The person who had plopped down on top of her stared at Maomao with a blank expression. Maomao thought her face somewhat resembled a chipmunk's.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd move."
Maomao spoke, but the girl didn't budge. She kept her hand planted on top of Maomao's head, refusing to stir.
For some reason, her expression looked rather awkward.
Maomao more or less figured it out.
"I'd be grateful if you'd move quickly. I don't want to leave a bug sitting on my head."
The instant the girl lunged, there was a squishing sound.
You can guess what got crushed.
The girl gave a wry smile and slowly moved off of Maomao.
The cold well water felt wonderful pouring over her head. It felt wonderful, but the uneasy feeling wouldn't go away.
The girl offered a hand towel to the drenched Maomao. Maomao gratefully accepted it and wiped away the droplets.
Hanging from the girl's sash was an insect cage containing several scorched-looking bugs. They fluttered their wings, producing a sound like tiny bells.
"Were you trying to catch those insects?"
"Mm."
The girl looked at Maomao with both embarrassment and sparkling eyes.
Apparently, Maomao's earlier talk about insects had been what set her off.
As Maomao wondered what she should do about this, the girl grabbed her hand and pulled her around to the back of the well. It was shaded by trees, and a wooden box sat in just the right spot to sit on. The girl patted the box, motioning for her to sit.
(...)
She had a very bad feeling about this.
And those feelings were usually right.
"So, this insect lives on an island nation to the east. It vibrates its wings to produce sounds."
The girl spoke while gazing at the insect cage.
"Probably one that was among the trade goods got loose. I don't think there's anywhere in this country where they live except here."
"Is that so," Maomao replied listlessly.
"Though the color might resemble cockroaches a bit, they're a different creature, so it's fine."
Maomao wished she hadn't asked. She scrubbed her head with the towel once more.
The girl with the childish way of speaking had, for that very reason, regaled her with a tedious insect lecture for what felt like an eternity. Maomao kept trying to redirect the conversation and make her escape, but each time the girl would grab her sleeve and stop her.
She had no choice but to listen.
She understood the impulse to talk at length about things that interested you, but she wanted to convey that it was a pain for the person on the receiving end.
(If it were about medicine, I could still tolerate it.)
Come to think of it, Maomao recalled something.
"Hey, do you know much about medicine?"
She decided to forcibly change the subject. This girl had apparently gone to the medical office to pick up medicine. If the quack doctor's story was true, she must have been capable of compounding medicines.
"Huh, medicine? I guess so, to some extent. My big sister drilled it into me that I should memorize everything, so I can handle the simple things. Before, I got some medicine from that old guy here, and it was awfully made. I'd have been better off doing it myself."
That was quite the indictment of the quack doctor. Well, it couldn't be helped. It was the truth.
"Your sister taught you?"
Maomao found that somewhat interesting.
Female pharmacists weren't nonexistent, but they were rare. Her interest was piqued.
"Yeah, when I was little. I only know simple medicines, though."
"Are you in the rear palace?"
"Not the rear palace. I work as a court lady at the palace."
Maomao found that disappointing.
When the conversation finally broke off, Maomao was at last able to stand up.
"I have work to do."
"Oh, come on. Let's talk a little more."
"...I'll think about it, if it's not about insects."
Well, she might be able to manage if it was about cordyceps.
She went to hand back the damp towel as-is and leave, but the girl gave a sly smile.
"I, Shisui is what they call me,"
"Maomao."
Maomao said just that and decided to head back to the Jade Palace.
Shisui was waving her hand broadly, calling out "See you later!"
She didn't seem like a bad kid. Maomao thought so, anyway.
Maomao touched her head.
The crumpled feeling from earlier still lingered.
When she returned to the Jade Palace, it seemed a routine eunuch visit was underway. Outside the palace, eunuchs assigned to Jinshi were waiting. Only Jinshi and Gaoshun typically entered the palace, so the rest of the eunuchs were made to wait outside.
(What a hassle for them in this heat.)
The eunuchs were fanning themselves with round fans, looking overheated. When Maomao noticed water left on an outside table, someone must have brought it as a provision. During this season, neglecting hydration could lead to collapse, so she thought it was a sensible decision.
"Maomao."
The moment she returned, Guien called out to her.
"Lady Gyokuyou is asking for you."
Maomao hurried to the sitting room where Concubine Gyokuyou was.
Usually, at times like this, she could more or less imagine what was going on.
Sure enough, a eunuch was seated comfortably on a long sofa, waiting.
Maomao offered a slight bow and then stood before Concubine Gyokuyou.
"My Lady Gyokuyou, did you need something?"
"The one who needs something isn't me."
Concubine Gyokuyou was drinking warm fruit water. Normally she would prefer fruit wine with expensive ice floating in it, but she had been asked to abstain due to her pregnancy.
To beat the heat, Hongniang sat beside her, fanning a round fan.
"The one who needs something is me."
Jinshi spoke, his beautiful face unchanged as ever.
Gaoshun was fanning Jinshi with a round fan, just like Hongniang.
Normally, someone of a lower rank would be doing this sort of thing, but seeing as there was no one else around, it was probably their usual private chat.
"What brings you here?"
"I was hoping to have her back for a few days."
The reason he said "have her back" was that Maomao had effectively been lent from Jinshi to Consort Gyokuyou. The arrangement was for Maomao to remain at her side until the consort's delivery went smoothly.
"Oh my. What about the poison-tasting in the meantime?"
Consort Gyokuyou said, putting on a deliberate show of it.
"That is well taken care of. I'll lend one of my own attendants in her place. She may not be this girl's equal, but she is quite experienced when it comes to poison."
"Can she be trusted?"
"What a harsh thing to say."
Consort Gyokuyou wore a mischievous smile.
When it came to Jinshi's personal attendants, Maomao could only think of one: Suiren, the middle-aged court lady.
That woman could certainly manage standing in for Maomao.
But then, who would look after Jinshi? Maomao wondered. The kindly old woman always doted on the fully grown young master as though he were still a child.
"When you say a few days, are you going somewhere?"
"Yes, I've been invited to go hawking."
"Well, fancy that."
(Hawking, huh.)
That was truly upper-class as a hobby.
"To Lord Shishou's domain."
Jinshi smiled pleasantly, but there was no gap in his expression.
(Lord Shishou, huh.)
Apparently, he was a high-ranking official said to be Lady Loulan's father.
Was she imagining things, or did something about him just feel suspicious?
Don't drag me into anything troublesome, Maomao thought. Well, then again, if it was a falconry hunt, maybe she could eat some fresh rabbit.
If anything, she'd rather have the mochi the rabbit was pounding than the rabbit meat.
There was that old folk tale about the rabbit on the moon, grinding medicine with a mortar and pestle.
"You have quite the burden, entertaining all these guests."
"We have our share of complications as well."
"So you want to borrow Maomao, is that it?"
"Yes, I would like to have that girl returned to us."
Lady Gyokuyou's eyes glinted.
"Wouldn't someone other than Maomao do? I have plenty of other capable girls in my service."
"No, if you could simply return that girl, that would be sufficient."
Was she imagining the sparks flying between Jinshi and Lady Gyokuyou? Maomao stepped in to take over fanning with the round fan from Hongniang, whose hand was growing tired.
"Now then, which girl was it I was supposed to lend you?"
"That's what I'm saying — just return that girl and that will be enough."
Lady Gyokuyou narrowed her eyes and smiled slyly.
"Fufufu. You've been saying 'that girl' and nothing else this whole time."
"...What about it?"
Jinshi's expression twisted slightly.
"Say, Gaoshun — what do you call Maomao?"
Lady Gyokuyou asked the taciturn attendant cheerfully.
"I"
"Little Cat,"
"is what I call her."
For someone so reticent, he sure had a familiar way of addressing her.
Gyokuyou turned her sharp, cornering gaze on Jinshi.
"So then, what do you normally call Maomao?"
"..."
Jinshi looked uncomfortable and glanced at Maomao.
(Come to think of it, I've never once been called by name.)
Maomao realized this anew.
(Not that it matters, really.)
And yet, she found it puzzling that Jinshi seemed so ill at ease about it.
Hongniang was nudging Maomao with her elbow, her expression clearly saying she had something to point out, but Maomao couldn't figure that out either.