The Apothecary Diaries Book 9

Yao's Request

The old hag's going to give me a piece of her mind again. Maomao was particularly curious how the still-amateur apothecary Sazen was getting along, but she wouldn't get to find out this time. I'm sorry, Sazen! Hang in there!

Even the madam would have to respect orders handed down by an important noble. (Although she might squeeze something out of them for it.) She was a sharp old battle-axe; Maomao would have to be careful not to give her any hint as to the true import of the command.

I entrusted the shop to Kokuyou, so it should be fine...I hope. She thought of the cheery man with the bandage on his face. His knowledge of medicine was trustworthy, but his somewhat lackadaisical personality was less confidence-inspiring.

To these concerns could be added her little patch of medicinal herbs and the madam's various unreasonable requests.

"The poor don't take vacations, I'm afraid. I'm going to stay busy," she said. Yao was silent at that.

"Sounds like you've got a lot going on," En'en said.

"Sure do," Maomao replied without hesitation.

En'en looked at Yao. The young mistress seemed to want to say something, but unfortunately, Maomao couldn't guess what. She put away the cleaning implements, and when she looked at Yao again, she could see the young woman's mouth almost moving. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Um... You live at an apothecary's place, right, Maomao?"

"Yes..." Maomao said cautiously. She'd told Yao about that. The other woman seemed impatient about something.

Maomao looked at her, puzzled, and Yao finally summoned the resolve to come out with whatever she was thinking. "D-Do you think maybe we could come to your house on vacation? I mean, t-to learn something about medicine!"

"Y-Young mistress!" said En'en, shocked. She couldn't believe Yao had said that.

Well, considering where my house is...

En'en wouldn't want to let her precious mistress take a single step into the pleasure district. She was looking at Maomao, silently begging her to come up with some reason to refuse.

"I don't think you should, Yao. It's not very safe there. And besides, it's full of men who smell worse than the soldiers around here. I think it could be a little risky for you." Maomao had already established that she was going to be busy. She needed to put Yao off, and now.

"But you live there, right, Maomao?" Yao wasn't deterred; in fact, she seemed more determined than ever.

"Yes. I was born there and have lived there my whole life. I know how to handle myself. Not all of us do."

That seemed like common sense to Maomao, but it only made Yao even more set on not losing this argument. "Then I'll just have to get used to it too!"

"Young mistress, it's dangerous! Be a good girl and spend your vacation at home."

"If I do that, he'll come around—you know who!"

Maomao didn't necessarily know, but she could guess: Yao's uncle.

She's looking for sanctuary somewhere, Maomao realized. Bringing Yao and En'en to the Verdigris House, however, would pose far too many problems. Maomao had to be available to attend Jinshi, and she couldn't let anyone know. If worst came to worst, they could shut the madam up with a few coins, but Maomao wasn't sure the same thing would work on Yao. She had to find some way to deflect the eager young woman.

"But where would you sleep? It is a lodging of a sort, but not the kind of place you'd want to stay."

Customers were forever coming and going at night, and Maomao's residence amounted to no more than a shack. A shack in which Sazen and Chou-u were currently living. No, Yao couldn't stay there.