The four maids who had been there from the start were quite the hard workers.
The Jade Palace wasn't all that spacious, but it was kept running by those four almost single-handedly. A chamber attendant — essentially a junior maid who specialized in cleaning rooms — did make the rounds as well, but all the tidying of the bedchamber and interior cleaning fell entirely to the four maids.
Incidentally, this was outside the usual scope of a maid's duties.
And so, the newcomer— Maomao— had virtually nothing to do but eat.
Whether they felt guilty about having saddled her with the worst of the chores, or simply didn't want their own— territory— encroached upon, none of the maids other than— Hongniang— ever tried to push work onto Maomao. When Maomao offered to help, they would gently wave her off with a "No, no, it's fine," and usher her back into her room.
(Restless.)
Shut away in the small room, she was only called out for two meals a day, the afternoon tea gathering, and to eat the Emperor's nourishing tonic dish that came by every few days. Occasionally, Hongniang would thoughtfully ask her to run a quick errand, but they were always simple tasks that wrapped up in no time.
(What was this? Just eat and sleep.)
On top of her poison-tasting duties, her meals had grown more lavish than before. The tea gatherings featured sweet confections, and any leftovers were distributed to Maomao as well.
Ant Since she no longer had to work like one, the nutrition went straight to building flesh.
(She felt like livestock.)
When it came to serving as a poison taster, there was one more thing that made Maomao ill-suited to the role.
Maomao had always been thin, so even if she lost weight from exposure to poison, it would be difficult to tell.
Besides, the lethal dose was proportional to body size. The heavier she was, the better her chances of survival.
It wasn't that Maomao didn't know her way around poisons that could cause weight loss — she was confident she could survive even beyond the lethal dose — but apparently, those around her didn't share that confidence.
Small and scrawny, Maomao looked younger than her years. The three maids sympathized with her, seeing a pitiable, disposable pawn.
Even after she was full, she was still offered extra congee, and her vegetable side dish always came with one more item than anyone else's.
(Thinking of the young ladies of the pleasure district) She was supposed to be a sullen, taciturn creature with not a shred of charm, yet for some reason the courtesans adored her. Every chance they got, they stuffed her with sweets and fed her meals.
---Incidentally, Maomao seemed unaware of it, but there was a reason she was so pampered.
Maomao's left arm was covered in countless scars.
Cuts, puncture wounds, burn marks, and marks where needle-like objects had been stabbed in.
Small and scrawny, her arms bore countless scars.
Her arms were often wrapped in bandages, and occasionally she would collapse in the street with a pale face.
Everyone held back tears, believing her sullen and taciturn nature was the result of the mistreatment she had endured.
Everyone seemed to think she was being abused, but the truth was different.
She had done it all to herself.
She would test the efficacy of wound salves and anti-infection remedies, drink small amounts of poison to build up resistance, and sometimes even let venomous snakes bite her on purpose. Occasionally she miscalculated the dosage and collapsed.
That was why the scars were concentrated solely on her left arm, which was not her dominant hand.
She had no masochistic desire to enjoy pain whatsoever, but in terms of her intellectual cravings being excessively skewed toward medicines and poisons, she was far removed from an ordinary girl.
Her father found having such a daughter utterly exasperating.
He had taught her medicine and literacy so that his daughter living in the pleasure district could pursue a path other than becoming a courtesan, yet before he knew it he was being subjected to baseless slander and defamation.
Some people understood, but many cast cold stares at her father.
No one could imagine a girl of that age repeatedly engaging in what she called experiments—essentially self-harm.
And so, everyone believed she was a pitiful girl who had been abused by her parents, sold off to the imperial harem, and used as a disposable poison tester.
Utterly unaware of all this--- (If this keeps up, I'm going to become a pig.)
Just as she was beginning to think such thoughts, an unwelcome visitor appeared before Maomao.
The young man with otherworldly beauty wore a smile worthy of a celestial being.
The three ladies-in-waiting blushed as they prepared tea to welcome their guest.
Judging by the commotion heard from beyond the wall, they were apparently arguing over who would prepare it.
Exasperated, Hongniang prepared the tea set herself and instructed the three to return to their room.
Acting as poison taster, Maomao picked up the silver tea bowl, sniffed it, and took a sip.
Ever since a while ago, Jinshi had been staring at her the whole time, which was unbearable. She narrowed her eyes to avoid meeting his gaze.
If she were a young lady, even if he was a eunuch, she probably wouldn't mind being stared at by such a handsome man, but Maomao was different. Her interests lay in different places from everyone else's, so even though she understood that Jinshi was as beautiful as a heavenly maiden, she kept her distance.
"This is something I received as a gift. Could you taste it for me?"
Inside the basket were steamed buns.
Maomao pinched one open and peered inside. The filling was packed with a paste of minced meat and vegetables.
When she sniffed it, she caught the scent of a medicinal herb she had smelled somewhere before.
It was the same as the tonic she had eaten the day before yesterday.
"
This has an aphrodisiac in it, doesn't it."
"You can tell without even eating it?"
"It won't do any harm to your health, so please take it home. Enjoy it."
"Well, considering who gave it to me, I can't exactly eat it in good conscience."
"Yes, there might be a visit tonight."
Stated so matter-of-factly by Maomao, Jinshi wore an indescribable expression—the reality falling short of his expectations. He had knowingly tried to feed her a steamed bun laced with an aphrodisiac, so really, not having her look at him as though he were a caterpillar was more than he deserved.
But who on earth had given him such a thing?
At this exchange between the two, Gyokuyou let out a bell-like laugh. At her feet, Little Bell the princess lay sleeping, breathing softly.
Maomao bowed and moved to leave the guest room.
"Hold on—wait."
"Is there something you need?"
Jinshi exchanged a glance with Gyokuyou, and the two of them nodded. It seemed the main topic had been relayed before Maomao's arrival.
"Could you make an aphrodisiac?"
For an instant, surprise and curiosity flickered in Maomao's eyes.
She didn't know what the drug would be used for, but the process of making it was undoubtedly a blissful time for Maomao.
Suppressing the smile forming on her lips, Maomao spoke.
"Time, ingredients, and tools. If I have those,"
"I can make something on par with an aphrodisiac," she said.