Several days later, in the end, the Gyokuyou inheritance dispute appeared to be going nowhere. Of course, Maomao had no reason to meddle in someone else's inheritance, so she simply went about her work as usual. Naturally, the parties involved each had their own duties as well. And some of those duties happened to involve Maomao.
"There is a patient who would like to be examined by a woman."
Kourou came to see Maomao and the others a few days later.
"A female patient?"
"Yes. She is a young lady from a good family. I apologize, but there are extremely few female physicians—or anyone comparable—in the Western Capital."
Maomao regarded the surprisingly deferential young man, given his upbringing. If women were involved in medicine at all, they would typically be apothecaries or midwives at best. Even back in the Central Capital, Maomao had never seen a female doctor.
"What are the symptoms?"
"She suffers from a persistent headache. We have tried all the standard treatments, but nothing has helped. So we thought it would be best to have a proper physician come and examine her."
Maomao wondered what it could be. There were countless possible causes for a headache. You could not know without an actual examination, and sometimes even that did not reveal the cause.
"In that case, shall I obtain permission from the Moon Consort and make a house call?"
"Yes, that would be very helpful."
Kourou wore the expression of someone who had been waiting for exactly that answer.
Maomao watched Kourou leave the medical office.
"What's wrong, miss?"
Li Hakuseki peeked through the window as well.
"Oh, it's nothing. What do you think of Gyokuyou's third son?"
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
"Something about him just rubs me the wrong way, I suppose."
There was something that nagged at her.
"Something rubs you the wrong way, does it? I figured since you two share similarities, it was just a mild case of kindred aversion."
"K-Kindred aversion? Am I doing that?"
Maomao tilted her head.
"You're doing it a lot."
"You're doing it beyond saving."
"I really can't tell, you know."
It wasn't just Li Bai — for some reason Rahan's older brother was also convinced. He'd been drinking tea with the quack doctor. From the smell, dokudami, you could tell it was. A medicinal herb with vigorous reproductive ability, but apparently even it couldn't grow in arid regions, so Rahan's brother had given up on cultivating it.
"He looks just like that scruffy four-eyed guy, doesn't he?"
"I think even when it comes to Rahan's brother, there are things you should and shouldn't say."
Maomao snorted indignantly. Figuring Jinshi would probably heed Korou's advice, she stuffed her house-call tools into her bag.
"By the way, what about me resembles Lady Korou?"
"You do resemble her. That way you have of sizing people up with a straight face."
Li Bai looked like a big dog, but he wasn't the sort of man who just meekly agreed. He had no aptitude for civil service, but his mind was sharp.
"Am I sizing people up?"
"You're looking at me like a Shar-Pei, aren't you?"
A Shar-Pei is a large breed used in dog fighting.
"..."
Maomao was so taken aback by his perceptiveness that she was struck speechless.
From now on, she'd stop treating him like a big dog, even in her mind.
But somehow, Li Bai's words settled into her heart with surprising ease.
(Was I Being Tested?)
Even though Toratarou addressed Maomao with the honorific "sama," his actual speech remained merely polite. Maomao, in turn, used language that showed outward respect toward Jinshi.
However, if the intent was to secretly look down on the other person, it was a rather sloppy method. Maomao didn't think Toratarou was quite that foolish.
If anything— (Was he testing my character because my background is known?)
As much as she refused to admit it, his actions made sense if it was known that she was the daughter of a eccentric strategist and a courtesan.
Would he reprimand her for her rude attitude as the child of a powerful figure in the country? Or would he see if she properly knew her place as an illegitimate child? Or perhaps he was checking whether she would notice or care at all.
Thinking she'd been quite underestimated, Maomao stuffed her tools into her bag.
As expected, after a short while, Suzume arrived.
"Permission has come from His Excellency, my dear."
Suzume also seemed ready to go out, as she carried luggage. Her swiftness was likely due to concern over the patient's condition.
"A carriage is waiting outside, so let's go, let's go."
"Thank you."
Toratarou appeared to be coming as well, wearing a coat.
"Where are we headed?"
"It's a little far. Would you understand if I say a post town near the port?"
(Ah, so that's it.)
Maomao recalled what Jinshi had said before.
The eccentric strategist's wild intuition had concluded that the foreigners were all gathered in one place. That there were still foreigners who hadn't returned to their own country. That those people, thanks to the son of Yuukyoku, were gathered at a post town near the port.
(A foreigner who can't return. A young lady from a good family.)
Maomao had a very bad feeling, but she tried to act as if nothing was amiss, as usual—and as usual, that strategy usually failed. However, she could at least pretend she didn't know, so she climbed into the carriage as if she hadn't noticed anything particular.
Being jostled around for a while Not too far. Compared to farming villages, it was considerably closer. The wind, which had carried the scent of dry earth and grass, now mingled with the damp fragrance of the sea.
As usual, Koushu and Rihaku had come along as guards. That alone would have been fine, but mysteriously, a large basket was also loaded into the carriage—complete with straps for carrying on one's back, no less.
"What is this?"
"That is my husband."
It came out sounding oddly like an example sentence.
"Well, you must be Baryou -sama, right?"
"Yes. I thought he might prove useful this time."
I couldn't tell by what standard he was supposed to be useful, but I wanted to believe there was some meaning to it. More importantly, was the basket really large enough to hold an adult? I felt an urge to peek inside, but I held back my curiosity—startling him into fainting would only be trouble.
The carriage headed south from the western capital. It was the same road they had taken on the way there. The road had been carefully paved, with frequent carriage traffic in mind. Even without rain, the exposed ground would develop ruts, so that was probably why.
"We can see it now."
Toro poked her head out from the driver's seat.
"It's quite impressive, isn't it?"
Maomao thought honestly. She had expected a smaller town, but it easily had ten thousand households. It was prosperous enough that, had she the time, passing through without stopping would have felt like a waste.
Perhaps because they often served sailors, there was a lively nighttime atmosphere. In other words, the feel of an entertainment district was strongly present.
The scenery was different, yet Maomao felt a strange sense of nostalgia. Setting aside the madam, she wondered how the young ladies were doing.
Unfortunately, they passed right through the entertainment district. In peacetime, there would likely have been more souvenir stalls lining the streets, but as it was, only scattered shops selling food and daily goods were open. Even the few luxury goods or accessory shops that were open sat deserted.
Languid-looking courtesans gazed out from their windows, but each time a carriage passed, their eyes would light up as they sized up whether the occupants were worth attending to.
The carriage stopped in front of the grandest inn in the prime spot of town. The walls were stone, but the roof had tiles and the doors were painted red, giving it the feel of architecture from the central lands.
"Yes, yes, master~. Please step out here."
Baryou emerged lazily from the basket. She had no idea how he had gotten in there, but he really had been inside. She had expected him to act even more suspiciously, but he was surprisingly composed.
No— "Aren't you closing your eyes?"
"Yes. By blocking my vision, I reduce the mental stress.
But please make it so I'm supposed to have slit eyes."
"No, that's even more tiring."
Her true feelings slipped out before she could stop them, but Suzume and Baryou seemed used to it. Suzume skillfully guided Baryou along as they walked.
Inside the inn, carpets were laid out that were too fine to walk on with shoes on.
"Right this way."
Being frugal by nature, Maomao scraped the mud from her shoe soles before proceeding.
The inn staff who bowed their heads were predominantly of exotic foreign appearance.
They climbed the stairs and were led to the largest room on the third floor. Before the door stood a middle-aged man with blond hair. From his coloring and deeply chiseled features, she could tell as expected that he was from a foreign land.
She had thought he might be from somewhere around Saou, but his skin tone suggested he was from a region further north.
"Excuse me."
Another foreign-looking woman came over and began patting down Maomao's body. She appeared to be checking for anything dangerous, but— "What's this?"
"Medicinal herbs. They cure stomachaches."
"And this?"
"An ointment. It treats burns."
"This?"
"Gauze. It's used for treating wounds."
This went on for a while. It was a good thing she hadn't brought any needles or scissors this time. She had properly stowed those away in her bag.
Next came Suzume's body search, and Maomao had expected it would take even longer than her own, but it was over in no time. The way Suzume looked at her with a triumphant grin was oddly annoying.
Li Bai aside, when Maomao looked to see if Ma Liang was all right, he wasn't moving an inch. No — he was standing there, unconscious.
(No, seriously, is it really okay for him to be here?)
Growing uneasy, Maomao finally stepped into the room.
The large room was filled with exotic furnishings, and there was a grand canopy bed.
Standing beside the bed was a middle-aged woman dressed in foreign garb. She had black hair and a slender build, with eyes that held a greenish tint.
Only Maomao was permitted to approach — Suzume had retreated five steps, while Li Bai and Ma Liang clung to the wall near the entrance.
"I'm counting on you."
She gave a polite bow and proceeded to explain the patient's condition — practically urging Maomao to examine the girl before she'd even introduced herself.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
Maomao drew back the curtain and found the girl within. She had striking features — clear-cut eyes and nose — with a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks that gave her an oddly familiar air. Her hair was platinum and her eyes were blue. She looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, though foreigners often appeared more mature for their age. Couldn't she pass for even younger?
She was said to suffer from headaches, yet she had an oddly energetic air about her.
"I'd like to confirm her condition — would it be all right if I touched her?"
"No touching."
She was answered in broken speech.
Tilting her head, Maomao looked at the middle-aged woman.
"The young lady is requesting that you diagnose her without physical contact."
Unlike the young lady, the woman answered in fluent foreign tongue.
"If you're a first-rate doctor, you ought to be able to manage."
"(No, no, no—)"
What the hell did I come all this way for? Maomao thought, glaring at the girl who seemed to be making fun of her.