The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 4 (Light Novel)

“This will be my pillow”—and put his head smack on Maomao’s knees. The crown of his head was pressed up into her stomach, and his arms were wrapped around her back.
“Master Jinshi...”

After a long moment, it was Maomao who spoke first: “I’m sorry, but might I ask you to protect me, Master Jinshi?”

Jinshi gazed at Maomao’s face. There was blood on it, and her left ear was swollen, although it had been smeared with ointment. None of this would have happened to Maomao if she had never gotten involved with him. The thought made his heart ache.

How long do you mean to deceive us with that assumed form?” Lakan said, watching Jinshi through his monocle. Or rather, watching the man Ka Zuigetsu, who wore “Jinshi” like a second skin.

Zuigetsu swallowed heavily. He’d always known this moment would come. Now it had.

It was time for him to face it

Not, of course, that it was my personal preference to become a eunuch,” he said.

Lakan waved his hands in a mild panic in the direction of the huddled old man. “H-Honored Uncle! I meant nothing of the sort. I wasn’t talking about you!”

“No? And yet here I am, a sorry half-man.

“What I want now is for you to rescue my daughter—immediately.”

Ah, how simple things would have been if only he were capable of that! At this moment, Jinshi was clearly Lakan’s enemy—and everyone at court knew you didn’t want to make Lakan your enemy.

Lahan stepped back dejectedly and worked his way behind Gaoshun. So there were things even this young man had trouble coping with.

Only a few men can come and go in the rear palace as they please...” Namely the Emperor and his immediate relatives. No... The ages don’t match up. But...

She’d often thought that Jinshi was younger than he looked. Not a child—she wouldn’t go that far—but he gave a distinctly youthful impression. Although she suspected all too few other women in the rear palace would agree with her

Move.” Kyou-u suddenly had a piece of wire in his hand; he worked noisily at the lock for a moment, and soon undid the simple latch.

This kid’s trouble, Maomao thought. But she was also grateful for his help.

But Jinshi was oddly skilled at reading Maomao’s expressions. Partly because they’d now known each other for a fair amount of time, true, but even by that standard he was quite sensitive to slight changes in her face.