THIS STORY IS A FICTION AND ALL NAMES OF
MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.
Lord Jinshi, your face.
It is nothing serious. Just a scratch.
Let me see.
It's been stitched rather carelessly.
I would redo it right away, but my hands are too tired.
Did you go to the front lines?
I could hardly sit in a safe place and just watch.
I think that's fine. That is your position, after all.
Please do not go to dangerous places on purpose.
When you get hurt, it causes trouble for everyone around you.
True.
I did not intend to get injured.
No one ever does.
I accepted a strange request, that is all.
Were you close with Loulan?
Were you friends?
I am not really sure.
Friends?
At the very least, I think it was something close to that for me.
Spending time talking with Loulan,
with Shisui and Xiaolan,
it was not so bad.
Although I do not know how Shisui felt.
She was truly hard to understand.
I feel the same.
I never did figure her out.
I see.
So, Shisui.
I leave the rest to you.
The only thing I can do
is carry out what she entrusted to me.
That is all.
It is done.
Thank you.
You look terrible. You should rest.
Yeah. I am really sleepy.
Please do not fall asleep here.
Why not? I am tired.
If you must ask.
This place is tainted.
I know that.
I am a man. It does not matter.
Lord Jinshi, you are beyond that.
I do not care.
Then I do not either.
If one scar could ruin my value,
then I lacked worth.
Hey.
Am I a man
whose value disappears with a single scratch?
Am I just a pretty face with nothing inside?
If anything,
a few more scars might suit you.
Lord Jinshi is too beautiful.
Because of that, people around him become flustered,
focused only on his appearance.
But his true nature is not as flashy as his looks.
It is something far more honest.
That probably has more value than beauty.
I would say, you are more handsome than ever.
What is it?
I was trying to restrain myself, considering the circumstances.
If you are sleepy, you should--
I thought I could stay calm.
- Huh? - But it turns out,
I did better than expected.
Lord Jinshi, perhaps you really should get some rest?
I am still fine.
Then I will get some painkillers.
I can hold on for 30 more minutes.
Thirty minutes, for what?
What was that sound just now?
Hey!
No!
It is not that!
It's medicine.
Shisui called it a medicine, not a poison.
A medicine that kills once, then brings one back,
"A medicine to revive the dead."
She is alive?
Lord Jinshi! Please prepare some hot water!
And something warm! Clothes, food, anything!
I don't know what Lord Jinshi will do with the revived child.
Still, this is why I was brought here.
One who died once.
Then, you will let "those who died once" go?
It feels like I've been tricked by a fox.
- Lord Jinshi! - I got it.
Hey! Bring warm water in a bucket! And blankets!
- Also prepare some warm drinks! - Yes!
Lord Jinshi!
Send some people over! If possible, Suirei!
- Gaoshun, please. - Got it.
We'll set up here.
Thank you very much.
Suirei.
The children have come back to life.
Hey!
It's a happy start to the new year, isn't it?
The birth went smoothly.
Old man didn't return to the pleasure district, he chose to stay in the palace.
He was exiled from the rear palace for absurd reasons to begin with.
But his skills as a physician are exceptional.
Naturally, they would not want to send him back.
As for Lord Jinshi, I have not seen him since that day.
He's probably busy handling the affairs of the Shi clan and with his regular duties.
Good news, in a way.
But it also meant I was no longer needed in the rear palace.
Nonetheless, the pleasure district is busier anyway.
The medicines the old man stockpiled are long gone.
Hey, Freckles! Give me a snack!
Don't run around too much.
You were bedridden not too long ago, remember?
I'm fine now!
All five children came back to life after that.
He was the last to awaken.
The medicine is still experimental.
Truthfully, I wanted to wait until it was proven effective.
The last one, Kyou-u, lost his memory
and suffered minor paralysis on one side.
Even so, coming back from that state is a miracle.
The other children were all given new names and allowed to live on.
I don't know why, but the four who awoke earlier
were apparently taken in by Lady Ah-Duo,
a former high-ranking consort.
And Suirei too.
Though she had stirred up much trouble in the palace,
her case was seen with leniency.
She carries the previous Emperor's blood.
She is now under surveillance, but her life was spared.
As for Kyou-u, because of his memory loss,
it was decided he'd be raised separately,
and so he was brought to the pleasure district.
But what kind of logic is it that, "In a way, this is the safest place"?
There it is! Ow!
What was that for?
Don't eat without asking, you dumb Chou-u.
Kyou-u is now called Chou-u. A new name.
Since he still remembered the sound of his old name, it was the best we could do.
Chou-u, over here.
Yay! Play with me!
Seki-u?
Long time no see.
I heard you were an apothecary,
but didn't expect your store to be in the pleasure district.
Has the Crown Prince been presented already?
Yes, and it went smoothly. Everyone gave their best regards to you.
And this! I've been holding onto it.
I must give it for my peace of mind.
Xiaolan.
She was really down after you and Shisui disappeared.
She expected a note at least.
Officially, Shisui and I were extracted
and transferred out of the rear palace, right?
That's right.
However, having a cheerful personality has its advantages.
She is not especially talented, but you just can't leave her alone.
Well, take care.
You too, Seki-u.
Lady Seki-u told me all about how
Xiaolan had been doing.
It seems that after we left,
she couldn't just leave her alone,
working hard all by herself in the bathhouse.
I see.
Xiaolan is already...
"Maomao, are you doing well?"
I'm doing great.
After completing my apprenticeship, I left the palace.
The princess who gave me the hair clip liked me,
she introduced me to her younger sister, and now
I'm working as her maid.
I intend to give it my all!
I really wish I'd had the chance to tell you everything properly.
I hope to meet you and Shisui again someday.
I want to eat frozen treats together like we used to.
Snow, huh.
They couldn't find
Shisui's body no matter how much they dug through the snow.
They said they would search again once the snow melted in spring.
I hope they never find it.
This new medicine still doesn't feel quite right.
Oh, okay.
What are you up to?
Lord Jinshi, have you finished your work?
I can take breaks occasionally.
Here you go. Enjoy at your leisure.
What the heck?
He's all healed up.
Did the old man redo the stitches?
You seem tired.
It's not just the personnel affairs,
I'm also dealing with the Shi clan's territory and various things.
Most of the Shi clan has already been executed, from what I heard.
Their territory is now under direct control of the state.
It is rich in forest resources, so the government should profit handsomely.
If they use the lumber to make paper, that would be great.
Hey. Stop pretending I am not here.
Sorry, it's a habit.
Never mind. How about you keep your promise?
Promise?
I gathered the ingredients for the ice cream, right?
Ice cream? Oh, the hair clip!
What's wrong?
No, it's just, the hair clip...
- I gave it away. - What?
Maybe I'll find it in the spring.
Why spring?
Or I might not.
It might end up at some street stall somewhere.
- You sold it off? - I didn't sell it!
I gave it to Shisui.
To Loulan.
I did say that I would want it back someday.
I see.
Then, how about you fulfill the other promise?
"Hear the whole story before reacting," right?
That's right.
All right then. Go ahead.
Go ahead?
You don't have one?
No, there is,
but, thinking it over, I figure you already know what I was going to say.
Well, it's too late to talk about that now.
Then, how about something else instead?
Something else?
So there isn't anything after all?
Freckles!
Look! You wanted this, right?
Oh! Good job!
- It's huge! - Right?
Why do we always get interrupted?
What's with that guy?
He's just tired.
Here, some brown sugar as a reward.
See ya!
Granny, can you prep a bed?
Make sure it's comfortable.
Got it!
You seem tired, so please rest well.
Got it. I'll rest.
Are you pretending to sleep? Lord Jinshi?
Okay, here's your order.
Thanks for your business!
- Uncle. - Yes.
Is this a cicada?
Ah, it's a well-made jade from ancient times.
Oh, jade, huh?
Hey, that's merchandise.
Don't just browse, are you buying or not?
I don't have much money.
Then hands off, all right?
How about a barter? Here, take this.
A hair clip? What is this?
You don't see things like this around here!
So? Deal?
Where did you get this, young girl?
Never mind! Deal's done!
Then I'll take it!
It's beautiful.
Hey, Uncle!
My name's Tamamo!
"Tamamo" as in Tama for jade and Mo as in seaweed, huh?
Sounds like a name blessed by the sea.
That's right.
I bet it'd be fun to see what's across the sea.
Thanks, uncle!
Bye-bye!