I might be feeling a little sluggish.


    Airan said, her eyes partly on the verge of shutting, chin resting on the table.


    Maomao ced her hand on her brow. It appears that she has a fever.


    They were taking a break in the kitchen, eating snacks. Honnyan, whose duty was to watch over them, wasnt around, so they passed the time in aid-back manner.


    Dont tell me you have a slight cold or something. What would happen if you pass it over to Consort Gyokuyou and the princess?


    Infa said as she picked up a cherry. The cherries were taken from the inner pce orchard. Just saying this in case, but this wasnt something Maomao took on purpose. Dont take her wrong, she only snuck some in.


    I was careful though.


    Airan raised her head tiredly.


    Maomao was going to return to her room to boil some cold medicine, but Infa pulled her to a stop.


    Sorry about this, but since youre going to make medicine, can you take her to the clinic?


    The clinic? You say?


    Maomao tilted her head. Wasnt that, the medical office? If so, even if I take her there, itll just tire her out, Maomao thought, but then Infa, guessing that, shook her head.


    Its different to the medical office. How do I say this? Though we dont have medical officers, we have different people instead? For the time being, Airan knows, so go with her.


    Maomao nodded, I understand.


    This so-called clinic was on the north side of the inner pce. It was at adistance from the back of the washing area; there were courtdies wearing white robes.


    (It was in such a ce.)


    It was out of Maomaos area of activity. I didnt know about it, she muttered, and Airanughed wryly amid her coughs.


    Probably, you werent simply told when you entered here?


    Unfortunately, since Maomao entered here while sulking, she didnt listen properly. It was likely that, in the middle of being brought here and getting the exnation, she must have been observing the mugwort that was growing on the roadside.


    She was that kind of creature.


    In the washing area beside it, courtdies were briskly washing clothes. The things they were carrying in their hands seemed to be sheets.


    (How reasonable.)


    By being close to the washing area, they can immediately wash clothes and futons. For a ce where it is important to have the area clean for medical treatment, it was a good location.


    Excuse me. I caught a cold.


    Airan called out to a courtdy who was moving quickly. Although the busy-seeming courtdy made a brief look of doubt, she set down the washing basket and ced her hand on Airans forehead.


    A fever, I see. Stick out your tongue.


    It was a seasoned voice. The courtdys face was covered in deep wrinkles. For the inner pce, an unusual middle-aged courtdy.


    After the courtdy squinted, she lifted Airans chin up to see. It was a more practised actionpared to the quack doctor.


    Hmm. It doesnt seem to be that serious. If you dont exert yourself, youll be fine in two or three days. What do you want to do?


    The courtdy asked Airan. The diagnosis was also reliable.


    I cant pass it over to the consort, so can I stay here? Just in case.


    Hmm.


    The courtdy picked up theundry basket and promptly entered the clinic. She set down the basket and beckoned at them.


    The inside of the clinic was a simple structure that was devoid of splendour. There were no decorations hanging off the pirs, the corridor had in timber flooring. Even the windows, the square windows were only just installed at fixed intervals. Because of theck of decorations, cleaning was easier to do, so they are sufficiently thorough. There were many windows, the venttion was also good. It seemed to be a very restful ce to spend the time in thising season.


    There was no characteristic stench of traditional eastern medicine. However, an alcohol-like stench permeated the air.


    Airan grimaced. It appears that the reason she hesitateding here was because she hated this smell. However, Maomao could only admire that they were attentive with disinfection. Strong alcohol killed toxins when applied on the wound. Needless to say, holding it on the open wound and wiping it down is a method of disinfection.


    She had thought it was mysterious before that disease didnt spread with only that quack doctor around. Turns out there was this kind of ce.


    Then, tell them that Ille back tomorrow.


    I understand.


    Airan received a tag that was made from wood from the middle-aged courtdy, and headed to the room of the number written on that tag.


    Maomao looked at the inside of the clinic with interest, but she was seized by the nape of her neck.


    Hey, what about your job. Dont think you could ck off just because you were the chaperon.


    .


    What? Or, would you rather, clean all the washing here for us?


    Maomao shook her head in refusal at the aunty who was grinning widely.


    Maomao, with nothing she could do, decided to return to the Jade Pce.


    The madam was also like that. She really cant win against olddies.


    (I wanted to see more of it.)


    But it didnt seem like she could do it, so she gave up. She trudged the way back. While Maomao was being carefree, the courtdies carryingundry baskets scurried around her on the road.


    Since it was the rainy season, it seems tough that they have to pack up the washing when the sunniness asionally abated. That said, Maomao also recalled that she had to go get the washing too.


    (At any rate.)


    Aside from that aunty, there were several other courtdies. It can be said they were all senior aged.


    Since they were in a ce called the inner pce, when courtdies age, they are half forced to be reced. Generally, when they get to their thirties, they are forced to take breaks. If they remain, they would all be high positioned personnel like the Inner Pce Chief, or a maid that attends a consort.


    If she spoke it out loud, she would surely be hit, but Honnyan the head maid was already the age where she would be leaving the inner pce.


    Speaking of that courtdys experienced manner, she must have stayed behind as an existence that the inner pce needed, Maomao thought.


    However, there was one point of concern.


    The smell of medicine was non-existent. Could it have been erased by the smell of alcohol?


    No, or could it be.


    Maomao walked, stroking her chin as she contemted, and bumped into something. Did I hit a pir? She thought, but for some reason, there was the face of a celestial maiden that was dazzling like a sun above her head.


    Dont mutter to yourself as you walk. Youll trip.


    What are you talking about?


    Jinshi sighed tremendously and spread both of his hands, shaking his head. At his expression of disappointment, Maomao inadvertently became sullen, and her eyes were like she was looking at a swollen earthworm in a puddle of water, but then she politely met eyes with Gaoshun, who was overflowing with the expression of a bodhisattva. For now, she forced her narrowed eyes wide open.


    Where did you go?


    The clinic. To think there was such a ce huh.


    It was mentioned to courtdies when they were first shown around, could it have been omitted?


    No, I dont think so.


    Looking at Jinshi who had a somewhat strangely serious expression. Maomao thought, What should I do? asionally, does this eunuch have no confidence in his own work? He has so much confidence normally.


    Jinshi slowly veered off to a path that led to a ce with few people. The beautiful eunuch, him just standing here will be a hindrance to work, so it would be a wee decision.


    It was a ce that was more established that I thought, so I was surprised. Rather, it would be better if the medical officer was there.


    No, if it was like that, the quack doctors head will fly. If it was like this, the ces where Maomao can ck off will decrease, so it was troubling.


    I really should have corrected what I said just then, she thought, when Jinshi lowered his brows again.


    If there was a medical officer there? Wouldnt that be a hardship if that was done?


    What do you mean?


    Only males can be medical officers, you know.


    Maomao tilted her head, and Gaoshun exined instead.


    Fundamentally, only medical officers can boil medicine. For the treatment of wounds too. Scratches aside, the treatment of serious injuries was impossible. It was banned.


    (Was that how it is?)


    Maomao understood. The reason why there wasnt the smell of medicine, must be due to that.


    However, if that was the case.


    What about me?


    Maomao felt that she boiled medicine as she pleased. Of course, she couldnt bring in ingredients from outside, but she used the nts that grew within the inner pce and the medical offices medicines.


    You can say our eyes are closed. Among consorts, there arent few people who know a lot about medicines ced as maids. Though, when it bes such a case, conversely, their presence bes too distinct and cant provide medicines then.


    From Jinshis phrasing, Im involved in someplicated situation, Maomao thought. Like the inner pce courtdy wage system, an iprehensible system andw might exist, but Maomao had not much interest in it so she had absolutely no idea.


    Even if medicine was not allowed, you can use alcohol to disinfect then it could be utilised by applying that devising.


    By just resting in a clean ce, illnesses can be easily cured. In the case where the condition is severe, there was also the means to return to their family.


    (What a bother.)


    However, it would be more of a bother to overturn the system that was once decided. In this world, there are many people who chose to immobilise.


    Even for the future, it would be good if we can supply more figures that are different to medical officers.


    Jinshi also couldnt speak about Maomao. Like he was making a speech, that was a monologue.


    So we can do it even if there arent eunuchs.


    (Eunuch huh.)


    Within the inner pce, eunuchs make up about half of all the people. Compared to courtdies, since they arent often reced, their average age was considerably high.


    (That saying, there arent many young eunuchs huh.)


    She was pretty sure she heard that a couple of years ago, the surgery to be a eunuch was banned. If she remembered correctly, wasnt it the time when the emperor was reced by the current one?


    Maomao didnt know when Jinshi became a eunuch. However, considering Jinshis age, it could only be just before it was banned.


    (Poor thing. If only you waited a little.)


    Involuntarily, her gaze dropped. She looked at Jinshis crotch. Since the eunuchs surgery removed it all by the roots, it bes t. Since she knew what happened to her foster fathers area, she could pretty much imagine it.


    (Smooth and t.)


    Maomao slowly raised her head, locking eyes with Jinshi.


    Jinshi was making a somewhatplicated expression. His lips were shut in a zigzag shape; he was staring back at Maomao.


    (Dont tell me, did I say it out loud again?)


    Not good, she thought, holding her mouth and averting her eyes, this time meeting eyes with Gaoshun. His bodhisattva expression had crumbled; it seems he was looking towards Jinshi with the same sympathetic smile as Maomao. Being fellows that had the same tness, could they have a connection?


    Gaoshun slowly shook his head,


    Jinshi-sama, our work is being held up.


    And said a behest.


    Okay. Thats right. Tell them that I will be heading to the Jade Pce afterwards.


    So Jinshi said, and left with an elegant retreating figure.


    Maomao released her hands that she mped over her mouth,


    (If I make a medicine that can grow it, could it be profitable?)


    She considered imprudent things along those lines.