The cicadas' song has ended.
The sound of crickets
can be heard.
(Back in the city, they'd be holding cricket fights, I bet.)
An entertainment where crickets are pitted against each other—
cricket fighting.
It is. Like cockfighting, wagering money isn't unusual, but she is in a place somewhat removed from that sort of common bustle. In a room of a mansion on the outskirts of the capital, Maomao looks at—
Yao,
lying on a bed. This is Yao's family home.
"I want to get back to work soon."
Yao gazes outside, still in her nightclothes. It had been over ten days since the poison testing. Her consciousness had been muddled for a time, but there should be no more problems now.
"If you get back to work soon,
En'en
will be happy."
En'en had work to return to. She'd been removed from her post attending Jinshi and was now at the medical bureau, though she was likely still distracted. After Yao collapsed, she'd been neglecting her duties, which cost her the position. She'd apparently been nursing Yao the whole time, but Yao drove her away.
"I thought we could manage without En'en."
It came out like a monologue.
"I don't think there was any way to prevent that."
"Even you couldn't have prevented it?"
"..."
She found herself at a loss for words. Maomao was the type who couldn't help but taste any poison she was curious about.
Poisonous crane mushroom
was something she'd already experienced as well — she'd vomited it up before it could be absorbed by her digestive system.
(Back then, too, that sharp old woman had beaten her stomach black and blue.)
Perhaps because she was accustomed to performing abortions on prostitutes, the old woman showed no mercy. You'd think she was trying to make her vomit up her entire stomach.
As it happened, she remembered the texture and taste of the fungus. If the fungus had retained its original form, she might have noticed.
"I suppose I'm still immature after all?"
Yao pushed her bangs aside. The poison had caused her to lose a great deal of flesh, but her bust remained very much intact.
Maomao handed Yao the medicinal bath her father had prepared. After crossing the mountains, Yao had returned to recuperate at home, but Maomao tilted her head slightly upon seeing the estate.
The estate itself was impressive, but it had a somewhat lonely atmosphere. The number of servants who came to greet Maomao was few for an estate of its size.
"I'm sorry there aren't many servants."
Maomao should have replied with something like "Not at all," but she was never one for smooth flattery.
"This was originally a secondary residence. The main house was taken by my uncle."
"Is that so?"
So this was where she lived — in such a quiet place. Maomao had known Yao came from a good family, but now she felt she understood why Yao had become a court lady attached to the medical office. Her ambition had been extraordinary.
"Yanyan was given leave once, but she came back. Even though I'd think there'd be no hope of advancement serving me."
It seemed Yao's father had passed away. There was an inheritance, but the family home had been inherited by her uncle.
Lychee
In the Li kingdom, it was customary for women to follow men. If her uncle had inherited the family headship, then Yao's future would likely amount to marrying whoever her uncle chose for her.
(Even learning a trade —)
Perhaps that had been one of the means by which that strong-willed woman had tried to resist that fate.
"What a waste, Yanyan leaving like that. She seemed to have caught the Moon Prince's fancy quite a bit."
"Indeed."
Maomao could more or less understand why Yanyan had caught his eye. Jinshi — and it felt strange for Maomao to say this — was quite twisted. He probably felt more at ease around someone who kept their interactions to a bare minimum rather than someone who fussed over him too much.
"I thought Yanyan would do just fine wherever she went."
"If anything, I think Yanyan truly shows her worth when she's with Yao."
What was frightening was that she might show her worth too well. Especially when it came to Yao's bust — Yanyan must have always been thinking about what nutrients were needed to cultivate it.
(She really wanted to get a full list of what Yanyan had been feeding her.)
Her hands itched with excitement before she could help it.
"Yes. That's exactly why I tried to distance myself, but honestly, it's no use. It's not just me who can't help it — Yanyan insists she absolutely needs me, so I have no choice."
That combination of being prickly yet occasionally showing her softer side must hit just the right spot for Yanyan. She couldn't help but wonder how Yanyan would react if Yao were to get married.
"I really can't help it, you know."
As she said this, Yao glanced at Maomao.
"Maomao, you seem to be taking on all sorts of jobs on the sly, don't you?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
She played dumb. She did feel guilty. After all, despite having saved Yao in the end, Maomao had effectively let the person who'd poisoned Yao with a deadly toxin walk free. And officially, Yao bore the stigma of having failed at poison-testing while also causing a prominent person's death.
(Not a single good outcome.)
"I don't think I'd normally be treated this well. I did nothing but fail. Yet here I am, being treated with courtesy and assured steady work going forward. I'm not so naive as to think the world is this lenient without reason."
"..."
"You don't need to say anything. This is just me talking to myself. Maomao, just put on that vacant expression of yours and drink some tea."
Yao continued on, uncharacteristically talkative.
"The fact that I received no punishment — I know that's just people being kind, and that it also means I'm not considered important enough to bother with. I know it wouldn't be wise to make a fuss about it here, and that saying this out loud is proof of my immaturity, but I hope you'll let me say this much. Yes, this is merely to myself."
It seemed she had a vague sense that the case had been wrapped up in a form quite different from the official story. There were probably many people besides Yao she suspected. However, pretending nothing had happened was considered the wisest course of action, so everyone kept their mouths shut.
"If Yanyan were to find out, I have no idea what she'd do. Even if I'm satisfied with how things turned out, she might not listen. So please make absolutely sure she doesn't learn about this — don't let her notice anything."
Yanyan would indeed likely grow suspicious about this incident. If she discovered who the real culprit behind the poisoning was and realized they were still alive, she might come seeking revenge on Yao's behalf.
"I don't want Yanyan doing something reckless that ends up affecting my own prospects here. That's all."
She really was the type to be prickly yet show her softer side when it counted.
With this incident officially concluded — or rather, once those above had decided it was concluded — it was over for Maomao too.
Stirring things up further would only make matters worse.
"My hearing is rather poor, you see, so I'm afraid I didn't catch much of anything. Will that do?"
"Oh my, that's rather pitiful, isn't it?"
Yao replied with a touch of playful humor. She mentioned that she would be returning to her regular duties in a few days, and then Maomao left the residence.
Today was her day off, so unlike usual, there was no carriage. It was a bit of a walk, but she'd head home on foot.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a child running along with a bug cage. The bustle of the festival had faded, and the air felt languid and calm.
The death of a foreign shrine maiden would be nothing more than a momentary topic of conversation for the townsfolk. With the festival's lingering echoes now faded, everyone had returned to their daily lives.
Maomao sniffed the suddenly cool air and set off for home.