue.

She said she was named Yui Mei, because she was a girl born on a rainy day. She
even sulked, saying that she wished her parents gave it a bit more thought when
they named her.

If It was just the hair color, then there must be others who have something similar. It
was the same for the eye color. The noble blood could also be inherited, even if it
was far down the lineage.

However, possessing both qualities was a different matter altogether; moreover, she
was also named ‘Yui Mei’. It was definitely not a coincidence.

Even if the name ‘Yui Mei’ was helplessly perfunctory, it was still a name bestowed by
Zhi Wei to that infant.

According to Yang, the person who managed all the court ladies, Yui Mei was a
maiden recruited from the border regions. If it was the borderlands… then it would
be the location of the nunnery where Lady Zhang, one of the Beauties, was banished.

“Lady Zhang was the victim who bore the brunt of the power struggle.”

“Indeed. Kind and calm, such an unfortunate person.”

At Li Yong’s words, Ming Xian casted his eyes down as he recalled the past.

In order to strengthen her power and control, the empress dowager forced her niece
on Zhi Wei to become his empress, just as she did to Ming Xian. Unfortunately, Zhi
Wei did not have the power to resist her at that time.

The empress dowager was the one who gave birth to the emperor, so her pride was
extremely high. That trait of hers was also inherited by her niece. Despite her great
beauty, the empress was quick-tempered and highly irritable, so Zhi Wei finally
found it unbearable.

Therefore, Zhi Wei planned to be husband and wife with her only for appearance’s
sake. However, being the birth mother of the emperor was far more important in the
Inner Palace, more than being the empress. The empress dowager kept on pestering
them for a child, to the point that even their intimacy was monitored by her.

Zhi Wei had no intention of letting the empress bear his child, so he devised a plan.
He fed the empress with sleeping pills in order to pull through the situation. The
empress, who was raised as a sheltered lady, fell for that puerile trick. She thought
that nightly activities were conducted like that.

Due to the savage circumstances, It was only natural that the emperor would seek
out respite among the tranquil concubines.

And it was to Lady Zhang the emperor gave his heart to.

At that time, he also had a son, Ming Xian, from another concubine, so he felt he was
relieved of his duty, since he already had an heir apparent. Shortly after, Lady Zhang
bore the dragon seed in her womb, and she gave birth to a princess.
On the other hand, the empress fretted over the turn of events.

The other concubines gave birth, but the empress still did not have a child. It was
only natural, since nothing happened between her and the emperor. However, it was
enough to breed malicious rumours that the empress was infertile.

In order to dispel those rumors, the empress planned to secretly obtain seed from
the emperor’s relatives. She then conceived and gave birth to a male child, and she
claimed that child as the crown prince.

Unexpectedly, Lady Zhang also gave birth at this time.

However, the emperor made a huge ruckus by stating that it would be impossible for
the empress to conceive, as they never did the act. A man who frequently visited the
Inner Palace in secrecy was also identified, so things escalated to the point of
censure, thus the empress dowager interfered.

— ‘’My maid saw that man come out of Lady Zhang’s chambers.”

By the empress dowager’s command, Lady Zhang’s residence was searched, and an
object that purportedly belonged to a man was found.

— “I never saw that man, much less that item!”

However, they turned a deaf ear to Lady Zhang’s words.

Lady Zhang did not have any backing, so even if Zhi Wei wanted to shield her, she
did not have a chance against the empress dowager. In the Inner Palace, the empress
dowager’s words carried more weight than the truth.

Adultery by imperial wives was a capital crime, punishable by death. That was the
desire of the empress dowager, but Zhi Wei vehemently protested, thus she escaped
death by a hair’s breadth. However, Lady Zhang was eventually driven out of the
Inner Palace, and along with the new born princess, they were forced to live in the
nunnery located in a remote region.

Afterward, news came that Lady Zhang took her own life. Since there was no news
regarding the baby, they thought the infant died with her.

The empress, who was the true perpetrator of adultery, was still in the harem, due to
the protection of the empress dowager. However, Zhi Wei fervidly refused to
acknowledge her child as the crown prince, so the boy left the Inner Palace last year
when he turned fifteen.

However, the empress continued to scheme to make her son the crown prince, so
she tried to poison Ming Xian countless times, and she even sent assassins after him
time after time; it was a restless life. Thanks to that, she did not have the time to
bear an heir, so she remained childless.

The stalemate continued, and sixteen years had passed. Who would have thought
that such an existence would be mixed among the maidens of marriageable age
gathered for the Inner Palace.

Ming Xian had the opportunity to hold Lady Zhang’s child just once. He remembered
how those blue eyes the same as his had stared straight at him.

“It would be boring if he were to know about it so easily,” Ming Xian muttered.

What in the world was Yui Mei’s purpose for returning to the Inner Palace?

Along with anxiety, Ming Xian felt exhilarated. It was as if a lovable, boisterous bird
wandered inside a place where the atmosphere was stagnant since the wind
stopped blowing.

If the identity of Yui Mei, who had no support, was revealed, then Lady Zhang’s
history might repeat itself.

It was not certain whether Yui Mei knew this, but she did not assert her birthright,
and she was working as an ordinary low ranking court lady. According to Yang, she
was an industrious person. Initially, he thought she was working at the clinic, but
surprisingly, she was just a housekeeper. What a waste of ability. Moreover, she
could read. She even explained the origin of her name when asked the other day.
From that alone, it could be surmised that she could write, and she knew the
meaning of those letters. Yang did not notice that Yui Mei could read, but this might
be her own unsubstantiated assertion.

‘She doesn’t want to be conspicuous.’

Ming Xian also decided not to say a word about it to Yang. In addition, without
scheming for it, she obtained Lady Wang’s request to clean her residence, which
formerly belonged to Lady Zhang.

The residences of some of Shi Wei’s residences were neglected, and were in a
terrible state, but there was no move for improvement. All of these concubines were
daughters from families belonging to the faction opposing the empress dowager.

The empress dowager pulled strings to send useless workers. Her repeated
interference, and the shortage of laborers due to the epidemic, caused even Yang to
struggle. The empress also regarded Lady Wang as her enemy, since she reminded
her of Lady Zhang, who was also a former court lady.

It must be destiny’s hand that Yui Mei was the one who saved that Lady Wang. It was
also Lady Wang who started the trend of placing bowls of hot water in the room, and
it became popular among the concubines. Apparently, it was also Yui Mei who taught
her those things.

Creating a trend would boost one’s position in the inner harem. In the midst of
concubines shaking in fear of the curse, Lady Wang and the other concubines, who
were suppressed by the empress dowager, were slowly gaining their foothold. In the
garden of women, one rumor could trigger an avalanche, for better or for worse.

If the identity of Yui Mei, who was living unobtrusively, was brought to light, then
the empress dowager and empress would definitely find a way to either expel her, or
capture her.

If Yui Mei was acknowledged as a princess, then the empress’s adultery would also
be judged.

“That’s why, Li Yong, observe Yui Mei’s condition regularly.”

“Huh… What?”

Li Yong answered reflexively, and he looked befuddled.

“Did you mean… me?”

“Indeed. If it was anyone else, then wouldn’t a misunderstanding occur?”

If speculations that Ming Xian was trying to summon Yui Mei arose, then Yui Mei
would be in an unfavorable spotlight.
Ming Xian intended to observe Yui Mei, and then report her true motive for entering
the Inner Palace to Zhi Wei.

‘Revenge against Father is also a likely reason. After all, it is plausible that a child
would harbor resentment against the father who abandoned her in a nunnery.’

More than anything, it was urgent to know the extent of Yui Mei’s knowledge and
her views regarding herself.

“…I am also currently in a precarious situation, though.”

“I leave it to you, Eunuch Wang Libin,” said Ming Xian to Li Yong, who was looking
sullen.

Libin was Li Yong’s work name. Li Yong also had his own struggles.

“Oh, things are getting busy now.”

Contrary to his words, Ming Xian looked like he was enjoying himself immensely.
While Ming Xian and Li Yong were discussing those things, Yui Mei was preparing to
visit Yu Xiu. She felt refreshed after sleeping like a log, so she thought she would
fulfill her promise.

“Good day, Honored Consort Jiang.”

Yu Xiu was already awake and sitting up on the wooden bed when Yui Mei entered
the clinic.

“Oh, come here, Yui Mei.”

Yu Xiu was in better spirits, so she greeted Yui Mei with a smile.

“Thank goodness, your Ladyship’s complexion looks better. Please accept my gift.”

Yui Mei also respectfully bowed to Yu Xiu. Afterward, she took a package wrapped in
paper from her breast pocket. It was mushipan, especially made by Mei Na.

“It is freshly steamed, so it is still warm.”

“Oh my, they look so delectable!”

Yu Xiu was thrilled with the warm buns. Her appetite was proof that she recovered.

“Can you please brew some tea? Join us and let’s eat together.”

Yu Xiu called out to the court lady beside her. The adorable girl had her hair up in
two buns above her ears. She seemed younger than Yui Mei.

“Yes!”

The court lady straightened up, and started to make tea. She gave the impression
that she was also a novice, rather than someone seasoned with experience.
“The crown prince sent this girl.”

Yu Xiu noticed that Yui Mei was staring at the maiden, so she explained. Apparently,
the crown prince personally selected this person to avoid bringing harm to the
patient, and to take care of her necessities.

“A, ahm, please.”

The court lady nervously served the tea. Yui Mei thought she was her senior, since
she was not included in their recruited group, but she was strangely timid.

“Nice to meet you. I’m a novice, and I just entered the Inner Palace recently.”

Yui Mei tactfully expressed that there was no need for her to be so nervous.

“Oh, yes, please take care of me too!”

The court lady straightened her back, rigidly bowed, then replied with formal words.

‘Maybe it’s her personality.’

She was trembling like a leaf, reminiscent of a small animal, so it was easy to feel soft
towards her. Maybe the selection was done to recruit unexpectedly soothing
personnel. The crown prince was also someone who cannot be taken lightly.

Yu Xiu also rose from her wooden bed, and she sat at the same table beside Yui Mei
and the court lady. She elegantly tore the mushipan into bite-size pieces, and then
placed one in her mouth, and smiled.

“It is perfectly done. Very delicious, indeed.”

Yu Xiu was fond of Mei Na’s deluxe mushipan. It was carefully selected with the
patient’s weak stomach in mind.

‘I’ll tell Mei Na later that Honored Consort Jiang was elated.’

Yui Mei thought about how Mei Na paid careful attention to the quality of her snacks.

“I was always served lavish dishes since I became a consort, but the opportunity to
eat freshly made food lessened.”
Yu Xiu sadly recounted as she ate the bread. After the kitchen finished cooking her
meals, they passed through a lot of hands before they were served to her. The
carriers were obviously part of those, but it also took time to test the food for poison.
Yu Xiu was relieved from such formalities while being in the clinic.

‘Bigwigs truly live a constrained life.’

Perhaps, her mother was the same. It must have been hard for her, not being able to
taste warm foods. Yui Mei contemplated as she sank her teeth into the bread.

“Hey, where’s my portion?”

Ziliang, who was evidently in the back room, suddenly appeared.

“No worries, here you go.”

Yui Mei took another package out and handed it to Ziliang. The four of them sat
together as Ziliang laid out the plans for Yu Xiu.

“Noble Concubine Jiang will be staying in the clinic until tomorrow, as planned. She
will return to the palace the day after. I already informed the crown prince
regarding this.”

“Well, it is as expected.”

Yui Mei nodded at Ziliang’s medical judgement. In her previous world, the patients
could return to their own homes to do self-quarantine two days after the fever
abated. The disease was most contagious during the recovery period, so it would be
a wise decision.

“What a relief, Lady Yu Xiu.”

The court lady was ecstatic that the discharge date was set, and they could return to
the palace. Yu Xiu nodded at the maiden’s happiness.

“Yes. When I was suffering from fever, I really thought my time had come.”

Certainly, one suffering from influenza would have high fever, and it would feel as if
their heads were boiling from the elevated temperature. The whole body and joints
would also feel painful, and there would be a feeling of extreme fatigue, nausea, and
splitting headaches. It was only natural that one would think they were on the brink
of death. Yui Mei never contracted the flu in her previous life, but she did hear about
how it felt from her patients.

According to the crown prince, nobody tended to Yu Xiu, having neglected her, so
she must have suffered needlessly.

“I had a near-death experience, but I believe it is a great fortune that I was able to
meet a person like you. Again, thank you. You have my utmost gratitude, Yui Mei.”

Yui Mei smiled after being thanked again.

“It is my honor, Honored Consort Jiang.”

Yu Xiu’s recovery was largely due to Yui Mei conducting cardiopulmonary

resuscitation just in time. However, medicines and treatments would all go to waste,
without the person’s resilience. Yu Xiu’s desire to live triumphed against influenza.

“Please treat your stay in the clinic as a vacation, and rest leisurely until you return
to the crown prince’s palace. There are plenty of delicious snacks, too.”

There was nobody here with prying eyes, so it would be good if she were to relax to
her heart’s content, and to nurture her strength.

Yu Xiu giggled at Yui Mei’s words.

“Yui Mei, you really say such amusing words. To treat a disease as vacation…”

It was apt to think of a disease as a misfortune. However, an ill person should rest,
so it would be good if she were to do so with her heart at ease. There was no rule
that said one should mop around when sick.

“Well, it is good. Besides, this mushipan is truly divine. The people in this kitchen
have great skills.”

Yu Xiu narrowed her eyes in bliss as she ate another piece. Her appearance was truly
adorable, full of expressions. She was a very pretty woman, indeed.

‘So, (provisionary) elder brother’s type was someone like her.’

Yui Mei thought he had great tastes.
It was the day after Yui Mei’s visit to Yu Xiu.

‘Alright, back to work again today.’

Yui Mei felt motivated. She went to the dining hall early, and had gobbled her food
with great gusto.

Surprisingly, she did not contract the flu.

Influenza’s incubation period was one to two days. It was relatively short, so she
should already exhibit symptoms had she contracted it.

‘My immune system really did a good job, if I say so myself.’

Come to think of it, she did not contract the disease in her previous world, too. All
her colleagues were infected, and had to leave their workplace. She felt she
struggled hard that time, being the only one who was not infected.

However, she should not let her guard down. Influenza was most prevalent during
the changing of season from winter to spring.

And so, she started to teach the importance of disease prevention to all those around
her. She did it on the pretext that it was an instruction that came from the clinic
physicians. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain. Half of those who heard her were
firm in their belief that it was not a disease, but a curse.

‘Hmmm, that curse nonsense is unexpectedly deeply rooted. Seems the empress
dowager support’s behind all these.’

Another problem arose.

“Hey, isn’t it that girl over there?”

“You’ll be cursed if you come near her…”

The other girls who were in the dining hall kept on whispering about her.

‘I can hear you, though.’

Yui Mei retorted inwardly, but she tried her best not to show it on her face.

She hated how they deliberately raised their voices just enough to let her hear as
they whispered in that exquisite tone.

‘Yui Mei is the source of the curse’ – that story was being spread around as a
plausible truth.

They thought the CPR that Yui Mei did to Yu Xiu was peculiar, and the spectators at
the scene spread those rumors. The eunuchs were the most aggressive among them.
They were an incompetent bunch, but they were quick at this kind of jobs.

‘They must have wanted to make me the bad guy, and erase all traces of their uselessness.’

According to the entirety of the rumor, the eunuchs who fearlessly wanted to save
Yu Xiu despite the curse, were all pushed away by Yui Mei, saying that they were in
the way, and then she casted the curse.

That rumor perfectly suited the circumstances of those useless eunuchs. But it
would have been good if it was only this rumor. The mayhem was further fanned by
the jealousy of her colleagues.

Yui Mei nursed the favored concubine of the crown prince, so she was branded as a
disgusting, promotion-seeking, scheming woman. Those rumors spread while she
was fast asleep. Apparently, gossips of this kind spread in the blink of an eye.

The jealousy of a woman was deeper than the sea.

Yui Mei already knew that about this since she had many female coworkers in her
previous world, but she had underestimated the inner harem.

Yui Mei was busy since the first day she entered the Inner Palace, so building rapport
with her colleagues had been delayed. She was aware how solitary she was in the midst
of the court ladies, and now, this situation occurred. Due to that, no one wanted
to be with her; so be it meals, or work, she was left all alone.

To say she was lonely was an understatement. Mei Na was the only one who cared
about her.

“I’ll sit here.”

Mei Na brought her tray of food to the table where Yui Mei was, and she sat down
with a thud. It was her rest day, so she was wearing comfortable clothes, instead of
her court lady uniform.

“Good morning, Mei Na. Noble Concubine Jiang was very pleased with the mushipan
you sent her.”

Mei Na seemed to be very busy yesterday after Yui Mei got the mushipan, so she
immediately told her about the news today.

“Really!? Wow, I’m glad.”

Yu Xiu’s meals were prepared in the court ladies’ kitchen since her first day at the
clinic, probably due to its proximity. However, Ziliang also mentioned that it was the
crown prince who gave the order, so he probably did not trust the kitchen staff of
the crown prince’s palace.

The crown prince must have arrived at the conclusion that the court ladies’ kitchen
would be less dangerous than the one in his residence.

‘The crown prince must be doing his best reorganizing the palace while Noble
Concubine Jiang is away.’

Yui Mei bolted down her food as she contemplated.

“…Oh”

A group of three court ladies entered the dining hall. They saw Mei among them. She
was Yui Mei’s supervisor, but it was the first time she saw her since that first day.

“She often brings those gals with her.”

Mei was leading a few court ladies, but they seem to be from the capital, as well. Aside
from the court lady uniform, they were dressed up with fashionable hair ornaments
and scarves, and they were wearing beautiful cosmetics.

When seen through with the filter of a provincial person’s inferiority complex, their
appearance was exuding an aura of being ‘capital-born’. They came from affluent
families who could afford to send allowances to them.

“Those good-for-nothings are the ones saying that Ah Mei is a scheming, ambitious
woman.”

Mei Na whispered to Yui Mei.

‘Well, I already thought they were the ones, though.’

The people who spread the rumors were strangers who did not have anything to do
with her. However, the catalyst who conceived those malicious rumors must have a
person with a deep grudge against her.

An indifferent person would be the same as air; rumors were impossible to come
from such a person. The only person who had a direct relation with the loner Yui Mei
was none other than Mei, who had already expressed animosity right off the bat the
first day Yui Mei came to the Inner Palace.

Some of the court ladies were sold to the Inner Palace as collateral for loans, while
maidens like Mei were sent to the palace to catch the emperor or the crown prince’s
fancy.

No matter how ostentatious they were, it would mean nothing if they did not
become concubines. And as the years passed, their youthfulness also faded. They
were also in a perilous position, so to speak. These women couldn’t help but be
envious of Yui Mei, who managed to become closer to the crown prince’s favored
concubine despite being a novice.

“They must be aggravated, since Ah Mei was favored by the higher-ups because
you’re doing your work properly.”

Mei Na said that they should just stop slacking and work, while laughing sarcastically.

“They had no intention of working right from the start, though.’

If their aim was to be a concubine, then they must have come from well-to-do
families. In that case, they would be the type who left all the work to their servants.
Being raised and pampered in such a way, they must have been told that they need
to catch the eye of the emperor or the crown prince once they enter the palace, and
they themselves must have planned to do so.

In other words, they must have thought inwardly that cleaning, laundry, and cooking
were things beneath them. That was the reason why they did not work, and as a
result, they were not promoted to maid status, either.

Mei was a high ranking court lady due to the years she spent in the Inner Palace;
however, in order to be promoted to a maid, an exam was necessary, as well as the
recommendation from the higher-ups. Obviously, no boss would dare recommend a
court lady who was an idler.

In short, she was only paving the way to her own destruction.
Mei and her companions strode towards Yui Mei’s table.

“You’re pretty thick skinned, aren’t you? You’re the source of the curse and yet there
you are, brazenly sitting. What the heck do you mean by this?”

“Yes, that’s so true.”

“Go and disappear right now.”

Mei started an argument, and her minions sang the same tune.

“Good morning. It’s still early yet everyone’s pretty energetic.”

Yui Mei could not retort, since Mei was her senior, so she decided to greet them,
instead. They were waiting for her to grimace and show a bad attitude. However, Yui
Mei shut them up with her seemingly ordinary demeanor. This evasion technique
was her method of saying she won’t go with their flow.

Mei and the other girls flinched, but they soon regained their composure.

“You’re such a shameless person. You’re spreading the curse so the court ladies
decreased, yet there you are, selling yourself without batting an eye.”

The other girls affirmed Mei’s outrageous exaggeration.

“Really, she shouldn’t be allowed to enter here.”

“Everyone will be cursed.”

They continued inciting the other court ladies, until everyone stealthily left the
dining hall while carrying their bowls.

Rather than bothering Yui Mei, it was Mei and the girls who were expending unnecessary
effort.

‘Sorry for troubling you guys.’

Yui Mei regretted disturbing the other court ladies’ breakfast, even though it was
Mei’s party who made a ruckus. It seemed that Mei and the girls would continue
pestering them, so Yui Mei decided to counter attack.

“You said I sold myself, but I was only doing the cleaning jobs at that time. Since Mei
is my supervisor, they might also favor you if you work with me.”

Yui Mei implied that it was their fault for neglecting their duties and playing around.
A tiny laugh resounded from the kitchen. Even if the dining hall was deserted, the
kitchen staff was still there. Mei blushed furiously after being laughed at.

“Anyway, the uproar regarding the curse started way back before Ah Mei came, isn’t
it? Don’t tell me you can’t compute the days, Mei?”

Mei wrinkled her nose when she heard Mei Na’s consecutive cutting remarks in
defense of Yui Mei. She went through great pains to doll up with cosmetics, but it
was ruined by her ugly scowl.

“You dare strut around just because you caught the crown prince’s fancy! Mark my
words, when I became His Highness the crown prince’s concubine, I’ll definitely
send you off to do heavy labor!!”

“Hey, Mei!”

“Wait!”

Mei angrily threw those words, and briskly walked away, followed by her minions.

Yui Mei and Mei Na were the only ones left at the dining hall.

‘So that person is targeting the crown prince, huh.’

That’s why she was extremely vexed that Yui Mei met the crown prince directly.

“Really, what an awful guy.”

Mei Na heaved a deep sigh and grumbled. Yui Mei shrugged.

“Let’s leave them be, they’ll be happier if we pay attention to them.”

She would just get tired if she were to confront them, so it was best to ignore them.
Mei Na was amused at Yui Mei’s remark.

“Ah Mei, you’re quite farsighted for your age.”

Yui Mei also acknowledged that she sounded too old-fashioned, since she had
memories of her previous world. Nevertheless, she still intended to enjoy the
feelings of a maiden her age.

Yui Mei felt tired after dealing with Mei; however, she had to work after eating her
breakfast.

“Today’s another day of cleaning…”

Yui Mei hummed as she walked through the corridors while carrying her tools. She
then saw a eunuch approaching from the other end. It was someone familiar.

‘Wait, isn’t that the crown prince’s attendant?’

A eunuch had a questionable existence, but no mistake, they had a higher status
compared to her. Yui Mei stood to the side and bowed her head, so as not to obstruct
the other person’s path.

‘Hurry up and pass quickly.’

Yui Mei inwardly said, but contrary to her expectations, the eunuch stopped before
her.

“So you were here. Good, I don’t have to go to the court ladies’ lodging house.”

His low voice, which was something one won’t often hear in the Inner Palace, made
Yui Mei extremely uncomfortable. However, apparently, the eunuch had some
business with her.

“How may I help you? Ahm…”

Yui Mei raised her head to ask, but she suddenly stopped when she remembered
that she didn’t know the name of this eunuch.

“Wang Libin’s the name. You can call me Libin.”

He noticed her uncertainty, so he introduced himself.

The surname Wang was very common in the Inner Palace, so he wanted her to
distinguish him from the rest. Yui Mei also knew a handful of people with that
surname, including Lady Wang, and five court ladies.

“I understand. Libin, how may I help you?”

Yui Mei repeated her question.

“Noble Concubine Jiang was delighted with the mushipan you gave her. The crown
prince heard about it, and was also pleased. He sent me to bestow his reward upon
you.”

So he came to deliver the reward.

“For the crown prince to be satisfied, it is truly an honor. The court lady who made
the mushipan will also feel glad.”

Yui Mei replied to Libin.

“…”

Libin did not reply. Yui Mei thought that since the conversation ended, it was time to
return to her work. However, it was quite explicable that this man came looking for
her just to relay those words.

‘Well, this is much more preferable than if the crown prince himself came here instead.’

Yui Mei was already sticking out like a sore thumb; she did not want to be conspicuous
any more than this. She didn’t know what rumors would fly should someone see her
alone with the crown prince’s attending eunuch; moreover, with just the two of them.

“If that is all, then please excuse me.”

Yui Mei turned to go.

“Are you always wandering around with that appearance?”

Libin suddenly asked.

“…Indeed?”

Yui Mei was wearing her court lady uniform, and her mask. Speaking of, she forgot
to remove it. She thought he was pointing it out, however –

“Cover all your hair with a cloth.”

Libin stood behind Yui Mei. He gathered her hair and skillfully coiled it into a bun,
before covering it with the handkerchief he took out from his bosom.

“This should be fine.”

Libin removed his hand, and Yui Mei touched her hair. It was more beautifully
arranged than how she did it.

‘What a dextrous guy.’

Yui Mei wanted to see how it was, so she peered at her reflection on the glass windows.
Libin stared at her from behind.

“Standing out in the Inner Palace is not a good thing. Your hair is too ostentatious. It
would do you well to hide it.”

“…Huh.”

“Well, sorry for disturbing you.”

Libin waved his hand at Yui Mei, who nodded uncertainly, before returning to the
corridor. Yui Mei followed his retreating figure until he was out of sight, before
touching the hood wrapped around her head.

‘This is silk, though.’’

She must have looked ridiculous, wearing a hood that was a lot more expensive than
her clothes. Since it was not made with cotton, Libin probably came from an affluent
family. Then why on earth was he a eunuch? He was also very manly; he could’ve
chosen to become a gate guard.

‘No, I shouldn’t bring this up.’

She reminded herself, trying to suppress her curiosity and desire to solve a mystery.
She was sure it must be a troublesome and complicated matter. In the meantime, she
took the kerchief off, and changed it with the cloth cover she used during cleaning.
She pulled it low to cover her eyes.

This silk handkerchief might come in handy someday, so Yui Mei decided to treasure
it,
Yui Mei always wore her hood and mask after Libin pointed it out. She only removed
them at mealtimes. Libin told her that her hair was conspicuous, but was she the
only one who thought this getup was way more suspicious? It was the equivalent of
pulling the hat over the eyes and wearing a mask; just add glasses and it would be
the perfect image of a pervert.

‘But then, it’s really dangerous if my blue hair stood out.’

It was just as Libin said. Her mother drew the attention of the emperor because of
this hair, too. It was truly eye-catching. People were starting to know her as the ‘girl
with the bluish hair’ in the residences she cleaned.

Yui Mei’s mother was in the Inner Palace sixteen years ago. The young court ladies in
the lodging house may not know her, but older concubines and maids might have
some memory of her. Though she did not go to the places of the high-ranking
consorts, it would not hurt to be more careful from now on.

Nevertheless, she did not think hiding her hair would be Libin’s personal idea. First
of all, she did not have any recollection of getting along with Libin.

What was the crown prince’s purpose for sending Libin to warn her? Perhaps, the
crown prince knew her mother?

‘Well, I shouldn’t have any unnecessary expectations.’

Yui Mei did not possess anything that would prove her lineage. After all, it was only
a story told by the nuns. There was also a possibility that her parents had been a
travelling couple who had passed by the borderland, and they might have died from
disease or met an accident, so the nunnery took her in.

Perhaps, the heroine’s tragic tale was made up in order to cheer the orphaned child.
Those nuns loved to gossip, after all.
She also had a faint desire to know whether her family members were here.
However, it was not her priority. She did not come here to be acknowledged by the
emperor. Her motive was still watching the inner harem.

In this way, Yui Mei found a clear explanation regarding her birth. She spent her
days as usual, despite being treated as a dubious person.

On the other hand, influenza’s menace had not abated yet.

Yui Mei wanted to avoid being infected by the flu, so she religiously cleaned-up, washed
her hands, gargled, and thoroughly disinfected herself using alcohol sanitizers.

Their lodging was previously messy since a lot of people entered and exited, but
thanks to her, it gained the reputation of being tidy. However, despite the sleeping
quarters being clean, the court ladies still perceived gargling and use of alcohol
disinfectant as queer. She was branded as a suspicious person, since she only
showed her eyes. They all distanced themselves from her.

However, Yui Mei just ignored them.

“Xiao Mei, won’t you do something about that appearance of yours?”

At last, Aunty Yang asked as she ate her breakfast one day.

“Is it not allowed?”

“Well, rather than saying it’s not allowed…”

Yui Mei was not affected despite being told off, so Aunty Yang had a troubled expression.

“Part of the girls complained and said that they do not want to stay in the same room
as you.”

‘Well, I certainly look suspicious.’

She also acknowledged it, so she did not intend to complain that she was being
excluded. However, she planned to stop wearing her mask when the flu season was
over, so she thought their suspicions would be reduced by then.

“It is a protection against colds, so I’ll remove it when the flu season is over.”
“Hmm, about that…”

Apparently, the complainant couldn’t wait for that long.

However, the lodging room was only for the low ranking court ladies. They only
returned to the room to sleep. Whether they like it or not, it was not a personal
space they could be picky about. At most, they can only move their wooden beds to a
further location. That’s why even if she was told that someone did not want to be in
the same room as her, she could only respond with ‘so what?’.

“What would they like me to do?”

There was no room under that floor.

“They proposed that we either assign them their own personal rooms, or to toss you
out to the shed. Well, the majority of the girls are fine closing their eyes, though;
since you’ve been cleaning the room for them.”

Yui Mei became alert due to Aunty Yang’s words.

‘Mei’s faction is behind this ruckus.’

There were a few capital-born girls among the court ladies staying at the lodging
house, so those girls must have complained to her.

Since the court ladies were short-handed, there were vacant rooms available; however,
only the high-ranking court ladies were allowed that privilege. It was impossible to give
preferential treatment to the low ranking court ladies staying at the lodging house.
Moreover, the girls involved with Mei did not have a hardworking personality.

From Aunty Yang’s expression, it seemed that the status of the people making a fuss
was still far from being promoted.

If Yui Mie was transferred to the shed, then they would feel at ease.

However, if that was not the case, then they would be able to get their own rooms.

Either way, it would be a favorable outcome for them.

‘Hmm, how sinister.’

“They were clamoring for it, and some of the girls were also beginning to be
influenced. So I was wondering what to do.”

Aunty Yang griped.

If she gave way to the bunch kicking up a fuss, then the hard-working court ladies
won’t stay still. If she let them get their way, then it would be a precedent for the
others, since they would think that making a racket would get them what they want.
If that happened, Aunty Yang would have to go with their flow.

However, Yui Mei would not bow down, either.

She would continue advertising the importance of prevention regarding diseases. In

fact, some girls also started wearing their mask to work secretly when there was no
one around. Actually, masks were created for populous places, but it would also aid
in preventing dryness of the respiratory tract.

Unless Yui Mei stopped wearing her suspicious get-up, she had no choice but to
leave the lodging house. However, she did not want to go to the shed, either.

However, she had set her heart on a relatively nice place.

“I am fine leaving the lodging room.”

“…Are you really okay with living in the shed?”

Aunty Yang widened her eyes, but Yui Mei shook her head.

“There is an extra storage room beside the lodging room, isn’t it?”

If the number of people decreased, then the number of things would also decrease.
Presently, there were several unoccupied storage rooms everywhere. If the items
inside were transferred to another storage room, then it would become an empty
room. Besides, even if it was called storage, it was still bigger than the modern
business hotel rooms.

“There is a window for ventilation, and if I clean it and put my bed in it, then I think
it would become a fine room.”

With this, Yui Mei would not concede to those who denounced her, and she would also
get her own room; thereby killing two birds with one stone.

“Xiao Mei, are you really okay with that? That’s a storeroom, you know?”

Yui Mei smiled at the bewildered expression of Aunty Yang.

“The storage room got its name because of the things stored in it, but if people will
live in it, then it can become a chamber, isn’t it?”

“…Well, that may be so…”

Aunty Wang was still doubtful, but eventually, she decided to let Yui Mei use the
storage room.

‘Hurray, it’s a private room!’

The other court ladies pityingly stared at Yui Mei as she prepared to move, but Yui
Mei was ecstatic.

That was when she suddenly realized that it would not be odd if Aunty Yang was one
of the people who might remember Yui Mei’s mother.
Aunty Yang let Yui Mei have a day-off the day after her change of residence was
approved. Yui Mei hurriedly cleared the things inside the storage room. She was
busily working on her own since early morning, but some of the court ladies were
laughing mockingly, while some stared at her with pitying eyes.

‘Say whatever you want.’

Her experience of working in a place with a high proportion of women in her

previous life was not just for show.

Just as she told Mei Na, she did not have any plans of stooping down to their level.
Besides, in this situation, there was no difference between those who were mocking
her and those who sympathize; they were all observers from a distance. It was a
given for those who thought she was stupid; however, even among those who
sympathize, there were people who felt reassured while looking at someone who
was more unfortunate than they were.

True allies were not easily seen from their outward appearance.

‘Those who are off-duty are understandable, but those rubberneckers should just hurry
off and do their jobs.’

Yui Mei decided to just let them be. She cleaned the room after it was emptied. She
removed the cobwebs and dust, and she also wiped the walls and floor. After the room
became immaculate, she then moved her wooden bed and blankets, and she was done.

She got an old carpet from another room. She beat it to shake the dust out, then she
took it outside to be sunned while she was cleaning. The room became more like a
chamber when she placed a cushion on top of the carpet. By the way, the cushion
was handmade by Yui Mei. Yesterday, a court lady sneakily gave her a large piece of
beautiful cloth, saying that it might help make the storeroom more pleasant. She was
one of the court ladies Yui Mei gave water to when they had to stay in bed.
‘You reap what you sow, huh.’

This was a great example of the phrase ‘compassion is not for the benefit of others’.*

Yui Mei borrowed the sewing kit from Aunty Yang yesterday, and she worked on the
cloth after her job. She cut the cloth into an appropriate size, and sewed a pouch. She
stuffed it with small strips of worn out cloth, until it had the shape of a cushion. She
turned the remaining cloth into a wall decoration, and the ambiance of the room
brightened. While she was at it, she also made a rug and placed it on the front door,
and she treated that area as a genkan (T/N: the traditional Japanese entryway). It
was normal to wear shoes inside the house in this region. Since she was a former
Japanese person, she wanted to remove her shoes before entering the room.

Anyway, Yui Mei quickly removed her shoes, then sprawled on the carpet and
hugged her cushion. She enjoyed this luxurious feeling of rolling around.

“Hehehehe, it’s a solo room, a solo room!!”

She did not think that she would be able to obtain her own room within a short
period of time. She felt fortunate, indeed. In her previous life, she lived in the school
dormitory. She had no choice but to live with a large group of people, so she
understood how stressful it was not to have one’s privacy. Yui Mei blissfully sighed.

“Ah Mei, are you done?”

Mei Na’s voice resounded as she knocked on the door. Apparently, she came to check
on Yui Mei.

“Yes, I’m done, please come in,” Yui Mei called out.

The door opened, and Mei Na stood there holding a tray. Her eyes widened in
disbelief after looking at the change in the storage room.

“Aye, you remodeled the whole storage room, huh.”

“Ah, please remove your shoes on the rag over there.”

Yui Mei instructed Mei Na as she entered the room, so she stopped and obediently
removed her shoes and placed them on the mat in front of the door.
“Yui Mei, did you come from the South? I remember those court ladies from over
there doing it this way, too.”

“No, but it has always been my dream to do this.”

Yui Mei laughed when Mei Na pointed it out, and she replied while hugging the cushion.

In the mansions of the elite, shoes were covered when inside the home instead of
taking it off; however, if it were not properly done, it would still become dirty. In the
end, it was still best to remove the shoes completely.

“But all the same, I think this way is nice. One can relax since the floor won’t get
dirtied. Next time I’ll try this too.”

Mei Na sat before Yui Mei as she was speaking, and she took the parcel on the tray.
There were some manju inside when she opened it.

“You must be hungry, since you’ve been busy working like a mule all day. It’s still
warm, so eat up.”

“Yahoo, thanks for the food!”

The sweetness of the manju permeated Yui Mei’s tired body. Mei Na also brought
some tea, so she gratefully drank it.

“…Hehehe, with this I can eat some sweets brazenly at night.”

Yui Mei grinned from ear to ear, while Mei Na had a wryly smiled.

“Mei’s group were gloating since they knew that you transferred to a stock room, but
I think their eyes will fall out in bitterness if they were to see this room.”

Yui Mei imagined Mei biting her handkerchief in mortification. It matched her
perfectly, so Yui Mei snickered.

T/N: * 情 け は 人 の た め な ら ず - Basically, it was a Japanese phrase saying that you

should be kind to be everyone since you reap what you sow; what goes around, comes
around. It’s another version of the golden rule. Compassion given to others would
ultimately benefit yourself.

Genkan – Traditional Japanese entryway. People remove their shoes here before
entering the house.
It was a bright day after Yui Mei moved out to the storage room.

Yui Mei was cleaning Lady Wang’s mansion as per her request.

“Let’s do some cleaning～♪”

She had special feelings toward the place, since it could be her birth home. She
hummed as she vigorously cleaned the place.

‘Alright, I’m done!’

Yui Mei was satisfied with her own handiwork. She tidied her cleaning tools.

“Oi, Yui Mei.”

A male voice called her out. She turned towards the direction of the sound, and she
found Libin standing in the garden with a grim expression on his face.

“Libin, what brings you here?”

The crown prince’s palace was far from Lady Wang’s residence, so it must have
taken him quite some time. She wanted to ask Libin why he came to see her, when
Libin wordlessly strode towards her.

“Is it true that you were bullied by your colleagues?”

He interrogated her.

‘Eh, bullied?’

Yui Mei tilted her head. She had a rough idea what Libin was pertaining to, but she
wouldn’t consider that as bullying. Yui Mei thought she was fortunate that she did
not have to lift a finger and yet she got her own room.
“…Is that a mistake?”

Libin realized that it was different from what he imagined, so his tightly crunched
brows somewhat relaxed.

“Libin, may I know what kind of story you heard?”

“There were senior court ladies who saw you as an eyesore, so they framed you to
chase you out from the lodging house.”

Libin responded frankly to Yui Mei’s question.

There must be a spy of the crown prince in the lodging house.

“Indeed. I transferred to the storage room.”

“Huh!?”

Libin’s eyes widened at Yui Mei’s affirmation.

“Really, I don’t have to be so reserved when getting my own room, after all.”

“Wait, wait. The room you’re talking about is the storage room, right?”

Libin retorted at Yui Mei’s earnest reply. It seemed like he did mind that part.

“Everyone’s so fussy about that place. If there’s nothing inside that storage room,
then wouldn’t it be just an ordinary room?”

On the contrary, if things were placed inside a room meant for a person, then it
would also turn into a storage room. In short, the perspective and intent were all
that would matter with how a room was used.

Libin looked sullen.

“But isn’t it too narrow?”

Well, certainly it wasn’t a large room, but Yui Mei did not mind that it was narrow. It
would be a different story if she were to spend the whole day there, but it was more
than enough as sleeping quarters. Besides, she was grateful that she secured a space
where she can relax.

“It is a narrow room for those who live inside a mansion, but it is more important to
me that I have my own room, narrow as it might be. It’s easier to have privacy.”

She could stay up late since she got her own room. She was actually excited for her
future life.

“But that’s the storage room, you know?”

“So what?”

After the repeated bouts of asking and answering questions, Libin confirmed that
Yui Mei was really satisfied in moving out.

“Is there anything that you need?”

Libin finally asked.

“Will you give it to me? Then please, I would like to have a shelf. If it is small enough
to display ornaments and other small articles, then that would be better. I looked
through the stored things, but I couldn’t find one that I liked.”

Without any reserve, Yui Mei requested the thing she currently wanted to have.
After Mei Na’s visit, she sneakily took some of the scraps of cloth that the court
ladies didn’t need. It was her own room after all, so she wanted to decorate it. She
also wanted to make a few things out of those scraps.

“In that case, then I’ll choose one for you.”

Yui Mei beamed in satisfaction when Libin said that. She thought that her
remodeling project progressed one step further.

“Yui Mei, I have some snacks for you when you are done cleaning.”

Lady Wang’s voice floated from inside the residence.

“Thank you very much, it is already finished!”

Libin bowed his head beside Yui Mei when he heard her reply.
Lady Wang saw them. She was surprised.

“Oh my, isn’t it Libin from the Crown Prince’s residence? May I know why you are
here?”

Apparently, Libin was not someone who normally stayed around this area.

Libin lifted his head slowly and responded to Lady Wang.

“It was due to a minor concern with the person here.”

He pointedly looked at Yui Mei. Lady Wang batted her eyes. A eunuch attending to
the crown prince, and a court lady whose duty was cleaning – it was difficult to see
any relation between the two.

“Well then, since it’s a rare opportunity, would you like to eat a manju with us?”

“I am grateful for the offer.”

Libin bowed at Lady Wang.

‘So he came to eat manju.’

Yui Mei thought he was somewhat reserved, though. Her thoughts were written in
her face, so Libin fiercely glared at her.

“It’s rude to refuse!”

“Is that so?”

Yui Mei genuinely thought he agreed because he was hungry, and that he thought it
would be delicious.

“Well, you two look like you get along pretty well.”

Lady Wang pleasantly smiled at the sight of them whispering together in low voices.

‘We only talked around three times, though.’

As expected, was this number enough for two people to become friends? Yui Mei
doubted it. That person also had a complicated expression, so he must be thinking
the same thing.

“Please come in, I also prepared some tea.”

“Thank you very much.”

The two of them respectfully gave thanks to Lady Wang’s favor, when suddenly, a
person came.

“Seems fun.”

A voice called out in the garden, and a man, who seemed to be forty-five years of age,
walked towards them along with his attendants.

‘A lot of people came today.’

“………!”

Libin suddenly forced Yui Mei to bow down.

“What are you doing!?”

Yui Mei hissed as she tried to resist Libin, but he pushed her head down with greater
strength.

“Shut up, it’s His Majesty, the emperor!”

Libin murmured.

‘…Yes?’
According to Libin, the person who appeared in the garden was no other than His
Majesty, the emperor. This man was standing at the pinnacle of this country, and
was speculated as being Yui Mei’s father.

Yui Mei wanted to steal a glance at the person’s face, but Libin’s hand exerted
strength to prevent her from doing so.

‘It hurts, let me raise my head for a bit!’

Yui Mei was fine with just one peek, so she kept on trying, while Libin kept on pushing
her head. All the while, Lady Wang calmly was calmly talking to the emperor.

“Oh, Your Majesty, it is rare for you to be here at this hour.”

“I wanted to spend a while and drink tea with you.”

Unexpectedly, the emperor rushed to visit because of tea.*

It seemed his affection might run deep, considering she was a concubine with a low
status, and she had been staying near the edge of the Inner Palace.

‘In that case, it’s only natural that her place was left dirty.’

It must be the work of somebody who wanted to distance her from the emperor.

While she was having a silent battle with Libin, the emperor glanced at her.

“Aren’t you someone from Ming Xian’s place?”

He addressed Libin, who was beside her.

It was not surprising that the emperor was familiar with him, since he was a eunuch
attending the crown prince, after all.
Libin slightly raised his head, since the emperor already noticed him.

“Yes, this servant** arrived at this place by chance while searching for this court lady.”

Libin explained, apparently making it clear that he did not come here for Lady Wang.

‘It’s poor taste to hear the crown prince’s attendant being close to the emperor’s
concubine , after all.’

Taking advantage of the moment Libin’s hands loosened while he was talking to the
emperor, Yui Mei slightly raised her head. The first thing that she saw was the
emperor’s blue eyes.

Yui Mei only met two people who had blue eyes in her entire life. First was the
crown prince, and second was the emperor.

‘This is… Don’t tell me… ’

Just when Yui Mei was stupefied at the possible meaning behind those blue eyes, the
emperor turned. It was like a spark flew between them as their eyes met.

Yui Mei was flustered and she hurriedly bowed her head; at the same time, Libin’s
strength seemingly returned. Because of that, her forehead almost touched her knees.

“Ouch!”

‘My back and waist hurts!! I’m bending too much!’

Did the emperor hear Yui Mei’s groan?

Libin retracted some of his strength, so Yui Mei was able to revert back to a 90
degree bow. Unfortunately, the emperor was staring hard at her.

“Your Majesty, I have prepared warm tea, so please come in.”

Lady Wang invited the emperor inside the residence, since she realized Yui Mei and
Libin won’t be able to get up as long as the emperor was still there.

“…Is that so.”

Eventually, the emperor removed his gaze, and he followed Lady Wang.

The remaining two people had their heads bowed still, only raising them after a
while had passed. Yui Mei lost her strength, and she collapsed on the floor.

“Whoah… So scared…”

Although she knew the emperor lived in the Inner Palace, only a handful of people
could see him in person. A lowly court lady should prepare her heart first before
meeting the noblest personage.

‘Ah, but compared to meeting the crown prince back at the clinic, this encounter was
quite ordinary.’

It was natural for the emperor to visit his own concubine. Yui Mei was caught by
surprise, but that was only because she had been careless.

Nevertheless, the shock made her hungry.

“Is it alright to eat the manju?”

Yui Mei thought whether she would actually get the manju Lady Wang offered as a
snack. Libin was dumbfounded at Yui Mei’s worry.

“You… you just saw His Majesty the Emperor, you know? Isn’t there something else
that you should be saying instead of that?”

Libin thought that she was unbelievable; thinking of manju even though the
emperor’s and her eyes met, albeit for a second.

Yui Mei also began to question herself. In the first place, Yui Mei did not harbour any
special feelings towards the emperor. Even if the story she heard at the nunnery was
true, her mother was just one of the many wives of the emperor. That was why since
a long time ago, she already conditioned herself not to seek him out.

As for the matter of interest and concern, what happened for her to become this way
when it came to choosing between manju and the emperor.

“Ah nope, I don’t think there’s something else other than manju.”
Libin looked at her as if she was some kind of exotic animal.

“You are…”

Apparently, Libin wanted to say something, but he ended up swallowing his words.
Yui Mei waved her hands to him.

“I thought it was good luck that we met. Will there be anything good for tomorrow?”

Libin heaved a deep sigh as he looked at Yui Mei’s carefree appearance.

As for the conclusion, Lady Wang’s maid gave them their share of manju, so she
decided to eat it with him.

“It’s really delicious, right.”

“It’s just the ordinary taste of manju, though.”

Yui Mei was chuckled happily as she munched, while Libin woodenly chewed.

The conversation ended. It was a subtle, calm time suitable for eating snacks.

Afterward, Yui Mei talked to Mei Na as the latter plated food for her during dinner.

“I saw His Majesty today.”

“Oh, you’re lucky, Ah Mei. Something good will happen, for sure.”

Mei Na replied as she ladled soup into the bowl.

Just like Yui Mei, she treated the emperor as a lucky charm. However, that was the
only thing they could do with regards to the emperor. His existence for them only
amounted to such. It couldn’t be helped, since their status as emperor and court lady
was like heaven and earth.
Ming Xian was reading memorials in the study. Even though the ministers were
responsible in doing government affairs, the final decision was still handed over to
him. The emperor and crown prince were supposedly sharing the burden, but
recently, the emperor lost his motivation, so Ming Xian’s workload increased.

Ming Xian’s work revolved around reading the memorials and stamping them.

“Your Highness Ming Xian, this one has returned.”

The subordinate called out while knocking on the door of the study room.

“Come in.”

Li Yong entered once he obtained permission to do so. He was Ming Xian’s foster
brother, and the man that he trusted the most. He was currently one of the Imperial
Guards, and to ensure the crown prince’s safety, he also went as far as fabricating his
personal documents to work as a eunuch by his side. He was called Libin when
disguised as a eunuch, posing as the twin brother of Li Yong.

He was deployed to investigate the rumors currently circulating around.

“You are all dismissed.”

Ming Xian declared to the ministers, and they wordlessly left the room. After making
sure they were already far away, Li Yong closed the door.

“How was it?”

Li Yong faced Ming Xian and replied.

“Yes. Yui Mei was indeed harassed by the senior court ladies.”
Indeed, the rumors regarding Yui Mei became widespread, to the point that it also
reached the crown prince’s palace. Those rumors were proactively spread by the
eunuchs who did not help Yu Xiu, along with those senior court ladies who bore ill
intentions towards Yui Mei.

The crown prince could not turn a blind eye against the incident, so he had Li Yong
investigate directly.

“It was also true that she was driven out to live in the storage room.”

Ming Xian furrowed his brows as he listened to Li Yong’s words.

The palace was currently experiencing shortage of manpower, so it was not the time
to bully the novices. If they did not have any connections, then their actions would
surely affect their promotion. Apparently, those senior court ladies did not come
from well-connected families.

The true villainess living in the Inner Palace would achieve her goals without lifting
a finger herself. The rumors this time revealed the perpetrators; their methodology
was inept. They were extremely stupid.

‘There are also women like that here in the Crown Prince’s palace, though. They were
just born in the capital of Kyou, yet they were so full of themselves, thinking they were
better than anyone else.’

With regards to being a court lady, they would indeed be in a higher position if they
were given allowances from their own home. However, being a concubine was a
different matter altogether. Concubines were chosen based on strict standards.

The court ladies would be selected based on the assessment of their lifestyle and
work; their physical appearance would not have that much bearing. Rather than
that, it was imperative that they were healthy. As for the reason, it was because all
the women in the palace had the possibility of bearing the emperor’s child. The most
important criterion was whether they would be able to give birth to a healthy child.

On the other hand, it was a different story for the maids accompanying the women
who were sent to the palace as concubines. If something happened to their master,
they would be candidates to replace the concubine. Therefore, it was necessary to
exercise vigilance against the women attending to the concubines. It was precisely
due to this reason that Yu Xiu suffered from illness.
The circumstances of those women should be set aside for now. As for Yui Mei –

“So, what is Yui Mei doing now?”

He did not believe Yang, the court ladies’ manager, was someone who would tolerate
outrageous demands such as driving one to live in the storage room.

Li Yong surprisingly made a complicated expression at Ming Xian’s question.

“She was ecstatic about moving out to the storage room, saying that she obtained
her own room.”

Ming Xian blanked out for a moment after hearing that.

Wouldn’t one normally get mad, or else complain in tears when in that outrageous
situation?

The truth was, he sent Li Yong in order to intervene. He thought Yui Mei could
become a maid, instead.

“…What a peculiar girl.”

“I also thought the same.”

Li Yong also agreed after he finally expressed his impression.

“I tried to glean the details while I asked whether she was dissatisfied, but our
conversation was cut short because Lady Wang arrived.”

Apparently, Yui Mei was summoned to clean Lady Wang’s residence, and was
offered manju after her work was done. Lady Wang must be pleased with her, since
she even prepared snacks for a court lady with low status.

“I was also invited to join them since we were together, but His Majesty came, and
they accidentally met.”

So his father sneaked out of the study, and went to his favored woman. It’s no
wonder the amount of memorials suddenly increased.

“How was it?”

‘What reaction did Yui Mei have in front of the emperor?’

Ming Xian leaned forward on his desk. Li Yong solemnly replied.

“Apparently, she thought manju was more important than His Majesty.”

Although she was initially shocked at meeting the emperor, she did not show any
extraordinary reaction. She was even concerned at the manju’s outcome, because
the emperor came.

For her, the emperor’s priority was way below the manju she got after working.

“…What a peculiar girl.”

Ming Xian repeated, and Li Yong once again agreed.

Mornings began early for Li Yong, the escort of Liu Ming Xian who was the crown
prince of the kingdom of Sai.

Li Yong was already training near the room of Ming Xian even before daybreak.

Ming Xian had his own hidden guards, so it was not necessary for Li Yong to be with
the prince at all times; however, he still stuck to him for his personal assurance. It
was also due to this so-called ‘assurance’ that he had to enter an awkward situation.
He had to pretend to be the Eunuch Libin, his fictitious twin brother they had
fabricated. Thus, he had to spend his days in a precarious situation, since he treated
Ming Xian’s life as far more important than his own. In any case, he was currently
working under the alias Libin to escort Ming Xian in the Inner Palace.

It was time for Ming Xian to rise. After sweating it out and changing his clothes, Li
Yong was informed by Noble Concubine Jiang’s maid that the concubine, who was
the bedroom’s proprietress, had already left; therefore, he headed to the room to
attend to Ming Xian. It didn’t matter that Li Yong was Ming Xian’s close aide; even as
a eunuch, there was no way he would be permitted to see the appearance of the
consort after waking up.

And so, he entered the room, but what greeted him was the sight of Ming Xian still
curled up in his blankets on the wooden bed.

“Your Highness Ming Xian, please wake up. The skies are getting brighter outside.”

“…Hm.”

However, the reply that came from the wooden bed was indistinct.

The truth was, mornings were extremely difficult for Ming Xian. Noble Concubine Jiang
also tried to wake him up; however, it would be time for ablutions, so she had to
leave the room.

Li Yong heaved a deep sigh at Ming Xian who won’t rise.

‘Should I ask that girl a technique on how to wake up more easily?’

Li Yong suddenly remembered the face of the girl with the bluish hair he got to know
recently. Perhaps, the girl might know something about this, since she was
knowledgeable about strange things.

While thinking these things, Li Yong pulled the blankets, forcefully pulled Ming Xian
up, and pressed a cold, wet cloth onto his face. Ming Xian resignedly woke up.

“…Can’t you be more gentle when you wake me up?”

“If you rise up earlier, then I will also be gentler.”

This scene had been a daily occurrence. Li Yong assisted Ming Xian in his preparations,
and it was time for the morning meal after. Ming Xian preferred light dishes for
breakfast, so it was his usual porridge. He had a stoic expression as he slowly ate the
gruel which had long turned cold after undergoing various poison testing. It was during
these times that Li Yong couldn’t help but feel sorry for his master.

If it was that rookie court lady, she must be blissfully enjoying piping hot meals at
the dining hall with the other court ladies. How ironic that those below Ming Xian
enjoyed food that was more delicious than what he had.

After Ming Xian was done, he requested tea, and Li Yong switched with the maid
attending to the crown prince to have his breakfast in a separate room. By the way,
Li Yong’s meals were heavy, in consideration to his muscular build as an imperial
guard. Though it can’t be said that those meals were as warm as freshly made food,
they were not as cold as those of Ming Xian either, so it was much better.

After ensuring that Ming Xian had left the Inner Palace and was headed towards the
Imperial Palace, Li Yong went to a specially prepared room at the borders of the
Inner Palace. He deftly changed his eunuch outfit to the garb of an imperial guard
here, and then he hurried to Ming Xian’s side.

Once Ming Xian entered the Imperial Palace, he could also brazenly walk around as
one of the Imperial Guards, so for the time being, he felt relieved. He would use this
time to show his face at the training area, attend briefing sessions with his
supervisors, and fulfill his duties as an imperial guard.

For Li Yong, this was the best time for him in the whole day. Be it as an emissary or
as an imperial guard, he could move unimpededly. On the other hand, males were
banned from the Inner Palace, so he couldn’t dispatch the Imperial guards;
therefore, no matter how vigilant they were, there was still a weak spot in their
defenses. That was also the reason why Li Yong was in an awkward situation, since
he had to lead a double life.

This was the only time he had respite; however, it was increasingly becoming
uncertain these days,

“Boss, the crown prince summoned you.”

After being called out by his colleague, Li Yong heaved a sigh.

Ming Xian was also aware that this was Li Yong’s time to relax, so he normally
wouldn’t call for him; however, this was threatened to be broken. That rookie court
lady’s the source of everything, though……

“I heard you summoned me?”

Li Yong went to Ming Xian’s office.

“Li Yong, I want you to deliver this over for a moment.”

Ming Xian handed a box full of sweets to Li Yong. Even without saying where or for
whom it was intended, Li Yong had already thought ‘Again?’.

His destination at these times was already set in stone.

‘I just have to give those sweets to Yui Mei, right.’

It was understandable that Ming Xian would want to dote on that court lady, but if
he was excessive, it might blow up into something troublesome.

And so, he could only prepare things and had someone else carry out the task.

It was not as if Li Yong did not understand his feelings; just that it was troublesome on
Li Yong who brought it.

Unfortunately, there was no one else that was up to the task.

If Li Yong brought those things, outsiders would only think the court lady had a
great relationship with the eunuch. That was also part of their calculation.

“I understand. Then, I’ll be off.”

Consequently, Li Yong could only reply in the affirmative, and the first thing he had
to do was to change his clothes.
Li Yong must change from his imperial guard uniform into the eunuch garb, but
doing it multiple times in a day was really troublesome. He had a feeling he already
mastered how to swap outfits quickly. After disguising into Libin, Li Yong decided to
look for Yui Mei, when Ming Xian’s secret guard, who was staying in the Inner Palace,
appeared and wordlessly pointed him to another direction.

‘So that’s where the girl is today.’

Li Yong slightly raised his hand towards the secret guard to express he understood,
and he strode towards the place he pointed to. He saw Yui Mei’s figure after a while.

She was leaning against a tree as she gulped water from the bamboo tube. She
appeared to be languid and seemed despondent.

“What happened, are you feeling unwell?”

Li Yong called out to her.

In that case, it would be good if she asked for medicine from Doctor Chen, the clinic
physician, since she seemed to have a great relationship with him.

Yui Mei glanced at Li Yong, and then mumbled.

“…I’m hungry.”

So she was feeling down because she was hungry.

Apparently, she missed the chance to get something to eat as a snack today.

“Well, there’s a box here full of snacks, though.”

“Can I have some!?”

Yui Mei’s eyes were shining as she stared at the box Li Yong showed her.

“…It’s a present I received, but I thought I’d share it with you. Go ahead and eat.”

“Thank you so much for the food!”

Ming Xian instructed him to explain it as such, since it was uncertain whether there
were eavesdroppers around them. Yui Mei let it slide, and she looked around for a
place they can sit safe from prying eyes, then she sat down on the stone steps under
the eaves of a storage shed.

She was truly a very simple girl.

“Wow, it’s gāo!! Let’s might as well eat together, Libin!”

Yui Mei beckoned to Li Yong. He contemplated his next move.

‘She invited me, so it would be rude to turn her down. Besides, I was made to go on a
round trip to and fro the Imperial Palace and Inner Palace, so I guess this much is fine.’

Li Yong made excuses for himself, and sat down beside Yui Mei.

“Hmmm, so delish! Ah, but it can’t compare to Mei Na’s freshly made gāo!”

Yui Mei was grinning ear to ear while stuffing her cheeks with the cake as she
expressed her impression.

Indeed, freshly made cakes were truly delicious.

If Ming Xian were to hear about it, he would surely be envious, since it was far
beyond his means.

That was why Li Yong could never reveal that he would sometimes use food
sampling as pretense to snitch food at the crown prince’s palace kitchen.

To emphasize once again, being a guard was a test of one’s stamina, so if he didn’t
eat, he would ruin his health.
Following this line of thought, Li Yong suddenly remembered the incident that morning.

“By the way, Yui Mei, do you know a good method to help a person who has
difficulty waking up in the mornings to rise more easily?”

“Please sleep early.”

Yui Mei replied with an obvious answer to Li Yong’s question.

Li Yong already knew that kind of answer without asking, so he was slightly miffed.

“Ahh, another thing, even if the mind is tired, if the body is still full of energy, it’ll be
difficult to sleep. I recommend doing light exercises in the sun… So , is His Highness
weak in the morning?”, Yui Mei added, and finally asked.

“It’s confidential.”

Li Yong evaded the question, then he ruminated on Yui Mei’s answer.

‘Exercise, is it. Maybe I can make him blend in with the Imperial Guards to run for once.’

Li Yong half-seriously thought.

After eating gāo, he parted ways with Yui Mei, and once again, he changed from his
eunuch clothes into the uniform of the Imperial Guards, then he returned to Ming
Xian’s office.

“Welcome back, Li Yong.”

The memorials in front of Ming Xian obviously increased. Probably, the emperor’s
share was also passed on to him. It was a regular occurrence, but he couldn’t help
but feel it was worsening over time.

Ming Xian’s desk work was too overloaded. Previously, he still had the time to train
with the sword and to move his body around, so surprisingly, Yui Mei’s advice might
be right.

Besides, Ming Xian was serious, so he would still complete his work without
complaint, but if one were to think about it carefully, the country would not collapse
immediately even if Ming Xian left behind some of his work.
“Your Highness Ming Xian, we have nice weather outside. Would you like to leave
your work for a while and take a stroll?”

“It’s rare for you to say that, Li Yong.”

Fundamentally, Li Yong never interfered with his master’s itinerary, so Ming Xian
blinked.

“Yeah, that’s good.”

Ming Xian broadly smiled. He ignored the ministers’ protests as they told him that ‘it
should not be done!!’, and went on a stroll under the pretext of observing the
imperial guards’ training.

‘Those guys should spend more effort in making His Majesty stay at his own office, instead.’

The ministers were taking it lightly, since Ming Xian would readily stand-in for the
emperor.

Their stroll was an abrupt change of schedule, but it brought unexpected change.
When Ming Xian went back to do office work, he noticed that after observing the
training, the pile of memorials had lessened.

‘So, a lot of work which did not require His Highness Ming Xian’s perusal got mixed in.’

Even if Ming Xian rejected those kinds of jobs, it would still take him a lot of time to
check all those memorials. That useless time would give pressure on Ming Xian’s day.

Yui Mei’s advice this time was relatively great. Li Yong decided to use this strategy
again.

Thanks to the decrease in his workload, Ming Xian had some free time, so he
dismissed all the ministers, asked about Yui Mei’s condition, and for the first time in
a while, he was able to relax in his office.

“Really, that girl truly loves to eat.”

“Indeed.”

Ming Xian narrowed his eyes as they conversed. It was as if he wanted Yui Mei to enjoy
freedom in his stead, contrary to his shackled self.

Yui Mei and Ming Xian had a complicated relationship, but Li Yong thought it would
be good if Ming Xian’s ways changed for the better.

They returned to the Inner Palace after work ended, and Ming Xian had his dinner at
an earlier time than usual, afterward, he slept soundly that night.

The next day, he woke up by himself.

Everything turned out as Yui Mei said, so Li Yong came to know of her strength once
again.

‘Maybe I could give her some manju as thanks.’

It would be troublesome to change his clothes again, but despite this, Li Yong still
thought it would be good to go and see her again.

T/L Thoughts: Ga o is cake in chinese. The original character can also be read as
round dumplings. Yes, that’s right, Li Yong, it’s good if you often go to see Yui Mei

examples of Ga o:
A few days had passed since the first encounter with the emperor.

“Let’s clean up～ ♪!”

Yui Mei was cleaning vigorously today, too.

She just met the emperor who was possibly her father, yet she was still calm.

‘I was shocked that my heart wasn’t moved the slightest, even though I say so myself.’

When the moment of the actual encounter with the emperor came, Yui Mei expected
it would be like the drama she watched in her previous life, with lines like ‘That is
my father……!’ coupled with overflowing emotions.

However, when they actually met, she could only muster enough emotion to think
that ‘Ah, hmm, so that’s the emperor.’

‘They are my biological parents in this life, but I can’t feel anything for them.’

It was no wonder since she couldn’t remember receiving any warmth from them.
Her mother already passed away by the time she developed an awareness, so she
didn’t have any special feelings toward her mom.

She died due to the fate of being a woman in the inner harem.

To Yui Mei, that information was all she was.

Her father was the same. She never met him, and they were like heaven and earth, so
it was only natural that she didn’t feel anything for him.

She might seem heartless, but humans were generally like this. Rather than the parents
who did not appear in her memories, she treasured Mei Na who gave her sweets more.
Yui Mei’s job for today was cleaning the corridors with another court lady. The
corridors of the Inner Palace were very long, so even if the work was divided among
a few people, the area they had to clean was still relatively huge.

“If somebody slacked here, it would be really difficult to make up for the loss.”

Yui Mei could already foresee her hardship should a slacker like Mei be assigned
here. For the time being, the other court lady in charge seemed to be cleaning
properly, so Yui Mei was relieved. She continued cleaning, and it was already noon
by the time she finished her charge.

‘Alright, break time!’

Yui Mei finished tidying up her tools, and she looked around for a place to rest. She
spotted a boulder that was hard to see from the corridor. She promptly went to that
stone and sat down. She removed her mask, and gulped water from the bamboo
container.

“Fufufu.”

Yui Mei beamed as she took a package from her bosom. It contained some delectable
manju that she got from Mei Na.

“Thank you for the food!”

Yui Mei wanted to immediately gobble her food. Just as she was about to sink her
teeth into the manju –

Rustle.

It was the sound of the thicket shaking behind her.

‘Is it an animal?’

This was an expansive site, afterall.

No matter how good the management was, there were instances when stray dogs, stray
cats and sometimes, even monkeys got in. Yui Mei deftly wrapped the manju again and
placed it in her bosom. She did not want it to be snatched away by those animals.
She stared at the thicket, waiting for whoever it was to go away, but instead of
leaving, she heard it approach.

Finally, it appeared.

“…Ah.”

The one who poked his head out of the thicket was just a boy.

He didn’t expect Yui Mei to be there, so he batted his big eyes. He had well groomed
black hair, and blue eyes.

The only children who lived inside the Inner Palace were the emperor’s, or the
crown prince’s. The crown prince supposedly did not have a child yet. Then he must
be one of the emperor’s children.

‘In that case, then this is… ’

Yui Mei suddenly remembered her manners, and she hurriedly jumped off the
boulder, and respectfully bowed her head.

“I apologize for surprising you. I am just in the middle of taking a break.”

“…”

The prince wordlessly climbed out of the thicket. He did not say anything regarding
Yui Mei’s attitude.

She did not know where he came from, but he was covered all over with leaves,
although he was wearing magnificent and luxurious garments.

“Ahm, there are a lot of leaves sticking to you. Would you like me to remove them?”

“…?”

She had a sense of discomfort, but she ignored it, and took out all the leaves.

“Look, you’re all clean now.”

“…Thank you.”
Yui Mei smiled brightly, so the boy gave thanks in a tiny voice.

Regardless, His Highness was a prince, so he could have walked normally through
the corridors. Why would he go through the thicket to come to this hidden place?

Yui Mei was perplexed, then she remembered her uneasy feeling earlier.

‘Isn’t this child too skinny? Children this age should be a little bit more rounded.’

However, this prince was malnourished, and he had a sickly pallor.

What on earth was happening here?

Yui Mei held her suspicions, and they stared at each other wordlessly.

“What are you doing?”

A male voice came from the corridor. Yui Mei directed her gaze towards it. It was the
eunuch, whose appearance she had totally become accustomed to seeing.

“Ah, Libin.”

“You, if you’re taking a break then be more…”

Libin started to complain about Yui Mei’s resting place as he walked towards her.
However, the prince’s figure entered his field of vision, and their eyes met for an instant.

“…Come here for a bit.”

Libin beckoned to Yui Mei.

“What is it?”

Yui Mei put her water container on top of the boulder, and she went to Libin.
Suddenly, her head was grabbed.

“Ouch!”

“Are you involved in another weird matter?”

Libin whispered while staring at the prince.

“We met by chance, but isn’t that His Highness the Imperial Prince?”

Libin sighed deeply at Yui Mei’s statement.

“Indeed, he is the imperial prince born by the Consort Hu – the Lady of Bright
Deportment of the empress dowager’s faction.”

After hearing his explanation, Yui Mei pondered about it.

This was the first time she heard about Consort Hu, but wasn’t the empress dowager
the one who aggravated the influenza turmoil? Incidentally, she was also the one
who drove out Yui Mei’s mother, according to the gossip of the nuns.

At that time, even if she was involved in a dispute with her fellow concubines, they
should not be able to chase her out of the Inner Palace.

The one who made the decision was no other than the master of the inner harem —
the empress dowager.

Though Yui Mei harbored complex emotions against her, it did not change the fact
that she was the leader of the largest political faction.
If it was a prince that belonged to that faction, then he should have received great
treatment.

‘And yet he’s so thin, isn’t it weird? Why would a blessed child like him become
malnourished?’

Just as Yui Mei ruminated —

“…Your Highness, Your Highness Youren!”

A woman’s shrill voice was heard from the corridor.

“……Ah”

The imperial prince started to quiver the instant he heard that voice.

Apparently, ‘His Highness Youren’ referred to him.

Perhaps, the reason why he passed through a strange place was because he was
running away from that voice.

‘Somehow, he is trembling pitifully, though.’

Yui Mei felt she couldn’t leave him alone, and she wanted to hide him somewhere else.

However, she did not know the reason why the imperial prince ran away, so she
couldn’t act carelessly.

“How should we handle this?”

“Nothing. Really, it would be good if this doesn’t turn into something

troublesome.” Libin furrowed his brows at Yui Mei’s question.

She could see right through him that he didn’t want to get involved.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

According to the rumors of the court ladies, the crown prince was not on good terms
with the empress dowager.
Rather than that, they were at odds with each other, apparently.

The crown prince was not the child of the empress dowager’s niece, so she probably
thought that rather than cute, he was an enemy who would eventually drive her away.

Unnecessary suspicions could arise if it was known that the crown prince’s
attending eunuch happened to meet the imperial prince, who was part of the
empress dowager’s faction, in the place where he ran away.

Yui Mei, who was together with the crown prince’s attending eunuch, would also be
at the receiving end of those unnecessary rumors, as well.

“Ahm, then I…”

Yui Mei thought for a second about what she should do, then she tried to hide in
Libin’s shadow.

Libin had a sour face for being treated as a wall substitute.

“Your Highness, so you were there!”

A gaudy looking maid briskly walked towards them at that time.

She was wearing high-quality clothes, and she was resplendently decked with
jewels. She was obviously either someone with a high status or a person who came
from an affluent family; perhaps, it could also be both.

Of course, when she discovered the imperial prince, it was only natural that Yui Mei
and Libin’s figures also entered her field of vision.

“You are…”

The maid glared at Libin.

She was extremely impudent, even daring to address the eunuch attendant of the
crown prince disrespectfully.

Yui Mei closely stuck to Libin’s back in order not to catch that person’s eye.

‘I am a shadow, I am the air!’

Yui Mei inwardly chanted, but the maid ignored her, and went past Libin, acting as if
she did not have the time to spare on them, and briskly strode towards the imperial
prince.

“Your Highness Youren, what do you mean by running away!”

The imperial prince who was fiercely scolded trembled.

“It’s because…”

“You do know the consequences of this, right?”

“…”

She carelessly grabbed the arm of the imperial prince who was not able to utter a
single word.

The imperial prince staggered at her force, but she did not even bat an eye.

“Let’s go!”

Keeping hold of his arm, she walked in large strides, and the imperial prince could
only desperately trot to keep up with her as she pulled him.

“You’ll know what will happen if you say something unnecessary, right?”

“…”

She scathingly remarked, yet Libin just wordlessly gave her a slight bow.

She was annoyed at his attitude, so she pulled the imperial prince and strode away.

When they could no longer see their figures —

“They’re gone.”

Libin called out to Yui Mei.

“Haaa…”
Yui Mei took a deep breath. She had been holding her breath with utmost effort.

The complaint was directed to Libin only, so it seemed she had successfully hid herself.

Thank goodness this eunuch had such a great physique.

“Somehow, she’s amazing on so many levels.”

Libin pinched and rubbed between his brows when Yui Mei said that about the maid.

“We were interrupted because of that woman, but why were you together with the
imperial prince?”

“As I said, I met him by chance. I finished cleaning, so I was about to eat my snack on
that stone, when he suddenly came out from the thicket.”

At Yui Mei’s explanation, Libin looked like he was enduring a headache.

“This time you met the imperial prince. Really, do you like looking for

trouble?” Yui Mei was also bothered after being told off.

“You’re making me look bad. It was accidental, accidental, I said.”

Who could have predicted an imperial prince would emerge from a thicket just as
she was about to eat her snack.

This was definitely force majeure.

“Somehow, you can’t see who’s the master between them.”

No matter how you look at it, that should not be the behavior of a person taking care
of the imperial prince.

Libin gave a small sigh at Yui Mei’s scowl.

“It can’t be helped, that’s a maid that accompanied Consort Hu from her maiden family.”

Aside from maids being promoted from their court lady status, there were also
instances when they were brought along from the consort’s family to serve.

Just like the case with Noble Concubine Jiang, there were many people like her
among the maids deployed from the parental abode.

‘Well, personnel like her must have heard about what would happen when the time comes.’

In order to prevent other households from snatching the position of second wife in
case the concubine died, they would arrange the woman who could be the substitute
to accompany the concubine as her maid.

Those kinds of muddy scenes were also depicted in the movies in her previous
world, so she deduced that that maid might have been sent for that reason.

“But saying ‘she won’t let him run away’ sounds disturbing, right.”

Yui Mei looked at the thicket where the imperial prince emerged earlier.

If he really ran away, then it would make sense why he appeared from that place.

The way the maid took him was also overbearing, short of saying ‘she won’t ever let
him go’.
There must be a reason why he was so thin, no doubt about it.

As Yui Mei contemplated the imperial prince’s circumstances, Libin replied.

“Hey, don’t get involved too deeply. Imperial Prince Youren’s situation is not that good.”

“What do you mean?”

Yui Mei wanted to hear about the full story.

“You don’t know about this, too?,” Libin grumbled and sighed.

“Imperial Prince Youren was branded as ‘cursed’ by the empress dowager, so he is

currently in a precarious situation.”

A curse again.

‘That empress dowager really loves curses!’

Perhaps, she might be the type of person who would chalk it up to a curse if she did
not understand something.

Then that was the same as refusing to think critically, but what would be the
implication if it was an eminent person?

“Rather than that, what was the curse? Does he laugh suddenly, or break into a dance?”

When Yui Mei stated the symptoms of curses she recalled, Libin frowned.

“…That is also creepy, but it’s completely different. Apparently, there were a lot of
instances when Imperial Prince Youren would start behaving abnormally during
meal times.”

After the empress dowager witnessed it for herself, she declared that he was
possessed by a curse.

“So it was during meal times, huh…”

Yui Mei hummed.

With regards to children, food, and losing weight, she had an inkling as to what it was.

“I would like to know more about the imperial prince’s specific behavior when he is
having his meal.”

Libin raised his brow at Yui Mei’s words. “What

do you mean, do you know something?”

It was only natural to be asked like that, however, she did not intend to divulge
information while she’s still lacking information.

“I do have an idea, but I want to confirm it first.”

Yui Mei stared directly at Libin as he said ‘hmm’ while he deliberated.

“If I’m not mistaken, His Highness the Crown Prince was also present when the
empress dowager censured him.”

In other words, he was suggesting they ask the crown prince.

He was probably in his office at this time.

“…Can I eat my snacks there?”

Yui Mei was concerned about the package containing manju hidden in her breast
pocket.

If it was not allowed, then she planned to eat it before going there.

“You are… Well, we can at least serve some tea.”

Even though Libin looked exasperated, he did give her the go- signal to bring her
snack. Moreover, there would be tea, so it must be a splendid place.

Suddenly, Yui Mei became eager to go.

“Alright, let’s go and listen to that story!”

And so, Yui Mei headed towards the crown prince’s palace.
Crowds of beautifully dressed ladies went to and fro the crown prince’s palace.

It was only natural that a low-ranked court lady led by the crown prince’s attending
eunuch would draw attention as they walked through the corridors.

“What’s with that girl.”

“She’s being led by Libin, though.”

She was being ogled and whispered at from all directions but Yui Mei ignored them
all, as she was busy observing the building.

“Oh, It’s not that ostentatious.”

Yui Mei muttered as she looked around.

The furnishing gave off an unexpected vibe since they were surprisingly low-key, or
in rude terms, plain.

It must be because apart from decorations such as engravings on the building itself,
there were few tall vases and other ornaments that could be seen.

“His highness is not fond of such decorations.”

“Yes, indeed.”

‘It’s easier for the cleaner if there were no unnecessary ornaments.’

She walked while contemplating this, and they arrived at a certain room.

“We have returned.”

“Come in.”

Libin called out in front of the door, and the crown prince’s voice resounded from
within the room.

When the door was opened, the crown prince was sitting behind the front-facing
desk, and his writing figure greeted them.
There was no one else inside the room except for the elderly maid attending to

him. “Welcome back… Oh, if it isn’t Yui Mei.”

The crown prince’s eyes widened at her as he greeted them with a smile, so Yui Mei
bowed her head.

“Raise your head. It’s rare for Yui Mei to come here, did something

happen?” “Yes, the truth is…”

The crown prince put his brush down and asked Yui Mei, but Libin explained in her
stead.
After listening to the brief explanation of what had transpired until now, the crown
prince was convinced, and he nodded.

“I see, so you met Youren. Not only that, you came across a bad scene. ”

‘Eh, he wasn’t surprised about the matter of the imperial prince running away.’

Conversely, Yui Mei was the one surprised, but the crown prince started talking

again. “Yui Mei, do you want to drink some tea before we talk? I also want to take a

break. ” “Then, I will prepare immediately.”

At his words, the lady-in-waiting was about to begin preparing the tea, when Yui Mei
shyly asked.

“Ahm, would it be alright if I ate some manju?”

The lady-in-waiting smiled when Yui Mei took out the bundle of manju from her

bosom. “Then, let us reheat it? I just lit the fire to boil water.”

Furthermore, she made a delightful proposal. She was truly gentle towards a low
ranking court lady. She was vastly different from the other maid who took the
imperial prince away.

“Yes, please!”

With this, it became a snack time with warm manju and luxurious, flower-scented

tea. ‘Hmm, so delicious!’

Yui Mei savored happiness as she bit into the manju.

In a world with no microwave oven, eating warm snacks was the highest form of
luxury.

The crown prince watched her with a smile as he had his tea. He held a beautiful,
leaf-shaped baked sweet while he relaxed for a moment.

Libin did not take a break, and remained on standby.

It seemed as if Yui Mei was a guest in this place.

It was a strange feeling since she was a court lady with the lowest status.

After Yui Mei finished her manju and was feeling relaxed, the crown prince got down
to business.

“So, Yui Mei, regarding the matter of Youren.”

“Ah, yes.”

Yui Mei who had completely relaxed, nodded in a fluster.

‘That was close, I had been too happy that I forgot my purpose!’

Libin glared at her, seemingly seeing through her thoughts, but she ignored him and
maintained a smooth expression.

The crown prince pretended he didn’t see their silent attack-defense interaction, and
he began talking about the imperial prince.

“The first time I saw that spectacle was at the banquet hosted by Father.”

The young prince Youren was taken by his mother, Consort Hu, to greet his father,
and afterward they were guided by the lady-in-waiting to their seat, then they
started the meal.

“However, right after the meal started, he started to struggle abnormally.”

Imperial Prince Youren supposedly ate the same food as everybody else, but he was
the only one suffering, so the venue was in an uproar.

Naturally, it was suspected to be poison, but the tester for poison did not have any
abnormalities, and the other people who ate the same food were also the same. No
poison was detected even after examination.

The matter was concluded with the explanation that his body must have been
unwell at that time.

“However, the same thing happened at every gathering.”

It would leave a bad impression if the occurrence was repeated frequently.

Eventually, the empress dowager could not take it anymore.

‘That child is possessed by a curse, get him out of my sight!’, she yelled.

‘I see. So he lost weight because of an eating disorder.’

A person who had a hard time during mealtimes would then shirk at the very
thought of eating.

It would be in line with the reason why an imperial prince who was supposedly
blessed with food, became so thin to the point that it was very obvious.

Anyway, the circumstances behind the imperial prince’s problem became clear.

“Were the dishes served at the banquet made to suit the taste of His Majesty?”

The crown prince shook his head at Yui Mei’s question.

“No, Father was not picky about his food, in fact, he is indifferent about that. That’s
why most of the time, the dishes served would be according to the preference of the
empress dowager.”

“I see,” mumbled Yui Mei.

“The empress dowager will eat lavish dishes for sure, right?”

“Well, she loves luxury, so that is for certain. She would always have them use high-
grade ingredients, after all.”

The crown prince shrugged at Yui Mei’s words.

In any case, the Inner Palace was a place where a huge amount of money would be
gone in a blink of an eye. If the empress dowager who was at its pinnacle preferred
extravagance, then her followers would also imitate her.

Perhaps, the crown prince was experiencing headaches due to financial problems.

“I would like to ask one more thing, does His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren
eat manju?”

The crown prince was stupefied for a moment due to the sudden change of topic
from the banquet, but he then answered properly.

“He can eat it, I think? He supposedly loved manju.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

‘Yup, just as I thought.’

The crown prince’s eyes shone at Yui Mei’s convinced expression.

“Yui Mei, perhaps you know the truth about the ‘curse’?”

Yui mei nodded her head distinctly at the crown prince’s query.

“Relatively, yes.”

“Really!?”

“Well…”

Libin and the lady-in-waiting were also taken aback, so she replied.

“After hearing the explanation just now, there was one reason that came to my mind.

Food allergy, in other words, it is hypersensitivity.”

Everyone fell silent at her words.

“…Alerji? Hypersensitivity?”

Hearing these unfamiliar words, the crown prince looked at Libin and the lady-in-
waiting, but both of them could only shake their heads.
“What on earth is that?”

The crown prince asked, so Yui Mei explained.

“There is a condition wherein the body reacts to specific foods due to hypersensitivity.
This must have been what happened to His Highness, Imperial Prince Youren.”

This condition was widely known in her previous world. She often witnessed cases
when children were mistakenly served food containing ingredients they shouldn’t
eat, so they had to be transported via ambulance.

“Why would that occur?”

“The body has a mechanism that eliminates infection-causing things. Thanks to that
function, health is maintained. However, there are people who have physical
constitutions that would try to eliminate harmless agents.”

“So there is a physical constitution that eliminates harmless agents.”

“There is a great variety of ingredients that could cause it. That is why all foods must
be treated as having the potential to cause hypersensitivity.”

Libin and the lady-in-waiting listened to the crown prince and Yui Mei’s discussion
with bulging eyes.

Apparently, it was really their first time to hear about it.

The crown prince ‘hmm’ at Yui Mei’s words.

“…I see. If it is due to the physical constitution, then only Youren would have those
symptoms, so testing a person with a different constitution for poison would be
pointless, then.”
“Exactly. If the symptoms are light, then the skin will feel itchy, but in the worst case,
it may cost him his life.”

Hearing that it may ‘cost him his life’, Libin became serious.

“Meaning to say, it would not be strange even if Youren died?”

“It would depend on the situation. While eating, did His Highness the Imperial
Prince Youren’s skin turn red and itchy, and did he cough laboriously?”

The crown prince replied ‘Yeah’ to Yui Mei’s question.

“He coughed to the point that we thought he would vomit blood, and his breathing
was labored.”

“It is indeed hypersensitivity; moreover, it is the severe kind.”

Imperial Prince Youren must have been in pain that was severe enough he almost died.

Yui Mei grimaced when she imagined his suffering state.

Since it was a severe illness, it should have been treated promptly; instead, he was
denounced as ‘having a curse’ and reprimanded.

Perhaps, the empress dowager’s disposition was such that she couldn’t be kind to
vulnerable people,

Regardless, there was no way the court physician was not on stand-by since the
emperor was also present in that feast.

Even though they were doctors, what were they doing, letting the patient be labeled
as “cursed”.

‘Go study again and change yourselves! I really want to scold them!’

Yui Mei was extremely furious.

Libin had a complex expression as he stared at Yui Mei’s indignation.

“However, even if we know that the ingredients are the culprit, it was a feast. Various
dishes were served side-by-side. Besides, it is very difficult to search which
ingredient was it. Aside from that, we would be deemed suspicious if we were to
examine the food being served in Consort Hu’s palace.”

Indeed, in a country with no means to do blood tests, it would be an arduous task to

examine everything.

“Certainly, it would be strenuous to investigate the source.”

The crown prince and Libin wore bitter expressions, but Yui Mei replied easily.

“There is no need to do those things.”

Her manner of speaking came off as heartless.

Libin glowered at her.

“Why, won’t His Highness Imperial Prince Youren die at this rate? Do you plan to
leave him as he is?”

Libin had a ‘what a hassle’ look earlier as he stood with the lady-in-waiting since a
while ago, but apparently, he didn’t want to force a child to his death.

Yui Mei looked straight at him, undaunted despite his harsh remarks.

“Of course I want to help him. That was not what I meant; there is a way to predict
which ingredients could cause hypersensitivity.”

At these words, the crown prince and the others stared at her wide-eyed.

“Yui Mei, what do you think is the cause?”

The crown prince asked, and Yui Mei responded with her inference.

“Right now, eggs and milk are the biggest suspects. Examples of sources for this type
of hypersensitivity are eggs, milk and wheat.”

However, if Imperial Prince Youren liked manju, then he must be fine with wheat.

It would be more efficient if these two were examined before suspecting other
ingredients.

When the ingredients were announced, the lady-in-waiting who had been quietly
listening to the conversation mumbled.

“Eggs and milk, what an extremely luxurious illness it is.”

Yui Mei also nodded at her impression.

“Wheat would be a cause of rumors among the common people, but they seldom
consume high quality eggs and milk. The consumers were overwhelmingly small so
it was not acknowledged until now. The empress dowager loves luxury, so eggs and
milk are naturally included in the menu.”

Comprehension dawned on the crown prince’s face after hearing Yui Mei’s opinion
and he replied.

“Indeed, the empress dowager prefers dishes with milk and eggs. Moreover, Youren
likes manju, but he cannot eat mushipan.”

“Eggs are used in mushipan. People with hypersensitivity would naturally shirk from
the source of discomfort.”

Yui Mei knew her inference was correct based on the crown prince’s words…

‘So, it’s decided that it was eggs, huh.’

Mushipan, which uses egg, was a high-class snack that Yui Mei would normally be
unable to eat, since she was a low-ranking court lady.

She was lucky if it was served as a snack at Lady Wang’s residence, and even the
mushipan she brought during her sick call to Noble Concubine Jiang were specially
made by Mei Na.

Mushipan was served to him because of his status as an imperial prince, but it was
ironic that it was harmful.

However, since it was about the body’s constitution after all, so it was still possible
to live in good health if appropriate treatment was done to remove the source.
‘But forcing a child until he becomes thin to that extent… ’

With fury in her eyes, Yui Mei glared fiercely towards the direction of the empress
dowager’s palace. Yui Mei did not notice that the crown prince was looking at her
with deep interest.

Afterwards, they brainstormed on ways to help Imperial Prince Youren.

The conversation ended, and Yui Mei left. Inside the room, Ming Xian was drinking
tea that the lady-in-waiting freshly brewed.

Libin, also known as Li Yong, was not present because he sent Yui Mei off.

“Really, I’m totally caught by surprise every time I see that girl. She’s like a little storm.”

Ming Xian leaned back in the chair and exhaled deeply.

“Isn’t it great that she’s sprightly?”

The chuckling lady-in-waiting who said that as she brewed the tea for Ming Xian was
called Wang Xiuling. She was the wet nurse of Ming Xian and the mother of Li Yong.
Ming Xian’s mother became depressed due to the various harassment from the
empress dowager, so she secluded herself in her own palace. In the midst of these,
Xiuling became the person who treated him with a mother’s warmth. Therefore,
Ming Xian couldn’t put on airs in front of her ever since.

“Xiuling, what did you think of Yui Mei?”

Xiuling answered Ming Xian’s question after contemplating it for a while.

“She is quite a clever young lady. It seems that she had adapted well in this place
even though she had just arrived. ”

“Indeed. According to Li Yong, that girl seemed to be always having fun.”

It was said that Yui Mei was harassed daily by the senior court ladies who regarded
her as an enemy, but she remained completely unaffected.

Contrary to that, she became friends with the people who gave her snacks, and her
appearance while stuffing her cheeks with manju seemed to show that she was
enjoying life in the Inner Palace.
“In fact, her personality seems cheeky, no?”

Ming Xian softly remarked, and Xiuling replied as she served the newly brewed tea.

“There are traces of Lady Zhang in her visage, but she seems to be more
temperamental than her, I suppose.”

“…Really, who did she take after?”

Yui Mei’s parents shouldn’t have that kind of personality.

Her mother, Lady Zhang, was kind and too timid to live in the Inner Palace.

Rather than that, Yui Mei did not inherit her mother’s temperament but she had a
strong personality, ready to rush when she saw a weak person.

Had Yui Mei been able to live as a princess, she would have been a tremendous help
to Ming Xian.

‘Really, what a waste to keep her as a housekeeper.’

While Ming Xian lamented her talent, he also thought about a different outcome.

If Yui Mei was a princess, she would not be a court lady in the Inner Palace. There
was a high probability that Yu Xiu, who was saved by her, perished. With that
consideration, it could be said that it was a good thing that Yui Mei was a court lady

And just as she helped Yu Xiu at that time, she would surely help Youren.

It was Ming Xian’s role to protect Yui Mei from the hands of the empress dowager.

“This time, I will protect that girl.”

When Ming Xian expressed his resolve, Xiuling bowed deeply.

“We will obey your desires, Your Highness.”

Ming Xian was grateful and at the same time apologetic towards Xiuling and the rest
who would faithfully follow him anywhere.

“Because of that, Li Yong had to work harder, though.”

The empress dowager would be provoked If Ming Xian made a move himself.

Therefore, the only one he could confidently entrust Yui Mei to was Li Yong.

However, he felt pained to increase Li Yong’s workload since he was already

masquerading as a eunuch on top of being an imperial guard.

Xiuling smiled sweetly at Ming Xian’s distress.

“Being useful to Your Highness is that child’s happiness. Please use him to your heart’s
content. No need to worry, my son is not one to be exhausted with this much.”

Ming Xian thought the way she smiled was like a lion dropping a child in the

valley. “Achoo!”

Libin was walking in front of Yui Mei as he sent her off when he suddenly

sneezed. “Do you have a cold, Libin?”

“No, I don’t. I feel like someone is talking about me behind my

back.” Libin replied to Yui Mei’s question as his nose itched.

“Usually, someone is badmouthing you during those times.”

Libin puckered his face while Yui mei teasingly told him about that common

belief. “…I’m sure it’s my mother.”

Yui Mei did not hear him whisper, but in a sense, the feelings got through due to
their mother and child bond.
It was the day after the discussion at the crown prince’s

palace. Yui Mei visited the clinic after she finished her work for

today. “Hello!”

“Oh, if it isn’t Yui Mei.”

When Yui Mei opened the door after calling out, Doctor Ziliang was inside mashing
some kind of grass. He turned his head towards her.

“Did you come to get a poultice again?”

He then said that.

As a matter of fact, Yui Mei frequently came to the clinic to get poultice at the
request of the other court ladies.

‘Seems like everyone doesn’t like going to the medical

office.’ A lot of court ladies seemed to dislike physicians.

Perhaps it was due to the bitterness of the prescribed medicines.

However, today’s errand was not poultice.

“Nope. I came to play and I bought some snacks.”

After saying so, Yui Mei showed him the ma hua Mei Na made.

“Hey, you brought something good, shall we have some tea?”

Ziliang seemed pleased as he put away his tools, and he excitedly went to boil some
water for brewing tea. In the meantime, Yui Mei cleaned up the messy table, and she
placed the ma hua on a suitable plate.

In this way, it had become snack time for both of them.

“This ma hua is so delish.”

“Right? Mei Na’s ma hua is a masterpiece.”

“By the way, is it true that you were chased out of the lodging room?”

Unexpectedly, Yui Mei became a celebrity since rumors about her even reached the
clinic.

“Yes, I moved out of the lodging room into a private

room.” Yui Mei casually said that, so Ziliang was puzzled.

“Private room? Wasn’t it a storeroom?” “Well, you see…”

With this, Yui Mei had recounted the details of her change in residence for
innumerable times already.

“You are – how should I say this, well, from their point of view, bullying you is

useless.” “I am not obligated to fulfill their wishes, after all.”

Ziliang stared at her in amazement, and Yui Mei retorted as she tossed ma hua in her
mouth.

Normally, it would take her a long time before she could obtain her own room, so
she treated this event as godsent.

Afterwards, they engaged in small talk until all the ma hua she brought were

gone. “So? Do you have any troublesome matters?” Ziliang asked her.
“What’s up with saying that so suddenly?”

“After all, you don’t come to the clinic unless you need something.”

Although she had feigned ignorance once, Yui Mei easily smiled ingratiatingly after
she was exposed.

Ziliang was a very sharp man.

“Actually…”

Yui Mei then began to talk to Ziliang about Imperial Prince Youren.

“Hmm, hypersensitivity, huh. How excellent.”

Ziliang expressed his impression after hearing the gist of it.

‘Eh, should that be the first thing to be concerned about?’

To be impressed with the name of the disease – Yui Mei thought of a possibility, so
she asked.

“Perhaps, these symptoms are not well known?”

Ziliang stroked his chin as he agreed to Yui Mei’s doubts with a ‘hmm”.

“I occasionally heard about some cases who developed rashes after consuming
wheat, but as for the number of patients…”

Rather than saying they didn’t know the current situation, it seemed that the
statistics for patients with this disease was vague.

Mei Na knew the symptoms of wheat allergy when Yui Mei asked her earlier at breakfast.

She knew that ‘people with weak bodies will break out in hives if they eat wheat’, but
apparently, she also heard that they shouldn’t give wheat to those people.

“A lot of patients considered it as a curse rather than an illness, so they would go to

the Taoists priests.”
Apparently, it was because patients did not depend on the physicians.

The Taoists priests were also interfering in this aspect.

“Aside from that, there are more devotees from the capital compared to the rural
areas. Too many people did not know about it because of this.”

The capital had a large population and they could not conduct surveys as they
pleased, so elucidation of information was also delayed.

However, Yui Mei had an uneasy feeling about this conversation.

“I think those in the rural areas will believe those stuff more readily, though.”

It was strange that although people from the countryside were more religious, even
worshipping a mountain god, more people in the capital city were devotees of the
Taoists priests.

However, now that she thought about it, she rarely saw Taoisits in remote villages.

Even if she did see them, they were travelling Taoists just passing by on their way to
the capital from foreign countries.

‘I wonder why?’

This mystery was explained by Ziliang.

“Those guys are doing business, after all, you know? Since barter is the norm in the
countryside, it won’t make them money.”

Understanding dawned on Yui Mei.

On the other hand, Ziliang was pondering about the ingredients that Yui Mei said
were the cause.

“Even so, eggs and milk, huh. I won’t pry on where and how you got that information
of yours. Even if the symptoms are investigated, the people to be examined for these
foods are too few.”

“Basically, they are foods that can only be consumed by the wealthy, right.”
Except for those who raised chickens and cows, these ingredients were beyond the
reach of people in the countryside.

Moreover, wealthy people lived in the capital.

If the capital-based citizens became ardent devotees of Taoist, it was expected that
physicians would have difficulty knowing about it.

And because of that, Imperial Prince Youren was forced to bear the outrageous
notoriety of ‘being cursed’.

A child shouldn’t have to endure such misfortune just because of an allergy.

Yui Mei stared straightforwardly at Ziliang.

“I want to prove that Imperial Prince Youren is not cursed, and that he had a
constitution that is hypersensitive to food. Doctor, please help me.”

Ziliang remained silent for a short while, before scratching his head.

“…Well, I do owe you one. Well, it’s fine.”

As Ziliang said so with a sigh, Yui Mei’s countenance brightened up.

“That’s the spirit!”

With this, her allies in entering the enemy territory increased.

Mornings started late for concubines in the Inner Palace.

Imperial Concubine Hu was no exception.

Customarily, she would wake up when the sun was already high in the sky, and she
would eat her breakfast leisurely.

Because of that, the maids, ladies-in-waiting and court ladies who worked according
to their mistress’ schedule led an easier life compared to the court ladies and maids
who had to work at daybreak.

However, today, that leisurely morning time was broken by the noise resounding
throughout the mansion.

It was just before breakfast and Consort Hu had barely finished changing from her
nightdress.

“You people, what is it that you want and what do you mean by this!?”

An elderly maid stood at the entrance where the commotion was coming from, and
she was glaring at the uninvited guests.

A group of three people – a tall eunuch, a petite court lady and a physician stood there.

Yes, it goes without saying that it was Yui Mei’s group.

“This one is a physician ordered by His Majesty to check on His Highness the
Imperial Prince Youren. Please make way.”

Ziliang bowed his head as Libin calmly replied to the maid with a composed attitude.

Yui Mei was also one step behind them, bowing her head and restraining herself.
This was the plan they hatched with the crown prince the other day, known as
‘Medical Examination for the Health of Imperial Prince Youren’.

Instead of sneaking around searching, it would be better to get a good pretext and
then imposingly demand to examine him.

By the way, Yui Mei’s position was Ziliang’s assistant.

She covered her head tightly with a scarf and wore her cloth mask completely.

It was Yui Mei’s characteristic style that she always wore, but for the maid, her
appearance was absolutely shady.

It was understandable that she was thoroughly eyed with suspicion.

Libin was also here as the emperor’s messenger.

The crown prince told them that if it was only Yui Mei and Ziliang, it was possible
that they would be driven away without a chance to explain, but with Libin – the
crown prince’s attendant, their credibility would also rise.

“Under His Majesty’s orders, you say? Then aren’t we supposed to summon the usual
court physician?”

Libin resolutely replied to the maid’s dubious face.

“That is also His Majesty’s will.”

It was not a lie, the crown prince did ask for permission from the emperor.

Naturally, however, the other party did not believe that to be true.

“We will confirm this first; until we get the results, you will not be permitted to enter.”

“Then we will be troubled. His Majesty ordered that we move with haste.”

Libin refused outright, and invisible sparks flew between the two of them.

A war of words was about to unfold between the maid who obstructed the entry of the
suspicious bunch and Libin who wanted to push his way through. It was at that time.
“What’s happening here?”

A woman followed by several maids appeared from the inside the palace.

The maid bowed her head with her entry, and even Libin bowed, so Yui Mei
hurriedly did the same.

“That person is Imperial Concubine Hu.”

Libin whispered behind him to Yui Mei while maintaining his lowered posture.

Apparently, the commotion reached the mistress of the palace, so she came to check
the situation.

“What on earth is the matter here?”

Imperial Concubine Hu asked the maid. She was a beauty, but her physical
appearance was not flashy.

One might even say she was the slender type.

‘Ahh, compared to Lady Wang, she seems to be His Majesty’s type, though at the very limit.’

Perhaps that was the reason she gave birth to an imperial prince.

Libin, indifferent to Yui Mei’s gossipy musings, turned the conversation towards
Imperial Concubine Hu.

“Under the orders of His Majesty the Emperor, we have come for the medical
examination of His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren.”

Instead of interrogating Libin when he raised his head and said that, Imperial
Concubine Hu stared at him in wonder as she listened.

“…Aren’t you His Highness the Crown Prince’s attending eunuch?”

“His Majesty the Emperor gave his order through His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Setting aside the sequential order of events, it was indeed the truth, so there was no
flaw with Libin’s words.
‘Even so, Libin-sama, you kept on running the words ‘His Majesty’ continuously,

huh.’ Apparently, he would thoroughly use a pretext that he could use.

“I have requested that they wait while we verify the authenticity of their words.”

“However, His Majesty ordered that we should execute this matter immediately.”

The maid reported to Imperial Concubine Hu, but Libin immediately rebutted.

Imperial Concubine Hu watched the two’s silent fight, then she tilted her head in
thought.

“Either way, Youren is needed, from what I understand. Where is

Youren?” “That is…”

At Imperial Concubine Hu’s question, the elderly maid averted her eyes.

“…The ‘curse’ acted again this morning, so treatment is currently on

going.” “Is that so?”

Imperial Concubine Hu responded sadly to the maid who talked as if she was
groaning in a low voice.

“Darn it, we’re too late, huh.”

Libin muttered under his breath as he listened to their conversation.

Yui Mei and the rest studied Imperial Concubine Hu’s behavioral pattern, and they
planned to charge in before breakfast.

Unfortunately, Imperial Prince Youren had already eaten his

breakfast. ‘In that case, all the more we should save him!’

Based on Imperial Concubine Hu’s expression when she heard the word ‘treatment’,
she got the impression that it must be something disagreeable.
“Please pardon my rudeness, but I have to say this!”

Imperial Concubine Hu and the rest of them trained their eyes on Yui Mei when she
said this, as she had been restraining herself earlier at the back.

“We have been commanded to come here so that we could clear the truth about that
‘curse’. Please grant us an immediate audience with His Highness the Imperial
Prince Youren!”

Yui Mei raised her head, and she stared directly at Imperial Concubine Hu.

Though her whole face was covered with the kerchief and the cloth mask, only her
eyes were seemingly blazing with strong determination.

“……!”

Imperial Concubine Hu unwittingly gasped when she saw those eyes.

A moment passed.

“I understand. Please guide these people.”

Imperial Concubine Hu then said.

Yui Mei and the rest were led by the maid to a wide room.

However, smoke was overflowing from the gaps in the

window. ‘What’s that, a fire?’

Despite that, the maid didn’t have a single trace of panic.

Both Libin and Ziliang also looked dubious when she glanced at them.

The maid who was walking ahead turned around and locked her eyes on

them. “No matter what you see, do not cause a fuss.”

After whispering, she softly opened the door to avoid making a

noise. “……!”

Yui Mei was dumbstruck at the scene that emerged before their eyes.

Smoke filled the room lighted with incense and it stung their eyes; meanwhile,
Youren was sitting on the floor with his upper body naked.

The gaudy maid was hitting his exposed back with a block of wood.

‘What, what the heck is this!?’

It was only natural that Yui Mei’s blood rushed to her head.

“Stop that, you child abuser!”

She yelled unwittingly as she dashed forward.

“Ah, hey!”

Libin closed the gap between them in an attempt to stop her, but Yui Mei already
rushed forward and landed a flying kick on the maid’s back.

“Hyah!”

“Ugh!”

The maid who didn’t notice Yui Mei and the rest despite the door being opened, fell
down while still gripping the wooden rod.

“Would a normal person attack by herself?”

Libin was exasperated, and he saw that Ziliang and the elderly maid were taken
aback, but he couldn’t do anything about it since he also didn’t manage to stop her.

“Come, this way!”

Yui Mei peered into Imperial Prince Youren’s face and tried to take him outside.

“…What?”

Youren stared at her like a deer in the headlight, seemingly confused at the current
situation.

However, his appearance was extremely pitiful.

His face was smeared with tears and snot, and his lips were bleeding, possibly
because he had been fiercely biting them as he desperately tried to endure the pain.

He must have been hurt, scared and miserable – Yui Mei carried his petite frame,
dashed out of the smoke-filled room and called Ziliang.

“Doctor, treatment!”

“Got it! Ah, so pitiful, he’s bleeding.”

Ziliang promptly started to treat him; on the other hand, that gaudy maid slowly
stood up.
“Who dared disturb us?”

While the maid moved her neck in a circle, Libin swiftly stood in front of Imperial
Prince Youren as if to hide him.

She mistook him as the person who kicked her, so she glared at him with loathing.

“You again…! What are you planning by disturbing the curse removal!?”

Yui Mei felt her temples throb at the maid’s scathing remarks.

‘Curse removal, nonsense, you’re wrong, you’re venting out your frustration!’

Yui Mei stepped forward, stood beside Libin, and shouted.

“His Imperial Prince Youren is not cursed, it’s just his constitution!”

However, it was the first time the maid noticed Yui Mei.

“…Who do you think you are?”

She scrunched her brows at the unfamiliar court lady.

It was only natural, since the first time they met, Yui Mei was hiding so she didn’t
notice her existence then.

“Impudent, a lowly court-lady like you should butt out.”

The maid roared, but Yui Mei glared at her without backing down.

“Who’s the impudent one! As the person who should be taking care of His Highness
the Imperial Prince, you didn’t even notice his condition, didn’t even try to
determine the cause yet carelessly jumping to conclusions, shame on you!”

Yui Mei roared back, and the maid grimaced for an instant after being scolded.

‘This person… ’

When Yui Mei saw her reaction, her conviction was strengthened, so she looked
daggers at the maid.
But her opponent wouldn’t stay still.

“I am only following the will of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager! Telling me that it
was nonsense and disturbing us, I will not forgive you!”

People would normally back down when they heard the name of the empress dowager.

She also said it now with a triumphant look.

However –

“What is the matter here?”

A male’s low voice suddenly resounded.

“…………!”

Yui Mei immediately stood beside Libin and respectfully did the servant’s bow.

Ziliang and the elderly maid also did the same.

The maid stared dumbstruck at the person who arrived in the midst of the tension
while being accompanied by Imperial Concubine Hu.

“Your Majesty the Emperor…”

However, the maid soon regained her senses and hurriedly bowed.

The emperor sauntered in then looked around at everyone present.

“I heard from Ming Xian regarding ‘Youren’s important matter’, but what on earth is
this commotion?”

The maid lifted her head and responded to the emperor’s words.

“I have been religiously following the orders of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.
That low-ranking court lady impudently barged in and falsely accused me…”

She faced the emperor and insisted that she was in the right.
“Wenjun, raising your voice in the presence of His majesty is disgraceful.”

Consort Hu intervened.

Apparently, this gaudy maid was called Wenjun.

Consort Hu then stepped forward and faced the emperor, and then she asked him in
a voice that everyone could hear.

“I am afraid I have to inquire about this, Your Majesty. Is it true that these people
have been sent by Your Majesty?”
“It is the truth. It was discovered that the court physicians are quacks, so Ming Xian
recommended that Youren be examined by other physicians, so the order was given
to the clinic.”

Imperial Concubine Hu had a relieved expression upon hearing the emperor’s words.

Finally, a saving grace was extended to her son who was branded as ‘cursed’ by the
empress dowager.

It was a matter of course that she would feel reassured.

“But that’s…”

On the other hand, Wenjun faltered with a flabbergasted expression.

“What did Her Majesty the Empress Dowager say!? It is known that we should leave
‘cursed people’ in the hands of the Taoists!”

Wenjun regained her momentum and anxiously spoke to the emperor, but he looked
at her coldly.

“The master of this place is not the Empress Dowager, it is Zhen. Empress Dowager’s
opinions are not needed.”

Yui Mei inwardly sighed in relief as she looked at the two of them.

‘That person failed coz she didn’t keep her cool, huh.’

Taking into account the fact that the empress dowager failed to make the son of her
niece the crown prince, it could be inferred that the two of them had a rocky
relationship.

To utter the name of the empress dowager here despite that – it was a brainless move.
If their opponent had the empress dowager as their backing, then they must have a
suitable support behind them, too.

That was why the crown prince arranged for the emperor to be their backing.

‘I was really nervous whether he would really come, though!’

However, the fact that the emperor came to take a look after hearing the crown prince’s
opinion would mean that he was also concerned about Imperial Prince Youren.

The emperor turned his eyes towards Ziliang who was treating Imperial Prince Youren.

“So, that doctor over there, how is Youren?”

Imperial Youren was frightened, and he curled himself.

The problem started at the banquet hosted by the emperor, so he must have thought
the emperor himself was an existence that was to be feared.

Ziliang felt his trepidation, so he gently grasped Imperial Prince Youren’s shoulders
as if wrapping them in his arms.

Imperial Prince Youren was soothed by the warmth of skin, and strength left his body.

Seeing this, Ziliang replied to the emperor.

“The medical examination is about to commence. However, before we could

proceed, there are some necessary matters we must attend to. Imperial Concubine
Hu, are the preparations complete?”

“Yes, they are here.”

At Ziliang’s query, Imperial Concubine Hu gestured to the maid on stand-by to bring

the basket in.

“These are the items you have requested.”

“I understand, thank you very much.”

When the maid handed the basket to Yui Mei, who was there as an assistant, the
emperor expressed his interest.

“What is that?”

“Please, do confirm.”

Yui Mei showed him the contents.

“…Eggs and milk, huh?”

“Indeed. We requested to borrow these from this palace’s kitchen. They are
necessary for the medical examination.”

Yui Mei explained briskly while the emperor stared at her curiously.

“…You, aren’t you the housekeeper from back then?’

He must have remembered her appearance from their encounter at Lady Wang’s
residence.

It was only natural that the emperor had some impression of her, as she was the
only one in the entire Inner Palace to wear a hood and a cloth mask.

Yui Mei replied to the emperor’s puzzlement.

“I do cleaning jobs, and I also help Doctor.”

It was not a lie, her job was indeed a housekeeper, though being an assistant was
something she volunteered to do.

Imperial Concubine Hu called out to them in the middle of their conversation.

“We have prepared another room since we could not settle down for the medical
examination in this place.”

With that, they moved away from here and it was decided that the medical
examination would commence anew.

It was a wide room where everyone could sit, and Yui Mei and Ziliang began their
preparations.
First, they placed a small amount of egg and milk in separate containers then
watered them down.

The emperor did not understand their actions, so he took it all in with shining eyes.

“What are you doing with those?”

Ziliang turned to face the emperor upon hearing his question.

“These are prepared for the examination of the body constitution of His Highness the
Imperial Prince Youren. The details will be explained by this assistant with your
permission.”

Along with those words, Yui Mei stepped forward and bowed.

“What do you mean by examining the body constitution with those things?”

Yui Mei responded to the emperor’s inquiry.

“It is to examine whether His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren has food
hypersensitivity.”

Afterward, she stated the same explanation she gave to the crown prince.

The body would treat food, which wasn’t even a poison, as a foreign substance, so
eating would lead to the occurrence of symptoms such as inflammatory response.

Depending on the person, it could even lead to death.

Several food items had the possibility of eliciting symptoms, but eggs, milk and
wheat had the highest occurrence — so she explained from start to end.

After hearing these things, the emperor nodded with a ‘hmm’.

“Isn’t it because the ingredients are spoiled?”

“It is not. For example, wheat is poison to a person hypersensitive to wheat, even if it
is fresh.”

A person jumped from her seat in the midst of everyone else who was listening to this
conversation silently.

“Stop spouting nonsense!”

The person who yelled was Wenjun, who had remained silent in front of the emperor.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

She probably couldn’t hold it back anymore, but the emperor just glanced at her
wordlessly as she butted in the conversation.

Yui Mei retorted quietly.

“Never heard of it means you’re just lazing on your studies. Even the court ladies at
the kitchen knew about it.”

Wenjun’s cheeks flamed after being indirectly told that she was inferior to a court lady.

“Are you insulting me…!”

“Silence, you are in the presence of His Majesty.”

Wenjun charged so she could vigorously grab Yui Mei, but she was controlled by Libin.

“Your insolent manners in front of His Majesty are unforgivable, so leave obediently.”

Libin stood in her way, so the maid could only grit her teeth bitterly.

Libin had been constantly fine tuning his movements in this room in accordance to
his status, and he constantly and deliberately stood between them.

‘That way of paying attention really isn’t eunuch-ish.’

Yui Mei thought as she took a sidelong glance at Libin.

Having the ability to calculate and predict movements in order to protect others was
more like a soldier, so she thought.
Even with all that commotion, Yui Mei and Ziliang were finally able to examine
Imperial Prince Youren.

“Your Highness Imperial Prince Youren, I will now touch your arm.”

Ziliang drew nearer to where Imperial Prince Youren was seated, and after a brief
notice, he took his arm, and put a drop each of the water-thinned milk and egg
respectively onto the inner side.

“I will be inserting a needle for a bit, please tell me if it hurts, okay.”

After saying that, Yui Mei injected a needle in the skin with the mixture, then she
waited for a while.

Currently, Yui Mei and Ziliang were conducting an allergy skin test.

This method yielded results in a short period of time, so Yui Mei and the rest could
examine them for themselves right before it would occur.

Yui Mei did not have any reaction towards eggs, milk and wheat, and so was Ziliang.

They further asked the cooperation of eunuchs who were sticking around, and two
of them reacted slightly from the milk.

When they were told that they had a body constitution that was hypersensitive to
milk, they said ‘no matter, drinking such expensive food as milk is a rarity for us’ but
they did agree to be more careful from now on.

As for Imperial Prince Youren, he did not have any reaction to the milk, but the
response to eggs was fast.
The area that was pierced by the needle started to turn red and swell, and it was
obvious.

“The inflammation occurred rapidly, right.”

“And the manner of swelling is also terrible.”

Yui Mei and Ziliang whispered to each other.

It continued to swell painfully, obviously showing that it was a severe case.

Imperial Youren scrunched his face in an attempt to endure the painful itch.

“Doctor, the medicine.”

“Yeah, right.”

Ziliang wiped the place where the needle was inserted, then he applied medicine
that would reduce the inflammation.

During that time, Yui Mei turned to face the people who were observing them.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, everyone, please look at this. The swelling occurred at
the area smeared with the egg mixture. Judging from the inflammatory response, we
concluded that His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren has a severe case of egg
hypersensitivity.”

“Oh my…”

“How…”

Color drained from the face of Imperial Concubine Hu, while the emperor was
greatly surprised upon hearing the words of Yui Mei.

“Currently, we smeared the egg mixture onto Imperial Prince Youren’s skin, but the
same inflammation occurred in his body, too. If the internal organs swell like this,
the pain he suffered must have been unimaginable.’’

Imperial Prince Youren was also dumbfounded at Yui Mei’s words.

Apparently, he could not keep up now that the source of his condition was finally
identified.

“Eggs are frequently served in his meals.”

Imperial Concubine Hu mumbled.

As expected of a high-ranking concubine, eggs were part of their regular diet.

“Imperial Prince Youren is picky about his food, so eggs were frequently served
since they believed that it still provided nutrition despite the small amount.”

The elderly maid looked at Imperial Concubine Hu with an anxious expression.

It was only natural that they would impose something if they did not know that it
was the cause of his pickiness.

The palace’s kitchen staff would probably turn blue if they heard about this.

Yui Mei counseled Imperial Concubine Hu, who was crestfallen after receiving shock.

“Symptoms of food allergy are often alleviated as they grow, so please do not worry
about it too much.”

“…Is that true?”

Yui Mei nodded vigorously when Imperial Concubine Hu whispered her query.

“Yes, it’s true. That’s why Imperial Prince Youren should consume an appropriate
diet to build up his physical strength, and strive to have a healthy body. If he did
that, time would come when his body would overcome the egg. ”

It was fortunate that he did not react with milk.

Milk was very nutritious, so it would be good if he drank it proactively.

“Youren…”

Imperial Concubine Hu slowly drew nearer, then she knelt in front of Imperial
Prince Youren and took his hands.
“Please forgive your foolish mother for not understanding your suffering. From now
on, I will do my best to prepare food that you can eat, so please get well as soon as
possible and be healthy.”

“…Mother.”

Imperial Youren could no longer endure his pain, and tears overflowed from his eyes.

The emperor who had been watching over Imperial Concubine Hu and the rest,
stood up from his chair.

“I see, from what I heard now, I finally understood his suffering at that banquet. It
was not a stupid nonsensense like a curse.”

The emperor said that, then he turned his gaze towards Imperial Prince Youren.

“Youren, a different doctor should have been sent to you sooner. Zhen apologizes for
taking so long.”

“No, I…”

Imperial Prince Youren was unnerved by the emperor’s apology.

From this moment on, Imperial Prince Youren was relieved from being assessed as
‘cursed’.

Afterward, Yui Mei also spread this gossip among the court ladies she interacted
with, so his bad reputation was also instantly whitewashed.

He might also leave a mark in history as the person who let the world know about a
condition called hypersensitivity. Yui Mei wished that Imperial Prince Youren who
suffered from a tender age, would grow into a compassionate person.

‘Anyway, goal achieved!’

For Yui Mei, it was a grand finale worthy of saying ‘case closed’.

Meanwhile, there was a person being excluded among them.

“This kind of thing…”

Wenjun muttered provokingly as she bit her lip tightly, and she glared with hatred
at Imperial Concubine Hu as she hugged Imperial Prince Youren.

Yui Mei silently stared at her figure.

Afterward, Ziliang treated the traces of beatings on Imperial Prince Yoruen’s back,
which had been given first aid earlier.

The emperor sojourned at the palace, and they spent quality time as a family.
Imperial Prince Youren was still scared of the emperor, but that would probably
improve gradually.

In a deserted corridor away from the peaceful family’s place –

“This, this isn’t supposed to be like this.”

Wenjun muttered furiously as she stomped off.

“I should appeal to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager once more so that woman will
be…”

However, soon after, Wenjun noticed the tall and short figures of two people
standing at the end of the corridor.

It was Yui Mei and Libin, who supposedly left the room earlier.

Yui Mei wanted to talk to Wenjun, so she and Libin went ahead.

“I have something important to say to you.”

When Yui Mei said that, Wenjun clenched her fists forcefully.

“Brat, it’s all because of your needless meddling!”

Wenjun shrieked, and she tried to grab her with a demon-like expression.

However, Yui Mei was not one to flinch from this.

Compared to the wild animals at the borderland, she looked cute,

even. ‘Don’t underestimate a country-born!’

Yui Mei posed, ready to counterattack.

“Shut up, unsightly woman.”

Libin stepped forward in a natural and smooth movement, and just as she thought he
had grasped her arm, the next second, Wenjun was already slammed against the floor.

Yui Mei was captivated by Libin’s fluid motion for an instant.

‘This person is a eunuch, that’s a lie, that’s absolutely a lie!’

Yui Mei was distracted at her intensifying doubts regarding Libin.

“Tsk… A mere lowly eunuch as you dared to do this to me, you know what will
happen to you, huh!?”

Yui Mei was brought to her senses when Wenjun yelled while being pressed

down. “You too, don’t think you can escape from this.”

Yui Mei looked down at Wenjun as she spoke, and in response, Wenjun raised her
heard and retorted, her spit flying.

“Don’t say such nonsense, why do I have to escape, huh!?”

Yui mei coldly stared at Wenjun, who didn’t seem to understand.

“You already knew that His Highness the Imperial Prince couldn’t eat eggs,

right?” For a moment, Wenjun’s eyes popped and she gasped.

“…What the heck are you babbling about, there’s no way I would know about that
kind of nonsensical story, right!!?”

Wenjun said shrilly, then she averted her face…

‘What a bad liar.’

Yui Mei relentlessly hounded her as she continued on.

“A person with the same body constitution as His Highness the Imperial Prince
Youren would be aware about the food items he couldn’t eat. Even if only a small
amount of egg was used, he would definitely try to avoid it.”

In fact, according to the crown prince, Imperial Prince Youren couldn’t eat
mushipan, and he probably already sensed that he couldn’t eat eggs.

The explanation why he couldn’t eat it was probably too difficult for him, so he
didn’t understand.

“It was known that failure was not permitted at the feast held by the emperor, yet
His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren ate the eggs and caused a great tumult. I
can’t help but feel that this is too odd.”

Not all the dishes served during the banquet had contained eggs.

It would have been good if he ate those food, but he was purposely given dishes with
eggs, resulting in his suffering plight.

Moreover, the same thing was repeated over and over again.

“However, if we think that it was not His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren’s own
volition, and he was forced feed, instead, then everything will make sense.”

“…”

Wenjun bit her lips fiercely as she listened to Yui Mei’s words.

“Afterward, you did not show any surprise when I mentioned Imperial Prince
Youren’s body constitution.”

If it was the first time she heard about it, then she would have a dubious expression
just like

crown prince and the emperor.

However, Wenjun was scowling during that time.

For Yui Mei, her attitude was as if she was saying ‘Stop saying unnecessary stuff’.

“Those are all false accusations!”

“Whether they are false accusations or not, let’s have an investigation to clear it up.”

Libin coldly responded to Wenjun’s retort.

“If it was found that you deliberately fed him, this will become a case involving His
Highness the Imperial Prince Youren, it will be forwarded to His Majesty. In other
words, this will be a grave sin of defying His Majesty.”

Wenjun started to tremble from fear when she heard Libin’s unsparing words.

She then shrieked with bloodshot eyes.

“…I, in truth, I was the one who was supposed to be chosen! Brat, if you’re not here,
then I could have driven that eyesore of a woman and child from the Inner Palace!
It’s all because of you butting in and meddling!”

Wenjun scolded Yui Mei, but it was as if she was looking at something else despite
looking at her.

“That plain woman got chosen, then I became an attendant? Don’t joke with me, I
should have been more suitable to receive His Majesty’s favor!”

Wenjun’s expression was overflowing with fury, but traces of sadness could also be
seen.

Yui Mei silently stared at Wenjun with an inexplicable feeling.

She probably grew up while being told that ‘You will become the empress’.

She also lived for that purpose, but at the last minute, she was told that she will
become the maid.

Imperial Concubine Hu’s maiden family must have seen through the emperor’s
preferences.
That was why instead of Wenjun, who was the original candidate, Imperial
Concubine Hu who had a plain appearance was chosen.

She also pitied Wenjun, since her expectations were manipulated by her family.

‘But there must have been more to a woman’s happiness than just receiving the favor
of the emperor.’

Because she did not become a concubine, she could’ve grasped freedom more than
Imperial Concubine Hu. She could love somebody else, and they could have had a
future together.

Turning her back on a bright future, and binding herself to the fate of a woman living
in the Inner Palace – she was truly a pitiful woman, indeed.

Wenjun’s face became extremely distorted when she saw Yui Mei looking down at her.

“…Don’t look at me, don’t look at me with those pitying eyes! I should’ve been the
one to receive the emperor’s favor, but why!?”

Wenjun’s wails echoed futilely throughout the corridor.

***

That day, Wenjun was arrested for attempting murder on Imperial Prince Youren,
and they heard she was imprisoned while awaiting her punishment.

‘To think that I had been hated to that extent… ’

Imperial Concubine Hu already knew that Wenjun did not like their mother-son pair.

However, Wenjun had more power in their family, so when she thought about that,
she could not bring herself to make a strong front. Besides, she also felt obliged for
snatching the position which was originally Wenjun’s.

When talks about Wenjun becoming Youren’s attendant came up, she couldn’t stop it
because she had a higher position than her.

If she had firmly objected at that time, then perhaps Wenjun didn’t have to become
astray.
Imperial Concubine Hu’s thoughts of ‘what ifs’ swirled around her mind.

Imperial Concubine Hu felt like she was in a quagmire, but that doctor’s assistant led
the way towards the clear waters.

It seemed that the emperor knew that girl, but she remembered too late that she
hadn’t asked for her name.

Normally, if circumstances permit, one would introduce herself without

asking, “What is the name of that helper girl?

“I’m afraid I do not know, except that she is the doctor’s assistant.”

The answer was uncertain even if she asked the elderly maid who was pouring her
tea.

However, only one thing was clear.

That girl had blue eyes that shone brightly.

“The look in those blue eyes resemble His Majesty’s eyes long

ago…” The maid did not hear Imperial Concubine Hu’s whisper.
【 】
After the incident of Imperial Prince Youren, talks about food hypersensitivity
instantaneously spread.

Many concubines began to drop in unexpectedly at Ziliang’s place with requests of

‘Please examine my body constitution’, so he was currently in a whirl of busyness.

On the other hand, the empress dowager did not like this flow of events.

The emperor overturned the conclusion she had drawn, making her lose face completely.

Because of that, the agitated, shrill shrieks of a woman was heard incessantly from
the palace of the empress dowager.

With this, the situation in the Inner Palace became stormy.

One day, the emperor visited Lady Wang’s residence under the pretext of taking a
break from work.

“Oh, Your Majesty, it is an honor for you to come here.”

Lady Wang, who went outside by chance, ordered the maid beside her to prepare
tea, and she led the Emperor inside.

“What have you been doing just now?”

“It is getting warmer, so I wanted to admire the flowers in the garden.”

They made their way towards the room as they did small talk, and the tea and
snacks were then brought in after a while.

“Then please excuse us.”

After arranging them on the table, the maid then bowed and left, taking the emperor’s
attending eunuchs with her.

Therefore, only the emperor and Lady Wang were left inside the

room. “…”

The emperor didn’t take the initiative to say anything, and he wordlessly sipped his
tea.

During this time, Lady Wang would also refrain from talking to the emperor.

She also silently drank her tea.

She understood that the emperor came to visit because he wanted to relax in a
tranquil place.

After a brief period where only the sound of clinking teacups and leaves rustling in
the wind could be heard, the emperor mumbled.

“A while ago, there was a court lady who came here to clean.”

Lady Wang’s eyes flickered at the emperor’s sudden words.

Only that girl would come to her mind when a court lady cleaner was mentioned.

“Aah, it must be Yui Mei?”

“Yui Mei, you said?”

When Lady Wang replied with a smile, the emperor’s eyes widened for an instant,
and then he muttered.

‘Oh?’ , Lady Wang thought upon seeing the emperor’s reaction.

‘Is there another girl with the name Yui Mei?’

The name Yui Mei was somewhat commonplace, so it was not surprising if others
also had this name.

That’s why a girl with the same name must be within the empire, or perhaps, a person
near the emperor had this name.

Lady Wang did not show the doubts she carried in her heart on her face, and she
continued the conversation.

“She was an energetic and adorable girl, isn’t she? She ate the sweets you give her
while brimming with happiness. She is as cute as a small animal, so I always prepare
them as thanks for cleaning.”

Lady Wang recalled Yui Mei stuffing her cheeks with manju, and she smiled. The
emperor stroked his chin, a mannerism he did when deep in thought.

“That’s true. She was like that when she was here, so I thought she was a mere
housekeeper court lady, so I was surprised to learn that she was also a doctor’s
assistant.”

Lady Wang was perplexed at these words.

“No, I heard from Yang that Yui Mei is a housekeeper? However, she does seem to be
an erudite, seeing that she is knowledgeable about various things, so it would not be
surprising if she was indeed an assistant.”

“…I see.”

The emperor had a pensive look upon hearing the words of Lady Wang.

Afterward, the emperor didn’t stay for long, and he left right after they enjoyed their
tea.

‘Did he come just to inquire about Yui Mei?’

In the Inner Palace, the emperor expressing his interest was tantamount to being
viewed as a prospective concubine.

However, the emperor’s current appearance had a different feel to it.

“Listen, do you know somebody named Yui Mei?”

Lady Wang asked the question that had been bothering her to the maid who was
clearing up the tea sets.
“It must be the housekeeping court lady who always comes here.”

The maid replied with those words.

“Not that Yui Mei, I was thinking if there was somebody else.”

“I’m afraid not? I do not have any recollection.”

When Lady Wang kept on pressing for an answer, the puzzled maid shook her head.

Apparently, even a court lady older than her did not know another person named
‘Yui Mei’.

“Yui Mei, huh…”

Lady Wang tried to search in her memories, but she came up with nothing.

Maybe she was making a mountain out of a molehill, but oddly enough, she couldn’t
stop thinking about it.

After a while, Lady Wang suddenly remembered Lady Zhang, the beauty who lived
in this mansion before her.

She was an infamous person within the circle of court ladies, for she had been rapidly
promoted from a lower court lady to a beauty after receiving the favor of the emperor.

At that time, Lady Wang had just entered the Inner Palace as a novice court lady, so
she knew little about it.

Didn’t she give birth to a daughter before she vanished?

However, she didn’t know the name of that daughter.

The empress dowager declared that she was not the child of the emperor, so her
existence became a taboo.

Only very few people knew about it; for example, the people, such as Yang, who had
helped her give birth.

‘Originally, she should be living luxuriously as a princess, what a pitiful baby.’

If she were alive, then she should be around the age of Yui Mei.

While thinking of this, Lady Wang recalled the first time she met Yui Mei.

She remembered that Yui Mei had beautiful, mysterious blue-tinged hair under her
hood.

However, since that day, she hadn’t removed her hood, so she thought it was such a
waste.

‘Now that I think about it, Lady Zhang also had beautiful, wondrous hair.’

She never met her, so she didn’t know its definite shade, though.

However, this common feature bothered a corner of Lady Wang’s heart.

The season gradually became warmer recently.

The Inner Palace also got past the peak of influenza, and its influence was gradually
abating.With this, it was the advent of spring at last.

Yui Mei’s mood was great, and her work also progressed smoothly as she admired
the beautiful yard while cleaning. The snacks’s level of deliciousness rose up one
level as she ate them while viewing the flowers in the garden.

The flowers of the garden plum trees would fall anytime soon; in exchange, the
period of the full blossoming of the cherry trees was also fast approaching, so it was
a very impressive sight.

One certain day during the height of spring, she was asked during breakfast at the
dining hall about the large-scaled event that was soon to be held.

“Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet?”

“Yeah, the nobles are holding a feast while admiring the flowers.”

Yui Mei was perplexed as she ate her breakfast, so Mei Na explained.

At first glance, it was just like the cherry blossom viewing parties, but on this day, a
special event would occur that would separate this feast from the others.

Apparently, the grownup children of the emperor who left the Inner Palace were
permitted to enter during this day so they could spend it with their mothers.

“I see~, so that’s why everyone’s so excited.”

Yui Mei looked around as understanding dawned on her face, and she saw everyone
gossiping loudly about which prince was doing what.
For the court ladies, this Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet was an opportunity to be
seen by the various princes.

Yui Mei couldn’t care less about those princes, and she’s more concerned about
something else.

Apparently, the merchants would come soon to open stalls for the women who
wanted to dress up during the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet.

“I want to buy a new hairpin.”

“Is there a good color of rouge?”

The court ladies were itching to go shopping, and they were gossiping here and there.

It seemed that though the world might change, the women’s love for shopping wouldn’t.

Yui Mei was not particularly interested in accessories, but she wanted to shop.

Bartering self-produced items was the norm in the borderlands, and shopping was
an activity far beyond their means.

Even the wages handed to them in time for the opening of the booths had currency
she never saw before.

She planned to carry out her desire to shop that hadn’t been fulfilled yet in this
world with all her might.

‘Will there be something good?’

Anticipation swelled in her chest, and finally, the long awaited day of the merchants’
arrival came.

“Alrighty, time to go shopping!”

Yui Mei speedily finished her work, then she headed towards the square where the
stalls were.

Yui Mei was excited, but she couldn’t forget that the Inner Palace was a hierarchical
society.
It was also reflected during shopping in the stalls, as the senior court ladies had
their turn first. What would happen in the end.

The stalls were completely ransacked by the swarms of court ladies and maids, and
only dregs remained.

“…Well, this is bound to happen, I suppose.”

The shopping situation of low ranking court ladies was such that they could only
choose from the left-overs.

Yui Mei already expected this much, so she wasn’t too affected.

There was also good fortune among those surplus, so she was excited to find a good
bargain.

By the way, the merchants would go directly to the concubines, so they wouldn’t
come here.

The ladies-in-waiting would also be graced with the favor of shopping there, so the
court ladies also dreamed of that exclusive position.

Those matters should be set aside for now.

She cast a sidelong glance towards the court ladies who desperately looked for
accessories among the remaining goods, then she squatted at the stall offering other
items aside from ornaments.

Judging from the various merchandise displayed compared to the other stalls, it
seemed that it was not that frequented.

Miscellaneous things such as pots and sewing kits were lined-up at the stall Yui Mei
was looking at.

Apparently, all the items aside from the leading ones were squeezed in here, all
mixed-up.

“Heh, there’s a lot of different stuff.”

The merchants gawked curiously at Yui Mei as she rummaged through the goods, but
she ignored them all.

Yui Mei stared intently at the goods, when a glass bottle containing different colored
candies and covered by a pot caught her eye.

‘This might be good, I can eat one piece every

day!’ “I want to buy this please!”

Yui Mei raised the glass bottle of candies, and the merchant said ‘Thank you for your
purchase!’ with a smile.

“Okay, payment huh…”

Yui Mei took out her pouch that she brought as a substitute for a wallet to pay the
merchant.

“You could have bought other things aside from

that.” A male’s voice came from above her.

When Yui Mei looked up, Libin was standing diagonally behind her.

“Did Libin also come to buy something?”

She couldn’t think of any other reason why he was here, so she

asked. “I’m already done at the crown prince’s palace.”

However, the answer was blatantly obvious, and Yui Mei also agreed, ‘Yeah, I
thought so’.

So what was he doing here?

Libin extended his hand and dropped some change on the merchant’s palm, ignoring
Yui Mei’s bewildered face.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes, more than enough, you still have change.”

Eh?

Yui Mei tilted her head, perplexed at their conversation.

Could the money just now be payment for the candies?

Why did this guy pay for it?

“No need for change, keep it.”

“Thank you very much.”

And so, the purchase was completed just like that; moreover, it ended with the rich’s
lines of ‘No need for change’.

“Libin, are you bribing me with the candy, perhaps?”

Under the unrelenting gaze of Yui Mei, Libin lightly sighed.

“What a cheap bribery money. I won’t gain anything from bribing you in the first
place, you know.”

Indeed, there was no merit in bribing a housekeeping court lady who wasn’t even a
lady-in-waiting of a high-ranking consort.

Apparently, it was not a bargaining point for something else.

In that case, then Libin must have genuinely bought the candy for her.

“Then, thank you very much for buying it for me, I will eat it with pleasure.”

Yui Mei clutched the bottle of candies and she beamed as she thanked him.

They were in the way for standing too long in front of the stall, so Yui Mei and Libin
left that place. Yui Mei stared again at the bottle of candies.

“Fufufu, it’s sooo beautiful.”

Being able to eat with pleasure while appreciating it, isn’t this the best?

Libin looked at Yui Mei grinning broadly while thinking those things, then he spoke.
“If you are shopping then you could have chosen to buy an accessory.”

He then glanced at the court ladies who were gathered where the accessories were
lined up.

They were scrutinizing each of the goods in the hopes of finding something better
despite being left-overs.

‘He’s telling me to mingle with them, huh.’

It was probably Libin’s kind advice; unfortunately, Yui Mei had no intention of
buying those things.

“I’m not interested, and I couldn’t use it everyday since it will get in the way of

cleaning.” Libin scrunched his brows when he heard Yui Mei’s resolute remarks.

“Good grief, it is just as the crown prince feared, huh.”

After saying those with a sigh, Libin took a package wrapped in cloth from his bosom.

It was thin and roughly the size of a palm, and he held it out to her.

“What might this be?”

“You’ll know, so open it.”

Libin thrust it towards the suspicious Yui Mei.

‘Somehow, he looks like a swindler, though.’

The thought that he might demand for a large sum afterward passed through her

mind. “Faster.”

Yui Mei lost to the intensity of Libin’s stare, so she placed the bottle of candies on the
ground, and unwillingly opened the package.

Inside was a –
“…Hairpin?”

Indeed, it was a petite hairpin embellished with cute little red flowers suitable for
young girls.

‘Why a hairpin?’

Yui Mei could not understand why Libin gave her a hairpin.

“What is this?”

Yui Mei was completely bewildered as she looked up at Libin, so he heaved another
deep sigh.

“Women normally become happy with this, though.”

Libin grumbled like that, but she thought unhappiness also depended on the attitude
of the person who gave it.

Even Yui Mei knew exactly what it usually meant when a man gave a present to a
woman.

Handing an accessory then confessing was a commonly used scene in the dramas
she watched in her previous life.

However, the man standing in front of her had an austere face, and if he had that
intention when he handed the hairpin, then the answer would be no.

Their conversation did not seem to be a confession, and that kind of mood was also
absent.

She couldn’t see Libin hiding his embarrassment at all.

‘I wish he would stop talking to me as if I’m thickheaded, though.’

Libin talked to the wholly unsatisfied Yui Mei with a straight face.

“The Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet is soon. It would be troublesome if you don’t
wear at least one hairpin,”
How on earth was the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet related to a hairpin?

Rather than that, was it an event where all were required to attend?

“Honestly, I do not care for the princes who are coming from the outside.”

Yui Mei thought she would grab some left-over food and relax in some corner.

It was her plan, but Libin shook his head.

“It is a grand, extensive banquet, so there is no way you would be permitted to skip.
You cannot wear that kerchief in that showy place.”

According to Libin, the festivities were done so that all the women in the Inner
Palace, including the court ladies, would be enlivened.

The court ladies might also serve during the flower viewing.

That was why even the lowest of all the court ladies had to be presentable.

‘This Inner Palace cherry blossom viewing is that troublesome!? It would be better if
they can just drink alcohol on their own and get drunk.’

Just as Yui Mei was thinking in that fashion, a problematic issue was brought up.

“You probably heard this from somebody else, but princesses and princes were
invited to attend. A court lady with nary a hairpin would easily catch the eye of other
people, particularly the princes.”

In that case, then all the efforts of the court ladies in shopping so they could catch
the fancy of a prince were all in vain, then.

Libin raised his brow at Yui Mei’s doubts.

“You’re a guy with a peculiar reasoning, huh. With no one to give her a hairpin, no
money to buy one, they would think it would be easy to crush her.”

‘I see, so she’d be a target of assaults, then.’

It was a situation that must be avoided at all costs.
If they were the crown prince’s brothers, then that would mean they were also Yui
Mei’s (provisionary) brothers.

She was not interested in committing incest.

Furthermore, if the emperor’s children were called princes, then the emperor’s
brothers were also princes.

They would also possibly come, so she began to think that it was truly a bother.

Moreover, with the way Libin said it, even if she was assaulted and a child was born,
it probably would not be acknowledged.

Rather than that, they would be thrown into the nunnery.

For her to fall into the same predicament as their mother and daughter – she would
absolutely not let that happen.

‘Do not go near the princes during the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet, alrighty, I’ll
keep it in mind!’

After burning that warning into her brain, the next thing she was bothered about
was the origin of the hairpin.

“Who prepared this hairpin?”

Libin shrugged his shoulders at Yui Mei’s query.

“I did. The crown prince wanted to buy it for you, but him sending a hairpin to a
court lady would cause misunderstandings.”

Yui Mei also didn’t want to raise rumors that she was a court lady involved with the
crown prince.
‘But did Libin-sama choose this hairpin himself?’

When she scrutinized it again, it was not ostentatious, but it was not plain, either; it
was a cute but elegant hairpin.

If Libin chose this, then he had great tastes.

With that clever way of choosing gifts, if he was not a eunuch then he would
certainly be popular.

There were doubts about him being a eunuch, but for now, she set them aside.

And so, it was now clear to her that Libin was the one who gave it to her.

Then the next question would be how to use this hairpin.

“I have never used this kind of thing, though.”

At any rate, it was not an accessory that was readily available in her previous

life. Yui Mei did not know what to do with the hairpin, and was just idly

swinging it. “…Can’t be helped then, hand it over.”

Libin took the hairpin from Yui Mei’s hand, then he removed the kerchief, and he
arbitrarily fixed her hair and inserted the hairpin.

“It’s like this, as expected, I was right in choosing the red flower.” After

arranging her hair, Libin took a step back and checked the result.

She already thought about this before, but he was a man skilled at fiddling with hair,
arranging it in such a short time.

And apparently, Libin did choose the hairpin himself.

‘How should I say this, he’s a person with no slip-ups.’

Anyway, Yui Mei also wanted for herself to see how it was after it was done.
“I wanted to see it! Is there a mirror somewhere?”

“There’s a mirror here.”

When Yui Mei tried to look for a place that could reflect her appearance, he handed
her a small hand-mirror.

Rather, bringing a mirror everywhere, there should be a limit to how prepared he was.

Anyhow, she hurriedly peered into the mirror.

‘Ah, I look cute!’

The red flower was set off by her hair, giving her a gorgeous ambience.

Yui Mei smiled as she looked at her appearance in the mirror from various angles.

She did not have any intention of dressing up to be chosen by the princes, but she
would also feel happy when she looked good.

While looking at Yui Mei circling around as she looked in the mirror, Libin softly
mumbled.

“…Unexpectedly, you also have a feminine side to you, huh.”

Fortunately, these words were not heard by Yui Mei who was in high-spirits.

Afterward.

All the court ladies became very busy as the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet
approached.

Of course, Yui Mei was not an exception.

She polished the interior of the Inner Palace until it was sparkling, and she took out
the tables and chairs that would be placed in the garden and polished them too.

In short, only polishing jobs were awaiting her.

The kitchen staff Mei Na was also occupied with working on the pre-made foods.
There was a refrigerator using ice in the Inner Palace, but its capacity was not huge.

That was why the dishes that would require fresh ingredients were to be made on
the day itself early in the morning. However, foods that could be preserved were
already prepared a few days prior.

That was why the kitchen lights were still lit late into the night.

In this manner, all the court ladies involved in the preparation run around until
became completely exhausted, and the day of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet
finally arrived.

Yui Mei was inside her room fighting in front of the slightly warped mirror she had
borrowed from the storage room.

“Hmmm, so difficult.”

Her opponent was the hairpin she got from Libin.

Even if she did not plan to dress up especially, she wanted to do something about
her hair, so she had been trying to arrange it through trial and error, but it wasn’t
going well.

‘Will I get used to this at this rate?’

Yui Mei was about to give up on the hairpin because it was too troublesome, and she
was overwhelmed.

“Ah Mei, are you there?”

Right at that time, Mei Na came to visit.

“What is it? I am currently preoccupied though…”

Yui Mei poked her head out to receive her, and Mei Na heaved a sigh when she saw
Yui Mei’s hair in a jumble.

“I was worried so I decided to take a look, and there you are. Yui Mei, don’t tell me
you plan to go to the banquet with your bare face.”
“Eh, I plan to go as is, though?”

It couldn’t be helped since she didn’t have any cosmetics.

Mei Na’s eyes widened in disbelief at Yui Mei who had those thoughts.

“There’s no way that would be okay!”

Afterward, she took her shoes off and entered the room, then she seated Yui Mei in
front of the mirror. She put the box she was carrying on the floor, and when she
opened the lid, there was a make-up kit inside.

“Alright, be still!”

Mei Na pressed Yui Mei down as she said that, then she started to put face powder
on her.
“Yui Mei is also a woman, so you should at least dress up.”

Mei Na was strangely enthusiastic about this, but Yui Mei was troubled.

“Ahm, I don’t want to stand out too much.”

Yui Mei said as she desperately tried not to sneeze from the face powder; however,
Mei Na smiled and replied.

“Relax, people who are more eye-catching than you are scattered all around you.”

“Ah…”

Yui Mei recalled each and everyone of the court ladies who was were too invested
about this to the point that they were running around like headless chickens.

‘Well, that’s true, though there are also people who looked like they’re participating in
a costume competition.’

Mei was the leader among them, though.

She stuck an extremely gaudy feather on her head; anyway, the result was truly
something to look at.

Really, one could only say ‘amazing’.

Compared to that, a little bit of make-up did seem plain.

While she was thinking about whether she should be relieved with that stark
contrast, color was lightly dabbed on her cheeks, and rouge rubbed on her lips.

“Alright, your done! You have a face that takes well with powder, huh.”
Mei Na was brimming with satisfaction, and Yui Mei raised her brow at her

remarks. “…That means my face is mediocre, isn’t it?”

The effect of powder could be more readily seen on people with plain faces
compared to those who had distinct features.

Anyway, it was the arrangement of hair after the face was done.

Mei Na deftly fixed her hair beautifully, then she took the hairpin that was lying

there. “What’s with this hairpin? I thought you didn’t have a hairpin?” Mei Na

curiously asked as she inserted it in her hair.

Yui Mei didn’t usually have such a thing, and she never saw this in her room before.

After Libin put it on her, she took it off soon after, so nobody saw it.

“Somebody gave this to me.”

Yui Mei didn’t know how to lie, so she told her the truth.

“Oh, even you can’t be left in a corner, huh.”

Mei Na was somewhat grinning, so she must be anticipating an amorous story.

Sorry to disappoint, but she would not go along with her expectations.

“A eunuch I frequently talked to told me to own even just one, so he gave it to

me.” Mei Na had a complicated expression when she heard her explanation.

“Did you hook up with an eunuch? Might be good, but might be

futile.’ ‘Well, that impression is natural, huh.’

Mei Na’s reaction as a court lady was ordinary.

Even if she partnered up with a eunuch, a child was impossible, so no matter how
much of an Adonis one was, it was difficult for them to be his partner.

Leaving that aside, Yui Mei’s appearance was in good order as one of the flowers in
the flower viewing all thanks to Mei Na.

After the flurry of last-minute preparations, the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet
finally began.

The garden became the venue for the event, and the concubines who were gathered
there engaged in pleasant chit chat while sipping tea.

“How splendid.”

“The flowers are blooming beautifully this year as well.”

Their figures were elegant as they exchanged words like this.

Yui Mei stood absentmindedly at the edge of the venue, and she gazed at them from
afar.

Mei Na and the rest of the kitchen staff were busy with cooking and food preparation,
but the low-ranking court ladies like Yui Mei did not have work anymore.

To put it strongly, their job was to stand there in a line as lively staff.

‘I can’t sneak a bit of food at this rate.’

In that case, Yui Mei had nothing to do but observe the people.

In order not to stand out with her bluish hair, she mixed in with the tall court ladies,
and she peeped at the concubines from behind them.

Yui Mei was assigned to a place different from where the people from the crown
prince palace was, so she didn’t see the crown prince nor Libin’s figures.

In exchange, she could clearly gaze at the higher-ranking concubines.

“Oh my, those hair ornaments are new, I presume?”

“Likewise, your clothes are dyed ones that came into fashion recently.”
They complimented each other as they enjoyed the flower viewing in harmony.

However, if one looked closely, one would notice that these women gathered into
two groups.

They were naturally divided into the group who was further into the garden where
the scenery was most wonderful, and another group who huddled together in a
distance.

‘Empress dowager’s faction, and those who are not, I guess.’

She tried to strain her ears so she could hear what court ladies were whispering
about, and she learned that the elderly woman sitting in the middle of the group of
concubines who were further into the garden was the rumored empress dowager.

Indeed, lively voices flowed from that direction.

“That woman over there, serve wine over here.”

“Bring the dishes here.”

Men who were not eunuchs ordered the maids and court ladies around in
commanding tones.

There were several men serving around the empress dowager, and no matter how
you looked at them, they seemed to be from the same generation as the emperor.

They were probably the brothers of the emperor.

Aside from them, there were also young men who chatted happily with the concubines.

They must be the brothers of the crown prince.

‘Going near them is a no no, huh.’

Since she was buried among the court ladies, she probably wouldn’t enter their field
of vision, so it would be fortunate if she managed to stay still in place.

Unfortunately, she discovered a problem.

Even though it became warmer, if she stood in place without moving, her body
would gradually become colder.

When it gets colder, it would also be natural that she would get the urge to use the
toilet.

“Excuse me, I will go to the washroom for a moment.”

Yui Mei explained to the court lady nearby, then she left that place.
Yui Mei separated from them to go to the washroom, but she ended up walking for a
while.

“Geez, why did the toilet have to be so far.”

Although it was not that urgent, Yui Mei had been walking with perseverance until
she finally got miffed.

She didn’t know where the restroom was, so she had been circling around uselessly.

She told herself that she must properly check the location of restrooms from now on.

Afterward, a lot of time had already passed, so she thought it would be better if she
returned back to the original place through a shortcut. She passed through a small
path.

“Kyahahaha!”

A familiar child’s laughter resounded.

It was coming from an unpopular place.

‘This voice, don’t tell me… ’

Yui Mei, softly peeked towards the direction of the voice.

“This is warm!”

“Yes, the court lady in the kitchen warmed it again.”

A young girl was conversing with Imperial Prince Youren at the place she was looking
at.

They had spread a mat on the lawn in a place surrounded by thickets, and a few
dishes were lined up together.

They were probably having their own cherry blossom viewing with just the two of
them; rather than a feast, it looked more like a picnic.

The girl must be the newly appointed lady-in-waiting. She placed the dishes on small
plates, and she also wiped the stains around Imperial Youren’s mouth, clearly doing
her best to take care of him.

‘What a relief, looks like he’s healthier now.’

Imperial Prince Youren’s expression was clear with no traces of fear.

Since Wenjun, the maid attending to the imperial prince, left, his life also improved.

While Yui Mei was gazing at the two of them, Imperial Prince Youren suddenly
turned towards her, and their eyes met.

“Ah!”

Imperial Prince Youren’s expression brightened in an instant, and he took one of the
manju from the plates. Afterward, he stood up and rushed towards her.

“Your Highness, what happened!?”

The maid was surprised at the suddenness of his movements, so she hurriedly stood
up to follow.

Imperial Prince Youren left the maid on her own as he stopped in front of Yui Mei
and greeted her energetically.

“Hello!”

When Imperial Prince Youren greeted Yui Mei while grinning broadly, her option to
leave this place sneakily vanished, and she bowed her head deeply.

“Good day, Your Highness the Imperial Prince Youren, your health is our greatest
fortune.”

Imperial Prince Youren’s countenance radiated when he heard Yui Mei’s words.

“As I thought, that voice, you are the assistant that time, right!”

“…May I ask how did you know so well?”

Yui Mei was perplexed as Imperial Prince Youren happily remarked.

At that time, Yui Mei had covered her face with a kerchief and a cloth mask.

Despite that, how did he know that it was her?

Imperial Prince Youren told her the answer.

“I wanted to thank you no matter what. When I asked Elder Brother, he told me that
it was a person with bluish hair, so I thought that’s it.”

Apparently, the crown prince was the source of information.

The one who told Yui Mei to hide her blue hair was Libin, who was supposedly sent
by the crown prince.

At that time, he did tell her “do not stand out”, if she was not mistaken.

She had thought that it was a warning from the crown prince which he sent using
Libin as the messenger.

It was as if he was saying she already did an eye-catching thing, so it would do her
well to refrain from standing out more than this.

However, the crown prince himself taught him about her; what’s with that?

Being an imperial prince’s acquaintance was one of the things that would make her
stand out more, though.

Perhaps, Imperial Prince Youren pleaded with the crown prince and because he was
bothered, he unwittingly said it.
‘But, maybe I could use this to pester him to give me a mushipan as an apology.’

Yui Mei’s objective was to watch the Inner Harem inconspicuously, so she wasn’t
happy that her personal information was revealed.

Imperial Prince Youren, unaware of Yui Mei’s resentment against the crown prince,
continued to speak while beaming.

“Because of you, I am now very healthy!”

Imperial Prince Youren was still skinny, but it was now within the healthy range.

It seemed like he was eating properly.

‘Did his face become a bit rounder? His complexion is good, too.’

Yui Mei gauged Imperial Prince Youren’s health as she gazed at him.

“Ahm, this manju is delicious!”

Imperial Prince Youren said as he offered the

manju. Yui Mei’s eyes glittered when she saw that.

“Perhaps, you would like to give this to me?”

“Yes, I heard from Elder Brother that you like manju!”

‘What have you been saying, Your Highness the Crown Prince?’

Being told that she loves manju, isn’t that tantamount to being told to be a

glutton? Besides, it was not like Yui Mei was a glutton.

In this country where the standard was two meals a day, a laborer needed to eat one
more meal in between.

Besides, it was not like manju was Yui Mei’s favorite; she would be happy to receive
mushipan and ma hua, too.
Manju made her stomach full, so she only preferred it because of that.
Yui Mei’s heart received a slight blow after being thought as ‘manju-loving’ by Imperial
Prince Youren, but she couldn’t just leave him while he offered the manju to her.

While she was inwardly debating whether she would receive this, the girl attending
to Imperial Prince Youren spoke to her.

“Ahm, would you like to have tea over there if you will eat it?”

The girl said timidly, or to be more precise, she said so with nervous diffidence.

Even though there was no need for her to be so scared, somehow, she was frightened.

This reaction was somewhat similar to that of the maiden serving Yu Xiu.

She and this girl, why would they be so awkward in front of Yui Mei?

‘Am I scary? Or do I look imposing?’

She had been told she was ‘exuding the aura of a veteran’ since she was young in her
previous world, but was it the same in this world?

On the other hand, Imperial Prince Youren’s eyes were shining as he looked up at
her, perhaps anticipating that she would eat together with him.

If she rejected him outright, he would probably become dejected.

Besides, there were court ladies who did not return for a long time after going to the
washroom, so they must have been taking a breather somewhere else.

And so, Yui Mei decided to imitate them.

“Then, please let me accompany you for a little while.”

“…! Well then, let’s go to that mat over there!”

When Yui Mei nodded, Imperial Prince Youren quickly took her hand and pulled her
towards the mat.

“Your Highness, you will fall down if you hurry like that!”

“I’m fine!”

Imperial Prince Youren ignored the maid’s warning.

Nevertheless, why did it seem like Imperial Prince Youren was having a picnic in
such a place?

Ordinarily, he should be one of the VIPs at the banquet’s main venue; it was
unnatural that there were only the two of them in this place.

However, Yui Mei was also aware of the reason.

Because of the incident with Imperial Prince Youren’s food hypersensitivity, the
empress dowager’s declaration had been negated, causing her displeasure.

Imperial Concubine Hu must have secretly arranged for him to have the flower
viewing here in order to avoid harassment from being within the empress
dowager’s surroundings.

She must have feared that since it was already known that Imperial Prince Youren
could not eat eggs, somebody might intentionally feed him by mixing it with the
other dishes.

‘But it’s unexpectedly more enjoyable this way, probably.’

Even though there were only the two of them, it was more pleasant by a long shot
compared to the banquet they had at the main venue.

It would not be fun for a child if he had to look at the complexions of the adults
around him while looking at the flowers.

In this way, Yui Mei enjoyed the cherry blossom viewing with Imperial Prince
Youren without worry for a short time.
After interacting with Imperial Prince Youren, Yui Mei then made her way back to
the banquet.

‘Alright, I’ll do my best for the remaining time!’

Yui Mei’s footsteps were lighter after her body was warmed by the manju and tea
she received.

Yui Mei happily walked through the corridor, then she could see the garden where
the feast was being held from afar. It was at that time.

“Hey, that court lady over there.”

From a secret place in the corridor, a young man’s voice stopped her.

“Yes?”

Yui Mei answered as she turned towards the direction of the voice.

There was a man who obviously did not have the bearing of a eunuch.

If he was not a eunuch, then he must be an imperial prince.

However, the strange thing about it was that he did not have a single attendant with
him.

“Excuse me, how may I help you?”

In order to avoid unnecessary connections with this man, Yui Mei softly inquired
with a smile.

There had been plenty of men making merry among the imperial princes who came
for the once-a-year visit to the Inner Palace.

She also observed some of them energetically drinking, and there were also those
who behaved carelessly.

She also agreed with Libin’s comment that wearing a hairpin would be for her self-
defense after watching those guys.
In short, she could see at a glance that it would be terrible to have anything to do
with those guys.

If the imperial princes went out of the city towards the red light district, they would
find plenty of playmates over there.

It would be a good plan to avoid those who deliberately mess around with a woman
looking after them and assaulting her.

On the other hand, however, Yui Mei could sense that the man before her was
different from them.

He did not have the smell of alcohol on him, he didn’t seem drunk, and he didn’t look
like he made merry.

‘Rather than that, was this imperial prince in that garden?’

She could see that he was young, probably around her age.

If he was an imperial prince, then he must be the brother of the crown prince, but
Yui Mei did not remember seeing him in the garden.

Besides, even if he was not in the garden and was staying at another place, him being
alone without a single attendant gave her a sense of unease.

“I see, the blue hair is just like the rumors…”

She heard his faint whisper.

‘What’s with this person… ’

Yui Mei knit her brows.

Did this person call out to stop her because of her bluish hair?
The only way a man would know about Yui Mei’s bluish hair despite living outside
the Inner Palace was that he must have gathered information deliberately.

She did not have a good feeling about it as she thought about what his purpose
might be.

However, no matter how inwardly suspicious Yui Mei was, it was a fact that he had a
much higher status than a low-ranking court lady like her.

“Ahm, please pardon me, but I am currently in a hurry…”

Yui Mei backed off as she politely gave an excuse.

“I do not have the intention to take too much of your time. However, please give that
hair to me.”

The man calmly uttered those outrageous words.

“Huh?”

Yui Mei did not understand for a moment what he was babbling about.

‘What do you mean by getting my hair?’

Yui Mei wasn’t able to respond as she stood dumbfounded when suddenly, the man
walked towards her in large strides, closing the gap between them, then he reached
out to her.

“Hiii!”

The man knit his brows when Yui Mei hurriedly shifted her body to avoid his hand.

“I will bestow an appropriate reward, so there is no need to fear.”

‘Nononono! Being scared is normal, right!?’

Yui Mei inwardly protested against the man’s selfish words.

How many women in the world could keep their calm after being told ‘Give me you
hair’ by a stranger?

She knew it would be better to escape from here, but her escape was hampered by
the possibility that her opponent was an imperial prince.

If he called out to her later, things might get out of hand.

‘Isn’t there a good way to escape?’

She evaded his hand while trying to think, but the guy persistently approached until
he touched Yui Mei’s hair.

He then grabbed her hair, then he pulled the hairpin and threw it on the floor,
disheveling her tied hair in the process.

It was the hairpin she got from Libin, and it was the hair Mei Na styled for her.

Yui Mei’s blood rushed to her head after those things were treated so roughly.

However –

“Whoa, what a smooth sensation…”

The man wound Yui Mei’s hair around his hand and rubbed it on his cheek absorbedly.

‘What’s with this guy, so creepy!’

Yui Mei’s fury went down, and goosebumps rose on her entire body.

“Aaarrggghh! Let go of my hair! “

All thoughts about the possibility of him being an imperial prince flew out of her
mind, and Yui Mei pulled vigorously, bent on getting her hair back.

Even if this was a hair fetish, the extent was a bit different from the usual.
“Come, I will now obtain this.”

He ignored Yui Me, and he took out a dagger as he said that.

The blade was pointed towards Yui Mei’s hair.

‘Does he plan to keep it at his place after cutting it!?’

In that case, Yui Mei won’t be able to sleep with worry about the fate of her stolen

hair. “Let go, let go I said!”

Yui Mei began putting strength on her feet, prepared to kick the

man. “Xiao Mei, what are you doing!?”

Aunty Yang’s sharp voice resounded in the corridor.

‘Aunty Yang!?’

When Yui Mei looked at the direction of the voice, Aunty Yang was standing behind
the man.

He was too absorbed in trying to cut the hair with the dagger so he didn’t notice her
presence at all.

“Goodness, thought I didn’t see you at your post, stop slacking

off!” Aunty Yang strode towards Yui Mei while scolding her.

Fortunately, the man was surprised at Aunty Yang’s sudden arrival, and his grip
loosened.

Taking advantage of this moment, Yui Mei pulled her hair away, then she briskly
took the fallen hairpin and ran towards Aunty Yang.

‘She looked angry, but I’m saved!’

Fleeing from that guy was more important than being punished by Aunty Yang.
Aunty Yang bowed her head deeply as she stood in front of that guy as if taking the
place of Yui Mei who escaped.

“Your Highness the Imperial Prince Dawei, this one is an immature novice court
lady, so I would like to apologize on her behalf as her supervisor for any mistakes
she might have made.”

Apparently, that guy’s name was Dawei.

Aunty Yang addressed him as His Highness the Imperial Prince, so there was no
doubt now that he was indeed an imperial prince.

“…No, I seemed to have disturbed her work.”

Imperial Prince Dawei stopped being violent at the arrival of a third person, and he
pretended to comply with Aunty Yang’s apology as he casually put the dagger he was
holding away.

Naturally, all women in the Inner Palace were candidates for the emperor’s bride.

If it was known that he attempted to injure one of them, even if he was an imperial
prince, it would not be settled with just a scolding.

Yui Mei was relieved that she was safe for the time being. Aunty Yang then asked her.

“Xiao Mei, did you properly finish the errand I entrusted to you?”

‘Eh, errand?’

Yui Mei had no recollection of being sent on an errand by Aunt Yang.

However, if she responded with ‘I don’t know anything about that’, Imperial Prince
Dawei would surely say ‘If you do not have anything to do, then accompany me’ to her.

“Eh, No, Err.”

Aunty Yang gripped Yui Mei when she saw her worrying about how to respond.

“It’s alright, go with the flow.”

She then very quietly whispered.

“Not yet. I apologize!”

Yui Mei remorsefully apologized, then she did a 90-degree bow.

“Goodness me, what a helpless child. In that case, then hurry up and go.”

Aunty Yang pushed her towards a certain corner, and she saw the familiar figure of a
eunuch hiding from view.

‘It’s Libin-sama!’

Yui Mei turned around, and Aunty Yang nodded imperceptibly.

It seemed like she was urging her to hurry and escape.

“Yes, please excuse me!”

Yui Mei bowed towards Aunty Yang along with Imperial Prince Dawei, then she
briskly strode towards where Libin was.

At any rate, she wanted to remove this creepy guy from her sight as soon as possible.
With this, Yui Mei managed to flee from Imperial Prince Dawei.

Libin apparently moved away from the corner of the corridor since he was waiting
for her in a place the Imperial Prince Dawei couldn’t see.

When Yui Mei reached him, strength left her limbs and she sank to the floor. Perhaps
it was because she thought that she finally came to a safe place.

‘I’m saved, my hair is safe!’

Her hair was disheveled because of being crumpled, but at least it was intact for the
time being.

Nothing made her more happy than this.

Yui Mei was also a woman, so her hair was important to her; besides, being cut with
a dagger not a joking matter.

She was glad that it did not happen, but she also wanted to wash her hair as soon as
possible.

She wanted to banish the sensation of Imperial Prince Dawei rubbing it to her
cheeks from her mind.

‘It’s still cold, but well water would do!’

Yui Mei thought about these things, and for the time being, she exhaled deeply to
calm herself. Libin watched her silently.

“Good grief, I came to call you due to some matters, but you weren’t at your post,
and when I searched for you, you were caught by a dangerous personage. What the
heck were you doing.”
He said that with a sigh, so Yui Mei looked up and retorted.

“I never had an inkling that that dangerous personage would be loitering there!”

Who would think that an imperial prince would walk through the corridor all alone?

Concubines, more so imperial princes and princesses never moved on their own,
and they have attendants who would do their bidding.

Meeting Imperial Prince Youren, who came out of a thicket with leaves sticking on
him, had been an exception.

Nevertheless, she felt chills run down her spine when the dagger was pointed to her.

There was no guarantee that the blade would not have cut Yui Mei’s body and hair.

‘Oh no, I’m terrified now… ’

Fear washed over Yui Mei, and her body started to tremble.

Because she grew up in the countryside, she could move her body better than those
who were raised in the capital; nevertheless, it was not a life that would warrant
facing a blade.

It was no wonder that she would break out in a cold sweat when she recalled how
Imperial Prince Dawei suddenly tried to swing his dagger down.

Just earlier, her body had been warmed as she pleasantly ate manju with Imperial
Prince Youren, but now she couldn’t help but feel cold all over.

Libin saw Yui Mei’s condition. He crouched before her, then he gently stretched out
his arm and placed his hand on her head with her hair still messed up.

“Are you alright?”

He then softly whispered.

“…I thought my hair would be cut.”

Yui Mei mumbled while quivering, and upon seeing that, Libin gently combed through
Yui Mei’s disheveled hair with his hand.

“You must be frightened.”

Yui Mei felt her shoulders relax when Libin said that while fixing her hair.

‘His hands are so warm.’

Even if they were hands all the same, it was still different from Imperial Prince
Dawei’s.

These hands never brought her any harm.

Feeling reassured, Yui Mei felt her chilled body gradually warming up.

Libin stayed with her like this for a while. ‘Can you stand?’, he then asked when he
saw that Yui Mei calmed down.

“It would be troublesome if you meet His Highness Imperial Prince Dawei again, so
we have to go quickly if you can move.”

Yui Mei hurriedly stood up when she heard those words.

She absolutely didn’t want to encounter that imperial prince again.

Next time, she would throw all courtesy out of the window and flee while shrieking.

“I’m going, I’m going now. Oh, by the way, were you looking for me?”

“Yeah. that’s why we’re leaving.”

Libin said that, then he took the hairpin that Yui Mei had been gripping, and he
easily rolled her hair and inserted it so that she was a bit more presentable.

And so, Yui Mei did not return to her previous station, but was led towards another
place.

She felt that Imperial Prince Dawei would appear if he heard her voice when she
speak, so she silently walked, trying to mute her footsteps as she followed Libin.
The place Libin took her was apparently the crown prince palace.

‘Just as I thought!’

It was just as she had partly expected.

Libin must have come to fetch Yui Mei after being told by the crown prince, so this
was the only place they would go.

Even in the crown prince’s garden, she could see the concubines enjoying food and
wine as they chatted with each other.

The person in the center noticed Yui Mei as she was being led by Libin.

“Oh my, Yui Mei, it’s great that you’ve come!”

The person who said that as she sauntered towards was no other than Yu Xiu.

Yu Xiu was the person who had the highest probability of becoming the empress, so
the other concubines and attendants trained their eyes on her.

‘I’m standing out, I’m standing out!’

Yui Mei did not want to stand out due to various reasons so she wanted to hide
somewhere, thus, she tried to hide quickly behind Libin.

“Be obedient, acting suspiciously will make you stand out all the more.”

However, Libin pointed that out and she realized that it was true, so returned to her
original place.

Yu Xiu finally reached them while she was in a fluster.

“It’s been a while, Yui Mei.”

“Noble Consort Jiang, it has been a while.

Yui Mei bowed her head deeply when Yu Xiu called out to her.

It was the first time she met Yu Xiu after the influenza incident, but her complexion is
now good, and she seemed to be healthy.

At that time, she was almost skin and bones, but now, she regained her soft
womanly curves.

“I am truly relieved that you have been well.”

Yu Xiu beamed when she heard what Yui Mei said.

“Indeed, it is all thanks to you. Thank you, Yui Mei.”

Yu Xiu’s impression when she was gaunt during her illness was strong.

However, now that she was healthy, she had a lively expression, and not only was
she beautiful, she was brimming with confidence and inner strength.

Yui Mei inwardly agreed that she was indeed suitable to become the

empress. “…Ahm.”

She felt she heard a child’s voice.

‘Eh, a child in the crown prince’s palace?’

The crown prince supposedly didn’t have a child yet, so Yui Mei confusedly looked
around her surroundings.

A small figure poked her head behind Yu Xiu.

She was a girl clad in a gorgeous outfit, and she looked older than Imperial Prince
Youren.

However, she looked barely ten years of age despite that.

Assuming she was the child of the 25 year old crown prince – he had become an
adult just recently, so she must have been born even before that.

It was not as if that was impossible, but it was also very likely that the crown
prince’s younger sister came to play.

Various conjectures ran through Yui Mei’s head. The girl stared at her and tilted her
little head.

“Is this person the court lady who saved Elder Sister?”

Yu Xiu gently chided the girl after she said that.

“You should greet her first, no?”

“Oh, that’s right!”

The girl replied with a start, then she turned around and faced Yui Mei with a smile
on her face.

“I am En Xiao Hui, the Pure Consort of His Highness the Crown Prince. I am pleased to
meet you.”

She greeted her very politely, but Yui Mei wasn’t focused on that.

‘Pure Consort!? This child!?’

Yui Mei’s jaw dropped. She was too dumbstruck that she forgot to bow her head.

There were four consorts, and Pure Consort was one of them, along with Honored
Consort, Virtuous Consort and Worthy Consort.

In other words, she had the same ranking as Yu Xiu, who was the Honored Consort.
It was impossible not to be shocked by this.

“…ahm, if I may ask, how old is Consort En?”

Yui Mei nervously asked.

Perhaps, Xiao Hui had a young appearance, but she was already an adult – was what
she thought, so she inquired.

“Xiao Hui just turned ten years old, right?”

“Yes, my birthday was two months ago!”

Yu Xiu gently negated that thought, and it was also affirmed by Xiao Hui.

She was indeed a child just like how she appeared to be.

In that case, the crown prince had her when he was fifteen years old.

However, the emperor also had concubines who were that young, so that age
difference was not a big deal. There were also political marriages, and some people
also say ‘Age gap doesn’t matter when it comes to love!’

She understood that values differed among people.

However, taking a child as a bride was something else.

‘Perhaps, the reason why the crown prince didn’t have a child was because he had that
kind of disposition?’

Yui Mei’s eyes spontaneously turned upward due to her misgivings regarding the
crown prince’s preference for children.

“It’s good that you’ve come, Yui Mei.”

A voice called out to her from behind, and Libin bowed his head at the same time
beside her.

Yui Mei turned around. The crown prince in question was standing there,
accompanied by the lady-in-waiting she saw earlier.

“Err… thanks, Your Highness.”

She perfunctorily bowed her head deeply, but it couldn’t be helped that her answer
was slipshod since she was suspicious that he was a pedophile.

The crown prince’s eyes widened in surprise at Yui Mei’s suspicious gaze, and he
muttered ‘What an incredible expression, huh.’ with a wry smile.

Yui Mei looked back and forth at the crown prince and Xiao Hui, then she pulled
Libin’s sleeves since he was beside her.

“Libin! This is reeking with crime!”

Libin scowled when he heard what Yui Mei mumbled.

“Stop saying idiotic things, His Highness also has his various circumstances.”

He also whispered back, but Yui Mei became concerned about the specific details
behind the word ‘various’.

They were whispering right in front of him, so there was no way the crown prince
himself didn’t hear it.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I am innocent, alright?”

The crown prince deepened his smile as he replied.

He was smiling, but his eyes were scary.

Apparently, he couldn’t turn a blind eye against being suspected as a

pedophile. “Oh my, Yui Mei.”

Yu Xiu was watching their exchange and she giggled.

Xiao Hui had a blank look on her face. She did not understand what they were
talking about, apparently.

It was obvious from this that she was not summoned to perform the duties of a
concubine.

If they were truly husband and wife, Xiao Hui would assert her relationship with the
crown prince more forcefully.

‘I’m glad, Bro (provisionary) isn’t a loli!’

Yui Mei was relieved, and the crown prince talked to her once again.

“My wives wanted to have tea with you, so I had you summoned. However, you’re
considerably late.”

After being pointed out by the crown prince, Libin opened his mouth.

“A small dispute arose. It was easily settled. Ah, Mother, could you please arrange
her hair?”

Libin talked to the lady-in-waiting, but she felt she heard another shocking

truth. ‘Eh, this person is Libin-sama’s mother?’

She was the crown prince’s personal attendant, so she must have a high ranking
among the maids.

Family background should be one of the standards being considered during

recruitment for this post.

Perhaps, Libin was the son of a relatively respectable family?

It was truly a mystery why a person such as he would serve as an eunuch.

The lady-in-waiting approached Yui Mei who stood frozen on the spot with her eyes
popping out.

“Oh my, it’s truly messy. What happened?”

Libin replied in a small voice as she fiddled with Yui Mei’s hair.

“Actually, we met His Highness the Imperial Prince Dawei midway.”

He then briefly explained what happened.

“Oh my, poor thing, you must have been very scared.”

She hugged Yui Mei tightly in her indignation. Her ample chest wasn’t obvious from
her clothes; it was hard to breathe being pushed to her bosom.

“Wait here, I’ll go get a mirror and a comb first!”

She rushed like the wind after saying that.

‘I’m not worried about it, though~’

And was it really fine leaving the crown prince just like that?

“I think I need to talk to you, so let’s go to the room first, shall

we?” It was no longer the time to relax with tea.

Yui Mei then recounted the details of the event once again in the crown prince’s room.

Libin brewed the tea in place of the lady-in-waiting as Yui Mei told them what had
transpired.

“Hmm, I made a detour when I went to the washroom.”

She encountered Imperial Prince Youren on her way back from the privy, and she
was invited to join them for tea.

The crown prince nodded and said ‘I see’ after hearing about this. “I

was thinking why Youren wasn’t around. So he was doing that.”

The crown prince seemed worried whether Imperial Prince Youren was bullied by
the empress dowager.

“It was fun, and they looked like they were having a picnic, you know? I also got
some manju from them.”

She then explained that she was on her way home from having tea when the
encounter with Imperial Prince Dawei happened.

She was saved from danger thanks to Aunty Yang’s timely appearance, and Libin
also played a supporting role.

Because Libin came to call Yui Mei under the order of the crown prince, Aunty Yang
had to go find her, apparently.

The court lady stationed at the same place told her that ‘Yui Mei went to the
washroom’ so she went to search within the privy’s vicinity.

The crown prince sighed deeply after hearing Yui Mei and Libin’s story.

“What a disaster, I didn’t know Dawei would come unexpectedly. I heard he didn’t
participate in the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet, so I was surprised.”

“Aunty Yang came so I was saved, if that was not the case then…”

With the crown prince’s grateful tone, a shiver ran down Yui Mei’s spine as she
recalled how revolting it was when he rubbed her hair on his cheek.

She was saved thanks to Aunty Yang, but if she had been alone with that Imperial
Prince Dawei, Yui Mei was certain that she could only accept that her hair was taken.

Just imagining it was already dreadful enough.

“If I knew that perv… no, I mean, peculiar Imperial Prince came, I wouldn’t wander
about.”

Yui Mei was filled with resentment, so she almost slipped and said ‘pervert’. Though
she did try to correct it in a fluster, it couldn’t be helped that she let out a bitter
complaint.
Regardless, the person she fought with was an imperial prince. It was already clear
who had the upper hand between a court lady and an imperial prince.

Even if Yui Mei appealed that her hair was cut, if he said ‘I don’t know anything
about that’ then of course his opinion would be favored.

Court ladies like Yui Mei could protect themselves if evidence was complete.

That was why she would’ve appreciated it if they were told that there was such a
dangerous imperial prince beforehand.

The crown prince bitterly smiled when he saw Yui Mei being like that.

“Well, it can’t be helped if he’s denounced as a pervert, so I understand how you feel.
I thought Dawei wouldn’t show his face because of various reasons, though. If I
knew, I would’ve sent Libin to warn you.”

Since the crown prince didn’t wash his hands of the incident, Yui Mei also calmed
down. She started to contemplate it.

‘Yeah, everyone was talking about imperial princes, so it’s weird that I didn’t hear
about him.”

She never heard about that dangerous prince during the daily gossips about the
imperial princes.

It was also strange that nobody was on guard about a person who would forcefully
cut someone’s hair.

“Hmmm.”

Tthe crown prince explained more about Imperial Prince Dawei when he saw Yui
Mei deep in thought.

“Dawei is the only child of Her Majesty the Empress.”

Yui Mei also heard about the rumors surrounding the empress’s imperial son.

The empress did various methods to instate her son as the crown prince; unfortunately,
all her efforts were in vain, and he had to leave the Inner Palace eventually when he
came of age.

‘With that situation, I think it won’t be past him to enter the Inner Palace frequently.’

A proper rival wouldn’t visit his mother and grandmother repeatedly and assert that
he was the one suitable to become the crown prince, though?

Yui Mei was still confused, so the crown prince continued.

“Rumors said that Dawei was born due to Her Majesty the Empress’s unfaithfulness.”

‘Ahh, so it’s a typical muddy situation frequently shown in dramas.’

It had been a popular trick to bear the offspring of a guy from somewhere else. It
was due to the very nature of the Inner Palace; there was a guarantee that only the
emperor could sire any children. There was no such thing as DNA testing in this
country, unlike Japan, so it was a good cheat if they didn’t get caught.

However, it was naturally suspicious if the child did not resemble the emperor, and
instead looked like a different man.

Moreover, the number of men who could enter the Inner Palace was already known.

So suffice it to say that this trick was simple yet fraught with danger.
In the empress’s case, the adulterer man got caught, so they had to solve the
problem that arose.

The empress dowager declared that it was not the empress who summoned him, but
a particular woman with the status of a beauty, and her testimony became the truth.

That beauty also conceived around the same time as the empress, and this became
her misfortune.

She bore the brunt of it and was driven away from the Inner Palace, and the
allegations against the empress’s adultery subsided on the surface.

‘Somehow, I feel I heard this story already, though.’

Yui Mei’s expression was complicated at this point as she listened.

She knew the details of this familiar story.

Was this a coincidence, perhaps?

The crown prince stared at her puckered face as he stated his next words.

“The beauty who was chased out of the Inner Palace was a person called Lady Zhang.”

‘I knew it!’

Yui Mei almost screamed out, but she caught herself in time and tried to refrain from
doing so.

It was exactly as the nuns had said, so logically, she already heard about this before.

For Yui Mei, her mother losing against the empress was a no-brainer.
She did not have a backing, yet she fought with the woman who had the second
highest status in the Inner Palace- of course she did not stand a chance.

The crown prince continued on, indifferent to Yui Mei’s inward turmoil.

“Lady Zhang was pitiful for having to leave the Inner Palace, but the imperial prince
who was left behind was also in a pathetic state. On the surface, misgivings about his
birth ceased, but a rumor remains forever.”

‘Well, that’s also true.’

They wouldn’t say it to his face, but it was only natural that people would talk about
him behind closed doors.

For women, it was a good material for gossip after all.

Without anyone knowing how it started, Imperial Prince Dawei became twisted
after bearing the reputation of ‘bastard imperial prince’ for so long.

Indeed, that kind of environment was not suitable for a child.

Between him and Yui Mei, who grew up surrounded by nature while being protected
by the nuns despite being poor, who had a fortunate childhood?

At the very least, Yui Mei despised that kind of environment.

“Although he did become a little bit twisted, we all thought that Dawei still grew up
normally. Then a problem manifested itself when he became an adult. He became
extremely obsessed with bluish hair.”

“…Do tell me, I pray, does that mean he prefers maidens with bluish hair?”

Sympathy started to sprout within Yui Mei’s heart, but when she recalled how
Imperial Prince Dawei rubbed her hair on his cheeks, goosebumps rose all over her
skin as she asked.

“If only that was it, then it would have been cute. However, he would cut the hair of
women whose hair had a bluish hue under the light. During those days, he would
ambush them in dark places and cut their hair, much like a random attacker, causing
a lot of damage. It became a huge problem when they discovered that it was Dawei’s
doing.”

‘What’s with that malicious ‘cutting’ crime!?’

Was Imperial Prince Dawei collecting blue-tinged hair?

It would be horrendous if he kept that in a room.

But it would be more terrifying if her hair was also mixed in there.

“Dawei did not stop despite being rebuked by His Majesty the Emperor and Her
Majesty the Empress Dowager. He was nearly under house-arrest at the palace of the
Empress, and he was sent out of the Inner Palace the moment he came of age. To be
honest, the court ladies and the maids were relieved, so they said.”

‘I see, in short, he was an awfully problematic child.’

Then, perhaps the reason he did not become the crown prince was due to the impact
of that peculiar taste of his rather than the suspicions regarding his birth.

No government official would dare send his daughter as a concubine to such a

dangerous guy.

It would be a different story if the emperor only had Dawei as his son; however,
there were others.

She also understood why not a single court lady gossiped about Imperial Prince
Dawei. They did not want to draw the ire of the empress dowager.

He was wandering alone, perhaps to avoid being stopped during his hair collection
excursion.

Maybe he even shook his attendant off, that’s why he was here.

At that time, Imperial Prince Dawei said ‘bluish hair according to the rumors.

Was Yui Mei being excessively self-conscious for thinking that he purposely attended
the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet because he heard from someone about the
court lady with the blue hair.
She was hoping his obsession with azure hair wasn’t because of her mother, though.

It was not surprising if Imperial Prince Dawei held interest regarding Lady Zhang
after hearing the messy stories about his birth.

Counting his age, he had just been born when her mother was kicked out of the
Inner Palace.

He did not see her with his own eyes, but the rumors he heard must’ve left a deep
impression on him.

Well, there was nothing she could do even if that was the case.

“Anyway, Dawei will leave once the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet is over, so
until then, be more careful, alright?”

“Yes, understood.”

Yui Mei frankly nodded after hearing the crown prince’s warning.

The long story was over, so she moistened her throat with the tea that had long
grown cold.

“Here, have some mushipan.”

The crown prince urged her, so she did not hesitate to bite the mushipan.

After munching for a short while, she heard the crown prince’s whisper.

“Xiuling’s late.”
“Now that you mention it, she’s taking too much time fetching the mirror and

comb.” Libin looked out of the window, apparently concerned, too. It seemed that

Xiuling referred to that lady-in-waiting.

‘Maybe she went to the restroom on the way?’

And maybe she was stopped by someone on her way back from the toilet, just like her.

Xiuling returned while Yui Mei was thinking about it.

She then spoke the moment she opened the door.

“His Majesty the Emperor has come.”

“Gh!?”

“The tea is served.”

Yui Mei almost choked on the big chunk of mushipan she had just stuffed in her
mouth when

Xiuling said that.

‘Eh, His Majesty the Emperor!? Why did he come!?’

Usually, a notice was given when the Emperor visited, and they would be perfectly
ready to receive him.

Why would he make a surprise visit, just like that time when she met him at Lady
Wang’s place?
Besides, wasn’t he busy since the imperial family members were visiting from
outside the palace during the Cherry Blossom Viewing Banquet?

However, only Yui Mei was shocked; the other two did not change their expression.

“Father always hurriedly left after he showed his face at the Cherry Blossom
Viewing Banquet, yet he went out of his way just to come here.”

The crown prince remarked with a wry smile.

It seemed that this visit was not unexpected.

“I’ll go receive him, so Yui Mei should stay here and relax.”

Afterward, the crown prince left with that easy-going demeanor, taking only Xiuling
with him.

And so, Yui Mei was left behind with Libin.

‘Even if you say relax… ’

Yui Mei’s face was not thick enough to say ‘Ah, alright’ and do just that.

She couldn’t help that she was also curious why the emperor dropped by.

One reason could be that he just wanted to see the crown prince, so he came to meet
him.

Another reason was that he had an important matter.

Using common sense, it was highly probable that it would be the second.

Following this hypothesis, if it was the latter, it would be difficult not to connect it
with the earlier incident with Imperial Prince Dawei.

According to the crown prince, the emperor was also worried about the preferences
of Imperial Prince Dawei.

But there was also the saying about the ‘parents’ blind affection for foolish children’*.
If he received complaints such as ‘there’s a rude court lady’ then maybe he came to
settle those grievances.

‘Should I run away now, while I still can? Or should I obediently stay

put?’ Yui Mei was restlessly pacing around the room, her anxiety

mounting. Libin watched her, and then he sighed deeply.

“Calm down. You’re too fidgety. If you mind it that much then do you want to hear
their conversation?”

“…Huh?”

It never crossed her mind that Libin, the crown prince’s attendant, would suggest
eavesdropping.

“Won’t we be scolded if we did such a thing?”

“What, if it’s not discovered then what is there to

scold.” Yui Mei said the right thing, but Libin didn’t

budge. ‘…That’s true, but!’

Libin spoke airily without a trace of guiltiness, so Yui Mei felt that she was the wrong
one.

Besides, he surely knew a place perfect for eavesdropping.

Afterward, Yui Mei succumbed to her curiosity despite knowing that it was wrong.

She followed Libin as they sneaked through the garden.

‘What am I doing.’

Supposedly, she would spend this day standing absentmindedly, but why was she
sneaking around like a spy now?

Anyhow, Yui Mei was cautious so her steps wouldn’t make a sound. Suddenly, Libin
stopped.

“Ugh!”

Yui Mei knocked her face on Libin’s back since she was following behind him.

‘What will I do if my nose gets flatter more than this!’

Yui Mei started to grumble, but Libin gestured, ‘be quiet’.

Right after that –

“Ming Xian.”

The emperor’s voice was closer than she expected, so Yui Mei was startled.

It was only natural that the emperor’s voice could be heard nearby, since he and the
crown prince were standing in a corridor located diagonally upward from where Yui
Mei was.

‘I’ll freak out, so say something like ‘we’re near’!’

Yui Mei wanted to snap at Libin, but she didn’t want to speak out for fear of being
discovered by the emperor and the crown prince, so she could only put up with it.

“I heard your eunuch took a court lady named ‘Yui Mei’.”

Yui Mei heart jumped when she heard what the emperor said.

‘As I thought, did he come to find me because of the complaint!?’

Yui Mei huddled, and the crown prince replied.

“Indeed, Yui Mei is in this palace. My concubines said they wanted to enjoy the tea
with her.”

The emperor groaned when he heard the crown prince’s cheerful tone.

“Ah, how to say this. I heard she got involved with that guy Dawei.”
The emperor said reservedly, and they heard the crown prince’s chuckle.

“Your Majesty is indeed kind for worrying about a mere court lady. Yes, she almost
got injured due to Dawei’s disturbing tendencies; however, it seemed that help
arrived at the right time. She was upset afterward, but she has already recovered
since then, and is happily eating mushipan now.”

“…Is that so.”

There was a trace of relief when the emperor muttered that.

The conversation between the crown prince and the emperor was cut off here, and
there was only silence for a while.

‘Eh? They’re done talking?’

The emperor didn’t say ‘Hand over that court lady’ after that, either.

What an anticlimax.

Yui Mei had been on guard, so it was quite a letdown. She’s satisfied though that she
was able to listen to their conversation.

She tried to urge Libin quietly so they could return quickly without being noticed.

Rustle.

Maybe it was because Yui Mei relaxed, but she ended up touching the leaves of the
thicket, making a fairly loud noise.

“Hm?”

The emperor glanced towards their spot.

‘Oops!’

Libin stared at the flustered Yui Mei, his eyes implying ‘Are you an idiot?’ to her.

She couldn’t refute it since she also thought so.

Anyhow, she tried her best to erase her presence even if the emperor were yet to
notice their existence.

It would not end well if it was discovered that they were eavesdropping here.
‘I’m the wind, I’m the air!’

Yui Mei held her breath while chanting inwardly.

“It’s just a stray cat, Father. I frequently see them these days.”

The crown prince helped them just in time.

It would have been perfect if Yui Mei could imitate a cat’s cry, but it seemed like it’d
be cat’ gargle instead, so she gave up on that.

‘Only a cat is here, so hurry up and go!’

Yui Mei fervently hoped that would happen.

“Oh right, Father.”

The crown prince continued the conversation as it was.

Yui Mei wished that they would go to a room elsewhere and have tea if they wanted
to talk.

“That Yui Mei said something, though. She was grumbling that her late parents didn’t
give it a thought and just gave her that name ‘because she was born on a rainy day’.”

The crown prince cheerfully said that out of the blue.

‘What? Why are you saying that so suddenly?’

Yui Mei almost stood up in her surprise, but Libin pushed her head down.

“Didn’t give a thought, that’s not…!”

The emperor raised his voice, but he fell silent mid sentence.

“If it’s Father, what do you think were the feelings of her late parents when they
named her as such?”

When Yui Mei heard those words, she felt her heart pounding in her chest as if
horses were galloping, ready to burst.
‘What, what’s happening?’

Yui Mei’s mind was in total chaos.

Libin was pushing her head down, so she couldn’t peek at the emperor.

Yui Mei had never felt her parents were real. Frankly speaking, she couldn’t care less.

She had guarded herself. She’d rather believe that she was the daughter of a traveling
couple, than accepting the improbable story of being a child of the emperor.

Recently, she thought that maybe it would be better off not knowing the things she
had longed to ask before but couldn’t. However, the clues about the truth that she
didn’t want to know were now within her grasp.

‘Don’t tell me, His Highness the Crown Prince knows…?’

That Yui Mei was the daughter of the court lady who was driven off from the Inner
Palace – Lady Zhang.

The emperor was silent for only a few seconds, but to Yui Mei, it seemed to last for
hours. She was drenched in cold sweat, and her heart was racing.

“…Indeed.”

The emperor opened his mouth.

“That girl was probably born in the year of the tremendously severe drought. Rain
didn’t fall for days on end. Food was distributed in order to alleviate the hunger of
the people, but many people did not make it.”

Yui Mei did not have an inkling about the event the emperor was speaking about.

It was the first time she heard that she had been born in a harshly difficult year.

She didn’t hear about it from the nuns, either.

Perhaps, the borderland was not affected by the drought.

“The rain that fell for the first time in the midst of that was truly a rain of blessings.
The name ‘Yui Mei’ was given with the hope that she would grow into a caring, kind
maiden, just like the rain that enriches and heals this great earth. That is what I think.”

The emperor’s words silently seeped through Yui Mei’s heart.

And before she knew it, tears were running down her cheeks.

“Yui Mei, you…”

Libin was stupefied to see Yui Mei crying, but she couldn’t stop her tears no matter
what.

Even if Yui Mei had the memories of her previous life, it was not enough to make-up
for her feelings of ‘loneliness’.

It was precisely because she remembered the love of her family in her previous life
that she yearned for that same love.

However, she tried to become an adult and give up on the love of her parents.

Perhaps, somewhere in her heart, there was still the young Yui Mei who cried as she
craved for love.

She had been trying to suppress it, saying that ‘it couldn’t be helped’.

‘So the name ‘Yui Mei’ was filled with so much hope, huh.’

Now that she knew she was loved before, the young Yui Mei in heart basked in
happiness with that ‘name’ as her proof of love.

The crown prince left together with the emperor. Yui Mei couldn’t move from her
spot as she curled in on herself and silently wept.

“…Oy.”

Libin called out to her after the corridor had been deserted for a while.

“Give me a moment, please.”

‘Thank you, Dad.’

Actually, Yui Mei wanted to run after the emperor and scream that.

However, if she put it in words, it would definitely leak out somewhere.

If that happens, Yui Mei could no longer remain at the Inner Palace.

The emperor’s children who became of age had to leave the Inner Palace, after

all. ‘It’s alright, this is enough for me.’

It was enough that she knew she had been loved when she was born into this world.

She could indulge in that deep emotion anytime, but now, she had something else
she must do.

“Alright, let’s go back while we’re not yet discovered!”

Yui Mei wiped the traces of tears and stood up. She beamed at Libin as she said
those words.

The crown prince probably already knew that the two of them were here, but
pretending not to know that was the adult thing to do.

Besides, there’s still some mushipan remaining back in the room.

‘I got hungry after crying, so let’s hurry up and return!’

Her rumbling stomach pulled her back to reality.

Indeed, Yui Mei did not come here to be acknowledged as the daughter of the emperor.

After all, she’s an Inner Palace spectator.